District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kelby Gordon, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distributing narcotics in Washington, D.C. – a prison term that he must serve in addition to the 37-year prison term he recently was given in a murder case.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gordon was found guilty by a jury on Jan. 10, 2019 of unlawful distribution of fentanyl. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. The sentence is to run consecutively to the 37-year prison term that Gordon is serving for a murder in Southeast Washington. In sentencing Gordon, Judge McFadden highlighted the danger of fentanyl abuse to the community; a report by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner cited fentanyl and its analogs as a key factor in a drastic increase in recent years of overdose deaths in the city.
The narcotics charge arose from a long-term investigation initiated by the Washington D.C. FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force into the violence and associated narcotics trafficking in the area of Birney Place SE. Gordon and numerous other defendants were indicted in December 2017 for their roles in the operation. A total of 12 people faced charges in the investigation; 10 pled guilty and two, including Gordon, were found guilty of charges at trial.
The investigation determined that from at least January 2016 through December 2017, the various defendants maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin to drug dealers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Much of the activity took place in the Birney Place area of Southeast Washington. In particular, the investigation showed that several of the defendants regularly sold crack cocaine and heroin in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE.
According to the government’s evidence, an undercover law enforcement officer met with Gordon during the investigation to purchase heroin. The evidence showed that the substance he actually sold the officer that day was a fentanyl analog.
Gordon was sentenced on Dec. 14, 2018, to 37 years in prison for killing an innocent bystander and firing into an occupied bedroom during a broad-daylight shooting in Southeast Washington. According to the government’s evidence, on March 24, 2016, at approximately 11:15 a.m., the victim, Gabriel Turner, was walking in a cut-through behind the 2600 block of Birney Place SE, headed to a nearby bus stop. Mr. Turner, 46, who had intellectual disabilities and who was working at the FBI as a janitor, had just finished having breakfast with his mother – as he had every morning. Gordon, meanwhile, was in the area and, after seeing another man pull out a large amount of money, decided to rob that man near the mouth of the cut-through.
However, as Gordon attempted to rob the man, the man began to pull out his own firearm. Gordon, in his own words, gave the man no chance, and pulled his gun out first. The two men began running down the cut-through behind Mr. Turner.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Turner, Gordon planted his feet and began firing towards the man, who fled in the same direction that Mr. Turner was walking. The man who Gordon was targeting weaved around Mr. Turner and escaped, but a single bullet struck Mr. Turner in the upper back as he ducked. The bullet lodged itself in Mr. Turner’s sinus – killing him almost instantly. Two other bullets flew into an occupied apartment across the street, just missing the head of a second victim as he returned to bed.
In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI, MPD, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). They also acknowledged the work of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing; Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton. They additionally expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Merikas and Monica Trigoso, who investigated and prosecuted the murder case.
Finally they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar R. Mohanty, who investigated and prosecuted the narcotics case.
Area Man Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Niece, Beginning When She Was 11 Years OldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 49-year-old man, formerly of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of multiple charges for sexually abusing his niece when she was 11 and 12 years old, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, recently resided in Northwest Washington with his wife and children. He was found guilty by a jury on April 3, 2019, of four counts of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child with aggravating circumstances, and assault. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Craig Iscoe ordered that he be held without bond until sentencing on May 31, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the victim lived in Florida with her mother during the year, but visited her father and his family in the District of Columbia every summer. When she visited the District of Columbia, she spent part of her time with the defendant and his family.
In the summer of 2016, when the victim was 11 years old, the defendant began sexually abusing her during these visits. The nature of his abuse escalated over time. The defendant pressured the victim not to tell, and she was afraid to disclose the abuse for fear of not being believed and of causing stress within the family.
Following the defendant’s final act of abuse in June 2017, the victim could not keep the abuse a secret anymore, and she disclosed the abuse to her aunt, the defendant’s wife. The victim later disclosed to her father, as well, and the abuse was then reported to the Metropolitan Police Department. The defendant was arrested in July 2017.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of members of the Youth and Family Services Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenechukwu Okocha, who investigated and indicted the case; Appellate Division Deputy Chief John Mannarino; Victim/Witness Assistance Unit Chief Sarah McClellan; Paralegal Specialists Brenda C. Williams and D’Yvonne Key; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Loeb, who prosecuted the case at trial.
United States Wins Civil Forfeiture Suit Against Taiwanese National Accused of Laundering Funds Through the United States to Assist Syrian and North Korean Regimes with Procuring GoodsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal judge has ordered the forfeiture of $148,500 in blocked funds associated with a Taiwan-based company that allegedly laundered United States dollars in business dealings with North Korean and Syrian entities, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Division.
The Honorable Richard J. Leon granted the government’s motion for summary judgment in a civil forfeiture case targeting funds held in the name of Trans Multi Mechanics Company Limited (Trans Multi). The complaint alleged that Trans Multi and its owner, Tsai Hsien-Tsai, also known as Alex Tsai, laundered United States dollars to further his exportation of goods for the benefit of North Korean and Syrian entities involved in the respective regimes’ weapons programs. The complaint sought to forfeit funds laundered by Tsai.
“The Court found that these blocked funds were the product of Tsai’s attempts to sell tools to a Syrian company using U.S. Dollars and a series of front companies,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Sanctions laws are critical to our national security and foreign policy interests, and this case demonstrates that we will seek significant remedies against those companies that violate them.”
"Attempts by individuals such as Tsai to circumvent economic sanctions through money laundering undermine foreign policy established to keep the United States and its citizens safe,” said Special Agent in Charge Sallet. “This judgment underscores the FBI’s commitment to national security and serves as a reminder that the FBI will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."
The complaint was filed in June 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the complaint, Tsai frequently transacted with companies in North Korea and Syria which assisted with each regime’s respective weapons programs. On Jan. 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) designated Tsai, his wife, and two companies he controlled. The designation noted that Tsai used these companies to transact with North Korean proliferators of weapons of mass destruction.
Between April and June of 2012, OFAC blocked $148,500 in the process of being transferred from a bank account in Hong Kong controlled by Tsai to a Taiwanese bank account in the name of his daughter as it traveled through the United States correspondent banking system.
Tsai was arrested in Estonia in May 2013 and subsequently extradited to the United States. He pled guilty in October 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. As part of his plea agreement, Tsai admitted that he had used Trans Multi, among other companies, to continue his exporting business notwithstanding the OFAC designation against him. He also admitted that he exported machinery and tools relating to weapons of mass destruction, and that these goods were produced in the United States and purchased with U.S. Dollars. After serving a two-year prison sentence, Tsai was deported to Taiwan, where he remains today.
In his ruling, which was issued on March 29, 2019, Judge Leon agreed that there was no genuine dispute of material fact with respect to the government’s complaint, and that the Court could “easily conclude” that the funds involved in this suit stemmed from Tsai’s attempts to evade sanctions. The United States is thus entitled to the funds.
The FBI’s Chicago Division is investigating the case. Assistant U.S Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Arvind Lal, and Brian Hudak are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick and former Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, and special assistance from Joshua Stanton, who served as a consultant.
Former HUD Employee Sentenced for Providing Non-Public Information to Government ContractorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – LaFonda Lewis, 57, a former supervisory contract oversight specialist with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for providing non-public information about pending HUD contracts to a business owner in exchange for money, tickets to sporting events, and other things of value.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Reginald O. Sessoms, Special Agent in Charge, Special Investigations Division, HUD Office of Inspector General.
Lewis, of Lusby, Md., pled guilty in January 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia., to violating the Procurement Integrity Act. She was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. As part of her plea agreement, she is required to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $23,055, representing the value of the gifts and benefits she received. Additionally, following her prison term, she will be placed on two years of supervised release.
The charge involved Lewis’s dealings with Charles Thomas, the sole owner and president of a company in Maryland that provided technology services to agencies of the federal government and educational services to public school children in the Washington, D.C. area.
According to a statement of offense signed as part of her plea, between 2012 and 2015, Lewis provided Thomas with non-public information about pending HUD contracts in exchange for Thomas providing her with money, tickets to sporting events, designer handbags, and other items. The information that Lewis provided had not been disclosed publicly and gave Thomas’s company an unfair advantage in competing for contracts.
In a related prosecution, another former HUD employee, Kevin Jones, pled guilty on March 14, 2019, to a federal bribery charge stemming from a similar scheme in which he provided non-public information about pending HUD contracts to Thomas in exchange for tickets to sporting events, travel, and cash. Jones, 48, of Laurel, Md., was a former contract oversight specialist. He is to be sentenced on June 13, 2019. Jones has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $50,302, representing the value of the gifts that he received in the scheme.
Thomas, 45, of Lusby, Md., pled guilty in May 2018 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of conspiracy to pay gratuities and violate the Procurement Integrity Act. He is awaiting sentencing. In his plea, Thomas admitted to paying bribes to the two HUD employees as well as to an employee of the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in return for payments on contracts involving that agency.
The former District of Columbia employee, Shauntell Harley, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in July 2018 to 56 months in prison for accepting bribes in return for clearing the way for payments to be made to Thomas and another businessman.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Special Agent in Charge Sessoms commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and HUD’s Office of the Inspector General.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Joshua Fein and former Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who is investigating and prosecuting the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Hold-Ups of Two PharmaciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Evans, 21, also known as Daniel Jervan Shaw, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a pair of broad daylight robberies carried out within a period of minutes last year at local pharmacies.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Evans, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act). The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces an estimated range of 63 to 78 months in prison. The plea agreement also calls for Evans to pay a $4,161 forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, the first robbery took place at about 11:15 a.m. on March 18, 2018. That morning, three heavily-disguised assailants – wearing gloves and surgical-style masks – entered a CVS in the 9500 block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, Md. The three went behind the pharmacy counter and demanded Percocet and Promethazine, ordering the pharmacist to open the safe. When the pharmacist did not comply, one of the assailants stunned him with a stun gun, causing him to lose consciousness. Unable to get into the safe, the three took some products from off the shelves and fled the scene.
The second robbery occurred at about 12:30 p.m., on the same date. This time, four heavily-disguised assailants – wearing masks – entered the Rite Aid in the 5600 block of Georgia Avenue NW in the District of Columbia. One remained at the entrance and brandished a stun gun at customers. The others went behind the pharmacy counter and demanded Percocet, ordering the pharmacist to open the safe. The pharmacist complied and the intruders fled the scene, taking pharmaceutical products, including Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, with them.
At about 1:35 p.m., a witness called 911 to report seeing an individual get out of a car and throw a bag over the side of the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge and into the Anacostia River. MPD’s harbor unit found the bag as well as another bag inside it. The bags contained empty pharmaceutical pill bottles, discarded latex gloves and surgical-style masks. An employee from Rite Aid identified some of the bottles as having been stolen from the store that day.
Based on descriptions provided of the car seen at the bridge, MPD officers subsequently identified Evans as the vehicle’s likely owner and executed a search warrant at his residence in Southeast Washington on March 20, 2018. A search of the defendant’s bedroom uncovered a backpack containing $4,161, a hollowed-out VCR containing 12 rounds of ammunition, and plastic bags containing more than 600 tablets of Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. Evans was arrested and has remained in custody ever since. In his guilty plea, Evans acknowledged that he was part of the group that conspired to commit the robberies. No one else has been arrested in the case, and the investigation is continuing.
At the time of the robberies, Evans was on probation for conspiracy to rob a pharmacy in Maryland.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Carroll, Paralegal Specialist Catherine O’Neal, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney C.B. Buente, who prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Traffic Firearms from Georgia into the District of Columbia for ResaleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Jeter, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 63-month prison term on federal charges stemming from his role in a conspiracy to purchase firearms through a straw purchaser in the Atlanta, Ga. region and bring them to the District of Columbia for illegal resale.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Jeter pled guilty in January 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiring to illegally traffic in firearms and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
The guilty plea followed an investigation by ATF, MPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office into a rash of firearm recoveries in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas in late 2016 and early 2017, all tied to a single straw purchaser in the Atlanta region. To date, approximately 25 firearms have been recovered in the District of Columbia or Maryland that, according to the government’s evidence, were purchased by this straw purchaser and illegally trafficked into the area by members of this conspiracy.
According to a factual proffer, beginning in or around August 2016 and continuing through mid-January 2017, Jeter conspired with others to illegally deal in firearms, travel in interstate commerce to acquire firearms for resale, and make false statements on firearm purchase forms, among other offenses. Jeter and his cousin, Quran Jeter, illegally obtained firearms from an accomplice in Atlanta. In his guilty plea, Stephon Jeter admitted that he and his cousin brought between 25 and 99 firearms from Georgia to the District of Columbia for resale.
In his plea, Jeter also admitted that he sold several firearms in the District of Columbia to people he knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, were prohibited from possessing guns because of their criminal records.
Jeter was arrested on March 9, 2018, and has been in custody ever since. At the time of his arrest in this case, Jeter was barred from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction in Prince George’s County, Md. for assault.
Quran Jeter, 20, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on Oct. 30, 2018, to conspiring to illegally traffic in firearms. He is to be sentenced on June 12, 2019.
This case is being investigated by ATF, MPD, and a former Criminal Investigator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office now with the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and William Schurmann of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Katie Cowley.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme and Making a False Statement to the FBIRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Benjamin, 57, of Ellicott City, Maryland, pled guilty yesterday to a federal charge stemming from making a false statement to the FBI, and to a District of Columbia charge stemming from a scheme to defraud individuals that trusted the defendant to invest money on their behalf announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Benjamin pled guilty before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to engaging in a scheme with intent to defraud, and to obtaining money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and to unlawfully obtaining over $100,000 for his own personal enrichment. Benjamin also pled guilty to making a false statement to the FBI, after the FBI had seized approximately $450,000 that Benjamin had obtained from investors. In connection with the guilty plea, Benjamin admitted that he had falsely told the FBI that the $450,000 had been “held in trust” for the benefit of an investor, when in fact Benjamin kept the funds in his own bank account. Judge Friedman scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 24, 2019, at which Benjamin faces statutory maximum sentences of ten years and five years in prison, respectively.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Paralegal Specialists Jessica McCormick and Chela Okonji, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Demian Ahn and Thomas Swanton, who prosecuted the case.
District Woman Found Guilty in March 2013 Slaying of Her HusbandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Diana Lalchan, 33, of Washington, D.C., was convicted today of Voluntary Manslaughter while Armed and Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence in the 2013 slaying of her husband, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2019, and held Lalchan without bond pending the sentencing hearing.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 28, 2013, at approximately 12:05 a.m., Lalchan called 911 and reported that she had just shot her husband inside their apartment in the 1200 block of Fourth Street SW. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene and found her inside the apartment, holding a cell phone. Police found her husband, Christopher Lalchan, 36, lying on the floor, unconscious and unresponsive. Mr. Lalchan was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head. The defendant was placed under arrest. A search of the residence revealed a semi-automatic handgun and three shell casings on the floor.
Lalchan had been married to Mr. Lalchan since October of 2008. After the shooting, Lalchan told police that her husband had asked her to come home on the evening of March 27, 2013, so that the two could have a meeting regarding their marriage. After having dinner, Lalchan said that an argument ensued that escalated and de-escalated for several hours. Ultimately, according to the government’s evidence, she fired three shots at Mr. Lalchan. According to the forensic evidence, the first shot was fired into the kitchen. The second shot was fired next to Mr. Lalchan’s head. A third shot was fired into the back of his head. The defendant claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse and said that she acted in self-defense.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD detectives and officers who investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Liu also thanked Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert, Kelly Blakeney, Stephanie Siegerist, Alesha Matthews, Meredith McGarrity, and Sharon Newman; Criminal Investigators Nelson Rhone, John Marsh, Tommy Miller, Sharon Johnson, and Zachary McMenamin; U.S. Secret Service Special Agents Steven Baskerville and Ian McIntyre; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Kimberly Smith, William Henderson, Thomas (Ron) Royal, and Paul Howell; Victim/Witness Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and LaJune Thames; Supply Supervisor Nathan Hawkins; student intern Phillip Green; Victim Advocate Marcia Rinker; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Wright, who prosecuted the case.
Three Men Found Guilty of Drug Conspiracy Charges Involving Open Drug Market from D.C. BarbershopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Three men have been found guilty by a jury of federal narcotics charges following an investigation into a drug market that was operated out of the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in Southeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Anthony Fields, 45, of Washington, D.C., Lonnell Tucker, 42, of Temple Hills, Md., and Abdul Samuels, 45, of Washington, D.C., were found guilty on March 21, 2019, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. All three were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), heroin, fentanyl, buprenorphine (suboxone), marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids. Fields also was found guilty of six additional narcotics offenses and Samuels was found guilty of two additional narcotics offenses and a firearms charge. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta has not yet scheduled sentencing dates for the defendants.
A fourth defendant was found not guilty by the jury. A fifth, Lacy Hamilton, 42, of Camp Springs, Md., pled guilty during the trial to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a detectable amount of heroin, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids. Judge Mehta scheduled his sentencing for May 16, 2019.
As established at trial, in June 2017, ATF began investigating the trafficking of narcotics from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and adjoining property above. Through surveillance, controlled purchases from inside and outside the barbershop, residential search warrants, cellphone searches, arrests, jailhouse calls, pleas, and cooperating witnesses, law enforcement was able to establish a coordinated drug trafficking operation that was centered at the barbershop and extended into Maryland. The investigation established that drug traffickers would use the barbershop and adjoining property as a stash location.
The investigation led to a series of arrests beginning in February 2018 as well as the recovery of three firearms from the barbershop and one firearm in a residence. Law enforcement seized more than $7,000 in cash, and without packaging, more than 300 grams of PCP, more than 150 grams of heroin, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, boxes of suboxone strips, and more than 100 grams of a cutting agents. Samuels was convicted of narcotics and firearms charges relating to a search of his residence in Southeast Washington on May 10, 2018, in which ATF recovered a firearm, ammunition, extensive drug paraphernalia, and packaged crack cocaine.
During the trial, in addition to ATF and MPD agents and officers, current and former law enforcement officers from Prince George’s County, Md., and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority testified relating to separate arrests of Fields and Samuels in 2017 and 2018, respectively, in which law enforcement recovered various forms of drug paraphernalia, packaged narcotics, and U.S. currency.
Two other defendants – Darryl Smith, 41, of Washington, D.C., and James Venable, 47, of Fort Washington, Md., earlier pled guilty to federal charges. Another defendant remains at large as a fugitive. Smith managed the barber shop. Smith was sentenced to 80 months in prison relating to his possession of narcotics in the barbershop on Feb. 1, 2018 and for his possession of packaged fentanyl and a loaded firearm following an arrest by MPD in December 2017 outside of the barbershop. Venable was sentenced to a 37-month prison term following his possession of narcotics and a firearm in both Washington, D.C. during a December 2017 arrest by MPD and in his residence in Maryland on February 1, 2018. Venable also acknowledged selling narcotics to an ATF confidential informant in July 2017.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Benedict, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those involved in the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Israeli Man Sentenced to Prison Term for His Role in Conspiracy to Operate an Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yossi Avitan, a resident and citizen of Israel, has been sentenced to a five-month term of imprisonment for taking part in an international conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Sally Luttrell, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Avitan, 33, pled guilty in November 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He was sentenced on March 19, 2019 by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the period of incarceration, Avitan was ordered to pay a fine of $4,000, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $9,178.
An unlicensed money transmitting business, broadly defined, is a business involved in the transfer of money or funds affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any manner, which is either operated without an appropriate money transmitting license from the District of Columbia or without complying with federal money transmitting business registration requirements. Avitan was one of seven co-defendants charged in relation to the conspiracy. Four of the co-defendants were arrested as part of a large international takedown in which 19 individuals, who were indicted in four separate cases involving allegations of fraud and money laundering activities, were arrested world-wide in early March 2017.
Four of Avitan’s co-defendants -- Itzhak Salama, Golan Chkechkov, Moshe Amir, and Haviv Arazi -- have pled guilty to charges relating to the illegal money transmitting business and are awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant, Michael Admon, was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2019, for a charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business to a two-year term of probation, which included Admon’s residence in a reentry center for a term of 30 days and location monitoring for a period of five months. The remaining co-defendant, Ori Saadon, was extradited from Israel on or about February 7, 2019, after an earlier request was made by the United States for Saadon’s temporary surrender to the United States in order for Saadon to face the conspiracy charge in this matter. Saadon’s case is pending before the Court.
According to the statement of offense proffered during the plea hearing, Avitan was part of an illegal international money transmitting network, commonly referred to as a “hawala network,” which clandestinely moved money for other individuals in interstate and foreign commerce without registering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury or obtaining licensure with the various States, including the District of Columbia. Avitan did not obtain licensure or register himself or any business as a licensed money transmitter pursuant to the laws of the District of Columbia and federal law. The FBI conducted undercover operations in which Avitan was responsible for coordinating the transfer of more than $95,000, but less than $150,000 of funds, in three separate transactions through a hawala network. Avitan’s role in the hawala network was to arrange for the receipt and/or delivery of money on behalf of other individuals and Avitan received a fee for conducting the monetary transactions.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Acting Assistant Inspector General Luttrell commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Elizabeth Swienc, and C. Rosalind Pressley, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas, Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, who prosecuted the case. Assistance in the investigation and prosecution was also provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last.
Former Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Contractor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Monthly Pension Payments by Commandeering Retirees’ Online AccountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Florida man pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal monthly pension payments from victims enrolled in pension plans managed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Inspector General Robert A. Westbrooks of the PBGC made the announcement.
According to court documents, Kessey Reggie Durand, 27, of Miami, Florida, used personally identifiable information (PII) he obtained while working as a contractor at the PBGC’s Miami Field Office to create or take over online MyPBA accounts of pension plan participants. After commandeering those accounts, Durand changed the associated electronic direct deposit information in order to funnel victims’ monthly pension payments into accounts Durand controlled. In other cases, Durand tried to change participants’ electronic direct deposit information through social engineering, using stolen PII to call into the PBGC call center to trick operators into believing he was the participant requesting the change.
“Over a five-month span, Durand stole the confidential information of elderly retirees and then used it to commandeer their retirement accounts for his own benefit,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski, “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out fraud by those who have been entrusted with access to sensitive financial and personal information, especially when that fraud harms vulnerable senior citizens.”
"Kessey Reggie Durand took advantage of his position as a PBGC contractor to use the personal information of retired workers and to steal their monthly pension payments,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Our office will aggressively prosecute those who seek to deprive retirees of what may be their only form of income.”
“PBGC’s retirees rightfully expect that their pension accounts are secure and their personal information is safeguarded—especially from insider threats,” said Inspector General Westbrooks. “We will continue to make data protection a top priority and greatly appreciate the support of the Justice Department in helping to ensure the integrity of PBGC’s MyPBA online system.”
According to court documents, Durand’s scheme spanned approximately five months and targeted over $100,000 in monthly pension payments. Sentencing is set for June 28, 2019, before Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the PBGC Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami Gardens Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joss Nichols, on detail from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
District Man Sentenced to 40 ½-Year Prison Term for Killing Man in Navy Yard Area of Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Babajide Pittman, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 40 ½-year prison term on first-degree murder while armed and other charges for a mid-day shooting in Southeast Washington on Thanksgiving weekend of 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pittman was found guilty by a jury in October 2018 of murder, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 27, 2016, at approximately 1 p.m., Pittman was standing on the corner of 7th and L Streets SE, outside the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks Annex. The homicide victim, Anthony Young, Jr., was the passenger in a car being driven by his girlfriend. They were headed to a friend’s house nearby. Pittman and Mr. Young knew each other, and had been in a prior argument. Mr. Young got out of the car and argued on the sidewalk with Pittman for about two minutes.
When Mr. Young opened the passenger door of the car to leave, Pittman ran up behind him and fired 12 shots into the car. Mr. Young was struck eight times, in the back, arm, and legs, and his girlfriend was struck once in the leg.
Mr. Young, 27, died within minutes of being shot. His girlfriend was transported to Howard University Hospital, where she was treated for the gunshot wound. She sustained permanent nerve damage in her foot.
Pittman fled the area on foot. He was arrested early the following morning, and has been held in custody since.
Personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps assisted the victims and the responding police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police.
A homeowner who lived down the street from the shooting had a Nest surveillance system, with audio and high-definition video, that captured the shooting. This video was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting the case. This prosecution reflects the value of the District of Columbia’s Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which encourages residents to install security cameras to assist law enforcement.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metro Transit Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mannarino, Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and intern Cara Clark.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and Seth Gilmore, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Robbery in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – D’Angelo Davis, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for killing a man during a robbery last summer in an alley in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pled guilty in January 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 19 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Davis accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2018, at approximately 4:45 a.m., Davis encountered the victim, Michael Miller, in the 1600 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. The two men did not know each other. Mr. Miller, 37, who was driving a gray Lexus sedan, initiated a friendly conversation with Davis, who was on foot. The men agreed to meet nearby and continue the conversation. However, by that point, Davis had already determined that he wanted to steal Mr. Miller’s car. After Mr. Miller parked his car, the two men met in a nearby rear alley.
In the alley, Davis took out a .380 semi-automatic pistol, pointed it at Mr. Miller, and demanded the car keys. Mr. Miller grabbed for the pistol and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the gun went off and the bullet his Mr. Miller in the neck, killing him. After the shooting, Davis went into Mr. Miller’s pockets and removed cash and the car keys. He then stole the vehicle and left the scene. Officers discovered Mr. Miller’s body at about 9:15 a.m.
The Lexus was recovered on July 30, 2018. As a result of the search, Davis’s fingerprints were found in the vehicle. On Nov. 15, 2018, Davis was arrested in an unrelated matter, but he agreed to speak with MPD detectives about the murder. After providing several false statements, he confessed to the slaying. He has been in custody ever since.
At the time of the murder, Davis was on probation for a 2016 drug offense. His probation has been revoked in that case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bruckmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in December 2015 Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kimberly N. Thompson, 61, of Woodbridge, Va., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and related firearms charges for killing a man in broad daylight in December 2015 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict, returned late March 21, 2019, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2019. Thompson faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 30 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 10, 2015, at about 1:30 p.m., Thompson drove his Mercedes to the 1900 block of Bennett Place NE and confronted the victim, Charles Anthony Mayo, who was sitting outside. Within seconds, Thompson fired his gun at Mr. Mayo eight times, hitting him with three bullets. Mr. Mayo managed to get away and into a nearby alley.
Shortly after the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene. They found Mr. Mayo and asked him if he knew who his attacker was. He nodded yes. When asked who it was, he responded with only, “I can’t breathe.” Mr. Mayo, 53, slipped out of consciousness and was never able to identify his murderer. He died a week later in the hospital.
Two days after the murder, Thompson was stopped by police in his Mercedes and the car was seized. A subsequent search of the car revealed a handgun secreted deep inside the trunk that was later determined to be the handgun that fired two cartridge casings that were recovered at the crime scene. Thompson was arrested in January 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST).
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Silvia Gonzalez Roman, Ahmed Baset, Monica Trigoso, Chrisellen Kolb and John Mannarino; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Stephen R. Prest, Special Counsel for Discovery Policy and Litigation; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialists Tameka Garcia and Alesha Matthews; former Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Witness Security Specialist M. LaVerne Perry; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Christian Natiello, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Australian National Sentenced to Prison Term for Exporting Electronics to IranRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –An Australian man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison on four counts of violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which criminalizes knowing transactions with Iranian entities without a license from the U.S. Department of Treasury.
David Russell Levick, 57, of Cherrybrook NSW, Australia, pled guilty to the charges on Feb. 1, 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. In addition to the prison term, Levick must pay a forfeiture amount of $199,227, which represents the total value of the goods involved in the illegal transactions. Following completion of his prison term, Levick will be subject to deportation proceedings.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia; William Higgins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement Boston Field Office; Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent In Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, and Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office.
According to the plea documents, Levick was the general manager of ICM Components, Inc., located in Thornleigh Australia. He solicited purchase orders and business for the goods from a representative of a trading company in Iran. This person in Iran, referenced in court documents as “Iranian A,” also operated and controlled companies in Malaysia that acted as intermediaries for the Iranian trading company.
Levick then placed orders with U.S. companies on behalf of “Iranian A” for the goods, which were aircraft parts and other items that “Iranian A” could not have directly purchased from the United States without the permission of the U.S. government.
The defendant admitted to procuring or attempting to procure the following items for transshipment to Iran, each of which required a license from the Treasury Department prior to any export to Iran:
-Precision Pressure Transducers. These are sensor devices that have a wide variety of applications in the avionics industry, among others, and can be used for altitude measurements, laboratory testing, measuring instrumentations and recording barometric pressure.
-Emergency Floatation System Kits. These kits contained a landing gear, float bags, composite cylinder and a complete electrical installation kit. Such float kits were designed for use on Bell 206 helicopters to assist the helicopter when landing in either water or soft desert terrain.
-Shock Mounted Light Assemblies. These items are packages of lights and mounting equipment designed for high vibration use and which can be used on helicopters and other fixed wing aircraft.
When necessary, Levick used a broker in Tarpon Springs, Florida, through whom orders could be placed for the parts to further conceal the fact that the parts were intended for transshipment to “Iranian A” in Iran. Levick intentionally concealed the ultimate end-use and end-users of the parts from manufacturers, distributors, shippers, and freight forwarders located in the United States and elsewhere. In addition, Levick and others structured their payments between each other for the parts to avoid trade restrictions imposed on Iranian financial institutions by other countries. Levick and ICM wired money to companies located in the United States as payment for the parts.The activities took place in 2007 and 2008. Levick was indicted in February 2012. At the request of the United States, Australia arrested him for the purposes of extradition, and Australia extradited him to the United States in December 2018. He has remained in custody here.
The investigation was conducted by agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry Security, and the Boston Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistance was provided by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Gillice and Brenda Johnson, and investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise Cheung and John Borchert, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Petalas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Man Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges in Slaying of Corrina MehielRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – El Hadji Toure, 30, formerly of Laurel, Md., was found guilty today of murder and other charges stemming from the March 2017 slaying of artist Corrina Mehiel, whose body was found in a rowhouse in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Toure was found guilty by a jury of a total of 13 charges, including first-degree murder while armed (premeditated and felony), with aggravating circumstances; first-degree sexual abuse while armed, also with aggravating circumstances; kidnapping while armed; first-degree burglary while armed; robbery while armed; first-degree theft; unauthorized use of a vehicle; credit card fraud, and first-degree identity theft. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with no possibility of release. The Honorable Juliet McKenna scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2017, at approximately 4:34 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found Ms. Mehiel’s body in a rowhouse in the 600 block of 14th Street NE. Ms. Mehiel’s body, which had been bound, showed multiple stab wounds to her neck and side. Ms. Mehiel, 34, of Burnsville, N.C., had been staying in the sublet basement apartment while in Washington for a couple of weeks while working on an art show at the Corcoran Gallery at George Washington University.
On the morning of Monday, March 20, 2017, Ms. Mehiel was packing up her few belongings from the apartment. Toure broke into the residence, kidnapping and sexually assaulting her, stabbing her, and stealing her belongings, including her car and her debit card. Toure later used her debit card to withdraw cash at several ATMs in nearby Maryland and Virginia from March 20 through March 24, 2017.
On the afternoon of March 21, 2017, when no one had heard from Ms. Mehiel, her co-workers entered her apartment and found her body, face down in her bedroom.
The defendant, who was a stranger to Ms. Mehiel, was arrested on March 27, 2017, in Northeast Washington, and has been in custody ever since.
The government’s evidence in the case included surveillance video showing Toure using Ms. Mehiel’s debit card at ATMs; he is also visible on surveillance video on Ms. Mehiel’s block shortly before the attack. Additionally, DNA evidence linked him to the crime.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metro Transit Police Department, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and Signature Science LLC. They acknowledged the efforts of those worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Elizabeth Trosman, Chief of the Appellate Division; Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Stephen R. Prest, Special Counsel for Discovery Policy and Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston, Silvia Gonzalez Roman, and Lauren Bates; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator LaJune Thames; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Tijuana McPhail and Richard Cheatham; Senior Paralegal Specialist Kathryn Hoey; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Elizabeth Marrero.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and Jessi Brooks, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison on Federal Firearms and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Jenkins, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 47 months in prison on firearms and narcotics offenses stemming from an investigation in which law enforcement recovered two loaded handguns and cocaine base, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jenkins pled guilty on Dec. 4, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and one count of possession of cocaine basis. He was sentenced by the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government's evidence, on Oct. 24, 2017, MPD officers observed Jenkins driving a white Infiniti that had been identified in connection with a homicide investigation. Officers made contact with Jenkins and advised him that the vehicle was being seized in reference to the pending homicide investigation. Jenkins was then asked to exit the vehicle. Jenkins, who was talking on a cellular phone at the time, did not comply. He acted nervous and failed to exit the vehicle despite being ordered to do so by officers on several occasions. An officer then reached through the driver’s side window and attempted to unlock the driver’s side door, but Jenkins re-locked the door before the officer could open it. This happened a number of times before officers could successfully get Jenkins out of the vehicle. Once he was out of the vehicle, MPD officers were able to impound it for investigative purposes.
Jenkins was not arrested at that time. The following day on Oct. 25, 2017, pursuant to a search warrant, MPD officers searched the vehicle. During the search, officers recovered a .45-caliber handgun from the center console of the vehicle. The firearm had one round of ammunition in the chamber and 10 rounds in the magazine.
Following the discovery of the gun and ammunition, an arrest warrant was issued. On Nov. 9, 2017, members of the U.S. Marshals Service observed Jenkins entering an apartment building in the 2900 block of 14th Street NW. Jenkins was arrested inside an apartment. During a search of Jenkins, officers recovered a .357-caliber revolver from his waistband area. The firearm was loaded with six rounds of ammunition in the chamber.
Jenkins was arrested and transported to a hospital after complaints of feeling ill. While at the hospital, an additional search of the defendant was conducted, and officers found a large white rock-like substance located in the right front change pocket of the defendant’s pants. The white substance was tested and determined to be cocaine base.
At the time of his arrest in this case, Jenkins was barred from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions in the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, Md. for armed robbery, firearms and other offenses.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They also commended the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias and former Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Danzell Johnson, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a pair of armed robberies he committed last summer in Southeast Washington, including one that resulted in a carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A co-defendant, Kyree Black, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on March 1, 2019, to a 15-year prison term.
Johnson and Black pled guilty in January 2019 to charges of carjacking, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The pleas, which were subject to the Court’s approval, called for Johnson to be sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison and Black to be sentenced to 13 to 20 years. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Following their prison terms, Johnson and Black will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to plea documents, the first crime took place at approximately 11 p.m. on July 27th, 2018. Johnson and Black accosted the victim in the 3300 block of 10th Place SE. Johnson pointed a handgun at the man and demanded his car keys. The victim turned over the keys to his 2015 BMW. Black, who was armed with a knife, demanded the rest of the man’s possessions. The man threw his driver’s license, bank card, iPhone and charging cable at Black. He then fled to safety and contacted police. Prince George’s County, Md. Police observed the stolen car in District Heights, Md., and attempted to stop it. The driver fled and crashed. The two ran away.
The second crime occurred at approximately 12:15 a.m. on Aug. 1, 2018. This time, Johnson and Black approached a man who was walking in the area of the 700 block of 8th Street SE. Johnson pointed a gun at the victim and ordered him onto the ground. Black then removed the victim’s wallet and took about $80 in cash. Johnson took the victim’s iPhone.
Johnson was arrested on Aug. 9, 2018. In a search of Johnson, police recovered a loaded revolver as well as the iPhone taken in the Aug. 1 robbery. Black was arrested on Aug. 13. In a search of Black, police found a Metro card registered to the victim of the first robbery.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Keil, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Orlando Bell, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bell was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 31, 2018, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of using, possessing, and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Bell will be subject to deportation proceedings to Jamaica.
The charges arose from a long-term investigation into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Bell and numerous other defendants were indicted in December 2017 for their roles in the operation. A total of 12 people faced charges in the investigation; 10 pled guilty and two, including Bell, were found guilty of charges at trial.
The investigation determined that from at least January 2016 through December 2017, the various defendants maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin to drug dealers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Much of the activity took place in the Birney Place area of Southeast Washington. In particular, the investigation showed that several of the defendants regularly sold crack cocaine and heroin in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE.
According to the government’s evidence, Bell obtained crack cocaine from suppliers and redistributed it. On March 8, 2017, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Bell and recovered approximately seven grams of crack cocaine and a small-caliber pistol.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI, MPD, U.S. Park Police, Prince George's County, Md. Police, Prince William County, Va., Police, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing, Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, and Legal Assistants Latoya Wade, Aiesha Bynum, and Peter Gaboton. Finally they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Kevin L. Rosenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former HUD Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes from Government ContractorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Jones, 48, a former contract oversight specialist with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), pled guilty today to a federal bribery charge stemming from a scheme in which he provided non-public information about pending HUD contracts to a business owner in exchange for tickets to sporting events, travel, and cash.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Reginald O. Sessoms, Special Agent in Charge, Special Investigations Division, HUD Office of Inspector General.
Jones, of Laurel, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Jones faces a likely range of 30 to 37 months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. He also has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $50,302, representing the value of the gifts that he received in the scheme.
The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2019.
According to a statement of offense signed as part of the plea, Jones began work at HUD in 1999. His responsibilities included serving as the technical point of contact for certain contracts and reviewing contractor performance. By virtue of his position, he had access to bid, proposal, and source selection information about a number of HUD contracts.
The bribery charge involves Jones’s dealings with Charles Thomas, the sole owner and president of a company in Maryland that provided technology services to agencies of the federal government and educational services to public school children in the Washington, D.C. area.
Between at least 2010 and 2018, according to the statement of offense, Thomas provided Jones with tickets to sporting events, travel, and cash in exchange for Jones providing Thomas and his company with non-public information about pending HUD contracts. In particular, the information and recommendations that Jones provided gave Thomas an unfair competitive advantage in obtaining two contracts a valued at more than $4.5 million. Jones himself approved invoices totaling nearly $3.8 million for work done under one of the two contracts.
According to the statement of offense, from 2010 through 2017, Thomas and his company provided Jones with a variety of gifts and benefits, including more than $17,000 worth of tickets to Washington Redskins games and three Super Bowls; $1,700 in Washington Wizards tickets, more than $3,200 in hotel accommodations; more than $3,600 in travel expenses, more than $13,000 in cash and checks, meals, a camera, and a pair of basketball shoes.
In a related prosecution, another former HUD employee, LaFonda Lewis, pled guilty in January 2019 to providing non-public information to Thomas in exchange for money, tickets to sporting events, and other things of value. As part of her plea, she has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $23,055, representing the illegal proceeds. Lewis was a former supervisory contract oversight specialist. Lewis, 57, of Lusby, Md., is to be sentenced on March 28, 2019.
Thomas, 45, of Lusby, Md., pled guilty in May 2018 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of conspiracy to pay gratuities and violate the Procurement Integrity Act. Thomas is awaiting sentencing. In his guilty plea, Thomas admitted to paying bribes to the two HUD employees as well as to an employee of the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in return for payments on contracts involving that agency.
The former District of Columbia employee, Shauntell Harley, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in July 2018 to 56 months in prison for accepting bribes in return for clearing the way for payments to be made to Thomas and another businessman.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Special Agent in Charge Sessoms commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, HUD’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Joshua Fein and former Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who is investigating and prosecuting the matter.
Former District Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Scheme Involving over $1.4 Million in Fraudulently Issued BenefitsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former employee of the District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS) pled guilty today to a scheme in which he defrauded the agency of more than $1.4 million by steering inflated food stamp and temporary assistance benefits to people who were not entitled to receive them. In return, he received cash kickbacks and sexual favors
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
The former employee, Demetrius McMillan, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, McMillan faces a likely range of 108 to 135 months in prison and a fine of up to $300,000. He also has agreed to pay $1,456,985 in restitution, forfeit $74,811 in cash seized in a search of his residence, and pay an additional forfeiture money judgment.
The Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman scheduled sentencing for June 19, 2019.
McMillan’s scheme targeted and defrauded the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamps program, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which consists of cash benefits. Benefits in both programs were provided to clients via electronic benefit cards.
According to plea documents, McMillan was a social service representative at a DHS service center in Southeast Washington. Social service representatives reviewed and processed applications for SNAP and TANF payments, as well as “underpayments.” Underpayments occurred when DHS clients did not receive the SNAP or TANF payments for which they were eligible. These could be caused by errors by DHS or by the clients.
Social service representatives were permitted to authorize up to $2,000 in underpayments at a time without supervisory approval. As part of his work, McMillan also had access to the computer system used by DHS to manage services, including the creation of underpayments.
Between April 25, 2018, and July 25, 2018, McMillan used his access to the computer system to authorize approximately 779 fraudulent SNAP and TANF underpayments for approximately 305 beneficiaries, totaling approximately $1,456,985. According to the plea documents, he authorized these underpayments knowing that the beneficiaries were not entitled to them. In exchange for authorizing these fraudulent underpayments, he solicited more than $380,000 in cash kickbacks from the beneficiaries, and accepted at least $150,000 in cash kickbacks. McMillan also solicited and accepted sexual favors from some of the beneficiaries in exchange for issuing fraudulent underpayments.
In order to avoid detection, McMillan intentionally ensured that each fraudulent underpayment transaction fell below the $2,000 threshold for which supervisory approval was required. The average fraudulent SNAP underpayment he created was approximately $1,757, and the average fraudulent TANF underpayment was $1,986.
McMillan recruited beneficiaries to the scheme by soliciting D.C. DHS clients who were eligible for SNAP and TANF benefits and with whom he had a previous working relationship. He also used third parties to recruit beneficiaries to the scheme, For the most part, the agreement was that in exchange for authorizing fraudulent SNAP and TANF underpayments in a particular beneficiary’s name, McMillan would get approximately $1,000 out of each fraudulent TANF underpayment he authorized for that beneficiary.
All told, 296 of the 305 beneficiaries for whom Defendant McMillan authorized fraudulent underpayments were women. In addition to soliciting and accepting cash kickbacks from these female beneficiaries, McMillan engaged in texting of a sexual nature with at least 50 of them, frequently soliciting sexual favors in exchange for authorizing fraudulent underpayments. In his guilty plea, McMillan admitted that he accepted sexual favors from 10 to 20 female beneficiaries in exchange for authorizing fraudulent underpayments.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys.
Owner of Washington, D.C.-Based Durable Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to Prison for Role in $9.8 Million Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a Washington, D.C.-based durable medical equipment company was sentenced to 42 months in prison today for her role in a scheme to submit $9.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas made the announcement.
Waveney Blackman, 71, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the District of Columbia, who also ordered her to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $9,412,394 in restitution. Blackman also will be required to forfeit $9,431,979. Blackman pleaded guilty in October 2018 to one count of health care fraud.
According to admissions made as part of her plea agreement, from approximately January 2010 through June 2016, Blackman, who owned WaveCare Health Services of Washington, D.C., billed Medicaid for expensive wound care products that were not purchased and not provided. Blackman submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid in the amount of approximately $9.8 million, and obtained in excess of $9.4 million in fraudulent proceeds. The proceeds from the fraudulent billing were traced to two bank accounts, a Mercedes, and seven real properties, all of which were seized by the government in June 2018.
The FBI, HHS-OIG and the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Amy Markopoulos of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller from the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Owner of D.C.-Based Durable Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Role in $9.8 Million Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner of a Washington, D.C.-based durable medical equipment company was sentenced to 42 months in prison today for her role in a scheme to submit $9.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas made the announcement.
Waveney Blackman, 71, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the District of Columbia, who also ordered her to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $9,412,394 in restitution. Blackman also will be required to forfeit $9,431,979. Blackman pleaded guilty in October 2018 to one count of health care fraud.
According to admissions made as part of her plea agreement, from approximately January 2010 through June 2016, Blackman, who owned WaveCare Health Services of Washington, D.C., billed Medicaid for expensive wound care products that were not purchased and not provided. Blackman submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid in the amount of approximately $9.8 million, and obtained in excess of $9.4 million in fraudulent proceeds. The proceeds from the fraudulent billing were traced to two bank accounts, a Mercedes, and seven real properties, all of which were seized by the government in June 2018.
The FBI, HHS-OIG and the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Amy Markopoulos of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller from the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Robert Fishman of the Fraud Section and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
District Man Sentenced to Life in Prison with No Possibility of Release in the 2010 Killing of a Government WitnessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Anthony Waters, 51, was sentenced today to life in prison with no possibility of release on a charge of first-degree murder while armed, with aggravating circumstances, in the 2010 killing of a government witness, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Waters, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury in October 2018 of the murder charge and related weapons offenses, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Waters initially was found guilty of these charges in 2012 and sentenced at that time to life in prison with no possibility of release. The judge who heard the case in 2012 subsequently granted a defense motion by Waters seeking a new trial. The retrial resulted in the same outcome before the Honorable Craig Iscoe, who sentenced him today.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Waters and the victim, Derrick Harris, 37, knew each other from the 2600 block of Birney Place SE, and were part of a crew in a neighborhood known as Parkchester. In June 1998, Mr. Harris testified against a member of that crew regarding a 1996 murder that occurred in the Barry Farm area of Southeast Washington. Afterward, Mr. Harris was shunned and marked as a snitch in the neighborhood by many people he knew, including Waters, for cooperating with the authorities.
For many years, Mr. Harris avoided the neighborhood where he knew that people considered him a traitor, but on June 14, 2010, he returned to the 2600 block of Birney Place to meet a friend. At this time, Waters and Mr. Harris got into an argument because Waters believed that Mr. Harris was being disrespectful by returning to the neighborhood. Waters punched Mr. Harris in the face and threatened to kill him if he was still there when Waters returned. Both men left the scene, but Waters returned and hid behind a building, waiting for the victim to come back to his car.
Shortly thereafter, at about 9 p.m., when Mr. Harris returned to the neighborhood, Waters came out from his hiding place, wearing a ski mask, and repeatedly shot Derrick Harris. Mr. Harris died on the scene from his injuries, which included one gunshot wound to the head and five to the back.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Margaret J. Chriss, Chief of the Special Proceedings Division; Chrisellen Kolb and John Mannarino, Deputy Chiefs of the Appellate Division, Laura Bach, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lucas; Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews Yette and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocates Marcia Rinker and Yvonne Bryant; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator LaJune Thames; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Paul Howell, and William Henderson; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Investigative Analysts Zachary McMenamin and William Hamann.
Finally, they praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Vinét Bryant, who indicted the case and prosecuted it at both trials.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Hold-Up of Northwest Washington DinerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Willie Quinones, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to federal robbery and firearms charges stemming from a hold-up that took place in October 2016 at a diner in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Quinones pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and using, carrying, brandishing, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. The robbery charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and the firearms offense carries a mandatory minimum of seven years and a potential sentence of life imprisonment. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Quinones faces a likely range of 57 to 71 months in prison for the robbery charge and at least seven additional years on the weapons offense.
The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2019.
According to plea documents, on Oct. 17, 2016, at approximately 3:12 a.m., Quinones and an accomplice entered the Steak-N-Egg restaurant in the 4700 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW. Quinones approached employees to gain access to the cash register while his accomplice pointed a gun at them. The employees raised their hands into the air and kneeled on the floor. Quinones then took money from the cash register before demanding access to a safe.
When an employee insisted that they did not have a key to the safe, Quinones yelled to his accomplice to shoot them. The accomplice, meanwhile, held the gun and pointed it around the room at people inside the restaurant. The accomplice asked which person to shoot, and Quinones responded that the accomplice could shoot all of them.
No shots were fired, and Quinones then approached and robbed three customers in the establishment. The two then fled the diner.
At the time of the robbery, Quinones was on probation for an armed robbery in Prince George’s County, Md., and was wearing a GPS tracking device. He was located at 11 a.m., hours after the crime, by MPD officers at an apartment building in Northeast Washington. He was arrested and has remained in custody ever since. No others have been arrested in the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory P. Rosen, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Traster.
Four Men Indicted on Federal Kidnapping and Homicide Charges in June 2018 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging four men with murder and other charges in the kidnapping of a Maryland man whose body was found in an alley in Southeast Washington last June. The victim had been shot numerous times and his hands were still bound with zip-ties.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Darin Moore, Jr. 25, of Bowie, Md., and Gabriel Brown, 30, James Thomas Taylor, 30, and John Sweeney, 25, who are all from Washington, D.C., were indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on one count of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, one count of first-degree murder (premeditated), and one count of first-degree murder (felony murder). Moore, Taylor, and Sweeney were also charged with one count of using, carrying, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes.
All four men are to be arraigned on the charges by the Honorable Judge James E. Boasberg on March 11, 2019. The defendants previously were indicted on kidnapping and related charges and pled not guilty. Today’s superseding indictment added the murder offenses.
According to the indictment and related court documents, on June 19, 2018, Moore and Sweeney abducted the victim, Andre Simmons, Jr., from Bowie, Md., and transported him to the District of Columbia. Together, the defendants then allegedly used cellphones to communicate with family and associates of the victim, making ransom demands and threatening the victim’s life. During these calls, arrangements were made with family members and associates to pick up the ransom money. As alleged in the indictment, Brown collected U.S. currency on June 20, 2018. Mr. Simmons, 28, was taken to the rear of the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE, where he was shot multiple times with a firearm. The four men then met up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, to divide up the proceeds of the ransom demand, the indictment alleges.
Moore was arrested on June 20, 2018. Brown was arrested on June 27, 2018, Taylor was arrested on Aug. 17, 2018, and Sweeney was arrested on Jan. 14, 2019. All have been in custody since their arrests.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Homicide Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Laura Crane, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
U.S. Obtains over $25 Million in Forfeited Funds as Part of a Successful Effort to Root Out Fraud and Corruption in Government Contracting in AfghanistanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice has reached a settlement of its civil forfeiture case against assets owned by Hikmatullah Shadman that he wrongfully acquired as a government contractor in Afghanistan. Under the terms of the settlement, approximately $25 million will be forfeited to the United States. The civil settlement is part of a global settlement that involved the resolution of a criminal case and False Claims Act allegations.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department’s Civil Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Inspector General John F. Sopko of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID)’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office and Special Agent in Charge John Strong of the FBI North Carolina Field Office made the announcement after the settlement was signed and filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“The United States relies on government contractors to supply and resupply our military with vital resources they require to carry out critical missions,” said Assistant Attorney General Hunt. “We will continue to ensure that companies and individuals who contract directly or indirectly with the federal government do not engage in fraudulent business practices at the expense of our nation’s military and the American taxpayer.”
“The success of our overseas war and reconstruction efforts is tied directly to the trust and respect established with the local populace,” said U.S. Attorney Higdon. “Corruption in our military operations undermines those efforts and cannot be tolerated.”
“This case involved fraud and corruption that exploited subcontracts designed to support American troops in a conflict zone,” said Special Inspector General John F. Sopko. “I’m proud of the tenacity displayed by SIGAR special agents, whose dogged pursuit of justice led to the return of $25 million to the United States Treasury.”
According to court documents, Hikmatullah Shadman, a young Afghan national, operated several companies including Hikmat Shadman Logistics Services Company (HSLSC), which served as subcontractors delivering supplies to U.S. service members at various locations in Afghanistan. From November 2010 to March 2012, Shadman charged the United States more than $77 million for delivering supplies to U.S. service members. The civil forfeiture case, initially filed on Nov. 20, 2012, targeted, among other things, Shadman’s fraudulent receipt of a disproportionate number of subcontracts for the transport of military supplies in Afghanistan, as well as the inflated prices that he charged the United States for such transport.
From at least 2007 to 2012, the U.S. Government paid contractors and subcontractors to resupply U.S. military forces operating in Afghanistan, and utilized local Afghan-owned businesses to transport fuel and other supplies by truck to various locations throughout the country. The investigation revealed thousands of apparent falsified documents submitted by Shadman’s companies to the United States for payment. As a result of this falsification, the Government often paid Shadman for work that was never performed and for work other than that described in the documentation submitted. Through his companies, Shadman also charged the United States rates which were well above the average rate of his competitors. The forensic analysis conducted in this case revealed that Shadman overcharged the United States millions of dollars for transporting supplies to U.S. service members in Afghanistan.
As part of the global settlement, several companies owned and controlled by Shadman, including HSLSC, entered into a separate agreement with the United States to resolve False Claims Act allegations arising from kickbacks paid from November 2010 to May 2012 to obtain subcontracts to transport military supplies needed by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Under the agreement, $1.5 million of the forfeited funds will be paid to resolve these claims.
In addition to the civil forfeiture and False Claims Act resolutions, Shadman’s primary company, HSLSC, was criminally prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina. On Jan. 3, HSLSC pleaded guilty to a criminal information, No. 5:18-cr-492-1, charging the corporation with two counts of paying gratuities to two U.S. service members in Afghanistan, and one count of conspiracy to do the same, in order to influence the award of subcontracts to HSLSC and to ensure favorable treatment in the contracting process. In this criminal case, HSLSC was sentenced to pay an $810,000 fine and forfeit $190,000. Under the terms of the civil settlement agreement agreed to by the parties, those funds will be paid to the United States before the civil settlement is concluded. As part of the criminal case, HSLSC also agreed to be placed on probation for five years, not to contest debarment, not to seek to engage in business within the United States, and its corporate officers agreed not to apply for a visa to travel to the United States.
“The corporate plea and the civil settlement filed today once again demonstrates that defrauding the government is a losing proposition,” said Director Robey of the U.S. Army CID’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Stealing U.S. tax dollars meant to support our soldier’s readiness is an egregious abuse of trust. We, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect the U.S. military from unscrupulous businesses.”
“DCIS will aggressively investigate complex fraud and corruption that undermines the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) no matter where it happens or how long it takes,” said DCIS Special Agent in Charge Craig. “We hope that this case demonstrates the commitment of DCIS and our law enforcement partners to use every available option to protect valuable DoD resources around the world and better enable our Warfighters to accomplish our critical global missions.”
This civil forfeiture case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), working in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].
The investigation was conducted by SIGAR along with the FBI, DCIS, the U.S. Army Major Procurement Fraud Unit, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Patricia Kessler and Steven Parker of MLARS International Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi of the District of Columbia (formerly of MLARS). The HSLSC criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Banu Rangarajan of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The civil False Claims Act imposes treble damages and penalties on those who knowingly submit false or fraudulent claims for government funds or property. The False Claims Act investigation was handled by Trial Attorney Glenn Harris of the Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Truong and Heather Graham Oliver of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing and Selling Stolen Firearm in D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Rory, 40, of Suitland, Md., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing and selling firearms.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Rory pled guilty on Dec. 14, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year. He was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
The guilty plea followed an investigation last spring by ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department into Rory’s activities selling firearms. According to the plea agreement, in May of 2018, Rory arranged to sell a firearm to another individual in the Fairfax Village area of Southeast Washington. Rory met the individual and drove him around the block in his SUV. While inside the car, Rory sold the man a 9-mm handgun that was previously stolen from a federally licensed firearms retailer in Virginia. Rory sold the firearm and ammunition for $700. Rory possessed a second firearm inside the SUV but did not sell it on that date.
At the time of his arrest, Rory was on supervised release after pleading guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to a 2012 drug trafficking offense; he was sentenced to a five-year prison term for that crime. Additionally, Rory was convicted in 2013 of a drug offense in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Rory is additionally charged with possession of two firearms and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances in the District of Maryland in connection with this investigation. That matter is pending.
This case is being investigated by ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing 12-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 32-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a five-year prison term for sexually abusing his 12-year-old daughter, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in November 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon five-year prison term. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, the man will be required to register for 10 years as a sex offender and also complete five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 15, 2018, the victim was staying with her father at her uncle’s house. The victim was asleep on the bed with her brother. The defendant lay down behind her and sexually assaulted her. The victim “froze” while this was happening and tried to think of words to make it stop. She told the defendant to move, and she got off the bed and grabbed her phone and walked to the bathroom to call her mother. The defendant told her not to call her mother, but she called her and reported the abuse. The victim then called 911.
The defendant was arrested the same day and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Children’s Advocacy Center, and Children’s National Medical Center. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Supervisor Dr. Lorraine Chase, Victim/Witness Advocates Tracey Hawkins and Tracy Owusu, Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former District Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Carrying Out Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former policy analyst for the District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS) pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he collected more than $400,000 in fraudulent benefits meant for needy District residents.
Gary T. Holliday, 49, of Fort Washington, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of wire fraud.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
Holliday is to be sentenced on June 6, 2019 by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Holliday faces an estimated range of 33 months to 41 months in prison. He also has agreed to pay $404,831 in restitution and a forfeiture money judgment of at least $400,000.
According to plea documents, Holliday embezzled money intended to provide temporary support and assistance to low-income families and individuals. Specifically, he targeted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamps program, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which consists of cash benefits. Benefits in both programs were provided to clients via electronic benefit cards.
Holliday’s job responsibilities at DHS included representing the agency at “fair hearings” that involved disputes between DHS and its clients about eligibility and benefits. In cases where the agency lost the hearing, Holliday was responsible for creating a memorandum summarizing the conclusions of the hearing and directing another employee at DHS to calculate and pay whatever “underpayments” the client was owed. Holliday created and submitted a fraudulent memorandum, dated June 19, 2017, in which he falsely claimed that as a result of a purported fair hearing, a client of DHS needed to be processed for SNAP and TANF underpayments.
In fact, the named client had not applied for benefits (the client’s alleged application had been forged by Holliday) and there had never been a fair hearing regarding the client’s eligibility for benefits. As a result of the Holliday’s actions, another employee created an active underpayment account for the client in the DHS computer system. Then, between June 2017 and November 2018, Holliday used his access to the DHS computer system to create over 400 fraudulent underpayments for the client, totaling in excess of $400,000. He accessed the fraudulent proceeds by using the client’s benefit card.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys
Maryland Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Committing Armed Carjacking in Morning Rush HourRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Hammond, 26, of Suitland, Md., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for an armed carjacking in the Ivy City neighborhood of Northeast Washington in which he pistol-whipped the victim so violently that the gun broke into two pieces. He then fled from police before being captured a short time later at a construction site.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Hammond pled guilty on Sept. 24, 2018, in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of federal carjacking, one count of the federal offense of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of the federal offense of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. He also pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, and leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, both District of Columbia offenses.
He was sentenced today by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at about 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, Hammond brandished a firearm and stole a van from a handyman who was getting ready for work in New Carrollton, in Prince George’s County, Md. Hammond then drove the van into Washington, D.C. and to the Ivy City neighborhood of Northeast Washington.
The van was equipped with a GPS system, and officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department and MPD were able to track and locate the vehicle. At about 7 a.m., as officers tried to stop the stolen vehicle that Hammond was driving, he fled the van and ran, jumping over a fence and running down an alleyway. Hammond then encountered another man in the 1900 block of Fairview Street NE who was parking his car to go to work. Hammond brandished a firearm to carjack this man’s vehicle. After grabbing the keys, Hammond pistol-whipped the man, striking him repeatedly in the face and head with the firearm, until the gun broke into two pieces. He then drove the stolen car down New York Avenue NE in rush-hour traffic with the police in pursuit; finally, he crashed into another car and fled on foot. Hammond was apprehended a short distance away, hiding in a construction site near Fourth Street and New York Avenue NE. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Hammond still faces charges in Prince George’s County, and he is presumed innocent of those charges until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Cekada, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District, the officers of the Prince George’s County Police Department, the crime scene officers from the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and agents and DNA lab personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Trigoso, Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Kate Abrey, Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dineen A. Baker and Anthony Scarpelli, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Indicted and Detained on Federal Charge in Armed Robbery of U.S. Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lafonzo Williams, 51, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted and remains detained pending trial on a federal charge stemming from an armed robbery last summer of a United States Postal Service (USPS) Letter Carrier in Southeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams was arrested on Feb. 12, 2019 following his earlier indictment on a charge of robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States. He pled not guilty at his first court appearance that day in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. At a hearing today, Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey ordered that he remain detained pending trial.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 5, 2018, at approximately 2:35 p.m., Williams walked up to a Postal Service truck parked in the rear of the Frederick Douglass Post Office, located in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE. He allegedly pulled himself into the back of the truck, where the postal worker was sorting mail. He then allegedly pulled a knife from the pocket of the shorts he was wearing and took several mail bags from the driver. He allegedly fled the scene in a minivan he had parked nearby.
If convicted, Williams faces a statutory maximum of 25 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane.
Department of Veterans Affairs Official Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for $2 Million Bribery Scheme Involving Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official was sentenced today for demanding and receiving bribes from three for-profit schools in exchange for enrolling disabled military veterans in those schools and facilitating over $2 million in payments from the VA using the veterans’ federal benefits.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
James King, 63, of Baltimore, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of honest services and money/property wire fraud, one count of bribery of a public official, and one count of falsifying records to obstruct an investigation. King was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia to serve 132 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay $155,000 in restitution to the VA. Earlier this week, Judge Bates sentenced three school owners and employees who admitted to bribing King. Albert Poawui, the owner of Atius Technology Institute, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution. Sombo Kanneh, Poawui’s employee, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison and ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution. Michelle Stevens, the owner of Eelon Training Academy, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $83,000 in restitution.
“James King and his associates exploited an important VA program that provides valuable services to our disabled military veterans,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “This prosecution once again demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable those who seek to defraud government programs for their own personal enrichment.”
“James King blatantly betrayed his responsibility with the VA to provide job and educational counseling to disabled military veterans who turned to him for help,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Instead of helping our veterans, he lined his own pockets by taking bribes to send them to three sham schools that brought them only pain and frustration. Today’s sentencing holds him accountable for this breach of trust and this waste of taxpayer money.”
“King tried to use his position to enrich himself at the expense of veterans who have honorably served our country,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge DeSarno. “Today's sentencing makes it clear that such activity by anyone affiliated with the U.S. government will not be tolerated. The FBI will work closely with our partners to continue to aggressively investigate allegations of corruption.”
“We are pleased to see Mr. King, a person who abused his position of trust and the veterans he was supposed to serve, sentenced today,” said VA OIG Special Agent in Charge Lampkins. “This sentence sends a clear message that VA OIG is dedicated to prosecuting those that take advantage of VA programs that are intended to help our veterans and their families.”
According to King’s admissions made in connection with his plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
From 2015 through 2017, King, using his position as a VR&E program counselor, demanded and received cash bribes from the owners of Atius Technology Institute (Atius), Eelon Training Academy (Eelon), and School A, a school purporting to specialize in physical security classes. King facilitated over $2 million in payments to Atius, over $83,000 to Eelon, and over $340,000 to School A, all in furtherance of King’s separate agreements with the respective school owners to commit bribery and defraud the VA. King agreed with Poawui and Stevens that they would each pay him, in cash, seven percent of the money they received from the VA in exchange for King steering veterans to their schools and facilitating VA payments. King similarly accepted cash payments from the owner of School A, who is identified as Person A in the Information, in exchange for the same official acts.
In order to maximize the profits from their fraud, all three school owners sent King and other VA officials false information about the education being provided to veterans, and King facilitated payments to all three schools knowing this information was false. King also admitted to repeatedly lying to veterans under his supervision in order to convince them to attend Atius, Eelon, or School A. For example, King falsely instructed one veteran that, unless he attended School A, his VR&E program benefits would “lapse.” King insisted that this veteran enroll in School A despite the veteran’s protests that he could not engage in physical security work due to a physical disability, and despite the fact that the veteran had enrolled in the VR&E program to pursue his dream of becoming a baker.
In early 2017, the VA initiated a fact-finding inquiry into Atius based on complaints by students as to the quality of education at the school. In August 2017, after King became aware of the inquiry, he created a falsified site visit report and instructed Poawui to send it to another VA official, all in an effort to obstruct the VA’s inquiry into Atius. In January 2018, King attempted to convince Poawui to lie to the grand jury about the purpose of the bribe payments.
King’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, former Assistant U.S. Attorney and current Fraud Section Trial Attorney Sonali D. Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Department of Veterans Affairs Official Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for $2 Million Bribery Scheme Involving Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official was sentenced today to a total of 11 years in prison for demanding and receiving bribes from three for-profit schools in exchange for enrolling disabled military veterans in those schools and facilitating over $2 million in payments from the VA using the veterans’ federal benefits.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
James King, 63, of Baltimore, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of honest services and money/property wire fraud, one count of bribery of a public official, and one count of falsifying records to obstruct an investigation. King was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia to serve 132 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay $155,000 in restitution to the VA. Earlier this week, Judge Bates sentenced three school owners and employees who admitted to bribing King. Albert Poawui, the owner of Atius Technology Institute, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution. Sombo Kanneh, Poawui’s employee, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison and ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution. Michelle Stevens, the owner of Eelon Training Academy, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $83,000 in restitution.
“James King and his associates exploited an important VA program that provides valuable services to our disabled military veterans,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “This prosecution once again demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable those who seek to defraud government programs for their own personal enrichment.”
“James King blatantly betrayed his responsibility with the VA to provide job and educational counseling to disabled military veterans who turned to him for help,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Instead of helping our veterans, he lined his own pockets by taking bribes to send them to three sham schools that brought them only pain and frustration. Today’s sentencing holds him accountable for this breach of trust and this waste of taxpayer money.”
“King tried to use his position to enrich himself at the expense of veterans who have honorably served our country,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge DeSarno. “Today's sentencing makes it clear that such activity by anyone affiliated with the U.S. government will not be tolerated. The FBI will work closely with our partners to continue to aggressively investigate allegations of corruption.”
“We are pleased to see Mr. King, a person who abused his position of trust and the veterans he was supposed to serve, sentenced today,” said VA OIG Special Agent in Charge Lampkins. “This sentence sends a clear message that VA OIG is dedicated to prosecuting those that take advantage of VA programs that are intended to help our veterans and their families.”
According to King’s admissions made in connection with his plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
From 2015 through 2017, King, using his position as a VR&E program counselor, demanded and received cash bribes from the owners of Atius Technology Institute (Atius), Eelon Training Academy (Eelon), and School A, a school purporting to specialize in physical security classes. King facilitated over $2 million in payments to Atius, over $83,000 to Eelon, and over $340,000 to School A, all in furtherance of King’s separate agreements with the respective school owners to commit bribery and defraud the VA. King agreed with Poawui and Stevens that they would each pay him, in cash, seven percent of the money they received from the VA in exchange for King steering veterans to their schools and facilitating VA payments. King similarly accepted cash payments from the owner of School A, who is identified as Person A in the Information, in exchange for the same official acts.
In order to maximize the profits from their fraud, all three school owners sent King and other VA officials false information about the education being provided to veterans, and King facilitated payments to all three schools knowing this information was false. King also admitted to repeatedly lying to veterans under his supervision in order to convince them to attend Atius, Eelon, or School A. For example, King falsely instructed one veteran that, unless he attended School A, his VR&E program benefits would “lapse.” King insisted that this veteran enroll in School A despite the veteran’s protests that he could not engage in physical security work due to a physical disability, and despite the fact that the veteran had enrolled in the VR&E program to pursue his dream of becoming a baker.
In early 2017, the VA initiated a fact-finding inquiry into Atius based on complaints by students as to the quality of education at the school. In August 2017, after King became aware of the inquiry, he created a falsified site visit report and instructed Poawui to send it to another VA official, all in an effort to obstruct the VA’s inquiry into Atius. In January 2018, King attempted to convince Poawui to lie to the grand jury about the purpose of the bribe payments.
King’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, former Assistant U.S. Attorney and current Fraud Section Trial Attorney Sonali D. Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Manuel D. Reynoso, 36, of Glen Burnie, Md., was found guilty today following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of possessing a firearm with an extended magazine loaded with ammunition; possession of marijuana; and possession of N-Ethypentylone, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The verdict followed a trial before the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell. Reynoso is to be sentenced on April 5, 2019.
At the time of his arrest last spring by U.S. Secret Service (USSS) officers in Northwest Washington, Reynoso was on release pending sentencing for firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana offenses to which he had pled guilty in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 16, 2018, at approximately 1:19 a.m., Secret Service officers were on routine patrol in the 200 block of 17th Street NW, when they observed a BMW being driven without headlights. The officers conducted a traffic stop of that BMW, which Reynoso was driving with two passengers. An officer approached the driver’s side window and smelled the odor of marijuana. The officer asked if anyone had been smoking in the vehicle, and Reynoso replied no. Reynoso then voluntarily picked up and held in his hand marijuana that was wrapped in a dollar bill, showed it to the officer, and said, “This is all we have.” As officers were asking the passengers to exit the BMW so that it could be searched, Reynoso, without being asked, got out of the BMW. While fumbling with a cellular telephone in his hand, Reynoso began to walk toward the front of his car. He then ran from the police.
An officer conducted a plain view search of the BMW and observed in the front passenger door map pocket a magazine with ammunition for a subcompact pistol. Following a search by Secret Service and U.S. Park Police officers, the defendant was found near the Tidal Basin, stopped, and arrested. During an initial search of Reynoso at the Tidal Basin, a large amount of U.S. currency and other items were recovered from him. While Reynoso was at the Park Police’s District One, additional U.S. currency and 0.069 grams of N-Ethylpentylone, a methamphetamine, were found on his person.
Additionally, during a search of the BMW, an officer technician recovered a Glock 27 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 20 cartridges from under the driver’s front floor mat; the magazine and ammunition from the front passenger door map pocket; 2.646 grams of marijuana; and a small amount of U.S. currency. A total of $2,890 in U.S. currency was recovered.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu stated, “My Office’s top priority is the safety of the people who live and work in Washington, D.C., and that means protecting them from the danger posed by illegal firearms. This case shows our commitment to doing just that. This defendant previously had been convicted of a serious crime and had no business possessing a firearm.”
U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the U.S. Secret Service officers who were the primary investigative officers, as well as officers and special agents from assisting law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Park Police, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Rommel Pachoca, Catherine O’Neal, and Kim Hall; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing; Legal Assistant Latoya Wade, and Litigation Technology Unit Specialists Jeanie Lattimore-Brown, William Henderson, Leif Hickling, Kimberly Smith and Ron Royal.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeremiah Woodfork, 33, of District Heights, Md., has been sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison on a federal cocaine trafficking charge stemming from his apprehension after he fired multiple gunshots from his car at another motorist in Northeast Washington. At the time of his arrest, Woodfork was awaiting sentencing in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md., for an attempted robbery conviction, for which he failed to appear.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Woodfork pled guilty in September 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2019, by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Following completion of his prison term, Woodfork will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 18, 2017, at approximately 9:40 a.m., Woodfork was driving in a teal-colored Mercedes-Benz with his pregnant girlfriend when he cut off another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle began to follow Woodfork’s vehicle in an effort to obtain the license plate number to call in a report of a reckless driver.
As the other motorist followed Woodfork, Woodfork abruptly stopped the Mercedes in the 1900 block of 3rd Street NE, rolled down the driver’s side window, and fired multiple gunshots at the other vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle called 911 and provided a description of the Mercedes Woodfork was operating.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) spotted Woodfork’s Mercedes a short time later and attempted to stop him. However, Woodfork fled at a high rate of speed through parts of Northeast and Northwest Washington.
Officers eventually cut Woodfork off near Fifth and T Streets NW, at which time Woodfork crashed the Mercedes into a parked vehicle and fled on foot. Woodfork was apprehended a short distance away. In a search of his pockets, police found cocaine and $1,290. Police also recovered additional quantities of cocaine and marijuana in a vest lying next to the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, as well as a Taurus .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in an alleyway a short distance from where Woodfork crashed the Mercedes.
At the time of his arrest, Woodfork had failed to appear for sentencing in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md., after his conviction for attempted robbery, first-degree burglary, and second-degree assault in an unrelated case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham, commended the work of the MPD officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman and Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca.
Former U.S. Counterintelligence Agent Charged with Espionage on Behalf of Iran; Four Iranians Charged with a Cyber Campaign Targeting Her Former ColleaguesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to deliver and delivering national defense information to representatives of the Iranian government. Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013, is alleged to have assisted Iranian intelligence services in targeting her former fellow agents in the U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC). Witt is also alleged to have disclosed the code name and classified mission of a U.S. Department of Defense Special Access Program. An arrest warrant has been issued for Witt, who remains at large.
The same indictment charges four Iranian nationals, Mojtaba Masoumpour, Behzad Mesri, Hossein Parvar and Mohamad Paryar (the “Cyber Conspirators”), with conspiracy, attempts to commit computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft, for conduct in 2014 and 2015 targeting former co-workers and colleagues of Witt in the U.S. Intelligence Community. The Cyber Conspirators, using fictional and imposter social media accounts and working on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sought to deploy malware that would provide them covert access to the targets’ computers and networks. Arrest warrants have been issued for the Cyber Conspirators, who also remain at large.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Executive Assistant Director for National Security Jay Tabb of the FBI, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Special Agent Terry Phillips of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
“Monica Witt is charged with revealing to the Iranian regime a highly classified intelligence program and the identity of a U.S. Intelligence Officer, all in violation of the law, her solemn oath to protect and defend our country, and the bounds of human decency,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Four Iranian cyber hackers are also charged with various computer crimes targeting members of the U.S. intelligence community who were Ms. Witt’s former colleagues. This case underscores the dangers to our intelligence professionals and the lengths our adversaries will go to identify them, expose them, target them, and, in a few rare cases, ultimately turn them against the nation they swore to protect. When our intelligence professionals are targeted or betrayed, the National Security Division will relentlessly pursue justice against the wrong-doers.”
“This case reflects our firm resolve to hold accountable any individual who betrays the public trust by compromising our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Today’s announcement also highlights our commitment to vigorously pursue those who threaten U.S. security through state-sponsored hacking campaigns.”
“The charges unsealed today are the result of years of investigative work by the FBI to uncover Monica Witt’s betrayal of the oath she swore to safeguard America’s intelligence and defense secrets” said Executive Assistant Director for National Security Tabb. “This case also highlights the FBI’s commitment to disrupting those who engage in malicious cyber activity to undermine our country’s national security. The FBI is grateful to the Department of Treasury and the United States Air Force for their continued partnership and assistance in this case.”
“Treasury is taking action against malicious Iranian cyber actors and covert operations that have targeted Americans at home and overseas as part of our ongoing efforts to counter the Iranian regime’s cyber-attacks,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “Treasury is sanctioning New Horizon Organization for its support to the IRGC-QF. New Horizon hosts international conferences that have provided Iranian intelligence officers a platform to recruit and collect damaging information from attendees, while propagating anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. We are also sanctioning an Iran-based company that has attempted to install malware to compromise the computers of U.S. personnel.”
“The alleged actions of Monica Witt in assisting a hostile nation are a betrayal of our nation’s security, our military, and the American people,” said Special Agent Phillips. “While violations like this are extremely rare, her actions as alleged are an affront to all who have served our great nation.”
“This investigation exemplifies the tireless work the agents and analysts of the FBI do each and every day to bring a complex case like this to fruition,’ said Assistant Director in Charge McNamara. “Witt's betrayal of her country and the actions of the cyber criminals - at the behest of the IRGC - could have brought serious damage to the United States, and we will not stand by and allow that to happen. The efforts by the Iranian government to target and harm the U.S. will not be taken lightly, and the FBI will continue our work to hold those individuals or groups accountable for their actions.”
According to the allegations contained in the indictment unsealed today:
Monica Witt’s Espionage
Monica Witt, a U.S. citizen, was an active duty U.S. Air Force Intelligence Specialist and Special Agent of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, who entered on duty in 1997 and left the U.S. government in 2008. Monica Witt separated from the Air Force in 2008 and ended work with DOD as a contractor in 2010. During her tenure with the U.S. government, Witt was granted high-level security clearances and was deployed overseas to conduct classified counterintelligence missions.
In Feb. 2012, Witt traveled to Iran to attend the Iranian New Horizon Organization’s “Hollywoodism” conference, an IRGC-sponsored event aimed at, among other things, condemning American moral standards and promoting anti-U.S. propaganda. Through subsequent interactions and communications with a dual United States-Iranian citizen referred to in the indictment as Individual A, Witt successfully arranged to re-enter Iran in Aug. 2013. Thereafter, Iranian government officials provided Witt with a housing and computer equipment. She went on to disclose U.S. classified information to the Iranian government official. As part of her work on behalf of the Iranian government, she conducted research about USIC personnel that she had known and worked with, and used that information to draft “target packages” against these U.S. agents.
Iranian Hacking Efforts Targeting Witt’s Former Colleagues
Beginning in late 2014, the Cyber Conspirators began a malicious campaign targeting Witt’s former co-workers and colleagues. Specifically, Mesri registered and helped manage an Iranian company, the identity of which is known to the United States, which conducted computer intrusions against targets inside and outside the United States on behalf of the IRGC. Using computer and online infrastructure, in some cases procured by Mesri, the conspiracy tested its malware and gathered information from target computers or networks, and sent spearphishing messages to its targets. Specifically, between Jan. and May 2015, the Cyber Conspirators, using fictitious and imposter accounts, attempted to trick their targets into clicking links or opening files that would allow the conspirators to deploy malware on the target’s computer. In one such instance, the Cyber Conspirators created a Facebook account that purported to belong to a USIC employee and former colleague of Witt, and which utilized legitimate information and photos from the USIC employee’s actual Facebook account. This particular fake account caused several of Witt’s former colleagues to accept “friend” requests.
* * *
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Curtis, Jocelyn Ballantine and Luke Jones of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Three Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Bribery Schemes Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two owners and an employee of for-profit, non-accredited schools were sentenced during the last two days for bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $2 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Md., was the owner of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a school purporting to specialize in information technology courses. Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Va., was Poawui’s employee at Atius. Michelle Stevens, 57, of Waldorf, Md., was the owner of Eelon Training Academy, a school purporting to specialize in digital media courses.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
All three defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. Poawui was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to the VA. Kanneh was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $113,227.30 in restitution to the VA and to forfeit $1.5 million. Stevens was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $83,000 in restitution to the VA and to forfeit $83,000.
James King, the VA official who all three defendants bribed, has pleaded guilty to bribery, wire fraud, and falsification of documents, and will be sentenced on Friday, Feb. 15.
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with Poawui and Kanneh’s pleas, in or about August 2015, Poawui and King agreed that Poawui would pay King a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, King steered VR&E program veterans to Atius regardless of the veterans’ educational needs or interests and notwithstanding their repeated complaints about the poor quality of education at Atius.
Between August 2015 and December 2017, Poawui, King, and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $2,217,259.44. Poawui paid King over $155,000 as part of the illicit bribery scheme. These bribery payments were hand-delivered by Poawui or Kanneh to King or King’s assistant, who was a veteran enrolled in the VR&E program. Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to King.
Poawui also admitted that he made numerous false representations to the VA to enhance the scheme’s profits. For example, Poawui certified to the VA that veterans attending Atius were enrolled in up to 32 hours of class per week, when in fact he knew that Atius offered a maximum of six weekly class hours. After the VA initiated an administrative audit of Atius, Poawui and King took steps to conceal the truth about earlier misrepresentations they had made to the VA.
According to admissions made in connection with Stevens’ plea, she created Eelon Training Academy after learning about the VR&E program from King. In or about September 2016, King facilitated the first tuition payment from the VA to Eelon. Shortly after receiving this payment, King told Stevens that she should give him seven percent of the monies paid by the VA to Eelon. King proceeded to steer veterans under his supervision to Eelon regardless of their resistance to attending Stevens’ school.
Stevens admitted to later making two cash payments of $1,500 to King in furtherance of her scheme to bribe King in exchange for King sending veterans under his supervision to Eelon and facilitating the VA’s payments to Stevens. In total, Stevens received approximately $83,000 from the VA for education that she purported to provide to veteran students. Stevens submitted invoices to the VA amounting to no less than $300,000 for the tuition and equipment of seven students, but was not paid the balance of the invoice amount due to the VA’s ongoing investigation into Eelon following complaints by students about the poor quality of education.
In an effort to procure the outstanding payments from the VA, Stevens made numerous fraudulent misrepresentations to the VA, and maintained fraudulent student files in the event of an audit by the VA. For example, Stevens emailed to the VA an “attendance” sheet for eight students. The attendance sheet was created by Stevens and included handwritten check marks purporting to represent the dates that the students attended class. In fact, as Stevens well knew, the students had not attended class on many of those dates nor was class even held on many of those dates.
Poawui, Kanneh, and Stevens’ sentences are the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison for Lottery Fraud/Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keniel Thomas, 29, a Jamaican national, was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for trying to extort money from a couple in Washington D.C., who he tried to trick into believing they won the Mega Millions lottery, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Thomas, also known as “David Morgan,” pled guilty on Oct. 26, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to interstate communication with the intent to extort. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell. Following completion of his prison term, Thomas will face deportation proceedings.
According to the government’s evidence, Thomas, posing as “David Morgan,” placed a call on June 9, 2014 to a man who lived and worked in the District of Columbia. Thomas told the man that he was the head of Mega Millions and that the man was the winner of $15.5 million and a 2014 Mercedes Benz. Thomas told the man that the man needed to pay $50,000 to cover the taxes before the award was provided to him. He also told the man that he had information about his employment history. Shortly after the call, the man contacted the FBI.
The following day, the man placed a call to “David Morgan” that was recorded by the FBI. In it, Thomas again told the man that he worked for Mega Millions. This time, he said the man was the first-place winner of a prize valued at $72 million and that included a 2014 Mercedes Benz with a year of free insurance. Once again, Thomas said that the man needed to send $50,000 to him to cover the taxes on the prizes.
Over the course of the next month, Thomas made numerous calls to the man in attempts to get the money. He also reached the man’s wife and threatened violence if the money was not paid. Among other things, he claimed that he had done surveillance on the couple’s home.
An FBI investigation led to the identification of Thomas. A criminal complaint was filed against Thomas in July 2014. He was arrested on Dec. 18, 2017, after he traveled by plane from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ephraim (Fry) Wernick. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Gorman and Kathryn L. Rakoczy, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
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District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Traffic Fatality in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Daryl G. Alexander, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison on a charge of voluntary manslaughter in a crash that killed Oren Dorell, a reporter for USA Today, in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Prior to the crash, according to the evidence, Alexander had smoked a cigarette dipped in PCP.
Alexander pled guilty on Sept. 14, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He pled guilty under what is known as the Alford doctrine. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 60 to 72 months in prison. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Alexander will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also faces revocation of his probation for an earlier offense.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday June 8, 2018, at approximately 8:25 p.m., Alexander was driving his Toyota Camry eastbound on H Street NE, at a high rate of speed, when he struck a motorcycle operated by Mr. Dorell. A witness reported seeing the vehicle strike and run over Mr. Dorell, and then continue east before stopping at 13th and H Streets NE. When the Metropolitan Police Department arrived on the scene, Alexander was still in the car, and several citizens were banging on the window to get his attention. About 20 people, including citizens and offices, joined together to lift the car, and Mr. Dorell was underneath it. Mr. Dorell was transported to the hospital but died early June 9, 2018, a few hours later.
Alexander was removed from the vehicle at the scene and placed in handcuffs. Officers attempted to conduct an initial interview, but Alexander was not coherent or responsive to any verbal directions. Officers noticed a strong chemical odor consistent with PCP emanating from the defendant as well as his vehicle. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.
After he was released from the hospital, Alexander told police that on the evening of June 8, 2018, he drove to a Chinese restaurant in Southeast Washington, placed an order for food, and then consumed alcohol and smoked a cigarette dipped in PCP in his car. According to his interview with police, the next thing he remembered was being handcuffed by police at the crime scene. He denied any recollection of driving to H Street or striking a motorcycle.
Alexander was convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in 2016 for driving under the influence of alcohol. He now faces revocation of his probation for that offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Investigations Unit and the First District. They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist, former Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Striking His Brother-In-Law in the Head with a Lug WrenchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Johnson, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for an attack in which he hit his brother-in-law in the head with a lug wrench, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Johnson was found guilty by a jury in August 2018 of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. López. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Jan. 10, 2018, Johnson’s wife was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, in the 4300 block of Wheeler Road SE. Johnson went to the residence to take his wife home. When his wife refused to leave with him, Johnson became irate. The brother-in-law, 56, intervened and asked Johnson to leave.
A fight ensued, which culminated in Johnson pulling his brother-in-law by his ankles down two flights of stairs. With his brother-in-law in and out of consciousness at the bottom of the stairs, Johnson went to his car, retrieved a steel lug wrench, and returned to strike him over the head with the lug wrench. He hit him with such force that the lug wrench broke into two pieces. Johnson fled and was arrested during a traffic stop a few minutes later. His brother-in-law suffered a 4 ½-inch gash across the top of his head, which required surgical staples to close.
While he was on release and this case was pending, Johnson was arrested and charged with threats in a separate matter. He allegedly used the charging document in this case to threaten a couple. Johnson has remained detained since his arrest in the threats matter.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Manzo and Kristina Wolf; Appellate Division Deputy Chief Nicholas Coleman; Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Maltese; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Supervisor Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Brenda Williams; Criminal Investigator Tommy Miller, and Interns Megan Hughes, Alexa Perlmutter, and Jill Rogowski.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer B. Loeb and Amy Joy Thomas, who prosecuted the case at trial.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Thefts at Hotels and Office BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronnie Bryant, 54, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for a series of incidents in which he stole or attempted to steal wallets at hotels and office buildings, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Bryant was found guilty by a jury in November 2018 of a total of 12 theft and credit card fraud charges. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. López. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, for years, Bryant has dressed professionally and entered hotels, office buildings and conference centers in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia and stolen unattended wallets and purses. In this case, he was found guilty of three such incidents between January 25, 2016 and February 3, 2016: stealing a wallet from a private office at a downtown Washington hotel, stealing a wallet from an office at the Georgetown University Law Center, and attempting to steal a purse from beneath a conference table at another downtown hotel. A hotel security guard spotted him in that incident, leading to Bryant’s arrest.
After the first two thefts, Bryant traveled quickly to an area where he could make as many charges as possible in a sort time. From purchasing gift cards to gas, he racked up hundreds of dollars in charges within an hour or two. All told, over an eight-day period, his crimes led to $2,000 in missing cash and fraudulent credit card charges.
Not counting this case, Bryant has been convicted of crimes stemming from at least 21 separate incidents. He most recently was incarcerated for similar crimes in Virginia.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives who investigated the case. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Elizabeth Trosman, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia Walicki-Chan, Lauren Bates, and Chrisellen Kolb; Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Paralegal Specialist Tierra Nanches, Rochelle Mills, Donice Adams, Crystal Waddy, and Lynda Randolph; former Law Clerk Caroline Quill; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators La June Thames and Tonya Jones.
Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Floyd and Kaitlin Vaillancourt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 59 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms Offense Committed Three Months After Release from PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tijuan Arrington, 42, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal charge of possessing a loaded firearm with an extended magazine, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
At the time of his arrest by MPD officers in Southeast Washington, Arrington was on federal supervised release following his release from incarceration after being sentenced in 2016 for his role in a large-scale narcotics conspiracy.
Arrington pled guilty in October 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In that matter, on Jan. 24, 2019, the Honorable Rudolph Contreras sentenced Arrington to 47 months of incarceration, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Earlier today, the Honorable Chief Judge Judge Beryl A. Howell revoked Arrington’s supervised release and resentenced him to an additional 12 months of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 15, 2018, at approximately 9 p.m., MPD officers were on routine patrol in the 1300 block of Barnaby Terrace SE when they observed Arrington and other men with open containers of alcohol. When officers went to make contact with the individuals, Arrington immediately ran from the police; in the process, he dropped a loaded firearm. Arrington was detained after he was pursued running into his residence that was located up the block. In the middle of the street and in Arrington’s flight path, officers recovered a semiautomatic Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. There were 20 bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber.
At the time of his arrest, Arrington was on federal supervised release following his release from prison three months earlier for trafficking hundreds of grams of heroin. That case involved an FBI drug trafficking investigation that began in the Barnaby Terrace area and extended into Maryland. Arrington was one of 16 people to plead guilty in the investigation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Legal Assistant Emma Atlas and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Rosen and Christopher Macchiaroli, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Men Plead Guilty to Federal Charges for Armed Robberies Targeting Commercial EstablishmentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarvell Kent, 21, and Olona Roba, 20, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from their involvement in a total of four armed robberies that were committed in three quadrants of the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Kent and Roba pled guilty before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, for four separate incidents. Because a firearm was brandished during the commission of the offenses, both men face a mandatory seven years of incarceration, which must run consecutive to any sentence imposed for the additional two armed robberies. They are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Moss on April 23, 2019.
The government’s evidence established that Kent and Roba robbed two 7-Eleven convenience stores at gunpoint, while wearing masks. During both armed robberies, one of the weapons used was a large black sub‑machine gun style firearm with an extended magazine. The first robbery took place on May 5, 2017, at approximately 11:40 p.m., at a store in the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The second was on May 11, 2017, at approximately 1 a.m., at a store in the 4400 block of Benning Road NE.
In addition to the armed robberies that the defendants jointly committed, each defendant admitted involvement in additional armed robberies. Kent pled guilty to a May 15, 2017, armed robbery of another 7-Eleven located in the 900 block of 17th Street NW, and Roba pled guilty to a March 4, 2017, armed robbery of a carryout driver in the 5800 block of Southern Avenue SE, a crime in which shots were fired at the carryout driver as he fled from the scene.
Kent and Roba were arrested in May 2017 and have been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the FBI Agents and MPD officers who linked together investigations that spanned three quadrants of the District of Columbia and arrested Kent and Roba. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil, Laura Crane, and William Schurmann, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff, Paralegal Specialists Rommel Pachoca and Antoinette Sakamsa, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton.
Darron Wint Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Four People in Northwest Washington Home InvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Darron Wint, 37, also known as Daron Wint, formerly of Lanham, Md., was sentenced today to four consecutive sentences of life in prison, with no possibility of release, for the May 2015 slayings of Savvas Savopoulos; his wife, Amy Savopoulos; their son, Philip Savopoulos; and a household employee, Veralicia Figueroa.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Wint was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 25, 2018, of 20 felony charges, including multiple counts of first-degree murder while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. At sentencing, Judge McKenna declared that the defendant’s conduct was “incomprehensible” and agreed with a jury finding that the crimes were heinous, atrocious and cruel.
“Today’s sentence holds Darron Wint accountable for kidnapping, torturing and ultimately murdering four innocent people, including a 10-year-old child, in an unspeakable ordeal that extended over almost 24 hours,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Our hearts go out to the Savopoulos and Figueroa families, and we hope that they can take some comfort in knowing that this dangerous man has been brought to justice.”
“Our hope is that today’s sentencing brings closure to the Savopoulos and Figueroa families, as well as the community who were all affected by this heinous crime,” said Chief Newsham. “MPD worked tirelessly with our local and federal law enforcement partners to bring justice and I believe that today we can all move forward. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts that led to the conclusion of this case.”
“The tragic and horrific events of May 2015 are a grim reminder of why investigating violent crime is a top priority for ATF,” said Special Agent in Charge Benedict. “Today we take another step closer to justice for the victims and their families and another step closer to helping this community try to heal. ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners every day in our ongoing priority to reducing violent crime and securing the safety of our communities.”
During nearly six weeks of testimony, the government presented testimony from more than 60 witnesses, including some that linked Wint to the crime scene through DNA on a pizza crust and other items. The jury found Wint guilty of all charges that were filed against him in an indictment, including the murder counts and kidnapping, burglary, extortion and theft.
The charges involved a series of crimes that took place on May 13 and May 14, 2015, during a home invasion of the Savopoulos family residence in Northwest Washington.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 13, 2015, Wint entered the Savopoulos home and seized and kidnapped the four victims. The following day, he stole $40,000 through means of extortion, murdered the victims, and set fire to the house.
After responding to reports of the fire, authorities discovered the bodies of Savvas Savopoulos, 46, Amy Savopoulos, 47, Philip Savopoulos, 10, and Veralicia Figueroa, 57.
In the aftermath of the murders, Wint performed a series of Internet searches for subjects such as “how to beat a lie detector test,” “10 hideout cities for fugitives,” and “five countries with no U.S. extradition treaty.” According to the government’s evidence, he fled to New York after he was publicly identified as a person of interest in the case and hid in a hotel. He eventually returned to the area and was arrested on May 21, 2015. He has been in custody ever since.
All told, Wint was found guilty of a total of 12 counts of first-degree murder while armed, all with aggravating circumstances. The charges include four counts of first-degree murder while armed (felony murder) in the course of a kidnapping; four counts of first-degree murder while armed (felony murder) in the course of a burglary, and four counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed. In addition, Wint was found guilty of four counts of kidnapping and one count each of first-degree burglary, extortion, arson, and first-degree theft.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistance was provided by the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the Prince George’s County, Md., Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura R. Bach, Christopher Bruckmann, and Emily A. Miller, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bach and Bruckmann.
Assistance was provided by a team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office that included Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Deputy Chiefs Chrisellen Kolb, John Mannarino, and Elizabeth Danello, of the Appellate Division; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite and Meridith McGarrity; former Paralegal Specialist Kendra Johnson; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Criminal Investigator John Marsh;, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; former Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Law Clerks Siri Palm and Julie Bessler, and former Law Clerk Jim McNally.
District Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Federal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominique N. Simms, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest during the execution of a search warrant at a house in Northeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Simms pled guilty in October 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Following his prison term, Simms will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 16, 2018, members of a joint MPD and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force executed a search warrant at a residence in the 5300 block of Clay Terrace NE. As officers entered the premises, they saw an unknown man run through the living room and out of the back door. Simms, who was sitting on the couch, attempted to run away from the entering officers. A search of the living room area revealed a loaded Glock 43 and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun underneath the seat cushion of the chair next to where Simms was sitting. The guns were easily accessible from the couch area. Throughout the house, police also discovered more than seven ounces, or approximately 195 grams, of phencyclidine (PCP).
Law enforcement tested the firearms for the presence of any fingerprints or identifiable DNA. On June 12, 2018, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences identified one fingerprint – a left palm print – of Simms on the left side of the Smith and Wesson. On July 18, 2018, DNA analysts identified Simms’s DNA on both firearms.
The Glock 43 firearm had previously been reported stolen from a firearms store located in Rockville, Md. in 2017.
Simms was barred from possessing a firearm because of prior convictions in the District of Columbia. In the District of Columbia, he was sentenced in 2013 for robbery. At the time of his arrest last May, Simms was on supervised release following his prison term in that case. According to the factual proffer of that matter, Simms pepper-sprayed a 66-year-old woman in Southeast Washington, stole her vehicle, and fled.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Fong, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, specifically the Cross-Border Initiative Task Force. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistant Emma Atlas. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory P. Rosen, who prosecuted the case.
Colorado Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Wire Fraud Charge, Admits Embezzling Money from Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ashley Furst, 35, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., pled guilty today to a federal wire fraud charge stemming from an embezzlement scheme in which she stole more than $545,000 from a non-profit organization based in the District of Columbia.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Furst pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Furst faces a likely range of 27 to 33 months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. She also has agreed to pay $545,594 in restitution and the same amount in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, Furst was hired in 2011 as the office administrator for the non-profit trade association. She was later promoted to the position of Director of Communications. While employed by the non-profit, Furst’s responsibilities included public outreach, membership recruitment, and communications. She also handled duties typically performed by an office administrator, such as maintaining accounting records, reconciling the monthly bank account statements, transferring on-line donations from the PayPal account to their bank account, providing copies of the bank statements to the members of the Board of Directors, and serving as the sole point of contact for the outside auditors.
Starting in 2012 and continuing through June 2018, Furst stole money from the non-profit in a variety of ways. First, she paid her own personal credit card bills from her employer’s bank account, primarily through on-line debits from the bank account to satisfy her credit card balance, for approximately $415,202.52. Second, she wrote herself unauthorized checks drawn on her employer’s bank account, typically listing on the memo line a bogus reason for the check, for approximately $83,656.40. Third, she repaid her personal loan from her employer’s funds, for approximately $56,411.43. Fourth, although Furst was responsible for transferring donations from her employer’s PayPal account, she misdirected approximately $60,949.49 to her own account or to pay for personal items. Fifth, Furst increased her salary without authorization, by approximately $29,875.03. Through these five methods, Furst embezzled approximately $646,094. However, before the victim discovered the crime, Furst returned $100,500 to her employer, leaving a total embezzlement of $545,594.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Amanda Rohde and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery for Hold-Up at Branch in Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paul Bernard Jones, 58, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal bank robbery charge for a hold-up last summer in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 70 to 87 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2019,
According to plea documents, on June 11, 2018, at approximately 9:10 a.m., Jones entered a TD Bank branch in the 1700 block of Connecticut Avenue NW. He walked up to a teller, took a wadded-up piece of paper, and tossed it at her. He then stated “give me everything, give me hundreds, fifties, and twenties only and don’t push anything. I have something on me.” The wadded-up piece of paper also demanded money and contained a threat. The teller provided Jones with $1,450 in cash and he fled the bank.
Within minutes, the Metropolitan Police Department and FBI responded to the bank. An MPD officer observed Jones at the intersection of 14th and R Streets NW, a few blocks from the bank. He tried to run, but was immediately apprehended. Law enforcement located $1,433 in cash in a search of the defendant. Jones has been in custody since his arrest.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Catherine O’Neal and Legal Assistant Emma Atlas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who is prosecuting the matter.
United States Files Complaint Seeking Forfeiture of Oil Painting Recovered by the FBI More Than 75 Years After Its Theft During the Second World WarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States has filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of an oil painting by Mikhail N. Panin that was recovered by the FBI decades after it was stolen during the Second World War. The United States intends to return the artwork to its rightful owner.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The artwork, “Secret Departure of Ivan the Terrible Before the Oprichina,” is an oil painting on canvas, measuring approximately 7.5 feet by 8.5 feet, created by Panin in 1911. It depicts Ivan the Terrible and his loyal adherents leaving secretly from the Kremlin for Alexandrovskya Sloboda.
The complaint was filed on Dec. 20, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seeks forfeiture of the painting on the basis that it represents the proceeds of the interstate transportation of stolen property and possession of stolen goods.
“The recovery of this art looted during World War II reflects the commitment of this office to pursue justice for victims of crime here and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The looting of cultural heritage during World War II was tragic, and we are happy to be able to assist in the efforts to return such items to their rightful owners.”
“As the FBI returns this painting to the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C., we do so with the purpose of preserving history,” said Assistant Director in Charge McNamara. “This piece of artwork is of significance not just for its monetary value, but for its place in the world of art and culture. The FBI continues to commit investigative resources to recover cultural property.”
According to the complaint, the painting was transferred from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in 1913 to the collection of Ekaterinoslav City Art Museum (today the Dnepropetrovsk Art Museum); was one of the 64 exhibits that comprised the first museum exposition in 1914; was exhibited at the permanent exhibition of the museum until 1941, and disappeared during the occupation of the city during the Second World War.
The painting subsequently surfaced in the United States. In 1962, it conveyed with the sale of a house in Ridgefield, Connecticut, by a Swiss citizen who emigrated to the United States in 1946. After the sale, the prior owners of the home located a certificate in the attic of the house commemorating the original homeowner’s service in the Swiss Army during the Second World War. The original homeowner passed away in 1986.
In November 2017, the current homeowners attempted to consign the painting to an art gallery, but the gallery was notified by a Ukrainian art museum that the item had been stolen during the Second World War. The FBI obtained custody of the painting, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office commenced forfeiture proceedings.
The current homeowners have agreed to waive any claims to the painting. If no other claims are filed, the government plans to return the painting to the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit is captioned United States v. One Painting Entitled Secret Departure of Ivan the Terrible Before the Oprichina.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Arvind Lal, Brian P. Hudak, and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Swienc, all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, are representing the government. Assistance was also provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Former Government Consultant Indicted on Federal Charges in Bribery and Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A consultant and independent contractor for a company that did business with the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources was indicted today on charges that he paid more than $140,000 in bribes to a former D.C. government employee and that he stole payments on city contracts that should have gone to his employer.
John Woods, 56, of Sterling, Va., was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on three counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, one count of bribery, and two counts of engaging in illegal monetary transactions. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the alleged crimes. Woods will be arraigned on the charges on a date to be determined by the Court.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
According to the indictment, Woods worked as a consultant and independent contractor for a firm identified in the court documents as “Company A.” The firm had agreements with the District of Columbia Department of Human Resources (DCHR) to provide organizational skills training courses and human resources consulting to various D.C. government agencies. Woods was the company’s main point of contact with DCHR and handled the submission of invoices.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in April 2013, and continuing through August 2017, Woods schemed to defraud “Company A” and the D.C. government.
As part of the scheme, according to the indictment, between April 2013 and February 2015, Woods stole $214,910 in D.C. government checks that were issued to “Company A.” Beginning in March 2015, the indictment alleges, Woods began usurping “Company A’s” role under the contracts and keeping the profits for himself. The indictment alleges that Woods fraudulently deposited approximately 27 checks issued by the D.C. government to “Company A” into a bank account he controlled, totaling approximately $1,040,023, from March 2015 through August 2017.
In order to keep his scheme in place, the indictment alleges that Woods paid more than $140,000 in bribes to Latasha Moore, then a DCHR employee. As a resource allocation analyst, Moore was the main point of contact for “Company A” and in a position to ensure that no complaints or suspicions about the contracts reached others in the government. For example, Moore failed to report problems that arose while Woods was managing the work, including complaints of contractors arriving late, leaving early or failing to show up at all for training.
Moore, 38, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on Oct. 11, 2018 to a federal bribery charge. She is awaiting sentencing.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Mail fraud and wire fraud charges carry statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The bribery charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison, and the charge involving illegal monetary transactions carries a statutory maximum of 10 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.