District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Teenager Sentenced to 10 ½-Year Prison Term on Carjacking and Armed Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deonta King, 17, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 10 ½ years on carjacking and armed robbery charges stemming from violent crimes committed this year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
King, who was 17 at the time of the offenses, was charged as an adult because of the nature of the crimes. He pled guilty in April 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Todd E. Edelman accepted the plea and sentencing King accordingly. Following his prison term, King will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Three co-defendants, all from Washington, D.C., also were charged as adults and pled guilty to charges for their roles in one or both of the crimes. Deandre Bullock, 17, and Darius McNeal, 18, were sentenced earlier this month by Judge Edelman to prison terms of 10 years and nine years, respectively. Javon Coe, 17, is awaiting sentencing.
McNeal, Bullock, King, and Coe pled guilty to an incident that took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, at the Benco Shopping Center located at East Capitol Street SE and Benning Road SE. According to the government’s evidence, the victim parked his Jeep Compass in front of a carry-out restaurant at the shopping center and went inside the store to pick up food. As the victim returned to his vehicle and got back into the driver’s seat, McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual approached his vehicle. McNeal approached the passenger side. Bullock, King, and Coe approached the driver side and worked together to pull the victim from the driver’s seat of his vehicle, drag him to the ground, and assault him. King took the victim’s keys from his hand. Coe, who had a handgun, tried to take the victim’s cellphone, but the victim refused to let go of it. McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual got into the victim’s vehicle and drove away.
McNeal, Bullock, and King also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2018, near Johnson Middle School in the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE. According to the government’s evidence, McNeal communicated with the victims about buying a pair of shoes through the application OfferUp and told the victims to come to the school. When the victims arrived, McNeal and another member of the group approached them and asked to see the shoes for sale. One of the victims showed the shoes and asked for the money. King and Bullock then approached. Bullock was wearing a mask and had a black and silver handgun with a laser sight on it. Bullock ordered one of the victims out of the car and to the ground at gunpoint. King ordered the other victim out of the driver’s seat of the car, demanded her car keys, and took her phone. One of the victims struggled with Bullock over the gun, while the other defendants told Bullock to “shoot him.” The gun went off, firing one round that hit McNeal in the leg. The victims ran away, and McNeal, Bullock, King, and another individual got into the victims’ vehicle and followed them.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
Former U.S. Senate Employee Sentenced to Prison Term on False Statements ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James A. Wolfe, 58, of Ellicott City, Maryland, the former Director of Security for the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), was sentenced today to two months in prison for making a false statement to the FBI during the course of an investigation into the unlawful disclosure of classified national security information.
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, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Wolfe pled guilty on Oct. 15, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of making a false statement. Under the plea agreement, the government moved to dismiss two remaining false statements counts at sentencing. In his proffer, Wolfe admitted to the conduct underlying one of the two dismissed counts.
In addition to the prison time, the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson ordered that Wolfe pay a $7,500 fine. She also ordered that he complete four months of supervised release following his incarceration. During that time, he is to perform 20 hours of community service a month.
At the time Wolfe made the false statement to the FBI, he was the Director of Security for the SSCI, a position he held for more than 28 years. As SSCI Director of Security, he was entrusted with receiving, maintaining, and managing classified national security information provided to the SSCI by the Executive Branch of the United States.
According to a statement of offense filed at the time of the plea, the FBI opened an investigation in April 2017 into the unauthorized disclosure of classified national security information that had appeared in a specific article published by a national news organization. In December 2017, during the course of the investigation, Wolfe was interviewed. Wolfe was asked specifically about whether he had been in contact with any reporters and, if so, who those reporters were, and what were the nature and extent of those contacts and the means by which those contacts occurred.
By his guilty plea, he admitted making false statements to the FBI concerning whether he had provided unclassified, but not otherwise publicly-available, information to reporters. Specifically, on Oct. 16, 2017, and again on Oct. 24, 2017, Wolfe provided a particular reporter with non-public information concerning a witness who had been subpoenaed to testify before the SSCI. Wolfe also admitted making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with three additional reporters, including one of the authors of the aforementioned article.
Wolfe was indicted in June 2018. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Ballantine and Tejpal S. Chawla and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Ingersoll of the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Former Blackwater Employee Found Guilty of Murder in Fatal 2007 Shooting at Nisur Square in IraqRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Nicholas Slatten, 35, a former security guard for Blackwater USA, was found guilty today of the federal offense of first-degree murder in the killing of Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia’y, one of 14 unarmed civilians who were killed in a shooting by Blackwater guards that took place at Nisur Square in Bagdhad on Sept. 16, 2007.
The jury verdict, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by Jessie K. Liu, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’sWashington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
Slatten remains held pending his sentencing by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. No sentencing date was set. The murder charge calls for a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Slatten, formerly of Sparta, Tenn., initially was found guilty of the murder charge in October 2014, following a trial in the same courtroom. Three other former guards for Blackwater USA also were found guilty in that trial, of voluntary manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, and other charges. Slatten subsequently was sentenced in April 2015 to a mandatory term of life in prison without parole; the co-defendants were each sentenced to 30 years and one day in prison.
The defendants appealed the convictions. In August 2017, the District of Columbia Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed Slatten’s conviction. The appeals court also ordered Slatten’s three co-defendants -- Paul Alvin Slough, Evan Shawn Liberty, and Dustin Laurent Heard -- to be re-sentenced for their roles in the crime. Slough, Liberty and Heard remain in custody and their re-sentencing proceedings remain pending before Judge Lamberth.
Slatten initially was retried on the murder charge last summer but a mistrial was declared on Sept. 5, 2018, after that jury was unable to reach a verdict. The current trial began on Nov. 5, 2018, and the jury reached the guilty verdict on its fifth day of deliberations.
During the trial, the government presented testimony from 34 witnesses, including four who came to the United States to testify from Iraq.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately noon on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, several Blackwater security contractors, including Slatten and his former co-defendants, opened fire in and around Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle in the heart of Baghdad.
When they stopped shooting, 14 Iraqi civilians were dead. Those killed included 10 men, two women, and two boys, ages 9 and 11. Another 18 victims were injured. According to the evidence, Slatten was the first to fire, without provocation, killing Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia’y, an aspiring doctor, who was driving his mother to an appointment.
Slatten was among 19 Blackwater security contractors assigned to a convoy of four heavily-armed trucks known as a Tactical Support Team, using the call sign “Raven 23.” Shortly before noon, Raven 23 learned that a car bomb had detonated in central Baghdad near a location where a U.S official was being escorted by a Blackwater personal security detail team. Raven 23 team members promptly reported to their convoy vehicles, and the convoy drove to a secured checkpoint between the Green Zone and Red Zone.
Once there, in disregard of an order from Blackwater’s command, the team’s shift leader directed Raven 23 to leave the Green Zone and establish a blockade in Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle that was immediately adjacent to the Green Zone. All told, seven of the 19 members of Raven 23 fired their weapons.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi National Police provided cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
The retrial of the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys T. Patrick Martin, Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez, and Karen Seifert, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes, all of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Fatal Shooting in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Marco F. Williams, 25, and Barry J. Giles, 22, also known as “Juany,” both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms for the October 2016 shooting death of a man in the Fort Lincoln area of Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams pled guilty in October 2018 to voluntary manslaughter while armed. Giles pled guilty at the same time to one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. Both pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The pleas, which were contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence for Williams of 186 months, or 15 ½ years, and a prison sentence for Giles of 102 months, or 8 ½ years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the pleas and sentenced the men accordingly. Following their prison terms, the men will be placed on five years of supervised release.
The evidence in support of the guilty pleas showed that on the night of Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, Williams and Giles were in the Fort Lincoln neighborhood, where each of them had ties. Specifically, they were in the area of the 3100 block of Berry Road NE, where they spent time and drank alcohol with the victim, Timothy Lassiter, and others.
Both Williams and Giles had pistols. In the course of the evening, Williams and Giles resolved to shoot and kill Mr. Lassiter, 36. At 11:42 p.m., Williams, armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, fired four shots at Mr. Lassiter, striking him twice. Four 9mm cartridge cases fired from the same gun were recovered in the area where Mr. Lassiter’s body was found by responding medics and police officers.
The evidence established that after Mr. Lassiter was shot by Williams, Giles went through Mr. Lassiter’s pockets and removed items of personal property.
Mr. Lassiter was transported by ambulance to a hospital and was pronounced dead early on Oct. 6, 2016. Following Mr. Lassiter’s funeral on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, Giles went on social media and posted a video of himself talking about the shooting of Mr. Lassiter. In the video, which was soon thereafter deleted, Giles boasted and bragged about his role in the shooting.
Warrants for the arrest of the two defendants were issued on March 1, 2018. Giles was arrested on March 5, 2018, and Williams, who was otherwise serving a sentence, was arrested on March 29, 2018. Both have been held without bond since their arrests.
In accepting the plea agreements and the agreed-upon sentences, the Court stated it would sentence Williams – the admitted shooter of Mr. Lassiter – to 186 months, or 15 ½ years in prison, and would sentence Giles – who went through Lassiter’s pockets in the aftermath of the shooting and removed items of personal property – to 102 months, or 8 ½ years in prison. The Court did not issue a Judgment and Commitment Order today, as it wants time to consider and to be briefed on the ramifications of the recently enacted Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act of 2018. Accordingly, the Court set a hearing for Jan. 15, 2019. It is expected that on that date the Court will formally impose sentences in accord with the plea agreements that were reached.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division’s Homicide Branch, forensic scientists from the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, who processed the crime scene, and officers of MPD’s Fifth Police District, who responded to the shooting. They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Misler and Michael D. Brittin; Criminal Investigators Durand Odom and Mark Crawford; Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner, and Investigative Analysts Shannon Alexis and Zachary McMenamin.
Maryland Woman Charged with Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland woman who was employed as a personal care aide has been charged with scheming to submit false claims to the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.
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.
Mobolaji Tina Stewart, 57, of Laurel, Md., was arrested on Dec. 13, 2018 on a criminal complaint charging her with health care fraud and making health care false statements. She made her first appearance later that day in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and was ordered held pending a detention hearing today. At that hearing, she was ordered released on personal recognizance pending further court proceedings.
According to the complaint, Stewart was employed as a personal care aide from January 2014 through her arrest. Under the Medicaid program, personal care aides perform services intended to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in carrying out the activities of daily living. These can include helping beneficiaries get in and out of bed, bathe, dress, take medication, and engage in toileting. To receive personal care services under Medicaid, a beneficiary must obtain a prescription from a doctor.
Stewart’s billing practices drew the attention of the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance after she was identified as the second-highest paid personal care aide in 2014 and 2015.
According to the complaint, Stewart caused Medicaid to be billed for more than 24 hours in a given day, for services that she allegedly provided while she was out of the country, and for services that she allegedly provided to a beneficiary who was hospitalized at the time. Based on a review of Medicaid billing claims data, between January 2014 and January 2017, Stewart caused Medicaid to issue payments totaling approximately $434,000, including payments based on fraudulent timesheets.
The charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman, with assistance from Trial Attorney Amy Markopoulos of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Paralegal Specialist Robert Fishman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to Seven-Year Prison Term for 2003 Sexual Assault of Woman in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Richardson, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman in September 2003, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Richardson pled guilty in October 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon seven-year prison term. Richardson also will be required to register as a sex offender for life and serve a 10-year term of supervised release. The Honorable Milton C. Lee accepted the plea and sentenced Richardson accordingly.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 21, 2003, at approximately 8:20 p.m., Richardson engaged the victim in conversation, offered to walk her home, and then walked her down the 4600 block of Blue Plains Drive SW. He then pulled her into a wooded area, brandished a knife, and raped her at knifepoint. The victim screamed for help and tried to run, but was unsuccessful. When the assault was over, Richardson threatened to kill the victim if she reported the assault. He again offered to walk the victim home, but she told him to leave her alone and ran back to her residence.
The victim made an immediate report to police, and was transported to an area hospital, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination.
Richardson was developed as a suspect in this offense by MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit in September 2018. On Sept. 18, 2018, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed a complaint and warrant authorizing Richardson’s arrest. The warrant was executed on Sept. 19, 2018, two days before the statute of limitations would have run on this case. Richardson has been in custody ever since.
When detectives discovered this case in September 2018, the investigation revealed that Richardson had been convicted of two prior sexual assaults, one that occurred in 2000 in Baltimore, and one that occurred in 2003 in the District of Columbia.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit and officers from the Seventh District, as well as the Deputy Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Paralegal Specialist Tameka Garcia.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky and Jennifer Loeb, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Participating in a Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Everette Reel, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was sentenced today to five years in prison on charges stemming from an investigation into a narcotics conspiracy involving eight individuals in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Reel pled guilty in September 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and a detectable amount of cocaine. The Honorable Richard J. Leon sentenced Reel to the prison term, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Reel was arrested with seven other individuals in March 2018 on charges stemming from a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack. In May 2015, the FBI, with the assistance of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), began a long-term investigation into a drug trafficking organization that operated in the Montana Terrace neighborhood of Northeast Washington and extended into Maryland. Numerous defendants also were charged with possessing and distributing various narcotics, including crack, cocaine, PCP and fentanyl, during the period of the investigation.
During the execution of a search warrant on Reel’s residence, FBI agents recovered approximately 15 grams of cocaine, a .40 caliber Springfield Armory pistol, 12 rounds of ammunition in two separate calibers, a gun box, and approximately $16,000 in cash.
This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, commended the work of those who investigated the case. They cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and are prosecuting the remaining defendants.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Drug Conspiracy Based in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Grady Jefferson, 46, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years on prison for conspiring to distribute heroin in the Washington, D.C. 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).
Jefferson pled guilty in September 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a five-year prison term. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden accepted the plea and sentenced Jefferson accordingly. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on four years of supervised release.
Jefferson was among 12 people indicted in December 2017 following an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Ten other defendants have pleaded guilty. One defendant was convicted at trial before Judge McFadden in October 2018. One defendant is scheduled to begin trial before Judge McFadden on Jan. 8, 2018.
According to plea documents, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking activities in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE in late 2015. The investigation expanded to include heroin distribution activities in the Lincoln Heights area of Northeast Washington. The FBI identified Jefferson as a regular heroin distributor operating out of Lincoln Heights. According to the government’s evidence, Jefferson was selling heroin on behalf of another defendant, Thomas Jenkins, 44, of District Heights, Md.
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, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Finally they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.
District Man Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison for Shooting That Killed Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kelby Gordon, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 37 years in prison for killing an innocent bystander and firing into an occupied bedroom during a broad-daylight shooting in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Gordon was found guilty by a jury in July 2018 of second-degree murder while armed, 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 Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release. In sentencing the defendant, Judge Lee called the crime a senseless and foolish act.
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.
An investigation led to Gordon’s arrest on April 17, 2016, by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. In addition to this case, Gordon has been charged with drug trafficking offenses in a separate matter in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He pled not guilty to those charges and that case remains pending.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), as well as the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, which helped identify Mr. Turner’s assailant. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States Park Police, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, and the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Service Coordinators La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas; former Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite and Jeffrey Bloom; Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas “Ron” Royal, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, who initially investigated the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Merikas and Monica Trigoso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Broad Daylight in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Grover, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for killing a man in broad daylight near a food market in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A second defendant, Justin Robinson, 19, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to five years in prison on a related charge.
Grover pled guilty in October 2018 to second-degree murder, and Robinson pled guilty to assault with intent to kill. Both pleas were in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The pleas, which were contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for Grover to be sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison and for Robinson to be sentenced to three to seven years of incarceration. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the pleas and sentenced the men accordingly. Following their prison terms, each defendant will be placed on a period of supervised release: Grover, for five years, and Robinson, for three years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 24, 2016, at about 2:30 p.m., Robinson and the victim, Demetrius Medlay, bumped shoulders and briefly argued at a market in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. Robinson drove away, but returned to the area about 10 minutes later. He got out of the car holding a handgun with an extended magazine. While waving the gun, he argued with Mr. Medlay on the sidewalk and then drove off.
Robinson stopped the car at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Esther Place SE at about 2:45 p.m. Grover was standing at the corner. Referring to Mr. Medlay, Robinson said, “You can smoke him,” to which Grover replied, “All right.”
Moments later, Grover pulled a semi-automatic firearm out of his pocket and pointed it at Mr. Medlay. He shot him twice in the chest. Grover fled the scene. Mr. Medlay ran back to the food market, where he collapsed. Mr. Medlay, 22, was pronounced dead a short time later.
A law enforcement investigation led to Grover’s arrest in August 2016. Robinson was arrested in in July 2017.
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 (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, 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 from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Willoughby, Jr., former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard DiZinno, Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, former Paralegal Specialist Zekiah Wright, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for 2016 Stabbing in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Onzay Gibbs, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison on charges stemming from the stabbing of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Gibbs was found guilty by a jury in May 2018 of assault with intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Following his prison term, Gibbs will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Gibbs and the victim knew each other from the neighborhood. At approximately 8:45 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2016, Gibbs and the victim were walking from a dice game in the 2000 block of Savannah Terrace SE towards the corner store. Gibbs stopped to talk with someone inside a car on 22nd Street SE, where the victim was then forced inside the car. The victim next recalled being around the corner in the 3300 block of 23rd Street SE, where Gibbs repeatedly slashed the victim with a sharp object while saying “shut the f*** up.” The victim was left for dead in bushes in the area, where he was found by someone who called 911.
The victim was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, where he was treated for 16 stab wounds to his face, neck, and body. He was cut three-fourths of the way around his neck. Text messages recovered from Gibbs’s cell phone showed his awareness of the victim’s condition and his efforts to avoid being identified and arrested following the incident.
Gibbs was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Oct. 26, 2016, 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 (MPD). She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente and Kevin L. Rosenberg, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Antoinette Sakamsa, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Natasha Smalky, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man and District Woman Plead Guilty to Charges in Fatal Shooting and Resulting Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Brown, 30, of Suitland, Md., and Amanda Turner, 41, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to their conduct in the fatal shooting of a man outside an apartment building in Northwest Washington in September 2015, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of second-degree murder and carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon 19 ½-year prison term. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck set a hearing for Jan. 2, 2019 to determine whether to accept the plea and agreed-upon sentence.
Turner pled guilty to one count of felony threats and two counts of attempted obstruction of justice. Her sentencing is set before Judge Beck on March 8, 2019.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 7:44 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2015 in the rear of an apartment building in the 1800 block of Harvard Street NW. Brown was sitting in a Dodge Charger in the parking lot. He left that vehicle and went over to the victim, Charles Welch, who was also present in the parking lot.
Brown shot Mr. Welch once in the chest before returning to his vehicle and driving away. Mr. Welch managed to get in his vehicle and drive approximately one block before he lost consciousness, crashing into a wall on Irving Street NW. Mr. Welch, 25, was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where all life-saving efforts failed.
In the weeks after the murder, Turner sent a series of threatening text messages to one witness, and made a threatening telephone call to another witness, all for the purpose of preventing them from truthfully cooperating with the investigation.
Brown was arrested on September 29, 2015 and has been in custody ever since. Turner was arrested on Dec. 16, 2015.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police and District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Spence and Christine Macey, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Distributing Narcotics in Northwest Washington and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dontae Robey, 36, of Landover, Md., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for trafficking in heroin, crack, and powder cocaine in the Shaw area of Northwest Washington and Maryland, 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).
Robey pled guilty in September 2018 before the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Judge Kelly accepted the plea and sentenced Robey accordingly.
As part of his plea agreement, Robey took responsibility for 110 grams of heroin, 67 grams of crack cocaine, and three grams of cocaine that were present in a silver Infiniti that Robey was operating on Nov. 19, 2017, following a traffic stop performed by members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division’s Criminal Interdiction Unit.
Additionally, on May 2, 2018, members of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and MPD’s Third District Crime Suppression Team arrested Robey in the 700 block of S Street NW pursuant to an arrest warrant. Officers recovered a Lexus key on Robey’s person and a large amount of cash. A half-block away, law enforcement located a blue Lexus ES 350. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement recovered approximately 40 grams of heroin located in a small storage compartment to the left of the steering wheel. As part of his plea agreement, Robey admitted to possessing the narcotics inside the Lexus, and acknowledged that he maintained a residence in Landover, where he packaged quantities of narcotics for distribution and then distributed those narcotics in the District of Columbia.
Robey has three prior drug trafficking convictions related to offenses in the same location where he was arrested on May 2, 2018, all resulting from his possession of packaged narcotics in the neighborhood. In 2001, he was convicted of trafficking narcotics following his possession of 29 individually packaged ziplocs of crack cocaine. In 2002, he was convicted of trafficking narcotics after he was found in possession of 83 individually packaged ziplocs of crack cocaine. In 2008, he was convicted of attempting to distribute crack cocaine to an undercover officer.
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 FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Jeannette Litz, Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane, who assisted with the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and David Misler, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder Charge Related to 2016 Shooting in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Taylor, 23, of Washington D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed stemming from his involvement in a confrontation that ended with him shooting the victim in the back of the head, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Taylor pled guilty on Dec. 10, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea calls for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. He is to be sentenced on March 8, 2019, by the Honorable Juliet McKenna.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 10:38 p.m. on April 23, 2016 in the 4900 block of Just Street NE. The victim, Nuru Frenche, had travelled with a friend to meet with Taylor and his co-defendant, Anthony Blackmone, for the purpose of purchasing firearms. Both of the victims were unarmed.
After Mr. Frenche exited the car holding at least $500 in cash, Taylor initiated a confrontation with him. The confrontation ended with Taylor firing his weapon at Mr. Frenche and shooting him in the back of the head. Mr. Frenche’s friend escaped. Shortly thereafter, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District responded to the scene and located Mr. Frenche, 23, who died from his wounds a few days later.
Blackmone, 23, of Washington, D.C., was arrested in May of 2016 and pled guilty earlier this year to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempted robbery for his role in the crimes. . Taylor was arrested in February of 2017 and has remained incarcerated ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Forensic Examiner John Marsh; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert, Meridith McGarrity, and Stephanie Siegerist; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and LaJune Thames, Witness Security Specialist M. LaVerne Perry, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gilead Light and John Timmer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Non-Profit President Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Conceal Foreign Funding of 2013 Congressional TripRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The former president of a Texas-based non-profit pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Kemal Oksuz, aka Kevin Oksuz, 49, and previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics. Oksuz will be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2019 before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Oksuz lied on disclosure forms filed with the Ethics Committee prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. Oksuz falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. Oksuz admitted to, in truth, orchestrating a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and then concealed the true source of funding, which violated House travel regulations.
A five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed in September. Oksuz was recently extradited from Armenia where he was detained by authorities, pursuant to a warrant that was issued for his arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Marco Palmieri of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, and Will Mackie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistance in the Investigation was provided by Trial Attorney Amanda Vaughn of the Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia. Trial Attorney Natalya T. Savransky of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition request to Armenia. The Office of International Affairs, along with the U.S. Department of State and cooperating Armenian authorities provided substantial assistance with the extradition.
California Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Distributing 120 Grams of Fentanyl in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Macrino Emanuel Delatorre, 38, of Chico, Calif., pled guilty today to distributing 120 grams of fentanyl in Northeast Washington announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Delatorre pled guilty before the Honorable Randolph D. Moss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to an indictment charging unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Judge Moss then sentenced him to a mandatory five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Delatorre may face additional charges in California.
As part of his plea agreement, Delatorre took responsibility for the sale of 120 grams of fentanyl for $6,700 in February 2018 on Market Street NE. Unbeknownst to Delatorre, he was the subject of an undercover investigation. The substance that he sold was subsequently analyzed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and confirmed to be fentanyl.
Delatorre was not immediately arrested because he was expected to return to the District of Columbia approximately six days later, with multiple additional kilograms of narcotics. On June 5, 2018, agents of the FBI and local law enforcement officers arrested Delatorre in California, and executed a search warrant at his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, the FBI agents recovered approximately 500 grams of black-tar heroin.
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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle and Legal Assistant Latoya Wade, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Schurmann and Anthony Scarpelli, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Escaping from Halfway House in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Dalton, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 17 months in prison after pleading guilty to escaping from a halfway house in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Robert Turner, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia.
Dalton pled guilty to the escape charge in September 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Dec. 7, 2018, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Dalton was among four defendants to be sentenced within the past two weeks as a result of ongoing efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest violent offenders who escape from halfway houses. The other defendants received sentences ranging from seven to 33 months in prison.
In 2017, the U.S. Marshals Service requested the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to increase the number of investigations, prosecutions, and dispositions of escape cases from the Hope Village Halfway House in Southeast Washington. The escapees were under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and were afforded an opportunity to complete the final portion of their sentences at halfway houses to assist in their reentry to the community. To date, the effort has led to more than 20 felony convictions of defendants who failed to report or absconded from the Hope Village Halfway House.
According to court filings, Dalton was released to report to Hope Village to serve the remainder of an 18-month sentence from a 2017 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for unlawful possession of a firearm. He began serving that sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute in Hazelton, West Virginia. On June 14, 2018, he was furloughed to serve the remainder of his sentence at Hope Village. However, once furloughed, Dalton never reported to Hope Village. According to court documents, Dalton was re-arrested in Prince George’s County, Md., on July 25, 2018, on theft charges.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Turner commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Aziz of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
Lebanese Businessman Tied by Treasury Department to Hezballah Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy in Furtherance of Violations of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kassim Tajideen, the operator of a network of businesses in Lebanon and Africa whom the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated as an important financial supporter to the Hezbollah terror organization, pleaded guilty today to charges associated with evading U.S. sanctions imposed on him.
The announcement was made by Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers; U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia; Special Agent in Charge Raymond Donovan of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson of the DEA’s New Jersey Field Division, and Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Tajideen, 63, of Beirut, Lebanon, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in furtherance of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Tajideen was designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in May 2009 as a result of his provision of significant financial support to Hezbollah, which was named a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State. This designation prohibited Tajideen from being involved in, or benefiting from transactions, involving U.S. persons or companies without a license from the Department of the Treasury.
“This Department of Justice has put a target on Hezbollah,” Acting Attorney General Whitaker said. “In January, we started the Hezbollah Financing and Narcoterrorism Team, and in October, former Attorney General Sessions named Hezbollah one of the five priority organizations for our Transnational Organized Crime Task Force. The DEA worked for three years to bring this prosecution of a Treasury Department-designated terrorist for sanctions violations to successful completion. I want to thank the prosecutors and agents Trial Attorney Joseph Palazzo and AUSAs Thomas Gillice, Luke Jones, Karen Seifert, Deborah Curtis, and SAUSA Jacqueline Barkett for helping us achieve this victory today. We are going to keep targeting Hezbollah and other terrorist groups and their supporters, and we are going to keep winning.”
“This guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to vigorously investigate and prosecute violations of U.S. economic sanctions,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Through the efforts of law enforcement here and abroad, this defendant has been held accountable for violating laws protecting our national security and foreign policy interests.”
“This is the latest example of DEA’s recent successes against Hezbollah’s global criminal support network and reflects DEA’s determination in combatting this transnational criminal organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Donovan.
According to the statement of facts signed by Tajideen in conjunction with his plea, after his designation, Tajideen conspired with at least five other persons to conduct over $50 million in transactions with U.S. businesses that violated these prohibitions. In addition, Tajideen and his co-conspirators knowingly engaged in transactions outside of the United States, which involved transmissions of as much as $1 billion through the United States financial system from places outside the United States.
The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 60 months in prison. The plea agreement also calls for Tajideen to pay $50 million as a criminal forfeiture in advance of his sentencing. Tajideen has been detained since extradition to the United States in March 2017 after his arrest overseas. Sentencing is scheduled to occur on Jan. 18, 2019.
This guilty plea is the result of a three-year investigation by the DEA’s Special Operations Division (SOD)/Counter Narcoterrorism Operations Center (CNTOC) and the DEA New Jersey Field Division, with the assistance by CBP. Assistance was provided by the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Tajideen’s case falls under DEA’s Project Cassandra, which targets Hezbollah’s global criminal support network - dubbed by the DEA as the Business Affairs Component (BAC) - that operates as a logistics, procurement and financing arm for Hezbollah. This investigation and others are part of the Department of Justice’s Hezbollah Financing and Narcoterrorism Team (“HFNT”), a component of the Department’s Transnational Organized Crime initiative (TOC). The HFNT was formed in January 2018 to ensure an aggressive and coordinated approach to prosecutions and investigations, including Project Cassandra cases, targeting the individuals and networks supporting Hezbollah. Comprised of experienced international narcotics trafficking, terrorism, organized crime, and money laundering prosecutors and investigators, the HFNT works closely with partners like the DEA, the Department of the Treasury, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others, to advance and facilitate prosecutions of Hezbollah and its support network in appropriate cases.
This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the DEA and CPB’s National Targeting Center Counter Network Division, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph Palazzo of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Gillice, Luke Jones, Karen Seifert and Deborah Curtis and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline L. Barkett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Jenkins, 33, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to federal 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. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Jenkins faces a likely range of 70 to 87 months in prison. The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for Feb. 21, 2019. The Court ordered that Jenkins be held without bond pending her sentencing.
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 plea, 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 Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
Two Teenagers Sentenced to Prison Terms for Carjackings in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deandre Bullock, 17, and Darius McNeal, 18, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from a pair of violent crimes committed earlier this year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Bullock was 16 and McNeal was 17 at the time of the crimes. They were charged as adults because of the nature of the offenses, and both pled guilty in April 2018.
Bullock pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of carjacking, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of robbery. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Todd E. Edelman accepted the plea and sentenced Bullock to 10 years in prison. McNeal pled guilty to two counts of armed robbery. The plea, which also was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to 10 years in prison. Judge Edelman accepted the plea and sentenced McNeal to nine years in prison.
Following their prison terms, both defendants will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Bullock and McNeal pled guilty to an incident that took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, at the Benco Shopping Center located at East Capitol Street SE and Benning Road SE. According to the government’s evidence, the victim parked his Jeep Compass in front of a carry-out restaurant at the shopping center and went inside the store to pick up food. As the victim returned to his vehicle and got back into the driver’s seat, Bullock, McNeal and three other individuals approached his vehicle. McNeal approached the passenger side. Bullock and two of the other individuals approached the driver side and worked together to pull the victim from the driver’s seat of his vehicle, drag him to the ground, and assault him. Bullock, McNeal, and the others got into the victim’s vehicle and drove away.
Bullock and McNeal also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2018, near Johnson Middle School in the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE. According to the government’s evidence, McNeal communicated with the victims about buying a pair of shoes through the application OfferUp and told the victims to come to the school. When the victims arrived, McNeal and another member of the group approached them and asked to see the shoes for sale. One of the victims showed the shoes and asked for the money. Bullock and another individual then approached. Bullock was wearing a mask and had a black and silver handgun with a laser sight on it. Bullock ordered one of the victims out of the car and to the ground at gunpoint. The other individual ordered the other victim out of the driver’s seat of the car, demanded her car keys, and took her phone. One of the victims struggled with Bullock over the gun, while the other defendants told Bullock to “shoot him.” The gun went off, firing one round that hit McNeal in the leg. The victims ran away, and Bullock, McNeal and two other individuals got into the victims’ vehicle and followed them.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Obstruct Investigation into Homicide Committed by BoyfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aminata Bah, 24, of Bowie, Md., has pled guilty to conspiring to obstruct justice stemming from her actions over the course of the investigation into a murder last year that was committed by her boyfriend, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
The boyfriend, Demarius Jackson, 26, pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. On Aug. 17, 2018, Jackson received a sentence of 15 years of in prison following a hearing before the Honorable Judge Danya A. Dayson.
Bah pled guilty on Nov. 28, 2018, also in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between three and seven years and is probation eligible. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2019.
According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017. The shooting, in the 3500 block of Water Street NW, in the Georgetown area, followed a verbal altercation between the victims and the occupants of a vehicle. The vehicle was operated by an associate of Bah’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson, Bah’s boyfriend of several years, walked up, reached around Bah, and shot a 19-year-old victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, once in the back of the head and once in the chest - killing him. Jackson then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso.
Following the shooting, Bah, her boyfriend, and her associates returned to their vehicle and fled the scene. They drove to Maryland, where they dropped off the shooter, and then immediately began to discuss what, if anything, they would say to law enforcement if they were questioned about the murder.
Bah told the occupants of the vehicle what they should and should not say to the police, including instructing her associates that they should not mention her name or the name of her boyfriend, the shooter, to police. Bah and her associates acted upon their agreement. Not only did Bah influence the testimony of her associates, but she followed her own instruction. During the course of the investigation, Bah omitted and attempted to minimize her knowledge of and familiarity with Jackson, the shooter, and lied to the police in order to obstruct the investigation into the murder her boyfriend committed.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Austin Peed, 36, of Avenue, Md., pled guilty today to trafficking in firearms following his arrest in a nearly year-long investigation involving narcotics and firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Peed pled guilty before the Honorable Richard J. Leon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Peed faces a maximum of five years of incarceration and is currently held without bond. Judge Leon scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, Peed engaged in the sale of two separate AR-15 assault rifles in Maryland and Washington, D.C. to an undercover law enforcement officer in exchange for cash. The first purchase occurred on Sept. 6, 2017, in Bladensburg, Md., in exchange for $1,200. The second purchase occurred on Sept. 28, 2017 in the 1700 block of Girard Street NE, in exchange for $1,500. During the second purchase, Peed provided a rifle scope to accompany the rifle. The firearms were without serial numbers and were untraceable.
Peed was arrested with eight other individuals in March 2018 in relation to a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack. Numerous defendants were also charged with possessing and distributing various narcotics, including crack, cocaine, PCP and fentanyl, during the period of the investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises, which includes, corresponding firearms related crimes.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case. They cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz, who assisted with the case, and Christopher Macchiaroli and Kevin Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and are prosecuting the remaining defendants.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Four StrangersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Santiago Rodriguez Campos, 34, a Mexican national who had been living in Alexandria, Va., pled guilty today to sexually abusing four women, including two in 2016 and two in 2018, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Rodriguez Campos pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of fourth-degree sexual abuse and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, 2019 before the Honorable Juliet McKenna. As part of his sentence, Rodriguez Campos will be required to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. Additionally, he will be subject to deportation proceedings following his prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, in the first offense, on Sept. 5, 2016 at about 10:30 p.m., the victim was walking on N Street NW to the 1200 block of Potomac Street NW when she first observed a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos. She reported that he was dressed in dark-colored clothing with a hood covering his head and face. The victim initially thought that she was about to be robbed. She began to walk up the steps to her door when Rodriguez Campos approached her from behind. He then reached between the back of her legs and ran his hand between her inner thighs, through her buttocks over her outer garment. The blue-jean pants that the victim was wearing were subsequently tested for DNA. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the second offense, on Oct. 26, 2016 at approximately 8:15 p.m., the victim was walking to her car, which was parked in the 1600 block of 33rd Street NW. While she was walking, she observed a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos, wearing a grey hoodie covering his face. As he walked towards her, the victim stayed by a tree box and let Rodriguez Campos walk past. As soon as he walked past her, she turned her back and he reached under her dress from behind, between her legs, and grabbed her vagina. The victim immediately screamed at the defendant and began yelling for help. She stated she was either pushed or fell to the ground and while doing so, struck Rodriguez Campos with her elbow. He then ran away. The victim later observed what appeared to be lubricant left between her legs by the defendant. This substance was swabbed and recovered as evidence. DNA analysis was done on this evidence sample. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the third offense, on May 31, 2018, the victim was walking home at approximately 10:10 p.m. when a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos, grabbed her neck, put his hand under her skirt, and touched her buttocks, vagina, and thighs. Rodriguez Campos also placed an unknown liquid on her legs. He then fled through the courtyard of a church she was standing in front of, located in the 2400 block of K Street NW. The victim turned over her underwear and skirt to law enforcement as evidence and it was tested for DNA. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
In the fourth offense, on June 3, 2018, the victim was walking west in the 1500 block of P Street NW, when she was approached from behind by a man, later identified through forensic evidence as Rodriguez Campos. He reached under her dress and grabbed her left buttock, then reached in between her legs and touched her vagina. The victim felt a sticky substance transfer from Rodriguez Campos’s hand to an area under her dress. The victim’s underwear, dress, and swabs of her inner thighs were submitted for DNA analysis. Later DNA testing established that the perpetrator was Rodriguez Campos.
The defendant was apprehended on Aug. 9, 2018 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, which investigated the case, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Tracey Hawkins and Paralegal Specialists T.J. McPhail and D’Yvonne Key.
Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 21 ½-Year Prison Term for Killing Man After Carjacking MetrobusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Loving, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 21 ½ years for carjacking a Metrobus and then fatally striking a man with the vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police Department.
At the time he committed the crimes, Loving was under the influence of PCP.
Loving pled guilty in July 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and carjacking. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed upon sentence of 21 ½ years. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Loving will be placed on XX years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at approximately 10:30 a.m., Loving boarded a Metrobus at a stop in the 3800 Block of Jay Street NE. He used his Metro SmarTrip card to pay the fare. Once on board, Loving remained standing in the front entry of the bus next to the bus operator, even as the bus began to travel. The bus operator asked Loving if he was okay because Loving was breathing heavily. Loving yelled at the operator in an aggressive manner, and then lunged towards him with a pair of needle nosed pliers. The operator struggled with Loving but was able to disarm him of the weapon. During the altercation, all four of the other passengers exited the bus through the rear door. Loving pushed the operator off the bus, closed the doors, sat in the operator’s seat, and began driving away.
Loving drove the bus eastbound from the 3800 Block of Jay Street NE towards 800 Kenilworth Terrace NE, and then made a left turn onto northbound Kenilworth Terrace NE. He continued to drive the bus northbound in the 800 Block of Kenilworth Terrace NE and struck the left side of a Seabury Connector bus that was also traveling that way. At the time of that collision, the Connector Bus was transporting senior citizens. After that collision, Loving continued to drive in a reckless and erratic manner by, for example, driving on to the opposite lanes of traffic, as vehicles drove towards the bus.
At 10:32 a.m., Loving pulled the bus in an erratic manner onto the lot of a gas station in the 4200 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. After passing through the gas pumps, he momentarily stopped the bus. While the bus was stopped, Anthony C. Payne was standing near a trash dumpster depositing trash, a short distance directly in front of the bus. In an apparent effort to leave the parking lot, Loving propelled the bus forward and turned the bus directly towards Mr. Payne. The bus struck Mr. Payne and pinned him under the front left side of the bus. The bus then came to a stop, with Loving remaining behind the wheel. Mr. Payne, 40, was taken to a hospital, where he died a short time later.
Loving was arrested on the scene. He was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. Sixth District Officers guarding Loving heard him advise hospital staff that he had smoked K-2 and PCP prior to the incident. When he was arrested, Loving tested positive for PCP. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Chief Pavlik commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metro Transit Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who assisted with the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez-Roman, Paralegal Specialists Lashone Samuels and Stephanie Siegerist, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. O’Connell and Michael Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Executive Director of Military Charity Found Guilty of Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Patricia Pauline Driscoll, the former executive director of the Armed Forces Foundation, was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from a scheme in which she stole from the non-profit charity, defrauded donors, and lied to the Internal Revenue Service and the public about her salary and benefits.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office.
Driscoll, 40, of Ellicott City, Maryland, was found guilty of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of tax evasion, all federal offenses, and one count of first-degree fraud, a District of Columbia offense. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for a date to be determined in mid-March, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, until July 2015, Driscoll was the executive director of the Armed Forces Foundation, a tax-exempt non-profit charity based in Washington, D.C. The foundation’s stated mission was to protect and promote the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of military service members, veterans, and their families.
While Driscoll was the executive director, in its promotions and requests for money, the Armed Forces Foundation claimed that 95% of all donations went directly to military members and their families through the charity’s programs. As a “highly compensated individual,” Driscoll’s salary and benefits were required to be disclosed on annual reports (called “Form 990”) to be filed each year with the IRS. These publicly available documents are often used by charity watch groups and donors to judge worthiness of the charity and by the IRS to determine whether the organization was operating with IRS law and regulations.
According to the evidence, Driscoll caused false reports to be filed on the Form 990s in a number of ways. For example, she failed to include the fact that she received commissions from fundraising, the amounts of commissions that she received from fundraising, and the other benefits that she received. Driscoll also falsely categorized and caused others to falsely categorize expenses in the Armed Forces Foundation’s books and records as being for the benefit of the veterans, troops, and their families, when, in fact, they were for her own private benefit. Driscoll also concealed from the foundation’s accountants the money she took from the charity, such as rent that was paid for the use of office space in a building that she co-owned.
Additionally, Driscoll falsely reported and caused others to falsely report the amount of donations received by the foundation on Forms 990, by inflating the amounts of donations and incorrectly listing the types of donations. According to the evidence, she sent false and fraudulent Forms 990 to members of the foundation’s Board of Directors and to the IRS, and caused to be published Forms 990, containing false and fraudulent information.
The jury found that Driscoll took the foundation’s money for her own personal use and to pay her for-profit business expenses. The tax evasion charges are for tax years 2012 and 2013.
The wire fraud charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Tax evasion carries a statutory maximum of five years. First-degree fraud carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, and Special Agent in Charge Jackson commended the work performed by Special Agents from the FBI and Special Agents and Revenue Agents from the IRS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators Tonya Jones and Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Paralegal Specialists Diane Brashears and Amanda Rohde; Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar; Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas; former Paralegal Specialists Christopher Toms, Corinne Kleinman, and Kaitlyn Kruger; Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling; former Litigation Technology Supervisor Josh Ellen, and David Goodhand, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, who provided midtrial legal research and writing.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Cheatham, Kathryn Rakoczy, and Derrick Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison on Federal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Gorham, 30, formerly of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to a 42-month prison term after pleading guilty to a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gorham pled guilty in September 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 Randolph D. Moss. Following his prison term, Gorham will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also faces the possibility of additional time for violating terms of his release from prison in an earlier case.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 4, 2017 at about 4:30 p.m., officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s 7th District Crime Suppression Team approached Gorham and other individuals on the 2300 block of Ainger Place SE, in the Woodland Terrace neighborhood. The officers asked Gorham how he was doing, at which time he tried to flee. Officers pursued Gorham and stopped him a block away. They recovered from his waistband a .380-caliber firearm with five rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. The firearm previously was reported stolen from Thomasville, N.C.
At the time of his arrest in this case, Gorham was barred from possessing a firearm due to a 2008 conviction in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. That conviction was for assault with intent to kill while armed and a related firearms offense. In that case, on July 1, 2006, Gorham shot a man in the abdomen and then, when the victim turned to flee, shot him again in the back. The victim was paralyzed during this assault, which took place on the 2300 block of Ainger Place SE, the same location where Gorham was stopped with this firearm. Gorham was sentenced to a 12-year prison term for the 2006 attack and placed on supervised release on Oct. 13, 2017. He was arrested in this case less than two months later.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s 7th District Crime Suppression Team. They recognized the work of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center referred the case for federal prosecution. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistants Katie Cowley and Emma Atlas. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Vanore, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Escaping from Halfway House in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lonniel Peterson Jr., 28, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to escaping from a halfway house in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Robert Turner, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia. Peterson pled guilty to the escape charge in October 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Nov. 27, 2018, by the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on two years of supervised release.
Peterson was among two defendant to be sentenced this week as a result of ongoing efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest violent offenders who escape from halfway houses. In the other case, a federal judge sentenced Daquan Jackson, 22, of Washington, D.C., to a 33-month prison term for a similar escape.
In 2017, the U.S. Marshals Service requested the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation, prosecution, and disposition of an increased number of escape cases. The escapees were under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and were afforded an opportunity to complete the final portion of their sentences at halfway houses to assist in their reentry to the community. To date, the effort has led to 23 felony convictions of defendants who failed to report or absconded from the Hope Village Halfway House in Southeast Washington.
According to court documents, Peterson was at Hope Village serving the remainder of a five-year sentence from a 2013 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for assault to intent to kill. He began serving that sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility-Schuylkill in Minersville, Pa. On April 4, 2017, he was furloughed to serve the remainder of his sentence at Hope Village. On June 20, 2017, he left Hope Village without authorization and never returned.
Peterson was re-arrested on June 13, 2018 by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to court filings, Peterson was arrested with 29 blue bags containing suspected crack cocaine and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He still faces firearms and narcotics charges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia stemming from that arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Turner commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen, who prosecuted the matter with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
United States Files Complaint to Forfeit More Than $3 Million from Companies Accused of Laundering Funds to Benefit Sanctioned North Korean EntitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The United States has filed a complaint to forfeit $3,167,783 associated with a cooperating Singapore-based company (“Cooperating Company”); Apex Choice Ltd. (“Apex Choice”), a Chinese-based wax company; and Yuanye Wood Ltd. (“Yuanye Wood”), a Chinese-based wood company, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu and Michael DeLeon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office.
The complaint alleges that these three companies laundered United States dollars on behalf of sanctioned North Korean banks. According to the complaint, the North Korean banks used these laundered funds as part of a scheme to procure goods for the North Korean regime, as well as to illegally access the U.S. financial market.
The three companies allegedly were part of a scheme to launder payments to subsequently sanctioned entities, to include: Velmur Management Pte. Ltd. (“Velmur”), which the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned for procuring Russian petroleum products for North Korea; Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Material Co. (“Dandong Zhicheng”), which the Treasury Department sanctioned for purchasing coal from North Korea, and then in turn laundering the proceeds of those sales to purchase items for North Korea, including nuclear and missile components; and Wee Tiong (S) Pte. Ltd. (“Wee Tiong”), which the Treasury Department sanctioned for laundering money through the U.S. financial system on behalf of North Korea.
The complaint also seeks a civil monetary penalty against Apex Choice and Yuanye Wood for prior sanctions and money laundering violations related to this scheme.
“This complaint alleges that parties in China and Singapore are part of a global money laundering network that coordinates with front companies to move North Korean money through the United States and violate the sanctions imposed by our government on North Korea,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. “This case demonstrates that we will seek significant remedies to address companies that violate U.S. national security, regardless of where they are doing business.”
“The FBI has found numerous foreign companies participating in North Korea’s scheme to launder money,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael DeLeon. “As North Korea continues to find creative ways to circumvent international sanctions, we hope this investigation will compel foreign companies to do their due diligence when it comes to conducting business transactions and/or making third party payments using U.S. dollars. The FBI will continue to dedicate substantial resources to these types of investigations in order to stop illicit transactions. Companies engaging in deceptive banking practices may face criminal or civil action, and could be forced to forfeit funds.”
The complaint was filed on Nov. 26, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the complaint, designated North Korean banks use companies, including the “Cooperating Company,” Apex Choice, and Yuanye Wood, to make U.S. dollar payments to North Korean front companies, which are managed by sanctioned North Korean banks.
The United Nations Panel of Experts described in 2017 how North Korean banks have been able to evade sanctions and continue to access the international banking system. Specifically, despite strengthened financial sanctions, North Korean networks are adapting by using greater ingenuity in accessing formal banking channels. This includes maintaining correspondent bank accounts and representative offices abroad that are staffed by foreign nationals making use of front companies. These broad interwoven networks allow North Korean banks to conduct illicit procurement and banking activity.
The complaint alleges activity by the three companies that tracks this paradigm. The first company which is the subject of the complaint, the one identified as “Cooperating Company,” has agreed to the forfeiture of its funds. As part of its agreement to cooperate with the government, this company acknowledged that it was directed by an unauthorized Chinese money remitter to send payments to North Korean companies, when this company was seeking discounted rates for exchanging currency. Apex Choice, a wax company, is accused of paying numerous North Korean front companies with no relation to the wax industry. In a submission to the government, Apex Choice claimed that the known North Korean financial facilitators were wax companies in China. Chilbo, a North Korean wood exporting company based out of Equatorial Guinea, allegedly sold wood produced by North Koreans in forced labor camps to Yuanye Wood. According to the complaint, Yuanye Wood paid known North Korean financial facilitators for these services.
The claims made in the complaint are only allegations and do not constitute a determination of liability.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S Attorneys Arvind K. Lal, Zia M. Faruqui, and Brian P. Hudak are litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers, Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick and former Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, and Assistant U.S Attorney Ari Redbord.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Escaping from a Halfway House in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daquan Jackson, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for escaping from a halfway house in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Robert Turner, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia.
Jackson pled guilty in September 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to escape from custody. He was sentenced by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Jackson will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Jackson is the most recent defendant to be sentenced as a result of ongoing efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest violent offenders who escape from halfway houses. The offenders were under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and were afforded an opportunity to complete the final portion of their sentences at halfway houses to assist in their reentry to the community. In 2017, the U.S. Marshals Service requested the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation, prosecution, and disposition of an increased number of escape cases. To date, the collaborative effort has led to 23 felony convictions of defendants who either failed to report or absconded from the Hope Village Halfway House located in Southeast Washington.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 13, 2014, Jackson was convicted of armed robbery in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In that case, Jackson, armed with a handgun, approached two victims in an alley behind the 3500 block of B Street SE. He pointed his handgun at the victims and took their property, which included a cell phone and car keys. Jackson used the car keys to steal a 2006 Ford Mustang that belonged to one of the victims.
After being sentenced for armed robbery, Jackson served the remainder of his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution-Gilmer in Glenville, West Virginia. Jackson was subsequently found eligible to complete the remainder of his sentence at Hope Village. This placement was voluntary and required Jackson’s consent. On May 3, 2017, Jackson signed a Furlough Application acknowledging his understanding of the terms of the furlough release conditions and transfer to Hope Village. Jackson’s Conditions of Furlough included Jackson’s agreement that while on furlough, he would be subject to prosecution for escape if he failed to return to the institution at the designated time.
On Aug. 8, 2017, Jackson arrived at Hope Village. On Aug. 23, 2017, Jackson signed out of Hope Village and never returned. Twenty-four hours later, on Aug. 24, 2017, while on escape status, Jackson robbed a pedestrian, took his keys, and then drove away with the victim’s vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently located by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). When MPD officers attempted to stop Jackson in the victim’s vehicle, Jackson fled from law enforcement and crashed into a parked vehicle. Jackson was prosecuted for the crimes he committed on Aug. 24, 2017, and sentenced in February 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on the felony offenses of attempted robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
As part of his sentence for escape from custody, Judge McFadden ordered Jackson’s 33-month sentence be consecutive to his Superior Court sentence for the two felony offenses that he committed after absconding from the halfway house.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Turner commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited 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 Anthony Scarpelli who coordinated the referral of escape cases, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Caputy, who indicted the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, who prosecuted the case, and Paralegal Specialists Kim Hall, Teesha Tobias, and Candace Battle.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Two Armed Robberies in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ridge Jackson, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a nine-year prison term for a pair of armed robberies he committed within a 24-hour period last spring in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Jackson pled guilty in July 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of robbery and two counts of attempted possession of a prohibited weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Following his prison term, Jackson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the first armed robbery took place on April 27, 2018, at approximately 10:30 p.m. The victim reported that he had met a woman on a dating app and that she told him to meet her in a building in the 2600 block of Wade Road SE. Once he got there, he called the woman, who said she would be arriving shortly. Instead, Jackson and another individual came into the hallway. Jackson, who was armed, told the man to empty his pockets. He took the victim’s cellphone, a laptop bag containing a machete-style knife, and jacket.
The second armed robbery occurred on April 28, 2018, at approximately 4:30 p.m. This time, another victim reported that he met a woman on a dating app and that she had invited him to meet her in a building in the 2600 block of Wade Road SE. Once again, Jackson entered the building, this time with two other individuals. Jackson approached the victim with a machete-style knife before robbing him of his iPhone, wallet, cash, and headphones.
Jackson was arrested on May 5, 2018, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He has been in custody ever since. At the time of the robberies, he was on supervised release for a 2016 conviction of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She 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 Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
U.S. Attorney Liu Announces Initiative to Combat Elder Abuse and Financial ExploitationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is launching an Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Initiative to expand its response to criminal and civil violations targeting older adults, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
The establishment of this initiative will enable the U.S. Attorney’s Office to further develop and coordinate its prosecution of these cases and enhance its overall support of older victims. The team will consist of experienced prosecutors and victim advocates from across the Office, to include the Superior Court, Criminal, and Civil Divisions as well as the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. The work coordinated through this initiative will reach victims of both local and federal offenses in the District of Columbia and across the country who have been affected by elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. This initiative is part of a larger effort by the Department of Justice to combat elder abuse and financial exploitation.
“We must do everything we can to protect our older citizens from those predators who target them for physical, emotional and financial harm,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “This initiative sharpens our focus on this important mission. By bringing together all of those in our office who work on these issues in court and in the community, we hope to identify ways that we can better serve our vulnerable older adults and prevent them from becoming victims of crimes and abuse.”
The initiative will coordinate and combine the work that is already being done throughout the Office on behalf of older victims. Many components of the Office work on such matters, and each will designate a representative to support the initiative’s mission to develop uniform strategies and best practices, track data and cases, share resources, enhance support of older victims, and facilitate further outreach with community and agency partners.
Nationally, the 2017 Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act mandated that each U.S. Attorney designate an Elder Justice Coordinator to serve as legal counsel on matters relating to elder abuse, assist with prosecution of elder abuse cases, conduct public outreach relating to elder abuse, and coordinate data collection. U.S. Attorney Liu has selected Sarah McClellan, a senior prosecutor and the chief of the Office’s Victim Witness Assistance Unit, to serve in that position for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works with the Metropolitan Police Department, District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and other law enforcement partners on investigations of crimes targeting older victims. In launching the initiative, the Office hopes to build on its work successfully prosecuting such cases.
In one recent matter, for example, a former personal banker pled guilty to stealing money from an 88-year-old woman by ordering a debit card for his own use and linking it to her account. He made 17 unauthorized transactions, totaling more than $4,000. In a similar case, another bank manager pled guilty to stealing more than $9,000 from the bank accounts of customers, including senior citizens, by issuing debit cards or changing PIN numbers linked to their bank accounts. In a third case, a woman pled guilty to using a stolen debit card to steal more than $25,000 from the checking and savings account of a 70-year-old man who was in failing health. All three defendants were ordered by the Court to pay full restitution as part of their sentences.
In another case last year, the office’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section prosecuted a woman who carried out a pair of attacks against her 64-year-old ex-boyfriend, including one with a knife and one with sulfuric acid. The defendant pled guilty to charges and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The victim suffered devastating injuries, including lifelong disfigurement – and spent nearly a month in a hospital burn unit.
The Office’s Civil Division will pursue cases related to nursing home fraud and abuse, including quality of care cases and all forms of billing abuses. The Civil Division will collaborate with D.C. government agencies associated with elder care and oversight and the D.C. Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). In addition, the Civil Division plans to work with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to identify elder financial abuse.
In addition, the Office will continue its extensive community outreach efforts in hopes of increasing awareness to protect seniors. The Office regularly offers two important but distinctly different senior seminars in partnership with other agencies: “Financial Crimes Against Seniors” and “Elder Abuse and Exploitation of the Elderly.” Prosecutors and community outreach specialists present these seminars in senior dwellings and at senior programs throughout the District of Columbia. Participants are provided with resources about where they can find help in the event they become victims of financial scams, exploitation, or abuse.
These efforts are part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, a multi-faceted nationwide program to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target senior citizens. According to the Justice Department, each year, an estimated $3 billion is stolen or defrauded from millions of American seniors. Through “grandparent scams,” fake prizes, romance scams, fraudulent IRS refunds, and even outright extortion, criminals try to exploit some of the most vulnerable Americans and steal their life’s savings.
With approximately 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, the population of potential targets continues to grow. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the population of Americans over 65 years of age will increase to 83.7 million in 2050, nearly double the estimated population of 43.1 million as of the most recent census.
More information about the Department of Justice’s elder justice efforts can be found on its Elder Justice Website at https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice
Former D.C. Schools Employee and Business Owner Plead Guilty to Federal Charge in Bid-Rigging SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former employee of the District of Columbia Public Schools and a business owner, her longtime friend, pled guilty today to a federal mail fraud charge stemming from a bid-rigging scheme involving a government contract valued at nearly $300,000.
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.
Amber R. Crowder, 39, of Washington, D.C., also known as Amber Hines, and Shauna Marie Brumfield, 40, of Sacramento, Calif., also known as Shauna Snell, each 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. The Honorable Senior Judge John D. Bates scheduled Brumfield’s sentencing for Feb. 5, 2019, and Crowder’s sentencing for Feb. 11, 2019.
According to a Statement of Facts agreed to by both defendants as part of their plea, Crowder worked as a program manager in the Office of Special Education (OSE) of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). In the summer of 2012, Crowder was tasked with identifying and recommending a company to aid in the scheduling of meetings related to individual education plans for special education students. Brumfield and Crowder agreed to work together to obtain the contract.
On Aug. 7, 2012, Brumfield created a company called A Simple Solution to bid on the contract. Brumfield and Crowder were partners in A Simple Solution. Crowder was not identified in any company filings or listed on any communications to DCPS in order to conceal her ownership interest in A Simple Solution. At the time, Brumfield and Crowder were also partners in another company called Education Connection, which provided tutoring services to special education students. Crowder was not identified in any Education Connection company filings or listed on any Education Connection communications to DCPS.
OSE chose A Simple Solution for the administrative assistant contract over several local qualified companies based on written documentation prepared by Crowder and her personal recommendation. In that documentation, Crowder falsely stated that A Simple Solution was an experienced company. Crowder falsely claimed that her contact person for A Simple Solution was “Marie Matthews,” which was an alias used by Brumfield. Crowder did not disclose that she was on the payroll of Education Connection. A Simple Solution bid $298,800 for the contract because Crowder disclosed to Brumfield that the expected budget for the contract was $300,000. Two separate contracts were signed to cover the entire school year. Crowder’s boyfriend signed the first contract as the purported A Simple Solution Chief Financial Officer, while Brumfield’s boyfriend signed the second contract as the purported A Simple Solution branch manager in order to make it appear that A Simple Solution was an established company with multiple employees.
As a result of the fraud, from October 2012 through March 2014, the District of Columbia Public Schools paid approximately $222,000 to A Simple Solution. Brumfield transferred approximately $19,164 of those funds from A Simple Solution’s bank account to Crowder’s personal bank account.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, Paralegal Specialists Joshua Fein and Aisha Keys, and former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Kristy Penny. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Saler and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing 12-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 31-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to sexually abusing his 12-year-old biological 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 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of second-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon five-year prison term. Following his prison term, the man will be required to register for 10 years as a sex offender and also complete a term of supervised release. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2019.
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 plea, 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 Advocates Tracey Hawkins, Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Obtains $11.3 Million Settlement of Disability-Based Housing Discrimination Lawsuit in District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it has settled a Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit against Defendants Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. and Mid-America Apartments, L.P. for $11.3 million to resolve allegations that these property owners failed to build 50 apartment complexes in six states and the District of Columbia with accessible features for persons with disabilities.
Under the agreement, the defendants must spend $8.7 million to retrofit 36 properties that they currently own. This amount is in addition to $2.4 million in retrofits that had been made to many of the properties after the United States brought suit. The defendants must also pay $175,000 to compensate victims and up to $25,000 for accessibility retrofits at 14 properties they no longer own. The defendants also agreed to undergo training, to construct any new multifamily housing in accordance with the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act, and to provide periodic reports to the Justice Department.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that new multifamily housing is built with the accessible features that are required by law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “This comprehensive settlement will ensure that equal housing opportunities are afforded to persons with disabilities.”
“The Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act ensure that persons with disabilities have access to housing, leasing offices, and related amenities,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to vigorously pursuing enforcement of the rights guaranteed by these laws. This settlement is an example of that commitment in the District of Columbia and elsewhere and serves to promote equal access to multi-family housing for persons with disabilities.”
The Fair Housing Act requires that multifamily housing constructed for first occupancy after Mar. 13, 1991, have basic accessible features; the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that places of public accommodations, such as rental offices, at multifamily housing built for first occupancy after Jan. 26, 1993, have accessible features.
As alleged in the government’s complaint, the defendants built the properties at issue with significant barriers that inhibited access to the units and the associated public and common-use areas. These barriers include routes to building entrances with steps and excessive slopes, units with electrical outlets and thermostats that are beyond the reach of persons who use wheelchairs, and kitchens and bathrooms with insufficient space for persons who use wheelchairs to maneuver. The government filed the lawsuit in 2010 against Post Properties, Inc., Post Apartment Homes, L.P., and Post GP Holdings, Inc., which merged with the defendants in 2016.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination may call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected], or contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in Slaying Outside Convenience Store in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Adams, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and related charges stemming from a killing that took place in 2016 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In addition to the murder charge, Adams was found guilty of a weapons offense related to the murder, as well as a robbery charge involving an earlier incident. The verdict was returned on Nov. 19, 2018, and followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Feb. 28, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Feb. 15, 2016, Adams and two others robbed a woman near the intersection of 21st Street and Maryland Avenue NE and threatened that her brother would be next. The woman told her brother what happened, and he confronted Adams and the others.
Then, on Feb. 19, 2016, at approximately 9:40 p.m., Adams armed himself with a .40-caliber revolver and walked a short distance from 21st and Maryland to the area of 19th Street and Benning Road NE. He was backed by several others from the neighborhood. He walked to the center of a parking lot, raised his left arm, and pointed his firearm at the woman’s brother, firing multiple times. The man was in a group that included Dante Kinard. The gunfire did not hit the intended target, but did hit Mr. Kinard, 21, who was standing in front of a convenience store at the time. He was shot in the back and right thigh and died a short time later.
Adams was arrested on June 15, 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 U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Park Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Chrisellen Kolb, Daniel Lenerz, John Mannarino, David Misler, Rizwan Qureshi, and Thomas Saunders; Paralegal Specialists Debra Joyner, Alesha Matthews, Lornce Applewhite, Meridith McGarrity, and Sharon Newman; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, and Thomas “Ron” Royal; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Lesley Slade and M. LaVerne Perry, and Intern Tia Kerkhof.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ahmed Baset and Monica Trigoso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charge Following Gun Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaiah Green, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from an investigation into a gun trafficking scheme in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, 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).
Green pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of interstate travel in connection with engaging in the business of illegally dealing in firearms. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Feb. 14, 2019.
The guilty plea followed an investigation by ATF, MPD, and the Virginia State Police into Green’s role in the purchase of significant quantities of firearms during the summer of 2018. Green and another individual were arrested on July 27, 2018, in the District of Columbia after allegedly purchasing four firearms at the Dulles Gun Show in Chantilly, Virginia. According to the government’s evidence, an additional five firearms, all with obliterated serial numbers, were recovered from an apartment where Green was living at the time.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in or around June 27, 2018, Green and the other individual began accepting orders for firearms purchases from people residing within the District of Columbia. To fulfill the orders, the two traveled to various gun stores and pawn shops throughout Virginia. The other individual would fill out ATF forms and falsely assert that she was the intended owner of the firearm. Green could not purchase the firearms himself because he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms due to a prior domestic violence conviction.
After purchasing the firearms, the two traveled back to an apartment in Southeast Washington, where Green used a sanding tool to remove the serial numbers from the firearms so that the firearms could not be traced back to them after they were sold. The two would then illegally sell the firearms for a profit within the District of Columbia.
As part of the plea agreement, Green admitted that he and his co-defendant purchased 31 firearms for illegal resale in a one-month time period in 2018.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and MPD with the assistance of the Virginia State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Crime Spree in the District of Columbia and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - David Sutton, 22, and Dacquan Gregory, 20, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from a broad daylight, 100-minute crime spree that included the theft of a car and three armed robberies and that finally ended with a car crash that seriously injured a woman.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both men were found guilty on Aug. 14, 2018, of one count each of conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, and unauthorized use of a vehicle to commit a crime of violence, two counts each of armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. Sutton also was found guilty of charges of aggravated assault while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Ronna L. Beck sentenced Sutton to a prison term of 18 years and Gregory to 11 years of incarceration. Following their prison terms, each defendant will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the chain of events began at about 3:55 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2016. At that time, Sutton and Gregory stole a running Nissan Rouge SUV in the 3400 block of Holmead Place NW. They then used that vehicle to approach three victims with a firearm, robbing them at gunpoint. The robberies took place within just 25 minutes in the 1400 block of Rock Creek Church Road NW, the 1400 block of Tuckerman Street NW, and the 700 block of Sheridan Street NW.
Following these crimes, Sutton and Gregory drove into Maryland, where they tried to rob a former police officer in Mount Rainier at gunpoint. He was able to disarm them and take the magazine out of the gun. They then fled back into the District of Columbia, where they ran red lights and stop signs, and sped through a residential area. They finally crashed into another vehicle at about 5:35 p.m. in the 2600 block of 18th Street NE. The driver of the car they struck was a woman on her way home from work; she was transported to the hospital and had her spleen, gallbladder and part of her liver removed. She was in the hospital for two weeks.
Gregory was found by police within minutes of the crash, crawling on the ground, with a gun on him. Sutton was arrested three days later. Both have been in custody ever since.
Video surveillance captured the vehicle traveling throughout the city, and surveillance video showed defendant Sutton following one victim into his apartment building. DNA evidence tied the defendants to the robberies and the Nissan Rogue.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended 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 Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
They commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Melissa Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Rosen and Ahmed Baset; Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa; Litigation Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith and Anisha Bhatia, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing 9-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 23-year-old man, of District Heights, Md., pled guilty today to sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon 13-year prison term. Following his prison term, the man will be required to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender and also complete a five-year term of supervised release. As part of the plea, the government agreed to dismiss a pending gun case. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 16, 2017, the victim was at her home in Northwest Washington with her 4-year-old brother. The defendant - the victim’s stepfather’s brother - came to the house. The defendant forced the victim into the bathroom. The victim asked her brother for help, but the defendant closed the door on her brother and sexually assaulted the girl. The victim began pushing the defendant off of her, and he got off of her and went back into the living room. The victim went back into the living room and the defendant kept apologizing to her. The defendant asked the victim if she was going to tell her mother, and said that if she told, the defendant would go to jail and she would never see him again. After initially informing the defendant she was going to call her parents, the victim told the defendant she wouldn’t so the defendant wouldn’t get mad at her. The defendant left the home, and the victim locked the door behind him. The victim then called her mother to report the assault.
The defendant was arrested in October 2017 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, 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 U.S. Marshals Service, 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 Advocates Juanita Harris and Tracy Owusu, Paralegal Specialists Brenda Williams, D’Yvonne Key, and T.J. McPhail, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elana Suttenberg and Stuart D. Allen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting StepdaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 39-year-old man, from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years and eight months in prison on a charge stemming from years of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter, beginning when she was only 10 years old, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty on Aug. 29, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, the man will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The man, a Honduran national, also will be subject to removal proceedings.
According to the government’s evidence, the man sexually abused his stepdaughter beginning when she was 10 years old. The sexual abuse took place from 2010 until 2018. It was constant, occurring several times a week throughout the victim’s teenage years. It led to two pregnancies when the victim was 12 and 13 years old. The defendant told the victim that if she reported the abuse, the victim’s mother would side with him, and would kick the victim out of the house. She believed him, and so she kept silent for years. During that time, the defendant manipulated the victim into complying with his sexual demands through threats, bribes, and misleading promises that he loved her and would take care of her. The sexual abuse only came to light when a member of the victim’s family witnessed one of the sexual acts after the victim turned 18. The man was arrested on April 4, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigation Division. In addition, she commended the work of the Special Agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, who assisted in the investigation. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Loeb, Jodi Lazarus, and Marisa West, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to 66 Months Prison After Possessing Packaged Narcotics and a Loaded Firearm While on Federal Supervision for an Urban ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Everett Purvis, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 66 months in prison following his possession of a loaded firearm and packaged narcotics while on federal supervised release for convictions related to a 2008 shooting, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Purvis pled guilty in July 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. On Nov. 13, 2018, the Honorable José M. López sentenced Purvis to a total term of 42 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Today, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell revoked Purvis’ supervised release and ordered him to serve 24 months of incarceration, to run consecutively to the Superior Court sentence.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 11, 2018, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division’s Criminal Interdiction Unit detained Purvis in front of his residence in the 4200 block of Fourth Street SE, after he was observed engaging in a hand-to-hand drug transaction. Purvis was apprehended in possession of a clear plastic bag containing a plastic twist with crack cocaine, 29 green ziploc bags each containing crack cocaine, and 10 clear ziploc bags each containing crack cocaine.
Following a search warrant on Purvis’s residence, MPD recovered a semi-automatic handgun that was loaded with nine 9mm cartridges inside of the magazine and one 9mm cartridge in the chamber. His fingerprint was subsequently recovered from the firearm.
At the time of his arrest, Purvis was on federal supervision for five separate felony convictions following a May 2008 shooting outside a residential apartment complex – in the same 4200 block of Fourth Street SE where the defendant was most recently arrested -- and assault of two separate victims. In that incident, Purvis opened fire across the courtyard of a busy apartment complex in broad daylight, striking a window of an apartment building and shattering glass that caused lacerations to a woman inside. He committed that offense after being released months earlier from a separate felony firearms conviction. In total, Purvis’s recent firearms conviction represents his fourth felony firearms conviction arising out of four separate events.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli, Monica Dolin, Brian B. Ganjei, and Cynthia Walicki-Chan.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Murder of Woman in Southeast Washington ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin L. Smith, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for killing a woman last December in her apartment in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smith pled guilty in August 2018, 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 prison sentence of 15 to 27 years. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced Smith accordingly. Following his prison term, Smith will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2017, the defendant had a fight with the mother of his child, inside their apartment in the 1700 block of 16th Street SE. The fight ended with the woman kicking the defendant out of the apartment for good. The woman’s mother, Valerie Coleman, who also lived there, supported her daughter’s decision. Hours later, at approximately 8 a.m. the same day, Smith came back. Inside the bedroom where the mother of his child and their young daughter were sleeping, he woke up the mother of his child by striking her face with a handgun. He then went to Valerie Coleman’s bedroom and shot her twice in the head. After the shooting, Smith left the apartment. The Metropolitan Police Department arrived shortly afterward, and Ms. Coleman, 55, was pronounced dead on the scene. Police found spent .380-caliber cartridge casings from the bedroom where Ms. Coleman was slain.
Later that day, Smith was arrested in Northeast Washington. A search of his person resulted in the recovery of the .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun that was used to kill Ms. Coleman. Smith has been in custody ever since.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jin Park and Ahmed Baset, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Teenage SonsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 37-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for sexually abusing his children, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victims, pled guilty in August 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of first-degree child sexual abuse, first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, and second-degree cruelty to children. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon 14-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 the rest of his life as a sex offender and must also complete a term of 15 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 14, 2018, the defendant, who had subjected his three biological sons and one stepson to repeated physical abuse over many years, forced his two oldest sons, who were then 14 and 16 years old, to smoke a marijuana cigarette laced with an unknown powdered substance. After the victims consumed the drugs, the defendant performed sexual acts on each of them. The defendant then forced the victims into a bedroom, instructed them to move a dresser to block the door, and performed additional sexual acts on the victims simultaneously. The victims reported the sexual abuse to their two younger brothers the next day, and one of the younger brothers reported the abuse to a social worker a few days later.
The defendant, who was on pretrial release in an unrelated case alleging misdemeanor sexual abuse against an adult victim occurring just one week earlier, was arrested on April 20, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.
The day before the sexual abuse, the defendant had strangled his 11-year-old stepson by putting his hands around the victim’s throat until the victim could not breathe and his face turned red.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigation Division. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Kern and Jennifer Loeb, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charge in Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cordell Brockington, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal firearms charge stemming from an armed robbery that he committed earlier this year at a convenience store in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brockington pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2019, by the Honorable Senior Judge Rosemary M. Collyer. Brockington faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 9, 2018, at approximately 1:10 a.m., Brockington, while masked, entered a 7-Eleven store in the 1600 block of Connecticut Avenue NW. After entering the store, he approached two store clerks who were working at the time. Brockington stated to the clerks “Give me the money” several times, during which he lifted his jacket area to expose, show, and display a firearm that was located in his waistband.
Brockington then directed one of the clerks to the area of the store where two cash registers were located and instructed the clerk to open both registers. Brockington removed a total of approximately $210 from the registers. He then left the 7-Eleven store.
Brockington was arrested on Jan. 12, 2018, and has been in custody ever since. At the time of his arrest, Brockington was on supervised release following his release from prison eight months earlier for a different armed robbery. He now faces formal revocation of his supervised release and additional incarceration separate and apart from the sentence that he faces for brandishing the loaded firearm on Jan. 9, 2018.
In announcing the plea, 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. Attorneys David Misler, Ethan Carroll, and Gregory Rosen, as well as Paralegal Jeannette Litz.
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Iranian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export Products from the United States to IranRead the Press Release
Arash Sepehri, 38, a citizen of Iran, pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, to a federal charge stemming from his role in a conspiracy to cause the export of controlled goods and technology to Iran, in violation of U.S. Department of Commerce and military controls, as well as in contravention of sanctions imposed against Iran.
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, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Sepehri pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to unlawfully export U.S. goods to Iran in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, and to defraud the United States.
According to court documents filed in this case, Sepehri was an employee and a member of the board of directors of an Iranian company, Tajhiz Sanat Shayan, or Tajhiz Sanat Company (TSS). TSS and other companies involved in the conspiracy were listed by the European Union on May 23, 2011, as entities being sanctioned for their involvement in the procurement of components for the Iranian nuclear program. Through TSS and associated companies, Sepehri and others conspired to obtain high-resolution sonar equipment, data input boards, rugged laptops, acoustic transducers and other controlled technology from the United States without obtaining proper licenses and in violation of economic sanctions.
As stated in the court documents, Sepehri and his co-conspirators sought to evade legal controls through a variety of means, including the use of a variety of aliases, United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based front companies and an intermediary shipping company based in Hong Kong. Payments for the goods were arranged through the UAE.
The conspiracy charge in this case is a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for Jan. 16, 2019.
This investigation was conducted jointly by agents from FBI’s Washington Field Office and HSI Washington, D.C.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal S. Chawla and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Dewar for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick T. Murphy of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Additional assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Matthew Ruggiero of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Iranian National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export Products from the United States to IranRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Arash Sepehri, 38, a citizen of Iran, pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, to a federal charge stemming from his role in a conspiracy to cause the export of controlled goods and technology to Iran, in violation of U.S. Department of Commerce and military controls, as well as in contravention of sanctions imposed against Iran.
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, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Sepehri pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to unlawfully export U.S. goods to Iran in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, and to defraud the United States.
According to court documents filed in this case, Sepehri was an employee and a member of the board of directors of an Iranian company, Tajhiz Sanat Shayan, or Tajhiz Sanat Company (TSS). TSS and other companies involved in the conspiracy were listed by the European Union on May 23, 2011, as entities being sanctioned for their involvement in the procurement of components for the Iranian nuclear program. Through TSS and associated companies, Sepehri and others conspired to obtain high-resolution sonar equipment, data input boards, rugged laptops, acoustic transducers and other controlled technology from the United States without obtaining proper licenses and in violation of economic sanctions.
As stated in the court documents, Sepehri and his co-conspirators sought to evade legal controls through a variety of means, including the use of a variety of aliases, United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based front companies and an intermediary shipping company based in Hong Kong. Payments for the goods were arranged through the UAE.
The conspiracy charge in this case is a felony punishable by a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for Jan. 16, 2019.
This investigation was conducted jointly by agents from FBI’s Washington Field Office and HSI Washington, D.C.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal S. Chawla and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Dewar for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick T. Murphy of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Additional assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Matthew Ruggiero of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Woman Sentenced for Distributing Synthetic MarijuanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Briana Barnes, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to six months of incarceration on a charge stemming from an investigation into the sales of synthetic cannabinoids in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Barnes pled guilty in August 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a District of Columbia offense. She was sentenced on Nov. 6, 2018 by the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson. Following her jail term, she will be placed on two years of supervised release.
According to the government's evidence, on Saturday Dec. 31, 2016, at about 3:30 p.m., members of MPD’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit were observing the 2200 Block of S Street NE, looking for narcotics transactions in the area. An undercover MPD officer, while parked in front of 2210 Adams Place NE, observed a black four-door Mercedes sedan bearing the State of Virginia tags with a male in the driver’s seat and Barnes seated on the passenger side.
The officer observed both people making what appeared to be illegal drug transactions from the driver and passenger-side windows of the vehicle. In addition, the officer witnessed, on several occasions, an unknown amount of currency exchanged between pedestrians and the people in the car; in return, Barnes and the man would hand those persons a black unknown package out of both sides of the vehicle’s windows. The undercover officer broadcast an in-depth lookout for the vehicle and driver to the MPD arrest team and gave a signal for the team to move in and stop the vehicle. At that point, the man fled the scene at a high rate of speed and sped past traffic stop signs or posted speed limits. He and Barnes were subsequently caught in the rear of a building in the 2200 block of Rand Place NE and taken into custody.
Recovered from the vehicle on the rear floorboard, behind the front passenger seat, was a large black garbage bag containing 64 black pouches and a large metric scale. Contained within each black pouch was plant material consistent with a synthetic cannabinoid product. The contents of the pouches collectively totaled approximately 2,949.5 grams of a synthetic cannabinoid, FUB-AMB, also commonly called synthetic marijuana.
In her plea, Barnes admitted that she voluntarily and purposely possessed the controlled substance and did so with the intent to distribute the controlled substance to others. The case against the man remains pending in the U.S. District Court.
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 efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Intern Nikeesha D. Nath. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug Charges After Being Observed Engaging in Sale of NarcoticsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Austin Boykins, 35, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, after law enforcement discovered a loaded firearm and packaged narcotics in his vehicle following a street sale of drugs during an undercover operation, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Boykins pled guilty before the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to life imprisonment. Judge Huvelle scheduled sentencing for Jan. 23, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 10, 2018, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit were conducting undercover operations in the 1200 to 1300 block of Rock Creek Ford Road NW. During the operation, a plainclothes undercover officer observed Boykins engage in a hand-to-hand drug transaction. Arrest teams moved in and obtained crack cocaine from the purchaser and stopped Boykins, who had $587.48 in cash on his person and a key to a Porsche that was only a few feet away from him. After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle, law enforcement recovered the defendant’s wallet, which had two photo identifications from two separate jurisdictions, 14 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded firearm. The firearm was subsequently found to contain his DNA.
Boykins has prior convictions in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for firearms and narcotics offenses.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, and Legal Assistant Aiesha Bynum.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Escaping from Halfway House and Possession of a HandgunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bijon Brown, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from his escape from a halfway house and his subsequent arrest in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Brown pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of escape from custody and 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 is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of five years in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for May 17, 2019.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 27, 2018, Brown was residing in a halfway house and completing his sentence in an earlier case. That day, staff from the Piedmont, Va. Regional Jail arrived at the halfway house, expecting to return Brown to incarceration because he was having disciplinary issues. Instead, Brown exited through a window and fled.
Brown was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on April 17, 2018. That day, officers responded to the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE for a report of a man with a gun. They found Brown inside the entryway of an apartment building. Brown ran from police, down multiple flights of stairs, and tossed a handgun as he fled. He was caught and arrested. His handgun, a Glock 17 9mm pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and 29 rounds in an extended clip, was recovered from the floor.
Since 2015, Brown has been convicted of charges in three separate cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In March 2015, Brown pled guilty to a charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for a shooting that took place on Feb. 16, 2015, in the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE. Brown fired approximately four or five shots in the direction of two juvenile brothers, hitting one in the leg. He was sentenced to six months of incarceration, but the time was suspended on the condition that he complete 12 months of supervised probation. While on probation, on Aug. 21, 2015, Brown exchanged gunfire with another individual while onboard a D.C. Metrobus in Southeast Washington. Brown was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and sentenced to 18 months in prison, with all but a year and a day suspended. Brown was released from jail on Aug. 16, 2016 and was arrested again in a third case just eight days later. In that case, he pled guilty to unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and was sentenced to 14 months in prison. After sentencing on the latter charge, Brown remained incarcerated until he was transferred to the halfway house and subsequently escaped.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, including detectives and officers from the Seventh Police District. She also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen D’Angelo and William Schurmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Liu Announces Appointment of Election Day OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu today announced the appointment of Assistant U.S. Attorney Derrick Williams to lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day program for the Nov. 6, 2018 general election.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams, a prosecutor in the Office’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section, will serve as the District Election Officer for the District of Columbia. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in the District of Columbia, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams will be on duty in the District of Columbia while the polls are open. Assistant U.S. Attorney Williams can be reached by the public at 202-252-7898.
Nationally, the FBI has Special Agents in each Field Office and Resident Agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. In the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office can be reached at 202-278-2000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
District Woman Pleads Guilty to Perjury for Lying to Grand Jury in Homicide InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shadashia Gillis, also known as Shadashia Warren, 27, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to one count perjury for lying to a grand jury during a homicide investigation, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Gillis pled guilty on Oct. 26, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She is to be sentenced on Feb. 1, 2019, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, a Superior Court grand jury was investigating the Aug. 21, 2016 killing of Dante Miller, 24, after a cook-out and fish fry in 1200 block of 18th Place NE. Witnesses had identified Gillis as being present when Mr. Miller was shot by Montez Warren, and also identified her as leaving the scene with Warren.
However, during her grand jury testimony, Gillis stated that she did not know Warren. She also testified that she never was contacted by or met with a defense attorney or defense investigator for Warren. According to the proffer, prior to her testimony on Dec. 14, 2016, she had spoken with a defense attorney for Warren, exchanged text messages with the attorney, met the attorney in person, and spoke with a defense investigator for Warren.
Warren, 37, of Washington, D.C. pled guilty in February 2018 to a charge of second-degree murder while armed and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the killing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Bates of the Appellate Division. Finally, she commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner, who investigated and prosecuted the perjury and murder cases.