District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Non-Profit President Charged with Scheme to Conceal Foreign Funding of 2013 Congressional TripRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The former president of a Texas-based non-profit has been charged in an indictment unsealed 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, 48, previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly lied on disclosure forms filed with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. According to the indictment, Oksuz allegedly 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. According to the charges, Oksuz in truth orchestrated 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 allegedly concealed the true source of funding, which is alleged to violate House travel regulations.
The five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed today. It charges Oksuz with one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal, and cover up material facts from the Ethics Committee and four counts of making false statements to Congress.
Oksuz is considered a fugitive. A warrant for his arrest was issued earlier this year and remains outstanding. Oksuz was recently detained by authorities in Armenia.
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 and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler of the District of Columbia.
An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Violence at Northeast Washington Housing ComplexRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Juan Love and Antwon Holley, both 24 and from Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms for their roles in crew-related shootings at a housing complex in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Love and Holley pled guilty to charges in June 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Love pled guilty to aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit assault. Holley pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm, attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit assault. They were sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
Love was sentenced to a 7 ½-year prison term and Holley was sentenced to a 2 ½-year term of incarceration. Following their prison terms, Love will be placed on five years of supervised release and Holley will be placed on three years of supervised release.
A third defendant, Darius Johnson, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in June 2018 to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit assault. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 12, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, Love, Holley and Johnson were associated with a group known by, among other names, as “Cruddy Islands.” Members of “Cruddy Islands” conspired to assault anyone whose interests were contrary to those of the group. They also posted branded music videos on YouTube in which threats were voiced against non-members.
On the afternoon of May 1, 2017, Love, Holley and Johnson were gathered in a housing complex in the 3700 block of Hayes Street NE, in the Paradise neighborhood. Johnson and Holley were armed with paintball guns they used to shoot at various people and objects. Holley shot one man with a paintball gun, leading to a follow-up confrontation. During this confrontation, Holley, Love, Johnson and the other man were all armed with firearms. Love and Johnson fired their guns several times and the man fired back at least once. As a result of this crossfire, an innocent bystander, who was standing near a playground, was shot in the hand. Moments before the shooting, a little girl rode her bike past Love, Holley and Johnson.
All three men pled guilty to charges stemming from the May 1, 2017 incident.
Love also pled guilty to a second shooting at the apartment complex that took place weeks later, on June 21, 2017. Shortly after 8 p.m., Love opened fire on a victim who was less than five feet away, in the 3700 block of Hayes Street NE. The victim required multiple surgeries to repair injuries of the upper right chest, side of his body and pelvis, as well as a punctured bladder.
Following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Love was arrested in July of 2017, and Holley and Johnson were arrested in April of 2018. Each of them has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentences, 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 handled the case for the U.S Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan, and Victim/Witness Security Specialist Tanya Via. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for 2014 Murder in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Hight, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 45 years in prison on murder and other charges stemming from the slaying of a man in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hight and a co-defendant, James Young, were found guilty in April 2018 of first-degree felony murder while armed, second-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, first-degree burglary while armed, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, and related weapons offenses. The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Hight was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
Young, 25, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced by Judge Lee on June 22, 2018, also to a 45-year prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2014, the victim, Willard Carlos Shelton, drove to the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE to purchase narcotics. About10 minutes after Mr. Shelton arrived, Hight and Young produced firearms, attempted to rob him, and then pistol-whipped him. Hight and Young then fired several shots at Mr. Shelton, who attempted to escape the onslaught of bullets.
One of the bullets struck Mr. Shelton in the abdomen, knocking him to the ground. Once the gunshots ended, Young went over to Mr. Shelton and took his personal effects, including his wallet and keys. Young then pointed a gun at Mr. Shelton’s head, but this time he did not fire. Mr. Shelton, 38, of Alexandria, Va., later died from his injuries.
Following the shooting, Hight and Young fled the scene, broke into a nearby apartment, and hid the firearms used to shoot Mr. Shelton. Young later attempted to obstruct justice by making threatening statements directed at a government witness. Hight later attempted to obstruct justice by convincing someone who was not a witness to the shooting to make false statements to law enforcement about the murder.
Hight and Young were arrested in September 2014 and have 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 (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Paralegal Specialists Debra Joyner, Sharon Newman, and Kelly Blakeley; Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, and Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington; Witness Security Specialists M. Laverne Perry, Wanda Queen, and Tanya Via, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Barker and Laura Crane, who investigated and prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendra Briggs, Jeffrey Nestler, Thomas Saunders, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Eckert, who investigated and indicted the case.
Romanian Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Hacking of Metropolitan Police Department Surveillance CamerasRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eveline Cismaru, a citizen of Romania, pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from her role in a conspiracy to illegally access approximately 126 computers associated with Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) surveillance cameras and to use those computers in connection with a scheme to distribute ransomware in January 2017.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, made the announcement.
Cismaru, 28, and a co-defendant, Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, were arrested on Dec. 15, 2017, in Bucharest, Romania. Both were charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Isvanca, also of Romania, remains held there pending extradition to the United States. Cismaru, who fled Romania weeks after her arrest, was apprehended in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2018, and extradited to the United States on in July 26, 2018.
Cismaru pled guilty before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud. The charges carry statutory maximums of 20 years and five years in prison, respectively. The guilty plea calls for Cismaru to cooperate fully in the investigation. She is to be sentenced Dec. 3, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in early January 2017, and continuing through Jan. 12, 2017, a computer hacking attack on the MPD computer network disabled two-thirds of the outdoor surveillance cameras operated by MPD in the District of Columbia, just days before the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. At the time of the computer intrusion, the U.S. Secret Service, among other federal law enforcement agencies, was preparing security for the event. During national events like the Presidential Inauguration, federal agencies such as the Secret Service utilize MPD’s surveillance cameras to provide additional security.
The computer intrusion was used to execute a ransomware attack. Once activated, the ransomware locked 126 infected computers connected to MPD surveillance cameras. The ransomware then displayed instructions explaining how to unlock each computer by the payment of Bitcoin. The ransom, had it been paid for all 126 computers, would have totaled an estimated $60,800. While executing a ransomware attack, the conspirators converted a few of the computers into proxies and used those computers to disseminate additional ransomware and malware attacks. At the time investigators disrupted the scheme, the conspirators were in the process of attacking as many as 179,616 other computers using stolen e-mails, e-mail passwords and banking credentials.
This case was of the highest priority due to its impact on the Secret Service’s protective mission and its potential effect on the security plan for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. Due to the rapid response by investigators and MPD’s Chief Technology Office, the overall security of the 2017 Inauguration was not impacted by this event. The Secret Service and MPD quickly ensured that the surveillance camera system was secure and operational prior to the Inauguration and continued to investigate the criminal offenses charged, leading to the arrests last December.
The investigation revealed no evidence that any person’s physical security was threatened or harmed due to the disruption of the MPD surveillance cameras.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. Assistance was provided by law enforcement partners in the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom, the Netherland’s National High Tech Crime Unit, the Romanian National Police (Service for Combating Cybercrime), Europol, MPD, and the FBI’s Washington, D.C. and Houston Field Offices. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Demian Ahn, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Diane Brashears, of the Cyber Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Corbin Weiss, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Jennings, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Chela Okonji.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Extortion ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tony John Evans, 30, formerly of New York, N.Y., pled guilty today to extortion related to a wide-ranging scheme that caused a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his employer in Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Evans pled guilty before the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of interference with interstate commerce by extortion and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done. Judge Sullivan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 24, 2019. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Evans faces an estimated range of 57 to 71 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.
Evans and several members of his family were indicted in April 2018.
In his plea agreement, Evans admitted that from November 2016 through April 2017, he worked with several individuals to extort and defraud others out of money, precious metals, and luxury merchandise. As part of the scheme, he pretended to be a mobster in order to get a Maryland man to provide him and his fellow conspirators with money, luxury goods, and gold. Evans threatened to harm the man and his family if payments were not made.
As a result of Evans and other conspirators’ actions, the man embezzled more than $4 million from his employer in the District of Columbia over a three-month period for the purpose of providing it to Evans and the other conspirators. Towards the end of the conspiracy, the man delivered more than $1 million in gold—which he had purchased with embezzled funds—to a hotel in New York. Evans admitted that he retrieved the gold bars, delivered them to other individuals, and sold several of the bars to a gold dealer in New York in exchange for cash.
In October 2017, the FBI executed a search warrant on Evans’s safe deposit box at a bank in New York. The safe deposit box contained gold and expensive jewelry, including luxury watches and diamonds. As part of his plea agreement, Evans agreed to forfeit his rights to all of the items recovered from the safe deposit box. He also surrendered two additional one-kilogram gold bars to the FBI, along with a Rolex watch, which he purchased with criminal proceeds.
Charges against five co-defendants remain pending.
In announcing the guilty 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 U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Joshua Fein, former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Kristy Penny, and Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on Charges in Domestic Dispute That Led to Police PursuitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Smith, 29, of Oxon Hill, Md., has been sentenced to five years in prison on multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic dispute that led to a high-speed police pursuit on the 2017 Labor Day weekend that continued along busy streets of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Smith was found guilty by a jury in May 2018 of seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of destruction of property, and one count each of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, felony threats, carrying a dangerous weapon, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a collision, and fleeing police. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Sept. 17, 2018, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. In sentencing Smith, the judge suspended an additional three years of prison time on the condition that he successfully complete three years of supervised release and probation after he serves the five years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, Smith and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship that ended in August 2017. They have a child in common. Between Aug. 30, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2017, Smith’s conduct led the victim to obtain a temporary protection order against him. Despite that order, on Sept. 1, 2017, Smith came to the victim’s home, kicked in the door, took her car keys, and stole her car, a Dodge Avenger.
Two days later, on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, the victim, desperate to get back her car, agreed to meet Smith at a restaurant in the 1600 block of North Capitol Street NW. When she got there, Smith refused to give her car back. He started to take off with the car, and the victim jumped into the back seat because she did not want to lose it again. While in the car, Smith tried to stab the victim with a knife, while telling her, “Our daughter isn’t going to have a mother anymore.” She was able to break the knife and hop out of the moving car at New Jersey Avenue and K Street NW. There, she used a bystander’s phone to call 911.
One hour later, at approximately 3 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located Smith and the car at 5th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE. When they tried to conduct a traffic stop, Smith took off. An MPD watch commander authorized a pursuit that continued for approximately 3.4 miles. During the chase, Smith caused four collisions, including striking a police officer who was involved in the pursuit. Smith was arrested at about 3:15 p.m. at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW after he attempted an illegal turn into oncoming traffic and collided with a car carrying a woman and her two children. Smith has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who responded to and investigated the case from MPD’s First and Fifth Districts. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Mark O’Brien, Chrisellen Kolb, and Suzanne Curt; Paralegal Specialists Brenda Williams and D’Yvonne Key; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Ron Royal, and Paul Howell, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bianca Forde and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for 2016 Murder in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christian Romero, 26, of Hyattsville, Md., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for fatally stabbing a man, a complete stranger, in an unprovoked attack near a restaurant in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Romero was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. Following his prison term, Romero will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Dimas Fuentes-Lazo, was out with an old friend for drinks on the evening of April 23, 2016. They spent several hours together at different restaurants before parking in front of a restaurant in the 800 block of Kennedy Street NW. At approximately 10:30 p.m., while they waited on the sidewalk out front before going in, they saw Romero across the street, slapping the side-view mirrors of the cars parked along Kennedy Street, including their car. Mr. Fuentes-Lazo’s friend called out, “Hey, that’s my car,” and then Romero aggressively crossed the street to confront the two men.
Words were exchanged, and Romero stepped toward the men, raising his arms aggressively. Romero bent down to pick up a knife he had dropped, stood back up, and lunged at Mr. Fuentes-Lazo, stabbing and slicing him multiple times. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Fuentes-Lazo, 38, was pronounced dead as a result of the stabbing.
Romero ran off, leaving behind a wristwatch, a Coca-Cola bottle, and the switchblade he used to kill the victim. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Romero’s arrest on June 29, 2016, and he has been in custody ever since. Forensic testing confirmed that Romero’s DNA was on both the Coke bottle and the handle of the switchblade.
At the time of the murder, Romero was on probation for a 2012 stabbing that he committed in Prince George’s County, Md. He faces revocation of his probation along with additional prison time in that case.
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 assistance provided by the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, and William Henderson; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Natiello and Christopher Bruckmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Everette Reel, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty today to trafficking in crack and cocaine following 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 before the Honorable Richard J. Leon 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 charge requires a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to 40 years in prison. Judge Leon scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2018.
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 plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, 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 Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, of the Asset Forfeiture & Money Laundering Section, who assisted with forfeiture related issues, and Christopher Macchiaroli and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who conducted the underlying investigation, indicted the case, and are prosecuting the remaining defendants.
Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Distributing Narcotics in Northwest Washington and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dontae Robey, 36, of Landover, Md., pled guilty today to 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 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 is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Judge Kelly scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2018.
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 plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and 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 Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Federal Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Manulito Chambliss, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal drug offense stemming from a traffic stop by police that led to the discovery of cocaine base in the car that he was driving, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Chambliss pled guilty in August 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of five years in prison. The Honorable Thomas F. Hogan accepted the plea and sentenced Chambliss accordingly. Following his prison term, Chambliss will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 23, 2017, at approximately 7 p.m., MPD officers on patrol in the 200 block of 19th Street SE spotted a silver Infiniti that had only one headlight running. Officers lost sight of the vehicle, but then located it nearby, stopped in the 1700 block of Bay Street SE. Chambliss, who was alone in the vehicle, began to drive it. Using lights and sirens, officers tried to pull Chambliss over, but he did not stop and kept driving off. Eventually Chambliss became stuck in traffic in the 1500 block of Benning Road NE and came to a stop. After officers removed him from the driver’s seat, they found 346 small zip lock bags, containing 44 grams of cocaine base, on the driver’s seat and on Chambliss’s person.
The case marks the fourth time that Chambliss has been convicted in the District of Columbia of a felony drug offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente and Vincent Caputy, who prosecuted the matter.
Business Owner and Former D.C. Schools Employee Sentenced to Jail Terms for Fraudulent Billing SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner of a tutoring and mentoring business and a former employee of the District of Columbia Public Schools were sentenced today to 52 weekends in jail, to be followed by 270 days of home confinement, for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently bill the school system more than $200,000 for services that they falsely claimed had been provided to students with special needs.
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 Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the District of Columbia.
John A. Faulkner, Jr., 40, the business owner, and Isaiah Johnson, 38, the former D.C. Public Schools employee, each pled guilty in June 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of mail fraud and identity theft. They were sentenced by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. In addition to the jail terms and home confinement, each defendant must perform 100 hours of community service and successfully complete five years of probation.
Faulkner and Johnson also must pay a total of $217,366 in restitution to the District of Columbia Schools. Faulkner also is required to pay $142,866 in a forfeiture money judgment, and Johnson must pay $74,500 in a forfeiture money judgment.
The two men, both of Baltimore, were indicted in September 2017. According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the pleas, the men carried out a scheme from at least July of 2012 through at least July of 2014 involving fraudulent invoices submitted to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) for services purportedly performed under the Compensatory Education Program.
The Compensatory Education Program awards services to eligible students to assist with their educational needs and development. Students awarded compensatory education services have learning, mental, and/or behavioral disabilities that create an educational barrier that prevents them from reaping the full benefits of education. Services consist of tutoring, individualized education, monitoring, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral and psychological analysis. Once DCPS approves specific services, parents or guardians receive letters specifying the services that can be provided. They also receive a list of independent providers, or vendors.
According to the statement of offense, Faulkner owned a company that in 2011 became eligible to be paid by DCPS as a vendor for tutoring and mentoring services. Johnson was a DCPS compliance case manager who was responsible for notifying parents or guardians, via letters, that their children were entitled to obtain the services of the independent providers. In that role, according to the indictment, Johnson had access to students’ names as well as compensatory education letters and the forms used to create those letters.
Faulkner and Johnson created or caused to be created false and fraudulent timesheets purporting to reflect compensatory education services provided to students that had, in fact, not been performed. These documents included the names and, in some instances, the signatures of individuals who purportedly provided services, the DCPS students and the students’ parents or guardians. Faulkner and Johnson admitted that they and others used these means of identification without the knowledge or permission of the individuals. Faulkner attached these timesheets to invoices to DCPS. He received payments and distributed a portion of the proceeds to Johnson.
DCPS sent at least $217,366 in payments for services that never were performed.
In announcing the sentences, 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; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, and former Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwan Shelton, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 80 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing three separate quantities of narcotics with an intent to distribute them, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Shelton pled guilty in May 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, buprenorphine, and marijuana. He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following his prison term, Shelton will be placed on three years of supervised release.
The government’s evidence established that on Dec. 2, 2016, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4600 block of B Street SE. Upon gaining entry to the residence, law enforcement secured Shelton outside a bathroom while he was wearing a towel around his body and while the water was running in the bathroom shower. Upon entry into the bathroom, officers recovered an MPD-issued Glock 17 pistol that was stolen from an MPD officer months earlier. The firearm was loaded with sixteen .9mm rounds in the magazine and one .9mm round in the chamber.
Officers also recovered in the bathroom a lunch bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine base, marijuana, and suboxone strips, and $3,095 in cash. In Shelton’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered a ziplock bag containing twenty .45-caliber rounds of ammunition and twenty .40-caliber rounds of ammunition. A drum magazine with .9mm-caliber rounds of ammunition was recovered from a clothes hamper. A ballistic vest was on the top shelf of a closet. Drug paraphernalia also was recovered in the residence. Law enforcement also obtained photographs from Shelton’s cellphone that corroborated his connection to the residence where he was arrested and the distinct lunch bag from which he was trafficking narcotics.
Shelton’s conviction results in his third firearms conviction and second drug trafficking conviction. Shelton was previously convicted of firearm possession and escape in 2006 after he fled from law enforcement while being interviewed, which resulted in a massive search involving search dogs and a helicopter.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit. 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 Christopher Macchiaroli and Laura Crane, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Stealing $668,000 from Employer and Incapacitated RelativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zevi Chaim Mehlman, 53, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for a pair of schemes in which he stole $96,000 from a school where he was working and an additional $572,000 from a relative.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, and Eric Shen, Acting Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement.
Mehlman pled guilty in March 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under the plea agreement, he is required to pay a total of $668,000 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, one scheme was carried out by Mehlman against his then-employer, the Washington International School. Mehlman worked for the school from September 2008 until November 2015, initially running its computer network before becoming Assistant Director of Information Services.
At Mehlman’s request, the school provided him with two credit cards so that he could assist in the purchase of computers. From August 2014 until October 2015, Mehlman used the credit cards to make approximately 50 unauthorized purchases of Apple computer equipment. This equipment was not purchased for the school’s use. Instead, Mehlman returned the equipment to Apple and instructed Apple to place the credit onto his own personal debit cards. The total amount that Mehlman generated through this scheme was approximately $96,000.
The school’s leadership confronted Mehlman about the purchases in November 2015, and he admitted his actions and apologized. The school terminated his employment soon afterward.
According to the statement of offense, Mehlman carried out the second scheme against his uncle. In 2003, his uncle gave power of attorney to Mehlman to conduct financial affairs for him. In 2012, the District of Columbia’s Adult Protective Services filed a court petition seeking the appointment of a guardian and conservator for the uncle. The agency filed the petition after it was informed that approximately $1.2 million had been withdrawn from his brokerage accounts in 2010 and 2011. In the petition, the agency alleged that the uncle was an incapacitated individual who needed 24-hour care and who was unable to handle his finances and living arrangements. On May 3, 2012, the Court appointed co-guardians and co-conservators and revoked Mehlman’s power of attorney.
A copy of the Court’s order was mailed to Mehlman. Despite that order, and without the knowledge of the guardians and conservators, from May 17, 2012 until May 28, 2016, Mehlman wrote dozens of checks and stole approximately $572,000 from one of his uncle’s accounts.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Ebert, and Acting Inspector in Charge Shen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Secret Service. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, including Grace Gale, Investigative Support Analyst. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Nicole Hinson, Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marina Stevenson, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Carjacking of Nun in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Brown, 20, of Washington, D.C, was sentenced today to seven years in prison on charges stemming from the carjacking of a nun who he accosted at gunpoint in a parking lot in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Brown pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of carjacking and carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence in the range of seven and 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and sentenced Brown accordingly.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on April 9, 2018, at approximately 6:45 p.m., the victim, who was wearing full clerical garb, was walking to a parking lot in the 1300 block of Quincy Street NE to retrieve something from a minivan. As she neared the parking lot, she observed Brown, who had a bandana covering his face.
The victim continued into the parking lot and opened the passenger side door of a white Dodge Caravan belonging to the convent. She turned on the minivan and retrieved a compact disc from the stereo. She then began to walk away from the vehicle as Brown approached her. When he was within a few feet of her, Brown demanded the car keys. The victim did not say anything, but continued to hold onto the keys. At this point, Brown brandished a firearm and pressed it to her left temple and once again demanded the keys. The victim held out the key and Brown took it from her. She then told him: “May God bless you.”
Brown got into the Caravan and drove off. The victim walked into a nearby building, told others what happened, and one individual called 911. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly spotted the Caravan at 21st Street and Maryland Avenue NE. They attempted to stop Brown at 26th Street, but he got out of the minivan and fled.
He was eventually apprehended, and officers recovered a loaded, small gray semi-automatic handgun in the front right pocket of his sweatpants. They also recovered a red bandana. Brown was arrested 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. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen D’Angelo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Three More Defendants Arrested and Charged in Investigation of an Open Drug Market from a D.C. BarbershopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three additional area men have been arrested on federal narcotics charges as part of an ongoing investigation into a drug market that was operated out of a barber shop in Southeast Washington. A total of eight men have now been charged in the case, including two who earlier pled guilty to federal offenses.
The charges were announced by 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).
Those arrested today include Lacy Hamilton, 41, of Camp Springs, Md., Lonnell Tucker, 41, of Temple Hills, Md., and Calvin Wright, 41, of Washington, D.C. They were indicted, along with two other defendants who were previously arrested, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Previously arrested were Anthony Fields, 45, and Abdul Samuels, 44, both of Washington, D.C. Another indicted defendant is still being sought.
Hamilton, Tucker and Wright made their first court appearances today and were ordered held pending a detention hearing set for Sept. 11, 2018.
The indictment charges the six defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of PCP, 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a detectable amount of buprenorphine (suboxone).
The first individuals were charged on Feb. 1, 2018, when law enforcement agents from ATF, MPD and the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department executed search warrants on three locations and five vehicles, which led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and quantities of narcotics. Specifically, in addition to recovering three firearms from the barbershop and one firearm in a residence, law enforcement seized more than $7,000 in cash, and without packaging, more than 300 grams of PCP, more than 150 grams of heroin, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, boxes of suboxone strips, and more than 100 grams of a cutting agents.
The investigation earlier led to two guilty pleas. James Venable, 46, of Fort Washington, Md., pled guilty on Aug. 10, 2018 to narcotics and firearms charges stemming from his commission of two separate drug trafficking offenses while in the possession of loaded firearms. Venable’s sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 16, 2018. Darryl Smith, 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Aug. 15, 2018 on federal narcotics and firearms charges following two separate arrests in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE, where Smith managed the Next Level Cuts barbershop that was used by multiple individuals to traffic narcotics.
The charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
In announcing the recent arrests and unsealed indictment, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those involved in the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Caruso of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias, and Legal Assistant Aiesha Bynum.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison Term on Manslaughter Charge in 2015 KillingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Milkiyas Bayisa, 27, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to a 66-month prison term on an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from the killing of a man in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Bayisa was found guilty of the charge in May 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Aug. 22, 2015, both Bayisa and the victim, Kassahun Edo, were with their respective friends at the Peace Lounge, in the 2600 block of Georgia Avenue NW. Bayisa frequented the lounge; Mr. Edo, 35, was visiting the Washington, D.C. area from Texas to attend a wedding. At approximately 3 a.m., as Peace Lounge was closing, patrons were spilling out of the club onto Georgia Avenue. As Mr. Edo and two of his friends walked down nearby Fairmont Street, Bayisa was acting aggressively towards a group of young women. Mr. Edo approached him. Suddenly, without warning or provocation, Bayisa aggressively cocked his right arm back, made a fist and viciously punched Mr. Edo once in the left jaw/head area. Mr. Edo’s body immediately crumpled, and he fell backwards onto the pavement. He never regained consciousness and died the next day. Bayisa was arrested on Aug. 27, 2015.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Deborah Joyner, Lashone Samuels, and Ethel Noble; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin and Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Leif Hickling, and Kimberly Smith. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke and Charles Willoughby, Jr., who prosecuted the case at trial.
Florida-Based Broadcasting Company Ordered to Pay $910,700 to Federal Communications CommissionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal judge has issued a judgment against Newman Broadcasting, Inc., in the amount of $910,700, for the company’s breach of its contract with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
The judgment was issued on Sept. 4, 2018, by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It resolves a lawsuit filed in June 2016 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia that alleged that Newman Broadcasting and its principal owner had violated the False Claims Act in dealings with the FCC.
Newman Broadcasting, a Lake City, Florida corporation, entered into an agreement with the FCC in which the company agreed to pay the FCC for certain rights to certain radio frequencies, less any bidding credit for which it was eligible. During the bidding and application processes from 2005 through 2007, the company certified it was eligible for a 35% new entrant bidding credit and satisfied all of the requirements. Because Newman Broadcasting was in part controlled by an experienced radio station owner with other stations in the same market, Newman Broadcasting was not eligible for the new entrant bidding credit it received at the time and, therefore, breached its agreement with the FCC.
The defendants’ attempt to have the case dismissed was denied by the court in August 2017 and after discovery, the parties entered into a settlement agreement that included an entry of judgment against Newman Broadcasting, Inc., for its breach of contract with the FCC.
The case was investigated by the FCC Office of the Inspector General, as well as the Enforcement Bureau and the Office of General Counsel for the Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of Justice, and was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Brian P. Hudak, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Russell, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynne P. Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Investigator Karen Caudill assisted in both the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The case is captioned United States v. Newman Broadcasting, Inc. Case No. 1:16-CV-01169-CKK (D.D.C.).
Maryland Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Trafficking a Minor for Commercial Sex and for Pandering an Adult for Commercial SexRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Primous Williams, Jr., 32, of Beltsville, Md., has been sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking a 16-year-old girl and for pandering an adult woman for commercial sex acts at a house in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Williams pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of attempted sex trafficking of children and a charge of pandering. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a prison term of two to four years. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck accepted the plea on Sept. 4, 2018, and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
Upon completion of his prison term, Williams will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years. This sentence is to run concurrent to a sentence in Prince George’s County, Md., for related conduct. Judge Beck also ordered Williams to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000 to the two victims, with $9,200 to be paid to the minor victim and $800 to be paid to the adult victim.
According to the government’s evidence, in May 2016, Williams met the minor victim through a young adult who worked for him. Beginning from the first day that he met her, Williams posted ads featuring the minor victim on Backpage.com. He set the prices for commercial sex acts that she performed at a house in Southeast Washington and kept all of the money that she earned. He kept her highly intoxicated with a combination of marijuana and “molly” (an illegal psychoactive drug), which he provided. The minor victim performed commercial sex acts for Williams’s benefit several times a day up until June 2016. Another woman, an adult, also worked for Williams, in the same capacity as the minor victim, at the house in Washington, D.C.
In June 2016, the minor victim and the adult victim were recovered from a hotel in Prince George’s County during an anti-human trafficking sting operation. Both were engaged in commercial sex at the direction of Williams.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), which investigated the case. 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 Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and T.J. McPhail. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenya K. Davis and Stuart D. Allen, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and who serve as the co-chairs of the D.C. Human Trafficking Task Force.
Convicted Sex Offender Found Guilty of Charges in 2010 Armed Rape and KidnappingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Cardell Torney, Jr., 47, formerly of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of sexually attacking a woman, a stranger, in December 2010 in the front yard of a residence in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Torney was found guilty of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, with aggravating circumstances, and kidnapping while armed. The verdict, on Sept. 4, 2018, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Nov. 16. 2018. Torney, who remains held, could face a life prison term.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the victim met friends on U Street NW on the evening of Dec. 11, 2010 to listen to music and socialize at two U Street clubs. Early Dec. 12, at the end of the night, the victim – who, at the time, was in her early 30s and worked at the U.S. State Department – walked back to her home in the 2200 block of 12th Street NW. Evidence showed that it took about eight minutes to walk from the U Street club to her home.
When she reached her house and was about to unlock her door, a stranger approached her from behind, stuck a sharp object in her back, told her that he was holding a knife, and demanded money. The victim told the attacker that she had no money, but offered him her credit cards and promised she would neither cancel them nor report them stolen. Unsatisfied, the stranger – Torney – forced her at knifepoint into the neighbor’s front yard, forced her onto the cold, wet ground, pulled down her pants and underwear, and raped her anally.
Following the rape, Torney ran away. The victim had no idea who the rapist was. She ran into her home and immediately called 911. The police took the victim to Medstar Washington Hospital Center, where she submitted to a forensic exam by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Swabs that were taken from her body contained the attacker’s DNA and, in 2012, that DNA led the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to Torney. He was arrested in May 2012 and has been in custody ever since.
About a month prior to this attack, Torney had been released from the District of Columbia Jail, where he was serving a sentence for misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child. That prior conviction constituted an aggravating circumstance that exposes Torney, in this case, to the possibility of a sentence of life in prison. Although the prior sexual assault conviction required that Torney register as a sex offender, the present conviction will require that upon his release from jail he register quarterly for life.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Sexual Assault Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation, Deputy Chief Sharon Donovan of the Homicide Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, and Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, who assisted with DNA issues; Deputy Chiefs Chrisellen Kolb and Suzanne Curt of the Appellate Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Smith; Paralegal Specialists Michelle Wicker and Brenda C. Williams; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and La June Thames; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Jeanie Latimore-Brown and Kimberly Smith; Intelligence Specialists William Hamann, Shannon Alexis and Sharon Johnson; and former Summer Interns Megan Hughes, Jill Rogowski, Lanie Miliotes and Leon Stern.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Cook and Assistant United States Attorneys Jodi Lazarus and Elana Suttenberg for the initial investigation of the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen A. “Katie” Kern and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and tried this case.
Jury Finds Texas Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault with Hate/Bias-Crime EnhancementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dylan Millhausen, 26, of Houston, Texas, has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault, with a hate-crime enhancement, for beating an Indian Sikh man two years ago in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
The verdict was returned on Aug. 30, 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury added the bias-related enhancement relating to the targeting of the victim because of race, religion, or national origin. The charge of aggravated assault carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. With the enhancement, the statutory maximum increases to 15 years. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for Nov. 30, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Aug. 21, 2016, the victim, who wears a turban, was out with friends in an area south of Dupont Circle. The victim, then 27, had gone to a lounge with his business school friends. As they were leaving, at approximately 2:45 a.m., Millhausen - a complete stranger to the group - came up behind the victim, pulled off his turban, and punched him in the face until he was unconscious. The beating necessitated a hospital visit and diagnostic treatment.
Millhausen was quickly apprehended at the scene by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Upon being apprehended by the police, the defendant told the police about his world view, likening the victim to Islamic extremists to whom terrorist attacks and plots in Europe had been attributed throughout 2016.
Following a short period of civilian custody in Washington, D.C., Millhausen was found guilty of unrelated charges by a military judge in court martial proceedings within the United States Air Force and sentenced to a period of further incarceration.
In announcing the verdict, 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 law enforcement partners in the U.S. Marshals Service and United States Air Force. She acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen; Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson, Tamaya Reid, and Tierra Nanches, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonali D. Patel, Puja Bhatia, and Ethan Carroll, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Teenager in Union StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Morris Graham, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy at Union Station earlier this year, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Graham pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of attempted second-degree child sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Graham will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 28, 2018, the victim had come to the District of Columbia with his family from out-of-town for the memorial honoring the late Rev. Billy Graham at the U.S. Capitol. Following their visit to the Capitol, the victim and his family entered Union Station to have food. The victim left his family to find an elevator for his brother, who was in a wheelchair, to allow him to reach the food court. The victim approached and signaled for the elevator on the food court level. A moment later, the defendant walked past the elevator and down the hall, and then he returned to enter the elevator. After that, on the main level, a Union Station janitor entered the elevator, and the defendant moved behind the victim in the elevator. The elevator descended once again to the food court, where the janitor exited the elevator. When the janitor exited the elevator, the defendant moved beside the victim and grabbed the victim’s left hand. The victim turned around when the defendant grabbed his hand, and he could see the defendant’s exposed penis. The defendant forced the victim’s hand to touch his penis. When the elevator doors opened, the victim ran out of the elevator and located his family. The victim provided a description of the defendant to law enforcement and an Amtrak Police officer was able to identify the defendant from surveillance video based on prior encounters with him. The defendant was apprehended the next day, on March 1, 2018, at Union Station, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Amtrak Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, including the Youth and Family Services Division, which investigated the case. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica A. Vaughn and Paralegal Specialist T.J. McPhail. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud in Scheme Targeting D.C. Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man who was employed as a personal care aide pled guilty today to a federal charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme in which he submitted more than $66,000 in false claims to the District of Columbia 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, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office, and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the District of Columbia.
Vincent Njong, 48, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Senior Judge Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for Dec, 6, 2018. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Njong faces a possible range of six to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. The plea agreement requires him to pay $66,086 in restitution to the District of Columbia. He also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $43,209, representing his share of the proceeds from the scheme.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Njong was a licensed personal care aide. 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, eat out, take medication, and engage in toileting. To receive personal care services under Medicaid, a beneficiary must obtain a prescription from a doctor.
Between September 2012 and April 2014, Njong caused false claims to be submitted by two home health care agencies to the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program for personal care services that he did not provide or that were tainted by the payment of kickbacks to the Medicaid beneficiary. During the time period, Njong was assigned to provide personal care services to two Medicaid beneficiaries. He submitted false timesheets for work that was not provided. Starting in August 2013, for example, he began working full-time as a teacher in Maryland. Notwithstanding his full-time employment, he continued to submit timesheets to the two home health care agencies claiming to be working full-time for them.
In addition, he paid one of the beneficiaries approximately $100 bi-weekly to sign blank or false statements; he also provided the beneficiary with food or other items of value in exchange for the beneficiary’s signature on false timesheets.
Because of Njong’s fraudulent conduct, D.C. Medicaid paid $66,086 to the two home health care agencies. Njong personally received $43,209 of the fraudulently obtained proceeds.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, Special Agent in Charge Dixon and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, as well as a team from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with forfeiture issues; Assistant U.S. Attorney Oliver McDaniel, and Paralegal Specialist Brittany Phillips. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise A. Simmonds, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder Charge Related to 2015 Stabbing in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyreke Chambers, 20, of Washington D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed stemming from his involvement in an attempted robbery that ended with the victim being stabbed in the heart, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Chambers pled guilty on Aug. 27, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 26, 2018, by the Honorable Craig Iscoe.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, the stabbing took place at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2015 in the 2400 block of Alabama Avenue SE. The victim, Tracey Jones, 46, was intoxicated and limping down the street while on his cell phone. Chambers and a group of associates were on the same street, walking towards Mr. Jones. Chambers and his associates decided to rob Mr. Jones, who was carrying a backpack. As the group approached Mr. Jones, an altercation began. During the altercation, Chambers and at least one other individual struck Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones then fell to the ground and crawled away from the altercation, while one of the individuals with Chambers took Mr. Jones’s backpack as they fled.
Shortly thereafter, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District responded to the scene and located Mr. Jones, who was suffering from an apparent stab wound to his upper body. An autopsy revealed that Mr. Jones had been stabbed once in the chest with a sharp instrument that penetrated his heart.
Over the course of the investigation, detectives recovered a knife and red jumpsuit from Chambers’s residence. The investigation revealed that the red jumpsuit, as well as GPS records, placed Chambers at the scene of the crime. In interviews, Chambers admitted to being with the group that had decided to rob Mr. Jones. At his plea hearing, he admitted to being the individual who actually stabbed him. Chambers was arrested in December of 2015 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 also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which provided Metrobus footage of Chambers and his associates in the area of the crime. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Damien Diggs, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Merikas and Shehzad Akhtar, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Brazen Robberies of Spanish-Speaking WorkersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyquise Powell, 19, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 10-year prison term for his role in an armed robbery and a robbery, both in broad daylight, that targeted Spanish-speaking workers in two neighborhoods over a 48-hour period in November of 2017, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Powell pled guilty in June 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed robbery and one count of robbery. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of seven to 11 years. The Honorable José M. López accepted the plea and sentenced Powell accordingly on Aug. 24, 2018. Following his prison term, Powell will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 27, 2017, Powell took part in an armed robbery at approximately 11:50 a.m. targeting a crew of Spanish-speaking landscapers who were working at a church on the 2800 block of Bladensburg Road NE. During that robbery, Powell and two unidentified associates approached the workers, brandishing a firearm, and demanded their property. While one of the three robbers held the firearm, the other two went through the victim’s pockets and removed their person property. Also, Powell and the two associates discharged a firearm in an attempt to scare off several of the victims who attempted to pursue the suspects as they fled from the scene of the robbery.
Then, on Nov. 29, 2017, Powell and an unidentified accomplice took part in a robbery at 10:30 a.m., this time targeting Spanish-speaking construction workers who were renovating a home in the 3600 block of Camden Street SE, robbing the workers at gunpoint and taking an iPhone and wallet containing bank and credit cards.
Powell was arrested on Jan. 5, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including the officers in the Fifth and Sixth Districts who quickly investigated and arrested Powell. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kerkhoff and Kathryn Rakoczy, and Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Church Pastor Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to His Apartment in Scam to Collect Insurance MoneyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamel Carelock, 28, the pastor of a Baltimore church, pled guilty today to setting fire to an apartment he rented in Southeast Washington in a plan to collect insurance money, 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).
Carelock, pastor of Lead Church, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of arson, felony destruction of property, and second-degree insurance fraud. The trial in the case was scheduled to begin on Aug. 28, 2018. The Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 17, 2017, at approximately 1 a.m., Carelock intentionally set fire to his apartment unit in a complex in the 2500 block of R Street SE. Carelock soaked his mattress with gasoline and lit the mattress on fire, causing the fire to burn and causing extensive damage to his unit and the surrounding apartments.
The apartment complex includes 94 units, and the residents included small children and elderly individuals, who were home at the time of the fire and forced to evacuate. The fire caused more than $40,000 worth of damage and rendered at least one of the neighboring apartments uninhabitable. A law enforcement investigation revealed that Carelock had applied for an insurance policy eight days prior to the fire. He later filed a claim for more than $11,000 in damage to his property, with the intent to defraud the insurance company.
In making the insurance claim, the evidence showed, Carelock presented materially false information. He misrepresented that he was not responsible for the fire, falsely claimed that he was in Georgia at the time of the blaze, and falsely claimed that he lost personal items, to include suits and a television. In fact, Carelock had removed those items from the unit before the fire and he still had them at the time that he made the insurance claim.
The investigation also determined that Carelock’s cell phone was one mile away from the fire, five minutes after the fire alarm was pulled. Carelock was arrested on Jan. 19, 2018 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Elizabeth Trosman, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chrisellen Kolb, Julianne Johnston, John Hill, and Veronica Sanchez; Librarian Lisa Kosow, and Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Wolf, Alissa Kempler and Melissa Price, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Home Invasion in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Rousseau, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for burglarizing a house in Northwest Washington and then riding off in the family’s car, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Rousseau was found guilty in January 2018 of charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, and unauthorized use of an automobile. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Rousseau was sentenced by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 10, 2016, Rousseau was stalking the 5100 block of 7th Street NW, looking for a house to burglarize. After going up and down the block, he located an unlocked rear deck door. He entered this house, which was occupied only by a teenager and three small sleeping children. The teenager was getting ready for bed and showering in the basement bathroom. She heard footsteps upstairs, but mistakenly believed that it was the rest of the family returning to the house.
Only later, when the teenager heard Rousseau peel off in the family’s MINI Cooper sedan, did she realize that a burglar had been inside. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded to the scene and canvassed the neighborhood. An exterior fingerprint at the home helped lead to Rousseau’s identification. In addition, MPD was able to recover surveillance footage from security cameras belonging to neighbors on the block. The surveillance footage showed the same person, and the footage from the driveway showed that person driving off with the car. Rousseau was arrested 10 days after the crime. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement recovered a cellphone from Rousseau’s house that included a picture of the defendant wearing the same outfit shown in the surveillance footage.
At the time of this offense, Rousseau was on probation for a prior burglary offense.
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 assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso, Stephen Rickard, Veronica Sanchez, and Denise Cheung; Paralegal Specialists Donice Adams and Crystal Waddy; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel, who secured the indictment in the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Manzo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Convicted War Criminal Who Fraudulently Obtained Refugee Status and U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On August 15, Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered an order that revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of a convicted war criminal. The court held that defendant Edin Dzeko, a native of the former Yugoslavia, procured his U.S. citizenship illegally and by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentation. The court’s order was based, in part, on Dzeko’s admission that he misrepresented and concealed his military service on immigration forms and lied while under oath at his naturalization interview.
“War criminals are not entitled to safe haven in the United States, and we will not allow individuals who commit such atrocities to take advantage of our immigration system,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler. “This case sends the message that the Department will remain resolute in our commitment to prosecute those who seek to gain, or have gained, U.S. citizenship unlawfully.”
“This case demonstrates that the United States will protect the integrity of its refugee programs,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to target war criminals who attempt to abuse the process to gain entry into our country.”
Dzeko, 46, was part of an elite unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina that attacked the village of Trusina in April 1993, in what is known as the Trusina massacre. The unit allegedly targeted Bosnian Croats who resided in the village because of their Christian religion and Croat ethnicity, killing 22 unarmed individuals including women and the elderly. A Bosnian court previously found that Dzeko played a key role in the massacre, serving as part of a firing squad that executed six unarmed prisoners of war and civilians. Dzeko was admitted to the United States as a refugee before naturalizing in 2006.
In June 2014, Dzeko was convicted in a Bosnian court of war crimes against prisoners of war and war crimes against civilians, and held responsible for eight killings, including the six described above. Dzeko is still serving his 13-year prison sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Justice Department is also pursuing the denaturalization of Sammy Rasema Yetisen, aka Rasema Handanovic, one of Dzeko’s fellow soldiers and another perpetrator of the Trusina massacre.
“Those who commit such acts of inhumanity and abuse may not use lies and deceit to fraudulently call this country home,” said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle. “Today’s announcement marks the necessary carriage of justice, and I am proud of the professional investigators who upheld the law and order that defines our nation.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS) National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit), with consultation and support from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Human Rights Law Section and Seattle Office of the Chief Counsel, and the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The case was jointly prosecuted by Deputy Chief Timothy Belsan and Senior Counsel for National Security Aram Gavoor of OIL-DCS’s NS/A Unit and Trial Attorney Steven Platt of OIL-DCS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynne Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals or naturalized U.S. citizens suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are encouraged to call the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form; or the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section at 1-202-616-2492. Callers may remain anonymous.
Former Background Investigator for Federal Government Sentenced for Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeffrey S. Kahn, 51, a former background investigator who did work under contract for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), has been sentenced to one month of incarceration, to be followed by five months of home detention, for falsifying his work on background investigations of federal employees and contractors.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management.
Kahn, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, pled guilty in June 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to making a false statement. He was sentenced on August 20, 2018, by the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson. Following the period of incarceration, Kahn will be placed on 24 months of supervised release; the first five months of that term must be spent on home detention. Additionally, as part of the plea, Kahn has agreed to pay $77,649 in restitution to the federal government.
According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court, Kahn was employed by KeyPoint Government Solutions as an investigator under contract to conduct background investigations on behalf of OPM’s Federal Investigative Services, which now is known as OPM’s National Background Investigations Bureau. All of the criminal conduct in this case took place while Kahn worked under contract on behalf of Federal Investigative Services.
Between May 2013 and August 2013, in more than 18 Reports of Investigations on background investigations, Kahn represented that he had interviewed a source or reviewed a record regarding the subject of the background investigation. In fact, he had not conducted the interviews or obtained the records of interest. These reports were utilized and relied upon by the agencies requesting the background investigations to determine whether the subjects were suitable for positions having access to classified information, for positions impacting national security, for receiving or retaining security clearances, or for positions of public trust.
Kahn’s false representations have required OPM to reopen and rework numerous background investigations that were assigned to him during the time period of his falsifications, at an estimated cost of at least $77,649 to the U.S. government.
OPM has a robust integrity assurance program which utilizes a variety of methods to ensure the accuracy of reported information. The falsification of investigative case work by the defendant was detected through the program.
This is one of numerous cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia since 2008 involving false representations by background investigators and record checkers working on federal background investigations. In addition to Kahn, 23 other background investigators and two record checkers have been convicted of charges.
With a staff of more than 9,900 federal and contract employees, the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) conducts approximately 95 percent of all personnel background investigations for the federal government. NBIB processed over 2.5 million background investigations in the 2017 fiscal year.
In performing background investigations, the investigators conduct interviews of individuals who have information about the person who is the subject of the review. In addition, the investigators seek out, obtain, and review documentary evidence, such as employment records, to verify and corroborate information provided by either the subject of the background investigation or by persons interviewed during the investigation. After conducting interviews and obtaining documentary evidence, the investigators prepare a Report of Investigation containing the results of the interviews and document reviews, and electronically submit the material to OPM in Washington, D.C. OPM then provides a copy of the investigative file to the requesting agency, which can use the information to determine an individual’s eligibility for employment or a security clearance.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Acting Inspector General Vint praised the efforts of Special Agent Christopher J. Sulhoff, OPM, Office of the Inspector General, and Philip Kroop and Kevin Cassidy, OPM, NBIB. They also acknowledged the work of Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Joshua Fein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Convicted War Criminal Who Fraudulently Obtained Refugee Status and U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
On August 15, Judge Thomas F. Hogan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered an order that revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of a convicted war criminal. The court held that defendant Edin Dzeko, a native of the former Yugoslavia, procured his U.S. citizenship illegally and by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentation. The court’s order was based, in part, on Dzeko’s admission that he misrepresented and concealed his military service on immigration forms and lied while under oath at his naturalization interview.
“War criminals are not entitled to safe haven in the United States, and we will not allow individuals who commit such atrocities to take advantage of our immigration system,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler. “This case sends the message that the Department will remain resolute in our commitment to prosecute those who seek to gain, or have gained, U.S. citizenship unlawfully.”
“This case demonstrates that the United States will protect the integrity of its refugee programs,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to target war criminals who attempt to abuse the process to gain entry into our country.”
Dzeko, 46, was part of an elite unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina that attacked the village of Trusina in April 1993, in what is known as the Trusina massacre. The unit allegedly targeted Bosnian Croats who resided in the village because of their Christian religion and Croat ethnicity, killing 22 unarmed individuals including women and the elderly. A Bosnian court previously found that Dzeko played a key role in the massacre, serving as part of a firing squad that executed six unarmed prisoners of war and civilians. Dzeko was admitted to the United States as a refugee before naturalizing in 2006.
In June 2014, Dzeko was convicted in a Bosnian court of war crimes against prisoners of war and war crimes against civilians, and held responsible for eight killings, including the six described above. Dzeko is still serving his 13-year prison sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Justice Department is also pursuing the denaturalization of Sammy Rasema Yetisen, aka Rasema Handanovic, one of Dzeko’s fellow soldiers and another perpetrator of the Trusina massacre.
“Those who commit such acts of inhumanity and abuse may not use lies and deceit to fraudulently call this country home,” said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle. “Today’s announcement marks the necessary carriage of justice, and I am proud of the professional investigators who upheld the law and order that defines our nation.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS) National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit), with consultation and support from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Human Rights Law Section and Seattle Office of the Chief Counsel, and the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The case was jointly prosecuted by Deputy Chief Timothy Belsan and Senior Counsel for National Security Aram Gavoor of OIL-DCS’s NS/A Unit and Trial Attorney Steven Platt of OIL-DCS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynne Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals or naturalized U.S. citizens suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are encouraged to call the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form; or the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section at 1-202-616-2492. Callers may remain anonymous.
Canadian Sentenced to 3+ Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Export Restricted Goods and Technology to IranRead the Press Release
Ghobad Ghasempour, 38, a Canadian national, was sentenced on Aug. 20, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 42 months in prison for conspiracy to unlawfully export U.S. goods to Iran.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia and U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes for the Western District of Washington made the announcement.
“This sentencing exemplifies the outstanding investigative work by HSI special agents in conjunction with other law enforcement and government partners locally and abroad,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Dave Shaw. “The illegal export of U.S.-origin items to prohibited countries is harmful to U.S. national security and will not be tolerated. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those that seek to violate these laws and jeopardize our nation’s safety.”
Ghasempour was arrested on March 28, 2017 as he entered the United States at Blaine, Washington. An investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, California, revealed that Ghasempour had used front companies in China and co-conspirators in Iran, Turkey and Portugal to illegally export restricted technology products to Iran.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Ghasempour was solely motivated by greed and money, and that the unlawful export of goods and technology was to the “the Department of Defense for Iran -- the very group that would be the most harmful to the United States.”
According to records filed in the case, between 2011 and 2017, Ghasempour and his co-conspirators illegally exported and attempted to export goods and technology to Iran that have both military and non-military uses. Ghasempour exported a thin film measurement system, manufactured by a California company, that is essentially a microscopic tape measure for liquid coatings and parts that are used in cell phones and missiles; he attempted to export an inertial guidance system test table, manufactured by a North Dakota company, used to test the accuracy of gyroscopes that assist in flying commercial and military airplanes; and the conspirators exported two types of thermal imaging cameras, manufactured by an Oregon company, that can be used in commercial security systems and military drones. Some of the items Ghasempour sought to export were intercepted by law enforcement. The conspirators falsified shipping documents and lied to U.S. manufacturers by claiming that the restricted items were being shipped to customers in Turkey and Portugal, knowing that the true destination of these goods was Iran. The Iranian customers paid the Chinese front companies owned by Ghasempour and a co-conspirator.
Ghasempour pleaded guilty in April 2018.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The criminal case was originally filed in the District of Columbia in Washington D.C., but was resolved in the Western District of Washington. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Yette for the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Dalton for the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Amy Larson, of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.Canadian Sentenced to 3+ Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Export Restricted Goods and Technology to IranRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ghobad Ghasempour, 38, a Canadian national, was sentenced on Aug. 20, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 42 months in prison for conspiracy to unlawfully export U.S. goods to Iran.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia and U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes for the Western District of Washington made the announcement.
“This sentencing exemplifies the outstanding investigative work by HSI special agents in conjunction with other law enforcement and government partners locally and abroad,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Dave Shaw. “The illegal export of U.S.-origin items to prohibited countries is harmful to U.S. national security and will not be tolerated. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those that seek to violate these laws and jeopardize our nation’s safety.”
Ghasempour was arrested on March 28, 2017 as he entered the United States at Blaine, Washington. An investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, California, revealed that Ghasempour had used front companies in China and co-conspirators in Iran, Turkey and Portugal to illegally export restricted technology products to Iran.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Ghasempour was solely motivated by greed and money, and that the unlawful export of goods and technology was to the “the Department of Defense for Iran -- the very group that would be the most harmful to the United States.”
According to records filed in the case, between 2011 and 2017, Ghasempour and his co-conspirators illegally exported and attempted to export goods and technology to Iran that have both military and non-military uses. Ghasempour exported a thin film measurement system, manufactured by a California company, that is essentially a microscopic tape measure for liquid coatings and parts that are used in cell phones and missiles; he attempted to export an inertial guidance system test table, manufactured by a North Dakota company, used to test the accuracy of gyroscopes that assist in flying commercial and military airplanes; and the conspirators exported two types of thermal imaging cameras, manufactured by an Oregon company, that can be used in commercial security systems and military drones. Some of the items Ghasempour sought to export were intercepted by law enforcement. The conspirators falsified shipping documents and lied to U.S. manufacturers by claiming that the restricted items were being shipped to customers in Turkey and Portugal, knowing that the true destination of these goods was Iran. The Iranian customers paid the Chinese front companies owned by Ghasempour and a co-conspirator.
Ghasempour pleaded guilty in April 2018.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The criminal case was originally filed in the District of Columbia in Washington D.C., but was resolved in the Western District of Washington. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Yette for the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Dalton for the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorney Amy Larson, of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Two Individuals Charged for Acting as Illegal Agents of the Government of IranRead the Press Release
An indictment was returned today charging Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar, 38, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, and Majid Ghorbani, 59, an Iranian citizen and resident of California, with allegedly acting on behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran by conducting covert surveillance of Israeli and Jewish facilities in the United States, and collecting identifying information about American citizens and U.S. nationals who are members of the group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).
The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Acting Executive Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s National Security Branch.
“The National Security Division is committed to protecting the United States from individuals within our country who unlawfully act on behalf of hostile foreign nations,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Doostdar and Ghorbani are alleged to have acted on behalf of Iran, including by conducting surveillance of political opponents and engaging in other activities that could put Americans at risk. With their arrest and these charges, we are seeking to hold the defendants accountable.”
“This indictment demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice to hold accountable agents of foreign governments who act illegally within the United States, especially where those agents are conducting surveillance of individuals and Constitutionally-protected activities in this country,” said Jessie K. Liu, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.
“This alleged activity demonstrates a continued interest in targeting the United States, as well as potential opposition groups located in the United States,” said Acting Executive Assistant Director McGarrity. “The FBI will continue to identify and disrupt those individuals who seek to engage in unlawful activity, on behalf of Iran, on US soil.”
The indictment charged Doostdar and Ghorbani with knowingly acting as agents of the government of Iran without prior notification to the Attorney General, providing services to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, and conspiracy. Both defendants were arrested on Aug. 9, pursuant to criminal complaints issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Those complaints were unsealed today.
According to the indictment, in or about July 2017, Doostdar traveled to the United States from Iran in order to collect intelligence information about entities and individuals considered by the government of Iran to be enemies of that regime, including Israeli and Jewish interests, and individuals associated with the MEK, a group that advocates the overthrow of the current Iranian government.
On or about July 21, 2017, Doostdar is alleged to have conducted surveillance of the Rohr Chabad House, a Jewish institution located in Chicago, including photographing the security features surrounding the facility.
On or about Sept. 20, 2017, Ghorbani is alleged to have attended a MEK rally in New York City, during which he photographed individuals participating in the protest against the current Iranian regime. In or about December 2017, Doostdar returned to the United States from Iran and made contact with Ghorbani in the Los Angeles area. During the meeting, Doostdar paid Ghorbani approximately $2,000 in cash and Ghorbani delivered to him 28 photographs taken at the September 2017 MEK rally, many of which contained hand-written annotations identifying the individuals who appeared in the photos. These photographs, along with a hand-written receipt for $2000, were found concealed in Doostdar’s luggage as he transited a U.S. airport on his return to Iran in December 2017.
The indictment also alleges that Ghorbani traveled to Iran in or about March 2018, after informing Doostdar that he would be going to Iran to conduct an “in-person briefing.” Thereafter, on or about May 4, Ghorbani attended the MEK-affiliated 2018 Iran Freedom Convention for Human Rights in Washington, D.C. During the course of the conference, Ghorbani appeared to photograph certain speakers and attendees, which included delegations from across the United States. On May 14, Doostdar called Ghorbani to discuss clandestine methods Ghorbani should use in order to provide this information to Iran.
Ghorbani is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 21, before the Honorable G. Michael Harvey.
The charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years; the maximum penalty for acting as an agent of a foreign power is ten years; and the maximum penalty for a violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act is 20 years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Los Angeles Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.
Two Individuals Charged for Acting as Illegal Agents of the Government of IranRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment was returned today charging Ahmadreza Mohammadi-Doostdar, 38, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, and Majid Ghorbani, 59, an Iranian citizen and resident of California, with allegedly acting on behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran by conducting covert surveillance of Israeli and Jewish facilities in the United States, and collecting identifying information about American citizens and U.S. nationals who are members of the group Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK).
The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Acting Executive Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s National Security Branch.
“The National Security Division is committed to protecting the United States from individuals within our country who unlawfully act on behalf of hostile foreign nations,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Doostdar and Ghorbani are alleged to have acted on behalf of Iran, including by conducting surveillance of political opponents and engaging in other activities that could put Americans at risk. With their arrest and these charges, we are seeking to hold the defendants accountable.”
“This indictment demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice to hold accountable agents of foreign governments who act illegally within the United States, especially where those agents are conducting surveillance of individuals and Constitutionally-protected activities in this country,” said Jessie K. Liu, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.
“This alleged activity demonstrates a continued interest in targeting the United States, as well as potential opposition groups located in the United States,” said Acting Executive Assistant Director McGarrity. “The FBI will continue to identify and disrupt those individuals who seek to engage in unlawful activity, on behalf of Iran, on US soil.”
The indictment charged Doostdar and Ghorbani with knowingly acting as agents of the government of Iran without prior notification to the Attorney General, providing services to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, and conspiracy. Both defendants were arrested on Aug. 9, pursuant to criminal complaints issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Those complaints were unsealed today.
According to the indictment, in or about July 2017, Doostdar traveled to the United States from Iran in order to collect intelligence information about entities and individuals considered by the government of Iran to be enemies of that regime, including Israeli and Jewish interests, and individuals associated with the MEK, a group that advocates the overthrow of the current Iranian government.
On or about July 21, 2017, Doostdar is alleged to have conducted surveillance of the Rohr Chabad House, a Jewish institution located in Chicago, including photographing the security features surrounding the facility.
On or about Sept. 20, 2017, Ghorbani is alleged to have attended a MEK rally in New York City, during which he photographed individuals participating in the protest against the current Iranian regime. In or about December 2017, Doostdar returned to the United States from Iran and made contact with Ghorbani in the Los Angeles area. During the meeting, Doostdar paid Ghorbani approximately $2,000 in cash and Ghorbani delivered to him 28 photographs taken at the September 2017 MEK rally, many of which contained hand-written annotations identifying the individuals who appeared in the photos. These photographs, along with a hand-written receipt for $2000, were found concealed in Doostdar’s luggage as he transited a U.S. airport on his return to Iran in December 2017.
The indictment also alleges that Ghorbani traveled to Iran in or about March 2018, after informing Doostdar that he would be going to Iran to conduct an “in-person briefing.” Thereafter, on or about May 4, Ghorbani attended the MEK-affiliated 2018 Iran Freedom Convention for Human Rights in Washington, D.C. During the course of the conference, Ghorbani appeared to photograph certain speakers and attendees, which included delegations from across the United States. On May 14, Doostdar called Ghorbani to discuss clandestine methods Ghorbani should use in order to provide this information to Iran.
Ghorbani is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 21, before the Honorable G. Michael Harvey.
The charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years; the maximum penalty for acting as an agent of a foreign power is ten years; and the maximum penalty for a violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act is 20 years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Los Angeles Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Shooting That Killed One Man, Wounded AnotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarius Jackson, 25, of Hyattsville, Md., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting in Northwest Washington last year that killed one man and injured another, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson 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. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence between 13 and 16 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Jackson accordingly. Following his prison term, Jackson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
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 Jackson’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson walked up to one victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, and shot him three times. He then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso. Mr. Amaya-Olivares, 19, was shot once in the back of the head and once in the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Jackson was arrested on Sept. 12, 2017, in Morgantown, W. Va., and extradited to the District of Columbia. He 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 also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Finally, they 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.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting Female CousinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 24-year-old man from Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for engaging in sexual acts in his home with a cousin who was 9 and 10 years old at the time, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in April 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree child sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Once released from prison, the defendant will be placed on three years of probation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, between Sept. 1, 2016 and Oct, 31, 2017, the defendant engaged in sexual acts with the young girl at his residence in Southeast Washington. He was arrested on Feb. 13, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division; as well as employees of the girl’s school, who upon learning of the sexual abuse, immediately notified the police. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Israeli-Moroccan Man Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison in International Business E-Mail Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harry Meir Mimoun Amar, a resident and citizen of Israel and Morocco, was sentenced today to 43 months in prison for taking part in an international conspiracy to trick mid-level corporate employees into wiring millions of dollars to bank accounts under the control of those in the criminal enterprise.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
In April 2018, Amar, 40, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Today, he was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Following his prison term, Amar will be placed on 36 months of supervised release. He also must pay $273,321 in restitution and $49,503 in a forfeiture money judgment. Additionally, Amar will be subject to deportation proceedings.
Amar was among 17 people arrested in early 2017 following a multi-year investigative effort by federal and international law enforcement agencies to target multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes perpetrated by a transnational organized crime network. Amar was arrested in Israel and consented to his extradition to the United States. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Amar was charged along with others last year with participating in one particular fraud scheme, known as a business e-mail compromise, or “BEC” scheme. One defendant was arrested and prosecuted in Germany for the BEC scheme. Cases against others remain pending.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Amar and others used the Internet and primarily U.S.-based electronic communications to target mid-sized and large companies and impersonate executive-level employees in e-mail communications with mid-level employees. These mid-level employees were led to believe they were being entrusted to handle a large financial transaction, such as a “secret” corporate acquisition. The employees were instructed to initiate wire transfers from the company’s corporate bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by members of the criminal enterprise. Once the funds were transferred, the money was quickly wire transferred out of the reach of the target corporation into accounts located in the People’s Republic of China and elsewhere, with the funds ultimately being delivered to co-conspirators located in Europe and elsewhere.
In his guilty plea, Amar admitted taking part in the scheme from approximately January 2014 until August 2014, working with co-conspirators who were operating in other countries, including Turkey and Bulgaria. The statement of offense ties Amar to false representations made to four companies from Germany, Spain, Finland and Portugal. According to the statement of offense, the scheme generated $1,093,557 in U.S. dollars. Amar personally received $49,503 of the proceeds.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who are investigating the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Israeli National Police, German LKA Baden-Wurttemberg, the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, Main Directorate Border Police, and Sofia Interpol.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Elizabeth Swienc, former Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Five Men Sentenced on Federal Charges Following Investigation of Drug Sales in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Five people, all from Washington, D.C., have been sentenced this week following guilty pleas to federal charges following an investigation into the trafficking of PCP, crack cocaine and heroin in Southwest Washington.
The sentences, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by 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).
The sentences followed an investigation by ATF and MPD targeting the area near the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, in the 200 block of N Street SW. The investigation began in early 2017 after authorities noticed an increase in drug sales and violent activity in the area, which is in MPD’s First Police District. According to the government’s evidence, in addition to the area near the recreation center, drug sales took place in various alleys and corners, including near a church in the 1300 block of First Street SW, near a food market in the 1300 block of Half Street SW, and near a convenience store in the 1100 block of South Capitol Street SW.
The drug trafficking activity admitted to by the defendants took place within a one-block radius of the corner of Half Street SW and Q Street SW, one block west of Nationals Stadium.
All five defendants were indicted in March 2018 and pled guilty in May 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan.
The most recent sentencing took place today. Jerome Fuller, 33, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to distribution of PCP.
Others sentenced this week include:
-Kione Banks, 21. He was sentenced on Aug. 13 to a 33-month prison term following his guilty plea to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute PCP. Banks also is awaiting sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after pleading guilty to the use of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime in connection with a string of armed robberies at convenience stores in Prince George’s County.
-Raymond Boston, 27. He was sentenced on Aug. 14 to two years in prison following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute PCP.
-Damion Littman, 32. He was sentenced on Aug. 14 to 37 months of incarceration following his guilty plea to distribution of PCP.
-Morriko Washington, 24. He was sentenced on Aug. 15 to five years in prison following his guilty plea to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Three additional defendants pled guilty to charges and are awaiting sentencing.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Katie Cowley. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and William Schurmann, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who are investigating and prosecuting the matter.
Two District Men Found Guilty of Charges in 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., have been found guilty by a jury of 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, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
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 was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2018. The defendants face a range of 15 years to more than 30 years in prison.
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 verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She 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.
U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Melissa Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case. Finally, she 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.
District Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison on Charges Involving Open Drug Market from D.C. BarbershopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darryl Smith, 41, the manager of a Southeast Washington barbershop, was sentenced today to 80 months in prison on federal narcotics and firearms offenses stemming from an investigation into drug trafficking at the business and surrounding area, 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).
Smith pled guilty in May 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and one count of possession with the intent to distribute PCP. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an 80-month prison term, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Judge Amit P. Mehta accepted the plea and sentenced Smith accordingly.
The charges against Smith stemmed from two separate arrests in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE, where Smith managed the Next Level Cuts barbershop that was used by multiple individuals to traffic narcotics.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 24, 2017, Smith was arrested by MPD while in the possession of a loaded firearm and packaged capsules of fentanyl after he fled officers following a drug transaction on the street. Smith was also arrested on additional charges following a search warrant executed at the barbershop and surrounding property on Feb. 1, 2018. In addition to recovering three firearms from the barbershop and adjoining property, law enforcement seized more than $7,000 in cash, more than 800 grams of PCP, more than 300 grams of heroin, and boxes of Suboxone strips.
Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was also arrested and charged by indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with drug trafficking offenses arising from the Feb. 1, 2018 seizure; he faces trial in November 2018. James Venable, 40, of Fort Washington, Md., pled guilty on Aug. 10, 2018, to narcotics and firearms charges stemming from his commission of two separate drug trafficking offenses while in the possession of loaded firearms. Venable’s sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 16, 2018.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those involved in the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
District Man and Woman Sentenced to Prison Terms for Roles in Regional Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Mason, 48, and Andrea Miller, 49, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in a narcotics trafficking organization that imported and distributed heroin and other drugs into the Washington, D.C. area.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu; Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C.; Eric Shen, Acting Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mason and Miller were found guilty by a jury in March 2018, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Both defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of alprazolam. Miller also was found guilty of conspiracy to import 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of alprazolam from a foreign country.
The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan sentenced Mason today to a five-year prison term, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Judge Chutkan sentenced Miller on June 27, 2018, to a 15-month prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release. While they are on supervised release, both defendants will be required to perform 100 hours of community service.
Mason and Miller were among a total of 14 defendants indicted in May 2016 following a long-term investigation into a drug trafficking organization with sources of supply in Nigeria and distribution points in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Eleven others have been convicted of drug trafficking charges and one defendant remains a fugitive.
According to the government’s evidence, between August 2014 and June 2016, Miller conspired to import packages of narcotics into the United States from various countries in Africa, and, Miller and Mason, together with their co-conspirators, conspired to distribute the narcotics throughout the Washington D.C. region.
The drug operation misused the United States Postal Service and the commercial shipping industry to illegally import into the United States and then redistribute significant quantities of drugs, primarily heroin, within the District of Columbia and the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
For purposes of this criminal activity, the international packages had the controlled substances hidden or secreted within certain items or clothing located inside the packages, and the packages were addressed and emanated from foreign countries, such as India, and listed fictitious names for addresses or locations within the Washington, D.C., area. Higher-level participants in the drug network would either wait for the packages to be delivered to certain addresses by the Postal Service or another commercial shipping business, or these same conspirators would use various civilians to accept packages containing drugs in the mail at their residences or other locations for cash or illegal drugs.
Significant quantities of the heroin were re-distributed in the 11th and H Street NE, Fourth Street and Florida Avenue NE, and 19th and Benning Road NE areas of the District of Columbia, and other locations in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Customs and Border Protection Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth F. Whitted and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamila Hodge of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Catherine O’Neal, Teesha Tobias, and Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Katie Cowley; Litigation Technology Specialists Ron Royal, Kimberly Smith, and Anisha Bhatia, and Intern Mallory Kruper.
District Man Pleads Guilty to July 4, 2018 Robbery of Northwest Washington Sandwich ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deantre Cole, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm stemming from the July 4, 2018 robbery of a sandwich restaurant in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Cole pled guilty to the charges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 26, 2018, by the Honorable Kimberly S. Knowles.
According to the government’s evidence, on the Fourth of July, at approximately 12:45 pm., Cole came into the Jimmy John’s restaurant in the 4400 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, looked around, and spoke to a manager. He told the manager that he used to work at the Pennsylvania Avenue branch of the restaurant and left the store without incident. Twenty minutes later, he and an unknown accomplice came back into the store masked.
As soon as they entered into the store, Cole who was wearing brass knuckles, rushed the store manager and punched him in the face. Cole’s accomplice who was wielding a gun, pointed the gun at the store manager and forced him to the floor. Two other employees ran into the freezer to hide. Cole went after them and dragged one of the employees back into the front of the store. He forced the employee to open the register and remove the till. Cole grabbed all the cash in the till, and he and his accomplice then hurriedly exited the store.
A law enforcement investigation led to Cole’s apprehension on July 18, 2018. He has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nurudeen Elias, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez.
District Man Found Guilty of Felony Assault Charges for Striking His Brother-In-Law in the Head with a Lug WrenchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Johnson, 48, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed for attacking his brother-in-law, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The verdict was returned on Aug. 13, 2018, followed a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Jan. 10, 2018, Johnson’s wife was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, in the 4300 block of Wheeler Road SE. Johnson went to the residence to take his wife home. When his wife refused to leave with him, Johnson became irate. The brother-in-law, 56, intervened and asked Johnson to leave.
A fight ensued, which culminated in Johnson pulling his brother-in-law by his ankles down two flights of stairs. With his brother-in-law in and out of consciousness at the bottom of the stairs, Johnson went to his car, retrieved a steel lug wrench, and returned to strike him over the head with the lug wrench. He hit him with such force that the lug wrench broke into two pieces. Johnson fled and was arrested during a traffic stop a few minutes later. His brother-in-law suffered a 4 ½-inch gash across the top of his head, which required surgical staples to close.
Johnson, who was in custody pending trial, remains held pending the sentencing.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Manzo and Kristina Wolf; Appellate Division Deputy Chief Nicholas Coleman; Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Maltese; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Supervisor Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Brenda Williams; Criminal Investigator Tommy Miller, and Interns Megan Hughes, Alexa Perlmutter, and Jill Rogowski.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer B. Loeb and Amy Joy Thomas, who prosecuted the case at trial.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for 2015 Slaying of Man Near Shaw/Howard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andre Dudley, 22, Marcus King, 22, and Christopher Proctor, 28, all of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from the August 2015 slaying of Matthew Shlonsky, an innocent bystander who was shot three years ago on a crowded street in Northwest Washington. Dudley was sentenced to an 18 ½-year prison term for the murder, King was sentenced to 17 ½ years, and Proctor was sentenced to 14 years.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The three defendants pled guilty in June 2018 to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Dudley also pled guilty to a charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from a jailhouse stabbing. The pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Dudley’s plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for him to be sentenced to an agreed-upon 18 ½-year prison term for the shooting and an additional 22 months for the jailhouse stabbing, for a total of 20 years and four months of incarceration. King’s plea called for an agreed-upon sentence of 15 to 20 years, and Proctor’s plea called for an agreed-upon term of 12 to 14 years. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Following their prison terms, the defendants will each be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, King and Proctor both associated with the Ninth Street neighborhood of Northwest Washington. On Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at approximately 4:45 p.m., King and Proctor were standing near a liquor store at the intersection of Seventh and S Streets NW, both armed with firearms. Dudley, meanwhile, drove to the area of Seventh and S in a red Chrysler 300 sedan. While stopped at the intersection of 8th and S Streets, Dudley got into an argument with Ninth Street crew members. One pulled out a gun, and Dudley pulled out his gun as well. King and Proctor were both nearby, and Proctor yelled out to other crew members to find out the identity of the person in the red car.
Dudley then turned from Eight Street onto S Street and headed east. He adjusted his position so that his head and arms were outside the sunroof. He then pointed his gun at individuals on the south side of S Street, near Seventh. King and Proctor both fired shots at Dudley as he crossed their path. King fired seven shots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm and Proctor fired 10 shots from a different .40-caliber semiautomatic. Dudley extended his arm out and fired several shots in the direction of King and Proctor.
Mr. Shlonsky, 23, had just gotten out of an Uber with friends and was heading to a concert at the Howard Theatre. He was walking in the 1800 block of Seventh Street NW, near the entrance to the Shaw/Howard University Metro station, when one of the bullets from the shootout struck him in the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
While King and Proctor were firing their weapons, a couple was walking on the sidewalk of the 700 block of S Street NW. The man and woman were each pushing strollers that had two young children inside each of them. Hearing the gunshots, the couple sprinted away, however, their proximity to the gunfire put them in the zone of harm.
While Dudley drove east on S Street NW, his vehicle came head-to-head with a vehicle turning left on S Street, NW, from Sixth Street NW. Blocked, Dudley again lifted his head and arms out of the sunroof, pointed a gun at the driver, threatened to kill him, and yelled at him to move his car. Scared, the driver moved his vehicle and Dudley then continued across S Street; as he sped into the 1900 block of Fourth Street NW, another man yelled at Dudley to slow down. In response, Dudley slammed on the brakes, rolled down his window, pointed an imitation firearm at the man, which the man believed was an actual firearm, and fired shots in the general vicinity of the man. Dudley then left the area. Dudley pled guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for these crimes.
As part of the plea agreement, Dudley admitted to his role in the May 17, 2018 stabbing of a fellow inmate at the District of Columbia Jail. The victim of that incident sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Dudley was arrested on a warrant in a burglary case on Sept. 11, 2015, and charged with the murder in December 2015. King was arrested on Aug. 21, 2015. Proctor was arrested on Feb. 23, 2016. All have been in custody since their arrests.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI, including the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, 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. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Kimberley Nielsen, Laura A. Bach, Jeffrey Nestler, Julianne Johnston, and Sharon Marcus-Kurn; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite and Sharon Newman; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Criminal Investigator Durand Odom, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two District Men Sentenced to 8 1/2-Year Prison Terms for Armed Home Invasion on Capitol HillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Barrett Harrington, 31, and Germar Fox, 35, both of Washington D.C., were sentenced today to 8 ½-year prison terms on charges stemming from an armed home invasion that took place in July 2016 near Capitol Hill, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Harrington and Fox pled guilty in June 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to the charge of first-degree burglary while armed. The pleas, which were contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for each defendant to be sentenced to 102 months of incarceration. The Honorable Kimberly S. Knowles accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Following their prison terms, both men will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the burglary took place at about 5:30 p.m. on July 15, 2016, with both Harrington and Fox conspiring to take items of personal property from the victim while he was present in his apartment in the 1000 block of New Jersey Avenue SE. Fox was armed with a firearm during the crime. According to the evidence, Harrington, Fox, and a third man conspired to commit the crime. The third man previously befriended the victim, but that was actually a ruse. On the day of the home invasion, the third man and the victim were together. The third man stepped out and informed Harrington and Fox that he was alone with the victim in the apartment. Harrington and Fox then barged into the apartment, bound the victim with duct tape, placed a pillow case over his head, assaulted him with the gun, and robbed him of his safe with thousands of dollars in cash and other items.
As they made their escape, a passerby noted the license plate of the getaway car, and provided it to police. Further investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including fingerprint and DNA evidence, led to the arrests of the defendants. Harrington was arrested on June 24, 2017 and Fox was arrested on July 11, 2017. Both have been in custody ever since. The case against the third man remains pending.
In announcing the sentences, 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 of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Sanchez, Denise Cheung, and Stephen Rickard; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Donice Adams; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kamil Shields, Alyse Constantinide and Louis Manzo, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics While Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Venable, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to federal firearms and narcotics offenses.
The announcement was made by 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), Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Venable pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable in excess of 12 months in prison and one count of unlawful distribution of a detectable amount of heroin. He faces up to 30 years in prison. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Oct. 16, 2018.
Venable’s charges arise from a law enforcement investigation regarding alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. On Feb. 1, 2018, law enforcement agents from ATF, MPD and the Prince George’s County Police Department executed search warrants on three locations and five vehicles, which led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and quantities of narcotics. During the course of the investigation, Venable had been arrested twice in possession of distribution quantities of narcotics and a loaded firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 5, 2017, MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division was conducting undercover operations in the 600 block of Yuma Street SE. After purchasing crack cocaine, a lookout was given for the suspect dealer. Law enforcement moved in to stop the suspected dealer, who was standing with Venable next to Venable’s vehicle. An MPD canine officer and canine responded to the location and the canine gave a positive reaction for the presence of a firearm in the immediate area of the front-passenger-seat compartment. Upon opening the compartment, law enforcement observed a loaded 9 mm handgun. Venable was subsequently arrested with 32 grams of heroin on his person.
Then, on Feb. 1, 2018, while he was on pretrial release from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for his Dec, 5, 2017 arrest, law enforcement executed search warrants on Venable’s residence and vehicle in Maryland. Law enforcement recovered three baggies containing approximately 10.6 grams of heroin and $852 in cash from Venable’s person. During the search of Venable’s vehicle, law enforcement recovered an AWS-600 digital scale on the driver’s side floor, a small black digital scale in the center console, and a black Sharpstone box containing a silver press in the trunk. During the search of Venable’s residence, law enforcement recovered a loaded .45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen. In the kitchen, law enforcement recovered a black scale, a silver press, plastic sandwich baggies, and a strainer. In the hallway closet, law enforcement located a blue Nike bag containing two scales, a spoon, and plastic baggies, as well as, additional packing material for narcotics.
Venable was charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and he agreed to have the charge transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as part of a global resolution to the charges against him.
One other defendant pled guilty to charges in the case and another is awaiting trial. Darryl Smith, 41, the manager of the Next Level Cuts barbershop, pled guilty to federal narcotics and firearms offenses and is to be sentenced on Aug. 15, 2018. Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was indicted for drug trafficking offenses and is awaiting trial.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of those investigating and prosecuting the cases. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Teesha Tobias, and Kim Hall; Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parker Tobin and Rebecca Caruso of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Sykes.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tyrone Hopkins, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest last fall in a narcotics investigation, 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).
Hopkins pled guilty in July 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Hopkins was arrested on Oct. 16, 2017, in the 1900 block of West Virginia Avenue NE after he and another man sold crack cocaine to an undercover MPD officer. When MPD officers arrested Hopkins, they discovered an additional amount of crack cocaine in his pocket and a loaded firearm tucked in his waistband. Hopkins had previously been convicted of a felony offense and was, at the time of his arrest, on pre-trial release for a pending drug charge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The firearm recovered from Hopkins was linked to a broader investigation into a firearms ring that acquired guns in Atlanta, Ga., and transported weapons into the District of Columbia for resale. According to the evidence, the gun in Hopkins’s possession was purchased by Jeremy Carr at a store in Smyrna, Ga. Carr, 34, of Marietta, Ga., has been indicted along with two co-defendants on federal charges in a separate case in the District of Columbia, including a charge of taking part in a conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. All three defendants have pled not guilty to charges and are awaiting further court proceedings.
According to court documents filed in the case against Carr, more than 20 firearms that Carr purchased have already been recovered in the District of Columbia.
These cases are being investigated by ATF and MPD. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to 30-Month Prison Term for Illegal Possession of Gun on MetrobusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael N. Jackson, 44, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 30-month prison term on a federal firearms charge, stemming from his possession of a loaded handgun onboard a Metrobus in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police Department.
Jackson pled guilty in June 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and one count of simple possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018, by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 14, 2017, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Jackson boarded a Metrobus at 8th and H Streets NE. He was highly intoxicated, and initiated an argument with another passenger. He later threatened to shoot and kill everyone on the bus.
Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department responded to the bus after it arrived at the Minnesota Avenue bus bay. They made contact with Jackson, and recovered a loaded 9-mm handgun from his waistband. After Jackson’s arrest, officers found crack cocaine in his pocket. Further investigation revealed that the handgun had been stolen from Prince George’s County, Md. Jackson has been in custody since his arrest.
This case marked Jackson’s fifth conviction for an offense involving a handgun. They included a 2006 conviction of a federal firearms charge in the District of Columbia and a 2014 conviction of a firearms charge in Prince George’s County, Md.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Pavlik commended the work of the officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson, Lisa Walters, and William Schurmann, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15-Year Prison Term for Killing Woman Near Southeast Washington Bike PathRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elliott A. Starks, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for killing a woman in December 2016 along a bicycle trail in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Starks pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison term of 15 years. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced Starks accordingly. Following his prison term, Starks is to be placed on five years of supervised release. However, he also faces revocation of his parole for an earlier killing.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Antina Pratt, 40, was slain on Nov. 7, 2016, just over an hour after she left the restaurant where she worked. After work, Ms. Pratt took a bus from a stop near the restaurant to the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Howard Road SE, a short distance from the Sheridan Station apartment complex. When she got off the bus, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Starks, who knew Ms. Pratt, walked up to her at a location behind the apartment complex. The two walked alongside each other onto the 2600 block of Pomeroy Road SE, and towards a bike path adjacent to Suitland Parkway SE.
Several minutes later, while in a grassy area near the bike path, Starks drew a knife and stabbed Ms. Pratt repeatedly, inflicting a total of 29 stab wounds. She fought back, and in the process, scratched her assailant with her fingernails. She eventually collapsed and Starks fled on foot. A passerby found Ms. Pratt’s body the following afternoon.
Starks had been paroled in June 2016 after serving a term of imprisonment for other offenses, including a murder that he committed in 1999, also in Southeast Washington. In the earlier murder case, he had been sentenced to a prison term of 14 to 42 years.
Telephone records revealed that Starks and Ms. Pratt had communicated with each other on the night of Nov. 7, 2016. As a result, MPD detectives arranged to interview Starks. During the interview, on Dec. 22, 2016, Starks acknowledged knowing Ms. Pratt and being aware of her death. But he denied being responsible for the stabbing.
The District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, meanwhile, had examined Ms. Pratt’s fingernail clippings and found the presence of an unknown male’s DNA profile. The profile was uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes. Because of his convictions for the earlier offenses, a sample of Starks’s DNA profile had been uploaded into the CODIS database. On Dec. 30, 2016, MPD was advised that Starks’s DNA profile matched the one found on the fingernail clippings.
At the time of Ms. Pratt’s murder, Starks was still under supervision following his parole for the earlier crimes. However, in January 2017, he stopped reporting for meetings. On Jan. 6, 2017, a warrant was issued for his arrest for Ms. Pratt’s murder. He was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
As a result of this crime, Starks faces revocation of his parole for the earlier conviction. He could be required to serve the remaining 25 years on the sentence for that crime.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Metro transit system. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark and Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews-Yette. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Liebman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Following Discovery of Guns and Drugs in His ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Leroy Jones, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of possessing firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pled guilty in May 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Reggie B. Walton accepted the plea and sentenced Jones accordingly.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea, on June 28, 2017, Deputy U.S. Marshals came to an apartment building in the 1300 block of Kenyon Street NW to conduct an eviction. Building management provided them with the keys to the apartment. The deputy marshals announced their arrival for an eviction and entered the unit. No one was inside. The deputy marshals observed suspected narcotics, ammunition, and a firearm in plain view and reported the discovery to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department secured the apartment while a search warrant was sought. The officers who secured the apartment locked the front door and waited inside the apartment. While they waited, Jones returned to the apartment and unlocked the front door. Officers came to the front of the unit and detained Jones in the hallway.
Officers then searched the apartment pursuant to a search warrant. They found, among other things a duffel-style bag containing a Wyndham Weaponry .223-caliber short-barreled rifle, a rifle-pistol, two handguns, several high-capacity magazines and various types of ammunition. They also discovered in the apartment a ballistic vest, loose ammunition, a loaded magazine, suspected narcotics, and $3,409 in cash.
The suspected narcotics were submitted to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and a lab analysis determined them to be mixtures of substances containing cocaine and cocaine base.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Marshal Hughes, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Marshals Service and Metropolitan Police Department. They also 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 Catherine O’Neil, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente, Steven B. Wasserman, Emory V. Cole, and Vincent Caputy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Taking Part in Drug Conspiracy Based in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Crevonte Johnson, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as crack cocaine, in the Washington, D.C. area, 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).
Johnson pled guilty 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 cocaine base. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2018.
Johnson 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. One other defendant has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, and ten others are awaiting trial.
According to plea documents filed today, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking activities in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE in late 2015. Throughout the investigation, an undercover police officer purchased crack cocaine from Johnson on multiple occasions. The first such purchase took place in 2015 and Johnson continued selling crack cocaine to the undercover officer on a regular basis throughout 2016. The last of these sales took place on Dec. 14, 2016, in the parking lot of a grocery store in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Throughout the investigation, Johnson sold the undercover officer approximately $10,080 worth of narcotics. Johnson admitted in Court that he was responsible for conspiring to distribute over 280 grams of crack cocaine.
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).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with MPD, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners on a Justice Department initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods that is expected to generate additional cases targeting drug organizations. Under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to a coordinated law enforcement approach and identifying and addressing the most violent locations in the District of Columbia and the offenders.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the 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.