District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Arturo Gray, 23, of Capitol Heights, Md., and Twon Brown, 24, of Washington D.C., have pled guilty to charges stemming from an armed robbery of a pharmacy last year on Capitol Hill, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

            Gray and Brown pled guilty on Oct. 4, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to robbery while armed. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of five years of incarceration. Brown also pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm in an unrelated case. That plea calls for an additional one year of incarceration. The Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro scheduled sentencing for Nov. 30, 2018.

            According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing and the government’s evidence, the robbery took place at approximately 2:20 p.m. on May 5, 2017, at a pharmacy in the 300 block of East Capitol Street NE. Brown and Gray entered the pharmacy together with another individual. Brown brandished a firearm and pointed it at employees and customers while Gray guarded the door and shouted commands at the employees.

            As the crime continued, Brown and another individual jumped over the counter and took prescription medications from the store while holding the employees at gunpoint. Brown, Gray, and the third individual then fled the establishment together. Video footage from inside the store helped to identify the defendants. Subsequently, law enforcement recovered text messages between the conspirators which showed them discussing their plans for the robbery. Further electronic evidence showed Gray searching on the Internet for the pharmacy in advance of the robbery and using Google Maps to navigate to the location.

            Gray was arrested on Oct. 16, 2017 and Brown was arrested on May 28, 2018. The defendants were indicted on Oct. 3, 2018, on 22 counts relating to the robbery and pled guilty the following day. This case was set to go to trial on Nov. 1, 2018 before the defendants pled guilty to the lead charge of the indictment.

            In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI's Washington Field Office, and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyse Constantinide and Louis Manzo, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Three men were sentenced today to decades in prison on felony murder and other charges stemming from the slaying of a man during a home invasion in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Joseph Barbour, 38, Willie Glover, Jr., 40, and Charles McRae, 66, were found guilty by a jury on July 17, 2018, of murder, first-degree burglary while armed, and related offenses, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            Today, the Honorable Craig Iscoe sentenced Barbour to 40 years in prison, Glover to 38 years, and McRae to a 38 ½-year term of incarceration. Barbour and McRae are from Washington, D.C., and Glover is from Forestville, Md. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on the night of the killing, Dec. 21, 2015, the victim, Lenard Wills, was with a group of people in an apartment in the 700 block of 24th Street NE. His girlfriend was making dinner for the group when she got into a verbal argument with McRae. McRae left the apartment and came back a short time later with Barbour and Glover. One of the occupants let McRae into the apartment and, as he entered, Barbour and Glover came in behind him, wearing masks and carrying guns. 

            All three told the people in the apartment to get down and shut up.  Barbour and Glover immediately went to Mr. Wills, who was seated at a table in the living room, and started pistol-whipping him, demanding money and drugs. McRae held down one of the occupants and punched another who tried to flee.  He then pounded on the bathroom door demanding that Mr. Wills’ girlfriend come out, and punched her when she did.  A struggle between Mr. Wills, Barbour and Glover ensued, during which one of the guns went off and broke apart.  At some point during the struggle, Mr. Wills stabbed Barbour and Glover. McRae then came over to assist.  Mr. Wills, 50, was stabbed multiple times and all three defendants fled the apartment.  Mr. Wills was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital.

            Bleeding heavily, Barbour fled across the courtyard and a basketball court to his girlfriend’s apartment building.  Later, while canvassing along the blood trail, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered a knife in a trash can as well as Barbour’s cell phone on the basketball court.  Glover, meanwhile, drove himself to an area hospital. McRae met up with several of the apartment’s occupants at a bus stop while police were canvassing the scene and told them, among other things, that what happened in the apartment was not meant for them and that if he had the gun, he would have shot Mr. Wills.

            Barbour and Glover were arrested within days of the murder, and McRae was arrested in March 2016. All have been in custody ever since.

            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 District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chrisellen Kolb and Daniel Lenerz; former Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarrity, Alesha Matthews, Stephanie Gilbert, and Kelly Blakeney;  Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Leif Hickling, and Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan, and Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Earnest and Richard Barker, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Steven Sanchez, 20, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to an 82-month prison term for robbing a teenager at gunpoint last fall in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

           Sanchez was found guilty by a jury in July 2018 of charges of armed robbery, first-degree theft, fleeing law enforcement, destruction of property, and a related firearms offense. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 3, 2017, at about 10 p.m., the 17-year-old victim was attacked as he walked in the area of 14th and Farragut Streets NW. Sanchez and an accomplice shoved the victim to the ground, stuck a gun to his neck, and robbed him. Sanchez and his accomplice – who were both wearing masks - took the victim’s backpack, laptop, iPhone and wallet, and fled. The victim called 911, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly located Sanchez and his accomplice in a car parked in an alley behind 14th Street and Ortiz Place NW. Police found some of the victim’s belongings in a nearby dumpster and the victim’s iPhone case was underneath the car.

            Detectives arrived a short time later and attempted to question Sanchez. Sanchez, however, backed up his car and almost hit officers. He hit a parked car, damaging its bumper. He then exited the alley at top speed and got away. An investigation led to Sanchez’s arrest in March 2018, and he has remained in custody ever since. No others have been arrested in the 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 Montgomery County, Md. Police Department. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez, Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Richard Cheatham, Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Interns Shelby Rampolo and Chad Hansen. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nurudeen Elias and Alissa Kempler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON – Dominique N. Simms, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest during the execution of a search warrant at a house in Northeast Washington announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Washington Division Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Simms pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2019. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Simms faces an estimated range of 24 to 30 months in prison and up to three years of supervised release. The Court ordered him detained pending sentencing.

            According to the government’s evidence, on May 16, 2018, members of a joint MPD and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force executed a search warrant at a residence in the 5300 block of Clay Terrace NE. As officers entered the premises, they saw an unknown man run through the living room and out of the back door. Simms, who was sitting on the couch, attempted to run away from the entering officers. A search of the living room area revealed a loaded Glock 43 and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun underneath the seat cushion of the chair next to where Simms was sitting. The guns were easily accessible from the couch area. Throughout the house, police also discovered more than seven ounces, or approximately 195 grams, of phencyclidine (PCP).

            Law enforcement tested the firearms for the presence of any fingerprints or identifiable DNA. On June 12, 2018, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences identified one fingerprint – a left palm print – of Simms on the left side of the Smith and Wesson. On July 18, 2018, DNA analysts identified Simms’s DNA on both firearms.

            The Glock 43 firearm had previously been reported stolen from a firearms store located in Rockville, Md. in 2017.

            Simms was barred from possessing a firearm because of prior convictions in the District of Columbia. In the District of Columbia, he was sentenced in 2013 for robbery.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Acting Special Agent in Charge Hoernke, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, specifically the Cross-Border Initiative Task Force. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistant Emma Atlas. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory P. Rosen, who prosecuted the case.

 

            WASHINGTON –Babajide Pittman, 33, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in a mid-day shooting that took place on a Southeast Washington corner on Thanksgiving weekend of 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Pittman also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses. The verdict was returned on Oct. 3, 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2018. Pittman faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 27, 2016, at approximately 1 p.m., Pittman was standing on the corner of 7th and L Streets SE, outside the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks Annex.  The homicide victim, Anthony Young, Jr., was the passenger in a car being driven by his girlfriend. They were headed to a friend’s house nearby.  Pittman and Mr. Young knew each other, and had been in a prior argument.  Mr. Young got out of the car and argued on the sidewalk with Pittman for about two minutes.

            When Mr. Young opened the passenger door of the car to leave, Pittman ran up behind him and fired 12 shots into the car.  Mr. Young was struck eight times, in the back, arm, and legs, and his girlfriend was struck once in the leg. 

            Mr. Young, 27, died within minutes of being shot.  His girlfriend was transported to Howard University Hospital, where she was treated for the gunshot wound.  She sustained permanent nerve damage in her foot. 

            Pittman fled the area on foot.  He was arrested early the following morning, and has been held in custody since. 

            Personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps assisted the victims and the responding police officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police.

            A homeowner who lived down the street from the shooting had a Nest surveillance system, with audio and high-definition video, that captured the shooting.  This video was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting the case. This prosecution reflects the value of the District of Columbia’s Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which encourages residents to install security cameras to assist law enforcement. 

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metro Transit Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mannarino, Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and intern Cara Clark. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and Seth Gilmore, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Antoine Byrd, 38, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to fatally stabbing one man and wounding two others at a bar and grill in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Byrd pled guilty on Oct. 3, 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 is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence in the range of 10 to 14 years. The Honorable Craig Iscoe set a hearing for Jan. 11, 2019, to determine whether to accept the plea and sentencing range.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, the stabbing took place at approximately 11:40 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2016.  That evening, the homicide victim, Robinson Pal, 32, had been with friends at the “Bar Code” bar and restaurant, in the 1100 block of 17th Street NW. Byrd was also at the club that night.  At some point during the evening, Mr. Pal pointed out Byrd to his friends, and accused Byrd of having previously robbed him. 

            A short time later, Mr. Pal and Byrd encountered one another again.  This time, they got into a physical altercation, and at some point, Byrd yelled, “I’m going to kill you.” Byrd then stabbed Mr. Pal one time in his chest area.  Mr. Pal slumped over and fell to the floor.  During that altercation, Byrd also stabbed a second man in the back, and a third man in the hand. Both of those victims survived.

            Byrd then fled the scene on foot. He was later identified by individuals who had been at the establishment that night.  DNA evidence also linked Byrd to the handle of the knife that was recovered on scene from underneath Mr. Pal. Byrd was arrested on Feb. 17, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.

            Mr. Pal died from his injuries on Feb. 1, 2016.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia 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 Laura A. Bach and David Gorman, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler, Alicia Long, and Ellen D’Angelo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A volunteer on the staff of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives made his first court appearance today on charges stemming from the illegal posting of restricted personal information of five U.S. Senators on the Wikipedia website, as well as related conduct.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.

            Jackson A. Cosko, 27, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on Oct. 3, 2018 by the U.S. Capitol Police. He is charged in a criminal complaint with five federal offenses: making public restricted personal information; making threats in interstate commerce; unauthorized access of a government computer; identity theft; and witness tampering. The complaint also charges him with second-degree burglary and unlawful entry, both District of Columbia offenses.

            Cosko appeared this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The judge ordered that Cosko remain detained pending a hearing set for Oct. 9, 2018.

            According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, the U.S. Capitol Police began an investigation on Sept. 27, 2018, after it was determined that the Wikipedia pages of three U.S. Senators had been edited to include restricted personal information without their knowledge or permission. This information included home addresses and personal telephone numbers. These edits took place roughly contemporaneously with public – and highly publicized – Senate proceedings related to a nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court.

            Then, on Oct. 1, 2018, according to the affidavit, similar information was posted on the Wikipedia pages of two additional Senators.

             “Doxxing” is the act of gathering, by licit and illicit means, and posting on the Internet personal identifying information (“PII”) and other sensitive information about an individual.

            On the night of Oct. 2, 2018, according to the affidavit, a witness saw Cosko at a computer in the office of a U.S. Senator who had once employed him. The witness confronted Cosko, who left the office. An investigation led to Cosko’s arrest by the U.S. Capitol Police.

            The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

            The statutory maximums for the crimes are as follows:

            Federal Offenses:

            Making public restricted personal information – five years.

            Threats in interstate commerce – two years.

            Unauthorized access of a government computer – one year.

            Identity theft – five years.

            Witness tampering – 20 years.

            District of Columbia Offenses:

            Second-degree burglary – 15 years.

            Unlawful Entry – Six months.

            The maximum statutory federal sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.  If convicted of any federal offense, a sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the U.S. Capitol Police. The case is being prosecuted by the Cyber Crime and National Security Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

 

WASHINGTON – David Tipton, 52, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for defrauding lenders who provided him with nearly $710,000 towards the purchase and renovation of a residential property in Northeast Washington.

            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.

            Tipton pled guilty in May 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of mail fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $448,994 in restitution, as well as an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

            According to the government’s evidence, Tipton owned a company that was created to purchase, renovate, and sell residential real estate in the District of Columbia and Virginia. He signed a contract in January 2013 to purchase a property in the 500 block of 14th Street NE for $450,000 in cash, planning to renovate and sell the property for a profit. He falsely represented that he had the required funds available to close the cash transaction and created a false bank statement to back up the claim. In fact, almost all of the money for the purchase was coming from two unrelated private individuals whom he had met at a real estate investment seminar. Each of them provided Tipton with $224,497, for a total of $448,994, in return for Deeds of Trust securing their interest in the property.  Tipton did not tell the settlement company about the loans.  As a result, the Deeds of Trust were not recorded.

            Additionally, Tipton later obtained $260,000 from a private money lender to renovate the property.  Tipton did not disclose to the lender that two other individuals held Deeds of Trust in the property.   

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Marston, former Criminal Investigator Juan Juarez, Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys, and former Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – James Richardson, 37, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman in September 2003, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Richardson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse.  The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon seven-year prison term. Richardson also will be required to register as a sex offender for life and serve a term of supervised release. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 21, 2003, at approximately 8:20 p.m., Richardson pulled the woman into a wooded area in the 4600 block of Blue Plains Drive SW, and raped her at knifepoint, after engaging her in conversation and offering to walk her home. Richardson then brandished the knife, told her to do as he said, and sexually assaulted her. The victim screamed for help and tried to run, but was unsuccessful. When the assault was over, Richardson threatened to kill the victim if she reported the assault. He again offered to walk the victim home, but she told him to leave her alone and ran back to her residence.

            The victim made an immediate report to police, and was transported to an area hospital, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination.

            Richardson was developed as a suspect in this offense by MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit in September 2018. On Sept. 18, 2018, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed a complaint and warrant authorizing Richardson’s arrest. The warrant was executed on Sept. 19, 2018, two days before the statute of limitations would have run on this case. Richardson has been in custody ever since.

            When detectives discovered this case in September 2018, the investigation revealed that Richardson had been convicted in two prior sexual assault cases, one that occurred in 2000 in Baltimore, and one that occurred in 2003 in the District of Columbia.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit and officers from the Seventh District, as well as the Deputy Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Paralegal Specialist Tameka Garcia.

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky and Jennifer Loeb, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Richard Reid, 43, of Washington, D.C., and Dwonne Washington, 43, of Silver Spring, Md., were sentenced today to prison terms for robbing and beating a man who was servicing ATM machines in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Division of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Both men pled guilty in July 2018 to a charge of interference with interstate commerce by robbery as well as a related federal firearms offense. They were sentenced by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras in the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia. Each was sentenced to a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and additional time for the robbery offense. Reid was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison and Washington was sentenced to a total 8 ½-year prison term. Following their prison terms, each will be placed on five years of supervised release. They also were ordered to pay $52,000 in restitution, as well as $26,000 each in forfeiture money judgments.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 15, 2017, the victim was refilling ATM machines owned by his company throughout the Washington, D.C. area.  The attack took place after the victim had refilled an ATM machine located inside a market in the 300 block of P Street NW. At 1:45 p.m., as the victim was walking to his car with a backpack filled with cash, he was attacked from behind by two assailants.

            The first assailant, Washington, pistol-whipped the victim with a firearm while the second assailant, Reid, beat the victim with his fists.  Both Washington and Reid wrestled the backpack off the victim’s back and fled the area in a vehicle.  During the attack, which was captured on surveillance video, the victim’s nose was broken.

            An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department revealed that the getaway vehicle used by the assailants was registered to Washington.  Witnesses then identified Washington in the surveillance video and he was arrested the day after the crime.  He has been held ever since.  Subsequent investigation by MPD and the FBI’s Washington Field Office identified a phone dropped on scene as belonging to Reid, and a witness identified him in the surveillance video.  He was arrested on Feb. 23, 2018 and has been held since that time. 

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu, Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s Fifth District detectives and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Vanore and Sumit Mallick, who prosecuted the defendants. 

WASHINGTON – Nineteen people have been arrested and one is being sought on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking network that distributed heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, PCP, and suboxone in the Washington, D.C. area. 

            The arrests and charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Division of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, 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 charges were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. To date, more than 55 ounces of cocaine and cocaine base, more than seven ounces of heroin, and more than 10 pounds of marijuana have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with seven firearms, including a short-barreled AK rifle, one silencer, and more than $10,000 in cash. 

            A total of 16 people were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, PCP, and suboxone. Two additional individuals were indicted for firearms offenses, and two more defendants were charged in criminal complaints. The indictments include a forfeiture count against those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes.

            The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by ATF and the MPD/FBI Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. In the summer of 2017, MPD, ATF, and the FBI began a long-term investigation into drug trafficking in the Northeast quadrant of the District of Columbia. The indictments allege that various defendants conspired to carry out various facets of the drug operation from at least October 2017 until September 2018.

            “These indictments are the result of a concerted law enforcement effort to identify and prosecute those responsible for drug trafficking in neighborhoods in the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Those who sell illegal drugs pose a significant threat to public safety and we will do everything we can to disrupt and dismantle their operations.”

            “Information developed from MPD’s summer crime prevention initiative led to a year-long federal gang investigation that culminated with these arrests of a network of drug dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge DeSarno. “We will continue to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners through the MPD/FBI Safe Streets Task Force to take down these violent enterprises and address crime in our region.”

            “Gun crime is a scourge on our communities and it holds good citizens hostage in their homes. Everyone deserves a community where they feel safe,” said Special Agent in Charge Chittum. “ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make sure they have it. We will continue to use our resources to take armed criminals off our streets and put them behind bars where they belong.”

            “The safety and well-being of District residents and visitors was positively impacted as a result of this comprehensive investigation and subsequent prosecutions,” said Chief Newsham.  “We have an unwavering commitment at the Metropolitan Police Department to remove illegal firearms and narcotics from our neighborhoods, which is shared by each of our partner agencies.  This operation should serve as an example of this commitment and our ability to safely remove dangerous individuals from our community.”

            Numerous law enforcement agencies assisted in the arrests and searches, including the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, the, Montgomery County, Md. Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the U.S. Park Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

            Seventeen people were arrested on Sept. 28, 2018.  Two others were already in custody and one remains at large.  The defendants began making court appearances on Sept. 28, 2018, with further proceedings scheduled for this week.

            A total of 13 locations were searched during the law enforcement actions on Sept. 28, 2018, including 11 in the District of Columbia and two in Prince George’s County, Md.  At earlier stages of the investigation, law enforcement seized evidence during two additional searches in the District of Columbia and two in Montgomery County, Md.

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

            In announcing the arrests and charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD, and ATF. 

            They acknowledged the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

            Additionally, they expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office;, Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, Montgomery County, Md. Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Park Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

            Finally, they cited the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth F. Whitted, C.B. Buente, Stephen J. Gripkey, and Kara Traster, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.

WASHINGTON – Leopold Badu, 43, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to six years in prison for incidents in which he stole credit cards and other items from lockers and bags at three gyms and a movie theater, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Badu pled guilty in August 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery, one count of second-degree burglary, and two counts of felony credit card fraud, stemming from four incidents over a five-month period. He was sentenced on Sept. 28, 2018, by the Honorable Marisa Demeo. Following his prison term, he is to be placed on three years of supervised release.

            Badu was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in June 2018 and charged with multiple theft-related charges, mostly stemming from break-ins of lockers at various fitness centers. In his guilty plea, he admitted to four of the offenses. They included:

            -Dec. 25, 2017: Badu sat next to a woman at a movie theater in the 700 block of Seventh Street NW, and removed a wallet from her bag without her knowledge. He then used her credit card for $150 in transactions at the concession stand.

            -March 15, 2018: Badu entered the men’s locker room of a fitness center in the 3100 block of 14th Street NW, and broke into a locker. He stole cash and three credit cards. He used the cards to make more than $2,000 in purchases.

            -May 7, 2018: Badu entered the men’s locker room of a fitness center in the 2400 block of M Street NW and took credit cards. He then made more than $2,000 in purchases.

            -May 22, 2018: Badu entered the men’s locker room of a fitness center in the 1600 block of U Street NW and broke into a locker. He stole credit cards and $40 in cash. He made more than $2,000 in purchases on the credit cards.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vivian E. Kim and Colleen Kukowski, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON - Kavon D. Young, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal firearms charge following his arrest in a traffic stop, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Young pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2018. Young faces an estimated range of 30 to 37 months in prison and up to three years of supervised release. The Court ordered him detained pending sentencing.

            According to the government's evidence, on Feb. 16, 2018, at approximately 10 p.m., an MPD officer, operating in full uniform and in an unmarked police car, was patrolling the Sixth District. The officer saw Young operating a gold-colored Nissan Maxima traveling in the wrong direction on 53rd Street SE, which is a one-way street.

            A few minutes later, while officers were searching for the vehicle, another MPD officer, in full uniform and in a marked police car, observed Young driving at the intersection of 60th and Clay Streets NE. When officers got behind the vehicle in attempt to initiate a traffic stop, Young sped out and turned onto 60th Street NE, which leads to a dead end in the 200 block of the street. Before officers approached or were able to give Young any verbal commands, he immediately jumped out of the vehicle, leaving the driver’s door wide open. Without any prompting from MPD officers, Young went to the ground laying on his stomach with his arms on either side of him. An officer asked, “Any weapons on you?” and he replied “na, it’s in the car.”

            Inside the vehicle, the officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic firearm tucked in between the right side of the driver’s seat and the center console. The magazine had 16 rounds of ammunition, and an additional seven rounds of ammunition was found in the vehicle.

            Young was barred from possessing a firearm because of prior convictions in the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, Md. In the District of Columbia, he was sentenced in 2016 for various firearms offenses. In Prince George’s County, he was sentenced in 2015 for a firearms offense and a vehicle theft charge.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Intern Nikeesha D. Nath. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Kevin Grover, 26, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to killing a man in broad daylight in February 2016 in Southeast Washington. A second defendant, Justin Robinson, 19, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to a related charge.

            The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

            Grover pled guilty to second-degree murder, and Robinson pled guilty to assault with intent to kill. Both pleas were before the Honorable Judith Bartnoff in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The pleas, which are contingent upon the Court’s approval, call for Grover to be sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison and for Robinson to be sentenced to three to seven years of incarceration. Judge Bartnoff scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 14, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 24, 2016, at about 2:30 p.m., Robinson and the victim, Demetrius Medlay, bumped shoulders and briefly argued at a market in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. Robinson drove away, but returned to the area about 10 minutes later. He got out of the car holding a handgun with an extended magazine. While waving the gun, he argued with Mr. Medlay on the sidewalk and then drove off.

            Robinson stopped the car at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Esther Place SE at about 2:45 p.m. Grover was standing at the corner. Referring to Mr. Medlay, Robinson said, “You can smoke him,” to which Grover replied, “All right.”

            Moments later, Grover pulled a semi-automatic firearm out of his pocket and pointed it at Mr. Medlay. He shot him twice in the chest. Grover fled the scene. Mr. Medlay ran back to the food market, where he collapsed. Mr. Medlay, 22, was pronounced dead a short time later.

            A law enforcement investigation led to Grover’s arrest in August 2016. Robinson was arrested in in July 2017.

            In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Willoughby, Jr., former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard DiZinno, Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman, former Paralegal Specialist Zekiah Wright, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Alton Rivers, 54, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing a man with a screwdriver during a fight in Northwest Washington last summer, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Rivers pled guilty on Sept. 28, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, July 27, 2018, at about 4:30 p.m., an off-duty officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) observed two men fighting in the middle of the street in the intersection of 14th Street and Perry Place NW. One of the men – later identified as Rivers - was seen holding a weapon, and the other was swinging his fists. The officer confronted both men, announced that he was a police officer, and ordered them to stop fighting. Seconds later, the man who had been swinging his fists fell to the ground, with blood coming from his mouth. Rivers was then ordered repeatedly to drop his weapon, a bloody screwdriver. He finally complied and was arrested.

            The second man was identified as Anthony Anderson, 68. All life-saving efforts failed and Mr. Anderson died from two stab wounds to the chest, one of which punctured his chest and aorta. Rivers has been in custody since his arrest.

            A witness reported seeing the two men prior to the stabbing, fighting with their firsts. At one point, according to the witness, Mr. Anderson punched Rivers, who fell to the ground. Rivers then got up, this witness stated, and pulled out the screwdriver and stabbed Mr. Anderson.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Shane Browne, 28, formerly of Beverly Hills, Calif., has been sentenced to a prison term of 14 years and eight months on charges stemming from the kidnapping of a Lyft driver last December, 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).

            Browne was found guilty by a jury in April 2018 of charges of kidnapping and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Sept. 28, 2018, by the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden. Following his prison term, Browne will be placed on five years of supervised release. The Court also ordered a civil forfeiture in the amount of $70,200 in connection with the marijuana that was seized in the case, as well as the forfeiture of approximately $35,000 in cash that was seized at an apartment where Browne had been staying in the District of Columbia.

            At trial, the government’s evidence showed that on Dec. 11, 2017, Browne requested a ride using the Lyft smartphone application and ride-sharing service.  The Lyft driver picked Browne up at approximately 3:20 p.m. at the Calvert House Apartments, in the 2400 block of Calvert Street NW. The driver drove Browne about 72 miles to a Red Roof Inn in Aberdeen, Md.

            After arriving in Aberdeen at approximately 5:20 p.m., the two parted ways at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant, with the Lyft driver having grown suspicious of Browne and indicating that he would not provide a round trip.  Within approximately 30 minutes, Browne returned to the Lyft vehicle with a suitcase that he did not have at the start of the trip. Browne placed the suitcase in the trunk, and requested a return trip, which the driver refused to provide.

            Ultimately, Browne entered the Lyft vehicle and yet again requested a return trip, which the driver once again refused to provide. At this point, according to the government’s evidence, Browne took out a firearm, held it to the driver’s head, and ordered him to drive them back to the Calvert House Apartments. The driver then drove Browne and his suitcase to the Calvert House Apartments.  Along the way, and as confirmed by Lyft business records, the driver managed to send an e-mail to Lyft that read, “Call the police I’m on [sic] trouble.” 

            At about 7:30 p.m., they arrived at the apartment building. Browne exited the vehicle and took his suitcase and entered the building. The driver, meanwhile, contacted OnStar and was subsequently referred to 911.  MPD officers responded to the area at approximately 8:05 p.m. The officers monitored the building and ultimately detained Browne as he left a unit.

            The following day, a search warrant was executed at the apartment, and law enforcement recovered approximately 78 pounds of marijuana in suitcases similar to the one that Browne had placed in the Lyft driver’s car, approximately $35,000 in cash, a cash-counting machine and other items. No firearm was recovered in the search.

            Browne has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 11, 2017.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes MPD detectives, and the MPD officers who responded to the scene. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the FBI’s Baltimore Division, the FBI Operational Technology Division, and the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Department.

            They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Brown; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin; Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Jeanette Litz, Catherine O’Neal, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Latoya Wade, Peter Gaboton, and Katie Cowley; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Sarah McClellan, Chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Vanore and Stephen J. Gripkey, who indicted and tried the case.

WASHINGTON – Cortez Williams, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a nine-year prison term for shooting into a window of a home in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Williams was found guilty by a jury in June 2018 of assault with a dangerous weapon, destruction of property, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, Williams will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, the victim’s brother owed a drug debt to one of Williams’s cousins. On Valentine’s Day evening, Feb. 14, 2016, Williams and his cousin knocked on the victim’s door in the 800 block of Oglethorpe Street NE. The victim answered and immediately yelled at the men to leave. The victim reacted emphatically because the victim heard that these individuals had shot up another house nearby recently.

            The victim called 911 immediately upon their departure, predicting that the two men would return to shoot up her house. Within 10 minutes, Williams fulfilled her prediction. He returned with a scarf partially covering his face and fired five shots at the window where the victim and her family member were standing. Williams fled. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to his arrest in July of 2016.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allessandra Stewart, Michael Romano, and Brittany Keil, and Paralegal Specialists Richard Cheatham and Antoinette Sakamsa. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Marcus and Kenya Wells, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Nicholas Bukoski, 19, of Crofton, Md., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a series of threats that he made coinciding with a demonstration against gun violence that took place in March 2018 in Washington, D.C.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the United States Capitol Police, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Bukoski pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of transmitting threats by interstate commerce. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Bukoski faces an estimated range of 10 to 16 months in prison and a fine of up to $55,000. The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Oct. 15, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 24, 2018, three threatening messages were communicated within 20 minutes from the defendant in Maryland to locations in the District of Columbia. Two were made by Instagram direct message to offices of United States Senators. The third threat was via Bukoski’s cellular telephone to the Metropolitan Police Department’s text tip line. That threat stated, among other things, “My heart is messed up and evil, and part of me wants to see people suffer, goddammit. Anyway, good luck and Godspeed finding my presents.  This will be my only message.”

            Law enforcement considered the threat to the tip line as directed against the “March for Our Lives,” an event that was taking place in Washington, D.C. and attended by thousands speaking out against school shootings and gun violence. Investigators believed the word “presents” referred to explosive devices. An investigation quickly led to the identification of Bukoski on the day that the threats were made.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistance was provided by the Anne Arundel County, Md. Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenda J. Johnson of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

 

WASHINGTON – Krishna Jannor-John Marsh, 22, formerly of New York, N.Y., was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for an identity theft scam in which he traveled throughout the country to conduct fraudulent bank transactions.

            U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement.

            Marsh pled guilty in July 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. In addition to the prison term, Marsh was ordered to pay $338,100 in restitution to three banks, as well as a forfeiture money judgment of $50,000. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, Marsh conspired with others, including a former bank employee, to obtain access to account holders’ personal identifying information for no legitimate business purpose. He and others then presented counterfeit identification in the names of the account holders and conducted or attempted to conduct fraudulent transactions from their accounts.

            Fictitious accounts were opened at other financial institutions, and the conspirators wired funds and deposited checks from the compromised bank accounts into these fictitious accounts. In his guilty plea, Marsh accepted responsibility for causing $338,100 in losses to three banks. Marsh conducted bank transactions at multiple locations in the District of Columbia, California, Florida and New York.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Ebert and Inspector in Charge Rendina commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia M. Faruqui, who assisted with forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialist Joshua Fein, and former Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Garth Anthony Gardner, 49, a citizen of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for a scheme in which he made misrepresentations to apply for and obtain more than $3 million in multiple home equity line of credit loans.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office.

            Gardner pled guilty in July 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of bank fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. In addition to his prison term, Gardner will be subject to a restitution order to be set at a later date. He also must pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $2,048,446. Following his prison term, Gardner will be placed on five years of supervised release and could be deported.

            According to the government’s evidence, in October 2003, Gardner purchased a property in the 5100 block of 13th Street NW, using the Social Security number of another person and falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen.  In May 2005, he used a corporation that he owned to purchase a second property in the 1300 block of Dexter Terrace SE.  Gardner transferred ownership of the second property from the company to himself for $10.  Next, Gardner applied for a series of home equity line of credit loans using the two properties as collateral.

            By settling these loans in close proximity to each other, Gardner minimized the banks’ ability to learn about the other loans.  From August to October 2004, Gardner obtained 12 home equity line of credit loans from 12 different banks secured by the 13th Street property, totaling approximately $1.4 million.  Between March and April 2006, Gardner applied for 13, and obtained 12, such loans from 12 banks, secured by the Dexter Terrace property, totaling approximately $1.9 million.

            In approximately February 2008, Gardner stopped making payments and defaulted on all of the loans.  The banks discovered Gardner’s fraudulent conduct after initiating foreclosure proceedings on the properties.

            Gardner admitted that he used a portion of the proceeds from the fraudulent scheme to purchase 15 silver bars, which the government recovered and liquidated for about $1.1 million.

            Gardner was arrested in Frankfurt, Germany in May 2017, and was extradited to the District in February 2018, to face the charges that had been pending since 2014.  He remained in custody pending his sentencing.'

            The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the extradition of Gardner from Germany to the United States. 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jackson commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service and the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise A. Simmonds and Diane Lucas, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Bradford and David A. Last, and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys.

 

WASHINGTON – Kevin Hammond, 26, of Suitland, Md., pled guilty today to charges stemming from an armed carjacking in the Ivy City neighborhood of Northeast Washington in which he pistol-whipped the victim so violently that the gun broke into two pieces. He then fled from police before being captured a short time later at a construction site.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.

            Hammond pled guilty in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia to one count of federal carjacking, one count of the federal offense of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of the federal offense of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. He also pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, and leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, both District of Columbia offenses. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the charges carry an estimated 16 to 18 years in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before the Honorable James E. Boasberg. 

            According to the government’s evidence, at about 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug.  14, 2017, Hammond brandished a firearm and stole a van from a handyman who was getting ready for work in New Carrollton, in Prince George’s County, Md.  Hammond then drove the van into Washington, D.C. and to the Ivy City neighborhood of Northeast Washington.

            The van was equipped with a GPS system, and officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department and MPD were able to track and locate the vehicle.  At about 7 a.m., as officers tried to stop the stolen vehicle that Hammond was driving, he fled the van and ran, jumping over a fence and running down an alleyway.  Hammond then encountered another man in the 1900 block of Fairview Street NE who was parking his car to go to work. Hammond brandished a firearm to carjack this man’s vehicle. After grabbing the keys, Hammond pistol-whipped the man, striking him repeatedly in the face and head with the firearm, until the gun broke into two pieces.  He then drove the stolen car down New York Avenue NE in rush-hour traffic with the police in pursuit; finally, he crashed into another car and fled on foot.  Hammond was apprehended a short distance away, hiding in a construction site near Fourth Street and New York Avenue NE.  He has remained in custody since his arrest.

            Hammond still faces charges in Prince George’s County, and he is presumed innocent of those charges until, and unless, proven guilty.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Cekada, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District, the officers of the Prince George’s County Police Department, the crime scene officers from the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and agents and DNA lab personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Trigoso, Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz, Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dineen A. Baker and Anthony Scarpelli, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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. 

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. 

 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.).

 

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.

 

            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. 

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.