District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for September 2012 Attack in Benghazi, LibyaRead the Press Release
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, 47, a Libyan national, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison on federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died in the attack at the Mission and the nearby Annex in Benghazi.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
Khatallah was captured in Libya on June 15, 2014, and brought to the United States to face trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was found guilty by a jury on Nov. 28, 2017, following seven weeks of trial, of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists, one count of providing material support or resources to terrorists, one count of maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of using and carrying a semiautomatic assault rifle during a crime of violence.
According to the government’s evidence, Khatallah was a leader of an extremist militia named Ubaydah bin Jarrah, which operated outside the law, and in the months prior to the attacks, he sought to incite violence by his and other militia groups against the presence of the United States in Libya. In early September of 2012, he and other members of his group mobilized for an attack by stockpiling truckloads of weaponry.
On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, according to the government’s evidence, Khatallah directed his group to carry out the violence, striking first at the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi. A group of men, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades, and other weapons, swept into the Mission compound, setting fires and breaking into buildings. During that violence, Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith valiantly tried to protect themselves when the attackers stormed into a villa, but they were fatally overcome by thick, black smoke when the attackers set a fire. A State Department employee, who tried to guide them to safety, was injured.
Before, during and after the attack, Khatallah maintained contact with his group in a series of cellphone calls. Also, according to the government’s evidence, for much of the attack, he positioned himself on the perimeter of the compound and kept others, including emergency responders, from getting to the scene. The government’s evidence also showed that Khatallah made calls to leaders of other militia groups warning them not to interfere with the attack.
Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2012, the violence continued at a nearby CIA annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty died in the mortar attack, and a State Department employee and U.S. government security specialist were seriously wounded.
This case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the two victim agencies, the CIA and the Department of State.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Crabb, Jr., Michael C. DiLorenzo, and Julieanne Himelstein of the District of Columbia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Opher Shweiki. Assistance was provided by Trial Attorney C. Alexandria Bogle of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Kohl and David Mudd of the District of Columbia.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Paralegal Specialists Rayneisha Booth and Jessica Moffatt, Legal Assistant Matthew Ruggiero, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones, all of the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Felony Assault on Deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Nowlin, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to two years in prison on a federal charge stemming from a courthouse incident last year in which he assaulted a Deputy United States Marshal, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Nowlin pled guilty in February 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal law enforcement officer. He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 6, 2017, Nowlin was appearing before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for violating terms of his probation in an earlier assault case. Two deputy U.S. marshals were assigned to the courtroom. Judge Raffinan revoked Nowlin’s probation and ordered that he be remanded to the custody of the deputy marshals. Nowlin became loud and belligerent while in the courtroom, and started to walk towards the cellblock before Judge Raffinan finished her ruling.
One of the deputy marshals instructed Nowlin to wait until Judge Raffinan concluded her ruling before leaving the courtroom and going to the cell block. Then, once Judge Raffinan concluded the hearing, the two deputy marshals escorted Nowlin to the cellblock behind the courtroom. Nowlin continued to be belligerent while in the cellblock and resisted efforts by the deputy marshals to search him for weapons or contraband.
As he continued to resist, Nowlin spun around and threw a punch at one of the deputy marshals. A struggle ensued, with Nowlin continuing to punch the deputy marshal in the face and head area. Other deputy marshals responded and Nowlin was subdued. The deputy marshal who was struck by Nowlin was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Hughes commended the work of those who handled the matter from the U.S. Marshals Service. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Prison Term for Sexually Assaulting Woman in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Windell Barnes, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 32-month prison term on charges stemming from a sexual assault he committed against a woman who works at a gas station in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Barnes was found guilty by a jury in April 2017 of one count of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of indecent exposure. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Craig Iscoe. Following his prison term, Barnes will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for a 10-year period upon his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 12, 2017, at approximately noon Barnes attacked the victim after she dropped off supplies at her workplace. He grabbed the woman when no one was around and told her he wanted to have sex with her. He pulled down her pants, exposing her buttocks, and he tried to sexually assault her. The victim was eventually able to escape Barnes’s grasp and run to her car. Barnes, however, chased after her, attempted to get into her car, and then further tried to humiliate her, kissing the car window and exposing his genitalia to her in public.
The victim called police. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded to the scene and Barnes was arrested a short time later. He 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 Sexual Assault Unit. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mannarino; Paralegal Specialists T.J. McPhail, Angelina Slagle, and Ethel Noble; Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and LaJune Thames, and Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessi Brooks and Kristina Wolf, who together investigated, indicted and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Robbery and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph N. Davenport, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on charges of robbery and obstruction of justice for beating and robbing an acquaintance at her apartment, and then trying to get his girlfriend to lie about his whereabouts at the time of the attack, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Davenport pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of nine years in prison. The Honorable Zoe Bush accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Davenport will be on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of May 1, 2014, Davenport went to the Southeast Washington apartment of a female acquaintance who lived in the same complex as Davenport’s then-girlfriend. He told the woman that his girlfriend had put him out of her apartment and that he needed a place to stay. He asked whether he could spend the night sleeping on the victim’s couch. When the victim told Davenport “no,” he became enraged, punched her in the face, and knocked her onto a glass-topped table, which shattered as she fell through it. He then grabbed her debit card and other property and fled.
An arrest warrant was issued and Davenport was arrested on May 6, 2014. A few days later, he called his then-girlfriend from the District of Columbia Jail, where all such calls are recorded. During that call, Davenport tried to get his girlfriend to create a false alibi for him for the time during which he was beating and robbing the other woman. She refused to do so. Prosecutors subpoenaed Davenport’s jail calls and this call became the basis of the obstruction of justice charge to which Davenport pleaded.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Seventh District of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and from a joint task force comprised of members of the MPD and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). She also expressed appreciation for the work of the Special Police Officers from the apartment complex, who assisted in the investigation of the case.
She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Colleen M. Kennedy, Special Counsel for Mental Health Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, Donhue Troy Griffith and Brenda C. Williams; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Criminal Investigators Melissa Matthews and Nelson Rhone; Investigative Analysts Shannon Alexis, William Hamann, and Sharon Johnson, and Information Technology Specialist Aneela Bhatia. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aziz, Kenechukwu Okocha and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to Four-Year Prison Term for Armed Robbery in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ashton Hinds, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a four-year prison term for robbing a man last year in a residential neighborhood of Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Hinds pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of armed robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein. Following his prison term, he is to be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 28, 2017, at approximately 7:25 p.m., Hinds and an accomplice approached a man in front of a residence in the 3100 block of Jocelyn Street NW. One of the robbers demanded the victim hand over his property, and the victim handed over a book bag, containing his personal property and computer. The same assailant reached into the victim’s pants pocket and took the victim’s cell phone. The two robbers demanded to be let inside the house, but the victim refused. The two then fled the area in a gold-colored sedan, and the victim notified the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
At the time of the crime, Hinds was wearing a GPS monitoring device. Law enforcement determined that he was within close proximity to the scene of the armed robbery and also determined a possible location of the vehicle he was using at the time. Police located the vehicle later that evening in the 1300 block of Seventh Street NW. They then obtained an arrest warrant for Hinds. On April 29, officers approached Hinds, who fled the scene and discarded a loaded, semiautomatic handgun. Hinds subsequently was arrested; police recovered the victim’s cellphone from Hinds and other stolen items inside the vehicle. No one else has been arrested.
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 work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 47 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Alley on Christmas Eve 2014Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Minor, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 47 years in prison for killing a man on Christmas Eve of 2014 in an alley in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Minor was found guilty by a jury in April 2018 of first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff.
According to the government’s evidence, Minor and the victim, Gregory Lee, knew one another from the Barry Farm area in in Southeast Washington. Despite that relationship, in mid-December, Minor stole Mr. Lee’s jacket from him at gunpoint. Then, a short time later, Mr. Lee saw Minor with his jacket, and he took it back, angering Minor for days.
Five days later – shortly before 9 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2014, a misty Christmas Eve – Minor and a co-defendant, Maurice Blakey, went looking for Mr. Lee and confronted him in an alley near the 1300 block of Stevens Road SE, in the Barry Farm area. After a short verbal confrontation, both Minor and Blakey began firing weapons. Minor shot the unarmed Mr. Lee multiple times as Mr. Lee tried to flee, killing him. Blakey, meanwhile, pulled out a pump-action shotgun during the confrontation and fired at a person who was with Mr. Lee; that person was not hit and fled. One of the bullets from Minor’s .380 semiautomatic handgun had pierced multiple major organs and vessels in Mr. Lee’s chest, and he bled to death in a yard, just off the alley. By the time first responders arrived, he was completely unresponsive, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Minor and Blakey, 26, were arrested a week after the murder and have been in custody ever since. Blakey, also of Washington, D.C., admitted his role in the shooting. Blakey now is serving a 22-year prison term for a separate murder.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the U.S. Park Police. They acknowledged the work of those who assisted with the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Mannarino, Lauren Bates, and Magdalena Acevedo; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Siegerist, Lornce Applewhite, and Alesha Matthews-Yette; Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, William Henderson, Leif Hickling, and Paul Howell; Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, and former Intern James Haynes.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Bruckmann and Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 45 Years Prison for 2014 Murder in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –James Young, 25, 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).
Young and a co-defendant, Tyrone Michael Hight, 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. Young was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
Hight, 26, also of Washington, D.C., is awaiting sentencing.
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.
District Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for 2017 Slaying in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Martel Hall, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 12-year prison term on a charge stemming from the stabbing death of a man in Southwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Hall pled guilty in April 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentencing range of 10 ½ to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea today and sentenced Hall to 12 years. Following his prison term, Hall will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Sept. 11, 2017, the victim, David Neal, and a relative went to the 7-Eleven in the 3900 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SW. As Mr. Neal was waiting in line to purchase food, Hall came into the 7-Eleven and told Mr. Neal to come outside. Moments later, Mr. Neal walked out of the 7-Eleven and into the parking lot. Surveillance footage shows Hall follow Mr. Neal into the parking lot, where a physical altercation ensued. Mr. Neal sustained wounds and lacerations to his head, body and hands. These included two stab wounds to the chest, a stab wound stretching approximately five to six inches across Mr. Neal’s abdomen, a stab wound above his left eye, and a laceration in the inner left elbow. There were defense wounds to his hands and an additional stab wound to the backside of Mr. Neal’s left shoulder. Mr. Neal, 31, died from injuries that night.
According to eyewitnesses, and corroborated by surveillance video, Mr. Neal and Hall began tussling with one another in the 7-Eleven parking lot. During the struggle, Mr. Neal began gushing blood and collapsed. Hall, who sustained a single cut to his face, then fled the scene, discarding a knife in the 7-Eleven parking lot. As he was leaving the scene, Hall took off his shirt, which was covered in blood, and left it in the 7-Eleven parking lot. Hall was arrested on Sept. 27, 2017 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 expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Barker, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Robbing Banks in Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy L. Jennings, Sr., 61, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison for robbing two banks in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jennings pled guilty in April 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of bank robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. In addition to the prison term, Jennings was ordered to pay a total of $1,367 in restitution to the two banks. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Jennings carried out the first robbery on July 17, 2017, at approximately 9:05 a.m., targeting a SunTrust Bank in the 900 block of 17th Street NW. Jennings told a teller: “This is a robbery and I have a gun and I'll shoot you,” and demanded money. The teller handed him a total of $926 and Jennings fled the scene.
The second robbery took place four days later, on July 21, 2017, at approximately 9:20 a.m. This time, Jennings entered an M&T Bank in the 500 block of 12th Street NW and handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller handed him $441 and Jennings fled.
In his plea, Jennings also accepted responsibility for two additional bank robberies, which took place later on the morning of July 21, within an hour of the M&T Bank robbery. In both incidents, he left the banks without money. One attempt took place at a BB&T branch in the 800 block of Connecticut Avenue NW and the other at a Bank of America branch in the 800 block of 17th Street NW. Hours after these incidents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department located Jennings and arrested him. He has been in custody ever since.
At the time of these offenses, Jennings had been on supervised release for a few months after serving more than 10 years in prison for several additional bank robberies.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
FBI and Local Law Enforcement Seek Information on D.C.-Area Serial Hotel RapistRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The FBI Washington Field Office along with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Arlington County Police Department, and Greenbelt Police Department seek information from the public to identify an unknown male named the “D.C.-Area Hotel Rapist.”
Between August 22, 1998 and February 6, 2006, a serial rapist violently assaulted six to nine women in the D.C. area. Six of these attacks have been definitively linked by DNA to a single assailant, and suspicious activity that may be related was reported in five additional area hotels.
In the vast majority of these cases, hotel housekeepers were victimized. The assailant would enter hotel rooms by stealth and rape housekeepers as they cleaned rooms. In several of the incidents, the suspect used a box cutter, a necktie, or a cord to threaten and harm his victims. These assaults took place at hotels in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The D.C.-Area Hotel Rapist is described as an African-American male, between 5’7”-5’10” tall, with a medium to stocky build, brown eyes, black hair, and a medium to dark complexion. At the time of the assaults, he was believed to be in his 20s to 30s. Since time has progressed, he is believed to be in his late 30s to late 40s.
On May 1, 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia secured an indictment of the DNA profile of the unknown suspect on charges stemming from the two attacks that took place in Washington, D.C. This is the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has ever indicted a John Doe DNA profile.
“Working with the public and our law enforcement partners, we are hopeful that we finally will be able to hold this serial rapist accountable for his brazen crimes,” said Jessie K. Liu, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “DNA evidence has enabled us to push this case forward and we are hopeful that this DNA profile, and the community, can help us finally achieve justice. Despite the passage of time, we have never forgotten these victims.”
“This individual preyed on members of the D.C. region for nearly a decade,” says Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police Peter Newsham. “We have not deviated from our goal of holding this person accountable for his heinous actions and feel confident that our recent progress will lead to his identification.”
“With the turn of the century, we can now reach back in time, up to two decades ago, and hold criminals accountable, and thus is the case going forward,” said Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Today law enforcement in the Metropolitan Washington area sent a clear message that we will not waiver in our commitment to investigate and identify the individual responsible for these horrible attacks on our community. No matter how much time passes, we will relentlessly pursue these investigations and use all available resources to identify this sexual predator and seek justice for the victims,” said Daniel Murray, Arlington County Police Department Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigations.
The first of these DNA-linked cases occurred in May 2002 on the street in the offender’s vehicle in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The age-progressed composite sketch, which was created by Parabon NanoLabs, was not created by eyewitness accounts but from DNA that was left behind by the offender. This type of DNA testing uses DNA to produce a detailed report and composite sketch of the potential suspect that includes eye color, skin color, hair color, face morphology, and detailed biogeographic ancestry with age progression.
“The Montgomery County Police Department has used Parabon NanoLabs as an investigative tool in several cases. When our Cold Case Unit begin working on this serial rapist case with the other neighboring agencies we felt strongly that this could be a great tool to generate new investigative leads and help solve these horrific crimes,” said Thomas Manger, Chief of the Montgomery County Police Department.
The FBI and local law enforcement are asking for the public’s help to solve this cold case.
“Our combined law enforcement efforts include the work that was done at each scene, the work of the prosecutors to bring forth this indictment and now a public outreach effort seeking information on this violent assailant,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. “If you recognize this person, if this box cutter or ring are familiar, if you have seen these items before, we need you to call law enforcement and provide the information. The public's assistance is vital in solving this case.”
The DNA evidence from the linked assaults can either positively identify or exclude a suspect. This allows investigators to quickly exclude innocent parties, and the public should not hesitate to come forward with information—even if it is the name or address of an individual who resided in the areas of the crimes. Many parties will be quickly excluded by a simple, non-invasive test.
A combined reward of up to $45,000 is being offered by the FBI, Metropolitan Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George’s Police Department, Greenbelt Police Department, and Arlington County Police Department for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the unknown suspect.
A detailed map and related story that includes addresses of the incidents, an original 2003 composite sketch of the assailant, an age-progressed DNA composite of the assailant, and images of the box cutter and ring that were recovered from the crime scenes are available on the FBI’s website.
Law enforcement agencies are asking anyone with information to contact the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099, text the MPD Text Tip Line at 50411, or submit a tip with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. All tips can remain anonymous.
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The dates and locations of these assaults are:
LINKED BY DNA
- Sunday, May 26, 2002, at approximately 6:50 a.m. An 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in the offender’s vehicle on the 4000 block of Penwood Street in Hyattsville, Maryland, after having been picked up from the 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast Washington, D.C. The vehicle was described as a small black four-door car, unknown make and model.
- Sunday, December 1, 2002, at approximately 2:30 p.m. A 31-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted in a hotel room at the Hilton Hotel on Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland. During the assault, the offender brandished a red-handled box cutter, which was recovered on the scene. The box cutter had the name Debbie handwritten on it.
- Sunday, May 11, 2003, at approximately 3:15 p.m. A 27-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted in a hotel room at the Renaissance Hotel on 9th Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. The offender’s ring came off during the assault and was recovered on the scene.
- Friday, May 23, 2003, at approximately 10:30 a.m. A 68-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted in a hotel room at the Jefferson Hotel on 16th Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. The offender bound the victim’s hands with a necktie during the assault.
- Friday, June 6, 2003, at approximately 10:00 a.m. A 29-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted in a hotel room at the Holiday Inn Hotel on Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington, Virginia. The offender brandished a cord during the assault.
- Monday, June 9, 2003, at approximately 12:28 p.m. A 22-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted in a hotel room at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel on Golden Triangle Drive in Greenbelt, Maryland.
OTHER SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND INCIDENTS THAT MAY BE RELATED
- Saturday, August 22, 1998, at approximately 12:05 p.m. A 30-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted in a hotel room at the Quality Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
- Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at approximately 10:30 a.m. A suspicious person was observed at a Hyatt Hotel on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia.
- Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at approximately 10:45 a.m. A suspicious person was observed in the Marriott Courtyard Hotel on Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia approximately 15 minutes after the Hyatt Hotel incident (0.2 miles away).
- Monday, June 9, 2003, at approximately 12:13 p.m. A suspicious person was observed at a Residence Inn Hotel in Greenbelt, Maryland. The suspect was questioned by an employee and exited the hotel 10 minutes later. This activity occurred 15 minutes prior to the DNA-linked attack at the Marriott Courtyard (0.1 mile away).
- Friday, June 13, 2003, at approximately 11:00 a.m. A suspicious person was observed trying to open doors on various floors at the Marriott Hotel on Russell Avenue in Gaithersburg, Maryland, then hastily fleeing The individual was observed leaving the scene in a black Nissan Sentra.
- Friday, June 13, 2003, at approximately 12:10 p.m. Two housekeepers reported that they observed a suspicious person at the Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport Hotel in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. The housekeepers stated that the individual resembled the suspect who was portrayed in a flyer circulated by the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C.
- Sunday, February 13, 2005, at approximately 11:27 a.m. A 34-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in a hotel room at the Quality Inn Hotel on New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland.
- Monday, February 6, 2006, at approximately 3:40 p.m. A 28-year-old female housekeeper was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in a hotel room at the Red Roof Inn on Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia.
- Sunday, May 26, 2002, at approximately 6:50 a.m. An 18-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in the offender’s vehicle on the 4000 block of Penwood Street in Hyattsville, Maryland, after having been picked up from the 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast Washington, D.C. The vehicle was described as a small black four-door car, unknown make and model.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Role in Scheme That Used Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Seek Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in income tax refunds.
The announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office; Acting Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Antonio Cooper, 47, of Oxon Hill, Md., pled guilty in May 2016 to charges of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft.
Cooper was part of a massive sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved a network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. Conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. According to court documents, the overall case involved the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes. To date, approximately two dozen participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty, and three have been convicted by a trial jury.
According to the government’s evidence, Cooper actively participated in the scheme from approximately February 2010 through July 2012. He also recruited others to do so. As he admitted in Court, Cooper played an integral part in the overall conspiracy; he, his friends, and his family members defrauded the IRS out of more than $2 million through the receipt of fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks. Among other things, Cooper used others’ addresses to receive checks, bought personal identifying information needed to complete tax forms, and cashed some of the fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Cooper to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,420,241 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment $806,747.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman, U.S. Attorney Liu, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jackson, Acting Inspector in Charge Shen and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the special agents who conducted the investigation and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Donna Galindo; former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Julie Dailey; Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Shooting on Street in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Parker, also known as Yohan Raymoore, 21, of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to five years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting that took place in September 2016 in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Parker pled guilty in March 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of five years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Parker will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2016, at approximately 8:10 p.m., Parker and his girlfriend argued loudly in the street, in the 2900 block of P Street SE. Family members from a nearby house exited to observe the commotion. One of those family members, the victim, told Parker to take the argument somewhere else because he did not want the police to be called. Parker declined his request. Parker removed his gun, fired three shots in the air and then eight shots at the family as they fled back toward their house. Luckily, none of the shots found their targets. Parker then fled before the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived.
Parker was arrested on Sept. 28, 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists T.J. McPhail, Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade, and Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessi Brooks and Louis Manzo, who together investigated, indicted and prosecuted the case.
District Man Ordered to Pay over $200,000 in Restitution to Estate of 4-Year-Old Girl Who Died After House FireRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerome C. Lewis, 51, of Washington, DC, was ordered today to pay $204,503 in restitution to the estate of Samauri Michelle Jenkins, a four-year-old girl who died after he set fire to the house where she was staying in Southeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), 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 Gregory M. Dean, Chief of the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DCFEMS).
Lewis was found guilty by a jury in October 2017 of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, second-degree murder, and first-degree cruelty to children. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced to a 32-year prison term on those charges in February 2018 by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
The government had requested restitution for the estate of Samauri Jenkins or the imposition of a fine based on the defendant receiving a payout from an insurance company for the damage to his home and personal property. Judge Lee convened a follow-up hearing today to consider the government’s request for orders of restitution and/or fines. In advance of today’s hearing, Judge Lee granted the government’s request to freeze Lewis’s assets.
According to the government’s evidence, Lewis owned a home in the 2600 block of 33rd Street SE. In late 2011, Lewis began renting the first and second floors to relatives while he lived in the basement. In early 2013, his relationship with his tenant-relatives had become strained and he was experiencing a financial crisis. On Feb.17, 2013, in the early hours of the morning, he set fire to his mattress located in his basement living area, causing a fire that spread throughout the basement and to the first floor of the home.
Everyone was able to escape the home, with the exception of four-year-old Samauri Jenkins. She was rescued from a second floor bedroom by the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. She was taken to a hospital with burns and smoke inhalation, but died from her injuries two days later.
Lewis was arrested on the morning of the fire and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing today’s developments, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Dean commended the work of the D.C. Arson Task Force, which is comprised of members from MPD, the Washington Field Division of the ATF, and DCFEMS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Legal Secretary Dawn White; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Administrative Services Specialist Tina Wall, and Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Michelle D. Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Shooting at Columbia Heights Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cesar Morales, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting last summer at the Columbia Heights Metro station in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Morales was found guilty by a jury in January 2018 of assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and related firearm offenses. The verdict followed a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro. Following his prison term, Morales will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 25, 2017 at approximately 12:20 p.m., Morales chased the victim around the Columbia Heights Metro station. As they reached the top of the escalators on the west entrance, Morales fired one shot with a .22-caliber Ruger towards the victim. Luckily, the victim was able to run away and get through the station unharmed. At the time of the shooting, dozens of people were in and around the station.
Morales fled westbound on Irving Street NW, making a right on Hyatt Place and then a left onto Park Road NW. Within minutes, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were able to contact and attempted to stop the defendant and another individual. When officers asked to see Morales’s hands, the defendant reached in his waistband and fled from the officers. Officers observed Morales toss a firearm. Morales was able to get away.
Video surveillance captured the shooting outside the Metro station and the victim running inside the station. Body-worn camera of the officers captured the stop minutes after the shooting. MPD released video and an investigation led to Morales’s arrest on Aug. 31, 2017. He has been in custody ever since. A casing was recovered from the Metro station stairs that was determined to have been fired by the firearm recovered in defendant’s flight path.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Trigoso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Business Owner and Former D.C. Schools Employee Plead Guilty to Carrying Out Fraudulent Billing SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner of a tutoring and mentoring business and a former employee of the District of Columbia Public Schools pled guilty today to federal charges 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 guilty pleas were announced 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 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of mail fraud and identity theft. Mail fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and identity theft carries up to 15 years. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, each defendant faces an estimated range of 33 to 41 months in prison and fines of up to $75,000. They also must pay a total of $217,366 in restitution to the District of Columbia Schools. Faulkner also has agreed to pay $142,866 in a forfeiture money judgment, and Johnson has agreed to pay $74,500 in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2018.
Faulkner and Johnson, both of Baltimore, were indicted on Sept. 14, 2017, and remain free on personal recognizance pending their sentencing hearing.
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 pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas; 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. Attorneys Peter C. Lallas and Adrienne Dedjinou, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Russian and Syrian Nationals Charged with Laundering Millions of U.S. Dollars for Designated Russian Company That Shipped Jet Fuel to Syria in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eight businessmen, including five Russian nationals and three Syrian nationals, were indicted today on federal charges alleging that they conspired to violate U.S. economic sanctions against Syria and Crimea, by sending jet fuel to Syria and making U.S. dollar wires to Syria and to sanctioned entities in Syria without receiving a license from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The indictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and involves transactions conducted by Joint Stock Company Sovfracht (Sovfracht), a Russian shipping company and freight forwarder.
The five Russian nationals – Ivan Okorokov, Ilya Loginov, Karen Stepanyan, Alexey Konkov and Liudmila Shmelkova – are employees of Sovfracht. Yaser Naser is a Syrian national who has worked on behalf of Sovfracht in Syria to coordinate its business there. Farid Bitar and Gabriel Bitar are petroleum inspectors at Port Banias, Syria. All eight individuals were charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. A forfeiture allegation was also included in the indictment.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Dunham of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
“The U.S. sanctions on Syria and Crimea thwart Syria’s support of terrorism and its pursuit and use of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the actions of those who seek to undermine Ukraine’s democratic processes and territorial integrity. The National Security Division will not tolerate any attempts to evade these important foreign policy and national security tools,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The defendants allegedly conspired to defy our sanctions against Syria and Crimea, endangering both American interests in the region as well as our foreign policy and national security at home. I applaud the investigators who helped bring these alleged violations to light and the violators to justice.”
“The indictment in this case demonstrates that we will vigorously investigate and prosecute violations of U.S. economic sanctions, including the use of our financial system to promote and facilitate the activities of sanctioned entities, such as the delivery of jet fuel to Syria,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the FBI to rooting out this illegal activity.”
“The FBI takes sanctions violations extremely seriously and will not hesitate to use our full investigative resources to stop this type of alleged illegal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Dunham. “This investigation underscores the determination of the special agents and intelligence analysts who pursue those who violate United States laws, no matter where they reside.”
***
As noted in the indictment, on May 11, 2004, the President declared a national emergency to deal with the threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States posed by the actions of the Government of Syria. That and subsequent Executive Orders imposed economic sanctions on Syria, which prohibited, among other things, the exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, to Syria of any goods, technology, or services from the United States, which includes the processing of U.S. dollar wires for transactions conducted overseas.
According to the indictment, as early as 2011, banks began rejecting U.S. dollar wires by Sovfracht that were destined for Syria. The alleged conspirators began using front companies and falsifying information in shipping records and the related U.S. dollar wires in order to circumvent the sanctions. In subsequent conversations in 2015, the defendants allegedly sent e-mails warning about the effect of “Western sanctions” and the related prohibition on U.S. dollar transactions.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used vessels owned by Transpetrochart Co. Ltd. (Transpetrochart), a Russian based company that owned the petroleum tankers Mukhalatka and Yaz, to transship jet fuel and other items surreptitiously to Syria.
The indictment also notes that on May 8, 2014, the Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), designated the Banias Refinery Company, a Syrian based petroleum processing company owned by the Syrian regime, for processing petroleum that was imported into the Syrian Port of Banias. According to the indictment, in spite of these sanctions, the defendants engaged in U.S. dollar transactions beginning in 2015 to deliver jet fuel to Syria via the Banias Refinery Company. On or about Jan. 13, 2016, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,585,340 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. As a result, the defendants allegedly began to use third party companies to continue making U.S. dollar payments for shipments to Syria.
On Sept. 1, 2016, OFAC designated Sovfracht for Crimean sanctions violations. Following these sanctions, Sovfracht was prohibited from transacting in U.S. dollars without first receiving a license from OFAC, regardless of whether or not the transaction was for the supply of goods to Syria. On Sept. 9, 2016, the government sent notice to Sovfracht of a forfeiture action against the blocked $2,585,340. On Dec. 20, 2016, OFAC designated Transpetrochart for working with Sovfracht.
According to the indictment, in October 2016, following Sovfracht’s designation, the defendants utilized Maritime Assistance LLC (Maritime) as a front company for Sovfracht, as part of the scheme to circumvent U.S. sanctions and conduct U.S. dollar transactions. Maritime was operated by employees, including several of the defendants, of Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that Sovfracht and Maritime employees acted interchangeably. Maritime assumed debts previously owed by Sovfracht and paid third parties on contracts previously negotiated by Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that these activities allowed the defendants to continue engaging in U.S. dollar transactions, which passed through the United States, in spite of Sovfracht’s designation.
According to the indictment, following designation, Sovfracht, acting through Maritime, continued to transact in U.S. dollars for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria, in violation of both the Crimean and Syrian sanctions. For example, on or about May 11, 2017, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,957,983 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. In response to the blocking, Ilya Loginov allegedly stated to co-conspirators that Maritime “has been burned,” that it was “unadvisable to make further use of it,” and that they had “to create a new … clean company.”
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.
The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to violate IEEPA is five years in prison, and for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties and forfeitures of blocked funds and facilitating property such as the vessels in question. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Erik Kenerson, Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin, Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick of the District of Columbia. Assistance earlier was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Russian and Syrian Nationals Charged with Laundering Millions of U.S. Dollars for Designated Russian Company That Shipped Jet Fuel to Syria in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
Eight businessmen, including five Russian nationals and three Syrian nationals, were indicted today on federal charges alleging that they conspired to violate U.S. economic sanctions against Syria and Crimea, by sending jet fuel to Syria and making U.S. dollar wires to Syria and to sanctioned entities in Syria without receiving a license from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The indictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and involves transactions conducted by Joint Stock Company Sovfracht (Sovfracht), a Russian shipping company and freight forwarder.
The five Russian nationals – Ivan Okorokov, Ilya Loginov, Karen Stepanyan, Alexey Konkov and Liudmila Shmelkova – are employees of Sovfracht. Yaser Naser is a Syrian national who has worked on behalf of Sovfracht in Syria to coordinate its business there. Farid Bitar and Gabriel Bitar are petroleum inspectors at Port Banias, Syria. All eight individuals were charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. A forfeiture allegation was also included in the indictment.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Dunham of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
“The U.S. sanctions on Syria and Crimea thwart Syria’s support of terrorism and its pursuit and use of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the actions of those who seek to undermine Ukraine’s democratic processes and territorial integrity. The National Security Division will not tolerate any attempts to evade these important foreign policy and national security tools,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The defendants allegedly conspired to defy our sanctions against Syria and Crimea, endangering both American interests in the region as well as our foreign policy and national security at home. I applaud the investigators who helped bring these alleged violations to light and the violators to justice.”
“The indictment in this case demonstrates that we will vigorously investigate and prosecute violations of U.S. economic sanctions, including the use of our financial system to promote and facilitate the activities of sanctioned entities, such as the delivery of jet fuel to Syria,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the FBI to rooting out this illegal activity.”
“The FBI takes sanctions violations extremely seriously and will not hesitate to use our full investigative resources to stop this type of alleged illegal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Dunham. “This investigation underscores the determination of the special agents and intelligence analysts who pursue those who violate United States laws, no matter where they reside.”
***
As noted in the indictment, on May 11, 2004, the President declared a national emergency to deal with the threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States posed by the actions of the Government of Syria. That and subsequent Executive Orders imposed economic sanctions on Syria, which prohibited, among other things, the exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, to Syria of any goods, technology, or services from the United States, which includes the processing of U.S. dollar wires for transactions conducted overseas.
According to the indictment, as early as 2011, banks began rejecting U.S. dollar wires by Sovfracht that were destined for Syria. The alleged conspirators began using front companies and falsifying information in shipping records and the related U.S. dollar wires in order to circumvent the sanctions. In subsequent conversations in 2015, the defendants allegedly sent e-mails warning about the effect of “Western sanctions” and the related prohibition on U.S. dollar transactions.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used vessels owned by Transpetrochart Co. Ltd. (Transpetrochart), a Russian based company that owned the petroleum tankers Mukhalatka and Yaz, to transship jet fuel and other items surreptitiously to Syria.
The indictment also notes that on May 8, 2014, the Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), designated the Banias Refinery Company, a Syrian based petroleum processing company owned by the Syrian regime, for processing petroleum that was imported into the Syrian Port of Banias. According to the indictment, in spite of these sanctions, the defendants engaged in U.S. dollar transactions beginning in 2015 to deliver jet fuel to Syria via the Banias Refinery Company. On or about Jan. 13, 2016, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,585,340 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. As a result, the defendants allegedly began to use third party companies to continue making U.S. dollar payments for shipments to Syria.
On Sept. 1, 2016, OFAC designated Sovfracht for Crimean sanctions violations. Following these sanctions, Sovfracht was prohibited from transacting in U.S. dollars without first receiving a license from OFAC, regardless of whether or not the transaction was for the supply of goods to Syria. On Sept. 9, 2016, the government sent notice to Sovfracht of a forfeiture action against the blocked $2,585,340. On Dec. 20, 2016, OFAC designated Transpetrochart for working with Sovfracht.
According to the indictment, in October 2016, following Sovfracht’s designation, the defendants utilized Maritime Assistance LLC (Maritime) as a front company for Sovfracht, as part of the scheme to circumvent U.S. sanctions and conduct U.S. dollar transactions. Maritime was operated by employees, including several of the defendants, of Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that Sovfracht and Maritime employees acted interchangeably. Maritime assumed debts previously owed by Sovfracht and paid third parties on contracts previously negotiated by Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that these activities allowed the defendants to continue engaging in U.S. dollar transactions, which passed through the United States, in spite of Sovfracht’s designation.
According to the indictment, following designation, Sovfracht, acting through Maritime, continued to transact in U.S. dollars for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria, in violation of both the Crimean and Syrian sanctions. For example, on or about May 11, 2017, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,957,983 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. In response to the blocking, Ilya Loginov allegedly stated to co-conspirators that Maritime “has been burned,” that it was “unadvisable to make further use of it,” and that they had “to create a new … clean company.”
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.
The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to violate IEEPA is five years in prison, and for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties and forfeitures of blocked funds and facilitating property such as the vessels in question. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Erik Kenerson, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin, Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick of the District of Columbia. Assistance earlier was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
District Man Sentenced to 15 ½ Years in Prison for Stabbing Two People in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ulysses Goodine, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15 ½-year prison term for stabbing a man in Southeast Washington and then stabbing a woman who tried to stop the attack, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Goodine was found guilty by a jury in March 2018 of one count each of aggravated assault while armed and assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Goodine was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 18, 2016, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Goodine got into an altercation with a 19-year-old man in in the 5000 block of D Street SE. The altercation followed a series of interactions between the two men that evening that had ranged from verbal exchanges to a friendly handshake. The chain of events ended with Goodine calling the victim over to him and stabbing him several times in the arm, shoulder, and back. The most severe wound – which penetrated the victim’s chest cavity and collapsed his lung – was delivered to the back, as the victim was attempting to run away. In addition to stabbing this victim, Goodine attacked a woman who tried to intervene by stabbing her in the hand.
Goodine was arrested on Oct. 21, 2016, and has been in custody ever since. At sentencing, the government noted that Goodine now has 15 convictions as an adult, including for offenses such as distribution of drugs and assaults.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Park Police. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy, Jennifer Kerkhoff, and Laura A. Bach; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Tierra Nanches; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez, and Victim/Witness Security Specialists Debra Cannon and Lesley Slade.
Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen D’Angelo and Maryam Adeyola, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Three Men Plead Guilty to Charges in 2015 Slaying of Man Near Shaw/Howard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the August 2015 slaying of Matthew Shlonsky, an innocent bystander who was shot on a crowded street in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Andre Dudley, 22, Marcus King, 22, and Christopher Proctor, 28, pled guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Dudley also pled guilty to a charge of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from a jailhouse stabbing. The pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Dudley’s plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for Dudley to be sentenced to an agreed-upon 18 ½-year prison term for the shooting and an additional 22 months for the jailhouse stabbing, for a total of 20 years and four months of incarceration. King’s plea calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 15 to 20 years, and Proctor’s plea calls for an agreed-upon term of 12 to 14 years. The Honorable Juliet McKenna scheduled sentencing for Aug. 13, 2018. All three defendants remain held pending the sentencing hearing.
According to the government’s evidence, King and Proctor both associated with the Ninth Street neighborhood of Northwest Washington. On Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at approximately 4:45 p.m., King and Proctor were standing near a liquor store at the intersection of Seventh and S Streets NW, both armed with firearms. Dudley, meanwhile, drove to the area of Seventh and S in a red Chrysler 300 sedan. While stopped at the intersection of 8th and S Streets, Dudley got into an argument with Ninth Street crew members. One pulled out a gun, and Dudley pulled out his gun as well. King and Proctor were both nearby, and Proctor yelled out to other crew members to find out the identity of the person in the red car.
Dudley then turned from Eighth Street onto S Street and headed east. He adjusted his position so that his head and arms were outside the sunroof. He then pointed his gun at individuals on the south side of S Street, near Seventh. King and Proctor both fired shots at Dudley as he crossed their path. King fired seven shots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm and Proctor fired 10 shots from a different .40-caliber semiautomatic. Dudley extended his arm out and fired several shots in the direction of King and Proctor.
Mr. Shlonsky, 23, had just gotten out of an Uber with friends and was heading to a concert at the Howard Theatre. He was walking in the 1800 block of Seventh Street NW, near the entrance to the Shaw/Howard Metro station, when one of the bullets from the shootout struck him in the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
While King and Proctor were firing their weapons, a couple was walking on the sidewalk of the 700 block of S Street NW. The man and woman were each pushing strollers that had two young children inside each of them. Hearing the gunshots, the couple sprinted away; however, their proximity to the gunfire put them in the zone of harm.
While Dudley drove east on S Street NW, his vehicle came head-to-head with a vehicle turning left on S Street NW, from Sixth Street, NW. Blocked, Dudley again lifted his head and arms out of the sunroof, pointed a gun at the driver, threatened to kill him, and yelled at him to move his car. Scared, the driver moved his vehicle and Dudley then continued across S Street; as he sped into the 1900 block of Fourth Street NW, another man yelled at Dudley to slow down. In response, Dudley slammed on the brakes, rolled down his window, pointed an imitation firearm at the man, which the man believed was an actual firearm, and fired shots in the general vicinity of the man. Dudley then left the area. Dudley pled guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for these crimes.
As part of the plea agreement, Dudley admitted to his role in the May 17, 2018 stabbing of a fellow inmate at the District of Columbia Jail. The victim of that incident sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI, including the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Kimberley Nielsen, Laura Bach, and Jeffrey Nestler; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite and Sharon Newman; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Senate Employee Indicted on False Statements ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former staff employee of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has been indicted and arrested on charges of making false statements to special agents of the FBI during the course of an investigation into the unlawful disclosure of classified information, announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
James A. Wolfe, 57, of Ellicott City, Md., was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. At the time he made the alleged false statements to the FBI, Wolfe was Director of Security for the SSCI, a position he held for approximately 29 years. As SSCI Director of Security, Wolfe was entrusted with access to classified SECRET and TOP SECRET information provided by the Executive Branch, including the U.S. Intelligence Community, to the SSCI. In this position, Wolfe was responsible for safeguarding all classified information in the possession of the SSCI.
Wolfe is alleged to have lied to FBI agents in December 2017 about his repeated contacts with three reporters, including through his use of encrypted messaging applications. Wolfe is further alleged to have made false statements to the FBI about providing two reporters with non-public information related to the matters occurring before the SSCI.
“The Attorney General has stated that investigations and prosecutions of unauthorized disclosure of controlled information are a priority of the Department of Justice. The allegations in this indictment are doubly troubling as the false statements concern the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and confidential information,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Those entrusted with sensitive information must discharge their duties with honesty and integrity, and that includes telling the truth to law enforcement.”
“Mr. Wolfe’s alleged conduct is a betrayal of the extraordinary public trust that had been placed in him,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “It is hoped that these charges will be a warning to those who might lie to law enforcement to the detriment of the United States.”
“All individuals in positions of trust must be held to the highest of standards, as the American public deserves no less,” said Special Agent in Charge Dunham. “As alleged in this indictment, Mr. Wolfe failed to meet those standards in his repeated lies to federal agents concerning the unauthorized disclosure of information. His arrest demonstrates that this conduct will not be tolerated, and those that engage in it will be held accountable.”
Wolfe was arrested on June 7, 2018, and is expected to make his first appearance Friday, June 8, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The case is entitled United States v. James A. Wolfe, and the matter has been assigned to the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for each count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement agents is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant, if he is later convicted, will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Involving Sexual Abuse of 14-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Anthony Brooks, 29, of Indian Head, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines with intent to sexually abuse her. The minor was a 14-year-old girl whom Brooks tutored as part of an afterschool program the child was ordered to attend by a family court.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brooks pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Trial had been scheduled to begin on June 7, 2018. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Sept. 7, 2018.
The minor had been ordered by the Family Court of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to attend the Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) program, an afterschool diversion program through which at-risk youth are provided tutoring and mentoring. Brooks, then 28, a college graduate, was employed as one of her tutors.
According to the government’s evidence, in late spring of 2017, the minor was transferred to a different BARJ location and, from that time forward, should have had no additional contact with Brooks. Brooks had previously been admonished by staff not to have contact with female students outside of the program. Brooks, however, continued to have contact with her. By July 2017, he was exchanging sexually explicit text messages with the girl, who had just completed the 8th grade. On July 11, 2017, Brooks contacted the girl’s father and asked the father’s permission to “tutor” the child. According to the evidence, Brooks then drove nearly an hour from his home in Maryland to Southeast Washington, where he picked up the girl, brought her to his home, and had sexual intercourse with her.
Between July 11 and July 12, Brooks discussed with the girl over text message coming to pick her up again. Brooks advised the girl in text messages written on July 11 that he did not want to come get her on back to back days because her father might become suspicious. Instead, on July 13, 2017, Brooks again drove nearly an hour from his home in Maryland to Southeast Washington to pick up the child. He arrived at 6:30 a.m., at a time when the child’s father, the girl’s sole guardian and the only adult in the house, was at work at his construction job. According to the government’s evidence, he transported the child back to his house in Maryland, where he again engaged in sexual acts with her.
Through September 2017, Brooks continued to communicate with the girl, exchanging sexually explicit text messages with her. On Sept. 19, 2017, the child’s father discovered the text messages between Brooks and his daughter while reviewing the messages on his daughter’s phone. He promptly contacted the MPD Youth and Family Services Division, which commenced an investigation. The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force immediately joined the investigation. Brooks was arrested on Sept. 20, 2017 and has been in custody ever since. On Feb. 14, 2018, Brooks was indicted on two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Special Agents in the Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Pennsylvania, and the District of Maryland, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi Lazarus who is prosecuting the matter along with Jason Park.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Selects District of Columbia to Receive Additional Resources to Combat Violent Crime and FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions has selected the District of Columbia to receive three additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys to focus on violent crime and civil enforcement matters, part of a nationwide influx of federal resources to communities.
In the largest increase in decades, Attorney General Sessions announced on June 4, 2018 that the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant U.S. Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement attorneys, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Nationwide, much of the civil enforcement work will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force, which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is ‘the coin of the realm.’ When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
“My office is grateful for the extra support being provided by the Justice Department to make our community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. “We will put our new attorneys to work as quickly as possible on complex cases involving violent crime, drug trafficking, health care fraud, and other serious offenses that harm the citizens of the District of Columbia.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office already is working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and other law enforcement partners on a Justice Department initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) that is generating additional cases focusing on violent crime. Under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to a coordinated law enforcement approach and identifying and addressing the most violent locations in the District of Columbia and the offenders.
In the District of Columbia, two of the three new Assistant U.S. Attorneys will focus on violent crime and one will focus on civil enforcement. The new attorneys are in addition to an Assistant U.S. Attorney provided to the District of Columbia in an earlier initiative created by Attorney General Sessions to target cases involving violent crime.
On the violent crime front, the two new prosecutors will take on responsibilities including work on multi-agency investigations focusing on neighborhood crews and gangs in the Sixth and Seventh Police Districts. Much of the upcoming work will include coordinating federal and local law enforcement resources to combat the recent uptick in violent crime in these areas. The additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys will supplement and increase efforts in executing the Office’s ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives and MPD’s Summer Crime Initiatives.
On the civil enforcement side, the new attorney will join five current Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Office’s Civil Division in sharing responsibility for handling a large docket of complex fraud cases. The District of Columbia ranks fourth in the nation in the number of whistleblower cases filed under the False Claims Act since 1987, and the number of new cases in this district in which the United States is the plaintiff increased on average by 76% during the period from 2013 - 2017. Those cases primarily involve procurement fraud and health care fraud schemes that require substantial resources to investigate and prosecute.
Two District Men Plead Guilty to Charges in Armed Home Invasion on Capitol HillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Barrett Harrington, 31, and Germar Fox, 35, both of Washington D.C., have pled guilty to charges stemming from an armed home invasion that took place in July 2016 near Capitol Hill, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Harrington and Fox pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to the charge of first-degree burglary while armed. Harrington entered his guilty plea on June 1, 2018, and Fox pled guilty today. The pleas, which are contingent upon the Court’s approval, call for each defendant to be sentenced to 102 months of incarceration. The Honorable Kimberly S. Knowles scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2018. Both men were to stand trial today before deciding to plead guilty to the lead charge in the indictment.
According to the government’s evidence, the burglary took place at about 5:30 p.m. on July 15, 2016, with both Harrington and Fox conspiring to take items of personal property from the victim while he was present in his apartment in the 1000 block of New Jersey Avenue SE. Fox was armed with a firearm during the crime. According to the evidence, Harrington, Fox, and a third man conspired to commit the crime. The third man previously befriended the victim, but that was actually a ruse. On the day of the home invasion, the third man and the victim were together. The third man stepped out and informed Harrington and Fox that he was alone with the victim in the apartment. Harrington and Fox then barged into the apartment, bound the victim with duct tape, placed a pillow case over his head, assaulted him with the gun, and robbed him of his safe with thousands of dollars in cash and other items.
As they made their escape, a passerby noted the license plate of the getaway car, and provided it to police. Further investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including fingerprint and DNA evidence, led to the arrests of the defendants. Harrington was arrested on June 24, 2017 and Fox was arrested on July 11, 2017. Both have been in custody ever since. The case against the third man remains pending.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Sanchez, Denise Cheung, and Stephen Rickard; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Donice Adams; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kamil Shields, Alyse Constantinide and Louis Manzo, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the matter.
Manager of Southeast Washington Barbershop Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darryl Smith, 41, the manager of a Southeast Washington barbershop, pled guilty today to federal narcotics and firearms offenses stemming from an investigation into drug trafficking at the business and surrounding area.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smith pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and one count of possession with the intent to distribute PCP. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of 80 months of incarceration, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Aug. 15, 2018.
On Dec. 24, 2017, Smith was arrested by MPD while in the possession of a loaded firearm and packaged capsules of fentanyl after he fled officers following a drug transaction in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE, where the Next Level Cuts barbershop is located. Smith also was arrested following a search warrant executed at the barbershop and surrounding property on Feb. 1, 2018. In addition to recovering three firearms from the barbershop and adjoining property, law enforcement seized more than $7,000 in cash, more than 800 grams of PCP, more than 300 grams of heroin, and boxes of Suboxone strips.
Smith, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on federal charges in February 2018.
Two co-defendants are still facing charges. Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was indicted for drug trafficking offenses arising from the Feb. 1, 2018 seizure. James Venable, 46, of Fort Washington, Md., was indicted on narcotics and firearms charges, stemming from two separate drug trafficking offenses committed in the District of Columbia, one of which alleges his distribution of narcotics outside the barbershop. Both have pled not guilty.
In announcing the plea, 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 handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Former Background Investigator for Federal Government Pleads Guilty to Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeffrey S. Kahn, 51, a former background investigator who did work under contract for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), pled guilty today to a charge stemming from his falsification of work on background investigations of federal employees and contractors, announced 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 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to making a false statement. The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, 2018. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 plea, 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.
District Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Eight Armed Robberies Committed over Two-Day PeriodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Hunter, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 13 years and two months in prison for a series of armed robberies that took place within a two-day period last year in Northwest and Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Hunter was found guilty by a jury in March 2018 of eight counts of armed robbery, as well as conspiracy to commit robbery, fleeing and eluding police, reckless driving, and related weapons offenses and other charges. The verdict followed a five-week trial, with testimony from more than 50 witnesses, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Following his prison term, Hunter is to be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 15, 2017, at approximately 1:30 a.m., a 2016 grey Audi sedan was stolen from a parking garage in the 400 block of K Street NW. Over the next two days, the stolen Audi was used as the getaway vehicle in eight armed robberies in Northwest and Northeast Washington. In each instance, Hunter exited the front passenger seat and robbed the victims at gunpoint of their personal belongings before fleeing in the stolen car. According to the evidence at trial, the first robbery took place before dawn on Jan. 15, 2017, and the crimes continued into the night of Jan. 16, 2017.
On Feb. 8, 2017, law enforcement observed Hunter driving the stolen Audi. Following a brief chase that resulted in the stolen Audi crashing into numerous vehicles, Hunter exited the vehicle and fled from the police. Law enforcement soon located and arrested Hunter. Following his arrest, several victims identified him as the gunman who robbed them. Hunter has been in custody since his arrest.
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 assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team 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 Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Durand Odom; Paralegal Specialists Zoe Antwi and Antoinette Sakamsa; Victim/Witness Advocates Diana Lim and Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, William Henderson, and Ron Royal. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vivien Cockburn and Ellen D’Angelo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Assaulting Storeowners in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Avon Thompson, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for severely attacking two people with a knife who attempted to prevent him from stealing alcohol from their store in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Thompson pled guilty in January 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. López. Following his prison term, Thompson will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2017, Thompson entered a store in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue SE. After looking around the store, he took a bottle of liquor, put it in his pants and attempted to leave without paying. The first victim, the storeowner, attempted to confront Thompson and call the police to report the theft. However, Thompson turned irate and began striking the victim several times – first with his fist, then with a knife. The second victim, the wife of the storeowner, came out to help defend her husband, but was assaulted as well.
During the assault, Thompson knocked both victims to the floor and continued attacking them. The storeowner had multiple lacerations to his head and had to undergo multiple dental surgeries to repair damaged and missing teeth. The wife of the storeowner also had to have surgery to insert a metal rod in her arm to repair her broken wrist.
Thompson was arrested soon after the attack and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emile C. Thompson, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Anthony Robinson, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a charge of armed robbery stemming from an incident in which he conspired to rob an acquaintance after a party, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Robinson pled guilty in April 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, Robinson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 15, 2016, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Robinson and another man, having conspired to rob the victim, came to the front of the Baron Hotel in the 1500 block of 22nd Street NW, where a party was being held, to execute their plan. The victim was standing on the sidewalk, talking to occupants of a car parked on the street.
When Robinson and his accomplice arrived, the accomplice immediately pointed a gun to the victim’s head and demanded the man’s backpack. Robinson stood a few feet away. The victim handed his backpack to the accomplice, and Robinson urged him to “come on.”
At this point, one of the passengers in the car stepped out and Robinson’s accomplice fired two shots at him; one of these bullets hit the man below his right ear and exited through his neck. The man survived the gunshot wound. Robinson ran down the block to wait for his accomplice. Robinson took the backpack from the accomplice and both men fled the scene. Robinson was arrested on Nov. 7, 2016. No one else has been charged to date.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, who investigated the case. She also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nurudeen Elias, who investigated and indicted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney John Giovannelli.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonta Phillips, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal charge stemming from a police pursuit that led to the recovery of a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of marijuana from the vehicle he had been driving.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Phillips pled guilty in March 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. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 11, 2017, at approximately 2:15 p.m., ATF agents and a MPD Task Force Officer conducted surveillance in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE for Phillips, who was the subject of pending warrants.
Upon seeing Phillips, law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Phillips quickly entered the driver’s side door of a burgundy Cadillac DeVille and fled from law enforcement. Agents immediately followed Phillips’s vehicle and put out a vehicle description over the radio. Agents observed the vehicle turn left onto Southern Avenue SE, right onto Naylor Road at Suitland Parkway, left onto eastbound Suitland Parkway, exit onto the Suitland Road off ramp, make a left onto Suitland Road, and finally come to a stop in the 3700 block of Regency Parkway, in Suitland, Md. Agents observed Phillips exit the front driver’s side door of the vehicle and flee on foot into the woods. An ATF agent pursued Phillips into the woods, while another agent remained with the vehicle and coordinated the response of multiple law enforcement officers in setting up a perimeter around the ravine to prevent Phillips’s escape.
While securing the vehicle, agents observed a back pack on the driver’s side floor of the back seat. Inside the back pack, agents subsequently recovered a Glock 26, 9mm-caliber firearm, with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds of ammunition, and a jar and full gallon Ziploc bag of marijuana. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Phillips was discovered hiding underneath a ledge in the ravine, while submerged in water. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the recovered firearm had been reported stolen to the Anne Arundel County, Md., Police Department
At the time of his arrest, Phillips was on supervised release following an earlier guilty plea to a firearms offense in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He now could face formal revocation of his supervised release in that case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias.
United States Settles Lawsuit Alleging That Contractor Falsely Overcharged the U.S. Navy for Ship Husbanding ServicesRead the Press Release
Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, Inchcape) have agreed to pay $20,000,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Navy under contracts for ship husbanding services, the Department of Justice announced today. Inchcape is a marine services contractor headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Inchcape provided goods and services to Navy ships at ports in several regions throughout the world, including southwest Asia, Africa, Panama, North America, South America and Mexico. Inchcape provided ships with food and other subsistence items, waste removal, telephone services, ship-to-shore transportation, force protection services and local transportation. The lawsuit alleged that from 2005 to 2014, Inchcape knowingly overbilled the Navy for these services by submitting invoices that overstated the quantity of goods and services provided, billing at rates in excess of applicable contract rates, and double-billing for some goods and services.
“Federal contractors may only charge the government for costs allowed by their federal contracts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will take action against contractors that knowingly submit inflated claims to the armed forces—or any other agency of the United States—as those inflated claims wrongfully divert taxpayer dollars.”
“We trust contractors supporting our warfighters to act with the utmost integrity and expect them to comply with their obligations to bill the government as called for by their contracts,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “This settlement reflects our Office’s strong commitment to holding accountable those who violate these fundamental principles, no matter where they may be located.”
"This settlement demonstrates that the Department of the Navy will continue to hold contractors accountable for the agreements they make to supply our fleet,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “The Department expects strict adherence to higher standards within the Department and expects the same from its contractors."
“Fraud is an abuse of the system that siphons resources away from the American warfighter,” said Jeremy Gauthier, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Washington D.C. field office. “NCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold responsible those who would put personal gain above corporate integrity.”
The lawsuit was brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by three former employees of Inchcape, Noah Rudolph, Andrea Ford and Lawrence Cosgriff. Under the act, a private citizen may bring suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The government may intervene in the case, as it did here. The False Claims Act allows the government to recover treble damages and penalties from those who violate it. As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $4.4 million.
The case was handled jointly by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Department of the Navy and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Rudolph v. Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited, et al., No. 1:10-cv-01109 (D.D.C). The claims alleged in the case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
United States Settles Lawsuit Alleging That Contractor Falsely Overcharged the United States Navy for Ship Husbanding ServicesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, Inchcape) have agreed to pay $20,000,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Navy under contracts for ship husbanding services, the Department of Justice announced today. Inchcape is a marine services contractor headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Inchcape provided goods and services to Navy ships at ports in several regions throughout the world, including southwest Asia, Africa, Panama, North America, South America and Mexico. Inchcape provided ships with food and other subsistence items, waste removal, telephone services, ship-to-shore transportation, force protection services and local transportation. The lawsuit alleged that from 2005 to 2014, Inchcape knowingly overbilled the Navy for these services by submitting invoices that overstated the quantity of goods and services provided, billing at rates in excess of applicable contract rates, and double-billing for some goods and services.
“Federal contractors may only charge the government for costs allowed by their federal contracts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will take action against contractors that knowingly submit inflated claims to the armed forces—or any other agency of the United States—as those inflated claims wrongfully divert taxpayer dollars.”
“We trust contractors supporting our warfighters to act with the utmost integrity and expect them to comply with their obligations to bill the government as called for by their contracts,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “This settlement reflects our Office’s strong commitment to holding accountable those who violate these fundamental principles, no matter where they may be located.”
“This settlement demonstrates that the Department of the Navy will continue to hold contractors accountable for the agreements they make to supply our fleet,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “The Department expects strict adherence to higher standards within the Department and expects the same from its contractors."
“Fraud is an abuse of the system that siphons resources away from the American warfighter,” said Jeremy Gauthier, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Washington D.C. field office. “NCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold responsible those who would put personal gain above corporate integrity.”
The lawsuit was brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by three former employees of Inchcape, Noah Rudolph, Andrea Ford and Lawrence Cosgriff. Under the act, a private citizen may bring suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The government may intervene in the case, as it did here. The False Claims Act allows the government to recover treble damages and penalties from those who violate it. As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $4.4 million.
The case was handled jointly by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Department of the Navy and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Rudolph v. Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited, et al., No. 1:10-cv-01109 (D.D.C). The claims alleged in the case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
United States Obtains $114 Million Judgment Against Three Individuals for Paying Kickbacks for Laboratory Referrals and Causing Claims for Medically Unnecessary TestsRead the Press Release
On May 23, 2018, the United States District Court in the District of South Carolina entered judgment for the United States in the amounts of $111,109,655.30 against defendants LaTonya Mallory, Floyd Calhoun Dent III and Robert Bradford Johnson, and for an additional $3,039,006.56 against Johnson and Dent, the Department of Justice announced today. The judgment follows the January 31, 2018, jury verdict finding the three individuals liable for violating the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and causing two laboratories to bill federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing.
“Improper financial relationships between physicians and laboratories can distort a physicians’ best judgment for their patients, in addition to undermining patient health and trust,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Chad Readler. “Executives and other individuals who break the law will be held personally accountable for their actions."
During a two-week jury trial held in Charleston, South Carolina, the government introduced evidence that the defendants paid physicians remuneration disguised as processing and handling fees of between $10 and $17 for each patient they referred to two blood testing laboratories: Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. (HDL), of Richmond, Virginia; and Singulex Inc., of Alameda, California. The government also introduced evidence that the kickback scheme resulted in physicians referring patients to HDL and Singulex for medically unnecessary tests, which were then billed to federal health care programs.
The jury found Mallory, HDL’s former CEO, and Johnson and Dent, who marketed and sold HDL’s and Singulex’s tests, jointly and severally liable for causing the submission of 35,074 false claims, worth $16,601,591, submitted to Medicare and TRICARE by HDL. The jury also found defendants Dent and Johnson jointly and severally liable for an additional 3,813 false claims, worth $467,935, submitted by Singulex. As provided by the FCA, the Court trebled those damage amounts, offset settlement payments received from HDL and Singulex for the same claims, and awarded $63.8 million in penalties requested by the United States, for a total judgment of $114,148,661.86.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives and is instead based on the best interests of the patient.
“The Court’s damages award in this case recognizes the seriousness of what these defendants did,” said Sherri A. Lydon, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Paying kickbacks to cause unnecessary tests injures patients, the Medicare Program, and American taxpayers and the District of South Carolina will continue to pursue those who participate in such conduct.”
“This judgment affirms that individuals who cheat Medicare and TRICARE will not be allowed to enjoy their ill-gotten gains,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “This office joins with its Department of Justice colleagues in our mutual commitment to investigate misconduct and recover funds unlawfully obtained from federal healthcare programs.”
“Laboratories that pay kickbacks to physicians in exchange for referrals of business exploit patients and taxpayer-funded health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Our agency is dedicated to investigating such corrosive kickback schemes, as they undermine the public’s trust in medical professionals, and the integrity of government health care programs.”
“The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of criminal misconduct between companies and individuals who engage in kickback schemes at the expense of the U.S. government,” said Acting Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division Chris Hacker. “We recognize the importance of those who came forward and brought allegations to light and realize that we cannot do our work without the public’s help.”
The claims resolved by the court’s order were originally brought in three lawsuits filed by Dr. Michael Mayes, Scarlett Lutz, Kayla Webster, and Chris Reidel under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene in and take over the whistleblower suit, as the United States did, in part, in the three consolidated actions against Mallory, Dent, Johnson and others in August 2015. The whistleblowers’ share of any recovery has yet to be determined.
The cases were litigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of South Carolina and the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, HHS-OIG, the FBI’s Columbia Field Office and FBIHQ’s Major Provider Response Team, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service assisted with the investigation.
The cases are captioned United States ex rel. Mayes v. Berkeley HeartLab Inc., et al., Case No. 9:11-CV-01593-RMG (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Riedel v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:11-CV-02308 (D.D.C.); and United States, et al. ex rel. Lutz, et al. v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 9:14-CV-0230-RMG (D.S.C.).
U.S. Obtains $114 Million Judgment Against Three Individuals for Paying Kickbacks for Laboratory Referrals and Causing Claims for Medically Unnecessary TestsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On May 23, 2018, the United States District Court in the District of South Carolina entered judgment for the United States in the amounts of $111,109,655.30 against defendants LaTonya Mallory, Floyd Calhoun Dent III and Robert Bradford Johnson, and for an additional $3,039,006.56 against Johnson and Dent, the Department of Justice announced today. The judgment follows the January 31, 2018, jury verdict finding the three individuals liable for violating the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and causing two laboratories to bill federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing.
“Improper financial relationships between physicians and laboratories can distort a physicians’ best judgment for their patients, in addition to undermining patient health and trust,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Chad Readler. “Executives and other individuals who break the law will be held personally accountable for their actions.
During a two-week jury trial held in Charleston, South Carolina, the government introduced evidence that the defendants paid physicians remuneration disguised as processing and handling fees of between $10 and $17 for each patient they referred to two blood testing laboratories: Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. (HDL), of Richmond, Virginia; and Singulex Inc., of Alameda, California. The government also introduced evidence that the kickback scheme resulted in physicians referring patients to HDL and Singulex for medically unnecessary tests, which were then billed to federal health care programs.
The jury found Mallory, HDL’s former CEO, and Johnson and Dent, who marketed and sold HDL’s and Singulex’s tests, jointly and severally liable for causing the submission of 35,074 false claims, worth $16,601,591, submitted to Medicare and TRICARE by HDL. The jury also found defendants Dent and Johnson jointly and severally liable for an additional 3,813 false claims, worth $467,935, submitted by Singulex. As provided by the FCA, the Court trebled those damage amounts, offset settlement payments received from HDL and Singulex for the same claims, and awarded $63.8 million in penalties requested by the United States, for a total judgment of $114,148,661.86.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives and is instead based on the best interests of the patient.
“The Court’s damages award in this case recognizes the seriousness of what these defendants did,” said Sherri A. Lydon, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Paying kickbacks to cause unnecessary tests injures patients, the Medicare Program, and American taxpayers and the District of South Carolina will continue to pursue those who participate in such conduct.”
“This judgment affirms that individuals who cheat Medicare and TRICARE will not be allowed to enjoy their ill-gotten gains,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “This office joins with its Department of Justice colleagues in our mutual commitment to investigate misconduct and recover funds unlawfully obtained from federal healthcare programs.”
“Laboratories that pay kickbacks to physicians in exchange for referrals of business exploit patients and taxpayer-funded health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Our agency is dedicated to investigating such corrosive kickback schemes, as they undermine the public’s trust in medical professionals, and the integrity of government health care programs.”
“The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of criminal misconduct between companies and individuals who engage in kickback schemes at the expense of the U.S. government,” said Acting Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division Chris Hacker. “We recognize the importance of those who came forward and brought allegations to light and realize that we cannot do our work without the public’s help.”
The claims resolved by the court’s order were originally brought in three lawsuits filed by Dr. Michael Mayes, Scarlett Lutz, Kayla Webster, and Chris Reidel under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene in and take over the whistleblower suit, as the United States did, in part, in the three consolidated actions against Mallory, Dent, Johnson and others in August 2015. The whistleblowers’ share of any recovery has yet to be determined.
The cases were litigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of South Carolina and the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, HHS-OIG, the FBI’s Columbia Field Office and FBIHQ’s Major Provider Response Team, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service assisted with the investigation.
The cases are captioned United States ex rel. Mayes v. Berkeley HeartLab Inc., et al., Case No. 9:11-CV-01593-RMG (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Riedel v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:11-CV-02308 (D.D.C.); and United States, et al. ex rel. Lutz, et al. v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 9:14-CV-0230-RMG (D.S.C.).
Virginia Man Sentenced to 94 Years to Life in Prison for Triple Homicide in Northeast Washington in 1991Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Benito Valdez, 47, formerly of Arlington, Va., was sentenced today to a term of 94 years to life in prison for killing three people in 1991 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Valdez was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of multiple counts of first-degree murder while armed, three counts of kidnapping while armed and one count of sodomy while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of April 23, 1991, Curtis Pixley, Keith Simmons, and Samantha Gillard went to Langdon Park in the 1800 block of Franklin Street NE to purchase crack cocaine. Mr. Pixley, 29, and Mr. Simmons, 26, approached Valdez while Ms. Gilliard, 23, waited at a distance. The drug deal went bad very quickly when Valdez accused Mr. Pixley of stealing drugs from him. Valdez threatened Mr. Pixley that he was going to pay for the drugs one way or another. When Mr. Pixley could not pay with cash, Valdez raped Ms. Gillard at gunpoint. Then, according to the government’s evidence, Valdez forced all three to lie on the ground and shot each one execution-style.
Valdez was charged with the crimes in February 2016 and has been in custody.
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’s Cold Case Unit as well as the U.S. Park Police. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Siegerist, Alesha Matthews, Meridith McGarrity, and Sharon Newman; Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Bach and Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomas Joyner, 23, of Greenbelt, Md., was sentenced today to a 16-year prison term for killing a man in broad daylight in September 2016 in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Joyner pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 16 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Joyner accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Joyner will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at about 1:50 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2016, Joyner was in the area of the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE, and he was armed with a gun. Prior to the shooting, Joyner was coming down from the top of the stairs that led from Elvans Road to Pomeroy Road and got into an argument with the victim, Joe Cook, over a quantity of marijuana. Joyner than brandished his firearm and shot Mr. Cook in the back. After shooting Mr. Cook, Joyner walked past him, then turned and shot him several more times. Mr. Cook, 35, was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived on the scene and was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. An autopsy identified 16 different gunshot wounds on his body.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Joyner confessed to associates both verbally and on social media that he had shot Mr. Cook.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Shooting That Killed One Man, Wounded AnotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarius Jackson, 25, of Hyattsville, Md., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a shooting in Northwest Washington last year that killed one man and injured another, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Jackson pled guilty 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 a sentence between 13 and 16 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2018.
According to a factual proffer submitted at today’s hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017. The shooting, in the 3500 block of Water Street NW, in the Georgetown area, followed a verbal altercation between the victims and the occupants of a vehicle. The vehicle was operated by an associate of Jackson’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson walked up to one victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, and shot him three times. He then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso. Mr. Amaya-Olivares, 19, was shot once in the back of the head and once in the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Jackson was arrested on Sept. 12, 2017, in Morgantown, W. Va., and extradited to the District of Columbia. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of 16 Charges in Domestic Dispute That Led to Police Pursuit Across Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Smith, 29, of Oxon Hill, Md., has been found guilty by a jury of multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic dispute that led to a high-speed police pursuit last 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 on May 24, 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. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2018.
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 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 verdict, 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.
Five Men Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Following Investigation of Drug Sales in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Five people, all from Washington, D.C., have pled guilty to federal charges following an investigation into the distribution of drugs near a recreation center in Southwest Washington.
The guilty pleas, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The pleas followed an investigation targeting drug sales in the area near the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, in the 200 block of N Street SW. The investigation began in early 2017 after authorities noticed an increase in drug sales and violent activity in the area, which is in MPD’s First Police District. According to the government’s evidence, in addition to the area near the recreation center, drug sales took place in various alleys and corners, including near a church in the 1300 block of First Street SW, near a food market in the 1300 block of Half Street SW, and near a convenience store in the 1100 block of South Capitol Street SW.
The drug trafficking activity admitted to by the defendants took place within a one-block radius of the corner of Half Street SW and Q Street SW, one block west of Nationals Stadium.
Those pleading guilty include
Raymond Boston 26. He pled guilty on May 16, 2018, to one count of conspiring to distribute PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
Damion Littman, 32. He pled guilty on May 21, 2018, to one count of distribution of PCP and also faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
Morriko Washington, 24. He pled guilty on May 22, 2018, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a mandatory sentence of five years and a statutory maximum of life in prison.
Jerome Fuller, 33. He pled guilty on May 22, 2018, to one count of distribution of PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
Kione Banks, 20. He pled guilty on May 23, 2018, to one count of conspiring to distribute PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, Boston sold $1,500 worth of PCP and heroin on behalf of co-defendant Antonio Spencer on June 21, 2017. Boston was also in possession of crack cocaine when he was arrested on March 22, 2018. Littman sold both PCP and crack cocaine on Feb. 24, 2017. Washington sold more than 100 grams of PCP on four separate occasions in August, October, and November of 2017. Washington was also in possession of a firearm and additional crack cocaine when he was arrested on March 22, 2018. Court documents relating to Fuller stated that he sold crack cocaine and PCP on July 20, 2017 and Aug. 10, 2017. According to court documents, Banks sold $1,300 worth of PCP and crack cocaine on behalf of Spencer on May 12, 2017
Three defendants remain charged and all have pled not guilty. They include Antonio Spencer, 24, his brother, Maurice Spencer, 19, and Davon Warren, 21, all of Washington, D.C.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Katie Cowley. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and William Schurmann of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who are investigating and prosecuting the matter.California Man Indicted on Charges Stemming from Hoax Bomb Threats to FCC and FBI HeadquartersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Tyler Raj Barriss, 25, of Los Angeles, Calif., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on two counts of making hoax bomb threats, for a threat that caused an evacuation of a high-profile Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing, and another threat eight days later that that targeted FBI headquarters.
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 Kris Cline, Principal Deputy Director of the Federal Protective Service.
Barriss currently is detained in Wichita, Kansas, where he faces state and federal charges for his role in a Dec. 28, 2017, “swatting” that led to a fatal shooting by law enforcement. “Swatting” refers to a hoax intended to cause law enforcement to respond to a particular location. The federal indictment in Kansas was unsealed on May 23, 2018, and charges Barriss with multiple counts stemming from hoax calls that ultimately led to the death of Andrew Finch.
The District of Columbia case involves two events that took place earlier in December 2017. Barriss is charged in each of those events with one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning use of an explosive. The indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
On Dec. 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission was holding a widely-reported hearing. According to the government’s evidence, Barriss made threats by phone that there were explosives in the building that were set to detonate. The threats led to the FCC Chairman halting the meeting, and the building was evacuated. Further investigation revealed that no explosives were in the building, and the bomb threats were a hoax.
Also, according to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 22, 2017, after work hours, Barriss made similar threats by phone regarding explosives placed inside and outside of the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the headquarters of the FBI. Law enforcement responding to the threat ultimately determined that Barriss’s threats were again a hoax.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Each of the federal charges in the District of Columbia carries statutory maximums of 10 years in prison and potential fines.
The District of Columbia case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Federal Protective Service. The case is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke M. Jones and Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Found Guilty of Charges in 2016 Stabbing in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Onzay Gibbs, 28, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of charges stemming from the stabbing of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Gibbs was found guilty on May 22, 2018, of assault with intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2018, by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck.
According to the government’s evidence, Gibbs and the victim knew each other from the neighborhood. At approximately 8:45 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2016, Gibbs and the victim were walking from a dice game in the 2000 block of Savannah Terrace SE towards the corner store. Gibbs stopped to talk with someone inside a car on 22nd Street SE, where the victim was then forced inside the car. The victim next recalled being around the corner in the 3300 block of 23rd Street SE, where Gibbs repeatedly slashed the victim with a sharp object while saying “shut the f*** up.” The victim was left for dead in bushes in the area, where he was found by someone who called 911.
The victim was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, where he was treated for 16 stab wounds to his face, neck, and body. He was cut three-fourths of the way around his neck. Text messages recovered from Gibbs’s cell phone showed his awareness of the victim’s condition and his efforts to avoid being identified and arrested following the incident.
Gibbs was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Oct. 26, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente and Kevin L. Rosenberg, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Antoinette Sakamsa, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Natasha Smalky, who prosecuted the case.
Teachers’ Assistant Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Diore Anthony Paire, 34, a former teachers’ assistant at a public charter high school in Southeast Washington, pled guilty today to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, involving a student, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Paire, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for Aug. 3, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, in early 2017, Paire was a teacher’s assistant at the Thurgood Marshall Academy, located in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The victim was a 17-year old student who attended that school.
In October, 2017, Paire and the victim exchanged phone numbers and began communicating with one another. On two different occasions that month, Paire sent the victim text messages, asking her to rendezvous with him in order to have sex. Both times, the victim declined his advances. One day after school that month, however, the victim was in the Academy’s computer lab. Paire came to the lab and asked the victim to engage in a sex act with him. She did, briefly, but stopped out of fear of getting caught. Later, however, she reported the relationship to authorities at the school and they, in turn, notified the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
When the police interviewed Paire about the allegations, he initially denied that he had done anything wrong. As the interview continued, however, he admitted that he had engaged the victim in a sexual act. Paire was arrested on Feb. 28, 2018.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended members of the Youth and Family Services Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, who investigated the case. She also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams and Victim/Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Shooting at Southeast Washington Barber ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Terrance Atchison, 22, and Barry Bloomfield, 29, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms for a shooting at a barber shop in which a father and his 21-month-old child were injured. Atchison was sentenced to a 16 ½-year prison term, and Bloomfield was sentenced to an 18 ½-year term for their respective roles in the crime.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Atchison and Bloomfield were found guilty by a jury in March 2018, of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed (of a minor), assault with a dangerous weapon, and related offenses. The verdicts followed a multi-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Following their prison terms, they will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, at approximately 1:40 p.m., three masked gunmen opened the doors of Wrenn’s Barber Shop, in the 1000 block of Eighth Street SE, and began firing a total of eight rounds. At the time of the shooting, the shop was bustling with customers, and the toddler and his father were waiting for a haircut. The father, who was holding his son, was shot three times, and one wound shattered his ankle. A bullet grazed the child’s leg. Witnesses observed the gunmen run to a waiting white sport utility vehicle just around the corner and flee.
Video surveillance showed the defendants getting into a white Toyota RAV 4 about 20 minutes before the shooting and travelling to the barber shop. The defendants were on GPS monitoring because they were on post-conviction supervision, and their tracks placed them directly in front of the barber shop at the time of the shooting, as well as mirrored the RAV 4’s travel to and flight from the barber shop.
Atchison was arrested on Feb. 17, 2016, and Bloomfield was arrested on Feb. 18, 2016. They have been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa N. Walters and Thomas Saunders, who investigated the case, Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Criminal Investigators Nelson Rhone and Melissa Matthews. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Melissa Jackson, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Slayings of Two Housemates in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Bright, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 33 years in prison for the slayings of two of his housemates at their rooming house in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bright pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 33 years in prison. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Bright will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on Feb. 18, 2016, Bright was staying in a rooming house in the 500 block of 58th Street NE. The victims, Clifton Francis and David Watkins, were Bright’s housemates. Two other individuals were also staying in the home at the time, one permanently and one temporarily.
At approximately 12:55 p.m., Bright entered the house, where Mr. Francis and Mr. Watkins were sitting in the living room watching television; one of the other housemates was in the kitchen. Bright went upstairs, where his bedroom was located, and then came running down the stairs. He pointed a gun in the direction of Mr. Francis and began firing at close range.
Mr. Francis, who received multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head, immediately slumped over the arm of the couch and fell to the floor. Mr. Watkins started yelling words to the effect of “what are doing, are you crazy?” Bright then turned the gun towards Mr. Watkins and began firing, hitting him in the chest. Mr. Watkins managed to crawl to his bedroom, and yelled for the remaining housemate to call the police. Bright ran into the kitchen and came face-to-face with this housemate. He pointed the gun at his face, but the housemate was able to run into a bedroom and closed the door. Bright then fled the house.
The next day, Feb. 19, 2016, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Bright was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force as he walked out of a barbershop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. Bright was exiting the barbershop after having shaved off his dreadlocks. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Bright had driven a Mitsubishi Galant to the barber shop. Officers searched the car and recovered the murder weapon, a Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm, as well as 91 rounds of ammunition and three firearm magazines (two full, one empty).
Mr. Watkins, 45, and Mr. Francis, 51, both died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Magdalena Acevedo, Victim/Witness Advocate Jim Brennan, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and former Paralegal Specialist Kendra Johnson. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley C. Nielsen, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Robbery at Towing Company LotRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Warren Stevenson, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for taking part in a robbery and carjacking at a towing company parking lot in Northeast Washington, as well as an additional four months of incarceration for later assaulting a corrections officer at the District of Columbia Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stevenson pled guilty in March 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count each of carjacking, armed robbery, and simple assault. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 15 and 18 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Stevenson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 12, 2015, at approximately 1 a.m., Stevenson and three co-conspirators ambushed four victims at District Towing, a business in the 900 block of Franklin Street NE. One victim was at the premises with his son to pick up his son’s car, which a tow truck driver had towed earlier that evening. Also on the premises were two District Towing employees who were awaiting service calls in a tow truck.
Stevenson and his accomplices rushed into the tow lot brandishing handguns and began their assault on the four victims. As Stevenson pointed a gun at the father and demanded the money on his person and any money in the car, another accomplice robbed the tow truck driver of his cell phone and money at gunpoint. The father offered Stevenson the keys to his Jaguar and then, fearing for his life, began to grapple with Stevenson for control of the gun.
In the midst of the robberies, the other two assailants approached the tow truck and began banging on the truck’s windows with the butts of their firearms, demanding that the District Towing employees open the doors. Frightened, one of the employees slammed on the gas and attempted to drive out of the lot. As the truck pulled away, the assailants began shooting at the truck. One employee was shot in his left arm and chest and the other was hit in the right cheek. The assailants, including Stevenson, then escaped in the carjacked Jaguar.
Stevenson was identified as being at the scene via GPS, and escaped from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) when officers tracked him to a house in Northeast Washington later that morning. He was ultimately arrested on the evening of Dec. 9, 2015, at an acquaintance’s house in the 1400 block of Oglethorpe Road NW. The arrest followed a seven-hour barricade and stand-off with members of MPD. While watching the news broadcast of the barricade, the owner of the carjacked Jaguar recognized Stevenson as the carjacker. Stevenson has remained in custody since his arrest. No other arrests have been made to date in the case.
The carjacking and robbery charges stemmed from the incident at the towing company lot. Additionally, the simple assault charge stemmed from an incident on Feb. 10, 2018 at the District of Columbia Jail. During a fight between two other inmates at the jail, Stevenson pulled pepper spray away from a corrections officer who responded to the trouble. Stevenson discharged it, with some of the spray hitting the officer.
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 expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Coleman; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Lashaune Briggs, and Intern Natasha Harnwell-Davis.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth M. Gilmore, Kamil E. Shields, and Melissa Price, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Assaulting Man in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Herb Anthony, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years and four months in prison for severely beating a man with a metal pipe who was walking home from a store in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Anthony was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of obstruction of justice. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Upon completion of his prison term, Anthony will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Mother’s Day evening, May 8, 2016, the victim had just walked to a store in the area of the 100 block of Irvington Street SW. Anthony came up from behind him and struck him in the face with a black steel pipe. Anthony and other unidentified individuals proceeded to punch and kick the victim to the ground, leaving him bloodied and disoriented. The victim received multiple fractures to his face, resulting in reconstructive surgery without which he would have suffered permanent facial damage. The victim’s medical follow-up continues twoyears later. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Anthony’s arrest on May 30, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maryam Adeyola, Ellen D’Angelo, Kathleen “Katie” Kern and John Timmer; Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Rachel Forman, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwan Shelton, 34, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today 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 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. The charges require a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to life imprisonment. The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2018.
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 plea will result in his third firearms conviction and second drug trafficking conviction.
In announcing the plea, 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.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense Following Discovery of Guns and Drugs in His ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Leroy Jones, 32, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to one count of possessing firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum of life. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2018.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea, on June 28, 2017, Deputy U.S. Marshals came to an apartment building in the 1300 block of Kenyon Street NW to conduct an eviction. Building management provided them with the keys to the apartment. The deputy marshals announced their arrival for an eviction and entered the unit. No one was inside. The deputy marshals observed suspected narcotics, ammunition, and a firearm in plain view and reported the discovery to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department secured the apartment while a search warrant was sought. The officers who secured the apartment locked the front door and waited inside the apartment. While they waited, Jones returned to the apartment and unlocked the front door. Officers came to the front of the unit and detained Mr. Jones in the hallway.
Officers then searched the apartment pursuant to a search warrant. They found, among other things a duffel-style bag containing a Wyndham Weaponry .223-caliber short-barreled rifle, a rifle-pistol, two handguns, several high-capacity magazines and various types of ammunition. They also discovered in the apartment a ballistic vest, loose ammunition, a loaded magazine, suspected narcotics, and $3,409 in cash.
The suspected narcotics were submitted to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and a lab analysis determined them to be mixtures of substances containing cocaine.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Marshal Hughes, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Marshals Service and Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Catherine O’Neil, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente, Steven B. Wasserman, Emory V. Cole, and Vincent W. Caputy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Commitment of Law Enforcement During Ceremonies Commemorating National Police WeekRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu is joining Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessio D. Evangelista and other leaders of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in commemorating National Police Week by attending various events in honor of the sacrifice and contributions made by law enforcement officers here and across the nation.
The week honors the law enforcement community with special recognition of those who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. In 1962, Congress created National Police Week and designated May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be among officials attending today's 37th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the United States Capitol, one of the largest gatherings of the week.
On May 13, 2018, U.S. Attorney Liu attended the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall, in honor of fallen officers. Attorney General Sessions spoke at the event. Earlier, she attended a memorial service on May 8, 2018, at the U.S. Capitol honoring four United States Capitol Police officers who have died over the years in the line of duty. This year’s ceremony was especially poignant, with speakers recalling the heroism of Officer Jacob J. Chestnut and Detective John M. Gibson, who died 20 years ago while protecting the U.S. Capitol from a gunman’s attack. U.S. Attorney Liu and Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Evangelista also attended the 24th Annual Blue Mass on May 1, 2018 at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church.
“National Police Week is a time to reflect on the courage and commitment shown by law enforcement officers here in the District of Columbia and across the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The citizens of the District of Columbia are especially fortunate to be kept safe by thousands of dedicated men and women from a wide array of federal and District of Columbia law enforcement agencies. Their devotion to duty comes at great risk and sacrifice. The ceremonies this week give all of us an opportunity to remember those who died serving their communities and a chance to thank those who work around the clock to protect us. ”
This year, National Police Week is observed from Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19, 2018.
“One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016 when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.
Additionally, in 2017 there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officer were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.
For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the newly released 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.
The names of all 93 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2018.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Charges Related to 2015 Murder in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maricco Knight, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for acting as an accessory after the fact and obstructing justice for his role in assisting a man who was wanted for murder, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Knight was found guilty by a jury of the charges in March 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.
A co-defendant in the trial, Dominique Williams, 24, also of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. He was sentenced on May 11, 2018, to 24 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2015, shortly after 1 a.m., Williams, Knight and another man pulled over a Honda Accord in the 3200 block of 28th Street SE. Williams was in the rear passenger seat, Knight was in the front passenger seat, and the third man was driving. A short distance away from the Accord, gathered in an alley, were three men and an 11-year-old boy. Williams had earlier disputes with persons who resided or sometimes gathered in the block, but none of those persons was among the group in the alley.
After the Accord pulled over, Williams leaned out of the car and fired eight shots from a 9-millimeter handgun at the group. One person was hit – Marcellus Green, 39. He was shot once and was declared dead about an hour later. The three people in the Accord drove off.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were on the scene within a few minutes. Witnesses gave the police a description of the Accord and its license plate number. At about 1:40 a.m., an officer in a marked MPD cruiser spotted the Accord, still occupied by the three men, in a different neighborhood. Before the officer could even activate his emergency equipment, the Accord began to drive off at a high rate of speed. After a 20-minute chase, during which the 9-millimeter handgun was tossed out, the Accord crashed and all three occupants fled on foot. Within two minutes, the driver and Knight were stopped.
Williams, however, got away. An arrest warrant was issued for him three months later and he was ultimately apprehended on July 20, 2016, at the residence of Knight’s girlfriend. During the search for Williams, according to the government’s evidence, Knight assisted in helping Williams hide out despite the fact that he was told repeatedly by law enforcement that Williams was wanted for the murder.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Interns Korey Johnson and Shani Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Carjacking of Nun in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Brown, 20, of Washington, D.C, pled guilty today to charges stemming from the recent 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 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of carjacking and carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls 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 scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2018.
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 plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of 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.