District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Sentenced to 8 ½-Year Prison Term for 2015 Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Davon Peyton, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of eight and a half years on charges stemming from the killing of a man in a dispute that took place in 2015 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Peyton was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of involuntary manslaughter and related weapons charges. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 13, 2015, the victim, Ray Harrison, along with his fiancée and her female friend from Texas, drove unannounced to Peyton’s apartment at 2:30 a.m. Mr. Harrison and his fiancée were friends with Peyton and his girlfriend.
When Mr. Harrison and the two women arrived in the 1300 block of Adams Street NE, the two women stayed in the car while he walked up the steps and knocked on the front window of Peyton’s apartment. In response, Peyton pulled a gun from his waistband and went to the front door. He confronted Mr. Harrison on the front steps of the building, demanding to know why he there at that hour of night. A tussle ensued. Peyton then shot Mr. Harrison in the chest. Mr. Harrison, 21, staggered to the curb, where he collapsed and died.
Peyton was arrested on Nov. 20, 2015, after a warrant was issued for his arrest, by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
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 efforts of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. She acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Mannarino and Nicholas Coleman; Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Stephanie Gilbert; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia and Leif Hickling; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Marcia Rinker, Katina Adams-Washington, and LaJune Thames, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, and Intern Shani Brown.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Earnest and Jennifer Fischer, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Fatal 2015 Drive-By Shooting in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominique Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for killing a man in a drive-by shooting in September 2015 in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams was found guilty by a jury in March 2018 of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff.. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
A co-defendant, Maricco Knight, 25, also of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by the same jury of acting as an accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice for his role in assisting Williams while Williams was evading law enforcement prior to his arrest. Knight is to be sentenced on May 15, 2018.
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.
MPD officers 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.
Former Owner of Plastics Recycling Company Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Sang Han, 47, formerly of Palm Beach, Fla, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury in the District of Columbia of two counts of tax evasion for evading paying more than $4 million in taxes in 2010 and 2011.
The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, Han owned and operated Envion, a company that he claimed held the patents on technology used to convert plastics into fuel oil. Han convinced two individuals to invest nearly $40 million in his company, then used more than $14 million of that money to fund a lavish personal lifestyle. In 2010 and 2011, Han purchased a Palm Beach home, paid for extravagant renovations and internal decorations, enjoyed flights on private jets, and bought multiple luxury cars, including BMWs, a Range Rover, and a Ferrari. Han also used millions of dollars of the investors’ money to replace money he had previously misappropriated from Envion. According to the government’s evidence, Han also took steps to conceal his personal use of the investors’ money from his bookeepers and tax preparers. As a result, he did not report any of the money he converted for his personal use on his 2010 and 2011 tax returns, thereby evading more than $4 million in tax liability.
The guilty verdicts were returned on May 9, 2018, following an eight-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Han faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. Han is to appear before Judge Boasberg for a hearing later today to set conditions for his release pending the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Aug. 1, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Liu, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jackson commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derrick Williams and Denise Simmonds, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Tax Division Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney, who prosecuted the case, as well as Paralegal Specialist Brittany Phillips, who provided assistance during the trial.
District Man Sentenced to Prison for Attacking Woman on the StreetRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elias Hailu, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for sexually abusing a stranger on the street in broad daylight last fall in the 14th Street corridor of Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Hailu pled guilty in March 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted third-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, he must register for 10 years as a sex offender. He also will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Hailu encountered the victim on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2017, as she was walking on U Street toward 13th Street NW. He began to follow the victim, who was a stranger to him, for several blocks while she proceeded to work. All the while, Hailu made sexually explicit proposals to the victim and ignored her repeated requests that he leave her alone. Hailu sexually abused the victim by forcefully grabbing the victim’s breast with his hand. The victim made an immediate report to law enforcement.
Surveillance footage that captured a portion of Hailu’s conduct showed Hailu’s distinctive clothing, some of which he had been wearing the day before in the same area. Based on the description provided by the victim and the surveillance footage, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was able to identify Hailu as the perpetrator. He was arrested on Nov. 17, 2017, wearing some of the same clothing he had worn during the sexual assault.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracy Owusu, Paralegal Specialist Donhue Troy Griffith, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Matt Williams and Marisa West, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Slaying of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Montez Warren, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for killing a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Warren pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 15 to 22 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Warren will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the evening of Aug. 20, 2016, numerous people attended a cookout and fish fry in the 1200 block of 18th Place NE, including Warren and the victim, Dante Miller. In the early morning hours of Aug. 21, 2016, the party wore down, and an argument erupted between Mr. Miller and a woman who was with Warren. Warren tried to break up the fight, but the confrontation soon resumed. As the fighting continued to escalate, Warren fired several shots at Mr. Miller. He kept firing his weapon even as Mr. Miller tried to run away. Then, as Mr. Miller fell to the ground, Warren stood over top of him and fired several additional shots. He then rode off in a car. Mr. Miller, 24, died at the scene.
An autopsy identified eight gunshot wounds, including one to the chest and one to the abdomen.
An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Warren’s arrest on Oct. 12, 2016. 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. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the U.S. Park Police. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman and Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Misler and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 2016 Slaying of His Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donald R. Hairston, 51, of District Heights, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in the June 2016 slaying of his ex-girlfriend at her home in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Hairston also was found guilty of first-degree felony murder while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, temporary protection order violation, stalking, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on July 20, 2018, by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.
According to the government’s evidence, on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at approximately 1 a.m., the victim, Stephanie Goodloe, was in bed in her three-bedroom rowhouse in the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue SE. Her 11-year-old daughter, who was asleep in a nearby bedroom, awoke to her mother’s cry and the sound of “Pop… pop, pop, pop.” She then then saw a man walk by her open bedroom door. The man she observed was Hairston, her mother’s ex-boyfriend. Terrified, the girl waited a few minutes before checking on her mother because she was afraid the defendant would come after her next. When she finally gained the courage to go into her mother’s room, she found her 40-year-old mother dead, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Frantic, she called 911.
Prior to the murder, according to the government’s evidence, Hairston had engaged in a pattern of domestic violence against Ms. Goodloe. She had filed for a temporary protection order against him approximately two weeks earlier after he had slashed her tires and showed up at her house pounding on the door at all hours of the night. Additionally, in the weeks leading up to the murder, he stole her house keys from her front door, threatened to kill her, and generally stalked and harassed her. They were scheduled to go to court regarding the temporary protection order on Monday, June 20, 2016, just two days after the murder.
Hairston was arrested on the day of the murder 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 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 Michelle D. Jackson, David Gorman, and Laura R. Bach; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Forensic Child Interview Specialists Karen Giannakoulias and Tracy Owusu; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Contract Specialist Marquetta Little; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Stephanie Gilbert; Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and John Timmer, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting at Southwest Washington Recreation CenterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were involved in the May 16, 2017, fatal shooting of Isabelle Duval in Southwest Washington.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses, and the review of body worn camera (BWC) and other video footage; autopsy and toxicology reports; District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences’ reports, photographs, and diagrams; audio transmissions; and physical evidence collected on the scene and from Ms. Duval’s vehicle, including an operable Ruger SR 22 .22LR semi-automatic pistol; an operable .45 caliber Zenith Zig 1911 semi-automatic pistol loaded with six .45 caliber GECO cartridges; a black magazine loaded with ten .22 caliber REM cartridges; an extended clip magazine loaded with nineteen 9mm cartridges of various brands; and three empty magazines.
According to the evidence, on May 16, 2017, at approximately 6:26 p.m., two Seventh District officers were dispatched to the Bald Eagle Recreation Center located at 100 Joliet Street SW, for the report of a “woman with a gun.” Several moments earlier, Ms. Duval had driven her gray Nissan Altima into a tree next to the recreation center, after previously leaving the scene of an accident six tenths of a mile away. Civilian witnesses approached Ms. Duval’s smoking vehicle to help her get out. Although Ms. Duval appeared to have a broken leg, she told the witnesses that she did not want them to call 911 because she had a warrant for her arrest. Ms. Duval then pulled out an operable Ruger SR 22 .22LR semi-automatic pistol, and started crawling and scooting towards the front door of the recreation center. As one witness called 911, two other witnesses moved the children who were on the adjoining playground and inside the recreation center to safety. When Ms. Duval reached the front door, she tried to get into the building, but the doors were locked. She then sat down in front of the entrance with the weapon in her hand.
When the two Seventh District officers arrived at the recreation center, they observed Ms. Duval sitting in front of the recreation center with the weapon still in her hand. The officers, and two other officers who had arrived on the scene, approached Ms. Duval and repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapon, but she did not comply. At approximately 6:32 p.m., as one of the officers repositioned his cruiser onto the grass next to the sidewalk so that the officers could use the doors of the cruiser as ballistic shields, Ms. Duval rose up on her knees and pointed her weapon at the officer in the cruiser. The initial two responding officers, both of whom were positioned in front of Ms. Duval with civilians to their rear, immediately fired their weapons in response. Ms. Duval was struck once in the center of the chest and once in the left buttock, and a bullet grazed her thigh and groin. She fell to the ground and dropped the weapon by her side.
The officers immediately holstered their weapons and ran towards Ms. Duval to render medical assistance, but she no longer had a pulse when personnel arrived from the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Ms. Duval, 41, was then transported to Howard University Hospital, where she was officially pronounced dead. The autopsy report indicates that the cause of Ms. Duval’s death was the gunshot wound to her chest, and the toxicology report revealed that Ms. Duval was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
Department of Forensic Sciences technicians recovered Ms. Duval’s operable Ruger SR 22 .22LR pistol with an empty magazine inserted into the weapon’s well, and another weapon and multiple rounds of ammunition, from her vehicle. They also recovered seven cartridge casings that were fired by the two shooting officers.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officers were acting in self-defense and defense of others at the time of the shooting.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove such violations, prosecutors must be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. A conclusion that “there is insufficient evidence” is not meant to suggest anything further about what evidence, if any, exists.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Six Family Members Indicted on Federal Charges Related to $4 Million Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Five people, all members of the same family, have been indicted on federal charges alleging that they took part in a $4 million extortion and money laundering scheme. A sixth family member has been indicted on charges of tampering with a witness.
The indictments were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Five of the defendants are to appear this afternoon for a status hearing before the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They earlier pled not guilty to charges in the indictment. The indictment was returned on April 19, 2018, and unsealed on April 25, 2018.
Those scheduled to make court appearances today include Archie Kaslov, 51, his wife, Candy Evans, 48, and their sons: Tony John Evans, 29; Robert Evans, 30, and Corry Blue Evans, 25. All are from New York, N.Y. Gina Rita Russell, 29, of Los Angeles, Calif., remains in custody while awaiting extradition to the District of Columbia. She is the common law spouse of Robert Evans.
According to the indictment, from approximately November 2016 through approximately April 2017, Kaslov, Tony John Evans, Robert Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Russell engaged in a wide-ranging scheme to enrich themselves through the extortion and attempted extortion of others and through the scheme received more than $4 million in cash, gold bars, and gold coins.
The indictment also alleges that from approximately January 2017 through June 2017, these same five defendants engaged in a scheme to launder their fraudulent proceeds. The indictment alleges that they used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase, among other items, luxury merchandise, jewelry, designer watches, and two Rolls Royce Phantom automobiles.
The indictment further alleges that Candy Evans and Russell engaged in obstruction of justice through various conduct, which included arranging a fraudulent marriage in an attempt to obstruct potential witness testimony, creating a false letter of exoneration, and coaching potential witnesses on false information to provide to law enforcement.
With the exception of Candy Evans, all of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, bank fraud, and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Candy Evans is charged with three counts of tampering with a witness. Kaslov also is charged with three counts of money laundering. Tony Evans and Robert Evans also are charged with one count each of interference with interstate commerce by extortion and money laundering. Corry Blue Evans also is charged with one count each of bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Russell also is charged with one count of interference with interstate commerce by extortion, one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and three counts of tampering with a witness.
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.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Inspector General Horowitz expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, former Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi, and Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.
District Man Indicted on Multiple Charges in 2016 Home Invasion in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory H. Grooms, 19, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on felony charges stemming from an armed home invasion that took place in August 2016 in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Grooms was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on 25 counts, including first-degree burglary while armed, armed kidnapping, armed carjacking, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and related charges. He remains held pending trial and is expected to be arraigned at the next court date on May 11, 2018. His trial is scheduled for July 18, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, the armed home invasion occurred on Aug. 13, 2016, at approximately 10:40 p.m., at a residence in the 1800 block of Upshur Street NW. The four victims, including two minor children, were home at the time of the offense. According to the evidence, Grooms and an accomplice, both armed with guns, forced their way into the victims’ residence, threatened the victims, and ordered the victims around the house.
During the incident, one of the victims tried to get the children to safety by dropping one of them from a second-story window. Grooms and his accomplice allegedly took several items, including the victims’ car keys, and left in the victims’ vehicle.
Grooms was later identified by law enforcement through forensic evidence, including a fingerprint from the victims’ vehicle, which was recovered in the area of his last known residence at the time. Additionally, law enforcement linked Grooms to a knife recovered at the crime scene through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes.
Grooms was arrested on March 15, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.
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.
In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who was involved in the Feb. 23, 2017, fatal shooting of Timothy Williams in Northeast Washington.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses, and the review of body worn camera (BWC) and other video footage; autopsy and toxicology reports; District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences reports, photographs, and diagrams; audio transmissions; and physical evidence collected on the scene, including a loaded Springfield XD-9 semi-automatic pistol; 12 Speer 9mm Luger 14 cartridge casings; and an extended clip magazine loaded with 26 Speer 9mm Luger 14 cartridges.
According to the evidence, on Feb. 23, 2017, at approximately 10:42 p.m., two Fifth District Crime Suppression Team (CST) officers were on patrol in an unmarked MPD cruiser in the vicinity of Morse and Holbrook Streets NE. MPD officials had deployed the officers, and numerous other CST officers from both the First and Fifth Districts, to that area because of a shooting and a reported sound of gunshots that had occurred earlier that day, both within a one-mile radius.
As the officers drove northbound in the 1200 block of Holbrook Street NE, they saw an individual, later-identified as Mr. Williams, walking on the sidewalk. As corroborated by civilian witnesses, Mr. Williams was fidgeting, acting strangely, and repeatedly looking back in the direction of police activity that was occurring a block away. When one of the officers rolled down his passenger window to ask Mr. Williams if he could speak with him, Mr. Williams mumbled an expletive and continued walking. The officer, who was in full uniform, then exited the cruiser and walked several feet behind Mr. Williams, as the other officer drove the cruiser slowly forward. When Mr. Williams reached the intersection of Morse and Holbrook Streets, he cut behind the cruiser and ran in a diagonal direction across the intersection. After a brief chase, Mr. Williams tripped over a stop sign and stumbled into the rear driver’s side panel of the cruiser. As he was falling to the ground, Mr. Williams dropped an extended clip magazine loaded with 26 Speer 9mm Luger 14 cartridges, on which his DNA was later recovered. Mr. Williams stood up quickly, but the officers were able to grab his arms. When Mr. Williams started to struggle, the two officers used hand controls to take him to the ground.
Once on the ground, one of the officers attempted to search Mr. Williams’s waistband, but Mr. Williams continued to struggle, even briefly standing again. As corroborated by a civilian witness, Mr. Williams then pulled out a weapon from his waistband and fired multiple rounds. One of the officers took cover beside the officers’ cruiser, as the other officer continued to struggle with Mr. Williams until they both fell to the ground. Upon seeing Mr. Williams’s finger in the trigger of the weapon, the officer grabbed the barrel of the weapon to direct it away from his [the officer’s] head. From a position by the rear of the cruiser, the other officer, who could see Mr. Williams and his partner struggling on the ground for possession of the weapon, fired two rounds at Mr. Williams, striking him in the right knee and right ankle, but not incapacitating him. As Mr. Williams and the officer continued to struggle for possession of Mr. Williams’s weapon, the officer on the ground, who had not had the opportunity to unholster his own weapon, yelled for his partner to “shoot him! Shoot him!” The second officer then fired three more rounds into Mr. Williams’s back. As Mr. Williams’s body went limp, the officer on the ground was finally able to grab the weapon from Mr. Williams’s hand. When the officer attempted to stand up, however, he collapsed to the ground with a gunshot to his lower left abdomen. The shooting officer was also shot in his right buttock.
Personnel with the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported Mr. Williams, 47, to Howard University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy confirmed that Mr. Williams was shot five times, including three times in the back and twice in the lower extremities. The two officers were transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where they were admitted in stable condition. The officer who was shot in the abdomen underwent surgery and remained in the hospital for several days, and the other officer was treated and released several hours later.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officer was acting in self-defense and defense of others at the time of the shooting.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove such violations, prosecutors must be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. A conclusion that “there is insufficient evidence” is not meant to suggest anything further about what evidence, if any, exists.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Two Businessmen Charged with Conspiring to Commit Economic Espionage for Benefit of Chinese Manufacturing CompanyRead the Press Release
Shan Shi, 53, of Houston, and Gang Liu, 32, a Chinese national, were charged yesterday by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit economic espionage for the benefit of CBM-Future New Material Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (CBMF), a Chinese company based in Taizhou. Both businessmen were previously indicted in June 2017 for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. The superseding indictment issued yesterday also charged CBMF and its Houston-based subsidiary, CBM International, Inc. (CBMI), for their roles in the conspiracy.
The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Chief Don Fort of the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
According to court records, Shi and Liu conspired with others to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from a U.S. engineering firm that produces syntactic foam, a strong, lightweight material with commercial and military uses. Shan; Liu; Uka Kalu Uche, 36, of Spring, Texas; Samuel Abotar Ogoe, 75, of Missouri City, Texas; Kui Bo, 41, a Canadian citizen who had been residing in the Dallas area; and Hui Huang, 33, a Chinese national, were indicted in June 2017 on a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. An additional defendant pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2017. The superseding indictment includes that charge, adds the conspiracy to commit economic espionage count against Shi and Liu, and includes a federal money laundering conspiracy count against Shi. CBMF and CBMI have also been indicted on all three charges.
The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit economic espionage is 15 years in prison. The maximum for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets is 10 years, and the maximum for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Two Businessmen Charged with Conspiring to Commit Economic Espionage for Benefit of Chinese Manufacturing CompanyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two businessmen, including one who is a Chinese national, have been indicted on charges alleging that they conspired to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from a business in the United States on behalf of a company in China that was engaged in manufacturing buoyancy materials for military and civilian uses.
The charges were announced today by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, and Chief Don Fort of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Shan Shi, 53, a U.S. citizen from Houston, Texas, and Gang Liu, 32, a Chinese national, were among six individuals named in a superseding indictment returned on April 26, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. All six individuals initially were indicted in June 2017 on a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. The superseding indictment includes that charge and adds the conspiracy to commit economic espionage count against Shi and Liu, as well as a federal money laundering conspiracy count against Shi. CBM-Future New Material Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (CBMF), a Chinese company based in Taizhou, and its Houston-based subsidiary, CBM International, Inc. (CBMI), have also been indicted on all three charges.
The other defendants include Uka Kalu Uche, 36, a U.S. citizen from Spring, Texas; Samuel Abotar Ogoe, 75, a U.S. citizen from Missouri City, Texas; Kui Bo, 41, a Canadian citizen who had been residing in the Dallas area; and Hui Huang, 33, a Chinese national. All of the defendants pled not guilty last year to the charges in the original indictment, with the exception of Huang, who has not been apprehended and is believed to remain at large in China.
A seventh defendant previously pled guilty in December 2017 to a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets.
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“The superseding indictment in this case demonstrates that we will vigorously enforce laws meant to protect against economic espionage and related offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the FBI, Commerce Department’s BIS, IRS, and other law enforcement organizations to prosecuting theft of intellectual property.”
“The ongoing theft of American technology is a severe threat to our national security, and this is doubly true for technology with direct military applications. As this situation demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to working with its partners to combat this threat,” said FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Priestap.
“This indictment is a good example of the community, industry, and law enforcement working together,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Turner. “Economic espionage is a growing threat that costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars and puts our national security at risk. The FBI will continue to work with its partners to bring perpetrators of economic espionage to justice.”
“This superseding indictment alleges a vast criminal conspiracy involving everything from trade secret theft to money laundering and other financial crimes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Fort. “By unraveling this scheme, we were able to hold those accountable who would profit from such a scheme while sending a message to others who would commit similar crimes in the future that they, too, will be brought to justice.”
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According to the indictment, China has promoted military, social, and economic development initiatives with a goal of making the country a marine power and has prioritized the development of engineered components of deepwater buoyancy materials. The charges in the indictment involve the development of syntactic foam, a strong, lightweight material that can be tailored for commercial and military uses, including oil exploration, aerospace and stealth technologies, and underwater vehicles, such as submarines.
According to the indictment, from at least 2013 through May 2017, Shi operated on behalf of CBMF, which intended to create a facility in China to sell syntactic foam. CBMF received research funds from state funding in China and was part of a collaborative innovation center with Chinese government entities.
The indictment alleges that Shi and Liu conspired with the other defendants to steal trade secrets from a global engineering firm, referred to in the indictment as “Company A,” that is a producer in the global syntactic foam market.
In March 2014, according to the indictment, Shi incorporated CBMI, which was owned and funded by CBMF, in Houston. The indictment alleges that CBMF employees wired approximately $3.1 million to CBMI between June 2014 and May 2017.
According to the indictment, Shi and others recruited and hired current and former employees of “Company A” in Houston, including Liu, for the purpose of aiding CBMF’s capability to make syntactic foam. Liu previously worked for “Company A” as a material development engineer and had access to proprietary and trade secret data. He and others are accused of passing along those trade secrets. According to the indictment, the technology was ultimately destined for China, to benefit the government and other state-owned enterprises.
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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 commit economic espionage is 15 years of incarceration. The maximum for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets is 10 years, and the maximum for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Commerce’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement, and the IRS-CI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Pearlman, Zia Faruqui, and Michael Romano of the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Israeli-Moroccan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in International Business E-Mail Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harry Meir Mimoun Amar, a resident and citizen of Israel and Morocco, pled guilty today to taking part in an international conspiracy to trick mid-level corporate employees into wiring millions of dollars to bank accounts under the control of those in the criminal enterprise.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Amar, 39, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Amar has agreed to pay $273,321 in restitution and $49,503 in a forfeiture money judgment. Amar will be subject to deportation proceedings. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly set a sentencing hearing in the case for Aug. 16, 2018.
Amar was among 17 people arrested in early 2017 following a multi-year investigative effort by federal and international law enforcement agencies to target multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes perpetrated by a transnational organized crime network. Amar was arrested on March 1, 2017 in Israel and consented to his extradition to the United States. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Amar was charged along with three others arrested last year with participating in one particular fraud scheme, which is known as a business e-mail compromise, or “BEC” scheme. The cases against the other three individuals remain pending.
According to a statement of offense submitted at today’s plea hearing, Amar and others used the Internet and primarily U.S.-based electronic communications to target mid-sized and large companies and impersonate executive-level employees in e-mail communications with mid-level employees. These mid-level employees were led to believe they were being entrusted to handle a large financial transaction, such as a “secret” corporate acquisition. The employees were instructed to initiate wire transfers from the company’s corporate bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by members of the criminal enterprise. Once the funds were transferred, the money was quickly wire transferred out of the reach of the target corporation into accounts located in the People’s Republic of China and elsewhere, with the funds ultimately being delivered to co-conspirators located in Europe and elsewhere.
In his guilty plea, Amar admitted taking part in the scheme from approximately January 2014 until August 2014, working with co-conspirators who were operating in other countries, including Turkey and Bulgaria. The statement of offense ties Amar to false representations made to four companies from Germany, Spain, Finland and Portugal. According to the statement of offense, the scheme generated $1,093,557 in U.S. dollars. Amar personally received $49,503 of the proceeds.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who are investigating the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Israeli National Police, the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, Main Directorate Border Police, and Sofia Interpol. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Elizabeth Swienc, former Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Found Guilty of Trafficking in Kilograms of Heroin Laced with Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Young, 46, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses, after a search by law enforcement last year recovered from his residence more than two kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl, a loaded firearm, 170 rounds of ammunition, and multiple extended magazines.
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).
Young was found guilty of one count of possession with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable by in excess of 12 months in prison. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2018. As a result of a prior felony drug trafficking conviction, Young faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years of incarceration at sentencing and up to life imprisonment.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 25, 2017, the ATF executed a search warrant in the 500 block of Newcomb Street SE, and was assisted by agents and officers of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, and the Uniformed Division of the U.S. Secret Service.
Young was present at the residence when the search was executed. In Young’s bed, agents located a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine under a pillow. Throughout the residence, law enforcement recovered 170 rounds of ammunition in four calibers, and five ammunition magazines, including multiple extended magazines. In the living room, law enforcement found two large plastic bins that were filled with drug manufacturing paraphernalia, such as, sifters, blenders, digital scales, playing cards, cutting agents, masks, gloves, and various sized storage bags. Additionally, hidden inside a section of the basement ceiling, law enforcement found a blue box and black bag. When agents opened the box and bag, they found in excess of two kilograms of heroin, valued at approximately $180,000. The Secret Service examined evidence for fingerprints and suspected DNA. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) later confirmed that the heroin contained fentanyl.
Young previously was convicted in 1994 of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine (crack) in Prince George’s County, Md.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work and collaboration of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and the DEA.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane, who assisted with the investigation. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and David Misler of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who tried the case.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Attacking Owner of Northwest Washington Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Michael Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for attacking and attempting to rob the owner of a market in Northwest Washington, while armed with a box-cutter, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Jones was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Todd E. Edelman to a 15-year term of incarceration, with all but seven years suspended on the condition that he successfully complete two years of supervised probation upon his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the crime took place on Oct. 14, 2017, at approximately 10 p.m., at a convenience store in the 5500 block of Illinois Avenue NW. Jones came into the market and walked up to the store owner. He brandished a box-cutter, ejected a rusty blade, and demanded money. Fearing for the safety of himself and his pregnant fiancée who was in the store at the time, the owner pushed Jones. Jones then turned toward the store owner’s pregnant fiancée, who ran out of the store. Jones followed outside.
Witnesses followed Jones from a distance as they called 911. Soon after that, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) stopped Jones, recovered a box-cutter, and arrested him. Jones 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. She acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Sanchez and Kacie Weston; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph; Paralegal Specialists Allison Daniels and Tierra Nanches, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kahn and Emile Thompson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Offense for 2016 Attack on Postal Carrier in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerome A. Proctor, Jr., 24, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to discharging a firearm during an armed robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) Letter Carrier who was delivering mail in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Proctor pled guilty before the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Because the firearm was discharged during the commission of the offense, Proctor faces a mandatory 10 years of incarceration, which must run consecutive to any other sentence. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Cooper on July 17, 2018.
The government’s evidence established that on Nov. 26, 2016, at approximately 6 p.m., Proctor and an associate attacked the victim in the 2300 block of 2nd Street NE. The victim was completing mail deliveries on his route and Proctor brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it towards the letter carrier’s head. Proctor then kicked and pistol-whipped the victim while he was on the ground and his associate went through the victim’s pockets, taking the victim’s cell phone, personal keys, and wallet, containing identification and debit cards. Property of the U.S. Postal Service was also taken, including a mail satchel and scanner.
A vehicle drove up during the assault and robbery, at which point Proctor fired a single shot into the air in an attempt to scare off the driver of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle heard the gunshot, and fearing for her safety, sped away, with the letter carrier chasing after the vehicle. Shortly after the assault and robbery, Proctor and his associate could be seen together on video footage from the Fashion Centre mall at Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., where Proctor’s associate attempted to use a debit card stolen from the letter carrier at the food court.
Proctor was arrested in December 2016 in Prince George’s County, Md. and he has been in custody ever since. He was indicted in this case in May 2017.
During the assault on the letter carrier, Proctor commented that the victim got “blood on his new Timberlands.” During the course of the investigation, the victim’s blood was identified on a stain on a pair of jeans recovered from the residence where Proctor was arrested.
At the time of his arrest in Maryland, Proctor was on probation in Maryland for a firearms conviction. Proctor’s probation was revoked by Maryland and he was re-sentenced to serve the three-year sentence that had previously been suspended. That sentence must run consecutive to the sentence in this case.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Inspector in Charge Wemyss, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and MPD officers in the Fifth District in quickly investigating and arresting Proctor. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge in Scam Targeting Companies in U.S. and AbroadRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Emeka Ndukwu, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty today to conspiring to launder the proceeds of scams that tricked seven companies in the United States and abroad into wiring more than $900,000 into accounts controlled by various co-conspirators.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Ndukwu, a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of money laundering conspiracy. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Ndukwu faces a likely range of 46 to 57 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000. Additionally, as part of the plea, Ndukwu agreed to the forfeiture of a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 and the entry of a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $429,848, representing the share of the criminal proceeds that Ndukwu personally obtained.
The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2018.
According to documents filed at the time of the plea, Ndukwu participated in an ongoing conspiracy from 2013 through 2017 to receive and launder the proceeds of various cyber frauds, primarily arising from business e-mail (“BEC”) compromise schemes. In a typical BEC scheme, a co-conspirator tricks a company into transfering large sums of money into accounts controlled by others participating in the scheme. Using fake e-mails, often containing forged sender addresses, co-conspirators impersonate someone connected to the victim company and deceive an employee of that company into wiring funds. Soon after the wire transfers are completed, the co-conspirators drain the bank accounts and launder the criminal proceeds.
This particular conspiracy targeted at least seven companies in the United States and overseas, including victims in Texas, Illinois, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, and China. The victims were fraudulently induced into sending $916,056 in wire transfers to accounts controlled by Ndukwu and other co-conspirators. The funds were then laundered through transactions conducted in Washington, D.C. and other jurisdictions, including layering through shell company accounts and accounts controlled by co-conspirators.
According to the court documents, Ndukwu used false aliases and forged Nigerian passports to facilitate these schemes, and he used encrypted messaging to communicate with co-conspirators. Ndukwu was indicted in December 2017 and has been in custody since his arrest that month. A co-defendant, Chuka Mbonu, 33, of Nigeria, remains at large.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown and Michael J. Marando are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist C. Rosalind Pressley. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina participated in investigating the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to 2012 Armed Rape of Howard University Student, Sentenced to 48 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarco Myles, 24, formerly of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the armed rape of a Howard University student at a dormitory in November 2012, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Myles pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, burglary while armed, kidnapping while armed, and two misdemeanor counts of assault and second-degree theft. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 48 years in prison. After accepting the plea, the Honorable Ronna L. Beck sentenced Myles accordingly. Once released from prison, Myles will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The sentence imposed today will run concurrently with a 40-year prison term that Myles now is serving for a second attack that he committed in October 2012 in Northeast Washington.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early afternoon of Nov. 2, 2012, Myles snuck into the Bethune Annex – a women’s dormitory – in the 2200 block of Fourth Street NW, on the Howard University campus. Once inside, he went from room to room until he found the victim alone in her dorm room. While brandishing a very distinctive looking knife, Myles raped her. During the rape, when the victim was pleading with him to stop and saying that she did not even know who Myles was, Myles grabbed a piece of paper, wrote “Marco” and a cell phone number on it, and thrust it in her face, saying, “Now you know me, [expletive]!” Following the rape, Myles tried to scratch out the phone number, but left the piece of paper behind.
When the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived moments later in response to a 911 call, they were able to decipher the phone number that had been written down. Using subscriber information concerning that number, and other information they were able to develop, Myles was arrested later that night at his home, where the distinctive knife he had used during the attack was recovered. He has been imprisoned ever since.
One week earlier, on Oct. 26, 2012, and almost to the minute, Myles had broken into the apartment of another woman who lived in the Rhode Island Row Apartments across from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro stop in Northeast Washington. He attempted to sexually assault that woman, as well, but she fled into a walk-in closet and tried to prevent Myles from getting to her. Myles overpowered the woman, however, and, in a rage, stabbed her more than 20 times, leaving her for dead. Although Myles later told police that he thought he had killed that woman, she somehow survived and was able to call 911 to report the attack. For the next week, MPD conducted a manhunt, trying to find the assailant. It was not until Myles struck again – in the Howard University attack – that Myles was arrested.
Myles pled guilty in January 2015 to a total of 10 charges stemming from the attack at the Rhode Island Row Apartments. He was sentenced in June 2015 to a 40-year prison term.
In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of members of MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit, and Fifth District, who investigated the cases. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the cases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel, D’Yvonne Key, Joyce Arthur, and Brenda Williams; Victim/Witness Advocates Melissa Milam and Elsa Maltese; La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, also of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Information Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson, and Criminal Investigators Steve Cohen and Durand Odom. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Bates, Elizabeth Danello, Colleen Kennedy, Chrisellen Kolb, Jodi Lazarus, and Elizabeth Trosman for assistance on legal issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Hertzfeld, John L. Hill, Nicholas G. Miranda and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Four Teenagers Plead Guilty to Multiple Charges Arising from Two Carjackings and Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four teenagers, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a series of violent crimes committed earlier this year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
The four defendants were charged as adults because of the nature of the crime. They include Darius McNeal, 17, Deandre Bullock, 16, Deonta King, 17, and Javon Coe, 17. The pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
McNeal pled guilty to two counts of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to 10 years in prison. Bullock pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. King pled guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Todd E. Edelman scheduled a sentencing hearing for these defendants for July 20, 2018.
Coe pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of robbery, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to ten years in prison. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno scheduled his sentencing for July 20, 2018.
McNeal, Bullock, King, and Coe pled guilty to an incident that took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, at the Benco Shopping Center located at East Capitol Street SE and Benning Road SE. According to the government’s evidence, the victim parked his Jeep Compass in front of a carry-out restaurant at the shopping center and went inside the store to pick up food. As the victim returned to his vehicle and got back into the driver’s seat, McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual approached his vehicle. McNeal approached the passenger side. Bullock, King, and Coe approached the driver side and worked together to pull the victim from the driver’s seat of his vehicle, drag him to the ground, and assault him. King took the victim’s keys from his hand. Coe, who had a handgun, tried to take the victim’s cellphone, but the victim refused to let go of it. McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual got into the victim’s vehicle and drove away.
McNeal, Bullock, and King also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2018, near Johnson Middle School in the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE. According to the government’s evidence, McNeal communicated with the victims about buying a pair of shoes through the application OfferUp and told the victims to come to the school. When the victims arrived, McNeal and another member of the group approached them and asked to see the shoes for sale. One of the victims showed the shoes and asked for the money. King and Bullock then approached. Bullock was wearing a mask and had a black and silver handgun with a laser sight on it. Bullock ordered one of the victims out of the car and to the ground at gunpoint. King ordered the other victim out of the driver’s seat of the car, demanded her car keys, and took her phone. One of the victims struggled with Bullock over the gun, while the other defendants told Bullock to “shoot him.” The gun went off, firing one round that hit McNeal in the leg. The victims ran away, and McNeal, Bullock, King, and another individual got into the victims’ vehicle and followed them.
Finally, Coe also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 4:15 p.m. on March 9, 2018, in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. Coe, who was with a group of people, approached the victim, who was a classmate, and put him in a chokehold. The victim was able to throw Coe to the ground. Coe then got up, pulled a gun from his waistband, racked the slide, and pointed it at the victim, ordering him to turn over whatever he had. Coe took the victim’s iPhone 6 Plus before fleeing.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Stabbing Death of Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Larry Fearn, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, who was holding their infant child at the time of her death last September, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Fearn pled guilty in January 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 sentence of 22 years in prison. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced Fearn accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Fearn will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, at approximately 9:50 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Seventh District were dispatched to an apartment in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE for the report of a domestic violence assault. Upon their arrival, officers observed an apparent pool of blood in front of the apartment building door. After opening the building’s front door, officers discovered the victim, Paula Coles, 31, lying on her back inside the front door entrance of the building and suffering from apparent stab wounds to the right side of her face, her chin, her left breast, and above her rear right shoulder. Also located was a baby who was covered in Ms. Coles’s blood and had sustained a cut on his hand requiring stitches. The baby, who was approximately 11 months old at the time of the stabbing, was learned to be the child of Fearn and Ms. Coles, and he was in the arms of Ms. Coles during the stabbing.
The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services attempted life-saving measures, but Ms. Coles was pronounced dead soon after their arrival. An autopsy by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later identified 10 different wounds about her face, neck, thorax, and her right upper arm and shoulder.
The government’s investigation revealed that Fearn and Ms. Coles had at one point been in a romantic relationship and that Ms. Coles had a history of domestic -related calls for service involving the defendant. In July of 2017, Fearn had been arrested for assaulting Ms. Coles, their child, and another individual. The following day, he was arrested again for violating a stay-away order issued by the Court. Both of these incidents occurred at Ms. Coles’s residence.
Fearn pled guilty on Aug. 17, 2017, to attempted second-degree cruelty to children and simple assault. He was sentenced the same day to serve 75 days of incarceration. He was released on Sept. 15, 2017. As condition of his probation, he was ordered to stay away from Ms. Coles. However, following his release, he returned to her residence and began residing there.
Less than 12 hours before the murder, on Sept. 26, 2017, Ms. Coles called 911 to report an argument had erupted between Fearn and an individual with whom she was now romantically involved. Evidence showed that Fearn fled the scene after Ms. Coles called 911. He continued to call her throughout the night, however, and several witnesses overheard him telling Ms. Coles that he would kill her.
The following morning, at approximately 9 a.m., after Ms. Coles had dropped her older children off at school, the evidence showed that she returned to her apartment to find that Fearn had returned. She notified her current boyfriend that Fearn was in her unit and requested, via text, that he call the police for her. At some point, he called Ms. Coles back, but all he could hear was a scream and a thump before the phone cut off. He then called other neighbors in the building, who informed him that Ms. Coles had been stabbed and was laying in the hallway of the building. Several neighbors then saw Fearn running from the entrance way of the building.
Fearn was arrested on Sept. 28, 2017, and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Safe Shores – D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center.
U.S. Attorney Liu acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura R. Bach and Michelle D. Jackson, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews and Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
School Employee Pleads Guilty to Role in Bribery Scheme Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The financial manager of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $1.4 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. Atius’s owner, Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 16.
According to admissions made in connection with Kanneh’s plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Kanneh joined the conspiracy in or about October 2016, when she was hired as Atius’s financial manager. Pursuant to an agreement that Poawui and a VR&E program counselor had entered the prior year, Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment.
Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to the VR&E counselor. Kanneh also admitted that she personally hand-delivered cash bribes to the VR&E counselor on numerous occasions. Between August 2015 and December 2017, Kanneh and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $1,423,030. During that time period, Kanneh and others paid the VR&E counselor approximately $106,454 in exchange for the counselor’s official acts in furtherance of the scheme to commit bribery and defraud the VA.
Kanneh’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
School Employee Pleads Guilty to Role in Bribery Scheme Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
The financial manager of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $1.4 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. Atius’s owner, Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 16.
According to admissions made in connection with Kanneh’s plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Kanneh joined the conspiracy in or about October 2016, when she was hired as Atius’s financial manager. Pursuant to an agreement that Poawui and a VR&E program counselor had entered the prior year, Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment.
Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to the VR&E counselor. Kanneh also admitted that she personally hand-delivered cash bribes to the VR&E counselor on numerous occasions. Between August 2015 and December 2017, Kanneh and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $1,423,030. During that time period, Kanneh and others paid the VR&E counselor approximately $106,454 in exchange for the counselor’s official acts in furtherance of the scheme to commit bribery and defraud the VA.
Kanneh’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Lance Armstrong Agrees to Pay $5 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations Arising from Violation of Anti-Doping Provisions of U.S. Postal Service Sponsorship AgreementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong agreed to pay the United States $5 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging that his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs and methods (“PEDs”) resulted in the submission of millions of dollars in false claims for sponsorship payments to the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”), which sponsored Armstrong’s cycling team during six of the seven years Armstrong appeared to have won the Tour de France, the Department of Justice announced today.
“No one is above the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Chad A. Readler. “A competitor who intentionally uses illegal PEDs not only deceives fellow competitors and fans, but also sponsors, who help make sporting competitions possible. This settlement demonstrates that those who cheat the government will be held accountable.”
From 1996 through 2004, the USPS sponsored a professional cycling team. The sponsorship agreements required the team to follow the rules of cycling’s governing bodies, including the rules prohibiting the use of certain performance enhancing substances and methods. Between 1999 and 2004, Lance Armstrong was the lead rider on the team, and he appeared to win cycling’s most prestigious event, the Tour de France, six consecutive times.
“This settlement resolves allegations that Lance Armstrong violated the terms of his team’s sponsorship by the U.S. Postal Service,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to protect taxpayer dollars and to ensure that those who do business with the federal government fulfill their contractual obligations.”
The United States’ lawsuit against Armstrong alleged that Armstrong and his team regularly and systematically employed PEDs, in violation of the USPS sponsorship agreements. The lawsuit further alleged that Armstrong made numerous false statements, directly and through team managers and spokesmen, to USPS management and to the public denying his PED use to induce the USPS to renew its sponsorship of the team in late 2000, and to increase the sponsorship fees (and, by extension, Armstrong’s own salary) in light of Armstrong’s apparent Tour de France victories in 1999 and 2000. In addition, the lawsuit alleged that Armstrong took active measures to conceal his PED use during the USPS sponsorship, and even after the sponsorship ended, including lying under oath about his PED use in a 2005 arbitration proceeding involving his entitlement to a bonus for the 2004 Tour de France result; suing the Times of London and one of its sources – a former team masseuse – for libel; and threatening other people with similar lawsuits and other forms of retribution for disclosing their knowledge or suspicions of his doping activities.
“The Postal Service has strongly supported the Department of Justice’s intervention and pursuit of this case, as it always has been our position that Lance Armstrong misled the Postal Service,” said Thomas J. Marshall, U.S. Postal Service General Counsel and Executive Vice President. “This matter has now been resolved in a manner that imposes consequences for that wrongful action. With this case, as in all other instances, the Postal Service vigorously defends our brand and our position as a trusted government institution.”
In October 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) issued a report and decision finding that Armstrong and his USPS teammates had engaged in a persistent and concerted doping program designed to enable Armstrong to win the Tour de France. In the wake of the USADA report, Armstrong was stripped of all of his competitive cycling results, including the seven Tour de France wins, and was banned from participating in competitive sports. Armstrong admitted to his extensive PED-use in a nationally televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013.
“The U.S. Postal Service manages approximately 30,000 contract actions and spends more than $13 billion on contracted supplies and services each fiscal year,” said Scott Pierce, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “The Office of Inspector General supports the Postal Service by aggressively investigating allegations of misconduct within the contracting process. In this instance, we worked hand-in-hand with the Civil Division, the United States Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the General Counsel. Today’s result will have a positive impact on the entire contracting process.”
The allegations against Armstrong were originally brought in a whistleblower complaint filed in June 2010 by Floyd Landis, a former teammate of Armstrong, who admitted that he, too, had participated in PED use as member of the USPS-sponsored team. Landis filed his complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act permits the government to intervene in the whistleblower suit, as the government did here, in part. Landis will receive $1,100,000 as his share of the settlement.
The settlement announced today represented a coordinated effort of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Offices of Inspector General and the General Counsel for the United States Postal Service, in their investigation and litigation of this matter.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Landis v. Tailwind Sports Corporation, et al., No. 10-cv-976 (CRC) (D.D.C.). The claims against Armstrong contained in the complaint are allegations only and do not constitute a determination of liability.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Northwest Washington BankRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Davis, 40, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to robbing a bank in the Dupont Circle area of Northwest Washington last fall, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to bank robbery. The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2018. Davis faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 37 to 46 months in prison and potential financial penalties. The judge ordered that Davis be detained pending sentencing.
According to court documents, on Nov. 7, 2017, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Davis entered a branch of TD Bank in DuPont Circle, wearing a baseball hat and one latex glove. Davis approached the teller counter and handed the teller a handwritten note that stated “I have a bag full of explosives hand over the $ now or die.” The teller pulled $500 from the cash register and handed it over. Davis placed the money in his canvas bag and left the bank branch.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arrived immediately after the robbery and searched the area. Davis attempted to flee by entering the DuPont Circle Metro station. MPD Officers arrested Davis on the lower level platform of the station while he was waiting for a Metro train. He possessed $490 of the $500 he stole from the TD Bank branch.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg, who prosecuted the case.
California Man Found Guilty of Kidnapping Lyft DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shane Browne, 27, formerly of Beverly Hills, Calif., has been found guilty by a jury of federal kidnapping and narcotics charges stemming from an incident last December in which he ordered a Lyft driver at gunpoint to drive him more than 70 miles from Maryland to an apartment building in Washington, D.C.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Browne was found guilty on April 18, 2018 of charges of kidnapping and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2018. The charges carry a total statutory maximum of 25 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Browne could face a possible range of 10 to 12 ½ years of incarceration.
At trial, the government’s evidence showed that on Dec. 11, 2017, Browne requested a ride using the Lyft smartphone application and ride-sharing service. The Lyft driver picked Browne up at approximately 3:20 p.m. at the Calvert House Apartments, in the 2400 block of Calvert Street NW. The driver drove Browne 72 miles to a Red Roof Inn in Aberdeen, Md.
After arriving in Aberdeen at approximately 5:20 p.m., the two parted ways at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant, with the Lyft driver having grown suspicious of Browne and indicating that he would not provide a round trip. Within approximately 30 minutes, Browne returned to the Lyft vehicle with a suitcase that he did not have at the start of the trip. Browne placed the suitcase in the trunk, and requested a return trip, which the driver refused to provide.
Ultimately, Browne entered the Lyft vehicle and yet again requested a return trip, which the driver once again refused to provide. At this point, according to the government’s evidence, Browne took out a firearm, held it to the driver’s head, and ordered him to drive them back to the Calvert House Apartments. The driver then drove Browne and his suitcase to the Calvert House Apartments. Along the way, and as confirmed by Lyft business records, the driver managed to send an e-mail to Lyft that read, “Call the police I’m on [sic] trouble.”
At about 7:30 p.m., they arrived at the apartment building. Browne exited the vehicle and took his suitcase and entered the building. The driver, meanwhile, contacted OnStar and was subsequently referred to 911. MPD officers responded to the area at approximately 8:05 p.m. The officers monitored the building and ultimately detained Browne as he left a unit.
The following day, a search warrant was executed at the apartment, and law enforcement recovered approximately 78 pounds of marijuana in suitcases similar to the one that Browne had placed in the Lyft driver’s car, approximately $35,000 in cash, a cash-counting machine and other items. No firearm was recovered in the search.
Browne has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 11, 2017.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes MPD detectives, and the MPD officers who responded to the scene. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the FBI’s Baltimore Division, the FBI Operational Technology Division, and the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Department.
They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Brown; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin; Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Jeanette Litz, Catherine O’Neal, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Latoya Wade, Peter Gaboton, and Katie Cowley; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Sarah McClellan, Chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Vanore and Stephen J. Gripkey, who indicted and tried the case.
School Owner Pleads Guilty to $2 Million Bribery Scheme Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $2 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities. Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
Albert S. Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of bribing a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia.
According to Poawui’s plea agreement, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with Poawui’s plea, in or about August 2015, Poawui and a VR&E program counselor agreed that Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment.
Poawui admitted that the counselor and a second VR&E counselor approved payments to Atius without regard for the accuracy of necessary documentation in order to maximize the scheme’s profits. Between August 2015 and December 2017, Poawui and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $2,217,259.44. Poawui paid the first VR&E counselor over $155,000 as part of the illicit bribery scheme. These bribery payments were hand-delivered by Poawui or an Atius employee to the VR&E counselor or the counselor’s assistant, a veteran who was enrolled in the VR&E program.
Poawui also admitted that, with the knowing assistance of a second Atius employee, he made numerous false representations to the VA to enhance the scheme’s profits. For example, Poawui and the second employee certified to the VA that veterans attending Atius were enrolled in up to 32 hours of class per week, when in fact both knew that Atius offered a maximum of six weekly class hours. After the VA initiated an administrative audit of Atius, Poawui, the VR&E counselor and the Atius employee took steps to conceal the truth about earlier misrepresentations they had made to the VA.
Poawui’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
School Owner Pleads Guilty to $2 Million Bribery Scheme Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
The owner of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $2 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities. Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
Albert S. Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of bribing a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia.
According to Poawui’s admissions made in connection with his plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with Poawui’s plea, in or about August 2015, Poawui and a VR&E program counselor agreed that Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment.
Poawui admitted that the counselor and a second VR&E counselor approved payments to Atius without regard for the accuracy of necessary documentation in order to maximize the scheme’s profits. Between August 2015 and December 2017, Poawui and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $2,217,259.44. Poawui paid the first VR&E counselor over $155,000 as part of the illicit bribery scheme. These bribery payments were hand-delivered by Poawui or an Atius employee to the VR&E counselor or the counselor’s assistant, a veteran who was enrolled in the VR&E program.
Poawui also admitted that, with the knowing assistance of a second Atius employee, he made numerous false representations to the VA to enhance the scheme’s profits. For example, Poawui and the second employee certified to the VA that veterans attending Atius were enrolled in up to 32 hours of class per week, when in fact both knew that Atius offered a maximum of six weekly class hours. After the VA initiated an administrative audit of Atius, Poawui, the VR&E counselor and the Atius employee took steps to conceal the truth about earlier misrepresentations they had made to the VA.
Poawui’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
More Than Two Dozen People Indicted in Federal Drug Cases, Accused of Conspiring to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eighteen people have been arrested following their indictments on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking networks that distributed heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area. To date, more than 2,000 grams of cocaine and more than 200 grams of heroin have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with 16 firearms, six vehicles, body armor, and more than $40,000 in cash.
The charges are contained in two indictments unsealed on April 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictments charge a total of 27 people with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine. Two of the arrested defendants –Terrance Antonio Thomas, 46, of Temple Hills, Md., and Darius Wilson, 40, of Waldorf, Md. – are charged in both indictments. Eleven others are charged in one of the cases, and 14 others are charged in the other case. The indictments include a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes.
One defendant – Zenja Truitt, 47, of Upper Marlboro, Md. – is a teacher in Prince George’s County, Md., and was among those arrested.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Numerous law enforcement agencies assisted the FBI and MPD in the arrests and searches, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Prince George's County, Md. Police, Montgomery County, Md. Police, Anne Arundel County, Md., Police, Charles County, Md., Police, and Calvert County, Md. Police Departments,. The number of arrests represents one of the largest enforcement efforts aimed at Washington, D.C. drug trafficking organizations in recent years.
Seventeen people were arrested on April 12, 2018, and one turned himself in today. Another was already in custody and eight remain at large. The defendants began making court appearances on April 12, 2018, with further proceedings scheduled for today.
A total of 21 locations were searched during the law enforcement actions on April 12, including four in the District of Columbia, 11 in Prince George’s County, two in Calvert County, Md., one in Charles County, Md., two in Anne Arundel County, Md., and one in Montgomery County, Md.
If convicted of the charges, 10 defendants face prison sentences of 10 years to life, six face sentences of five to 40 years, and 11 face sentences of up to 20 years.
In August 2016, the Safe Streets Task Force began a long-term investigation into drug trafficking in the Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Md., border region. The indictments allege that various defendants conspired to carry out various facets of the drug operation from at least June 2016 until October 2017.
“These arrests and indictments are part of our continuing commitment to protecting the citizens of the District of Columbia from organizations bringing dangerous drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “By breaking up these trafficking networks, we hope to cut off supply of heroin, cocaine and other drugs, and make our neighborhoods safer.”
"This case represents the epitome of law enforcement agencies working together to target and dismantle drug organizations that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Assistant Director in Charge McNamara. “These arrests should send a strong message that the FBI, along with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, will continue to pursue those who wreak havoc on our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They acknowledged the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Additionally, they expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington D.C./Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Prince George's County, Md. Police, Montgomery County, Md. Police, Anne Arundel County, Md., Police, Charles County, Md., Police, and Calvert County, Md. Police Departments, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Finally they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Magdalena Acevedo, Kacie Weston and Mark Aziz, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Repeatedly Sexually Assaulting GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 24-year-old man from Washington, D.C. pled guilty today to two counts of second-degree child sexual abuse for engaging in sexual acts in his home with a cousin who was 9 and 10 years old at the time, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2018. Once released from prison, the defendant will be placed on a period of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, between Sept. 1, 2016 and Oct, 31, 2017, the defendant engaged in sexual acts with the young girl at his residence in Southeast Washington. He was arrested on Feb. 13, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu praised detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division; as well as employees of the girl’s school, who upon learning of the sexual abuse, immediately notified the police. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Two Banks in Downtown Washington Last SummerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy L. Jennings, Sr., 61, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to robbing two banks last summer in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jennings pled guilty on April 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of bank robbery. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Jennings faces a possible range of 57 to 71 months in prison. He also must pay a total of $1,367 in restitution to the two banks. The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2018.
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 a series of three bank robberies.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They 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.
United States Files Complaint Seeking Forfeiture of Oil Painting Recovered by FBI Nearly 30 Years After Its Theft in New YorkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States has filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of an oil painting by Marc Chagall that was recovered by the FBI decades after it was stolen from collectors in New York. The United States intends to return the artwork to its rightful owners.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The artwork, “Othello and Desdemona,” is an oil painting on canvas created by Chagall in 1911, in the early stages of his career. It depicts a male, Othello, in the left foreground holding a sword in his hand and looking at a female figure, Desdemona, lying on a bed in the right background. It now is in the possession of the FBI and is currently being held at an FBI facility in Washington, D.C. This piece was previously displayed at an art gallery in Switzerland in the 1960s.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seeks forfeiture of the painting on the basis that it represents the proceeds of the interstate transportation of stolen property and possession of stolen goods.
“For nearly 30 years, this magnificent painting was in the control of people who had no legal right to it,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “It was stolen from New York collectors who had owned it since the 1920s, and they never saw it again. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the FBI, it has been located and will be returned to the collectors’ estate. This case shows that law enforcement will never stop its dogged pursuit of justice, and will do all it can to recover stolen treasures.”
“As the FBI returns this painting to the estate of its proper owners, we do so with the purpose of preserving history,” said Assistant Director in Charge McNamara. “This piece of artwork is of significance not just for its monetary value, but for its place in the world of art and culture. The FBI continues to commit investigative resources to recover cultural property.”
According to the complaint, the painting had been rightfully owned by Ernest and Rose Heller, art collectors who lived in New York. The Hellers, who are now deceased, had amassed a collection of artwork from their travels in Europe and other parts of the world. By 1988, they had collected more than 20 paintings and 12 sculptures, which they kept in their apartment.
In August of 1988, they came home to their apartment and discovered that the painting, along with other artwork and sculptures, had been stolen. The piece by Chagall had a label indicating that its owners were “Mr. + Mrs. E.S. Heller, New York.” The property was insured by an insurance company, which paid the Hellers a lump sum following the theft.
Following the burglary, Interpol listed the Chagall painting as a stolen artwork. An FBI investigation revealed that the painting was stolen from the apartment by an individual who worked in the building. That individual was convicted in a federal district court of interstate transportation of stolen property and mail fraud related to the theft and sale of other works of art stolen from other apartment buildings. Prior to the arrest of this individual, he attempted to sell the painting to a third party. That third party took the painting from the suspected thief in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
After that, this third party attempted to consign the painting to an art gallery in Washington, D.C., but without proof of ownership, the gallery refused to accept the painting. The gallery suggested that the individual contact law enforcement, which resulted in the FBI obtaining custody of the painting.
Upon completion of the forfeiture proceedings, the painting will be returned to the Rose Heller estate. At that time, and in consultation with the insurer’s representative, Art Recovery International, the painting will be sold at auction. The Heller estate will repay the insurance company for their disbursement from the proceeds of the sale, pay any related legal expenses, and donate the remainder of the sale proceeds to the estate’s beneficiaries: the McDowell Colony, a haven for artists in New Hampshire (80%), Columbia University (10%), and NYU Medical Center (10%), all 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporations.
In a news article that appeared days after the theft, Ernest Heller was quoted as saying that he especially liked the Chagall. “It’s all in the hands of the police,” Mr. Heller said at the time. “Sometimes they’re (stolen paintings) returned but I doubt it.”
Christopher A. Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery International, the firm that is working with the insurer, issued a statement saying, “We are extremely grateful to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for doggedly pursuing this case 30 years after the theft. This sends a resounding message to art thieves everywhere that in the U.S.A., the passage of time will not defeat the original owner’s right to bring a claim in recovery.”
The lawsuit is captioned United States v. One Oil Painting Entitled Othello and Desdemona by Marc Chagall. The claims made in the complaint are only allegations and do not constitute a determination of liability.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Brian P. Hudak, and Anthony Scarpelli, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh, and Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, are representing the government.
Justice Department Announces Nationwide Initiative to Combat Sexual Harassment in HousingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, as the Department of Justice recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the nationwide rollout of an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of sexual harassment in housing. The announcement includes an interagency task force between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Justice Department to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit, and a public awareness campaign. This three-pronged approach will strengthen the Department’s efforts to combat sexual harassment in housing.
“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable," said Attorney General Sessions. “It is all too common today, as too many landlords, managers, and their employees attempt to prey on vulnerable women. We will not hesitate to pursue these predators and enforce the law. In October, I ordered a new initiative to bring more of these cases, and we have already won relief for 15 victims. Today we announce three new steps to make the initiative more effective and to win more cases. I want to thank the dedicated and committed professionals in our Civil Rights Division and our partners in the Department of Housing and Urban Development for their hard work in this effort. We will continue to aggressively pursue harassers, because everyone has a right to be safe in their home.”
“All discrimination stains the very fabric of our nation, but HUD is especially focused on protecting the right of everyone to feel safe and secure in their homes, free from unwanted sexual harassment,” said Secretary Ben Carson. “No person should have to tolerate unwanted sexual advances in order to keep a roof over his or her head. Part of our mission at HUD is to provide safe housing and we will remain diligent in this mission to protect those we serve. I look forward to working with Attorney General Sessions and the Department of Justice as part of this task force to bring an end to this type of discrimination.”
In October 2017, the Justice Department announced an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing and launched pilot programs in Washington, D.C. and the Western District of Virginia. The initiative sought to increase the Department’s efforts to protect women from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners. During the pilots, the Department developed and tested ways to better connect both with victims of sexual harassment in housing and with those organizations that victims may turn to first for help – including law enforcement, legal services providers, public housing authorities, sexual assault services providers, and shelters. The Department also tested certain aspects of the initiative in other jurisdictions, including New Jersey, the Central District of California, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Michigan.
The two pilot programs generated an upswing in harassment reporting to the Department from both the District of Columbia and the Western District of Virginia. In the District of Columbia, the Department generated six leads since the October 2017 launch. In Virginia, the Department generated three leads. While the Justice Department recognizes that leads and investigations do not always lead to enforcement actions, the pilot program’s results—when extrapolated across all the U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country—could lead to hundreds of new reports of sexual harassment in housing across the country.
During the pilot program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia reached out to citizens at numerous community events, joined with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to meet with advocacy groups and other local stakeholders, and teamed with HUD on other local efforts.
“My office is committed to doing all that it can to enforce the Fair Housing Act,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “We were pleased to participate in the pilot project and encouraged by the results. People have a right to feel safe in their own homes. This includes the right under federal fair housing laws to be free from unwanted sexual conduct. We urge anyone who has been sexually harassed – by a landlord or property manager, a loan officer, or housing official – to come forward so that we can help.”
Because of the promising results of the pilot programs, the Justice Department is rolling out three major components to the Initiative.
First, the new HUD-DOJ Task Force to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing will drive a shared strategy between the Department and HUD for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the country. It will focus on five key areas: continued data sharing and analysis, joint development of training, evaluation of public housing complaint mechanisms, coordination of public outreach and press strategy, and review of federal policies.
Second, the outreach toolkit is designed to leverage the Justice Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The toolkit provides templates, guidance, and checklists based on pilot program feedback. It ultimately will amplify available enforcement resources and help victims of sexual harassment connect with the Department.
Third, the public awareness campaign has three major components: a partnership package with relevant stakeholders, launch of a social media campaign, and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) run by individual U.S. Attorney’s offices. The campaign is specifically designed to raise awareness, and make it easier for victims all over the country to find resources and report harassment.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment in housing should call the Department at 1-844-380-6178, send an e-mail to [email protected], or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777. If you have information or questions about any other housing discrimination, you can contact the Department at 1-800-896-7743.
30-Second Public Service Announcement from U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu
Audio file30-Second PSA Transcript
60-Second Public Service Announcement from U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu
Audio file60-Second PSA Transcript
Crime Victims, Survivors, Good Samaritans and Community Members Honored at Event Marking National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia paid tribute today to crime victims, their families, witnesses, community members, criminal justice partners, and Good Samaritans for their bravery, compassion, and dedication to the pursuit of justice.
More than two dozen honorees were recognized during an event at the Ceremonial Courtroom of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. The ceremony was timed with the annual observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s national theme, “Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims,” emphasizes the importance of inclusion in victim services and addresses the need to ensure that every crime victim has access to services and support, and for professionals, organizations, and communities to work in tandem.
“We draw inspiration every day from the bravery, resilience and strength shown by victims, witnesses, and the many people in our community who stand up for justice,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The people being honored today remind us of the importance of thinking creatively and collaboratively to reach all those victims who need help.”
The featured speaker was Fainess Lipenga, a survivor of labor trafficking who now shares her experience to educate the community and raise awareness. Ms. Lipenga told of working 16 and 17-hour work days, seven days a week, as a domestic employee. She was able to flee from the ordeal and now is a consultant for the Human Trafficking Legal Center, training lawyers and other professionals nationwide. She also has been a member of the National Survivor Network, a program of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST). She spoke of the kindness of people who helped her start a new life.
In addition to Ms. Lipenga, the U.S. Attorney’s Office honored other individual victims, survivors, Good Samaritans, and partners whose efforts furthered the cause of justice.
For example, the honorees included a teenager who showed great strength and tenacity in testifying against a twice-convicted sex offender who sexually abused her in 2016 at the Potomac Avenue Metro Station; a woman who urged the Metropolitan Police Department to take another look at the 1999 murder of her father, leading to the solving of the case, and a Good Samaritan who aided a woman who was being sexually assaulted in 2017 in the back of a taxicab. The Good Samaritan, a motorist, saw the woman in the passenger seat of the cab in the 4900 block of 16th Street NW, waving for help and fighting the taxi driver. He made a U-turn and pulled in front of the taxi, forcing it to stop. The woman was able to escape. The Good Samaritan called police, waited for them to arrive and the taxi driver was caught and later convicted of his crimes.
The honorees also included a neighbor who did all that he could to aid a dying homicide victim who showed up at his doorstep in Southeast Washington. The victim, Darlene Bryant, was stabbed in the neck on May 13, 2015, inside the stairwell of a building on Wheeler Road SE. Ms. Bryant, 46, made her way down the stairs, stumbled to the street, and banged on the neighbor’s door. The neighbor tried to comfort her and cover the wound, in addition to calling 911 and diligently following instructions of the 911 operator. Despite these heroic efforts, Ms. Bryant died on his front steps. The neighbor did not see who killed Ms. Bryant, but described her final moments at the trial of the man later convicted of the murder.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the extraordinary efforts of partners who provided support to victims’ families during the three-week trial last year that ended with the convictions of two Mexican nationals for the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico. More than 20 members of the Special Agents’ families attended the trial and were greeted and aided daily by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Court Security Officers at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Additionally, the Capital Area Law Enforcement Foundation (CALE) assisted the family members, including hosting a dinner for them and arranging a meeting with Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) during their time in Washington. Finally, Aaron Adaway, Administrative Assistant to Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell, was honored for the special care he showed during the trial.
Today’s event was developed and organized by the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Members of the Unit provide essential services and support to victims and witnesses, such as making referrals for counseling and other services, addressing safety concerns, arranging travel, and accompanying victims to court proceedings. The Unit also notifies victims of their rights and provides information regarding significant case events, such as the filing of charges, plea hearings, trials and sentencing hearings.
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Additional information about the Victim Witness Assistance Unit is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance
Further information about National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is available at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices nationwide observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by honoring victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. The Justice Department will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2018, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.
“In law enforcement, we are sworn to serve and protect,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We carry out this oath every day by protecting the rights of law abiding people from criminals and by achieving justice for crime victims. This week, we remember the millions of Americans who have been victimized by criminals and we thank those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their service to those victims. As we do so, we recommit ourselves to fulfilling our oath and to reducing crime in America."
Maryland Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for 2004 Sexual Assault of Woman in GeorgetownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Benjamin Paz, 54, of Montgomery Village, Md., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman after illegally entering her residence in Georgetown in February 2004, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Paz pled guilty in December 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree burglary. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence within the range of eight to 15 years. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Paz will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
“This prosecution is an example of our determination to ensure that violent crimes are not left unsolved,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “By taking a fresh look at this case, we were pleased to join the Metropolitan Police Department and our other partners to get this dangerous predator off the street and achieve justice for the victim.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 22, 2004, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Paz broke into a residence in the 3300 block of Prospect Street NW, where the victim, then 21, was home alone, sleeping. Paz was a stranger to the victim. Paz removed the victim’s clothing and sexually assaulted her by force. During the assault, the victim was able to push Paz off her, after which he got up and ran out the back door into the alley. The victim ran out the front door to get help.
The victim made an immediate report to police, and was transported to an area hospital, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. This examination included the collection of swabs from her intimate areas. The Physical Evidence Recovery Kit was later sent for forensic testing. That testing revealed an unknown male DNA profile developed from the victim’s swabs. That unknown male DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. There were no hits.
Paz was developed as a suspect in these offenses by MPD in 2017. On Feb. 9, 2017, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed a search warrant authorizing the collection of buccal swabs from the defendant. The warrant was executed on Feb. 15, 2017, and the swabs were later sent for forensic testing. During the testing, Paz’s DNA profile was developed and compared to the unknown male DNA profile developed from the testing of the victim’s swabs in the 2004 offense. The results of this comparison revealed that the DNA profile of the defendant matched the DNA profile of the unknown male on the swabs.
Paz was arrested on March 22, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit and Second Police District, as well as the Deputy Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Victim/Witness Specialists LaJune Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, and Executive Assistant Shelia Miller.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Chuvala, 41, of Berlin, Md., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a former teenage piano student, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Chuvala was found guilty by a jury on Jan. 30, 2018 of four counts of first-degree child sexual abuse, three counts of second-degree child sexual abuse, one count of indecent sexual proposal to a minor, one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child, and one count of use of a minor in a sexual performance. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Following his prison term, Chuvala will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, Chuvala was the victim’s piano teacher in 2011 at Middle C Music in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Northwest Washington. At the time of the lessons, Chuvala was 34, and the student was 13 years old. When the lessons had concluded, Chuvala asked the girl to stay in touch, and they began a relationship over text communications.
The two got together a few days later and walked to a park in Montgomery County, Maryland, where Chuvala kissed the girl and engaged in the first sexual contact with her. Chuvala has pled guilty in Montgomery County to three counts of third-degree sex offense for this conduct, and is awaiting sentencing there on April 9, 2018.
Shortly after they got together in Montgomery County, Chuvala and the girl met on at least two occasions in the middle of the night in Washington, D.C. During those two incidents, Chuvala performed oral sex on the victim and had her perform oral sex on him, among other sexual conduct. After these sexual encounters, Chuvala and the victim continued to exchange numerous texts with each other at all hours of the day and night. When Chuvala moved from the Washington, D.C. area, he engaged in conversations with the girl over video Skype, in which he would ask her to undress, masturbating as he watched her, and would ask her to masturbate.
In the spring of 2012, the victim first disclosed the abuse to a friend, and her friend told a school counselor. The counselor notified law enforcement, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) opened an investigation. However, the victim was not ready to go forward with a police investigation at the time, and persuaded her parents not to provide the abuser’s name to police. Ultimately, in the fall of 2014, the victim decided that she was prepared to go forward with a police investigation. The investigation led to Chuvala’s arrest on June 24, 2015. Following the verdict, the judge ordered that he be placed in custody pending sentencing.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham praised the work of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Brenda Williams, Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, Investigative Analyst William Hamann, and Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elana Suttenberg and Nicholas Miranda, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Fraudulent Billing Scheme Targeting D.C. Public SchoolsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles E. Scott, Jr., a vendor who claimed to be providing tutoring and mentoring services for students with special needs, pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he collected more than $75,000 from the District of Columbia Public Schools for work that never was performed.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
Scott, 38, of Baltimore, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to mail fraud and identity theft. Mail fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and identity theft carries a statutory maximum of 15 years. Both charges carry potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Scott could face a sentence of 15 to 27 months in prison and a fine. The plea agreement also requires him to pay $75,398 in restitution to the District of Columbia Public Schools and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for July 5, 2018.
According to a statement of offense filed as part of the plea, the scheme took place from approximately February 2013 through December 2013. During that time, Scott submitted invoices, timesheets and other documents to the Office of Special Education, a component of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). The Office of Special Education manages the school system’s 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 and it is up to the parent or guardian to identify an independent provider to perform the authorized services.
Scott’s invoices included the names and dates of birth for 10 minor children for whom he claimed to have performed services. The accompanying timesheets included what purported to be the signatures of the parents or guardians whose children had purportedly received the services as well as the signatures of the tutors who supposedly did the work. Nearly all of what purported to be signatures of the parents and guardians were forged. Tutors’ signatures also were forged.
Scott did not have permission to use the names and dates of the children listed on his invoices and did not have approval from parents or guardians to sign their names.
All told, Scott obtained a total of $75,398 for services that were never performed. In addition, the District of Columbia disputed and never paid him for $20,314 worth of invoices and timesheets that he submitted for services that never were performed.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, 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, who is handling forfeiture issues, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou, and Paralegal Specialists Joshua Fein, Aisha Keys, and Kristy Penny. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who is prosecuting the case.
Two District Men Found Guilty of Murder in 2014 Shooting in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Michael Hight, 26, and James Young, 25, both of Washington, D.C., were found guilty by a jury today of murder and other charges stemming from the slaying of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Hight and Young were found guilty 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. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 22, 2018 by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of 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 verdicts, 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 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 M. Laverne Perry, Wanda Queen, Tanya Via, La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, she 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.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Two Foreign-Convicted War Criminals Who Fraudulently Obtained Refugee Status and Naturalized into U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed denaturalization lawsuits against two convicted war criminals and natives of the former Yugoslavia, who according to the Department’s complaints, murdered civilians and prisoners of war because of their religion and ethnicity, then fraudulently obtained refugee status and later naturalized into U.S. citizenship by concealing their crimes. The civil complaints were filed in federal court in the District of Oregon and the District of Columbia.
“War criminals will find no safe haven or shelter within the United States,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We will be steadfast as we investigate and prosecute human rights violators, torturers, and war criminals. This is especially true for those who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. For too long, we have tolerated egregious fraud in our refugee program, our immigration system, and the naturalization process. This Administration will hold alleged fraudsters accountable.”
“We at DHS are committed to working with our partners across the federal government to target those who seek to break our immigration laws to obtain U.S. citizenship. There will be consequences,” said Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen from the Department of Homeland Security. “National security is homeland security and fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship will not be tolerated. Those who abuse our generous immigration system take opportunities away from those who follow our laws and who undoubtedly deserve U.S. citizenship.”
Today’s lawsuits allege that Edin Dzeko, 46, and Sammy Rasema Yetisen, aka Rasema Handanovic, aka Zolja, 45, were part of an elite unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina that attacked the village of Trusina on April 16, 1993, in what is known as the Trusina massacre. The unit targeted Bosnian Croats who resided in the village because of their Christian religion and Croat ethnicity, killing 22 unarmed individuals including women and the elderly. A Bosnian court previously found that Dzeko and Yetisen played key roles in the massacre: both were part of a firing squad that executed six unarmed prisoners of war and civilians, and Yetisen proceeded to make sure all six were dead by shooting them again. In addition to his participation in the firing squad, Dzeko also killed a crippled elderly man, and then shot the man’s wife in the back, killing her because she would not stop crying.
According to the complaints, Dzeko’s and Yetisen’s actions came to light in 2011 when the United States granted their extradition to Bosnia and Herzegovina at that country’s treaty-based request. In April 2012, Yetisen was convicted in a Bosnia court pursuant to a guilty plea of war crimes against prisoners of war and war crimes against civilians based on the firing squad execution-style killings. In exchange for her plea and cooperation, Yetisen was sentenced to five years and six months in prison. In June 2014, Dzeko was convicted in Bosnia court of war crimes against prisoners of war and war crimes against civilians, and held responsible for the eight killings described above, in part based on Yetisen’s testimony against him. Yetisen has been released from prison and resides in Oregon. Dzeko is still serving his sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Before their war crimes had come to light, Dzeko and Yetisen each requested and received refugee status from the United States, claiming themselves to be victims of persecution. The complaints allege that Dzeko and Yetisen concealed and affirmatively misrepresented their criminal history, military service, and persecutory acts throughout their immigration proceedings. Such benefits would have been denied had immigration authorities known about the defendants’ roles in the Trusina massacre.
“The United States has been a safe haven and symbol of hope for people fleeing from persecution, not for war criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia. “The actions taken in the District of Columbia and in Oregon today demonstrate that we will use every tool to ensure the integrity of our refugee programs.”
“The United States is a refuge for those fleeing violence and the atrocities of war, not those responsible for these unthinkable acts,” said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon. “I applaud the hard work and coordination of law enforcement across the country that culminated in these lawsuits.”
Today’s civil denaturalization cases follow on the recent criminal conviction of a Bosnia Serb residing in North Carolina for making materially false claims and statements on his initial application for refugee status, which involved similar concealment of service in a military unit involved in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre that resulted in the deaths of between 7,000 and 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS) National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit), with consultation and support from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Human Rights Law Section and Seattle Office of the Chief Counsel, and the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The cases are being jointly prosecuted by Deputy Chief Timothy Belsan and Senior Counsel for National Security Aram Gavoor of OIL-DCS’s NS/A Unit and Trial Attorney Steven Platt of OIL-DCS, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynne Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Cox of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
The claims made in these complaints are allegations only, and there have been no determinations of liability.
Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals or naturalized U.S. citizens suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are encouraged to call the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form; or the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section at 1-202-616-2492. Callers may remain anonymous.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Two Foreign-Convicted War Criminals Who Fraudulently Obtained Refugee Status and Naturalized into U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today filed denaturalization lawsuits against two convicted war criminals and natives of the former Yugoslavia, who according to the Department’s complaints, murdered civilians and prisoners of war because of their religion and ethnicity, then fraudulently obtained refugee status and later naturalized into U.S. citizenship by concealing their crimes. The civil complaints were filed in federal court in the District of Oregon and the District of Columbia.
“War criminals will find no safe haven or shelter within the United States,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We will be steadfast as we investigate and prosecute human rights violators, torturers, and war criminals. This is especially true for those who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. For too long, we have tolerated egregious fraud in our refugee program, our immigration system, and the naturalization process. This Administration will hold alleged fraudsters accountable.”
“We at DHS are committed to working with our partners across the federal government to target those who seek to break our immigration laws to obtain U.S. citizenship. There will be consequences,” said Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen from the Department of Homeland Security. “National security is homeland security and fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship will not be tolerated. Those who abuse our generous immigration system take opportunities away from those who follow our laws and who undoubtedly deserve U.S. citizenship.”
Today’s lawsuits allege that Edin Dzeko, 46, and Sammy Rasema Yetisen, aka Rasema Handanovic, aka Zolja, 45, were part of an elite unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina that attacked the village of Trusina on April 16, 1993, in what is known as the Trusina massacre. The unit targeted Bosnian Croats who resided in the village because of their Christian religion and Croat ethnicity, killing 22 unarmed individuals including women and the elderly. A Bosnian court previously found that Dzeko and Yetisen played key roles in the massacre: both were part of a firing squad that executed six unarmed prisoners of war and civilians, and Yetisen proceeded to make sure all six were dead by shooting them again. In addition to his participation in the firing squad, Dzeko also killed a crippled elderly man, and then shot the man’s wife in the back, killing her because she would not stop crying.
According to the complaints, Dzeko’s and Yetisen’s actions came to light in 2011 when the United States granted their extradition to Bosnia and Herzegovina at that country’s treaty-based request. In April 2012, Yetisen was convicted in a Bosnia court pursuant to a guilty plea of war crimes against prisoners of war and war crimes against civilians based on the firing squad execution-style killings. In exchange for her plea and cooperation, Yetisen was sentenced to five years and six months in prison. In June 2014, Dzeko was convicted in Bosnia court of war crimes against prisoners of war and war crimes against civilians, and held responsible for the eight killings described above, in part based on Yetisen’s testimony against him. Yetisen has been released from prison and resides in Oregon. Dzeko is still serving his sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Before their war crimes had come to light, Dzeko and Yetisen each requested and received refugee status from the United States, claiming themselves to be victims of persecution. The complaints allege that Dzeko and Yetisen concealed and affirmatively misrepresented their criminal history, military service, and persecutory acts throughout their immigration proceedings. Such benefits would have been denied had immigration authorities known about the defendants’ roles in the Trusina massacre.
“The United States has been a safe haven and symbol of hope for people fleeing from persecution, not for war criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia. “The actions taken in the District of Columbia and in Oregon today demonstrate that we will use every tool to ensure the integrity of our refugee programs.”
“The United States is a refuge for those fleeing violence and the atrocities of war, not those responsible for these unthinkable acts,” said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon. “I applaud the hard work and coordination of law enforcement across the country that culminated in these lawsuits.”
Today’s civil denaturalization cases follow on the recent criminal conviction of a Bosnia Serb residing in North Carolina for making materially false claims and statements on his initial application for refugee status, which involved similar concealment of service in a military unit involved in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre that resulted in the deaths of between 7,000 and 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS) National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit), with consultation and support from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) Human Rights Law Section and Seattle Office of the Chief Counsel, and the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The cases are being jointly prosecuted by Deputy Chief Timothy Belsan and Senior Counsel for National Security Aram Gavoor of OIL-DCS’s NS/A Unit and Trial Attorney Steven Platt of OIL-DCS, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynne Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Cox of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
The claims made in these complaints are allegations only, and there have been no determinations of liability.
Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals or naturalized U.S. citizens suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are encouraged to call the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or to complete its online tip form; or the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section at 1-202-616-2492. Callers may remain anonymous.
District Woman Indicted on Murder and Other Charges in Death of 16-Month-Old DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Faneshia Scott, 28, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on charges stemming from the death of her 16-month-old daughter and the beatings of her two other minor children, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Scott was arrested on April 3, 2018, following her indictment on March 20, 2018, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on two counts of first-degree felony murder, with aggravating circumstances, and seven counts of first-degree cruelty to children. The aggravating circumstances allege that the crime was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel and that the victim was especially vulnerable. The charges carry a potential sentence of life in prison with no possibility of release. Scott is to be arraigned on the charges later today.
According to the government’s evidence, on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at approximately 3 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to an apartment in the 5400 block of C Street SE after a report that a 16-month-old child at that location was unconscious and not breathing.
When first responders arrived, the child, Rhythm Fields, was lying on the living room floor and citizens who had come to her aid were administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The child was cold and had been dead for at least three hours.
According to the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Rhythm died of blunt force trauma. Her injuries included 23 old and new rib fractures, contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso, and extremities, and a subdural hemorrhage. There also was a detection of dextromethorphan substance found in the child.
According to the government’s evidence, during the investigation of Rhythm’s death, Scott told an MPD detective that she gave her daughter adult cold syrup (dextromethorphan), which was not age appropriate. Instructions on a cough medicine bottle similar to the one administered to the child state, “Do Not Give to Children under Age 12.” A sippy cup/bottle that was found on the scene was forensically examined by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and was found to contain dextromethorphan.
In addition to the murder charges, Scott was indicted on five counts of first-degree cruelty to children involving Rhythm, covering the time period between Jan. 1, 2017, and the child’s death. These involve acts that caused various injuries, as well as the administration of cough syrup and the alleged failure to obtain medical treatment for the child.
The other two counts of first-degree cruelty to children allege that Scott beat her two other children, also within the time period of Jan. 1 through March 21, 2017.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistance has been provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and the District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency. The case is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Anthony Robinson, 25, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to 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 on April 3, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled a sentencing for June 1, 2018. Robinson faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and a statutory minimum of five years.
According to the government 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 plea, 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.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 62 Months in Prison for Attacking People and Stealing VehiclesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deon Walker, 18, of District Heights, Md., was sentenced today to 62 months in prison for a pair of attacks he committed on the same block last summer while stealing vehicles in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Walker pled guilty in January 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to robbery and attempted robbery charges. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-up sentence of four to six years in prison. The Honorable Chief Judge Robert E. Morin accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Walker will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the time of the plea, the first crime took place on July 7, 2017, at approximately 4:15 p.m. Walker approached a man and a woman who were standing next to their 2006 Toyota Camry in the 4300 block of Barker Street SE. He punched the man twice in the face and took his car and house keys. Walker also took the woman’s purse. He then drove off in the victim’s car. The Camry later was recovered.
The second crime took place on Aug. 31, 2017, at approximately 10:35 a.m., also in the 4300 block of Barker Street SE. This time, Walker approached a woman who was getting into her 2002 Lexus sport-utility vehicle and demanded her car key. She attempted to run away, but Walker followed her, pushed her to the ground, and put his hands around her neck. The woman dropped the car key, and Walker picked it up and then drove off.
Surveillance video captured the second incident. The Lexus later was recovered and processed for fingerprints. Some of the fingerprints matched Walker’s. He was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in December 2017 and admitted taking both vehicles. Walker has remained 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. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, she commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to three years in prison for groping a stranger after knocking her to the sidewalk in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
The victim was eight months pregnant at the time. Fortunately, both the victim and her baby sustained no serious injuries.
Williams pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of third-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Zoe Bush. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a 10-year period.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, May 5, 2017, at about 3:30 p.m., Williams approached the victim just outside the U.S. Tax Court in the 400 block of 3rd Street NW. He was stark naked. When the victim saw Williams approaching, she tried to flee, but Williams caught her, grabbed her, and tackled her to the sidewalk, where he groped her. A guard inside the Tax Court saw the assault and ran outside to try to intervene, but Williams fled. By happenstance, a homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was driving by and saw a naked man running up 3rd Street. He jumped out of his car, pursued, caught and arrested Williams. Williams has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the quick action of the homicide detective and the security officers at the U.S. Tax Court who helped pursue the defendant. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Sexually Assaulting 12-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Davon Rashad Wood, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for groping a 12-year old girl as she was walking into a community aquatic center in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Wood pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree child sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. López. Following his prison term, Wood will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 26, 2017, at about 10:45 a.m., the victim was walking into the William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center in the 600 block of North Carolina Avenue SE. Wood held the door for the girl as she entered the aquatic center, then grabbed her buttocks as she walked past him. His actions were captured on the aquatic center’s security cameras. The girl did not know Wood. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) provided clips from security footage to the local media in hopes of getting the public’s assistance. Several people then called MPD to identify the man as Wood. Wood was arrested at his home in Southeast Washington on July 2, 2017.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised detectives from MPD’s Youth Division, the aquatic center employees who provided MPD with footage from the center’s security cameras, and members of the public, who helped identify Wood as the perpetrator. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Two Separate Fraud Schemes for Stealing $668,000 from Employer and Incapacitated RelativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zevi Chaim Mehlman, 52, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges of wire fraud and mail fraud for a pair of schemes in which he stole $96,000 from a school where he was working and an additional $572,000 from a relative.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement.
Mehlman pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Each of the charges carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Mehlman faces a likely range of 51 to 63 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000. He has agreed to pay a total of $668,000 in restitution to the victims and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan scheduled sentencing for Aug. 8, 2018.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, one scheme was carried out by Mehlman against his then-employer, the Washington International School. Mehlman worked for the school from September 2008 until November 2015, initially running its computer network before becoming Assistant Director of Information Services.
At Mehlman’s request, the school provided him with two credit cards so that he could assist in the purchase of computers. From August 2014 until October 2015, Mehlman used the credit cards to make approximately 50 unauthorized purchases of Apple computer equipment. This equipment was not purchased for the school’s use. Instead, Mehlman returned the equipment to Apple and instructed Apple to place the credit onto his own personal debit cards. The total amount that Mehlman generated through this scheme was approximately $96,000.
The school’s leadership confronted Mehlman about the purchases in November 2015, and he admitted his actions and apologized. The school terminated his employment soon afterward.
According to the statement of offense, Mehlman carried out the second scheme against his uncle. In 2003, his uncle gave power of attorney to Mehlman to conduct financial affairs for him. In 2012, the District of Columbia’s Adult Protective Services filed a court petition seeking the appointment of a guardian and conservator for the uncle. The agency filed the petition after it was informed that approximately $1.2 million had been withdrawn from his brokerage accounts in 2010 and 2011. In the petition, the agency alleged that the uncle was an incapacitated individual who needed 24-hour care and who was unable to handle his finances and living arrangements. On May 3, 2012, the Court appointed co-guardians and co-conservators and revoked Mehlman’s power of attorney.
A copy of the Court’s order was mailed to Mehlman. Despite that order, and without the knowledge of the guardians and conservators, from May 17, 2012 until May 28, 2016, Mehlman wrote dozens of checks and stole approximately $572,000 from one of his uncle’s accounts.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Ebert, and Inspector in Charge Wemyss commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Secret Service. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, including Grace Gale, Investigative Support Analyst. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Nicole Hinson, Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marina Stevenson, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.
Maryland Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Stolen Identity and Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Maryland woman was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in income tax refunds, announced 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, Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Lappin of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office, Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss 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.
According to court documents, Cheryle Murphy, 48, participated in a massive and sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme involving 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. The overall case involved the filing of over 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme to include: stealing identifying information, creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns, cashing fraudulent refund checks and forging endorsements of identity theft victims. 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.
From approximately August 2010 through November 2010, Murphy participated in claiming approximately $570,280 in fraudulent refunds from the IRS. Murphy agreed to allow her residence to be used for the delivery of tax refund checks and agreed with a co-conspirator to be paid for each check she received. Murphy also deposited into bank accounts under her name two cash deposits and four checks which Murphy received from a co-conspirator and that were obtained as part of the scheme. Ultimately, Murphy deposited a total of approximately $73,396 obtained as part of the scheme, of which she withdrew from ATMs approximately $17,500.
In addition to the term of imprisonment imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Murphy to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $127,180 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $17,500.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Lappin, Inspector in Charge Wemyss and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the special agents, who conducted the investigation, and 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.
They also expressed appreciation for the work of Tax Division Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for 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.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Maryland Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Stolen Identity and Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland woman was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in income tax refunds, announced 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, Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Lappin of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office, Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss 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.
According to court documents, Cheryle Murphy, 48, participated in a massive and sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme involving 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. The overall case involved the filing of over 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme to include: stealing identifying information, creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns, cashing fraudulent refund checks and forging endorsements of identity theft victims. 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.
From approximately August 2010 through November 2010, Murphy participated in claiming approximately $570,280 in fraudulent refunds from the IRS. Murphy agreed to allow her residence to be used for the delivery of tax refund checks and agreed with a co-conspirator to be paid for each check she received. Murphy also deposited into bank accounts under her name two cash deposits and four checks which Murphy received from a co-conspirator and that were obtained as part of the scheme. Ultimately, Murphy deposited a total of approximately $73,396 obtained as part of the scheme, of which she withdrew from ATMs approximately $17,500.
In addition to the term of imprisonment imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Murphy to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $127,180 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $17,500.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Lappin, Inspector in Charge Wemyss and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the special agents, who conducted the investigation, and 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.
They also expressed appreciation for the work of Tax Division Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for 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.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former Union Official Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Stealing More Than $130,000 from OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Takisha Brown Dorsey, a former union official with the Fraternal Order of Police, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from her theft of more than $130,000 from the organization, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Brown Dorsey, 42, of Waldorf, Md., pled guilty in March 2017 to a charge of wire fraud, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following her prison term, Brown Dorsey will be placed on six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release. Judge Walton also ordered her to pay $132,305 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to a statement of offense filed at the time of the plea, Brown Dorsey took office in January 2012 as the elected chairperson of the union representing correctional officers employed by the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). She led the Fraternal Order of Police-DYRS, which has approximately 240 members, through December 2015. As chairperson, Brown Dorsey, who also was a correctional officer, had access to union funds and was authorized to spend union money in accordance with bylaws.
In 2014, Brown Dorsey removed a safeguard requiring a second signature on all union checks, making herself the only required signatory. She also was the only one who had access to the union’s bank account and the ATM card that was associated with it. On Nov. 24, 2015, the union took a vote of no confidence in Brown Dorsey, and soon after that, members of the union’s executive board visited the Bank of America to inquire about the union’s finances. The balance was only $277, even though more than $100,000 in union dues were deposited into the account in calendar 2015. At the time that Brown Dorsey resigned, in December 2015, the union was about $92,000 in debt; at the beginning of her tenure, the union had a balance of $49,100.
A subsequent investigation determined that, from April 2013 through December 2015, Brown Dorsey withdrew, debited, or transferred more than $130,000 from the union’s bank account for her personal use or for deposit into her personal account.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Kristy Penny, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vesna Harasic-Yaksic, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra D. Briggs, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Indicted on Health Care Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tarek Abou-Khatwa, also known as Dean Addem, 58, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on charges that he defrauded CareFirst, a health care benefit program, and through his scheme, gained for himself in excess of $2 million.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Stephen C. Taylor, Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.
Abou-Khatwa was arrested earlier today and pled not guilty to the charges this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was released on high-intensity supervision pending a status hearing set for April 10, 2018. The 24-count indictment charges him with violations of health care fraud, false statements to a health care benefit program, wire and mail fraud, and identity theft, which is a District of Columbia Code offense. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the fraud scheme. The indictment was returned on March 20, 2018, and unsealed today.
According to the indictment, Abou-Khatwa defrauded CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (“CareFirst”) a not-for-profit, private health care benefit program, offering health insurance plans for individuals and groups, as well as other products. Group health insurance coverage is a policy purchased by an employer and offered to eligible employees (and often to the employees’ family members) as a benefit of working for that employer.
The insurance premium rates for group contracts at issue in this indictment were based on multiple factors, the most significant one being the average age of the covered employees listed on the census and wage/tax forms for the employer groups. Abou-Khatwa, through his company, was a broker for CareFirst until May 2011, and received commissions from CareFirst as his compensation as a broker; later he continued to work through other CareFirst brokers.
According to the indictment, Abou-Khatwa defrauded CareFirst by creating fake groups of insured individuals, which included both fictitious names and real people with altered years of birth, to fraudulently obtain lower insurance premium quotes from CareFirst; once the premium rates were set, he had the CareFirst invoices sent directly to him instead of his clients, marked up the insurance premiums charged by CareFirst, and pocketed the difference between the two. Through this scheme, Abou-Khatwa allegedly fraudulently siphoned off in excess of $2 million in illegal proceeds, and diverted the proceeds of the fraud for his personal use and benefit.
The indictment further states that when CareFirst undertook audits of the employer groups, Abou-Khatwa submitted false employee census reports and wage/tax forms to CareFirst to justify the listings of employees in the shell company contracts.
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.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Commissioner Taylor expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents and forensic accountants from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and fraud investigators from the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo and current Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh, Philip A. Selden, and Richard DiZinno; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendra Briggs and Peter Lallas; former Paralegal Specialists John Lowell, Angela Lawrence, and Jessica Mundi; Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo, Joshua Fein, and Aisha Keys, and Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.
Six People Indicted on Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges Following Investigation into Sales in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Nine people have been indicted on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into the trafficking of PCP, crack cocaine and heroin in Southwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants are charged in four indictments returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Six were arrested on March 22, 2018, and the others already were in custody. The drug conspiracy indictment – which charges six people, including two brothers – was unsealed today.
The indictments followed an investigation by ATF and the MPD targeting the area near the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, in the 200 block of N Street SW. The investigation began 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.
Six defendants were indicted on March 20, 2018, and charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 grams of PCP, heroin, and crack cocaine. They include Antonio Spencer, 24; his brother, Maurice Spencer, 19; Kione Banks, 20; Raymond Boston, 26; Damion Littman, 32, and Davon Warren, 21. All are from Washington, D.C. The charges cover a time period extending from January 2017 through July of 2017. All but Banks were arrested on March 22; Banks already was in custody.
In a separate indictment returned this week and unsealed today, Morriko Washington, 24, of Washington, D.C., is charged with distributing more than 100 grams of PCP on four separate occasions between August 2017 and November of 2017. Washington was arrested March 22.
Jerome Fuller, 33, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on March 12, 2018, on charges of selling PCP and crack cocaine in July and August of 2017. He has pled not guilty to the charges.
The ninth defendant, Mark Jamahl Stephens, 26, also of Washington, D.C., was indicted on Dec. 14, 2017 on charges of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in connection with his arrest in May 2017. He has been in custody.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by ATF and MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.