District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing, Threatening 12-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tauheed Wheeler, 36, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of misdemeanor child sexual abuse and felony threats stemming from an incident in which he tried to entice a young girl into the back seat of his car, and then threatened to beat her if she told anyone what happened, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Wheeler pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2018. Wheeler faces a statutory maximum prison term of 20 ½ years. Once released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender for a 10-year period and will be on supervised released for up to 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 10, 2016, the victim was 12 years old. Wheeler was a friend of the girl’s mother at the time, and he offered to drive the victim to a relative’s home. The relative was not home, and Wheeler drove the girl into an alley in Southeast Washington, where he parked near some trees. Wheeler got into the back seat of the car and, while touching his genitalia, asked the girl to get into the back seat with him so that he could engage in sexual contact with her. The girl refused. Wheeler kept encouraging the girl to get into the back seat with him, but she continued resisting. Eventually, Wheeler gave up but told that victim that if she told anyone about what he had tried to do, he would beat her. Afraid, the victim did not initially tell her mother. However, in June of 2017, she finally told her mother about what Wheeler had done. Her mother immediately called the police. Wheeler was arrested and indicted in January 2018 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended members of the Youth and Family Services Division of 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 Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Payza and Two Canadian Brothers Accused of Operating an Unlicensed Money Service Business and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Firoz Patel and Ferhan Patel, the founders and operators of Payza.com, AlertPay.com and Egopay.com, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on charges alleging they operated an Internet-based unlicensed money service business that processed more than $250 million in transactions.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.
The indictment was returned earlier this month and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Firoz Patel, 43, and Ferhan Patel, 37, who live in the area of Montreal, Québec, are charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and to violate anti-money laundering program requirements, one count of a money laundering conspiracy and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in the District of Columbia. If convicted, each of the brothers faces a maximum sentence of more than 25 years.
MH Pillars, Ltd., doing business as Payza, is charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Ferhan Patel was arrested on March 18, 2018, in Detroit. He made his first appearance on March 19, 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He remains held pending further proceedings in the District of Columbia. His brother remains at large.
“The arrest and indictments in this case demonstrate that we will vigorously enforce laws meant to protect the American consumer,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Money transmitting businesses are required to be registered federally and licensed in most states and jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia. Consumers should beware of those that do not follow these laws because they could be acting as a cover for other illegal activity.”
“I am proud of the skilled and professional teams of investigators and attorneys involved in today’s indictment and commend their efforts,” said Special Agent in Charge Lechleitner, special agent in charge of HSI Washington. “Through this type of routine interagency cooperation we ensure our safe, reliable and just society.”
The indictment alleges that the criminal activity took place from in or about March 2012 until the present. The defendants, through Payza.com, are accused of operating a money transmitting business that operated without the necessary state licenses and knowingly transmitting funds that were derived from illegal activity. Despite receiving cease and desist letters from various states, and being told by a consultant that operating a money transmission business without the necessary licenses was a crime, Firoz and Ferhan Patel continued their illegal activity, the indictment alleges.
The indictment alleges that the Patels, together with other co-conspirators, are responsible for transmitting over $250 million throughout the United States and elsewhere. The investigation is continuing.
According to the indictment, Payza’s customers included Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes. The Patels opened bank accounts in the United States and laundered their illegal proceeds through those accounts.
The indictment also seeks forfeiture of any property involved in these offenses or traceable to these offenses. In addition, the indictment seeks the specific forfeiture of approximately $10 million that has already been seized and frozen.
Further information is available to the public at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance/obopay-payza.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Washington Field office. It is being prosecuted and investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui and Arvind Lal and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Connelly John Marston, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists C. Rosalind Pressley and Toni Donato; Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant; Document Management Analyst Basizette Stribling; Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick; and Thomas Royal and Joshua Ellen from the Litigation Support Section.
Nine People Indicted on Federal Charges in Narcotics and Firearms Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nine people have been indicted on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a ring that allegedly distributed crack cocaine, cocaine, PCP, fentanyl, and firearms in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
To date, more than 500 grams of cocaine base and 100 grams of PCP have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with 13 firearms. Nine of the guns were seized today.
The charges are contained in three indictments unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and 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).
Seven defendants were arrested today, including Darnell Catlett, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Md.; Jamal Curtis, 39, of Washington, D.C.; Pamela Davis, 56, of Washington, D.C.; Russel Harrison, 38, of Temple Hills, Md.; Brian Jenkins, 42, of Brentwood, Md., Tydell Mims, 48, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Everette Reel, 45, of Upper Marlboro., Md. Two other defendants are still being sought.
Eight defendants are charged with taking part in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack. Numerous defendants are also charged with possessing and distributing various narcotics, including crack, cocaine, PCP and fentanyl, during the period of the investigation. The indictments also include a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes.
Two defendants are alleged to have engaged in a conspiracy to traffic firearms based on the controlled purchase of firearms by law enforcement led by the FBI, with the assistance of MPD and ATF.
“This investigation is another example of our determination to target drug trafficking organizations that are bringing crack cocaine, cocaine, PCP and firearms into neighborhoods of the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Through this coordinated law enforcement effort, we were able to remove significant quantities of drugs as well as firearms from the streets.”
“Today’s arrests send a clear message that drug traffickers have no place in our community,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “The FBI along with our local law enforcement partners is focused on stopping the movement and sale of drugs on our streets and ensuring that our neighborhoods are free from illegal firearms.”
“ATF is dedicated to removing those that use firearms to commit violence from our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Chittum. “This investigation is a great example of how we actively collaborate with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and keep our communities safe.”
In May 2015, the FBI, with the assistance of MPD, began a long-term investigation into a drug trafficking organization that operated in the Montana Terrace neighborhood of Northeast Washington and extended into Maryland. Earlier today, the FBI coordinated the execution of eight search warrants and the arrest warrants in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The search warrants were executed on five residences and three automobiles belonging to numerous alleged co-conspirators, resulting in the recovery of additional quantities of narcotics, firearms, narcotics paraphernalia, and approximately $80,000 in cash.
The defendants began making their first court appearances today.
This case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.
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 Vale, Chief Newsham, and Special Agent in Charge Chittum commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI, ATF, and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI’s Baltimore Division, the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Finally, they cited the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Christopher Macchiaroli.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for His Role in Scheme That Used Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Seek Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Clinton, Md. man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his 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 (IRS-CI) 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.
Tony Bryant, 56, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 17, 2017, of one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and to defraud the United States and five counts each of theft of public money and aggravated identity theft. Two co-defendants also were found guilty at trial. They include Bryant’s son, Brian Bryant, 30, formerly of Mount Rainier, Md., and Tarkara Cooper, 37, of Washington, D.C. The verdicts followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Brian Bryant was sentenced earlier this month to a 100-month prison term, and Cooper was sentenced in July 2017 to a 63-month prison term.
Bryant was part of a massive sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved a network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. Conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. According to court documents, the overall case involved the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes. To date, approximately two dozen participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately April 2010 through June 2012, Bryant, his son, Cooper, and others collectively claimed $4,959,310 in fraudulent refunds, of which the IRS paid out approximately $2,285,717. Specifically, Tony Bryant used bank accounts under his control to negotiate federal income tax refund checks, often with assistance from bank employees who were compensated for their services. The proceeds were usually transferred within a day or two to other bank accounts.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Bryant to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,118,139 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $244,262.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Donna Galindo; former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Julie Dailey; Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tonya Jones. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Sex Offense for Attacking Woman on the StreetRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elias Hailu, 37, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to 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 on March 13, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted third-degree sexual abuse. After completing any term of incarceration imposed by the Court, Hailu will be subject to 10 years of registration as a sex offender and a period of supervised release. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2018.
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 plea, 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.
Manager of Southeast Washington Barber Shop Indicted on Firearms and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darryl Smith, 44, the self-identified manager of a Southeast Washington barbershop, has been indicted on federal charges stemming from an investigation into alleged drug trafficking at the business and in the surrounding area.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smith, of Washington, D.C., is among three defendants charged with various offenses following the investigation into alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. He was arraigned on March 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a superseding indictment filed earlier this month that charges him with firearms and narcotics offenses. He pled not guilty to the charges and remains held pending further court proceedings.
The indictment includes narcotics and weapons offenses related to Smith’s arrest on Dec. 24, 2017, by the Metropolitan Police Department in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. On that date, he was allegedly in the possession of a loaded firearm and packaged capsules of fentanyl after he fled officers following a drug transaction on the street. Additionally, Smith faces PCP drug trafficking and other charges stemming from a search warrant that was executed on Feb.1, 2018 at the business. During the search, law enforcement recovered three firearms from the barbershop and adjoining property, more than $7,000 in cash, more than 800 grams of PCP, more than 300 grams of heroin, and boxes of Suboxone strips.
Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., also was arrested and charged by indictment last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with drug trafficking offenses arising from the Feb. 1, 2018 seizure. He has pled not guilty and also remains held.
The third defendant, James Venable, 46, of Fort Washington, Md., was indicted last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on narcotics and firearms charges. Venable also is charged by complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after law enforcement recovered a loaded firearm from his Maryland residence on Feb. 1, 2018. He, too, has pled not guilty and remains held pending further court proceedings.
The charges in indictments and complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
In announcing the arrests and indictments, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who are investigating the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli.
Former District of Columbia Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Bribery SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former management analyst for the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from schemes in which she accepted bribes in return for clearing the way for payments to be made on fraudulent invoices that cost the D.C. government more than $480,000.
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 Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Shauntell Harley, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have estimated that Harley faces a likely range of 70 months to 87 months in prison and a fine of up to $125,000. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2018.
As part of the plea agreement, Harley must pay $488,311 in restitution to the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. She also has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $100,400.
OSSE is an agency of the District of Columbia government. Harley was a management analyst for fiscal policy and grant management in OSSE’s Division of Special Education. From 2009 through 2014, her responsibilities included issuing requests for services through the government’s procurement process and then reviewing invoices from those who supposedly provided the services.
According to a statement of offense submitted at today’s plea hearing, Harley took part in two separate schemes involving fraudulent invoices paid by the D.C. government.
In one, scheme which began in or about June of 2012, she and business owner Vashawn Strader agreed that Harley would receive money and other things of value in exchange for favorable official action for Strader’s companies. They agreed that Strader would create fraudulent invoices purporting to reflect work that his companies did not actually perform. This work purportedly included early intervention services and professional development training.
Harley used her official position at OSSE to provide Strader with non-public information about OSSE contracts, assist him in creating fraudulent invoices, and submit these fraudulent invoices and other documents as necessary in order to cause OSSE to make the payments for services the companies never performed. In total, this led to $308,311 in payments in 2012 and 2013 to the two companies for services that never were provided. In return for her actions, Harley personally obtained a total of $43,900 in proceeds traceable to the scheme.
Strader, 39, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in October 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. He is awaiting sentencing. Under his plea agreement, Strader is required to pay $308,311 in restitution to OSSE and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
In the second scheme, which unfolded in 2013 and 2014, Harley admitted conspiring with the owner of another company to have that firm invoice OSSE for work that was not performed. Harley used her official position to create and submit fraudulent purchase orders and otherwise caused OSSE to pay the company. In exchange, the company owner provided Harley with a portion of the proceeds. According to the statement of offense, in this scheme Harley used her official position to cause OSSE to pay $179,999 for services that the company never provided. The company owner made approximately $53,000 in payments to Harley.
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 Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Paralegal Specialists Joshua Fein and Kristy Penny. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who is investigating and prosecuting the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offense Committed While on Supervision for Firearm ConvictionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonta Phillips, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a police pursuit that led to the recovery of a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of marijuana from the vehicle he had been driving.
The plea, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Phillips pled guilty before the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Hogan scheduled a sentencing for May 30, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 11, 2017, at approximately 2:15 p.m., ATF agents and a MPD Task Force Officer conducted surveillance in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE for Phillips, who was the subject of pending warrants.
Upon seeing Phillips, law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Phillips quickly entered the driver’s side door of a burgundy Cadillac DeVille and fled from law enforcement. Agents immediately followed Phillips’s vehicle and put out a vehicle description over the radio. Agents observed the vehicle turn left onto Southern Avenue SE, right onto Naylor Road at Suitland Parkway, left onto eastbound Suitland Parkway, exit onto the Suitland Road off ramp, make a left onto Suitland Road, and finally come to a stop in the 3700 block of Regency Parkway, in Suitland, Md. Agents observed Phillips exit the front driver’s side door of the vehicle and flee on foot into the woods. An ATF agent pursued Phillips into the woods, while another agent remained with the vehicle and coordinated the response of multiple law enforcement officers in setting up a perimeter around the ravine to prevent Phillips’s escape.
While securing the vehicle, agents observed a back pack on the driver’s side floor of the back seat. Inside the back pack, agents subsequently recovered a Glock 26, 9mm-caliber firearm, with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds of ammunition, and a jar and full gallon Ziploc bag of marijuana. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Phillips was discovered hiding underneath a ledge in the ravine, while submerged in water. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the recovered firearm had been reported stolen to the Anne Arundel County, Md., Police Department
At the time of his arrest, Phillips was on supervised release following an earlier guilty plea to a firearms offense in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He now could face formal revocation of his supervised release in that case.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias.
District Man Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges in 2015 Drive-By Shooting in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominique Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of murder and other charges in the 2015 drive-by killing of a man in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams was found guilty on March 12, 2018, of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. A co-defendant, Maricco Knight, 25, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by the 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. The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for both defendants to take place on May 11, 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 verdicts, 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.
Two District Men Found Guilty of Charges in Shooting at Southeast Washington Barber ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Terrance Atchison, 22, and Barry Bloomfield, 29, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of numerous charges stemming from a shooting at a barber shop in Southeast Washington, in which a father and his 21-month-old child were injured.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Atchison and Bloomfield were found guilty on March 8, 2018, of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed (of a minor), assault with a dangerous weapon, and related offenses. The verdicts followed a multi-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The defendants face sentencing on May 18, 2018 before the Honorable Judge Danya A. Dayson.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, at approximately 1:40 p.m., three masked gunmen opened the doors of Wrenn’s Barber Shop, in the 1000 block of Eighth Street SE, and began firing a total of eight rounds. At the time of the shooting, the shop was bustling with customers, and the toddler and his father were waiting for a haircut. The father, who was holding his son, was shot three times, and one wound shattered his ankle. A bullet grazed the child’s leg. Witnesses observed the gunmen run to a waiting white sport utility vehicle just around the corner and flee.
Video surveillance showed the defendants getting into a white Toyota RAV 4 about 20 minutes before the shooting and travelling to the barber shop. The defendants were on GPS monitoring because they were on post-conviction supervision, and their tracks placed them directly in front of the barber shop at the time of the shooting, as well as mirrored the RAV 4’s travel to and flight from the barber shop.
Atchison was arrested on Feb. 17, 2016, and Bloomfield was arrested on Feb. 18, 2016. They have been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa N. Walters and Thomas Saunders, who investigated the case, Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Criminal Investigators Nelson Rhone and Melissa Matthews. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Melissa Jackson, who prosecuted the case.
Three People Accused of Conspiracy and Weapons Offenses in Multi-State Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Three men have been indicted on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a firearms trafficking ring that acquired firearms in Atlanta, Ga., and transported the weapons into the District of Columbia for resale.
The charges are contained in an indictment that was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jeremy Carr, 34, of Marietta, Ga., was arrested on March 6, 2018 in Marietta. Stephon Jeter, 27, and his cousin, Quran Jeter, 19, both of Washington, D.C., were arrested earlier today in the District of Columbia. Carr made his first appearance on March 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and is awaiting extradition to the District of Columbia. The Jeters made their first appearances today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. All three defendants remain detained pending further court proceedings.
All three defendants are charged with taking part in a conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Carr and Stephon Jeter also are charged with 12 counts of interstate travel for the purpose of acquiring firearms to deal without a license. Quran Jeter also is charged with carrying a pistol without a license and possession of an unregistered weapon, District of Columbia offenses. The indictment includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds of the crimes.
As alleged in the indictment, from June 2016 through at least February 2017, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to acquire firearms in Georgia and illegally resell them in the District of Columbia. Carr acted as a straw purchaser on behalf of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges, and provided false information to a licensed firearms dealer in order to acquire firearms.
According to the indictment, Carr then sold those firearms to Stephon and Quran Jeter. The indictment alleges that the Jeters asked Carr to purchase several types of firearms on their behalf, including the Taurus PT 111, Taurus PT 709, Zastava PAP M85, Century Arms PAP M92, and a Smith and Wesson SD9VE. The indictment further alleges that Stephon Jeter made 12 different trips from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta and back, for the purpose of acquiring firearms from Carr. The indictment alleges that the members of the conspiracy were able to resell firearms in the District of Columbia for three times the initial purchase price in Georgia.
As alleged in the indictment, Carr purchased at least 55 firearms between August 2016 and February 2017. To date, approximately 22 of these firearms have been recovered in the District of Columbia or in Prince George’s County Maryland.
The charges arose from a long-term investigation into people suspected of illegally trafficking firearms into the District of Columbia. The majority of firearm recoveries related to this investigation took place in the Columbia Heights area of Northwest Washington.
Quran Jeter is charged with carrying a pistol without a license in connection with a Nov. 21, 2016 arrest. According to the indictment, Jeter was arrested in the District of Columba with a Smith and Wesson SD9VE, a firearm that Carr purchased on Oct. 14, 2016 in Smyrna, Ga.
Two additional defendants previously were charged in connection with this investigation.
David Stewart, 32, of Washington D.C., is charged with felon in possession of a firearm for two separate firearms he allegedly possessed in the District of Columbia. Stewart was arrested on Oct. 31, 2016, in the area of the 2300 block of 11th NW with a Taurus PT111 G2 9mm handgun after MPD officers responded to multiple phone calls for the sound of gunshots. According to the evidence, Carr purchased this firearm in Smyrna, Ga., in January 2016.
Stewart was arrested again on July 10, 2017, in the 1400 block of Park Road NW, this time with a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber firearm with a high-capacity magazine. According to the evidence, Carr purchased this firearm in Smyrna, Ga., in January 2017.
Tyrone Hopkins, 25, of Washington, D.C. was charged with felon in possession of a firearm, distribution of crack cocaine, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in connection with an arrest on Oct. 16, 2017 in the area of the 1900 block of West Virginia Avenue NE. Hopkins was arrested with a Taurus PT111G2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. According to the evidence, Carr purchased this firearm in Smyrna, Ga., in September 2016.
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.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Division of the ATF and MPD, with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Parents Sentenced to 12-Year Prison Terms on Charges Related to Starvation Death of Infant DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Jay Crowder, 34, and Trishelle Jabore, 27, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 12-year prison terms on charges stemming from the starvation-related death of their seven-week-old daughter, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both defendants pled guilty in June 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter, first-degree cruelty to children, and welfare fraud-unlawful food stamp usage. Crowder also pled guilty to a charge of attempted distribution of a controlled substance (synthetic cannabinoid or K2).
Crowder’s plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lόpez accepted the plea and sentenced Crowder accordingly. Following completion of their prison terms, Crowder and Jabore will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts presented at the plea hearing, on Nov. 6, 2016, Jabore gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Trinity. The infant weighed 4 pounds, 14.5 ounces, but was considered at term and healthy. At the time of her birth, both the mother and child tested positive for THC, an active ingredient in marijuana. Both parents had prior experience parenting newborn children. They received approximately $995 in welfare funds, including food stamps. They paid $9.80 in rent and $50 for Internet service, and they spent money on cigarettes and marijuana; according to Jabore, she and Crowder smoked marijuana most days. Around Thanksgiving, they sold some of their food stamps to a family member for $150.
On the evening of Dec. 24, 2016, the baby was put to bed in her car seat with a bottle at 7 p.m. At approximately 9 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2016, Crowder entered his and Jabore’s bedroom, where the baby was still in her car seat. Crowder picked up the child and felt that her body was limp. Crowder attempted to feed her a bottle but she would not take it. The baby’s breathing appeared labored at that time, and Jabore said that her lips were yellow. Jabore and Crowder monitored the baby’s condition for about three hours. At noon, Jabore called 911 and stated that the baby was unconscious and not breathing. Jabore and Crowder reported that she had no signs of illness or any falls or trauma and had not been involved in any accidents.
The D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were dispatched to the defendants’ home in Southwest Washington. The baby was taken to the Emergency Department at Children’s National Medical Center. Hospital staff attempted advanced life-saving measures, but the child was pronounced dead at 12:26 p.m. A doctor reported that she appeared cachectic and had what appeared to be blood in her diaper.
According to the evidence, the baby did not get adequate food or nutrition. She lost over 10 ounces in weight from the time she was born. Additionally, the infant suffered 13 rib fractures and clavicle fracture at various stages of healing and severe diaper rash. Neither parent had taken her for medical treatment or care. She was in the exclusive care of Jabore and Crowder.
Even though Jabore and Crowder had money and their home had plenty of food for older children and adults, their baby starved to death. The parents were providing a fraction of the recommended amount of formula in an effort to make it go further. Alternatively, when not giving formula, they were giving their newborn cow’s milk (powdered milk or evaporated milk), which is harmful to an infant’s digestive tract. Chemists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested a bottle found on the scene. Their testing revealed the bottle contained mostly water and had very little nutritional value.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia determined that the baby’s death was caused by malnutrition and hyponatremia[1], that the fractured ribs and clavicle fracture were contributing factors, and that the manner of death was homicide.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives, officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, analysts from the Food and Drug Administration, and medical personnel from Children’s National Medical Center. They also expressed appreciation to the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences for assistance in the investigation. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Stephanie Gilbert, Lornce Applewhite, and Alesha Matthews; Criminal Investigators Tommy Miller, Durand Odom, Nelson Rhone, Sharon Johnson, Shannon Alexis, and Chris Brophy; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia and Joshua Ellen; Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Kahn, and Intern Emily Yu. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright, who prosecuted the case.
[1] Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. Mayo Clinic Staff, Diseases and Conditions Hyponatremia, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/basics/definition/con-20031445 (last updated May 28, 2014).
District Teenager Found Guilty of Charges in Two Murders over Four-Month PeriodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Bellamy, 19, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of two counts of first-degree murder while armed and other charges stemming from the separate killings of an off-duty United States Secret Service officer and a 15-year-old boy.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Bellamy was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while armed, one count of armed robbery, and a weapons offense. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Juliet McKenna scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2018.
The jury found that the murder of 15-year-old Davonte Washington was especially cruel, atrocious and heinous. The jurors also found that the murder of off-duty officer Arthur Earl Baldwin Jr. was committed during the course of a robbery. As a result, Bellamy could face sentences of life in prison with no possibility of release for each of those offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, the first murder took place on Dec. 15, 2015 in the 4700 block of First Street SW. Bellamy and two accomplices approached a car parked on the street at approximately 2:50 p.m. Bellamy, armed with a .38-caliber revolver, approached the passenger window. The assailants instructed the driver, Mr. Baldwin, to pop open the trunk. Nothing of value was found. Mr. Baldwin then attempted to push his way out of the driver’s seat, and Bellamy opened fire. One of Bellamy’s accomplices then fired his gun. The three then took Mr. Baldwin’s wallet, cell phone, and iPad. Mr. Baldwin, 30, an off-duty U.S. Secret Service officer, was taken to a hospital, where he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The second murder took place on Saturday, March 26, 2016, the day before Easter, at the Deanwood Metro station, in the 4700 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. According to the government’s evidence, just before 4 p.m., Bellamy saw Davonte Washington on the platform with his mother and two little sisters also waiting for a train. The family was on the way to getting Davonte’s haircut for Easter. Bellamy mistakenly believed Davonte was “mugging” on him, and he pulled his .38-caliber revolver from his pocket and fired it at close range into Devonte’s chest, killing him. He then fled the station. Davonte died from two gunshot wounds to the torso.
The homicide of Davonte Washington was captured on Metro surveillance video. Bellamy was arrested two days after Davonte’s murder and has been in custody ever since. An investigation determined that the same gun that killed the teenager was used to kill Mr. Baldwin.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metro Transit Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews; Acting Supervisory Victim/Witness Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; former Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Supervisory Security Specialist M. Laverne Perry; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Sines and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man and Woman Found Guilty of Federal Charges for Roles in Regional Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andrea Miller, 48, and Steven Mason, 48, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of federal charges stemming from their roles in a narcotics trafficking organization that imported and distributed heroin and other drugs into the Washington, D.C. area.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu; Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C.; Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdicts followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Miller was found guilty of conspiracy to import 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of alprazolam from a foreign country. Both Miller and Mason were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of alprazolam. The defendants now each face five--year mandatory-minimum sentences and up to 20 years in prison. The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for June 19, 2018.
Miller and Mason were among a total of 14 defendants indicted in May 2016 following a long-term investigation into a drug trafficking organization with sources of supply in Nigeria and distribution points in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Eleven others have been convicted of drug trafficking charges and one defendant remains a fugitive.
According to the government’s evidence, between August 2014 and June 2016, Miller conspired to import packages of narcotics into the United States from various countries in Africa, and, Miller and Mason, together with their co-conspirators, conspired to distribute the narcotics throughout the Washington D.C. region.
The drug operation misused the United States Postal Service and the commercial shipping industry to illegally import into the United States and then redistribute significant quantities of drugs, primarily heroin, within the District of Columbia and the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
For purposes of this criminal activity, the international packages had the controlled substances hidden or secreted within certain items or clothing located inside the packages, and the packages were addressed and emanated from foreign countries, such as India, and listed fictitious names for addresses or locations within the Washington, D.C., area. Higher-level participants in the drug network would either wait for the packages to be delivered to certain addresses by the Postal Service or another commercial shipping business, or these same conspirators would use various civilians to accept packages containing drugs in the mail at their residences or other locations for cash or illegal drugs.
Significant quantities of the heroin were re-distributed in the 11th and H Street NE, Fourth Street and Florida Avenue NE, and 19th and Benning Road NE areas of the District of Columbia, and other locations in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Customs and Border Protection Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth F. Whitted and Jamila Hodge of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Catherine O’Neal, Teesha Tobias, and Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Katie Cowley; Litigation Technology Specialists Ron Royal, Kimberly Smith, and Anisha Bhatia, and Intern Mallory Kruper.
Former Employee of House Member Sentenced to Prison Term on Charges in Cyberstalking CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –A former staff employee of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives was sentenced today to serve a year and a day in prison for the circulation of private, nude images and videos of the member and the member’s spouse, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the United States Capitol Police.
Juan R. McCullum, 36, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in January 2018 to two federal cyber-related charges and two District of Columbia offenses, including conspiracy to disclose sexual images and attempted first-degree unlawful publication of a sexual image. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
McCullum’s plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of one year and 361 days of incarceration, with all but one year and a day suspended on the condition that he successfully completes two years of supervised probation. During his probation, McCullum will be required to perform 100 hours of community service. Judge Bates accepted the plea and sentenced McCullum accordingly.
A co-defendant, Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty in January 2018 to one federal cyber charge and the District of Columbia offense of conspiracy to disclose sexual images. She is to be sentenced on April 23, 2018.
According to statements of offense filed as part of the defendants’ guilty pleas, McCullum worked from April 2015 until June 2016 in the House member’s legislative office in Washington, D.C. Browne-Louis worked in the same office from January 2015 until April 2016.
According to the documents, during the course of his employment, McCullum offered in March 2016 to assist the House member in repairing the member’s malfunctioning, password-protected iPhone by taking the device to a local Apple store. The House member provided McCullum with the device solely to have it repaired. The House member later provided the password so that the device could be unlocked by the Apple store solely for the purpose of having the iPhone repaired. McCullum was not given permission to take, copy, or distribute any of the contents of the iPhone. The iPhone contained the private, nude images and videos.
In July 2016, the documents state, after McCullum left the House member’s staff, he engaged in a course of conduct that included creating a Hotmail account and a Facebook social media account, using a fictitious name, to distribute and post the private, nude images and videos. In addition, he made Browne-Louis aware that he was in possession of the images from the iPhone. Further, McCullum encouraged others on social media to redistribute the private, nude images and videos in the member’s congressional district. Browne-Louis assisted by providing McCullum with e-mail addresses and other contact information to distribute the images. Browne-Louis also distributed one of the private, nude images to a person who was working on the campaign of a challenger to the member’s primary election. McCullum and Browne-Louis understood their actions did cause, and were likely to cause, emotional harm to the House member and spouse, as well as negative impact on the member’s re-election, the plea documents state.
Both defendants were indicted in July 2017 following an investigation by the United States Capitol Police.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Verderosa commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Capitol Police. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Bianca Evans, Diane Brashears, and Matthew Ruggiero, Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Thomas Royal, and Paul Howell. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla, Youli Lee, and Veronica Jennings, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Embezzling More Than $1.5 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The former office manager of a trade association management company pled guilty today to a federal charge of wire fraud for embezzling more than $1.5 million from the firm, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Leunea D. Myers, 38, of Clinton, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2018. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Myers faces a likely range of 51 to 63 months in prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The plea agreement calls for her to pay $1,550,075 in restitution to her former employer and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to a statement of offense filed as part of the plea, Myers worked from February 2015 to November 2017 as the office manager and bookkeeper for a company identified in court documents as “Company A.” This company is a professional trade association management company in the District of Columbia that has been in business for more than 40 years. Myers’s responsibilities included tracking client billings and receipts, depositing money, and reconciling clients’ bank accounts, drafting checks, and preparing financial statements.
From April 2015 through November 2017, Myers embezzled funds by making unauthorized charges on company credit cards and by writing fraudulent checks directly to herself or to pay third parties to pay bills that she owed.
In announcing the plea, 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 former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh, who assisted with forfeiture issues; former Paralegal Specialist Kate Abrey, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Marston, who is prosecuting the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Eight Armed Robberies Committed over Two-Day Period Last YearRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Hunter, 25, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of a series of armed robberies that took place within a two-day period last year in Northwest and Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Hunter was found guilty of eight counts of armed robbery, one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, fleeing and eluding police, reckless driving, and related weapons offenses and other charges. The verdict followed a five-week trial, with testimony from more than 50 witnesses, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Hunter is to be sentenced on May 2, 2018, by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 15, 2017, at approximately 1:30 a.m., a 2016 grey Audi sedan was stolen from a parking garage in the 400 block of K Street NW. Over the next two days, the stolen Audi was used as the getaway vehicle in eight armed robberies in Northwest and Northeast Washington. In each instance, Hunter exited the front passenger seat and robbed the victims at gunpoint of their personal belongings before fleeing in the stolen car. According to the evidence at trial, the first robbery took place before dawn on Jan. 15, 2017, and the crimes continued into the night of Jan. 16, 2017.
On Feb. 8, 2017, law enforcement observed Hunter driving the stolen Audi. Following a brief chase that resulted in the stolen Audi crashing into numerous vehicles, Hunter exited the vehicle and fled from the police. Law enforcement soon located and arrested Hunter. Following his arrest, several victims identified him as the gunman who robbed them. Hunter has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the 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 FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Criminal Investigators Durand Odom and John Marsh; Paralegal Specialists Zoe Antwi and Antoinette Sakamsa; Victim/Witness Advocates Diana Lim and Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, William Henderson, and Ron Royal. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vivien Cockburn and Ellen D’Angelo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Dual Israeli/Russian Citizen Sentenced to 18-Month Prison Term on Money Laundering Charge in International SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Stanislav Nazarov, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Russia, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering stemming from his role in an international fraud scheme.
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 John L. Phillips, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Nazarov was among 19 people charged last year in federal indictments outlining various international fraud and money laundering conspiracies. He was indicted in January 2017 and arrested in March 2017 in Israel. Nazarov later waived extradition to the United States and pled guilty on Dec. 12, 2017, in the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained in custody since his initial arrest and was sentenced on March 5, 2018.
In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Nazarov to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $50,000. Following completion of his prison term, Nazarov will be subject to deportation proceedings.
“Stanislav Nazarov engaged in a multi-layered form of money laundering to hide the proceeds of international fraud schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “His arrest and extradition from Israel was a result of international cooperation amongst law enforcement targeting global crime networks.”
“This sentencing illustrates a significant disruption to transnational organized crime,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “The FBI works diligently with our partners in the United States and abroad to ensure criminals like Nazarov are brought to justice.”
“Treasury OIG continues to prioritize investigating transnational criminal organizations that exploit financial institutions, money service and other businesses impacting Treasury’s role in the oversight of the nation’s financial infrastructure, said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Phillips. “Treasury OIG appreciates the support of our law enforcement partners which led to this successful prosecution.”
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, in or around 2013, Nazarov agreed to become partners with an unnamed money launderer who worked with individuals and groups engaged in fraudulent schemes in Israel and elsewhere. In return for his assistance, Nazarov was to receive a share of proceeds that his partner made from various fraudulent schemes. In one such scheme, a cyber-phishing scam was carried out in 2015 that tricked a director of a company into wiring $1.4 million to a bank account in the United States.
In December 2016, Nazarov obtained what he believed to be a portion of that $1.4 million by receiving $50,000 at his location in Israel. According to the statement of offense, Nazarov received that money by orchestrating a sophisticated money laundering scheme whereby the $50,000 was first transferred to Russia, and then to Nazarov in Israel.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of the Inspector General. Assistance has been provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Israeli National Police. The FBI Legal Attaché in Tel Aviv, Israel, also provided assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by 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, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Christopher Toms, C. Rosalind Pressley, and Elizabeth Swienc.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Johnston, 62, of Fredericksburg, Va., has been sentenced to nine years in prison for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnston pled guilty to the charge in November 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Feb. 28, 2018, by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Johnston will be placed on 15 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years.
According to the government's evidence, on Jan. 22, 2017, Johnston contacted an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, through a social network site. Over the next several days, Johnston engaged in e-mail and text-messaging conversations with the undercover officer. During the course of these conversations, Johnston arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a female who was a minor. On Jan. 31, 2017, Johnston traveled from Virginia to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.
During the sentencing proceedings, the government noted that, in 1990, the defendant pled guilty at an Air Force court martial proceeding to one count of committing indecent acts upon the body of a female under 16 years of age.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed their appreciation for the assistance provided by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for His Role in Scheme That Used Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Seek Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Mount Rainier, Md. man was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for his 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 (IRS-CI) 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.
Brian Bryant, 30, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 17, 2017, for conspiring to commit theft of government funds and defraud the United States, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft. Two co-defendants also were found guilty at trial. They include Bryant’s father, Tony Bryant, 56, formerly of Clinton, Md., and Tarkara Cooper, 37, of Washington, D.C. Tony Bryant is to be sentenced on March 15, 2018, and Cooper was sentenced in July 2017 to a 63-month prison term.
Bryant was part of a massive sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved a network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. Conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. According to court documents, the overall case involved the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes. To date, approximately two dozen participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately April 2010 through June 2012, Bryant, his father, Cooper, and others collectively claimed $4,959,310 in fraudulent refunds, of which the IRS paid out approximately $2,285,717. Specifically, Brian Bryant participated in the scheme from January 2011 through May 2013, and assisted in the negotiation of $650,003 worth of fraudulently obtained tax refund checks. Both Bryants deposited refund checks fraudulently obtained by others into accounts that they controlled. Cooper agreed to allow her residence to be used for the delivery of tax refund checks, and was paid by a co-conspirator when she provided the tax refund checks to him.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Bryant to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $650,003 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $176,624.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Aisha Keys, and Donna Galindo; former Paralegal Specialist Julie Dailey; Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tonya Jones. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
U.S./Israeli Man Indicted for Hate Crime and Threats to Jewish Community Centers, Israeli Embassy, Anti-Defamation League, Conveying False Information, and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the indictment of Michael Ron David Kadar, 19, who holds dual United States and Israeli citizenship, in three jurisdictions for hate crimes and other offenses.
The indictment from Florida charges Kadar with hate crimes as a result of threatening calls he made to Jewish Community Centers in the state. In addition, the indictment from the District of Columbia charges Kadar with threatening the Israeli Embassy and the Anti-Defamation League in Washington, D.C. The third indictment charges Kadar with cyberstalking and conveying false information to police dispatch regarding harm to private residents in Georgia.
An investigation into numerous threats made to individuals and organizations throughout the United States in 2016 and early 2017 led to Kadar being charged initially in criminal complaints on April 21, 2017 in Florida and Georgia following his arrest in Israel. Kadar remains in custody in Israel where he also faces charges.
The indictment from the Middle District of Florida charges that beginning on or about Jan. 4, 2017, and continuing until Feb. 27, 2017, Kadar made multiple threatening calls involving bomb threats and active shooter threats to numerous Jewish Community Centers throughout Florida. Additionally, the indictment charges Kadar with attempting to obstruct the free exercise of religion at the Jewish Community Centers when he made the bomb threats and active shooter threats. Finally, the indictment charges that Kadar made bomb threats to the Orlando International Airport and a middle school in the Middle District of Florida. Although no actual explosives were found, many of the calls resulted in the temporary closure and evacuation or lockdown of the targeted facilities, and required law enforcement and emergency personnel to respond to and clear the area.
The indictment from the District of Columbia charges that on or about March 7, 2017, Kadar made a threatening call to the Anti-Defamation League involving a bomb threat. Additionally, the indictment alleges that on or about March 9, 2017, Kadar sent a threatening email to the Israeli Embassy involving a bomb threat.
The indictment from the Middle District of Georgia charges that on or about Jan. 3, 2017, Kadar made a phone call to a police department conveying false information about an alleged hostage situation in progress at a private residence in Athens, Georgia, which included a threat to kill responding police officers. Police and emergency personnel responded to the scene, only to learn that there was no emergency.
The hate crime charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, the bomb threats charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, and the interstate threats charge, the hoax charge, and the cyberstalking charge each carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. If convicted, Kadar could also be subject to court ordered restitution.
“When individuals target victims of their crimes based on who they are, what they believe, or how they worship, they target the bedrock principles on which our nation was founded,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “These alleged threats of violence instilled fear in the Jewish community and other communities across the country, and it is the Justice Department’s duty to make sure all Americans can live their lives without this type of fear.”
“These alleged threats were very real for those individuals who were evacuated, for the first responders who quickly mobilized to get people out of harm’s way, and for those in Jewish communities across the United States who felt targeted and unsafe,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This indictment demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working together with our partners to protect the safety and civil rights of all Americans, and shows that we will not stand by as someone threatens our communities based on their religion or their beliefs.”
“Threats, intimidation, or violence perpetrated against anyone because of their beliefs, their faith, or how they choose to worship is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “Individuals should be free to exercise these rights without fear. We will continue to use our resources to enforce these precious rights for all individuals.”
“The indictment returned today in the District of Columbia is part of a broader nationwide fight against hate, terror, and threats in all of their forms,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the DOJ, the FBI, and our local and international partners to rooting out and prosecuting those who would terrorize our communities.”
“Hiding behind anonymous phone calls to threaten innocent citizens is cowardly and dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Charles E. Peeler for the Middle District of Georgia. “The calls that this defendant allegedly made harassed innocent victims, endangered first responders and the victims themselves, and needlessly consumed law enforcement resources vital to protecting our communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Tampa Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and FBI Atlanta Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia; the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this case. Federal authorities also acknowledge and appreciate the assistance and the investigative efforts of the Israeli National Police.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S./Israeli Man Indicted for Hate Crime and Threats to Jewish Community Centers, Israeli Embassy, Anti-Defamation League, Conveying False Information and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced the indictment of Michael Ron David Kadar, 19, who holds dual United States and Israeli citizenship, in three jurisdictions for hate crimes and other offenses.
The indictment from Florida charges Kadar with hate crimes as a result of threatening calls he made to Jewish Community Centers in the state. In addition, the indictment from the District of Columbia charges Kadar with threatening the Israeli Embassy and the Anti-Defamation League in Washington, D.C. The third indictment charges Kadar with cyberstalking and conveying false information to police dispatch regarding harm to private residents in Georgia.
An investigation into numerous threats made to individuals and organizations throughout the United States in 2016 and early 2017 led to Kadar being charged initially in criminal complaints on April 21, 2017 in Florida and Georgia following his arrest in Israel. Kadar remains in custody in Israel where he also faces charges.
The indictment from the Middle District of Florida charges that beginning on or about Jan. 4, 2017, and continuing until Feb. 27, 2017, Kadar made multiple threatening calls involving bomb threats and active shooter threats to numerous Jewish Community Centers throughout Florida. Additionally, the indictment charges Kadar with attempting to obstruct the free exercise of religion at the Jewish Community Centers when he made the bomb threats and active shooter threats. Finally, the indictment charges that Kadar made bomb threats to the Orlando International Airport and a middle school in the Middle District of Florida. Although no actual explosives were found, many of the calls resulted in the temporary closure and evacuation or lockdown of the targeted facilities, and required law enforcement and emergency personnel to respond to and clear the area.
The indictment from the District of Columbia charges that on or about March 7, 2017, Kadar made a threatening call to the Anti-Defamation League involving a bomb threat. Additionally, the indictment alleges that on or about March 9, 2017, Kadar sent a threatening email to the Israeli Embassy involving a bomb threat.
The indictment from the Middle District of Georgia charges that on or about Jan. 3, 2017, Kadar made a phone call to a police department conveying false information about an alleged hostage situation in progress at a private residence in Athens, Georgia, which included a threat to kill responding police officers. Police and emergency personnel responded to the scene, only to learn that there was no emergency.
The hate crime charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, the bomb threats charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, and the interstate threats charge, the hoax charge, and the cyberstalking charge each carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. If convicted, Kadar could also be subject to court ordered restitution.
“When individuals target victims of their crimes based on who they are, what they believe, or how they worship, they target the bedrock principles on which our nation was founded,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “These alleged threats of violence instilled fear in the Jewish community and other communities across the country, and it is the Justice Department’s duty to make sure all Americans can live their lives without this type of fear.”
“These alleged threats were very real for those individuals who were evacuated, for the first responders who quickly mobilized to get people out of harm’s way, and for those in Jewish communities across the United States who felt targeted and unsafe,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This indictment demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working together with our partners to protect the safety and civil rights of all Americans, and shows that we will not stand by as someone threatens our communities based on their religion or their beliefs.”
“Threats, intimidation, or violence perpetrated against anyone because of their beliefs, their faith, or how they choose to worship is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “Individuals should be free to exercise these rights without fear. We will continue to use our resources to enforce these precious rights for all individuals.”
“The indictment returned today in the District of Columbia is part of a broader nationwide fight against hate, terror, and threats in all of their forms,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the DOJ, the FBI, and our local and international partners to rooting out and prosecuting those who would terrorize our communities.”
“Hiding behind anonymous phone calls to threaten innocent citizens is cowardly and dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Charles E. Peeler for the Middle District of Georgia. “The calls that this defendant allegedly made harassed innocent victims, endangered first responders and the victims themselves, and needlessly consumed law enforcement resources vital to protecting our communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Tampa Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and FBI Atlanta Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia; the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this case. Federal authorities also acknowledge and appreciate the assistance and the investigative efforts of the Israeli National Police.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 75 ½ Years in Prison for 2011 Killing of Government WitnessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stanley Moghalu, 31, of Bowie, Md., was sentenced today to a 75 ½-year prison term for an attack that killed one man, who was a government witness, and wounded another man in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Moghalu was found guilty by a jury in October 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to kill, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and other charges.
Before imposing the sentence, the Honorable José M. López stated that, “I agree with the government that the murder of a government witness is among the most serious crimes known to society. Such crimes directly threaten the order of our criminal justice system.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 14, 2011, shortly after 5 p.m., Moghalu and an accomplice ambushed Ronald D. Smith and Charles Harrison at the intersection of 21st and M Streets, NE. Mr. Smith, 27, was killed in the attack. Mr. Harrison was shot nine times, losing the use of his right arm, but survived his injuries.
An investigation determined that Mr. Smith was killed because he was a government witness in an investigation into the May 2011 murder of Ervin L. Griffin in the 1200 block of 18th Street NE. One defendant, David Warren, now 31, and formerly of Washington, D.C., was later found guilty of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in Mr. Griffin’s slaying and sentenced to 36 years in prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura R. Bach; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Kirschner and Gilead Light, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Business Executive Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Engaging in Contract Kickbacks and Phony Billing SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John T. Fitzgerald, a former vice president of the Washington, D.C. office of an investment banking firm, was sentenced today to two years in prison on federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he accepted kickbacks for construction management contracts he steered to another firm, as well as other fraudulent activities.
The announcement was made by Alessio Evangelista, Acting U.S. Attorney in this case, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Fitzgerald, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in December 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following his prison term, Fitzgerald will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, he will be required to perform 500 hours of community service. Additionally, the judge ordered Fitzgerald to pay $713,806 in restitution, representing his share of proceeds from the scheme, and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgement. He also has agreed to pay $114,411 in taxes to the IRS.
A co-defendant, Bryan D. Wright, 55, of Laytonsville, Md., pled guilty in February 2016 to one count of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is to be sentenced on April 10, 2018.
In his guilty plea, Fitzgerald acknowledged that he began work at the investment banking firm in 2008 and oversaw its real estate development activities and investments. His responsibilities included oversight of a commercial development project in Hanover, Md., known as the Station Ridge development project. The investment banking firm was the managing investor-owner of the project, which ultimately included three buildings for use as offices by various tenants.
In or around mid-2011, Fitzgerald admitted, he began to invoice the general contractor on Station Ridge through a company Fitzgerald owned and thereby obtained roughly $41,000 for himself on the project.
Later in 2011, Fitzgerald installed Wright as construction manager on Station Ridge, and the two agreed to an invoicing and kickback scheme that lasted into 2013. Wright was president of P&E Services, LLC. Between 2011 and 2013, through their scheme, Wright and Fitzgerald took $769,000 from the investment banking firm employing Fitzgerald and another $417,000 from the general contracting company (which was reimbursed by the investment banking firm). Wright, through P&E and other companies, paid Fitzgerald nearly $600,000 in proceeds from the Station Ridge project, roughly half of the total amount that P&E Services obtained.
In a related scheme involving purported projects on the Bridgewater office building in Fairfax, Va., which was another development project of the investment banking firm, Wright and Fitzgerald submitted invoices for work that was not completed, and obtained additional money from Fitzgerald’s employer. Once again, Fitzgerald and Wright split the proceeds between them, with Fitzgerald receiving approximately $70,000.
In his guilty plea, Fitzgerald admitted that the total loss to his employer as a result of his conduct on these projects was over $1.3 million, and his share of the illegal proceeds was $713,806. The tax charges stem from Fitzgerald’s failure to report the income in calendar years 2012 and 2013.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Evangelista, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Special Agent in Charge Lappin commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Last, Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Aisha Keys, and C. Rosalind Pressley; Legal Assistants Angela Lawrence and John Lowell, and Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marston, Kendra D. Briggs, and Zia Faruqui, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Convenience Store in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Skinner, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for an armed robbery he carried out at a convenience store in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Skinner pled guilty to the armed robbery charge in December 2017 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. Following his prison term, Skinner will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 26, 2016, shortly after 5 a.m., Skinner entered a 7-Eleven store in the 900 block of Bladensburg Road NE and got a cup of coffee. He then went to the cash register, pulled up his shirt, and brandished what appeared to the store employee to be a black handgun from his waistband. The item was later determined to be a screwdriver. Skinner ordered the employee to open the cash register and the employee complied. Skinner leaned over the counter and took approximately $60 before fleeing.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded to the scene and officers saw a cup of coffee on the counter; witnesses confirmed that the robber had this cup in his possession before fleeing the store. Additionally, surveillance footage of the robbery showed that the assailant was wearing a T-shirt that stated “Challenge Accepted” and a black bucket hat.
The coffee cup was submitted for DNA examination. The resulting 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. It revealed a match for Skinner. Additionally, Skinner was arrested a few weeks after the 7-Eleven robbery in Prince George’s County, Md. A search of the vehicle he was using led to the recovery of various items, including multiple screwdrivers, the “Challenge Accepted” T-shirt, and the black bucket hat.
Skinner earlier pled guilty to four other armed robberies in Prince George’s County and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for those crimes. The sentence in the District of Columbia case will run concurrently with the one he is now serving in Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Setting House Fire That Killed 4-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerome C. Lewis, 51, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 32 years in prison on charges of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, second-degree murder, and first-degree cruelty to children in a house fire that led to the death of a four-year-old child, Samauri Michelle Jenkins.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu , Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Gregory M. Dean, Chief of the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DCFEMS).
Lewis was found guilty of the charges on Oct. 25, 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
At today's sentencing, the government requested restitution for the estate of Samauri Jenkins or the imposition of a fine based on the defendant receiving a payout from an insurance company for the damage to his home and personal property. Judge Lee set a follow-up hearing for June 15, 2018 to consider the government’s request for orders of restitution and/or fines. In advance of that hearing, Judge Lee granted the government’s request to freeze Lewis’s assets.
According to the government’s evidence, Lewis owned a home in the 2600 block of 33rd Street SE. In late 2011, Lewis began renting the first and second floors to relatives while he lived in the basement. In early 2013, his relationship with his tenant-relatives had become strained and he was experiencing a financial crisis. On Feb.17, 2013, in the early hours of the morning, he set fire to his mattress located in his basement living area, causing a fire that spread throughout the basement and to the first floor of the home.
Everyone was able to escape the home, with the exception of four-year-old Samauri Jenkins. She was rescued from a second floor bedroom by the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. She was taken to a hospital with burns and smoke inhalation, but died from her injuries two days later.
Lewis was arrested on the morning of the fire and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Dean commended the work of the D.C. Arson Task Force, which is comprised of members from MPD, the Washington Field Division of the ATF, and DCFEMS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Legal Secretary Dawn White; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Administrative Services Specialist Tina Wall, and Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Michelle D. Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Fatally Shooting Man on Anacostia River TrailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Wandell G. Roy, 42, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for killing a man in July 2017 on the Anacostia River Trail in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Roy pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to the charge of second degree murder. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Upon completion of his prison term, Roy will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 26, 2017, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the victim, Victor Williams, was walking his two puppies, heading south on the Anacostia River Trail from the East Capitol Bridge. Roy, riding a red bike, was also on the trail some distance behind Mr. Williams. Roy then discarded his bike on the side of the trail, came within approximately 20 feet behind Mr. Williams, and shot at Mr. Williams at least four times. After Mr. Williams’s body immediately dropped to the ground, Roy walked up to his body and shot him at close range at least two more times. Roy then stole Mr. Williams’s iPhone 7 off of his person and fled the area.
The autopsy revealed that Mr. Williams, 37, died of a gunshot wound to the midline of his back and another gunshot wound to the left side of his face. On the scene, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found that one of the puppies was also killed by a gunshot wound to the chest, and the other puppy was found alive.
Due to the quick thinking and cooperation of eyewitnesses, as well as the detective work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch, Roy was identified as the shooter and arrested on Aug. 17, 2017. He has been in custody ever since. The investigation revealed no connection between Mr. Williams and Roy.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Firearms Examination Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jin Park, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault on Deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Nowlin, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a courthouse incident last year in which he assaulted a Deputy United States Marshal, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Nowlin pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal law enforcement officer. He remains held pending his sentencing on May 16, 2018 by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 6, 2017, Nowlin was appearing before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for violating terms of his probation in an earlier assault case. Two deputy U.S. marshals were assigned to the courtroom. Judge Raffinan revoked Nowlin’s probation and ordered that he be remanded to the custody of the deputy marshals. Nowlin became loud and belligerent while in the courtroom, and started to walk towards the cellblock before Judge Raffinan finished her ruling.
One of the deputy marshals instructed Nowlin to wait until Judge Raffinan concluded her ruling before leaving the courtroom and going to the cell block. Then, once Judge Raffinan concluded the hearing, the two deputy marshals escorted Nowlin to the cellblock behind the courtroom. Nowlin continued to be belligerent while in the cellblock and resisted efforts by the deputy marshals to search him for weapons or contraband.
As he continued to resist, Nowlin spun around and threw a punch at one of the deputy marshals. A struggle ensued, with Nowlin continuing to punch the deputy marshal in the face and head area. Other deputy marshals responded and Nowlin was subdued. The deputy marshal who was struck by Nowlin was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Hughes commended the work of those who handled the matter from the U.S. Marshals Service. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
Two Area Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Conspiracy to Rob Banks in District of Columbia and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John King Lionell, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to rob banks in the District of Columbia and Maryland. A co-defendant, Steve Jamal Smith, also known as Jabrail Love, 23, of Hyattsville, Md., earlier also was sentenced to a 42-month prison term.
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, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department, and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Lionell and Smith were found guilty by a jury in November 2017 of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Upon completion of their prison terms, each defendant will be placed on three years of supervised release. Smith was sentenced on Feb. 2, 2018, by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss and Lionell was sentenced today.
According to the evidence at trial, on Jan. 26, 2016, at approximately 1:50 p.m., Lionell and Smith entered a BB&T Bank in the 3100 block of 14th Street NW. While inside, they inquired about opening a bank account. A bank employee provided them with a brochure. Both defendants were observed in possession of the brochure. They then walked to a bank teller, and Lionell presented a demand note for money. He also instructed the teller not to press the silent alarm. The teller did not provide the defendants with any money. After not receiving any cash, Lionell told Smith: “Hurry up let’s go! Let’s go!”
At that time, the two men exited the bank together. They then entered the Columbia Heights Metro station and rode Metrorail to the Silver Spring stop.
After exiting the subway station, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Lionell and Smith entered a Capital One Bank in the 8600 block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring and approached the teller’s window. This time, Smith displayed a demand note for money to the teller, while Lionell stood next to him. Smith told the teller: “Put your hands up ... Don’t put your hands down.” They did not receive any money at this bank, either, and left the branch.
During the course of the investigation by law enforcement of the bank robbery at the BB&T Bank, the FBI retrieved the bank brochure that the defendants had possessed, and sent it to be further examined for possible fingerprints. A subsequent forensic examination by an FBI fingerprint examiner determined that Smith’s fingerprint were on the brochure. After the identification of Smith from his fingerprint on the BB&T brochure, agents from the FBI were able to identify several witnesses who identified both defendants from bank surveillance photos.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, Chief Newsham, Chief Manger, and Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Metro Transit Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI Laboratory.
Additionally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Walters, Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias; Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton and Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kamilah O. House and Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Pistol-Whipping Man in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jahmar Thaxter, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term on charges stemming from a pistol-whipping assault of a man that took place behind a market in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Thaxter was found guilty by a jury in September 2017 of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, conspiracy, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles. Following his prison term, Thaxter will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 23, 2016, Thaxter and a second man walked into the back yard of Move and Groove, a Caribbean market in the 5100 block of Georgia Avenue NW. The victim, who was at the market, did not know Thaxter, but he did know the man who was with him. That man accused the victim of talking about his potential involvement in a shooting in Northwest Washington. He and Thaxter then assaulted the victim, pointing guns at him and pistol-whipping him, causing lacerations to the victim’s head. During this attack, Thaxter’s eyeglasses fell off. Thaxter continued to kick and pistol-whip the victim while his accomplice took and then discarded the victim’s wallet.
The eyeglasses were recovered and tested for DNA, and the major contributor profile matched the defendant’s DNA profile. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Thaxter’s arrest on Jan. 16, 2017, and he has remained in custody ever since. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the other man who is believed to have participated in the attack, but he remains at large at this time.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, particularly the detectives from the Fourth Police District. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Romano and Alyse Constantinide; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren N. Bressack and Ethan Carroll, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder Charges in Slayings of Two Housemates in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Bright, 31, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to two counts of second-degree murder while armed in the slayings of two of his housemates at their rooming house in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Bright pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 33 years in prison. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2018.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at today’s plea hearing, on Feb. 18, 2016, Bright was staying in a rooming house in the 500 block of 58th Street NE. The victims, Clifton Francis and David Watkins, were Bright’s housemates. Two other individuals were also staying in the home at the time, one permanently and one temporarily.
At approximately 12:55 p.m., Bright entered the house, where Mr. Francis and Mr. Watkins were sitting in the living room watching television; one of the other housemates was in the kitchen. Bright went upstairs, where his bedroom was located, and then came running down the stairs. He pointed a gun in the direction of Mr. Francis and began firing at close range.
Mr. Francis, who received multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head, immediately slumped over the arm of the couch and fell to the floor. Mr. Watkins started yelling words to the effect of “what are doing, are you crazy?” Bright then turned the gun towards Mr. Watkins and began firing, hitting him in the chest. Mr. Watkins managed to crawl to his bedroom, and yelled for the remaining housemate to call the police. Bright ran into the kitchen and came face-to-face with this housemate. He pointed the gun at his face, but the housemate was able to run into a bedroom and closed the door. Bright then fled the house.
The next day, Feb. 19, 2016, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Bright was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force as he walked out of a barbershop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. Bright was exiting the barbershop after having shaved off his dreadlocks. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
Bright had driven a Mitsubishi Galant to the barber shop. Officers searched the car and recovered the murder weapon, a Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm, as well as 91 rounds of ammunition and three firearm magazines (two full, one empty).
Mr. Watkins, 45, and Mr. Francis, 51, both died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Magdalena Acevedo, Victim/Witness Advocate Jim Brennan, and former Paralegal Specialist Kendra Johnson. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley C. Nielsen, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Found Guilty of Charges in 2015 Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Davon Payton, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of 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.
Payton was found guilty by a jury on Feb. 16, 2018 of involuntary manslaughter and related weapons charges. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for April 13, 2018.
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 Payton’s apartment at 2:30 a.m. Mr. Harrison and his fiancée were friends with Payton 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 Payton’s apartment. In response, Payton 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, and, during the fight, Payton shot Mr. Harrison in the chest. Mr. Harrison, 21, staggered to the curb, where he collapsed and died.
Payton 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 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 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.
Virginia Man Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges for Triple Homicide in Northeast Washington in 1991Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Benito Valdez, 47, formerly of Arlington, Va., was found guilty by a jury today of multiple counts of first-degree murder while armed and other charges for killing three people in 1991 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In addition to the murder charges, the jury found Valdez guilty of three counts of kidnapping while armed and one count of sodomy while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Valdez is to be sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff on April 13, 2018. He remains in custody pending that hearing.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of April 23, 1991, Curtis Pixley, Keith Simmons, and Samantha Gillard went to Langdon Park in the 1800 block of Franklin Street NE to purchase crack cocaine. Mr. Pixley, 29, and Mr. Simmons, 26, approached Valdez while Ms. Gilliard, 23, waited at a distance. The drug deal went bad very quickly when Valdez accused Mr. Pixley of stealing drugs from him. Valdez threatened Mr. Pixley that he was going to pay for the drugs one way or another. When Mr. Pixley could not pay with cash, Valdez raped Ms. Gillard at gunpoint. Then, according to the government’s evidence, Valdez forced all three to lie on the ground and shot each one execution-style.
Valdez was charged with the crimes in February 2016.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Cold Case Unit as well as the U.S. Park Police. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Siegerist, Alesha Matthews, Meridith McGarrity, and Sharon Newman; Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Bach and Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
Former Massage Therapist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Series of Sex Offenses Involving ClientsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Habtamu Gebreslassie, 24, a former massage therapist, was sentenced today to five years in prison for a series of sex offenses involving clients at two massage establishments in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gebreslassie, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty in December 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to first-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client, attempted first-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client, and misdemeanor sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 19 to 60 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, upon completion of his prison term, Gebreslassie will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, all three victims were women who were getting massages from the defendant, who was licensed to practice massage therapy in the District of Columbia.
The first incident took place on June 21, 2017, at a massage establishment in the Dupont Circle area. That day, Gebreslassie engageed in unwanted sexual contact with a client. The second incident happened on Aug. 28, 2017, at another establishment in the Tenleytown area; there, Gebreslassie attempted to engage in a sexual act with a client. Finally, on Sept. 17, 2017, also at the Tenleytown location, Gebreslassie sexually abused a client.
Following the Sept. 17 incident, the victim contacted the Metropolitan Police Department. Gebreslassie was arrested later that day and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District and Sexual Assault Unit. They acknowledged the efforts of the Forensic Biology Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, which provided assistance. They expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracy Hawkins, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and J. Matt Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison for 2014 Slaying at Southeast Washington Barber ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwon D. Green, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 48 years in prison for killing a man in 2014 at a Southeast Washington barber shop, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Green was found guilty by a jury in December 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree premeditated murder, attempted armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and related charges. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. This prison term is in addition to a six-year sentence that Green must serve for an armed robbery he committed just weeks after the murder.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, at about 11 a.m., Green walked by the front of the Kutt n’ Up barber shop in the 1400 block of Good Hope Road SE, and pointed at Breond Keys, a customer who was getting his hair cut inside.
Roughly 16 minutes later, Green, now wearing different clothing including a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and a mask, ran into the barber shop, holding a pistol in his hand. Green immediately raised the pistol with both hands, pointed it at Mr. Keys as he sat in the barber chair getting his haircut, and opened fire, hitting Mr. Keys several times. Other patrons and barbers scrambled to keep from being struck by Green’s bullets. Once Mr. Keys fell to the floor, Green continued to fire at him, striking him several additional times. As Mr. Keys lay dying on the barber shop floor, Green dug his ungloved-hand into Mr. Keys’ right, front pants pocket, stealing the contents therefrom. Green then fled the barber shop.
Mr. Keys, 38, was taken to a hospital, but pronounced dead a short time after the shooting.
Several surveillance cameras mounted inside the barber shop caught the murder on video. However, because Green successfully disguised his appearance with his hoodie and mask, none of the eyewitnesses were able to identify the gunman. Upon examining the surveillance footage, the detectives saw that the gunman had reached into Mr. Keys’s pocket during the incident. Accordingly, they submitted Mr. Keys’s pants for DNA examination and analysis. DNA testing revealed that Green’s DNA (i.e., his skin cells) were found inside Mr. Keys’s right front pants pocket.
Following an investigation by MPD, Green was charged in the murder in July 2015. He has been in custody ever since.
The armed robbery case stemmed from a crime carried out by Green on Oct. 28, 2014, at a liquor store about a block away from where he earlier had committed the murder. That day, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Green ran past a man with a sleeping infant strapped to his chest and robbed a store owner who was restocking an ATM machine. He fled with $12,000 in cash. Green pled guilty in 2015 to a charge of armed robbery for this offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the Glendale Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Meridith McGarrity; Criminal Investigators John Marsh, William Hamann, and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno, Glenn Kirschner and Allessandra Stewart, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Taxicab Driver Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting PassengerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yared Mekonnen, 24, a taxicab driver from Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for sexually assaulting a passenger he picked up last spring in the U Street area of Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Mekonnen pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree sexual abuse and attempted kidnapping. He was sentenced by the Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo. Upon completion of his prison term, Mekonnen will be placed on 20 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of May 28, 2017, Mekonnen was driving his taxicab and picked up the victim and her boyfriend in the vicinity of U Street NW. Both the victim and her boyfriend were intoxicated. At some point, the boyfriend exited the taxicab. Once Mekonnen was alone in the taxicab with the victim, he sexually assaulted her. She tried to get out of the taxicab, but he prevented it. She screamed as he continued driving. There was a struggle, and while attempting to convince the victim not to call for help, Mekonnen grabbed her cellphone and it fell out of the window.
Finally, another driver pulled in front of the taxicab, forcing it to stop in the 4900 block of 16th Street NW. Shortly afterward, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived on the scene and Mekonnen was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including the Sexual Assault Unit, which investigated the case. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist T.J. McPhail and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Caroline Burrell, who investigated and prosecuted the case
District Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for July 4, 2015 Slaying of Kevin SutherlandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jasper Spires, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for the July 4, 2015 slaying of Kevin Sutherland on a Metrorail train, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Spires pled guilty on Oct. 19, 2017, to first-degree murder while armed (premeditated). The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence in the range of 30 to 35 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly at a hearing today in in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Following his prison term, Spires will be placed on five years of supervised release.
“Kevin Sutherland was on his way to a Fourth of July celebration when he was robbed and murdered in the middle of the day in the first killing ever to take place on a Metro train,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Other passengers were terrorized and remain traumatized to this day. Thanks to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, Jasper Spires was arrested for this senseless crime. Today’s sentence will keep this predator off our streets for decades to come.”
“This heinous crime shocked our entire community and deeply affected all of us at Metro,” said Metro Transit Police Chief Pavlik. “We continue to extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Kevin Sutherland, and hope that today’s sentencing may give them some comfort. I want to extend our gratitude to the Metropolitan Police Department for their work in quickly bringing this case to closure, as well as the prosecutors who ensured that justice is served.”
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on July 4, 2015, at approximately 12:43 p.m., Spires was standing near the fare machines at the entrance to the Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood Metro Station, in the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE, when 24-year-old Kevin Sutherland entered the station. Mr. Sutherland proceeded through the turnstiles and up the escalator to the platform, where he walked toward the front end of the platform to wait for a downtown-bound Red Line train.
A short while later, Spires followed through the entrance and up the escalator. As he stepped off the escalator and onto the platform, Metro digital surveillance cameras captured Spires putting gloves on his hands. Spires also walked towards the front end of the platform.
When a downtown-bound Red Line train arrived, both Spires and Mr. Sutherland boarded the second car of the train. Mr. Sutherland sat down near the middle of the car, in a seat facing inward, towards the center of the car. As the train traveled between the Rhode Island Avenue and NOMA-Gallaudet University Metro stations, Spires approached Mr. Sutherland and snatched Mr. Sutherland’s cellphone from his hand. Spires then began to attack Mr. Sutherland with a knife. He stabbed Mr. Sutherland repeatedly in the abdomen, upper right back, left side, right side, left arm, and right arm. As Spires stabbed him, Mr. Sutherland fell to the floor of the train. Spires continued to stab Mr. Sutherland as he lay on the floor. He also kicked Mr. Sutherland in the body and head. At the end of the attack, Spires threw Mr. Sutherland’s cellphone at him, striking him in the head.
Nine other passengers were on the train car at the time of the attack. As it unfolded, witnesses aboard the train attempted to notify the train’s operator. Spires menaced one of these witnesses with his knife and told the witness to “Shut up.” He also menaced two other witnesses on the train with a knife, one of whom was 76 years old, taking their property.
When the train pulled into the NOMA-Gallaudet station, Spires walked off the train and ran down the stairs leaving the platform. He discarded the knife in a trashcan before continuing his flight. As he hopped the exit turnstiles of the station, Spires dropped a backpack. He hesitated for a moment, as though he would stop to pick up the backpack, but then continued his flight without retrieving the backpack. Metro employees and some civilians who had been on the train with Mr. Sutherland called 911, and some witnesses sat with Mr. Sutherland as they waited for emergency personnel to arrive. By the time first responders got to the scene, Mr. Sutherland was unresponsive and emergency personnel pronounced Mr. Sutherland to be deceased.
Spires was arrested on July 6, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia conducted an autopsy on Mr. Sutherland. During the autopsy, the deputy medical examiner observed 19 stab wounds and 16 cutting wounds on Mr. Sutherland’s body. Several of the stab wounds were very deep and caused damage to Mr. Sutherland’s internal organs.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Chief Pavlik commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Metro Transit Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and Bode Cellmark Forensics.
They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, David Gorman, Michelle D. Jackson, Colleen M. Kennedy, Silvia Gonzalez-Roman, Mark Aziz, Kara Traster, and Anwar Graves; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Criminal Investigators Durand Odom and Mark Crawford; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Sandra Lane, Lashone Samuels, and Michelle Chambers; former Paralegal Specialists Karen Hansen and Vanessa Trent- Valentine; the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, including Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Clark and Marcia Rinker and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Kathryn Rakoczy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Indicted on Charges in 2017 Vehicular Attack on Police and Transit WorkerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Figures-Mormon, 24, of Disputanta, Virginia, was indicted today on felony charges accusing him of using his vehicle to assault two uniformed Metropolitan Police Department officers and one District of Columbia Department of Transportation worker, with the intent to kill, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Figures-Mormon was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, three counts of aggravated assault while armed, two counts of felony assault on a police officer while armed, and related charges. He remains held pending trial and is expected to be arraigned on Feb. 16, 2018. If convicted of the charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 90 years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 8, 2017, shortly before 9 p.m., Figures-Mormon entered a white Dodge Ram pickup truck parked on the 2300 block of 18th Street NW, near the intersection of 18th Street NW and Belmont Road NW. Figures-Mormon allegedly drove at a high rate of speed up the median on 18th Street NW toward Columbia Road NW. According to the government’s evidence, Figures-Mormon drove at and struck the three victims, who were working in the median. As onlookers rushed to the victims’ aid, Figures-Mormon allegedly sped through the intersection with Columbia Road and proceeded onto Adams Mill Road NW before crashing into a parked sanitation truck. Figures-Mormon was found in the driver’s seat of the truck and was later arrested on scene.
The victims, who sustained serious injuries after being hit by the speeding truck, were rushed to local hospitals. All three survived the assault.
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 and Chief Newsham commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, particularly the detectives of the Major Case/Cold Case Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Computer Forensic Examiner John Marsh, Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan, and Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and John B. Timmer, who are investigating and prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in Slaying of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Montez Warren, 36, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for killing a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Warren pled guilty on Feb. 5, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 15 to 22 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2018.
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 plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the 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.
Two Area Men Charged with Drug Offenses Following Investigation of Drug Trafficking at D.C. Barber ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two area men have been arrested in an investigation that led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition and narcotics at various locations in the District of Columbia and Maryland, including a barbershop and surrounding property in Southeast Washington.
The charges were announced today 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), Daniel L. Board, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Baltimore Field Division, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
On Feb. 1, 2018, law enforcement agents from ATF, MPD and the Prince George’s County Police Department executed search warrants on three locations and five vehicles linked to a seven-month investigation into alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE, which led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and quantities of narcotics.
The investigation established that drug traffickers would use the barbershop and adjoining property as a stash location for the trafficking of narcotics. A search at that location led to the seizure of more than $7,000 in cash, more than 800 grams of PCP, more than 300 grams of heroin, boxes of Suboxone strips, three firearms, and ammunition.
As a result of the search warrants, Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with two drug trafficking offenses. Fields made his first court appearance today and was ordered held pending a detention hearing set for Feb. 7, 2018.
As a result of a search warrant executed in Prince George’s County, James Venable, 46, of Fort Washington, Md., was arrested by Prince George’s County officers on narcotics and firearms charges.
The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
In announcing the arrests and seizures, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, Special Agent in Charge Board, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of those who are investigating the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Sykes.
District Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Assaulting Stranger in Her HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Iray Turner, 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison on one count of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse and one count of kidnapping for his assault of a stranger in her home, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Turner pled guilty in September 2017 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between 10 and 12 years. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the plea and sentenced Turner accordingly. Following his prison term, Turner will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He also will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. .
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Aug. 24, 2016, the victim arrived at her home in Northeast Washington in an intoxicated state. She does not remember how she got home. The first memory she has is of Turner, a stranger to her, on top of her in her bed, strangling her. She remembers screaming and calling for help. She remembers Turner telling her to be quiet and to calm down. Both of the victim’s neighbors called 911 to report the screams, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the location.
When MPD officers arrived, they heard a woman screaming for help. They observed house keys hanging from the outdoor lock, and entered the home to locate the victim. Upon entering the home, the officers continued to hear the screams, coming from a bedroom on the second floor. Officers moved upstairs and continued to hear screaming for help. Officers also heard a male voice inside the bedroom, later determined to be the voice of Turner.
Officers pleaded with Turner to open the door, and he refused to do so. Officers urged Turner to allow them to see that the victim was okay. Despite the continued screams, Turner told officers that she was okay. On two occasions, Turner cracked open the bedroom door. However, he refused to allow the victim to exit the bedroom. Officers breached the door and moved in.
When officers entered the bedroom, Turner was sitting on the floor with his back against the door. He was wearing only boxer shorts and socks. The victim was seated on the bed, crying, unclothed from the waist down. She told officers that Turner did not rape her, but that he tried to rape her. Turner was arrested on the scene and has been in custody ever since.
The victim was transported to Washington Hospital Center, where she was examined by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). The examination identified 49 different injuries on the victim’s body, including multiple abrasions on her face, hemorrhaging to both eyes, bruising all over her body, and red marks to her neck. An expert would have testified at trial that many of those observed injuries were consistent with strangulation, and that the injuries were acute. The expert would also have testified at trial that some of the scratches on the victim’s neck were consistent with defensive injuries that may resulted from the victim scratching her neck while trying to remove Turner’s hands from strangling her on her neck.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, who investigated the case, the officers from the Fifth District of the Metropolitan Police Department who initially responded to the scene, crime scene technicians from the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and toxicologists from the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, T.J. McPhail, and Michelle Wicker, Victim/Witness Advocates Tracey Hawkins and Veronica Vaughan, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown. Finally, she commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elana Suttenberg, Jessica Brooks, and Julianne Johnston, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
California Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery and Home Invasion in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jomo Dawes, 40, of San Diego, Calif., was sentenced today to 50 years in prison on charges stemming from a home invasion and armed robbery that took place in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Dawes was found guilty by a jury in November 2017 of a total of 27 charges, including multiple counts of kidnapping while armed, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, felony threats, and related weapons offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa Demeo.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 14, 2016, at approximately 10 p.m., Dawes and two accomplices got into a home in the 4800 block of Illinois Avenue NW under the ruse of selling marijuana. They pulled out guns and began robbing all four of the victims, repeatedly threatening to kill them. They even stacked the victims’ bodies on top of one another, suggesting to any frightful or reasonable person that they were about to be executed. At one point, one of the victims’ friends showed up at the front door and tried to enter. Dawes opened the door and proceeded to pistol-whip him in the face. The robbers fled the scene.
An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to the arrest of Dawes in July 2017 in Atlanta, Ga. He was extradited to the District of Columbia and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, including detectives from the Fourth Police District. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez and Paralegal Specialist Donville Drummond. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Rosen and Michael McCarthy, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison on Charges Stemming from Trafficking Four Children for Commercial SexRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daraya Marshall, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison on four federal charges of sex trafficking of children, one federal count of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one District of Columbia offense of first-degree child sexual abuse.
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 Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Marshall pled guilty on Oct. 16, 2017, the day that his trial was scheduled to begin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He had been charged by the grand jury in a 15-count indictment; the remaining counts were dismissed at sentencing pursuant to the plea agreement. Marshall was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Following his prison term, Marshall will be placed on 15 years of supervised release. By law, he will also be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum period of 25 years. Judge Chutkan also ordered Marshall to pay $21,800 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to the government’s evidence, Marshall and his co-defendant, Jarnese Harris, 31, ran a sex trafficking operation out of their apartment in Southeast Washington. At times, Marshall had six or more women and girls prostituting for him, including Ms. Harris. In 2014 and 2015, Marshall separately persuaded four girls - who were ages 14, 15, 15-16, and 17 years old - to prostitute for him by engaging in commercial sexual acts with strangers who responded to ads placed on Backpage.com. These commercial sexual transactions would occur either in Marshall’s apartment, or Marshall or Harris would drive the victims to other locations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Marshall and Harris took pictures of the girls in sexually provocative poses, and paid for and placed advertisements on Backpage.com.
The victims were vulnerable because of their youth and difficult life circumstances, and Marshall lured them with the promise of independence and a chance to make money. He provided the victims with food and marijuana, let them stay in his apartment, and gave them rides to and from home or school so that they could work for him at night and on weekends. Additionally, Marshall took photos and videos of one of the victims, which depicted child pornography, when the victim was 15 and 16 years old. He also sexually abused one of the victims by engaging in intercourse with her when she was just 14 years old.
Marshall and Harris came to the attention of law enforcement in May 2015, after the mother of the 14-year-old victim reported to police that she learned her daughter, who had run away and been reported missing, was being prostituted by a man living on South Capitol Street. After an initial investigation, Marshall was arrested and charged in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. During the investigation, additional victims and federal charges were identified and Marshall was charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Marshall has been in custody since his arrest on June 29, 2015.
“Daraya Marshall cold-heartedly exploited four teenage girls, including one who was in the eighth grade, and turned them into prostitutes,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Time after time, he took advantage of vulnerable victims for his own financial gain. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his reprehensible actions. This case highlights our commitment to preventing and prosecuting those who engage in human trafficking. “
“Child sex trafficking is a horrible crime that creates a cycle of victimization and must be stopped,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “The FBI is committed to bringing child predators to justice and rescuing children from this heinous exploitation. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to aggressively prevent and investigate crimes against children.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham expressed appreciation for the work performed by detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division, and Special Agents and Analysts of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also recognized the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Cook; former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marina Stevenson; Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Veronica Vaughan; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Lesley Slade, Tanya Via, and Wanda Queen; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Elena Buruncenco; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez, and Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Mark Crawford.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, Kenya K. Davis, and Jason Park, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Found Guilty by Jury of Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Chuvala, 41, of Berlin, Md., has been found guilty by a jury of sexually abusing a former teenage piano student, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.
Chuvala was found guilty 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. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2018. In addition to any sentence of imprisonment, Chuvala 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 pending sentencing there on Feb. 15, 2018.
Shortly after that, 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 verdict, 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 Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for His Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Bradley Cobbler, 35, of Hyattsville, Md., has been sentenced to 102 months in prison on a federal drug conspiracy charge stemming from his role in a drug trafficking ring that sold cocaine, marijuana, and other narcotics in the Washington, D.C. area.
The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Andre R. Watson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cobbler pled guilty in March 2017 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. He was sentenced on Jan. 29, 2018, by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Following his prison term, Cobbler will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Cobbler and others participated in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of narcotics between 2009 and 2014. This case represented the end result of a more than three-year investigation into illegal drug distribution and other criminal activity which, in various capacities, involved or occurred in the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland, California, and Virginia. This drug trafficking group mainly involved itself with trafficking very large quantities of marijuana, but also involved itself with redistributing various and significant quantities of heroin and cocaine hydrochloride (powder cocaine). In that regard, during the conspiracy, California suppliers frequently sent – or conspired to send – large quantities of marijuana, heroin, or cocaine to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where the defendant and others participated in the illegal redistribution of one or more of the controlled substances to others in the Washington, D.C., area for profit.
Beginning sometime in 2011 and continuing until August 2014, Cobbler had an agreement to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and other narcotics, with various individuals in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, specifically including the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, Md.
Cobbler acknowledged that he and another co-defendant initially started pooling their money together to purchase marijuana from a California supplier and they traveled together on some occasions to California to facilitate drug deals. Cobbler also admitted that he gave quantities of narcotics to co-conspirator during 2014 for the purposes of redistribution to others. Other co-defendants then sold these narcotics.
Cobbler was arrested on April 7, 2016 and has been in custody ever since. Several others previously pled guilty to charges in the investigation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, Special Agent in Charge Watson, and Chief Newsham praised the work of the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which in this case involved work from the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and HSI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth F. Whitted, Andrea G. Duvall, and Emory V. Cole, who indicted and prosecuted the case.
London Man Sentenced to Prison and Faces Deportation for Assaulting and Attempting to Rob Man in GeorgetownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paolo Aldorasi, 35, of London, was sentenced today to a prison term and now faces deportation for assaulting and attempting to rob a man who he forced into his sport utility vehicle in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Aldorasi pled guilty in November 2017 to assault with intent to commit robbery, a District of Columbia offense. The plea took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. As part of the plea agreement, a federal kidnapping charge was dismissed.
Aldorasi was sentenced by the Honorable Richard J. Leon to 24 months in prison, with all but 11 months of that time suspended. Because Aldorasi already has been incarcerated for 11 months, he now faces deportation back to London. Judge Leon also ordered that Aldorasi be placed on five years of probation; during that time, the judge barred him from the United States.
According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, on Jan. 26, 2017, at about 3:20 p.m., Aldorasi saw the victim walking eastbound in the 3400 block of O Street NW. Aldorasi, who was operating a sport utility vehicle, pulled alongside the victim and asked for directions to Washington Dulles International Airport. The victim, who speaks limited English, said he did not know the location. As the conversation continued, Aldorasi grabbed the victim and ordered him into the SUV. He then drove off with the victim, taking him to four ATMs in the District of Columbia, in unsuccessful attempts to withdraw money, as well as to two retail establishments in unsuccessful attempts to make purchases. After the last failed attempt, at a retail store in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, he finally let the victim go.
Aldorasi was arrested by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office on Feb. 24, 2017, in SeaTac, Washington, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, 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 assistance provided by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz, Catherine O’Neal and Teesha Tobias; Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Holly Crouse, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kamilah O. House and Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Hitting Transgender Woman While Driving a Stolen CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Startwaune Anderson, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison for hitting and critically injuring a transgender woman while driving a stolen car and on PCP, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Anderson pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to aggravated assault while armed. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of five to six years in prison. The Honorable Anthony Epstein accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Anderson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts filed at the time of the plea, in the early morning hours of July 5, 2017, Anderson found car keys to a 2014 Ford Focus hatchback in the 1200 block of Morse Street NE. He identified the vehicle that matched the keys and drove off without the owner’s permission. At approximately 3:15 a.m. on July 5, Anderson drove across the intersection of Fourth and K Streets NE, running over the victim, a transgender woman.
Anderson fled the scene without checking on the well-being of the person he had struck. A couple of hours later, he was seen crashing into the fence at Gallaudet University. A witness reported seeing him exit the vehicle with a bottle of vodka in hand. He then fled the scene.
On July 6, 2017, Anderson was interviewed by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and admitted to having been under the influence of PCP and Xanax. He also admitted having taken and driven the Ford Focus without the owner’s permission.
The victim suffered critical injuries, including bleeding on the brain, multiple rib fractures, a lacerated spleen, and a punctured lung. She was sedated and on a respirator for a couple of weeks and still must undergo outpatient rehabilitation treatment.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff, and the Violent Repeat Offender Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Trigoso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Woman Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Robbing Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shelia Rogers, 62, also known as Sheila Rogers, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to six years of incarceration for robbing a man who was walking home from a trip to buy medicine for his sick children, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Rogers was found guilty by a jury in November 2017 of charges of robbery and felony threats. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She was sentenced on Jan. 26, 2018, by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Judge Beck sentenced Rogers to a total of 15 years in prison, but suspended all but six years of that time. Upon completion of her prison term, Rogers will be required to successfully complete five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 1, 2016, at approximately 7:35 p.m., the victim had just walked to a grocery store to buy medicine for his two sick children. While returning home, he encountered Rogers and an unidentified man on the sidewalk in the 1800 block of I Street NE. Rogers bumped into the man and demanded his money. When he tried to plead with her, she put her hand in her pocket, appeared to hold an item inside of it, and threatened to use that item to harm him. Thinking that Rogers could have a gun or knife, the man complied, and Rogers took every dollar he had, a total of $15.
After Rogers and the unidentified man, who took no part in the crime, walked away, the victim called police. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded and located and apprehended Rogers a couple of blocks away.
The case marked the sixth time that Rogers had been convicted of robbery and robbery-related offenses, dating to the late 1970s.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Hansford and Kristina Wolf. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Palmer-Ball, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Burglary and Other Charges in Home Invasion in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Rousseau, 23, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of burglarizing a house in Northwest Washington and then riding off in the family’s car, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Rousseau was found guilty of charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, and unauthorized use of an automobile. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Rousseau remains held pending his sentencing on April 10, 2018, by the Honorable Robert A. Salerno.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 10, 2016, Rousseau was stalking the 5100 block of 7th Street NW, looking for a house to burglarize. After going up and down the block, he located an unlocked rear deck door. He entered this house, which was occupied only by a teenager and three small sleeping children. The teenager was getting ready for bed and showering in the basement bathroom. She heard footsteps upstairs, but mistakenly believed that it was the rest of the family returning to the house.
Only later, when the teenager heard Rousseau peel off in the family’s MINI Cooper sedan, did she realize that a burglar had been inside. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded to the scene and canvassed the neighborhood. An exterior fingerprint at the home helped lead to Rousseau’s identification. In addition, MPD was able to recover surveillance footage from security cameras belonging to neighbors on the block. The surveillance footage showed the same person, and the footage from the driveway showed that person driving off with the car. Rousseau was arrested 10 days after the crime. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement recovered a cellphone from Rousseau’s house that included a picture of the defendant wearing the same outfit shown in the surveillance footage.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso, Sonali D. Patel, Stephen Rickard, Veronica Sanchez, and Denise Cheung; Paralegal Specialists Donice Adams and Crystal Waddy; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Manzo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Teenage Defendant Sentenced to Five-Year Prison Term for Armed Robbery on Metrorail TrainRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daeyon Ross, 16, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to five years in prison for robbing two people at knife-point last summer on a Metrorail train, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Ross, who was charged as an adult because of the nature of the crime, pled guilty in August 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of armed robbery. The plea called for an agreed-upon sentence of five to six years in prison. The Honorable Thomas J. Motley accepted the plea and sentenced Ross accordingly on Jan. 25, 2018. The judge sentenced Ross to a total of six years in prison, but suspended all but five years of that time. Following his prison term, Ross will be placed on five years of supervised release.
In a separate case, Ross pled guilty on Jan. 25, 2018 to another robbery, this one of victims he followed off a Metrobus in Southeast Washington.
The sentencing involved a robbery on June 21, 2017. According to the government’s evidence, at about 11:15 a.m., Ross and other individuals were on a Green line Metro train that was approaching the Georgia Avenue-Petworth station in Northwest Washington. Ross approached one victim, brandished a knife, and robbed him of his iPhone. The victim’s brother tried to help, and he was robbed of his iPhone, too. Metro Transit Police detectives reviewed surveillance footage and the investigation led to Ross’s arrest on June 29, 2017.
The guilty plea involved a robbery on June 7, 2017. According to the government’s evidence, at about 3 p.m., Ross and three others followed three victims off a Metrobus in the area of 44th and H Streets SE. Ross brandished a handgun and stated, “Be quiet and empty your pockets!” The victims turned over their iPhones to Ross’s accomplices.
Ross pled guilty to a robbery charge for the June 7 offense. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a two-year prison term. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno scheduled sentencing in that case for June 29, 2018.
In announcing the sentence and plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Pavlik, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the Metro Transit Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff and the Violent Repeat Offender Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rizwan A. Qureshi, who prosecuted the matter.