District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Delonta Phillips, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal charge stemming from a police pursuit that led to the recovery of a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of marijuana from the vehicle he had been driving.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Phillips pled guilty in March 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 11, 2017, at approximately 2:15 p.m., ATF agents and a MPD Task Force Officer conducted surveillance in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE for Phillips, who was the subject of pending warrants.

            Upon seeing Phillips, law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Phillips quickly entered the driver’s side door of a burgundy Cadillac DeVille and fled from law enforcement.  Agents immediately followed Phillips’s vehicle and put out a vehicle description over the radio. Agents observed the vehicle turn left onto Southern Avenue SE, right onto Naylor Road at Suitland Parkway, left onto eastbound Suitland Parkway, exit onto the Suitland Road off ramp, make a left onto Suitland Road, and finally come to a stop in the 3700 block of Regency Parkway, in Suitland, Md. Agents observed Phillips exit the front driver’s side door of the vehicle and flee on foot into the woods. An ATF agent pursued Phillips into the woods, while another agent remained with the vehicle and coordinated the response of multiple law enforcement officers in setting up a perimeter around the ravine to prevent Phillips’s escape.

            While securing the vehicle, agents observed a back pack on the driver’s side floor of the back seat. Inside the back pack, agents subsequently recovered a Glock 26, 9mm-caliber firearm, with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds of ammunition, and a jar and full gallon Ziploc bag of marijuana. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Phillips was discovered hiding underneath a ledge in the ravine, while submerged in water. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the recovered firearm had been reported stolen to the Anne Arundel County, Md., Police Department

             At the time of his arrest, Phillips was on supervised release following an earlier guilty plea to a firearms offense in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He now could face formal revocation of his supervised release in that case.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias.

Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, Inchcape) have agreed to pay $20,000,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Navy under contracts for ship husbanding services, the Department of Justice announced today.  Inchcape is a marine services contractor headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Inchcape provided goods and services to Navy ships at ports in several regions throughout the world, including southwest Asia, Africa, Panama, North America, South America and Mexico.  Inchcape provided ships with food and other subsistence items, waste removal, telephone services, ship-to-shore transportation, force protection services and local transportation.  The lawsuit alleged that from 2005 to 2014, Inchcape knowingly overbilled the Navy for these services by submitting invoices that overstated the quantity of goods and services provided, billing at rates in excess of applicable contract rates, and double-billing for some goods and services.

“Federal contractors may only charge the government for costs allowed by their federal contracts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “The Department of Justice will take action against contractors that knowingly submit inflated claims to the armed forces—or any other agency of the United States—as those inflated claims wrongfully divert taxpayer dollars.”

“We trust contractors supporting our warfighters to act with the utmost integrity and expect them to comply with their obligations to bill the government as called for by their contracts,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu.  “This settlement reflects our Office’s strong commitment to holding accountable those who violate these fundamental principles, no matter where they may be located.”

"This settlement demonstrates that the Department of the Navy will continue to hold contractors accountable for the agreements they make to supply our fleet,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “The Department expects strict adherence to higher standards within the Department and expects the same from its contractors."

“Fraud is an abuse of the system that siphons resources away from the American warfighter,” said Jeremy Gauthier, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Washington D.C. field office.  “NCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold responsible those who would put personal gain above corporate integrity.”

The lawsuit was brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by three former employees of Inchcape, Noah Rudolph, Andrea Ford and Lawrence Cosgriff.  Under the act, a private citizen may bring suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery.  The government may intervene in the case, as it did here.  The False Claims Act allows the government to recover treble damages and penalties from those who violate it.  As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $4.4 million.

The case was handled jointly by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Department of the Navy and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Rudolph v. Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited, et al., No. 1:10-cv-01109 (D.D.C).  The claims alleged in the case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

WASHINGTON – Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, Inchcape) have agreed to pay $20,000,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Navy under contracts for ship husbanding services, the Department of Justice announced today.  Inchcape is a marine services contractor headquartered in the United Kingdom.

            Inchcape provided goods and services to Navy ships at ports in several regions throughout the world, including southwest Asia, Africa, Panama, North America, South America and Mexico.  Inchcape provided ships with food and other subsistence items, waste removal, telephone services, ship-to-shore transportation, force protection services and local transportation.  The lawsuit alleged that from 2005 to 2014, Inchcape knowingly overbilled the Navy for these services by submitting invoices that overstated the quantity of goods and services provided, billing at rates in excess of applicable contract rates, and double-billing for some goods and services.

            “Federal contractors may only charge the government for costs allowed by their federal contracts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “The Department of Justice will take action against contractors that knowingly submit inflated claims to the armed forces—or any other agency of the United States—as those inflated claims wrongfully divert taxpayer dollars.”

            “We trust contractors supporting our warfighters to act with the utmost integrity and expect them to comply with their obligations to bill the government as called for by their contracts,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu.   “This settlement reflects our Office’s strong commitment to holding accountable those who violate these fundamental principles, no matter where they may be located.”

            “This settlement demonstrates that the Department of the Navy will continue to hold contractors accountable for the agreements they make to supply our fleet,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “The Department expects strict adherence to higher standards within the Department and expects the same from its contractors."

            “Fraud is an abuse of the system that siphons resources away from the American warfighter,” said Jeremy Gauthier, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Washington D.C. field office.  “NCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold responsible those who would put personal gain above corporate integrity.”

            The lawsuit was brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by three former employees of Inchcape, Noah Rudolph, Andrea Ford and Lawrence Cosgriff.  Under the act, a private citizen may bring suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery.  The government may intervene in the case, as it did here.  The False Claims Act allows the government to recover treble damages and penalties from those who violate it.  As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $4.4 million.

            The case was handled jointly by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Department of the Navy and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

            The case is captioned United States ex rel. Rudolph v. Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited, et al., No. 1:10-cv-01109 (D.D.C).  The claims alleged in the case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

On May 23, 2018, the United States District Court in the District of South Carolina entered judgment for the United States in the amounts of $111,109,655.30 against defendants LaTonya Mallory, Floyd Calhoun Dent III and Robert Bradford Johnson, and for an additional $3,039,006.56 against Johnson and Dent, the Department of Justice announced today.  The judgment follows the January 31, 2018, jury verdict finding the three individuals liable for violating the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and causing two laboratories to bill federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing. 

“Improper financial relationships between physicians and laboratories can distort a physicians’ best judgment for their patients, in addition to undermining patient health and trust,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Chad Readler.  “Executives and other individuals who break the law will be held personally accountable for their actions." 

During a two-week jury trial held in Charleston, South Carolina, the government introduced evidence that the defendants paid physicians remuneration disguised as processing and handling fees of between $10 and $17 for each patient they referred to two blood testing laboratories:  Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. (HDL), of Richmond, Virginia; and Singulex Inc., of Alameda, California.  The government also introduced evidence that the kickback scheme resulted in physicians referring patients to HDL and Singulex for medically unnecessary tests, which were then billed to federal health care programs. 

The jury found Mallory, HDL’s former CEO, and Johnson and Dent, who marketed and sold HDL’s and Singulex’s tests, jointly and severally liable for causing the submission of 35,074 false claims, worth $16,601,591, submitted to Medicare and TRICARE by HDL.  The jury also found defendants Dent and Johnson jointly and severally liable for an additional 3,813 false claims, worth $467,935, submitted by Singulex.  As provided by the FCA, the Court trebled those damage amounts, offset settlement payments received from HDL and Singulex for the same claims, and awarded $63.8 million in penalties requested by the United States, for a total judgment of $114,148,661.86. 

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded programs.  The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives and is instead based on the best interests of the patient.  

 “The Court’s damages award in this case recognizes the seriousness of what these defendants did,” said Sherri A. Lydon, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.  “Paying kickbacks to cause unnecessary tests injures patients, the Medicare Program, and American taxpayers and the District of South Carolina will continue to pursue those who participate in such conduct.”

“This judgment affirms that individuals who cheat Medicare and TRICARE will not be allowed to enjoy their ill-gotten gains,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “This office joins with its Department of Justice colleagues in our mutual commitment to investigate misconduct and recover funds unlawfully obtained from federal healthcare programs.”

“Laboratories that pay kickbacks to physicians in exchange for referrals of business exploit patients and taxpayer-funded health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  “Our agency is dedicated to investigating such corrosive kickback schemes, as they undermine the public’s trust in medical professionals, and the integrity of government health care programs.”

“The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of criminal misconduct between companies and individuals who engage in kickback schemes at the expense of the U.S. government,” said Acting Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division Chris Hacker.  “We recognize the importance of those who came forward and brought allegations to light and realize that we cannot do our work without the public’s help.”

The claims resolved by the court’s order were originally brought in three lawsuits filed by Dr. Michael Mayes, Scarlett Lutz, Kayla Webster, and Chris Reidel under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under the Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery.  The Act permits the United States to intervene in and take over the whistleblower suit, as the United States did, in part, in the three consolidated actions against Mallory, Dent, Johnson and others in August 2015.  The whistleblowers’ share of any recovery has yet to be determined. 

The cases were litigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of South Carolina and the District of Columbia.   The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, HHS-OIG, the FBI’s Columbia Field Office and FBIHQ’s Major Provider Response Team, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service assisted with the investigation.

The cases are captioned United States ex rel. Mayes v. Berkeley HeartLab Inc., et al., Case No. 9:11-CV-01593-RMG (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Riedel v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:11-CV-02308 (D.D.C.); and United States, et al. ex rel. Lutz, et al. v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 9:14-CV-0230-RMG (D.S.C.).  

WASHINGTON – On May 23, 2018, the United States District Court in the District of South Carolina entered judgment for the United States in the amounts of $111,109,655.30 against defendants LaTonya Mallory, Floyd Calhoun Dent III and Robert Bradford Johnson, and for an additional $3,039,006.56 against Johnson and Dent, the Department of Justice announced today.  The judgment follows the January 31, 2018, jury verdict finding the three individuals liable for violating the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and causing two laboratories to bill federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing. 

            “Improper financial relationships between physicians and laboratories can distort a physicians’ best judgment for their patients, in addition to undermining patient health and trust,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Chad Readler.  “Executives and other individuals who break the law will be held personally accountable for their actions. 

            During a two-week jury trial held in Charleston, South Carolina, the government introduced evidence that the defendants paid physicians remuneration disguised as processing and handling fees of between $10 and $17 for each patient they referred to two blood testing laboratories:  Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. (HDL), of Richmond, Virginia; and Singulex Inc., of Alameda, California.  The government also introduced evidence that the kickback scheme resulted in physicians referring patients to HDL and Singulex for medically unnecessary tests, which were then billed to federal health care programs. 

            The jury found Mallory, HDL’s former CEO, and Johnson and Dent, who marketed and sold HDL’s and Singulex’s tests, jointly and severally liable for causing the submission of 35,074 false claims, worth $16,601,591, submitted to Medicare and TRICARE by HDL.  The jury also found defendants Dent and Johnson jointly and severally liable for an additional 3,813 false claims, worth $467,935, submitted by Singulex.  As provided by the FCA, the Court trebled those damage amounts, offset settlement payments received from HDL and Singulex for the same claims, and awarded $63.8 million in penalties requested by the United States, for a total judgment of $114,148,661.86. 

            The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by federally funded programs.  The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that a physician’s medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives and is instead based on the best interests of the patient.  

            “The Court’s damages award in this case recognizes the seriousness of what these defendants did,” said Sherri A. Lydon, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.  “Paying kickbacks to cause unnecessary tests injures patients, the Medicare Program, and American taxpayers and the District of South Carolina will continue to pursue those who participate in such conduct.”

            “This judgment affirms that individuals who cheat Medicare and TRICARE will not be allowed to enjoy their ill-gotten gains,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “This office joins with its Department of Justice colleagues in our mutual commitment to investigate misconduct and recover funds unlawfully obtained from federal healthcare programs.”

            “Laboratories that pay kickbacks to physicians in exchange for referrals of business exploit patients and taxpayer-funded health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.  “Our agency is dedicated to investigating such corrosive kickback schemes, as they undermine the public’s trust in medical professionals, and the integrity of government health care programs.”

            “The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of criminal misconduct between companies and individuals who engage in kickback schemes at the expense of the U.S. government,” said Acting Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division Chris Hacker.  “We recognize the importance of those who came forward and brought allegations to light and realize that we cannot do our work without the public’s help.”

            The claims resolved by the court’s order were originally brought in three lawsuits filed by Dr. Michael Mayes, Scarlett Lutz, Kayla Webster, and Chris Reidel under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under the Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery.  The Act permits the United States to intervene in and take over the whistleblower suit, as the United States did, in part, in the three consolidated actions against Mallory, Dent, Johnson and others in August 2015.  The whistleblowers’ share of any recovery has yet to be determined. 

            The cases were litigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of South Carolina and the District of Columbia.   The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, HHS-OIG, the FBI’s Columbia Field Office and FBIHQ’s Major Provider Response Team, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service assisted with the investigation.

            The cases are captioned United States ex rel. Mayes v. Berkeley HeartLab Inc., et al., Case No. 9:11-CV-01593-RMG (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Riedel v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:11-CV-02308 (D.D.C.); and United States, et al. ex rel. Lutz, et al. v. Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., et al., Case No. 9:14-CV-0230-RMG (D.S.C.). 

WASHINGTON – Benito Valdez, 47, formerly of Arlington, Va., was sentenced today to a term of 94 years to life in prison for killing three people in 1991 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Valdez was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of multiple counts of first-degree murder while armed, three counts of kidnapping while armed and one count of sodomy while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. 

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of April 23, 1991, Curtis Pixley, Keith Simmons, and Samantha Gillard went to Langdon Park in the 1800 block of Franklin Street NE to purchase crack cocaine. Mr. Pixley, 29, and Mr. Simmons, 26, approached Valdez while Ms. Gilliard, 23, waited at a distance. The drug deal went bad very quickly when Valdez accused Mr. Pixley of stealing drugs from him. Valdez threatened Mr. Pixley that he was going to pay for the drugs one way or another.  When Mr. Pixley could not pay with cash, Valdez raped Ms. Gillard at gunpoint.  Then, according to the government’s evidence, Valdez forced all three to lie on the ground and shot each one execution-style.

            Valdez was charged with the crimes in February 2016 and has been in custody.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Cold Case Unit as well as the U.S. Park Police. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Siegerist, Alesha Matthews, Meridith McGarrity, and Sharon Newman; Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Bach and Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Thomas Joyner, 23, of Greenbelt, Md., was sentenced today to a 16-year prison term for killing a man in broad daylight in September 2016 in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Joyner pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 16 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Joyner accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Joyner will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, at about 1:50 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2016, Joyner was in the area of the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE, and he was armed with a gun. Prior to the shooting, Joyner was coming down from the top of the stairs that led from Elvans Road to Pomeroy Road and got into an argument with the victim, Joe Cook, over a quantity of marijuana. Joyner than brandished his firearm and shot Mr. Cook in the back. After shooting Mr. Cook, Joyner walked past him, then turned and shot him several more times. Mr. Cook, 35, was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived on the scene and was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. An autopsy identified 16 different gunshot wounds on his body.

            In the aftermath of the shooting, Joyner confessed to associates both verbally and on social media that he had shot Mr. Cook.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Demarius Jackson, 25, of Hyattsville, Md., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a shooting in Northwest Washington last year that killed one man and injured another, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

            Jackson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between 13 and 16 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2018.

            According to a factual proffer submitted at today’s hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017. The shooting, in the 3500 block of Water Street NW, in the Georgetown area, followed a verbal altercation between the victims and the occupants of a vehicle. The vehicle was operated by an associate of Jackson’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson walked up to one victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, and shot him three times. He then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso. Mr. Amaya-Olivares, 19, was shot once in the back of the head and once in the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

            Jackson was arrested on Sept. 12, 2017, in Morgantown, W. Va., and extradited to the District of Columbia. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Anthony Smith, 29, of Oxon Hill, Md., has been found guilty by a jury of multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic dispute that led to a high-speed police pursuit last Labor Day weekend that continued along busy streets of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Smith was found guilty on May 24, 2018, of seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of destruction of property, and one count each of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, felony threats, carrying a dangerous weapon, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a collision, and fleeing police. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, Smith and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship that ended in August 2017. They have a child in common. Between Aug. 30, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2017, Smith’s conduct led the victim to obtain a temporary protection order against him. Despite that order, on Sept. 1, 2017, Smith came to the victim’s home, kicked in the door, took her car keys, and stole her car, a Dodge Avenger.

            Two days later, on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, the victim, desperate to get back her car, agreed to meet Smith at a restaurant in the 1600 block of North Capitol Street NW. When she got there, Smith refused to give her car back. He started to take off with the car, and the victim jumped into the back seat because she did not want to lose it again. While in the car, Smith tried to stab victim with a knife, while telling her, “Our daughter isn’t going to have a mother anymore.”  She was able to break the knife and hop out of the moving car at New Jersey Avenue and K Street NW.  There, she used a bystander’s phone to call 911.

            One hour later, at approximately 3 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located Smith and the car at 5th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE.  When they tried to conduct a traffic stop, Smith took off. An MPD watch commander authorized a pursuit that continued for approximately 3.4 miles.  During the chase, Smith caused four collisions, including striking a police officer who was involved in the pursuit.  Smith was arrested at about 3:15 p.m. at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW after he attempted an illegal turn into oncoming traffic and collided with a car carrying a woman and her two children.  Smith has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who responded to and investigated the case from MPD’s First and Fifth Districts. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Mark O’Brien, Chrisellen Kolb, and Suzanne Curt; Paralegal Specialists Brenda Williams and D’Yvonne Key; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Ron Royal, and Paul Howell, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bianca Forde and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON –Five people, all from Washington, D.C., have pled guilty to federal charges following an investigation into the distribution of drugs near a recreation center in Southwest Washington.

            The guilty pleas, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The pleas followed an investigation targeting drug sales in the area near the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, in the 200 block of N Street SW. The investigation began in early 2017 after authorities noticed an increase in drug sales and violent activity in the area, which is in MPD’s First Police District. According to the government’s evidence, in addition to the area near the recreation center, drug sales took place in various alleys and corners, including near a church in the 1300 block of First Street SW, near a food market in the 1300 block of Half Street SW, and near a convenience store in the 1100 block of South Capitol Street SW.

            The drug trafficking activity admitted to by the defendants took place within a one-block radius of the corner of Half Street SW and Q Street SW, one block west of Nationals Stadium.

            Those pleading guilty include

            Raymond Boston 26. He pled guilty on May 16, 2018, to one count of conspiring to distribute PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.

            Damion Littman, 32. He pled guilty on May 21, 2018, to one count of distribution of PCP and also faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.

            Morriko Washington, 24. He pled guilty on May 22, 2018, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a mandatory sentence of five years and a statutory maximum of life in prison.

            Jerome Fuller, 33. He pled guilty on May 22, 2018, to one count of distribution of PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.

            Kione Banks, 20. He pled guilty on May 23, 2018, to one count of conspiring to distribute PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
 
            According to court documents, Boston sold $1,500 worth of PCP and heroin on behalf of co-defendant Antonio Spencer on June 21, 2017. Boston was also in possession of crack cocaine when he was arrested on March 22, 2018. Littman sold both PCP and crack cocaine on Feb. 24, 2017. Washington sold more than 100 grams of PCP on four separate occasions in August, October, and November of 2017. Washington was also in possession of a firearm and additional crack cocaine when he was arrested on March 22, 2018. Court documents relating to Fuller stated that he sold crack cocaine and PCP on July 20, 2017 and Aug. 10, 2017. According to court documents, Banks sold $1,300 worth of PCP and crack cocaine on behalf of Spencer on May 12, 2017
           

            Three defendants remain charged and all have pled not guilty. They include Antonio Spencer, 24, his brother, Maurice Spencer, 19, and Davon Warren, 21, all of Washington, D.C.
             
            In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Katie Cowley. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and William Schurmann of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who are investigating and prosecuting the matter.  

WASHINGTON - Tyler Raj Barriss, 25, of Los Angeles, Calif., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on two counts of making hoax bomb threats, for a threat that caused an evacuation of a high-profile Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing, and another threat eight days later that that targeted FBI headquarters.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Kris Cline, Principal Deputy Director of the Federal Protective Service.

            Barriss currently is detained in Wichita, Kansas, where he faces state and federal charges for his role in a Dec. 28, 2017, “swatting” that led to a fatal shooting by law enforcement. “Swatting” refers to a hoax intended to cause law enforcement to respond to a particular location. The federal indictment in Kansas was unsealed on May 23, 2018, and charges Barriss with multiple counts stemming from hoax calls that ultimately led to the death of Andrew Finch.

            The District of Columbia case involves two events that took place earlier in December 2017. Barriss is charged in each of those events with one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning use of an explosive. The indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            On Dec. 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission was holding a widely-reported hearing.   According to the government’s evidence, Barriss made threats by phone that there were explosives in the building that were set to detonate.  The threats led to the FCC Chairman halting the meeting, and the building was evacuated.  Further investigation revealed that no explosives were in the building, and the bomb threats were a hoax. 

            Also, according to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 22, 2017, after work hours, Barriss made similar threats by phone regarding explosives placed inside and outside of the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the headquarters of the FBI.  Law enforcement responding to the threat ultimately determined that Barriss’s threats were again a hoax.

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            Each of the federal charges in the District of Columbia carries statutory maximums of 10 years in prison and potential fines.

            The District of Columbia case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Federal Protective Service. The case is being investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke M. Jones and Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Onzay Gibbs, 28, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of charges stemming from the stabbing of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Gibbs was found guilty on May 22, 2018, of assault with intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault while armed.  The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  He is to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2018, by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck.

            According to the government’s evidence, Gibbs and the victim knew each other from the neighborhood.  At approximately 8:45 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2016, Gibbs and the victim were walking from a dice game in the 2000 block of Savannah Terrace SE towards the corner store.  Gibbs stopped to talk with someone inside a car on 22nd Street SE, where the victim was then forced inside the car.  The victim next recalled being around the corner in the 3300 block of 23rd Street SE, where Gibbs repeatedly slashed the victim with a sharp object while saying “shut the f*** up.”  The victim was left for dead in bushes in the area, where he was found by someone who called 911. 

            The victim was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, where he was treated for 16 stab wounds to his face, neck, and body. He was cut three-fourths of the way around his neck. Text messages recovered from Gibbs’s cell phone showed his awareness of the victim’s condition and his efforts to avoid being identified and arrested following the incident.      

            Gibbs was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Oct. 26, 2016, and has been in custody ever since. 

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente and Kevin L. Rosenberg, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Antoinette Sakamsa, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Natasha Smalky, who prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Diore Anthony Paire, 34, a former teachers’ assistant at a public charter high school in Southeast Washington, pled guilty today to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, involving a student, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

            Paire, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for Aug. 3, 2018.  

            According to the government’s evidence, in early 2017, Paire was a teacher’s assistant at the Thurgood Marshall Academy, located in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The victim was a 17-year old student who attended that school.

            In October, 2017, Paire and the victim exchanged phone numbers and began communicating with one another.  On two different occasions that month, Paire sent the victim text messages, asking her to rendezvous with him in order to have sex.  Both times, the victim declined his advances. One day after school that month, however, the victim was in the Academy’s computer lab.  Paire came to the lab and asked the victim to engage in a sex act with him.  She did, briefly, but stopped out of fear of getting caught.  Later, however, she reported the relationship to authorities at the school and they, in turn, notified the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  

            When the police interviewed Paire about the allegations, he initially denied that he had done anything wrong.  As the interview continued, however, he admitted that he had engaged the victim in a sexual act.  Paire was arrested on Feb. 28, 2018.  

            ​In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended members of the Youth and Family Services Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, who investigated the case.  She also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams and Victim/Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON - Terrance Atchison, 22, and Barry Bloomfield, 29, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms for a shooting at a barber shop in which a father and his 21-month-old child were injured. Atchison was sentenced to a 16 ½-year prison term, and Bloomfield was sentenced to an 18 ½-year term for their respective roles in the crime.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Atchison and Bloomfield were found guilty by a jury in March 2018, of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed (of a minor), assault with a dangerous weapon, and related offenses. The verdicts followed a multi-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  They were sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Following their prison terms, they will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, at approximately 1:40 p.m., three masked gunmen opened the doors of Wrenn’s Barber Shop, in the 1000 block of Eighth Street SE, and began firing a total of eight rounds. At the time of the shooting, the shop was bustling with customers, and the toddler and his father were waiting for a haircut. The father, who was holding his son, was shot three times, and one wound shattered his ankle.  A bullet grazed the child’s leg. Witnesses observed the gunmen run to a waiting white sport utility vehicle just around the corner and flee. 

            Video surveillance showed the defendants getting into a white Toyota RAV 4 about 20 minutes before the shooting and travelling to the barber shop.  The defendants were on GPS monitoring because they were on post-conviction supervision, and their tracks placed them directly in front of the barber shop at the time of the shooting, as well as mirrored the RAV 4’s travel to and flight from the barber shop. 

            Atchison was arrested on Feb. 17, 2016, and Bloomfield was arrested on Feb. 18, 2016. They have been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa N. Walters and Thomas Saunders, who investigated the case, Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Criminal Investigators Nelson Rhone and Melissa Matthews. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Keil and Melissa Jackson, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – David Bright, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 33 years in prison for the slayings of two of his housemates at their rooming house in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Bright pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 33 years in prison. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Bright will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on Feb. 18, 2016, Bright was staying in a rooming house in the 500 block of 58th Street NE. The victims, Clifton Francis and David Watkins, were Bright’s housemates.  Two other individuals were also staying in the home at the time, one permanently and one temporarily. 

            At approximately 12:55 p.m., Bright entered the house, where Mr. Francis and Mr. Watkins were sitting in the living room watching television; one of the other housemates was in the kitchen.  Bright went upstairs, where his bedroom was located, and then came running down the stairs.  He pointed a gun in the direction of Mr. Francis and began firing at close range. 

            Mr. Francis, who received multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and head, immediately slumped over the arm of the couch and fell to the floor.  Mr. Watkins started yelling words to the effect of “what are doing, are you crazy?” Bright then turned the gun towards Mr. Watkins and began firing, hitting him in the chest. Mr. Watkins managed to crawl to his bedroom, and yelled for the remaining housemate to call the police. Bright ran into the kitchen and came face-to-face with this housemate. He pointed the gun at his face, but the housemate was able to run into a bedroom and closed the door. Bright then fled the house. 

             The next day, Feb. 19, 2016, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Bright was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force as he walked out of a barbershop in Seat Pleasant, Maryland.  Bright was exiting the barbershop after having shaved off his dreadlocks.  He has remained in custody since his arrest.

            Bright had driven a Mitsubishi Galant to the barber shop. Officers searched the car and recovered the murder weapon, a Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm, as well as 91 rounds of ammunition and three firearm magazines (two full, one empty). 

            Mr. Watkins, 45, and Mr. Francis, 51, both died as a result of the gunshot wounds.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Magdalena Acevedo, Victim/Witness Advocate Jim Brennan, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and former Paralegal Specialist Kendra Johnson. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley C. Nielsen, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Warren Stevenson, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for taking part in a robbery and carjacking at a towing company parking lot in Northeast Washington, as well as an additional four months of incarceration for later assaulting a corrections officer at the District of Columbia Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Stevenson pled guilty in March 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count each of carjacking, armed robbery, and simple assault. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 15 and 18 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Stevenson will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 12, 2015, at approximately 1 a.m., Stevenson and three co-conspirators ambushed four victims at District Towing, a business in the 900 block of Franklin Street NE. One victim was at the premises with his son to pick up his son’s car, which a tow truck driver had towed earlier that evening. Also on the premises were two District Towing employees who were awaiting service calls in a tow truck.

            Stevenson and his accomplices rushed into the tow lot brandishing handguns and began their assault on the four victims. As Stevenson pointed a gun at the father and demanded the money on his person and any money in the car, another accomplice robbed the tow truck driver of his cell phone and money at gunpoint. The father offered Stevenson the keys to his Jaguar and then, fearing for his life, began to grapple with Stevenson for control of the gun. 

            In the midst of the robberies, the other two assailants approached the tow truck and began banging on the truck’s windows with the butts of their firearms, demanding that the District Towing employees open the doors. Frightened, one of the employees slammed on the gas and attempted to drive out of the lot. As the truck pulled away, the assailants began shooting at the truck. One employee was shot in his left arm and chest and the other was hit in the right cheek. The assailants, including Stevenson, then escaped in the carjacked Jaguar. 

            Stevenson was identified as being at the scene via GPS, and escaped from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) when officers tracked him to a house in Northeast Washington later that morning. He was ultimately arrested on the evening of Dec. 9, 2015, at an acquaintance’s house in the 1400 block of Oglethorpe Road NW. The arrest followed a seven-hour barricade and stand-off with members of MPD. While watching the news broadcast of the barricade, the owner of the carjacked Jaguar recognized Stevenson as the carjacker. Stevenson has remained in custody since his arrest. No other arrests have been made to date in the case.

            The carjacking and robbery charges stemmed from the incident at the towing company lot. Additionally, the simple assault charge stemmed from an incident on Feb. 10, 2018 at the District of Columbia Jail. During a fight between two other inmates at the jail, Stevenson pulled pepper spray away from a corrections officer who responded to the trouble. Stevenson discharged it, with some of the spray hitting the officer.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Coleman; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Lashaune Briggs, and Intern Natasha Harnwell-Davis.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth M. Gilmore, Kamil E. Shields, and Melissa Price, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Herb Anthony, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years and four months in prison for severely beating a man with a metal pipe who was walking home from a store in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Anthony was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of obstruction of justice. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Upon completion of his prison term, Anthony will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Mother’s Day evening, May 8, 2016, the victim had just walked to a store in the area of the 100 block of Irvington Street SW. Anthony came up from behind him and struck him in the face with a black steel pipe. Anthony and other unidentified individuals proceeded to punch and kick the victim to the ground, leaving him bloodied and disoriented. The victim received multiple fractures to his face, resulting in reconstructive surgery without which he would have suffered permanent facial damage. The victim’s medical follow-up continues twoyears later. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Anthony’s arrest on May 30, 2016.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maryam Adeyola, Ellen D’Angelo, Kathleen “Katie” Kern and John Timmer; Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan.

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Rachel Forman, who prosecuted the matter.

 

WASHINGTON – Antwan Shelton, 34, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing three separate quantities of narcotics with an intent to distribute them, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Shelton pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, buprenorphine, and marijuana. The charges require a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to life imprisonment. The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2018.

            The government’s evidence established that on Dec. 2, 2016, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4600 block of B Street SE. Upon gaining entry to the residence, law enforcement secured Shelton outside a bathroom while he was wearing a towel around his body and while the water was running in the bathroom shower. Upon entry into the bathroom, officers recovered an MPD-issued Glock 17 pistol that was stolen from an MPD officer months earlier. The firearm was loaded with sixteen  .9mm rounds in the magazine and one .9mm round in the chamber.

            Officers also recovered in the bathroom a lunch bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine base, marijuana, and suboxone strips, and $3,095 in cash. In Shelton’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered a ziplock bag containing twenty .45-caliber rounds of ammunition and twenty .40 -caliber rounds of ammunition. A drum magazine with .9mm-caliber rounds of ammunition was recovered from a clothes hamper. A ballistic vest was on the top shelf of a closet. Drug paraphernalia also was recovered in the residence. Law enforcement also obtained photographs from Shelton’s cellphone that corroborated his connection to the residence where he was arrested and the distinct lunch bag from which he was trafficking narcotics. 

            Shelton’s plea will result in his third firearms conviction and second drug trafficking conviction.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Laura Crane, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.

WASHINGTON – Leroy Jones, 32, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to one count of possessing firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Jones pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum of life. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2018.

            According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea, on June 28, 2017, Deputy U.S. Marshals came to an apartment building in the 1300 block of Kenyon Street NW to conduct an eviction. Building management provided them with the keys to the apartment. The deputy marshals announced their arrival for an eviction and entered the unit. No one was inside. The deputy marshals observed suspected narcotics, ammunition, and a firearm in plain view and reported the discovery to the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department secured the apartment while a search warrant was sought.  The officers who secured the apartment locked the front door and waited inside the apartment.  While they waited, Jones returned to the apartment and unlocked the front door.  Officers came to the front of the unit and detained Mr. Jones in the hallway.

            Officers then searched the apartment pursuant to a search warrant. They found, among other things a duffel-style bag containing a Wyndham Weaponry .223-caliber short-barreled rifle, a rifle-pistol, two handguns, several high-capacity magazines and various types of ammunition. They also discovered in the apartment a ballistic vest, loose ammunition, a loaded magazine, suspected narcotics, and $3,409 in cash.

            The suspected narcotics were submitted to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and a lab analysis determined them to be mixtures of substances containing cocaine.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Marshal Hughes, and Chief Newsham  commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Marshals Service and Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Catherine O’Neil, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente, Steven B. Wasserman, Emory V. Cole, and Vincent W. Caputy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu is joining Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessio D. Evangelista and other leaders of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in commemorating National Police Week by attending various events in honor of the sacrifice and contributions made by law enforcement officers here and across the nation.

            The week honors the law enforcement community with special recognition of those who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. In 1962, Congress created National Police Week and designated May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be among officials attending today's 37th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the United States Capitol, one of the largest gatherings of the week.

            On May 13, 2018, U.S. Attorney Liu attended the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall, in honor of fallen officers. Attorney General Sessions spoke at the event. Earlier, she attended a memorial service on May 8, 2018, at the U.S. Capitol honoring four United States Capitol Police officers who have died over the years in the line of duty. This year’s ceremony was especially poignant, with speakers recalling the heroism of Officer Jacob J. Chestnut and Detective John M. Gibson, who died 20 years ago while protecting the U.S. Capitol from a gunman’s attack. U.S. Attorney Liu and Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney Evangelista also attended the 24th Annual Blue Mass on May 1, 2018 at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church.

            “National Police Week is a time to reflect on the courage and commitment shown by law enforcement officers here in the District of Columbia and across the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The citizens of the District of Columbia are especially fortunate to be kept safe by thousands of dedicated men and women from a wide array of federal and District of Columbia law enforcement agencies. Their devotion to duty comes at great risk and sacrifice. The ceremonies this week give all of us an opportunity to remember those who died serving their communities and a chance to thank those who work around the clock to protect us. ”

            This year, National Police Week is observed from Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19, 2018.

            “One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said.  “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high.  At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families.  We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us.  As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”

            According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016 when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.

            Additionally, in 2017 there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officer were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.

            For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the newly released 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.

            The names of all 93 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2018.

            For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.

WASHINGTON – Maricco Knight, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for acting as an accessory after the fact and obstructing justice for his role in assisting a man who was wanted for murder, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Knight was found guilty by a jury of the charges in March 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            A co-defendant in the trial, Dominique Williams, 24, also of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. He was sentenced on May 11, 2018, to 24 years in prison.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2015, shortly after 1 a.m., Williams, Knight and another man pulled over a Honda Accord in the 3200 block of 28th Street SE. Williams was in the rear passenger seat, Knight was in the front passenger seat, and the third man was driving. A short distance away from the Accord, gathered in an alley, were three men and an 11-year-old boy.  Williams had earlier disputes with persons who resided or sometimes gathered in the block, but none of those persons was among the group in the alley.

            After the Accord pulled over, Williams leaned out of the car and fired eight shots from a 9-millimeter handgun at the group.  One person was hit – Marcellus Green, 39. He was shot once and was declared dead about an hour later. The three people in the Accord drove off.

            Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were on the scene within a few minutes.  Witnesses gave the police a description of the Accord and its license plate number.  At about 1:40 a.m., an officer in a marked MPD cruiser spotted the Accord, still occupied by the three men, in a different neighborhood.  Before the officer could even activate his emergency equipment, the Accord began to drive off at a high rate of speed.  After a 20-minute chase, during which the 9-millimeter handgun was tossed out, the Accord crashed and all three occupants fled on foot. Within two minutes, the driver and Knight were stopped.

            Williams, however, got away. An arrest warrant was issued for him three months later and he was ultimately apprehended on July 20, 2016, at the residence of Knight’s girlfriend.  During the search for Williams, according to the government’s evidence, Knight assisted in helping Williams hide out despite the fact that he was told repeatedly by law enforcement that Williams was wanted for the murder.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Interns Korey Johnson and Shani Brown.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Brandon Brown, 20, of Washington, D.C, pled guilty today to charges stemming from the recent carjacking of a nun who he accosted at gunpoint in a parking lot in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Brown pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of carjacking and carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence in the range of seven and 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Marisa Demeo scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2018.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on April 9, 2018, at approximately 6:45 p.m., the victim, who was wearing full clerical garb, was walking to a parking lot in the 1300 block of Quincy Street NE to retrieve something from a minivan. As she neared the parking lot, she observed Brown, who had a bandana covering his face.

            The victim continued into the parking lot and opened the passenger side door of a white Dodge caravan belonging to the convent. She turned on the minivan and retrieved a compact disc from the stereo. She then began to walk away from the vehicle as Brown approached her. When he was within a few feet of her, Brown demanded the car keys. The victim did not say anything, but continued to hold onto the keys. At this point, Brown brandished a firearm and pressed it to her left temple and once again demanded the keys. The victim held out the key and Brown took it from her. She then told him: “May God bless you.”

            Brown got into the Caravan and drove off. The victim walked into a nearby building, told others what happened, and one individual called 911. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly spotted the Caravan at 21st Street and Maryland Avenue NE. They attempted to stop Brown at 26th Street, but he got out of the minivan and fled.

            He was eventually apprehended, and officers recovered a loaded, small gray semi-automatic handgun in the front right pocket of his sweatpants. They also recovered a red bandana. Brown was arrested and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen D’Angelo, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Davon Peyton, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of eight and a half years on charges stemming from the killing of a man in a dispute that took place in 2015 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Peyton was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of involuntary manslaughter and related weapons charges. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 13, 2015, the victim, Ray Harrison, along with his fiancée and her female friend from Texas, drove unannounced to Peyton’s apartment at 2:30 a.m.  Mr. Harrison and his fiancée were friends with Peyton and his girlfriend.

            When Mr. Harrison and the two women arrived in the 1300 block of Adams Street NE, the two women stayed in the car while he walked up the steps and knocked on the front window of Peyton’s apartment.  In response, Peyton pulled a gun from his waistband and went to the front door.  He confronted Mr. Harrison on the front steps of the building, demanding to know why he there at that hour of night.  A tussle ensued. Peyton then shot Mr. Harrison in the chest.  Mr. Harrison, 21, staggered to the curb, where he collapsed and died. 

            Peyton was arrested on Nov. 20, 2015, after a warrant was issued for his arrest, by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. She acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Mannarino and Nicholas Coleman; Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Stephanie Gilbert; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia and Leif Hickling; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Marcia Rinker, Katina Adams-Washington, and LaJune Thames, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, and Intern Shani Brown.

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Earnest and Jennifer Fischer, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Dominique Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for killing a man in a drive-by shooting in September 2015 in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Williams was found guilty by a jury in March 2018 of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff.. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            A co-defendant, Maricco Knight, 25, also of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by the same jury of acting as an accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice for his role in assisting Williams while Williams was evading law enforcement prior to his arrest. Knight is to be sentenced on May 15, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2015, shortly after 1 a.m., Williams, Knight and another man pulled over a Honda Accord in the 3200 block of 28th Street SE. Williams was in the rear passenger seat, Knight was in the front passenger seat, and the third man was driving. A short distance away from the Accord, gathered in an alley, were three men and an 11-year-old boy.  Williams had earlier disputes with persons who resided or sometimes gathered in the block, but none of those persons was among the group in the alley.

            After the Accord pulled over, Williams leaned out of the car and fired eight shots from a 9-millimeter handgun at the group.  One person was hit – Marcellus Green, 39. He was shot once and was declared dead about an hour later. The three people in the Accord drove off.

            MPD officers were on the scene within a few minutes.  Witnesses gave the police a description of the Accord and its license plate number.  At about 1:40 a.m., an officer in a marked MPD cruiser spotted the Accord, still occupied by the three men, in a different neighborhood.  Before the officer could even activate his emergency equipment, the Accord began to drive off at a high rate of speed.  After a 20-minute chase, during which the 9-millimeter handgun was tossed out, the Accord crashed and all three occupants fled on foot. Within two minutes, the driver and Knight were stopped.

            Williams, however, got away. An arrest warrant was issued for him three months later and he was ultimately apprehended on July 20, 2016, at the residence of Knight’s girlfriend.  During the search for Williams, according to the government’s evidence, Knight assisted in helping Williams hide out despite the fact that he was told repeatedly by law enforcement that Williams was wanted for the murder.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Interns Korey Johnson and Shani Brown.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Michael Sang Han, 47, formerly of Palm Beach, Fla, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury in the District of Columbia of two counts of tax evasion for evading paying more than $4 million in taxes in 2010 and 2011. 

            The announcement was made today  by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office.

            According to the evidence introduced at trial, Han owned and operated Envion, a company that he claimed held the patents on technology used to convert plastics into fuel oil.  Han convinced two individuals to invest nearly $40 million in his company, then used more than $14 million of that money to fund a lavish personal lifestyle.  In 2010 and 2011, Han purchased a Palm Beach home, paid for extravagant renovations and internal decorations, enjoyed flights on private jets, and bought multiple luxury cars, including BMWs, a Range Rover, and a Ferrari.  Han also used millions of dollars of the investors’ money to replace money he had previously misappropriated from Envion.  According to the government’s evidence, Han also took steps to conceal his personal use of the investors’ money from his bookeepers and tax preparers.  As a result, he did not report any of the money he converted for his personal use on his 2010 and 2011 tax returns, thereby evading more than $4 million in tax liability.

            The guilty verdicts were returned on May 9, 2018, following an eight-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Han faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count.  He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. Han is to appear before Judge Boasberg for a hearing later today to set conditions for his release pending the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for Aug. 1, 2018.

            U.S. Attorney Liu, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jackson commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derrick Williams and Denise Simmonds, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Tax Division Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney, who prosecuted the case, as well as Paralegal Specialist Brittany Phillips, who provided assistance during the trial.

 

WASHINGTON – Elias Hailu, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for sexually abusing a stranger on the street in broad daylight last fall in the 14th Street corridor of Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.  

            Hailu pled guilty in March 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted third-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, he must register for 10 years as a sex offender. He also will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, Hailu encountered the victim on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2017, as she was walking on U Street toward 13th Street NW. He began to follow the victim, who was a stranger to him, for several blocks while she proceeded to work. All the while, Hailu made sexually explicit proposals to the victim and ignored her repeated requests that he leave her alone. Hailu sexually abused the victim by forcefully grabbing the victim’s breast with his hand. The victim made an immediate report to law enforcement.

            Surveillance footage that captured a portion of Hailu’s conduct showed Hailu’s distinctive clothing, some of which he had been wearing the day before in the same area. Based on the description provided by the victim and the surveillance footage, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was able to identify Hailu as the perpetrator. He was arrested on Nov. 17, 2017, wearing some of the same clothing he had worn during the sexual assault.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit.  She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracy Owusu, Paralegal Specialist Donhue Troy Griffith, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Matt Williams and Marisa West, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

WASHINGTON – Montez Warren, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for killing a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Warren pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 15 to 22 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Warren will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the evening of Aug. 20, 2016, numerous people attended a cookout and fish fry in the 1200 block of 18th Place NE, including Warren and the victim, Dante Miller. In the early morning hours of Aug. 21, 2016, the party wore down, and an argument erupted between Mr. Miller and a woman who was with Warren. Warren tried to break up the fight, but the confrontation soon resumed. As the fighting continued to escalate, Warren fired several shots at Mr. Miller. He kept firing his weapon even as Mr. Miller tried to run away. Then, as Mr. Miller fell to the ground, Warren stood over top of him and fired several additional shots. He then rode off in a car. Mr. Miller, 24, died at the scene.

            An autopsy identified eight gunshot wounds, including one to the chest and one to the abdomen.

            An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Warren’s arrest on Oct. 12, 2016. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the U.S. Park Police. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman and Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Misler and Glenn Kirschner, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Donald R. Hairston, 51, of District Heights, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in the June 2016 slaying of his ex-girlfriend at her home in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Hairston also was found guilty of first-degree felony murder while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, temporary protection order violation, stalking, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on July 20, 2018, by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at approximately 1 a.m., the victim, Stephanie Goodloe, was in bed in her three-bedroom rowhouse in the 700 block of Kentucky Avenue SE. Her 11-year-old daughter, who was asleep in a nearby bedroom, awoke to her mother’s cry and the sound of “Pop… pop, pop, pop.”  She then then saw a man walk by her open bedroom door.  The man she observed was Hairston, her mother’s ex-boyfriend. Terrified, the girl waited a few minutes before checking on her mother because she was afraid the defendant would come after her next.  When she finally gained the courage to go into her mother’s room, she found her 40-year-old mother dead, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head.  Frantic, she called 911.

            Prior to the murder, according to the government’s evidence, Hairston had engaged in a pattern of domestic violence against Ms. Goodloe. She had filed for a temporary protection order against him approximately two weeks earlier after he had slashed her tires and showed up at her house pounding on the door at all hours of the night.  Additionally, in the weeks leading up to the murder, he stole her house keys from her front door, threatened to kill her, and generally stalked and harassed her. They were scheduled to go to court regarding the temporary protection order on Monday, June 20, 2016, just two days after the murder.

            Hairston was arrested on the day of the murder and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle D. Jackson, David Gorman, and Laura R. Bach; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Forensic Child Interview Specialists Karen Giannakoulias and Tracy Owusu; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Contract Specialist Marquetta Little; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Stephanie Gilbert; Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and John Timmer, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who were involved in the May 16, 2017, fatal shooting of Isabelle Duval in Southwest Washington.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses, and the review of body worn camera (BWC) and other video footage; autopsy and toxicology reports; District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences’ reports, photographs, and diagrams; audio transmissions; and physical evidence collected on the scene and from Ms. Duval’s vehicle, including an operable Ruger SR 22 .22LR semi-automatic pistol; an operable .45 caliber Zenith Zig 1911 semi-automatic pistol loaded with six .45 caliber GECO cartridges; a black magazine loaded with ten .22 caliber REM cartridges; an extended clip magazine loaded with nineteen 9mm cartridges of various brands; and three empty magazines.

            According to the evidence, on May 16, 2017, at approximately 6:26 p.m., two Seventh District officers were dispatched to the Bald Eagle Recreation Center located at 100 Joliet Street SW, for the report of a “woman with a gun.”  Several moments earlier, Ms. Duval had driven her gray Nissan Altima into a tree next to the recreation center, after previously leaving the scene of an accident six tenths of a mile away.  Civilian witnesses approached Ms. Duval’s smoking vehicle to help her get out.  Although Ms. Duval appeared to have a broken leg, she told the witnesses that she did not want them to call 911 because she had a warrant for her arrest.  Ms. Duval then pulled out an operable Ruger SR 22 .22LR semi-automatic pistol, and started crawling and scooting towards the front door of the recreation center.  As one witness called 911, two other witnesses moved the children who were on the adjoining playground and inside the recreation center to safety.  When Ms. Duval reached the front door, she tried to get into the building, but the doors were locked.  She then sat down in front of the entrance with the weapon in her hand.

            When the two Seventh District officers arrived at the recreation center, they observed Ms. Duval sitting in front of the recreation center with the weapon still in her hand.  The officers, and two other officers who had arrived on the scene, approached Ms. Duval and repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapon, but she did not comply.  At approximately 6:32 p.m., as one of the officers repositioned his cruiser onto the grass next to the sidewalk so that the officers could use the doors of the cruiser as ballistic shields, Ms. Duval rose up on her knees and pointed her weapon at the officer in the cruiser.  The initial two responding officers, both of whom were positioned in front of Ms. Duval with civilians to their rear, immediately fired their weapons in response.  Ms. Duval was struck once in the center of the chest and once in the left buttock, and a bullet grazed her thigh and groin.  She fell to the ground and dropped the weapon by her side.

            The officers immediately holstered their weapons and ran towards Ms. Duval to render medical assistance, but she no longer had a pulse when personnel arrived from the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.  Ms. Duval, 41, was then transported to Howard University Hospital, where she was officially pronounced dead.  The autopsy report indicates that the cause of Ms. Duval’s death was the gunshot wound to her chest, and the toxicology report revealed that Ms. Duval was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.

            Department of Forensic Sciences technicians recovered Ms. Duval’s operable Ruger SR 22 .22LR pistol with an empty magazine inserted into the weapon’s well, and another weapon and multiple rounds of ammunition, from her vehicle.  They also recovered seven cartridge casings that were fired by the two shooting officers.   

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officers were acting in self-defense and defense of others at the time of the shooting.

Use-of-force investigations generally

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.  To prove such violations, prosecutors must be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary.  Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden.  Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.  A conclusion that “there is insufficient evidence” is not meant to suggest anything further about what evidence, if any, exists.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

 

            WASHINGTON –Five people, all members of the same family, have been indicted on federal charges alleging that they took part in a $4 million extortion and money laundering scheme. A sixth family member has been indicted on charges of tampering with a witness.

            The indictments were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice.

            Five of the defendants are to appear this afternoon for a status hearing before the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They earlier pled not guilty to charges in the indictment. The indictment was returned on April 19, 2018, and unsealed on April 25, 2018.

            Those scheduled to make court appearances today include Archie Kaslov, 51, his wife, Candy Evans, 48, and their sons: Tony John Evans, 29; Robert Evans, 30, and Corry Blue Evans, 25. All are from New York, N.Y. Gina Rita Russell, 29, of Los Angeles, Calif., remains in custody while awaiting extradition to the District of Columbia. She is the common law spouse of Robert Evans.

            According to the indictment, from approximately November 2016 through approximately April 2017, Kaslov, Tony John Evans, Robert Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Russell engaged in a wide-ranging scheme  to enrich themselves through the extortion and attempted extortion of others and through the scheme received more than $4 million in cash, gold bars, and gold coins.

            The indictment also alleges that from approximately January 2017 through June 2017, these same five defendants engaged in a scheme to launder their fraudulent proceeds. The indictment alleges that they used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase, among other items, luxury merchandise, jewelry, designer watches, and two Rolls Royce Phantom automobiles.

            The indictment further alleges that Candy Evans and Russell engaged in obstruction of justice through various conduct, which included arranging a fraudulent marriage in an attempt to obstruct potential witness testimony, creating a false letter of exoneration, and coaching potential witnesses on false information to provide to law enforcement.

            With the exception of Candy Evans, all of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, bank fraud, and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Candy Evans is charged with three counts of tampering with a witness. Kaslov also is charged with three counts of money laundering. Tony Evans and Robert Evans also are charged with one count each of interference with interstate commerce by extortion and money laundering. Corry Blue Evans also is charged with one count each of bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Russell also is charged with one count of interference with interstate commerce by extortion, one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and three counts of tampering with a witness.

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Inspector General Horowitz expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein, former Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi, and Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Gregory H. Grooms, 19, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on felony charges stemming from an armed home invasion that took place in August 2016 in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Grooms was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on 25 counts, including first-degree burglary while armed, armed kidnapping, armed carjacking, armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and related charges.  He remains held pending trial and is expected to be arraigned at the next court date on May 11, 2018.  His trial is scheduled for July 18, 2018. 

            According to the government’s evidence, the armed home invasion occurred on Aug. 13, 2016, at approximately 10:40 p.m., at a residence in the 1800 block of Upshur Street NW.  The four victims, including two minor children, were home at the time of the offense.  According to the evidence, Grooms and an accomplice, both armed with guns, forced their way into the victims’ residence, threatened the victims, and ordered the victims around the house. 

            During the incident, one of the victims tried to get the children to safety by dropping one of them from a second-story window.  Grooms and his accomplice allegedly took several items, including the victims’ car keys, and left in the victims’ vehicle.

            Grooms was later identified by law enforcement through forensic evidence, including a fingerprint from the victims’ vehicle, which was recovered in the area of his last known residence at the time. Additionally, law enforcement linked Grooms to a knife recovered at the crime scene through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes.

            Grooms was arrested on March 15, 2018, and has been in custody ever since.

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who was involved in the Feb. 23, 2017, fatal shooting of Timothy Williams in Northeast Washington.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses, and the review of body worn camera (BWC) and other video footage; autopsy and toxicology reports; District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences reports, photographs, and diagrams; audio transmissions; and physical evidence collected on the scene, including a loaded Springfield XD-9 semi-automatic pistol; 12 Speer 9mm Luger 14 cartridge casings; and an extended clip magazine loaded with 26 Speer 9mm Luger 14 cartridges.

            According to the evidence, on Feb. 23, 2017, at approximately 10:42 p.m., two Fifth District Crime Suppression Team (CST) officers were on patrol in an unmarked MPD cruiser in the vicinity of Morse and Holbrook Streets NE.  MPD officials had deployed the officers, and numerous other CST officers from both the First and Fifth Districts, to that area because of a shooting and a reported sound of gunshots that had occurred earlier that day, both within a one-mile radius.   

             As the officers drove northbound in the 1200 block of Holbrook Street NE, they saw an individual, later-identified as Mr. Williams, walking on the sidewalk.  As corroborated by civilian witnesses, Mr. Williams was fidgeting, acting strangely, and repeatedly looking back in the direction of police activity that was occurring a block away.  When one of the officers rolled down his passenger window to ask Mr. Williams if he could speak with him, Mr. Williams mumbled an expletive and continued walking.  The officer, who was in full uniform, then exited the cruiser and walked several feet behind Mr. Williams, as the other officer drove the cruiser slowly forward.  When Mr. Williams reached the intersection of Morse and Holbrook Streets, he cut behind the cruiser and ran in a diagonal direction across the intersection.  After a brief chase, Mr. Williams tripped over a stop sign and stumbled into the rear driver’s side panel of the cruiser.  As he was falling to the ground, Mr. Williams dropped an extended clip magazine loaded with 26 Speer 9mm Luger 14 cartridges, on which his DNA was later recovered.  Mr. Williams stood up quickly, but the officers were able to grab his arms.  When Mr. Williams started to struggle, the two officers used hand controls to take him to the ground.

            Once on the ground, one of the officers attempted to search Mr. Williams’s waistband, but Mr. Williams continued to struggle, even briefly standing again.  As corroborated by a civilian witness, Mr. Williams then pulled out a weapon from his waistband and fired multiple rounds.  One of the officers took cover beside the officers’ cruiser, as the other officer continued to struggle with Mr. Williams until they both fell to the ground.  Upon seeing Mr. Williams’s finger in the trigger of the weapon, the officer grabbed the barrel of the weapon to direct it away from his [the officer’s] head.  From a position by the rear of the cruiser, the other officer, who could see Mr. Williams and his partner struggling on the ground for possession of the weapon, fired two rounds at Mr. Williams, striking him in the right knee and right ankle, but not incapacitating him.  As Mr. Williams and the officer continued to struggle for possession of Mr. Williams’s weapon, the officer on the ground, who had not had the opportunity to unholster his own weapon, yelled for his partner to “shoot him!  Shoot him!”  The second officer then fired three more rounds into Mr. Williams’s back.  As Mr. Williams’s body went limp, the officer on the ground was finally able to grab the weapon from Mr. Williams’s hand.  When the officer attempted to stand up, however, he collapsed to the ground with a gunshot to his lower left abdomen.  The shooting officer was also shot in his right buttock. 

            Personnel with the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported Mr. Williams, 47, to Howard University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.  An autopsy confirmed that Mr. Williams was shot five times, including three times in the back and twice in the lower extremities.  The two officers were transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where they were admitted in stable condition.  The officer who was shot in the abdomen underwent surgery and remained in the hospital for several days, and the other officer was treated and released several hours later.

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officer was acting in self-defense and defense of others at the time of the shooting.

Use-of-force investigations generally

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.  To prove such violations, prosecutors must be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary.  Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden.  Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.  A conclusion that “there is insufficient evidence” is not meant to suggest anything further about what evidence, if any, exists.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.

Shan Shi, 53, of Houston, and Gang Liu, 32, a Chinese national, were charged yesterday by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit economic espionage for the benefit of CBM-Future New Material Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (CBMF), a Chinese company based in Taizhou.  Both businessmen were previously indicted in June 2017 for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets.  The superseding indictment issued yesterday also charged CBMF and its Houston-based subsidiary, CBM International, Inc. (CBMI), for their roles in the conspiracy.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Chief Don Fort of the IRS-Criminal Investigation.

According to court records, Shi and Liu conspired with others to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from a U.S. engineering firm that produces syntactic foam, a strong, lightweight material with commercial and military uses.  Shan; Liu; Uka Kalu Uche, 36, of Spring, Texas; Samuel Abotar Ogoe, 75, of Missouri City, Texas; Kui Bo, 41, a Canadian citizen who had been residing in the Dallas area; and Hui Huang, 33, a Chinese national, were indicted in June 2017 on a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets.  An additional defendant pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2017.  The superseding indictment includes that charge, adds the conspiracy to commit economic espionage count against Shi and Liu, and includes a federal money laundering conspiracy count against Shi.  CBMF and CBMI have also been indicted on all three charges.

The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit economic espionage is 15 years in prison.  The maximum for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets is 10 years, and the maximum for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years.  The charges also carry potential financial penalties.  The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes.  If convicted of any offense, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

WASHINGTON – Two businessmen, including one who is a Chinese national, have been indicted on charges alleging that they conspired to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from a business in the United States on behalf of a company in China that was engaged in manufacturing buoyancy materials for military and civilian uses.

            The charges were announced today by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, and Chief Don Fort of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

            Shan Shi, 53, a U.S. citizen from Houston, Texas, and Gang Liu, 32, a Chinese national, were among six individuals named in a superseding indictment returned on April 26, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. All six individuals initially were indicted in June 2017 on a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. The superseding indictment includes that charge and adds the conspiracy to commit economic espionage count against Shi and Liu, as well as a federal money laundering conspiracy count against Shi. CBM-Future New Material Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (CBMF), a Chinese company based in Taizhou, and its Houston-based subsidiary, CBM International, Inc. (CBMI), have also been indicted on all three charges.

            The other defendants include Uka Kalu Uche, 36, a U.S. citizen from Spring, Texas; Samuel Abotar Ogoe, 75, a U.S. citizen from Missouri City, Texas; Kui Bo, 41, a Canadian citizen who had been residing in the Dallas area; and Hui Huang, 33, a Chinese national. All of the defendants pled not guilty last year to the charges in the original indictment, with the exception of Huang, who has not been apprehended and is believed to remain at large in China.

            A seventh defendant previously pled guilty in December 2017 to a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets.

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            “The superseding indictment in this case demonstrates that we will vigorously enforce laws meant to protect against economic espionage and related offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Liu.  “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the FBI, Commerce Department’s BIS, IRS, and other law enforcement organizations to prosecuting theft of intellectual property.”

            “The ongoing theft of American technology is a severe threat to our national security, and this is doubly true for technology with direct military applications. As this situation demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to working with its partners to combat this threat,” said FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Priestap.

            “This indictment is a good example of the community, industry, and law enforcement working together,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Turner. “Economic espionage is a growing threat that costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars and puts our national security at risk. The FBI will continue to work with its partners to bring perpetrators of economic espionage to justice.”

            “This superseding indictment alleges a vast criminal conspiracy involving everything from trade secret theft to money laundering and other financial crimes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Fort. “By unraveling this scheme, we were able to hold those accountable who would profit from such a scheme while sending a message to others who would commit similar crimes in the future that they, too, will be brought to justice.”

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            According to the indictment, China has promoted military, social, and economic development initiatives with a goal of making the country a marine power and has prioritized the development of engineered components of deepwater buoyancy materials. The charges in the indictment involve the development of syntactic foam, a strong, lightweight material that can be tailored for commercial and military uses, including oil exploration, aerospace and stealth technologies, and underwater vehicles, such as submarines.

            According to the indictment, from at least 2013 through May 2017, Shi operated on behalf of CBMF, which intended to create a facility in China to sell syntactic foam. CBMF received research funds from state funding in China and was part of a collaborative innovation center with Chinese government entities.

            The indictment alleges that Shi and Liu conspired with the other defendants to steal trade secrets from a global engineering firm, referred to in the indictment as “Company A,” that is a producer in the global syntactic foam market. 

            In March 2014, according to the indictment, Shi incorporated CBMI, which was owned and funded by CBMF, in Houston. The indictment alleges that CBMF employees wired approximately $3.1 million to CBMI between June 2014 and May 2017.

            According to the indictment, Shi and others recruited and hired current and former employees of “Company A” in Houston, including Liu, for the purpose of aiding CBMF’s capability to make syntactic foam. Liu previously worked for “Company A” as a material development engineer and had access to proprietary and trade secret data. He and others are accused of passing along those trade secrets. According to the indictment, the technology was ultimately destined for China, to benefit the government and other state-owned enterprises.

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

            The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit economic espionage is 15 years of incarceration. The maximum for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets is 10 years, and the maximum for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Commerce’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement, and the IRS-CI.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Pearlman, Zia Faruqui, and Michael Romano of the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

WASHINGTON – Harry Meir Mimoun Amar, a resident and citizen of Israel and Morocco, pled guilty today to taking part in an international conspiracy to trick mid-level corporate employees into wiring millions of dollars to bank accounts under the control of those in the criminal enterprise.

            The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

            Amar, 39, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Amar has agreed to pay $273,321 in restitution and $49,503 in a forfeiture money judgment. Amar will be subject to deportation proceedings. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly set a sentencing hearing in the case for Aug. 16, 2018.

            Amar was among 17 people arrested in early 2017 following a multi-year investigative effort by federal and international law enforcement agencies to target multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes perpetrated by a transnational organized crime network. Amar was arrested on March 1, 2017 in Israel and consented to his extradition to the United States. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

            Amar was charged along with three others arrested last year with participating in one particular fraud scheme, which is known as a business e-mail compromise, or “BEC” scheme. The cases against the other three individuals remain pending.

            According to a statement of offense submitted at today’s plea hearing, Amar and others used the Internet and primarily U.S.-based electronic communications to target mid-sized and large companies and impersonate executive-level employees in e-mail communications with mid-level employees. These mid-level employees were led to believe they were being entrusted to handle a large financial transaction, such as a “secret” corporate acquisition. The employees were instructed to initiate wire transfers from the company’s corporate bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by members of the criminal enterprise. Once the funds were transferred, the money was quickly wire transferred out of the reach of the target corporation into accounts located in the People’s Republic of China and elsewhere, with the funds ultimately being delivered to co-conspirators located in Europe and elsewhere.

            In his guilty plea, Amar admitted taking part in the scheme from approximately January 2014 until August 2014, working with co-conspirators who were operating in other countries, including Turkey and Bulgaria. The statement of offense ties Amar to false representations made to four companies from Germany, Spain, Finland and Portugal. According to the statement of offense, the scheme generated $1,093,557 in U.S. dollars. Amar personally received $49,503 of the proceeds.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who are investigating the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Israeli National Police, the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, Main Directorate Border Police, and Sofia Interpol. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Elizabeth Swienc, former Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.

            Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Keith Young, 46, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses, after a search by law enforcement last year recovered from his residence more than two kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl, a loaded firearm, 170 rounds of ammunition, and multiple extended magazines.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Young was found guilty of one count of possession with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable by in excess of 12 months in prison. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2018. As a result of a prior felony drug trafficking conviction, Young faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years of incarceration at sentencing and up to life imprisonment.

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 25, 2017, the ATF executed a search warrant in the 500 block of Newcomb Street SE, and was assisted by agents and officers of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, and the Uniformed Division of the U.S. Secret Service.

            Young was present at the residence when the search was executed. In Young’s bed, agents located a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine under a pillow. Throughout the residence, law enforcement recovered 170 rounds of ammunition in four calibers, and five ammunition magazines, including multiple extended magazines. In the living room, law enforcement found two large plastic bins that were filled with drug manufacturing paraphernalia, such as, sifters, blenders, digital scales, playing cards, cutting agents, masks, gloves, and various sized storage bags. Additionally, hidden inside a section of the basement ceiling, law enforcement found a blue box and black bag.  When agents opened the box and bag, they found in excess of two kilograms of heroin, valued at approximately $180,000. The Secret Service examined evidence for fingerprints and suspected DNA. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) later confirmed that the heroin contained fentanyl.

            Young previously was convicted in 1994 of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine (crack) in Prince George’s County, Md.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work and collaboration of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and the DEA.

            They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jeannette Litz, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane, who assisted with the investigation. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and David Misler of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Section, who tried the case.

 

WASHINGTON - Michael Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for attacking and attempting to rob the owner of a market in Northwest Washington, while armed with a box-cutter, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced. 

            Jones was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Todd E. Edelman to a 15-year term of incarceration, with all but seven years suspended on the condition that he successfully complete two years of supervised probation upon his release from prison.

            According to the government’s evidence, the crime took place on Oct. 14, 2017, at approximately 10 p.m., at a convenience store in the 5500 block of Illinois Avenue NW. Jones came into the market and walked up to the store owner. He brandished a box-cutter, ejected a rusty blade, and demanded money. Fearing for the safety of himself and his pregnant fiancée who was in the store at the time, the owner pushed Jones. Jones then turned toward the store owner’s pregnant fiancée, who ran out of the store. Jones followed outside.

            Witnesses followed Jones from a distance as they called 911. Soon after that, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) stopped Jones, recovered a box-cutter, and arrested him. Jones has been in custody since his arrest.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Sanchez and Kacie Weston; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph; Paralegal Specialists Allison Daniels and Tierra Nanches, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kahn and Emile Thompson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Jerome A. Proctor, Jr., 24, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to discharging a firearm during an armed robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) Letter Carrier who was delivering mail in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Proctor pled guilty before the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Because the firearm was discharged during the commission of the offense, Proctor faces a mandatory 10 years of incarceration, which must run consecutive to any other sentence. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Cooper on July 17, 2018.

            The government’s evidence established that on Nov. 26, 2016, at approximately 6 p.m., Proctor and an associate attacked the victim in the 2300 block of 2nd Street NE. The victim was completing mail deliveries on his route and Proctor brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it towards the letter carrier’s head.  Proctor then kicked and pistol-whipped the victim while he was on the ground and his associate went through the victim’s pockets, taking the victim’s cell phone, personal keys, and wallet, containing identification and debit cards.  Property of the U.S. Postal Service was also taken, including a mail satchel and scanner. 

            A vehicle drove up during the assault and robbery, at which point Proctor fired a single shot into the air in an attempt to scare off the driver of the vehicle.  The driver of the vehicle heard the gunshot, and fearing for her safety, sped away, with the letter carrier chasing after the vehicle.  Shortly after the assault and robbery, Proctor and his associate could be seen together on video footage from the Fashion Centre mall at Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., where Proctor’s associate attempted to use a debit card stolen from the letter carrier at the food court.

            Proctor was arrested in December 2016 in Prince George’s County, Md. and he has been in custody ever since. He was indicted in this case in May 2017.

            During the assault on the letter carrier, Proctor commented that the victim got “blood on his new Timberlands.”  During the course of the investigation, the victim’s blood was identified on a stain on a pair of jeans recovered from the residence where Proctor was arrested. 

            At the time of his arrest in Maryland, Proctor was on probation in Maryland for a firearms conviction.  Proctor’s probation was revoked by Maryland and he was re-sentenced to serve the three-year sentence that had previously been suspended.  That sentence must run consecutive to the sentence in this case.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Inspector in Charge Wemyss, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and MPD officers in the Fifth District in quickly investigating and arresting Proctor.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton.

WASHINGTON - Emeka Ndukwu, 46, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty today to conspiring to launder the proceeds of scams that tricked seven companies in the United States and abroad into wiring more than $900,000 into accounts controlled by various co-conspirators.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

            Ndukwu, a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of money laundering conspiracy. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Ndukwu faces a likely range of 46 to 57 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000. Additionally, as part of the plea, Ndukwu agreed to the forfeiture of a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 and the entry of a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $429,848, representing the share of the criminal proceeds that Ndukwu personally obtained.

            The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2018.

            According to documents filed at the time of the plea, Ndukwu participated in an ongoing conspiracy from 2013 through 2017 to receive and launder the proceeds of various cyber frauds, primarily arising from business e-mail (“BEC”) compromise schemes. In a typical BEC scheme, a co-conspirator tricks a company into transfering large sums of money into accounts controlled by others participating in the scheme. Using fake e-mails, often containing forged sender addresses, co-conspirators impersonate someone connected to the victim company and deceive an employee of that company into wiring funds. Soon after the wire transfers are completed, the co-conspirators drain the bank accounts and launder the criminal proceeds.

            This particular conspiracy targeted at least seven companies in the United States and overseas, including victims in Texas, Illinois, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, and China.  The victims were fraudulently induced into sending $916,056 in wire transfers to accounts controlled by Ndukwu and other co-conspirators.  The funds were then laundered through transactions conducted in Washington, D.C. and other jurisdictions, including layering through shell company accounts and accounts controlled by co-conspirators.

             According to the court documents, Ndukwu used false aliases and forged Nigerian passports to facilitate these schemes, and he used encrypted messaging to communicate with co-conspirators. Ndukwu was indicted in December 2017 and has been in custody since his arrest that month. A co-defendant, Chuka Mbonu, 33, of Nigeria, remains at large.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown and Michael J. Marando are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist C. Rosalind Pressley.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina participated in investigating the case. 

WASHINGTON – Demarco Myles, 24, formerly of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the armed rape of a Howard University student at a dormitory in November 2012, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Myles pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, burglary while armed, kidnapping while armed, and two misdemeanor counts of assault and second-degree theft. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 48 years in prison. After accepting the plea, the Honorable Ronna L. Beck sentenced Myles accordingly. Once released from prison, Myles will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. 

            The sentence imposed today will run concurrently with a 40-year prison term that Myles now is serving for a second attack that he committed in October 2012 in Northeast Washington.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early afternoon of Nov. 2, 2012, Myles snuck into the Bethune Annex – a women’s dormitory – in the 2200 block of Fourth Street NW, on the Howard University campus.  Once inside, he went from room to room until he found the victim alone in her dorm room.  While brandishing a very distinctive looking knife, Myles raped her.  During the rape, when the victim was pleading with him to stop and saying that she did not even know who Myles was, Myles grabbed a piece of paper, wrote “Marco” and a cell phone number on it, and thrust it in her face, saying, “Now you know me, [expletive]!”  Following the rape, Myles tried to scratch out the phone number, but left the piece of paper behind.

            When the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived moments later in response to a 911 call, they were able to decipher the phone number that had been written down.  Using subscriber information concerning that number, and other information they were able to develop, Myles was arrested later that night at his home, where the distinctive knife he had used during the attack was recovered.  He has been imprisoned ever since.

            One week earlier, on Oct. 26, 2012, and almost to the minute, Myles had broken into the apartment of another woman who lived in the Rhode Island Row Apartments across from the Rhode Island Avenue Metro stop in Northeast Washington.  He attempted to sexually assault that woman, as well, but she fled into a walk-in closet and tried to prevent Myles from getting to her.  Myles overpowered the woman, however, and, in a rage, stabbed her more than 20 times, leaving her for dead.  Although Myles later told police that he thought he had killed that woman, she somehow survived and was able to call 911 to report the attack.  For the next week, MPD conducted a manhunt, trying to find the assailant.  It was not until Myles struck again – in the Howard University attack – that Myles was arrested.

            Myles pled guilty in January 2015 to a total of 10 charges stemming from the attack at the Rhode Island Row Apartments. He was sentenced in June 2015 to a 40-year prison term.

            In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of members of MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit, and Fifth District, who investigated the cases. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the cases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel, D’Yvonne Key, Joyce Arthur, and Brenda Williams; Victim/Witness Advocates Melissa Milam and Elsa Maltese; La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, also of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Information Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson, and Criminal Investigators Steve Cohen and Durand Odom. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Bates, Elizabeth Danello, Colleen Kennedy, Chrisellen Kolb, Jodi Lazarus, and Elizabeth Trosman for assistance on legal issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Hertzfeld, John L. Hill, Nicholas G. Miranda and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case. 

WASHINGTON – Four teenagers, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a series of violent crimes committed earlier this year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            The four defendants were charged as adults because of the nature of the crime. They include Darius McNeal, 17, Deandre Bullock, 16, Deonta King, 17, and Javon Coe, 17. The pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            McNeal pled guilty to two counts of armed robbery.  The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to 10 years in prison. Bullock pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of robbery.  The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison.  King pled guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of armed robbery.  The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison.  The Honorable Todd E. Edelman scheduled a sentencing hearing for these defendants for July 20, 2018.

            Coe pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of robbery, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.  The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to ten years in prison.  The Honorable Robert A. Salerno scheduled his sentencing for July 20, 2018.

            McNeal, Bullock, King, and Coe pled guilty to an incident that took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, at the Benco Shopping Center located at East Capitol Street SE and Benning Road SE.  According to the government’s evidence, the victim parked his Jeep Compass in front of a carry-out restaurant at the shopping center and went inside the store to pick up food.  As the victim returned to his vehicle and got back into the driver’s seat, McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual approached his vehicle.  McNeal approached the passenger side.  Bullock, King, and Coe approached the driver side and worked together to pull the victim from the driver’s seat of his vehicle, drag him to the ground, and assault him.  King took the victim’s keys from his hand.  Coe, who had a handgun, tried to take the victim’s cellphone, but the victim refused to let go of it.  McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual got into the victim’s vehicle and drove away. 

            McNeal, Bullock, and King also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2018, near Johnson Middle School in the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE.  According to the government’s evidence, McNeal communicated with the victims about buying a pair of shoes through the application OfferUp and told the victims to come to the school.  When the victims arrived, McNeal and another member of the group approached them and asked to see the shoes for sale.  One of the victims showed the shoes and asked for the money.  King and Bullock then approached.  Bullock was wearing a mask and had a black and silver handgun with a laser sight on it.  Bullock ordered one of the victims out of the car and to the ground at gunpoint.  King ordered the other victim out of the driver’s seat of the car, demanded her car keys, and took her phone.  One of the victims struggled with Bullock over the gun, while the other defendants told Bullock to “shoot him.”  The gun went off, firing one round that hit McNeal in the leg.  The victims ran away, and McNeal, Bullock, King, and another individual got into the victims’ vehicle and followed them.

            Finally, Coe also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 4:15 p.m. on March 9, 2018, in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE.  Coe, who was with a group of people, approached the victim, who was a classmate, and put him in a chokehold.  The victim was able to throw Coe to the ground.  Coe then got up, pulled a gun from his waistband, racked the slide, and pointed it at the victim, ordering him to turn over whatever he had. Coe took the victim’s iPhone 6 Plus before fleeing.

            In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.

WASHINGTON - Larry Fearn, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, who was holding their infant child at the time of her death last September, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

            Fearn pled guilty in January 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 22 years in prison. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced Fearn accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Fearn will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, at approximately 9:50 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Seventh District were dispatched to an apartment in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE for the report of a domestic violence assault. Upon their arrival, officers observed an apparent pool of blood in front of the apartment building door. After opening the building’s front door, officers discovered the victim, Paula Coles, 31, lying on her back inside the front door entrance of the building and suffering from apparent stab wounds to the right side of her face, her chin, her left breast, and above her rear right shoulder. Also located was a baby who was covered in Ms. Coles’s blood and had sustained a cut on his hand requiring stitches. The baby, who was approximately 11 months old at the time of the stabbing, was learned to be the child of Fearn and Ms. Coles, and he was in the arms of Ms. Coles during the stabbing.

            The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services attempted life-saving measures, but Ms. Coles was pronounced dead soon after their arrival. An autopsy by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later identified 10 different wounds about her face, neck, thorax, and her right upper arm and shoulder.

            The government’s investigation revealed that Fearn and Ms. Coles had at one point been in a romantic relationship and that Ms. Coles had a history of domestic -related calls for service involving the defendant. In July of 2017, Fearn had been arrested for assaulting Ms. Coles, their child, and another individual. The following day, he was arrested again for violating a stay-away order issued by the Court. Both of these incidents occurred at Ms. Coles’s residence.

            Fearn pled guilty on Aug. 17, 2017, to attempted second-degree cruelty to children and simple assault. He was sentenced the same day to serve 75 days of incarceration. He was released on Sept. 15, 2017. As condition of his probation, he was ordered to stay away from Ms. Coles. However, following his release, he returned to her residence and began residing there.

            Less than 12 hours before the murder, on Sept. 26, 2017, Ms. Coles called 911 to report an argument had erupted between Fearn and an individual with whom she was now romantically involved. Evidence showed that Fearn fled the scene after Ms. Coles called 911. He continued to call her throughout the night, however, and several witnesses overheard him telling Ms. Coles that he would kill her.

            The following morning, at approximately 9 a.m., after Ms. Coles had dropped her older children off at school, the evidence showed that she returned to her apartment to find that Fearn had returned. She notified her current boyfriend that Fearn was in her unit and requested, via text, that he call the police for her. At some point, he called Ms. Coles back, but all he could hear was a scream and a thump before the phone cut off. He then called other neighbors in the building, who informed him that Ms. Coles had been stabbed and was laying in the hallway of the building. Several neighbors then saw Fearn running from the entrance way of the building.

            Fearn was arrested on Sept. 28, 2017, and has remained in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Safe Shores – D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center.

            U.S. Attorney Liu acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura R. Bach and Michelle D. Jackson, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews and Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – The financial manager of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $1.4 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities. 

            Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.

            Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official.  The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia.  Atius’s owner, Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 16.

            According to admissions made in connection with Kanneh’s plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services.  VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.

            According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Kanneh joined the conspiracy in or about October 2016, when she was hired as Atius’s financial manager.  Pursuant to an agreement that Poawui and a VR&E program counselor had entered the prior year, Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius.  In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment. 

            Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to the VR&E counselor.  Kanneh also admitted that she personally hand-delivered cash bribes to the VR&E counselor on numerous occasions.  Between August 2015 and December 2017, Kanneh and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $1,423,030.  During that time period, Kanneh and others paid the VR&E counselor approximately $106,454 in exchange for the counselor’s official acts in furtherance of the scheme to commit bribery and defraud the VA.

           Kanneh’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA OIG.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

The financial manager of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $1.4 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities. 

 

Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.

 

Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official.  The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia.  Atius’s owner, Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 16.

 

According to admissions made in connection with Kanneh’s plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services.  VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.

 

According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Kanneh joined the conspiracy in or about October 2016, when she was hired as Atius’s financial manager.  Pursuant to an agreement that Poawui and a VR&E program counselor had entered the prior year, Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius.  In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment. 

 

Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to the VR&E counselor.  Kanneh also admitted that she personally hand-delivered cash bribes to the VR&E counselor on numerous occasions.  Between August 2015 and December 2017, Kanneh and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $1,423,030.  During that time period, Kanneh and others paid the VR&E counselor approximately $106,454 in exchange for the counselor’s official acts in furtherance of the scheme to commit bribery and defraud the VA.

 

Kanneh’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA OIG.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong agreed to pay the United States $5 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging that his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs and methods (“PEDs”) resulted in the submission of millions of dollars in false claims for sponsorship payments to the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”), which sponsored Armstrong’s cycling team during six of the seven years Armstrong appeared to have won the Tour de France, the Department of Justice announced today.

            “No one is above the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Chad A. Readler.  “A competitor who intentionally uses illegal PEDs not only deceives fellow competitors and fans, but also sponsors, who help make sporting competitions possible.  This settlement demonstrates that those who cheat the government will be held accountable.” 

            From 1996 through 2004, the USPS sponsored a professional cycling team.  The sponsorship agreements required the team to follow the rules of cycling’s governing bodies, including the rules prohibiting the use of certain performance enhancing substances and methods.  Between 1999 and 2004, Lance Armstrong was the lead rider on the team, and he appeared to win cycling’s most prestigious event, the Tour de France, six consecutive times. 

            “This settlement resolves allegations that Lance Armstrong violated the terms of his team’s sponsorship by the U.S. Postal Service,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to protect taxpayer dollars and to ensure that those who do business with the federal government fulfill their contractual obligations.”

            The United States’ lawsuit against Armstrong alleged that Armstrong and his team regularly and systematically employed PEDs, in violation of the USPS sponsorship agreements.  The lawsuit further alleged that Armstrong made numerous false statements, directly and through team managers and spokesmen, to USPS management and to the public denying his PED use to induce the USPS to renew its sponsorship of the team in late 2000, and to increase the sponsorship fees (and, by extension, Armstrong’s own salary) in light of Armstrong’s apparent Tour de France victories in 1999 and 2000.  In addition, the lawsuit alleged that Armstrong took active measures to conceal his PED use during the USPS sponsorship, and even after the sponsorship ended, including lying under oath about his PED use in a 2005 arbitration proceeding involving his entitlement to a bonus for the 2004 Tour de France result; suing the Times of London and one of its sources – a former team masseuse – for libel; and threatening other people with similar lawsuits and other forms of retribution for disclosing their knowledge or suspicions of his doping activities.

            “The Postal Service has strongly supported the Department of Justice’s intervention and pursuit of this case, as it always has been our position that Lance Armstrong misled the Postal Service,” said Thomas J. Marshall, U.S. Postal Service General Counsel and Executive Vice President.  “This matter has now been resolved in a manner that imposes consequences for that wrongful action.  With this case, as in all other instances, the Postal Service vigorously defends our brand and our position as a trusted government institution.”

            In October 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) issued a report and decision finding that Armstrong and his USPS teammates had engaged in a persistent and concerted doping program designed to enable Armstrong to win the Tour de France.  In the wake of the USADA report, Armstrong was stripped of all of his competitive cycling results, including the seven Tour de France wins, and was banned from participating in competitive sports.  Armstrong admitted to his extensive PED-use in a nationally televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in January 2013. 

            “The U.S. Postal Service manages approximately 30,000 contract actions and spends more than $13 billion on contracted supplies and services each fiscal year,” said Scott Pierce, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  “The Office of Inspector General supports the Postal Service by aggressively investigating allegations of misconduct within the contracting process.  In this instance, we worked hand-in-hand with the Civil Division, the United States Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the General Counsel.  Today’s result will have a positive impact on the entire contracting process.”

            The allegations against Armstrong were originally brought in a whistleblower complaint filed in June 2010 by Floyd Landis, a former teammate of Armstrong, who admitted that he, too, had participated in PED use as member of the USPS-sponsored team.  Landis filed his complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.  The Act permits the government to intervene in the whistleblower suit, as the government did here, in part.  Landis will receive $1,100,000 as his share of the settlement.

            The settlement announced today represented a coordinated effort of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Offices of Inspector General and the General Counsel for the United States Postal Service, in their investigation and litigation of this matter. 

            The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Landis v. Tailwind Sports Corporation, et al., No. 10-cv-976 (CRC) (D.D.C.).  The claims against Armstrong contained in the complaint are allegations only and do not constitute a determination of liability. 

WASHINGTON – Steven Davis, 40, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to robbing a bank in the Dupont Circle area of Northwest Washington last fall, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Davis pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to bank robbery. The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2018. Davis faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 37 to 46 months in prison and potential financial penalties. The judge ordered that Davis be detained pending sentencing.

            According to court documents, on Nov. 7, 2017, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Davis entered a branch of TD Bank in DuPont Circle, wearing a baseball hat and one latex glove. Davis approached the teller counter and handed the teller a handwritten note that stated “I have a bag full of explosives hand over the $ now or die.” The teller pulled $500 from the cash register and handed it over. Davis placed the money in his canvas bag and left the bank branch. 

            Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arrived immediately after the robbery and searched the area. Davis attempted to flee by entering the DuPont Circle Metro station. MPD Officers arrested Davis on the lower level platform of the station while he was waiting for a Metro train. He possessed $490 of the $500 he stole from the TD Bank branch.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Shane Browne, 27, formerly of Beverly Hills, Calif., has been found guilty by a jury of federal kidnapping and narcotics charges stemming from an incident last December in which he ordered a Lyft driver at gunpoint to drive him more than 70 miles from Maryland to an apartment building in Washington, D.C.

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

            Browne was found guilty on April 18, 2018 of charges of kidnapping and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2018. The charges carry a total statutory maximum of 25 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Browne could face a possible range of 10 to 12 ½ years of incarceration. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

WASHINGTON – The owner of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $2 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.  Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

            Albert S. Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of bribing a public official.  The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia.

            According to Poawui’s plea agreement, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services.  VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.

            According to admissions made in connection with Poawui’s plea, in or about August 2015, Poawui and a VR&E program counselor agreed that Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius.  In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment. 

            Poawui admitted that the counselor and a second VR&E counselor approved payments to Atius without regard for the accuracy of necessary documentation in order to maximize the scheme’s profits.  Between August 2015 and December 2017, Poawui and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $2,217,259.44.  Poawui paid the first VR&E counselor over $155,000 as part of the illicit bribery scheme.  These bribery payments were hand-delivered by Poawui or an Atius employee to the VR&E counselor or the counselor’s assistant, a veteran who was enrolled in the VR&E program.

            Poawui also admitted that, with the knowing assistance of a second Atius employee, he made numerous false representations to the VA to enhance the scheme’s profits.  For example, Poawui and the second employee certified to the VA that veterans attending Atius were enrolled in up to 32 hours of class per week, when in fact both knew that Atius offered a maximum of six weekly class hours.  After the VA initiated an administrative audit of Atius, Poawui, the VR&E counselor and the Atius employee took steps to conceal the truth about earlier misrepresentations they had made to the VA.

           Poawui’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

The owner of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $2 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.  Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

Albert S. Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of bribing a public official.  The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia.

According to Poawui’s admissions made in connection with his plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services.  VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.

According to admissions made in connection with Poawui’s plea, in or about August 2015, Poawui and a VR&E program counselor agreed that Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius.  In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment. 

Poawui admitted that the counselor and a second VR&E counselor approved payments to Atius without regard for the accuracy of necessary documentation in order to maximize the scheme’s profits.  Between August 2015 and December 2017, Poawui and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $2,217,259.44.  Poawui paid the first VR&E counselor over $155,000 as part of the illicit bribery scheme.  These bribery payments were hand-delivered by Poawui or an Atius employee to the VR&E counselor or the counselor’s assistant, a veteran who was enrolled in the VR&E program.

Poawui also admitted that, with the knowing assistance of a second Atius employee, he made numerous false representations to the VA to enhance the scheme’s profits.  For example, Poawui and the second employee certified to the VA that veterans attending Atius were enrolled in up to 32 hours of class per week, when in fact both knew that Atius offered a maximum of six weekly class hours.  After the VA initiated an administrative audit of Atius, Poawui, the VR&E counselor and the Atius employee took steps to conceal the truth about earlier misrepresentations they had made to the VA.

Poawui’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter.  Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. 

WASHINGTON – Eighteen people have been arrested following their indictments on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking networks that distributed heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area. To date, more than 2,000 grams of cocaine and more than 200 grams of heroin have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with 16 firearms, six vehicles, body armor, and more than $40,000 in cash.

            The charges are contained in two indictments unsealed on April 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The indictments charge a total of 27 people with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine. Two of the arrested defendants –Terrance Antonio Thomas, 46, of Temple Hills, Md., and Darius Wilson, 40, of Waldorf, Md. – are charged in both indictments. Eleven others are charged in one of the cases, and 14 others are charged in the other case. The indictments include a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes.

            One defendant – Zenja Truitt, 47, of Upper Marlboro, Md. – is a teacher in Prince George’s County, Md., and was among those arrested.

            The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.  Numerous law enforcement agencies assisted the FBI and MPD in the arrests and searches, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Prince George's County, Md. Police, Montgomery County, Md. Police, Anne Arundel County, Md., Police, Charles County, Md., Police, and Calvert County, Md. Police Departments,. The number of arrests represents one of the largest enforcement efforts aimed at Washington, D.C. drug trafficking organizations in recent years.

            Seventeen people were arrested on April 12, 2018, and one turned himself in today. Another was already in custody and eight remain at large. The defendants began making court appearances on April 12, 2018, with further proceedings scheduled for today.

            A total of 21 locations were searched during the law enforcement actions on April 12, including four in the District of Columbia, 11 in Prince George’s County, two in Calvert County, Md., one in Charles County, Md., two in Anne Arundel County, Md., and one in Montgomery County, Md.

            If convicted of the charges, 10 defendants face prison sentences of 10 years to life, six face sentences of five to 40 years, and 11 face sentences of up to 20 years.

            In August 2016, the Safe Streets Task Force began a long-term investigation into drug trafficking in the Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Md., border region. The indictments allege that various defendants conspired to carry out various facets of the drug operation from at least June 2016 until October 2017.

             “These arrests and indictments are part of our continuing commitment to protecting the citizens of the District of Columbia from organizations bringing dangerous drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “By breaking up these trafficking networks, we hope to cut off supply of heroin, cocaine and other drugs, and make our neighborhoods safer.”

            "This case represents the epitome of law enforcement agencies working together to target and dismantle drug organizations that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Assistant Director in Charge McNamara. “These arrests should send a strong message that the FBI, along with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, will continue to pursue those who wreak havoc on our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”

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

            In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They acknowledged the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Additionally, they expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Washington D.C./Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Prince George's County, Md. Police, Montgomery County, Md. Police, Anne Arundel County, Md., Police, Charles County, Md., Police, and Calvert County, Md. Police Departments, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

            Finally they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Magdalena Acevedo, Kacie Weston and Mark Aziz, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.