District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former D.C. Teacher Sentenced to Prison Term for Sexually Abusing StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alan Wade Coleman, 47, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced today to three years in prison for sexually abusing one of his students during the 2004-2005 academic year, when Coleman was a teacher at the KIPP D.C. Key Academy middle school in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Coleman pled guilty in October 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree child sexual abuse. The plea was part of a larger plea agreement in which he already pled guilty in Montgomery County, Md., where Coleman then lived and where most of the sexual activity with the student occurred. The plea agreement in the District of Columbia called for an agreed-upon three-year prison term to run concurrently with the sentence to be imposed in Montgomery County. Coleman is to be sentenced there on Feb. 9, 2018; under sentencing guidelines there, he faces a possible four to seven years in prison.
The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Once released from prison, Coleman will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years as a result of his plea in the District of Columbia, and for life as a result of his plea in Montgomery County. He will also be on supervised release for five years as part of his sentence in the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, during the 2004-2005 academic year, Coleman engaged in sexual acts with the female student, most of which occurred at his apartment in Takoma Park, Md.; at the time she was 14 and 15 years old. On those occasions, Coleman would drive the girl to Maryland from a location either at, or near, the KIPP School. However, on several occasions during that academic year, Coleman drove her to a location in the District, where he parked and engaged in sexual acts with her in his vehicle. Coleman remained in a relationship with the girl until she was 19.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigation Division. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Shooting Man and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Rayvon Jamison, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on charges stemming from a series of crimes, including one in which he shot a man in the leg in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Jamison pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted possession with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa Demeo. Following his prison term, Jamison will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 27, 2017, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Jamison was stopped by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in the 4300 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE, driving a car that a robbery suspect was believed to have entered. A search of the car resulted in the recovery of approximately 270.5 grams of synthetic cannabinoids, some of which was packaged in 22 small portions individually wrapped in plastic bags, as well as dozens of empty clear plastic baggies and a small digital scale.
While he was free on personal recognizance in that case, on April 19, 2017, at approximately 4:45 p.m., Jamison and two others approached a woman who had pulled into a gas station in the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. Jamison immediately threatened the victim, produced a black handgun, pointed it at her, and ordered her to move, threatening to shoot at her car. At one point, he showed the woman the inside of his backpack, which contained approximately three to four additional firearms. The victim then fled and reported the incident to a nearby police officer. Jamison was arrested within minutes, about a block away from the gas station. Officers discovered that he had a firearm in his front left pants pocket.
Jamison absconded on July 10, 2017 from a halfway house where he had been placed while awaiting trial in the gun-related case. Then, on July 29, 2017, at approximately 10 p.m., MPD officers were dispatched to the sound of gunshots in the area of the 300 block of Anacostia Road SE. The victim was found on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg. A subsequent investigation led to Jamison’s arrest on Sept. 15, 2017. 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, including detectives from the Sixth Police District. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff and the Violent Repeat Offender Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rizwan A. Qureshi, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Assaults, Attacked Woman and 11-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Joseph Ramsey, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 25-year prison term on charges stemming from two sexual assaults, including an armed attack on a 25-year-old woman in September 2012 and another assault on an 11-year-old girl in March 2015, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Ramsey pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of first-degree sexual abuse while armed and first-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent on the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison term of 25 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Once released from prison, Ramsey will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. He also will be placed on 15 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the first attack took place on Sept. 6, 2012, at approximately 11:15 p.m. The victim, 25, was walking home from the Deanwood Metro station. Ramsey approached her as she turned onto 45th Place NE and as she walked into an alley leading to the rear of her home. He pulled out a black handgun as he ran towards her. Ramsey then forced her onto her knees and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. The victim reported the assault immediately and was transported to Washington Hospital Center for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE), which included collection of forensic evidence.
In the second assault, in the early evening of March 1, 2015 an 11-year-old girl encountered Ramsey in the 3300 block of Stanton Road SE. She and the defendant went into a nearby apartment building, and he sexually assaulted the child on the basement landing. She immediately reported the assault and was transported to Children’s National Medical Center for an examination, which included collection of forensic evidence.
Forensic analysis of the evidence collected following the two assaults revealed that the same unknown male DNA profile was found on the biological material in both cases. Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Youth Investigation Division developed the defendant as a suspect in these assaults and obtained a warrant to collect a DNA sample from him. Forensic analysis revealed that Ramsey’s DNA profile matched the unknown male DNA profile found in the sex kits collected following both assaults. Ramsey was charged in this case in February 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Youth Investigation Division. She expressed appreciation to Deputy U.S. Marshals William Straw and Justin Bankert, of the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as to Bode Cellmark Forensics. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Contract Specialist Sallie Rynas; David Foster, LaJune Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, Angelina Slagle, Tiffany Jones, Michelle Wicker, and Jason Manuel, and Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston, Sumit Mallick, and Jason Park, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
U.S. Files Amended Complaint to Forfeit $500,000 in EB-5 Funds from Sanctioned Chinese Coal Company Accused of Laundering Money for North KoreaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The United States has filed an amended complaint to forfeit an additional $500,000, for an aggregate amount of $4,583,935, from Dandong Chengtai Trading Co. Ltd. also known as Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Material Co., Ltd, and its owner Chi Yupeng, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office.
The original complaint, which sought to forfeit $4,083,935, was filed on Aug. 22, 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the complaint, Dandong Chengtai is owned by a Chinese national, Chi Yupeng, and is based in Dandong, China. The investigation revealed that North Korea exports coal for the benefit of the North Korean government, and in particular, its military. Coal generates over $1 billion in revenue per year for North Korea.
Also on Aug. 22, 2017, the Treasury Department designated Dandong Zhicheng for having sold coal from North Korea. The designation noted that Dandong Zhicheng allegedly used the foreign exchange received from the end users of North Korean coal to purchase other items for North Korea, including nuclear and missile components. Chi Yupeng was also designated, for having used a network of companies to engage in bulk purchases, wire transfers, and other transactions on behalf of North Korean interests.
Today’s amended complaints adds $500,000 seized from an EB-5 visa investment account. The EB-5 visa program provides a method for eligible immigrant investors to become lawful permanent residents (i.e., “green card holders”) by investing at least $500,000 to finance a business in a targeted employment area in the United States that will employ at least 10 American workers.
From on or about Nov. 5, 2015, through Nov. 13, 2015, according to the amended complaint, Chi Yupeng and his wife directed 12 wire transfers by 12 different individuals for a combined total of approximately $568,405 into a bank account in the United States controlled by a family member. These wires ranged in values between approximately $31,335 and $50,000, which the government alleges was part of a scheme to circumvent Chinese capital outflow rules. On Nov. 13, 2015, the same day as the final transfer into the U.S. bank account, Chi Yupeng and his wife caused a wire for $550,100 to be sent to an EB-5 investment program account.
The amended complaint states that those funds are subject to forfeiture as Chi Yupeng and Dandong Chengtai generated millions of dollars of revenue from the illegal sale of North Korean coal that benefitted sanctioned entities in North Korea. The subsequent laundering of the proceeds of these transactions, including by attempting to invest in the EB-5 program is in violation of U.S. law.
The claims made in the complaint are only allegations and do not constitute a determination of liability.
The FBI’s Chicago Field Office, with support from the FBI Counterproliferation Center, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S Attorneys Arvind K. Lal, Zia M. Faruqui, Christopher B. Brown, Deborah Curtis, Ari Redbord, and Brian P. Hudak are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Robbing Food Delivery WorkerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deavies Kelley, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a five-year prison term for robbing a food delivery driver of the man’s scooter last year in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Kelley pled guilty in October 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley. Upon completion of his prison term, Kelley will be placed on five years of supervised release. At the time he committed this crime, Kelley was on supervised release stemming from a 2013 robbery conviction. He could face additional prison term for violating terms of his release.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 21, 2017, at approximately 9:20 p.m., the victim rode his motor scooter to the 300 block of O Street SW to make a food delivery. When he arrived, he saw a group of individuals and asked them if they had ordered food. Kelley replied, “Yes” and gave his name as “Marcus.” Because “Marcus” was not the name of the person who ordered the food, the victim drove around the block. When he returned, he asked the group the same questions. This time, an accomplice of Kelley’s placed a cold metal object to the victim’s head and told him to get on the ground. The victim got off his scooter and laid down on the pavement. Kelley drove off with the scooter. The victim walked away and called 911.
The scooter was recovered the next day. Kelley, who was wearing a GPS monitoring device at the time of the crime, was linked to the robbery and arrested on June 13, 2017. No others have been arrested in the investigation.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Manzo, who prosecuted the case.
Two Former Employees of House Member Plead Guilty to Charges in Cyberstalking CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two former staff employees of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives pled guilty today to charges stemming from the circulation of private, nude images and videos of the member and the member’s spouse, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the United States Capitol Police.
Juan R. McCullum, 36, of Washington, D.C., and Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Md., entered the guilty pleas in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. McCullum pled guilty to two federal cyber-related charges and two District of Columbia offenses, including conspiracy to disclose sexual images and attempted first-degree unlawful publication of a sexual image. Browne-Louis pled guilty to one federal cyber charge and the District of Columbia offense of conspiracy to disclose sexual images. The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled McCullum’s sentencing for March 8, 2018 and scheduled Browne-Louis’s sentencing for April 23, 2018. Each of the federal charges carries a statutory maximum of a year in prison and each District of Columbia offense carries up to 180 days in jail.
McCullum’s plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of one year and 361 days of incarceration, with all but one year and a day suspended on the condition that he successfully completes two years of supervised probation. During his probation, McCullum would be required to perform 100 hours of community service.
Both defendants were indicted in July 2017 following an investigation by the United States Capitol Police.
According to statements of offense filed as part of the guilty plea, McCullum worked from April 2015 until June 2016 in the House member’s legislative office in Washington, D.C. Browne-Louis worked in the same office from January 2015 until April 2016.
According to the documents, during the course of his employment, McCullum offered in March 2016 to assist the House member in repairing the member’s malfunctioning, password-protected iPhone by taking the device to a local Apple store. The House member provided McCullum with the device solely to have it repaired. The House member later provided the password so that the device could be unlocked by the Apple store solely for the purpose of having the iPhone repaired. McCullum was not given permission to take, copy, or distribute any of the contents of the iPhone. The iPhone contained the private, nude images and videos.
In July 2016, the documents state, after McCullum left the House member’s staff, he engaged in a course of conduct that included creating a Hotmail account and a Facebook social media account, using a fictitious name, to distribute and post the private, nude images and videos. In addition, he made Browne-Louis aware that he was in possession of the images from the iPhone. Further, McCullum encouraged others on social media to redistribute the private, nude images and videos in the member’s congressional district. Browne-Louis assisted by providing McCullum with e-mail addresses and other contact information to distribute the images. Browne-Louis also distributed one of the private, nude images to a person who was working on the campaign of a challenger to the member’s primary election. McCullum and Browne-Louis understood their actions did cause, and were likely to cause, emotional harm to the House member and spouse, as well as the member’s re-election, the plea documents state.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Verderosa commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Capitol Police. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Bianca Evans, Diane Brashears, and Matthew Ruggiero, and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Thomas Royal, and Paul Howell. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla, Youli Lee, and Veronica Jennings, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 14 1/2 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Avery Kinney, 25, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 14 ½ years in prison for three armed robberies that he committed in one weekend, in which he robbed two separate transgender women and also robbed a young man whose phone he had arranged to buy through the website OfferUp, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Kinney was found guilty by a jury in August 2017 of two counts each of armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of felony fleeing. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Kinney subsequently pled guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a third incident that same weekend. He was sentenced on Jan. 19, 2018, by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Kinney will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016 at about 5 a.m., the victim, a transgender woman, was standing in the unit block of K Street NW when she asked Kinney for a ride. Kinney drove around with her for about five minutes and then pulled the car over. The moment the victim turned her head, Kinney pulled out an imitation firearm and pointed it at her head while demanding her purse. The victim tried to get out of the car with her purse. Kinney then ripped the purse out of her hand, breaking two of her fingernails in the process. Kinney then fled the scene.
Two days later, on Sept. 11, 2016, Kinney again went to K Street and offered a ride to another victim, also a transgender woman. He again drove around with this victim for about five minutes and pulled the car over. Kinney distracted the victim and got her to look out the window, at which point he pulled out an imitation firearm and threatened to shoot her in the head unless she gave him her purse. Kinney again sped off.
Several officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene and Kinney’s vehicle was soon spotted a few blocks away. A brief car chase ensued, where Kinney ran stop signs and weaved through traffic at a high rate of speed. Kinney fled the scene.
Kinney also pled guilty in September 2017 to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon involving a third crime that he committed that same weekend.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 11, 2016, at about 3 p.m., Kinney arranged to meet the third victim for the purpose of completing a transaction that began on the OfferUp website. When he arrived at the meeting place, in the 500 block of 59th Street NE, Kinney pointed an imitation firearm at the victim, demanded his phone, and threatened to shoot him. Kinney then fled the scene.
Kinney’s car was found weeks later and both the imitation firearm used in all three incidents and the second victim’s metro card were found during the execution of a search warrant. He was arrested on Sept. 27, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Danello; Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Debra McPherson; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph; Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Nelson Rhone, and Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Allen and Jennifer Clark. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Jackson and Jillian Willis, who investigated, prosecuted, and tried the cases.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Escape Charge, Caught After Failing to Return to Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Abner Caudle, 40, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a federal escape charge following his arrest last summer by the U.S. Marshals Service after failing to return to a halfway house where he had been placed, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Robert Turner, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia.
Caudle pled guilty on Jan. 22, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 26, 2018, by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta.
According to the government’s evidence, Caudle had pled guilty in March 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a drug offense. In February 2015, upon a finding that Caudle violated the terms of his supervised release, the Honorable Reggie B. Walton sentenced him to a year of imprisonment. The latter part of that sentence was to be served in a halfway house in Southeast Washington. On Sept. 1, 2015, Caudle started his halfway house placement. As a resident of the facility, he was allowed to leave the center in order to go to work. On Nov. 7, 2015, Caudle left the facility, purportedly for work, and did not return.
Per protocol, halfway house staff members contacted area hospitals, law enforcement authorities and the emergency contact number that the defendant provided at the time of his administrative processing into the facility. They determined that he had not been hospitalized or arrested, or was otherwise unable to return to the halfway house. All such checks returned negative, and so Caudle was placed on escape status and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
In August of 2017, members of the U.S. Marshals Service learned that Caudle was involved in a motor vehicle accident. That information led to Caudle being tracked to a hotel in the 1700 block of New Hampshire Avenue NW, in downtown Washington. He was arrested there on Aug. 17, 2017, and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Turner commended the work of those who captured Caudle after his escape. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked in the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Walters for their valuable efforts in the prosecution of this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Offense Committed Months After Release from Prison in Shooting CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vincenzo Lomax, 22, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on July 4, 2017, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lomax pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He is to be sentenced on May 31, 2018 by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. He faces a statutory maximum of 10 years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 4, 2017, just after 2 a.m., MPD officers were in full uniform patrolling the 3200 block of Buena Vista Terrace SE, when they observed a small group of individuals —including Lomax— in the middle of the street. Lomax was wearing a backpack strapped to the front of his chest. Approximately 10 seconds after officers stopped their car to make contact with the group, Lomax took off in a full sprint. While he ran from officers, Lomax tossed his backpack, which contained a loaded firearm, to the ground.
After tossing the backpack, Lomax jumped a fence, continued running, and hid from officers at the bottom of an exterior stairwell leading to a residence. MPD officers set up a perimeter in an attempt to ensure that Lomax did not escape. Within several minutes, police located him crouched in a fetal position hiding at the bottom of the stairwell and sweating profusely. The cellphone that he was holding was subsequently searched pursuant to a search warrant and contained several photographs of Lomax holding numerous firearms. Lomax was arrested and has remained in custody ever since.
At the time of his arrest, Lomax was on supervision with the U.S. Parole Commission in connection with a March 20, 2015 shooting that took place in broad daylight aboard a Metrobus in Southeast Washington. As the bus traveled in the 2200 block of Good Hope Road SE, Lomax and a male passenger were involved in an altercation that prompted Lomax to pull out a loaded pistol. While Lomax and the male passenger physically struggled with each other, Lomax ended up shooting a wholly uninvolved innocent woman. Fortunately, the woman’s injuries were not life-threatening. Lomax pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two felony offenses related to the shooting and was sentenced in June 2015 to two years in prison. He faces formal revocation of his supervised release and additional incarceration separate and apart from the sentence that he faces for possessing a firearm on July 4, 2017.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the MPD officers who investigated the case. 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, Kondi Kleinman, and Jason Feldman, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Former Bank Teller Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Stealing More Than $185,000 from Homeless CustomerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former bank teller was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay full restitution for stealing more than $185,000 from a longtime customer of the bank, a homeless man, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Phelon Davis, 30, of District Heights, Md., pled guilty in September 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to interstate transportation of stolen property. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on two years of supervised release; the first six months of that time is to be spent on home confinement. Davis already has paid $6,000 in restitution, and the judge today ordered him to pay an additional $179,440. Judge Sullivan also ordered Davis to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $179,440 and to perform 100 hours of community service.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Davis worked in 2014 as a teller at a national bank in Washington, D.C. One of the bank’s longtime customers, who was homeless and earned money as a street vendor, maintained more than one account with the bank. However, by October 2014, his accounts had gone dormant due to a lack of activity.
In October 2014, the customer attempted to deposit thousands of dollars into one of his accounts. Because he lacked identification and the accounts had gone into dormant status, Davis instructed the customer where to go to obtain identification documents and a Social Security card. In reviewing the customer’s accounts, Davis noticed that the customer had a surprisingly large balance. As a result, Davis devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain the customer’s money.
Later that month, Davis used the identification means of the customer to fraudulently open a new account in the customer’s name. He forged the customer’s signature on the application and had an ATM card issued for the newly opened account. Over the next two years, without the customer’s knowledge, Davis logged into the customer’s accounts online and transferred money between the accounts. All told, from approximately Oct. 22, 2014 through Oct. 26, 2016, Davis used ATMs on 144 occasions to withdraw $185,440 from the customer’s accounts. The customer, meanwhile, did not receive bank statements during this time, did not use e-mail, and did not have access to a computer.
Davis used the stolen money for his personal benefit, including funding a down payment on his residence, paying off personal debt, and paying for vacations in Jamaica, Aruba, and Mexico.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia M. Faruqui and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendrack D. Lewis, who handled forfeiture issues; Criminal Investigator Shannon Alexis, and Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Brazen Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Smoot, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for a broad-daylight robbery of a bank in the Brentwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smoot pled guilty to bank robbery in September 2017. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Following his prison term, Smoot will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $5,121 in restitution.
The government’s evidence established that on July 5, 2017, at approximately 9:45 a.m., Smoot entered a TD Bank in the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE and handed two notes to the bank tellers that stated, “No Die pack, No police, All your money.” With a bank full of customers, Smoot threatened the tellers with words to the effect of: “Give me all the money or I’ll kill everyone in here.”
In response, the bank tellers – with their hands raised in fear for their lives – gave Smoot approximately $5,121. Smoot put the money in a black gym bag and walked out of the bank. The bank tellers immediately advised law enforcement of the robbery and members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes MPD detectives, responded to the bank.
Law enforcement tracked Smoot to a residence on 60th Street NE, and immediately began conducting surveillance outside of the residence. Although Smoot had changed some of his clothing, he could be seen wearing the same watch and light grey shoes that could be seen on the TD Bank surveillance video. A search warrant was executed at the residence and the gym bag and pants worn by Smoot in the bank surveillance video were also recovered. Law enforcement also later recovered property taken from the bank from a storm drain in front of the residence.
The bank was processed by crime scene investigators and additional evidence was recovered that ultimately linked Smoot to the bank robbery. Specifically, an expert identified four fingerprints that were left by Smoot on a magazine that was left on the teller’s counter with the notes demanding the money. Additionally, a handwriting expert compared the handwriting on the two demand notes to known handwriting samples authored by Smoot and concluded that Smoot had authored the two notes that were left behind at the scene.
Smoot was arrested on July 7, 2017, and has been in custody ever since. At the time of his arrest, Smoot was on supervised release for unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Smoot now faces formal revocation of his supervised release and additional incarceration, separate from the above-referenced sentence.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD officers in the Fifth and Sixth Districts in quickly investigating and arresting Smoot. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster, Laura Crane, and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marina Stevenson, Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Rommel Pachoca, and Legal Assistants Kate Abrey and Peter Gaboton.
District Man Indicted on Charges in 2006 Sexual Assault of Woman in Woodley ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harold Luckett, 50, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on felony charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman during a home invasion burglary in the Woodley Park area of Northwest Washington in November 2006, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Luckett was indicted on Jan. 17, 2017, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, one count of first-degree burglary, and related charges. He pled not guilty at his arraignment today and remains held pending a detention hearing on Feb. 2, 2018. If convicted of the charges, he faces a maximum sentence of life without possibility of release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 10, 2006, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Luckett entered an apartment in the 3000 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, where the victim was home alone. According to the evidence, Luckett was a stranger to the victim and did not have permission to enter the apartment. He allegedly attacked her in the bathroom and sexually assaulted her by force. The victim fought back during the assault, and her attacker ultimately fled the scene. The victim immediately ran out of her apartment into the hallway to get help.
The victim made an immediate report to the police, who responded promptly. Evidence was collected during the investigation that was later sent for forensic testing. That testing revealed an unknown male DNA profile developed from the evidence. That unknown male DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. According to the government’s evidence, the profile from the assailant matched the DNA profile of Luckett.
Luckett was arrested on Jan. 18, 2018.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit and Second Police District. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Executive Assistant Shelia Miller.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Charges in Shooting at Columbia Heights Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cesar Morales, 23, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from a shooting that took place last summer at the Columbia Heights Metro station in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Morales was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and related firearm offenses. The verdict followed a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jennifer A. Di Toro scheduled sentencing for April 4, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 25, 2017 at approximately 12:20 p.m., Morales chased the victim around the Columbia Heights Metro station. As they reached the top of the escalators on the west entrance, Morales fired one shot with a .22-caliber Ruger towards the victim. Luckily, the victim was able to run away and get through the station unharmed. At the time of the shooting, dozens of people were in and around the station.
Morales fled westbound on Irving Street NW, making a right on Hyatt Place and then a left onto Park Road NW. Within minutes, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were able to contact and attempted to stop the defendant and another individual. When officers asked to see Morales’s hands, the defendant reached in his waistband and fled from the officers. Officers observed Morales toss a firearm. Morales was able to get away.
Video surveillance captured the shooting outside the Metro station and the victim running inside the station. Body-worn camera of the officers captured the stop minutes after the shooting. MPD released video and an investigation led to Morales’s arrest on Aug. 31, 2017. He has been in custody ever since. A casing was recovered from the Metro station stairs that was determined to have been fired by the firearm recovered in defendant’s flight path.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department. She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Forensic Science Laboratory of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Trigoso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced to 70-Month Prison Terms on Federal Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronald H. Furman, 34, of Philadelphia, and Juan R. Zenil, 31, of Donna, Texas, have been sentenced to 70-month prison terms on federal drug distribution charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Neil Trugman, Chief of the Amtrak Police Department, and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Furman and Zenil earlier pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of unlawful possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. They were sentenced on Jan. 11, 2018, by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Following his prison term, Furman will be placed on four years of supervised release. After his prison term, Zenil is subject to deportation to Mexico.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Dec. 1, 2016, Furman and Zenil together boarded an Amtrak train in Atlanta. They were travelling together to Philadelphia on tickets that Furman had purchased. On Dec. 2, 2016, the Amtrak train arrived at Union Station in Washington, D.C. for a stopover.
At that time, law enforcement officers approached Furman and Zenil. Zenil, consented to a search of his bag and officers discovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine inside, wrapped in plastic and duct tape. After a drug dog alerted to the presence of a controlled substance in Furman’s bag, officers obtained a search warrant. In a search of the bag, officers discovered approximately three kilograms of cocaine wrapped in plastic and duct tape.
Furman and Zenil were both placed under arrest. According to the government’s evidence, Furman and Zenil possessed this cocaine jointly with the intent to distribute it to others. Both men have been in custody since their arrests.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu, Amtrak Chief Trugman, and Special Agent in Charge Colder commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Amtrak Police Department and the DEA. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Bateman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who indicted and prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Randy Koontz, 39, of Baltimore, Md., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison on federal charges of distribution of child pornography and traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Chief of the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Koontz pled guilty to the charges in March 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Prior to his arrest in this case, Koontz was convicted in 2008 of shipment/transportation of child pornography and in 2001 of possession of child pornography. He served prison terms for those offenses and was required to register as a sex offender. He was out of prison and on supervised release for only two years before he committed the crimes in this case.
According to the government's evidence, beginning on March 8, 2015, Koontz engaged in communications with an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, through a social network site. During the course of communications over a nearly month-long period, Koontz provided the undercover officer with videos of child pornography. Koontz also expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with a purported female minor. During this period, Koontz arranged with the undercover officer to meet in the District of Columbia for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with that child. On April 2, 2015, Koontz traveled from Baltimore to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived at the meeting place, he was arrested. He has remained in custody ever since.
A laptop computer and two cellular phones were taken by law enforcement from Koontz at the time of his arrest. Additionally, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Koontz’s room at a boarding house in Baltimore and seized additional electronic devices. The FBI forensically examined the items seized from the defendant and discovered several thousand images and videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office, MPD, and the Fairfax County Police Department. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director Vale, Chief Roessler, and Chief Newsham praised the work of the MPD Detectives, Fairfax County, Va. Police, and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Donhue Troy Griffith and Michelle Wicker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who prosecuted the matter.
Former Teacher Extradited from United Kingdom to Face Charges He Sexually Abused StudentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Robert Wilson Leach, 33, of Silver Spring, Md., has been extradited from the United Kingdom on charges alleging that he sexually abused his female middle school students while working as a math teacher at a public charter school in Northwest Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Leach was arrested in July 2015 in the United Kingdom, and has been incarcerated since that time while he contested extradition to the United States for 2 ½ years. Leach was brought to the United States on Jan. 5, 2018, and made his first appearance in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was ordered detained pending a detention hearing set for Jan. 10, 2018, before the Honorable Judge Milton C. Lee.
The indictment charges Leach with multiple sexual offenses against two children: two counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, one count of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, four counts of enticing a child with aggravating circumstances, and sexual performance of a minor. The indictment also charged Leach with assault as to a third child victim, but that charge was not extraditable.
According to the government’s evidence, the sexual abuse of Leach’s students began in 2011, when his first victim was 12 years old and in the defendant’s seventh-grade math class at Meridian Public Charter School. The abuse allegedly continued until Dec. 31, 2013, when another victim’s mother discovered the abuse and threatened to report Leach to the police. The defendant, a United States citizen, departed the Washington, D.C. area the same day and flew to the Grand Cayman Islands. He never returned to work at the middle school, and subsequently moved to the United Arab Emirates to work as a teacher.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State provided substantial assistance in securing extradition.
Assistance has been provided by the United States Marshals Service, INTERPOL Washington, the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John L. Hill and Julianne Johnston of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Angelina Slagle and Jessica Moffatt and Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Maltese.
District Woman Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Beating Death of Three-Year-Old SonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Francis Lyles, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 45 years in prison on charges of felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children in the beating death of her three-year-old son in June 2014, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Lyles was found guilty by a jury in November 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Zoe Bush. Following her prison term, Lyles will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 18, 2014, Lyles beat her three-year-old son, Xavier, for upsetting her newborn’s bouncer seat. On June 23, 2014, at about 8:30 p.m., Lyles became upset again with her son, who had been running through their apartment in Southeast Washington. She repeatedly beat him with her hands and/or fists, causing multiple bruises and a lacerated liver. She used so much force that the child’s kidney avulsed from the urethral casing. Xavier lost approximately one third of his blood from internal bleeding. He vomited and was left unattended without food, water or medical treatment for about 15 hours.
At about 11 a.m. on June 24, 2014, Lyles entered the child’s room and tried to wake him. He was not moving or breathing. Lyles first called her cousin and then called 911 for an ambulance. The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services came to the residence, and Xavier was pronounced dead in the ambulance. The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Xavier died from multiple blunt force injuries and the cause of death was homicide.
Initially, Lyles led law enforcement to believe that her boyfriend had beaten the child when she left Xavier in his care. The boyfriend lived with Lyles and her children in the apartment. For weeks, law enforcement followed her information and leads. As the investigation continued, however, the prosecution learned that, contrary to her statements, Lyles was responsible for the death of her son. Lyles’s cousin had an app which recorded all of their incoming and outgoing phone calls. Several calls were found in which the defendant admitted to having “whooped “her son on several occasions. According to the medical examiner’s office, the child had more than 70 injuries.
Lyles was arrested on Sept. 16, 2014, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the U.S. Secret Service. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.
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, Michelle D. Jackson, Lindsey Merikas, Chrisellen Kolb, and John Mannarino; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Victim/Witness Advocates Marcia Rinker, Jennifer Clark, Karen Giannakoulias, and Tracy Owusu; Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Mia Beamon, Alesha Matthews, Meridith McGarrity, Stephanie Gilbert, and Lornce Applewhite; Criminal Investigators Durand Odom, Tommy Miller, John Marsh, Melissa Matthew, Nelson Rhone, Mark Crawford, Shannon Alexis, Sharon Johnson, and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Paul Howell, Jeannie Latimore-Brown, Joshua Ellen, and Leif Hickling.
Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Murder and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Hough, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 29 years in prison on murder and narcotics charges, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Hough pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree murder while armed with a firearm and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance while armed with a firearm. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence between 17 and 29 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to the upper end of the agreed range, in accordance with the Government’s recommendation.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Bartnoff called Hough’s actions “inexplicable” and noted that he was on pretrial release for the drug case when he committed the murder. She also noted that there was no justification for the defendant’s actions and that the victim was shot in the back. She added: “What we can’t have in this city is people who have a beef with each other shooting each other. There has to be another way.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 19, 2016, at approximately 8:20 p.m., Hough took off in unprovoked flight, on foot, from several officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) near the 900 block of Varney Street SE. The officers apprehended him in the rear alley of the 900 block of Varney Street SE a few minutes later. Officers canvassed the area and found two items on the ground nearby: a 9mm firearm, loaded with a single round, and a 9mm magazine loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition. DNA testing on the firearm showed that Hough’s DNA was on the firearm. Officers also recovered from Hough’s person on the scene numerous, empty, small baggies. A subsequent search at the Seventh District Station, and testing by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, revealed that Hough had 6.8 grams of cocaine on him as well. During his plea, Hough acknowledged possessing the firearm, the empty zips, and the cocaine at the same time, and admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine.
After being arrested for those offenses on Nov. 19, 2016, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hough was released by the Court on Nov. 23, 2016, with conditions including that he wear a GPS tracking anklet and not possess any firearms.
The murder took place roughly a month later. At approximately 1:20 p.m. on Dec. 27, 2016, Herbert Dowtin, 22, was walking in the 800 block of Xenia Street SE. Hough, who knew Mr. Dowtin and had previously argued with him, walked up behind Mr. Dowtin and fired 10 shots at him, hitting him eight times. These gunshot wounds caused the death of Mr. Dowtin later that day. Hough then fled, discarding the 9mm firearm under some black fabric fencing approximately two blocks away. The firearm was recovered with the assistance of a gun dog and later was ballistically matched to the shell casings found at the scene. DNA testing on the firearm showed that the defendant was one of the people whose DNA was on the firearm. Hough was wearing his pretrial GPS anklet at the time of the murder, but later cut that anklet off in an attempt to evade prosecution. Hough was arrested on Jan. 6, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
During his plea, Hough acknowledged that Mr. Dowtin was unarmed when he shot him and that Hough was not acting in self-defense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, the Seventh Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. She also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen and Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; and former Intern Julia Banegas. Finally, she commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Bruckmann and Marybeth Manfreda, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Selects District of Columbia to Receive Additional Prosecutor to Help Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions has selected the District of Columbia to receive additional resources for the fight against violent crime. The district will receive an additional Assistant U.S. Attorney to focus exclusively on violent crime, one of 40 new federal prosecutors in 27 selected locations throughout the United States.
“Led by our 94 United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) task forces are hitting the streets across America to apprehend and bring violent criminals to justice. I have asked Congress for additional PSN funding because I believe nothing will be more effective at reducing violent crime,” said Attorney General Sessions. "Under this program, I am asking a great deal of our United States Attorneys. I am both empowering them and holding them accountable for results. To put them in the best position to impact and reduce violent crime, it is my privilege to announce that through a re-allocation of resources, we will be enlisting and deploying 40 additional violent crime prosecutors across the United States."
“These extra resources will help us focus on the most violent areas and offenders in the District of Columbia while still meeting our many other responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu. “We are grateful for the Attorney General’s support and look forward to getting our reinforcements to work on behalf of the citizens of the District of Columbia.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and other law enforcement partners on a Justice Department initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) that is expected to generate additional cases focusing on violent crime. Under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to a coordinated law enforcement approach and identifying and addressing the most violent locations in the District of Columbia and the offenders.
Although the violent crime rate in the District of Columbia has generally declined since 2015, law enforcement continues to identify specific groups of violent offenders and “hot spot” areas within the city that correlate with significant violent crime. The hiring of an additional prosecutor will enable the U.S. Attorney’s Office to sharpen its focus on offenders in those hot spots and investigate and charge a wide range of offenses, including federal firearm offenses, Hobbs Act robberies, homicides, and racketeering conspiracies. The prosecutor will work with the Office’s Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
In addition to the District of Columbia, Attorney General Sessions has announced that each of these jurisdictions will receive additional prosecutors:
Northern District of Alabama - 1
Eastern District of Arkansas - 1
Northern District of California - 2
Southern District of California - 1
District of Connecticut - 1
Central District of Illinois - 1
Northern District of Illinois - 3
Southern District of Indiana - 1
Eastern District of Louisiana - 1
District of Maryland - 3
Western District of Michigan - 1
Eastern District of Missouri - 2
Western District of Missouri - 1
District of Nevada - 2
District of New Mexico - 1
Eastern District of New York - 2
Western District of New York - 1
Northern District of Ohio - 2
Eastern District of Pennsylvania - 1
Middle District of Tennessee - 2
Western District of Tennessee - 2
Eastern District of Texas - 1
Northern District of Texas - 1
Southern District of Texas - 2
Western District of Texas - 1
Eastern District of Wisconsin – 2Two Romanian Suspects Charged with Hacking of Metropolitan Police Department Surveillance Cameras in Connection with Ransomware SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint and arrest warrants were unsealed today charging two Romanian nationals with a conspiracy to illegally access approximately 123 computers associated with Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) surveillance cameras and to use those computers in connection with a scheme to distribute ransomware in January 2017.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, made the announcement.
Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28, of Romania, were arrested on Dec. 15, 2017, at the Otopeni airport in Bucharest, Romania. The complaint was filed under seal on Dec. 11, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Both defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit various forms of computer fraud. Isvanca remains in custody in Romania and Cismaru is on house arrest there pending further legal proceedings.
As described in the affidavit in support of the complaint, on Jan. 12, 2017, the Secret Service was notified that a number of MPD surveillance cameras had been compromised. Agents from the Washington Field Office immediately launched an investigation. The investigation uncovered information that the MPD surveillance camera computers were compromised between Jan. 9 and Jan. 12, 2017, and that ransomware variants called “cerber” and “dharma” had been stored on the computers. Other evidence in the investigation revealed a scheme to distribute ransomware by email to at least 179,000 email addresses.
According to the complaint, further investigation showed that the two defendants, Isvanca and Cismaru, participated in the ransomware scheme using the compromised MPD surveillance camera computers, among others. The investigation also identified certain victims who had received the ransomware or whose servers had been accessed during the scheme.
This case was of the highest priority due to its impact on the Secret Service’s protective mission and its potential effect on the security plan for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. In partnership with MPD’s Chief Technology Office, the Secret Service and MPD quickly ensured that the surveillance camera system was secure and operational prior to the Inauguration and continued to investigate the criminal offenses charged.
The investigation revealed no evidence that any person’s physical security was threatened or harmed due to the disruption of the MPD surveillance cameras.
The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years of incarceration. 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 investigation into this matter was conducted by the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. Assistance was provided by law enforcement partners in the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom, The Netherland’s National High Tech Crimes Unit, the Romanian National Police (Service for Combating Cybercrime), MPD, and the FBI’s Washington, D.C. and Houston Field Offices. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Cyber Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcellus Freeman, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 110 months in prison on a federal firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Freeman pled guilty in October 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Dec. 21, 2017, by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. The sentence is to run consecutively to a 308-month sentence that Freeman is serving in a federal armed carjacking and armored car robbery case prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 26, 2012, Freeman and three other men were involved in an armed robbery of an armored car, a carjacking, and shooting in Takoma Park, Md. The men shot at the armored car driver and a bystander who was the victim of the armed carjacking. The armored car driver was not injured. The bystander, however, was shot in the neck and arm, and required multiple surgeries. Freeman’s fingerprints were found on the armored car’s moneybag and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On Feb. 18, 2013, Freeman was driving an automobile owned by his girlfriend when he was pulled over by police in the District of Columbia. He provided a false identification card and gave an address in Southeast Washington. Once officers realized the identification card was fake, Freeman provided yet another false name. Officers placed Freeman under arrest when they could not verify his information. Freeman told officers he lived with his girlfriend and asked the officers to call her to retrieve the car and his personal belongings. The girlfriend responded and retrieved the items. She provided the same Southeast Washington address as her place of residence. The FBI learned of Freeman’s arrest, confirmed the girlfriend’s address, and obtained a search warrant for the apartment in connection with the Maryland armored car investigation.
The FBI executed a search of the apartment on Feb. 20, 2013. During the search, the FBI recovered crack cocaine as well as a 50-round ammunition box that contained 42 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition. The agents then recovered a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol that was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, matching those found in the ammunition box, between the mattress and the box spring in the bedroom.
Forensic testing subsequently revealed Freeman’s fingerprints on the ammunition box that contained 42 rounds of ammunition. Freeman acknowledged, as part of his plea in this case, that he possessed the firearm in connection with his possession with the intent to distribute the crack cocaine.
In Maryland, Freeman previously pled guilty to robbery, discharging a gun during the robbery, and carjacking for his role in the crimes that took place in Takoma Park.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Kate Abrey, Holly Crouse, and Latoya Wade; Clerk Antonia Jackson, and Interns Jeslin Panicker and Max Ruocco. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos and Akhi Johnson, who prosecuted the case.
Former Head of Non-Profit Organization Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Theft of More Than $400,000Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Blair Wynkoop, 59, the former executive director of a non-profit organization, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison on a charge stemming from the theft of more than $400,000 from the charity, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Wynkoop, of Portland, Oregon, pled guilty in December 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of interstate transportation of stolen property. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Wynkoop will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $385,564 in restitution to a number of charitable organizations and $443,996 in a forfeiture money judgment. While on supervised release, Wynkoop is barred from having a job that gives him unmonitored access to financial accounts. He also can establish no new credit accounts while he is on release.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the guilty plea, Wynkoop became executive director of the charity, identified in court documents as “Company A,” in 2008. The non-profit sought to address the needs of people with HIV or AIDS. It operated as a consortium of independent charities and received charitable donations itself and functioned as a pass-through for donations to its member charities.
At the outset of his tenure as executive director, Wynkoop caused “Company A” to make many of the required distributions of contributions to the member charities. However, from 2010 through 2012, he did not distribute all of the money and used funds for his own benefit.
While he was executive director, Wynkoop wrote checks and made wire transfers from the bank accounts of “Company A” to himself. For some, but not all, of these payments, he provided the non-profit’s part-time bookkeeper with justifications for expenses; many of these justifications were fabricated and designed to conceal the fraud. In the course of the scheme, Wynkoop defrauded the non-profit of more than $400,000.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Acting Inspector General Vint expressed appreciation for the work of Special Agent Christopher Sulhoff and others who assisted with investigating the case from the OPM Inspector General’s Office. They also commended the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Document Management Analyst John Lowell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who handled forfeiture issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault While Armed for Shooting His Neighbor in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Talmadge Jones, 65, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a felony charge stemming from the shooting of his neighbor, which occurred in October 2017 on their block in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Jones pled guilty on Dec. 15, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for April 20, 2018. The charge carries a mandatory minimum term in prison of five years and a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Jones and the victim are neighbors and have known each other for several years. The two men had prior arguments related to the Homeowner Association rules for their gated community.
On Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, at approximately 2:20 p.m., the victim was waxing his car in the driveway outside his home in the 2200 block of Retta Gilliam Court SE. Jones was at his own home on the same street. Jones opened a window and shot the victim once in the chest. The victim fell to the ground bleeding. After the shooting, Jones took his dog, got into his car, and drove away. He was arrested on Nov. 1, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
The gunshot entered the victim’s back, exited his chest, and pierced his heart. As a result of the shooting, the victim sustained serious bodily injuries that required surgery and hospitalization, including at least nine days intubated in an intensive care unit. He is in ongoing rehabilitation and treatment.
In announcing the plea, 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, Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Canaan King, 18, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a four-year prison term for a robbery that occurred near the Fort Totten Metro Station in April 2017, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
King pled guilty in August 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of three to five years in prison. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced King on Dec. 15, 2017, to four years in prison. Following the prison term, King will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, April 24, 2017, at approximately 6:10 p.m., the victim was walking from the Fort Totten Metro Station near the 700 block of Gallatin Street NE. King approached the victim from behind and placed her in a chokehold. A struggle ensued, and King demanded the victim’s iPhone 6S and told her to “be quiet” and “delete your iCloud.” He choked the victim tighter as she tried unsuccessfully to access her iCloud. He then took the iPhone and fled.
The victim’s iPhone 6S was recovered during the execution of a search warrant on King’s residence in Northeast Washington. Following his arrest on April 28, 2017, King admitted robbing the victim, indicating that he grabbed her from behind and took her phone before fleeing.
In announcing the plea, 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. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Rizwan Qureshi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Brown, 49, of North Franklin, Conn., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown pled guilty to the charge in February 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan. Following completion of his prison term, Brown will be placed on 15 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government's evidence, beginning on Aug. 31, 2015, Brown engaged in communications with an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, through a social network site. During the course of the communications, Brown provided the undercover officer with video and images of child pornography. Brown also expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with a purported female minor.
In order to confirm the identity of the defendant, the undercover officer, together with other FBI agents, initiated an investigation that led them to Brown. Brown was registered as a sex offender as a result of a 2005 conviction in Connecticut for distribution of child pornography for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. Brown was arrested in Connecticut on Sept. 17, 2015, and was brought to the District of Columbia to face charges, and has remained in custody ever since. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized a cellular phone and tablet. These were submitted for forensic analysis. Law enforcement located thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography on the two devices.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director Vale, and Chief Newsham praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Criminal Investigator John Marsh and Paralegal Specialist Michelle Wicker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who prosecuted the case.
Former School Janitor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for 2005 Sexual Assault of 12-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mandell L. Whitted, 50, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a felony charge stemming from the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl, which took place in 2005 while he was a janitor at an elementary school in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Whitted pled guilty in August 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of attempted first-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of five years in prison. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Whitted will be placed on six years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, Whitted worked in 2005 as a janitor at J.C. Nalle Elementary School, in the 200 block of 50th Street SE. During the summer between her fifth grade at that school and her sixth grade at another school, the 12-year-old girl worked at J.C. Nalle Elementary on a cleaning crew. Then, in the fall of 2005, she returned to the school to work at an after-school program. In the period between May 2005 through November 2005, according to the proffer, Whitted sexually assaulted the girl on numerous occasions at various locations, including the janitor’s office.
Whitted was arrested in February 2017, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 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 efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Supervisor Dr. Lorraine Chase, Paralegal Specialist T.J. McPhail, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Former Dentist Sentenced to 16 and 1/2 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Former Patients and EmployeeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bilal Ahmed, 45, a former dentist who practiced in Northwest Washington, was sentenced today to 16 ½ years in prison for sexually assaulting five former dental patients and one former employee and improperly touching another former employee. The victims, all males, were attacked in separate incidents between 2010 and 2014.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Ahmed, of Rockville, Md., pled guilty in May 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to five felony charges, including one count of first-degree sexual abuse of a patient with aggravating circumstances and four counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a patient with aggravating circumstances. He also pled guilty to three misdemeanor charges, including two counts of sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and one count of simple assault.
Ahmed was sentenced by the Honorable Zoe Bush. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
"Bilal Ahmed used his dental practice and his position of authority to sexually abuse vulnerable victims, some of whom were his own patients and staff,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “His victims included people who came to him for treatment and employment, caught off guard by his outrageous conduct. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for this criminal breach of trust.”
According to the government’s evidence, Ahmed was practicing as a dentist at Universal Smiles DC, in the 2300 block of M Street NW. The practice was originally called Bilal Ahmed DDS PC dba Universal Smiles DC. Ahmed is the owner of these dental practices, which are now closed.
The offenses against the dental patient victims took place at Universal Smiles and followed a typical pattern in which Ahmed would take patients into the procedure room, close the door, administer nitrous oxide through a facemask, and then sexually assault the victims while they were sedated. The attacks on patients took place on April 27, 2010, Aug. 30, 2012, April 24, 2013, April 25, 2013, and May 21, 2014. The incidents involving employees took place in July 2013 and January 2014.
Ahmed’s D.C. dental license was suspended on Nov. 3, 2014, and his Maryland dental license was suspended on April 6, 2016. Ahmed was arrested on Jan. 7, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Sexual Assault Unit of the MPD and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Miranda and Patricia A. Riley; Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Specialist LaJune Thames; Librarian Lisa Kosow; Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel and Michelle Wicker; Criminal Investigator Nicole Hinson, and Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn and Stuart D. Allen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Teenager Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ty’Juan Beynum, 17, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for a pair of armed robberies that took place earlier this year at 7-Eleven stores in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Beynum, who was charged as an adult because of the nature of the crimes, pled guilty in September 2017 to two counts of armed robbery. He was sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein. Following his prison term, Beynum will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, the first robbery took place on June 20, 2017. Shortly before 5 a.m., Beynum entered a 7-Eleven store in the 700 block of H Street NE, armed with a semiautomatic handgun. He ordered an employee to open the cash register and hand over money. The employee complied, and Beynum fled with about $250.
The second robbery took place on July 8, 2017, shortly before 4 a.m.at a 7-Eleven store in the 1300 block of Second Street NE. Beynum pointed a handgun at two employees and once again ordered that the cash register be opened. This time, he left with a plastic bag containing about $170. A detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) happened to be in a back office at the store to review surveillance footage in an unrelated case. He saw the robbery unfolding on a security monitor and alerted other officers, who apprehended Beynum nearby.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rizwan Qureshi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Shooting Man in Early Evening Attack in June 2017Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Paris Belton, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison on a felony charge stemming from a shooting that occurred in June 2017 near a busy intersection in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Belton pled guilty in October 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentencing range of five to six years in prison. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced Belton accordingly. Following his prison term, Belton will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 12, 2017, at approximately 6:20 p.m., the victim was walking near the intersection of Nannie Helen Burroughs and Minnesota Avenues NE when he passed Belton and two other males. The victim and Belton knew one another, and the victim is the father of Belton’s cousin’s child. Belton and the victim briefly exchanged words about whether Belton was still mad at the victim for a fistfight they had several months earlier.
During this exchange, Belton pulled out a handgun and fired several shots at the victim, hitting him and causing him to fall in the street. Belton then fired several more shots at the victim before fleeing. The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his abdomen and waist that required surgery, hospitalization, and ongoing rehabilitation and treatment.
Following the shooting, Belton fled to Georgia. He was later apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service and brought back to the District of Columbia in August 2017 to face charges.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the work of the U.S. Marshals Service. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eugene Shuler, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for a 2016 carjacking in Southeast Washington in which he struck a husband and wife in their head with a firearm in front of their home and drove off with their automobile, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Shuler was found guilty by a jury in September 2017 of one count each of armed carjacking and first-degree theft, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Shuler will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on July 13, 2016 at about midnight, the victims were in front of their home in Southeast Washington. The husband was sitting in the driver’s seat of the automobile talking to his wife through an open window. Shuler and an unidentified male approached the couple and demanded the wife step away from the car. Shuler then struck her in the head with a firearm, causing her to fall to the ground. Shuler then ordered the husband out of the car at gunpoint, striking him in the head with a firearm as well once he exited the automobile. Shuler fled the scene in the victim's car.
Several MPD officers responded to the scene, promptly obtaining valuable identification evidence, and broadcasting it over police radio channels. The stolen vehicle was spotted approximately 30 minutes later in the area of Eastern Avenue and Southern Avenue on the eastern tip of the District of Columbia. A brief car chase ensued, with Shuler and the other male stopping at a dead end road in Prince George’s County, Md. The other male fled through a wooded area and escaped. Shuler exited the automobile, threw the victim’s cell phone, and ran over an MPD officer while he tried to flee the scene, before ultimately being apprehended in the early morning hours of July 14, 2016.
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 efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and Shehzad Akhtar, who prosecuted and tried the case, and Assistant U.S Attorneys C.B. Buente and Laura Bach, who investigated and supervised the prosecution respectively.
Former Massage Therapist Pleads Guilty to Sex Offenses for Incidents Involving ClientsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Habtamu Gebreslassie, 24, a former massage therapist, pled guilty today to three sex offenses stemming from a series of incidents involving clients at two massage establishments in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gebreslassie, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to first-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client, attempted first-degree sexual abuse of a patient or client, and misdemeanor sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 19 to 60 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, upon completion of his prison term, Gebreslassie will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Feb. 16, 2017.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, all three victims were women who were getting massages from the defendant, who was licensed to practice massage therapy in the District of Columbia.
The first incident took place on June 21, 2017, at a massage establishment in the Dupont Circle area. That day, Gebreslassie engageed in unwanted sexual contact with a client. The second incident happened on Aug. 28, 2017, at another establishment in the Tenleytown area; there, Gebreslassie attempted to engage in a sexual act with a client. Finally, on Sept. 17, 2017, also at the Tenleytown location, Gebreslassie sexually abused a client.
Following the Sept. 17 incident, the victim contacted the Metropolitan Police Department. Gebreslassie was arrested later that day and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District and Sexual Assault Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracy Hawkins, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and J. Matt Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Two Shootings in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Randy Sparrow, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison on charges stemming from two shootings that occurred in Southeast Washington within a 48-hour period last summer, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Sparrow pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm based on a prior conviction for a crime of violence and one count of felony assault on a police officer while armed. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of eight years in prison, consisting of two consecutive statutory mandatory minimum terms in prison. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and sentenced Sparrow accordingly. Following the prison term, Sparrow will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the first of the two shootings took place on July 8, 2017. At approximately 2:35 a.m., Sparrow, who was driving a green and black Ford Crown Victoria, chased the victim, who was driving a separate car, through various locations in Southeast Washington. As Sparrow pursued the victim, he shot at him multiple times with a firearm, striking him once in the left arm. Sparrow and the victim had met in jail approximately six or seven years ago and were with two different groups inside the jail that did not get along. Sparrow was convicted of armed robbery in 2004.
The second shooting took place on July 10, 2017. At approximately 2:05 a.m., in the 1900 block of Savannah Street SE, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) came into contact with Sparrow during the stop and subsequent arrest of an individual that Sparrow referred to as his “little brother.” After Sparrow became upset and tried to interfere, MPD officers placed him in handcuffs, which were later removed. At approximately 2:20 a.m., four of the MPD officers left the location in an unmarked police vehicle and drove eastbound on Savannah Street SE. Sparrow followed them in a green and black Ford Crown Victoria and fired multiple shots at the officers with a firearm, striking their vehicle at least once. Sparrow then made a U-turn and fled in the opposite direction. He ran a red light, hit another vehicle at the intersection of Stanton Road SE and Alabama Avenue SE, and crashed into a tree in front of a school in the 3200 block of Stanton Road SE. Sparrow fled the vehicle and block on foot, leaving behind a Glock 19, 9mm handgun. He was arrested later that morning.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Witness Security Specialists Debra Cannon and Tanya Via. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Owner of Durable Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emeka H. Chijioke, 41, formerly of Atlanta, Ga., and Nigeria, was sentenced today to two years in prison on a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program out of more than $500,000.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
Chijioke pled guilty in September 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of health care fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman. The judge ordered Chijioke to pay $552,343 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment. Following his prison term, Chijioke will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Chijioke was arrested in December 2016 in Germany and extradited to the United States in April 2017 to face charges in an indictment returned in the District of Columbia.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea, Chijioke was the majority owner, registered agent, and chief executive officer of Mead Medical Group, LLC, a durable medical equipment company organized in Maryland. Mead Medical provided medical equipment supplies, including incontinence supplies and garments, to District of Columbia Medicaid recipients.
Beginning in or about 2007 and continuing through 2012, Chijioke engaged in a scheme to defraud D.C. Medicaid by billing for incontinence supplies that were not provided, as detailed in the statement of offense. Chijioke instructed his office staff to complete doctor prescriptions calling for beneficiaries to receive the maximum amount of incontinence supplies allowed by D.C. Medicaid. At the same time, he had his office staff contact the Medicaid recipients to determine from them the actual amount of incontinence supplies they needed, and to provide them with those supplies. Chijioke hired a billing company to submit claims to the Medicaid contractor as if the maximum amount of supplies were provided to the recipients rather than the actual amount supplied. By arranging for the maximum amount of incontinence supplies to be billed, rather than the amount actually provided, Chijioke obtained approximately $580,000 that he was not entitled to receive from Medicaid.
During the investigation, $28,600 in funds generated through the scheme was administratively forfeited.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents from the FBI and HHS OIG. 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 of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lionel André; Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi; former Paralegal Specialists Corinne Kleinman, Kaitlyn Kruger, and Christopher Toms, and Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Cheatham and Kondi Kleinman, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in 2004 Sexual Assault of Woman in GeorgetownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Benjamin Paz, 54, of Montgomery Village, Md., pled guilty today to sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman after illegally entering her residence in Georgetown in February 2004, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Paz plead guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree burglary. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon prison sentence within the range of eight to 15 years. Following his prison term, Paz would be placed on a period of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo scheduled sentencing for April 9, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 22, 2004, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Paz entered a residence in the 3300 block of Prospect Street NW, where the 21-year-old victim was home sleeping. Paz did not reside at that address, nor did he have permission to enter the dwelling. He was a stranger to the victim. Paz removed the victim’s clothing and sexually assaulted her by force. During the assault, the victim pushed Paz off of her, after which he got up and ran out the back door into the alley. The victim ran out the front door to get help.
The victim made an immediate report to police, and was transported to an area hospital, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. This examination included the collection of swabs from her intimate areas. The Physical Evidence Recovery Kit was later sent for forensic testing. That testing revealed an unknown male DNA profile developed from the victim’s swabs. That unknown male DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. There were no hits.
Paz was developed as a suspect in these offenses by MPD in 2017. On Feb. 9, 2017, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed a search warrant authorizing the collection of buccal swabs from the defendant. The warrant was executed on Feb. 15, 2017, and the swabs were later sent for forensic testing. During the testing, Paz’s DNA profile was developed and compared to the unknown male DNA profile developed from the testing of the victim’s swabs in the 2004 offense. The results of this comparison revealed that the DNA profile of the defendant matched the DNA profile of the unknown male on the swabs.
Paz was arrested on March 22, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit and Second Police District, as well as the Deputy Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Victim/Witness Specialists LaJune Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, and Executive Assistant Shelia Miller.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Dual Israeli/Russian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge in International SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Stanislav Nazarov, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Russia, pled guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering stemming from his role in an international scheme.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and John L. Phillips, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Nazarov was among 19 people charged earlier this year in federal indictments outlining various international fraud and money laundering conspiracies. He was indicted in January 2017 and arrested in March 2017 in Israel. Nazarov later waived extradition to the United States and made his first appearance on Oct. 20, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained in custody since his initial arrest.
The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under the plea agreement, Nazarov has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $50,000.
The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for March 2, 2018.
According to a statement of offense submitted at today’s plea hearing, in or around 2013, Nazarov agreed to become partners with an unnamed money launderer who worked with individuals and groups engaged in fraudulent schemes in Israel and elsewhere. In return for his assistance, Nazarov was to receive a share of proceeds that his partner made from various fraudulent schemes. In one such scheme, a cyber-phishing scam was carried out in 2015 that tricked a director of a company into wiring $1.4 million to a bank account in the United States.
In December 2016, Nazarov obtained what he believed to be a portion of that $1.4 million by receiving $50,000 at his location in Israel. According to the statement of offense, Nazarov received that money by orchestrating a sophisticated money laundering scheme whereby the $50,000 was first transferred to Russia, and then to Nazarov in Israel.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of the Inspector General. Assistance has been provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Israeli National Police. The FBI Legal Attaché in Tel Aviv, Israel, also provided assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Christopher Toms, and C. Rosalind Pressley.
Twelve People Indicted in Drug Conspiracy Cases, Accused of Distributing Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Crack Cocaine in the Washington AreaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Twelve people have been indicted on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. To date, more than 300 grams of crack cocaine and 200 grams of methamphetamine have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with seven firearms.
The charges are contained in two indictments unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
All 12 defendants are charged with taking part in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute drugs. The indictment also includes a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes. Nine defendants were arrested yesterday, and three were already in custody.
The defendants began making their first court appearances today. They include 11 men and one woman from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
“This investigation demonstrates our unwavering determination to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that operate in the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we were able to remove dangerous drugs and guns from the streets and make our neighborhoods safer.”
“The FBI works tirelessly with its partners to protect our communities and to hold accountable those who threaten our safety,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “This week's arrests demonstrate our continuous efforts to dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”
“The District of Columbia is a safer place today as a result of the hard work and collaboration between the agencies involved,” said Chief Newsham. "We will continue to seize illegal drugs found in our city and ensure the individuals involved in narcotics distribution are held accountable.”
The charges arose from a long-term investigation into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The investigation determined that from at least January 2016 through December 2017, the defendants maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin to drug dealers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Much of the activity took place in the Birney Place area of Southeast Washington. In particular, the investigation showed that several of the defendants regularly sold crack cocaine and heroin in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE.
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. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with MPD, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners on a Justice Department initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods that is expected to generate additional cases targeting drug organizations. Under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to a coordinated law enforcement approach and identifying and addressing the most violent locations in the District of Columbia and the offenders.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI, MPD, U.S. Park Police, Prince George's County, Md. Police, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by 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 Nihar Mohanty and Kevin Rosenberg, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.
Former Business Executive Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges, Admits Engaging in Contract Kickbacks and Phony Billing SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John T. Fitzgerald, a former vice president of the Washington, D.C. office of an investment banking firm, pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he allegedly accepted kickbacks for construction management contracts he steered to another firm, as well as other allegedly fraudulent activities.
The guilty plea was announced by Alessio Evangelista, Acting U.S. Attorney in this case, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Fitzgerald, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. Wire fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and tax evasion carries a statutory maximum of five years; both also carry potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a range of 37 to 46 months in prison and a fine of up to $75,000. The plea agreement calls for Fitzgerald to pay $713,806 in restitution, representing his share of proceeds from the scheme, and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgement. He also has agreed to pay $114,411 in taxes to the IRS. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 23, 2018.
A co-defendant, Bryan D. Wright, 55, of Laytonsville, Md., pled guilty in February 2016 to one count of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is awaiting sentencing.
In his guilty plea, Fitzgerald acknowledged that he began work at the investment banking firm in 2008 and oversaw its real estate development activities and investments. His responsibilities included oversight of a commercial development project in Hanover, Md., known as the Station Ridge development project. The investment banking firm was the managing investor-owner of the project, which ultimately included three buildings for use as offices by various tenants.
In or around mid-2011, Fitzgerald admitted, he began to invoice the general contractor on Station Ridge through a company Fitzgerald owned, and thereby obtained roughly $41,000 for himself on the project.
Later in 2011, Fitzgerald installed Wright as construction manager on Station Ridge, and the two agreed to an invoicing and kickback scheme that lasted into 2013. Wright was president of P&E Services, LLC. Between 2011 and 2013, through their scheme, Wright and Fitzgerald took $769,000 from the investment banking firm employing Fitzgerald, and another $417,000 from the general contracting company (which was reimbursed by the investment banking firm). Wright, through P&E and other companies, paid Fitzgerald nearly $600,000 in proceeds from the Station Ridge project, roughly half of the total amount that P&E Services obtained.
In a related scheme involving purported projects on the Bridgewater office building in Fairfax, Va., which was another development project of the investment banking firm, Wright and Fitzgerald submitted invoices for work that was not completed, and obtained additional money from Fitzgerald’s employer. Once again, Fitzgerald and Wright split the proceeds between them, with Fitzgerald receiving approximately $70,000.
In his plea today, Fitzgerald admitted that the total loss to his employer as a result of his conduct on these projects was over $1.3 million, and his share of the illegal proceeds was $713,806. The tax charges stem from Fitzgerald’s failure to report the income in calendar 2012 and 2013.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Evangelista, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Special Agent in Charge Lappin commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Last, Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Aisha Keys, and C. Rosalind Pressley; Legal Assistants Angela Lawrence and John Lowell, and Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marston, Kendra D. Briggs, and Zia Faruqui, who are investigating and prosecuting the matter.
District Man Found Guilty of Felony Murder in 2014 Slaying at Southeast Washington Barber ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwon D. Green, 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of felony murder, first-degree murder while armed, and a related weapons charge in the killing of a man in 2014 at a Southeast Washington barber shop, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Green was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2018 by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. He remains in custody pending sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014, at about 11 a.m., Green walked by the front of the Kutt n’ Up barber shop in the 1400 block of Good Hope Road SE, and pointed at Breond Keys, a customer who was getting his hair cut inside.
Roughly 16 minutes later, Green, wearing different clothes and dressed in a dark-colored hooded jacket, ran into the barber shop, holding what appeared to be a pistol in his right hand. Green immediately raised the pistol with both hands, pointed it at Mr. Keys, and began firing, hitting Mr. Keys multiple times. Once Mr. Keys fell to the floor, Green dug into his front pants pocket, pulled an item out of it, and fled. Mr. Keys, 38, was taken to a hospital, but pronounced dead a short time after the shooting.
Following an investigation by MPD, Green was charged in the murder in July 2015.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the Glendale Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Meridith McGarrity; Criminal Investigators John Marsh, William Hamann, and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno, Glenn Kirschner and Allessandra Stewart, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
United States Seeks Warrant to Seize Ring Trafficked by ISISRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that the United States is seeking a warrant to seize one of the antiquities trafficked by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a gold ring that was identified in its previously filed civil complaint and that is believed to have been confiscated by authorities in Turkey.
The United States also amended its year-old forfeiture complaint to add three additional antiquities, with a total of seven items now included in the lawsuit. The amended complaint alleges that ISIS, which is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, markets and sells antiquities to finance its terror operations.
The amended complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks the forfeiture of seven archaeological properties that were depicted in photographs found during a raid of a residence of Abu Sayyaf, a senior leader within ISIS, in Deir Ezzor, Syria, in May 2015. The original items included a gold ring, two gold coins, and a carved stone. The amended complaint adds a gold brooch as well as a gold necklace with a matching brooch. These items date to ancient times and are believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In a related filing, the United States submitted a motion seeking authority to seize the gold ring identified in the complaint. The filing indicates that there is probable cause to believe that ISIS attempted to facilitate the transfer of the ring to a Syrian antiquities trafficker, who sold the gold ring to a person in Turkey for approximately $250,000. This same Syrian antiquities trafficker also sold additional antiquities contained in the larger set identified in the amended complaint. According to the amended complaint, Turkish law enforcement subsequently confiscated the gold ring.
The initial lawsuit was filed in December 2016, following an investigation into items seized in the raid of Abu Sayyaf’s residence. During the operation, Abu Sayyaf was killed when he engaged with U.S. military forces.
According to the amended civil complaint, the United States recovered data from electronic media during the raid, including photographs of the properties at issue. These documents additionally revealed a significant amount of information about the organizational structure of ISIS and Abu Sayyaf’s position within the network. For example, according to the lawsuit, in multiple documents written on ISIS letterhead, Abu Sayyaf referred to himself as the President of the Ministry of Natural Resources Antiquities Department and discussed depositing the proceeds of their trafficking into ISIS’s treasury.
The subsequent investigation has revealed that antiquities, including at least one of the antiquities in the complaint, were being sold in U.S. dollars as part of these efforts.
At the height of its influence, ISIS controlled large swathes of land in Syria and Iraq, including multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other sites that contain archaeological and ethnological materials that are important to the cultural heritage of the people of Syria and Iraq. The complaint states that ISIS created a sophisticated system for extracting wealth from these resources, including through the sale and trafficking of antiquities. According to the complaint, Abu Sayyaf’s antiquity trafficking directly financed ISIS.
Under United States law, all assets, foreign or domestic, of a terrorist or terrorist organization, and all assets, foreign or domestic, affording a source of influence over any such entity or organization, are subject to forfeiture.
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“These court actions are the latest step in an ongoing effort to disrupt the ability of ISIS and other terrorist groups to finance their operations,” said Jessie K. Liu, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “They reflect our determination to locate precious stolen antiquities and preserve the cultural heritage of ancient sites that fell under ISIS’s control.”
“The FBI continues to work tirelessly with its partners to recover these precious antiquities stolen by ISIS, who sold them on the black market in order to finance their terrorist operations,” said Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office. “ISIS members extorted and threatened to arrest anyone outside of the terrorist organization who attempted to excavate, sell or transport antiquities from the territory under their control.”
“The State Department is working to ensure full implementation of the multiple UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit all forms of financial support to ISIS and other terrorist groups,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Jennifer Zimdahl Galt. “We applaud the work of DOJ and the FBI to prevent the trade in Iraqi and Syrian cultural property.”
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According to the complaint, Abu Sayyaf’s electronic media contained a number of images of antiquities. The documentary style, lighting and focus of the photographs indicate that these images were prepared for marketing in order to sell the items internationally.
The United States sought authority to seize the following item identified in the complaint that was filed last year:
The United States sought authority to seize the following item identified in the complaint that was filed last year:
Defendant Property 1: Gold ring with carved gemstone
This ring is believed to be from the Hellenistic/Roman period, dating approximately from 323 BC to 31 BC, and to have come from Deir Azzour, Syria, which is where the raid against Abu Sayyaf occurred.
The amended complaint alleges that the following additional items are subject to forfeiture:
Defendant Property 5: Gold brooch with a cameo of Minerva or Athena
This item is believed to have been produced in the third century A.D. by the same workshop that supplied similar items to elite residents of the Roman city of Dura Europos. It is estimated to be worth approximately $30,000.
Defendant Properties 6 and 7: Gold necklace with a coin featuring Emperor Gordian III and a matching brooch
These items are also believed to have been produced in the third century A.D. by the workshop that supplied similar items to elite residents of Dura Europos. The coin is believed to date to approximately 238-244 A.D. and features a bust of Roman Emperor Gordian III facing right and wearing a laurel wreath. Each of the two properties is estimated to be worth approximately $50,000.
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The amended lawsuit is captioned United States v. One Gold Ring with Carved Gemstone, an Asset of ISIL, Discovered on Electronic Media of Abu Sayyaf, President of ISIL Antiquities Department; One Gold Coin Featuring Antoninus Pius, an Asset of ISIL, Discovered on Electronic Media of Abu Sayyaf, President of ISIL Antiquities Department; One Gold Coin Featuring Emperor Hadrian Augustus Caesar, an Asset of ISIL, Discovered on Electronic Media of Abu Sayyaf, President of ISIL Antiquities Department; One Carved Neo-Assyrian Stone Stela, an Asset of ISIL, Discovered on Electronic Media of Abu Sayyaf, President of ISIL Antiquities Department; One Gold Brooch with a Cameo of Minerva, an Asset of ISIL, Discovered on Electronic Media of Abu Sayyaf, President of ISIL Antiquities Department; One Gold Necklace with a Coin Featuring Emperor Gordian III, and a Matching Brooch with an Inset, Undecorated Stone, an Asset of ISIL, Discovered on Electronic Media of Abu Sayyaf, President of ISIL Antiquities Department. The claims made in the complaint are only allegations and do not constitute a determination of liability.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance has been provided by the U.S. Department of State. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia M. Faruqui, Deborah Curtis, Brian P. Hudak, Christopher B. Brown, and Ari Redbord and Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, are representing the government.
Man Indicted on Murder and Other Charges in Slaying of Corrina MehielRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – El Hadji Toure, 29, formerly of Laurel, Md., was indicted today on murder and other charges stemming from the slaying last March of Corrina Mehiel, whose body was found in a rowhouse in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Toure was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated and felony), with aggravating circumstances; first-degree sexual abuse while armed, also with aggravating circumstances; kidnapping while armed; first-degree burglary while armed; robbery while armed; first-degree theft; unauthorized use of a vehicle; credit card fraud, and first-degree identity theft.
Toure is to be arraigned on Dec. 14, 2017 at a hearing before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. He faces a maximum of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2017, at approximately 4:34 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found Ms. Mehiel’s body in a rowhouse in the 600 block of 14th Street NE. Ms. Mehiel’s body, which had been bound, showed multiple stab wounds to her neck and side. Ms. Mehiel, 34, of Burnsville, N.C., had been staying at the rowhouse while in Washington as a visiting artist.
Toure is accused of breaking into Ms. Mehiel’s apartment on March 20, 2017, kidnapping and sexually assaulting her, stabbing her, and stealing her belongings, including her car and her debit card. Toure is accused of using her debit card to withdraw cash at several ATMs in nearby Maryland and Virginia from March 20 through March 24, 2017.
Toure was arrested on March 27, 2017, in Northeast Washington, 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 charges, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and Signature Science LLC. She acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews Yette, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.
Georgia Man Indicted on Federal Charges, Accused of Using Forged Deeds to Steal HomesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert McCloud, 37, most recently of Augusta, Ga., has been indicted for allegedly using forged deeds and fake driver’s licenses to defraud homeowners, buyers, and others in a real estate scam, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
McCloud was indicted earlier this year on federal offenses of conspiracy, wire fraud, and mail fraud, and a District of Columbia offense of uttering a forged instrument. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the fraud scheme. He pled not guilty to the charges at his first appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was ordered held pending a hearing set for Dec. 5, 2017.
According to the indictment, McCloud and other conspirators identified vacant or seemingly abandoned residential properties in the District of Columbia, and then prepared and filed forged deeds with the District of Columbia’s Recorder of Deeds transferring the properties into fictitious names. Next, they agreed to sell these properties to legitimate purchasers and arranged with unsuspecting title and escrow companies to finalize the sale and transfer ownership. When the conspirators were successful in finalizing the transactions and closing on the real estate sales, they shared the fraudulently-obtained sales proceeds amongst themselves.
The indictment lists two properties used in the scheme. According to the indictment, in April 2015, McCloud filed a forged Intra-Family deed with the District of Columbia’s Recorder of Deeds purporting to show that a home in the unit block of K Street NW was transferred from the true owners to a fictitious person. The deed contained the forged signatures of both owners. McCloud then allegedly appeared at the title and escrow company pretending to be owner in order to close the transaction, presenting a California driver’s license with his photograph but in the name of the fictitious person, signing the settlement documents and selling the property. The title and escrow company sent by wire transfer $195,527 to a bank account opened in the name of the fictitious person.
Likewise, according to the indictment, in May 2015, a conspirator arranged for a forged deed with respect to another home, in the 6400 block of 16th Street NW, to be filed with the Recorder of Deeds. In June 2015, McCloud allegedly appeared at the title and escrow company pretending to be that owner and using another fake California driver’s license with his photograph. He again signed the settlement documents in the fictitious name, the indictment alleges. The title and escrow company sent by wire transfer $384,955 to a bank account opened in the name of the fictitious person.
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 and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Stephanie Miller, former Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham who is prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to Eight-Year Prison Term for Breaking into Numerous Downtown OfficesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Phillip Lomax, 57, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to an eight-year prison term for a series of burglaries earlier this year at numerous office buildings in downtown Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Lomax pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to eight counts of second-degree burglary. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of five to 10 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Lomax accordingly on Dec. 1, 2017. Following his prison term, Lomax will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Lomax targeted an area of downtown known as the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, a 43-block neighborhood that stretches from the White House to Dupont Circle. From January through May of 2017, Lomax broke into more than 20 commercial properties in various office buildings, often entering more than one suite within the same building. According to the government’s evidence, he broke doorways, doors, and locks to enter buildings and office spaces, disabled building security camera recording equipment, and took cash, cameras, computers, credit cards, and other items. The crimes typically took place during overnight hours and were discovered the following business day.
Lomax was arrested on May 19, 2017, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 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 MPD’s First and Second Police Districts. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District and Admiral Security Services. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Slaying of His 81-Year-Old MotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derek Cook, 52, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing his mother last summer at their apartment in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cook pled guilty in September 2017, 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 an agreed-upon sentence of 20 years in prison. The Honorable Zoe Bush accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant on Dec. 1, 2017. Upon completion of his prison term, Cook will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on the night of Aug. 12, 2017, Cook was having a conversation with his 81-year-old mother, Ann Alfredia Cook, in the bedroom of their apartment in the 5000 block of Fourth Street NE. Cook began to repeatedly strike his mother with a closed first, and she yelled for help. Cook also struck his mother repeatedly with a wooden stick and an iron, hitting her on various parts of her face and body. At the time of the beating, his mother was unarmed and in bed.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived at the apartment at about 10:45 p.m., and Cook let them into the apartment building. However, he would not let police into the apartment. To gain entry, the police had to ram down the apartment door. After doing so, police found Ms. Cook, who was severely injured. She was taken to a hospital, where she died later that night. Derek Cook was arrested and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S Attorney Thomas N. Saunders, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Former Teacher Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Six StudentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Manuel Fernandez, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 7 years and 360 days in prison for sexually assaulting six of his students while working as a teacher at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Charter School (L.A.M.B.), announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Fernandez pled guilty in June 2017, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia to two charges of second-degree child sexual abuse, one charge of attempted second-degree child sexual abuse, and three charges of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison term of 1.5 to 8 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced Fernandez accordingly. Following his prison term, Fernandez will be placed on 25 years of supervised release. Also, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
According to the plea documents, the incidents took place between 2014 and 2017 while Fernandez was a teacher at the school in Northwest Washington. In his guilty plea, Fernandez admitted to touching six students on their genitalia while they were in his classroom and in the school basement. He touched both male and female students, both under and over their clothing. The children ranged in age from 7 to 10 years old. Fernandez was placed on administrative leave after the incidents came to light and he was arrested on Feb. 24, 2017. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Tracy Owusu, Lezlie Richardson and Elsa Maltese, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, former Intern Emma McArthur, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessi Camille Brooks and J. Matt Williams, who prosecuted the case.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges in September 2012 Attack in Benghazi, LibyaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, 46, a Libyan national, was found guilty by a jury today of federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died in the attack at the Mission and the nearby Annex in Benghazi.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Grant Mendenhall of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah's arrest and prosecution were critical steps in our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who were responsible for the terrorist attacks on our facilities in Benghazi, Libya. Our work is not done. We will not rest in our pursuit of the others who attacked our facilities and killed the four courageous Americans who perished that day,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.
“The jury has now held Ahmed Abu Khatallah accountable for his role in the terrorist attack that destroyed the U.S. Mission in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “During that attack and the one that followed, four American heroes lost their lives and others were seriously wounded. We will never rest in our efforts to bring to justice those who commit terrorism abroad.”
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah is being held responsible for executing a brazen terrorist attack against the United States. That attack resulted in the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya. This investigation demonstrates the FBI's ability to investigate terrorist attacks against Americans even in the most difficult conditions, determine who perpetrated the acts and bring those actors to justice,” said Assistant Director Mendenhall. “We remain dedicated to the pursuit of justice in this case and others around the world where Americans and our allies have been victimized.”
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah was convicted for his integral role in a calculated, cold-blooded attack on a U.S. diplomatic location in Benghazi,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “Our hope is Khatallah’s conviction will provide some measure of justice for the honorable and heroic American victims and their families. Our work will continue, but today's verdict serves as a reminder to those who plot terror attacks against the United States – the New York FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force's reach is global. Working together with our partners in the intelligence community and law enforcement, our commitment to investigating acts of terrorism, capturing those responsible and ensuring justice is served will never waver. I would like to express our appreciation for the many investigators, analysts and operators from many agencies who played a role in ensuring justice was achieved today.”
Khatallah was captured in Libya on June 15, 2014, and brought to the United States to face trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists, one count of providing material support or resources to terrorists, one count of maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of using and carrying a semiautomatic weapon during a crime of violence. He was acquitted of the remaining counts against him.
The trial began Oct. 2, before a jury in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Over the next six weeks, the government presented testimony from 30 witnesses, including four from Libya. The witnesses included those who were wounded in the attack, as well as relatives of the people who died. The government’s witnesses also included others who survived the attacks.
According to the government’s evidence, Khatallah was a leader of an extremist militia named Ubaydah bin Jarrah, which operated outside the law, and in the months prior to the attacks, he sought to incite violence by his and other militia groups against the presence of the United States in Libya. In early September of 2012, he and other members of his group mobilized for an attack by stockpiling truckloads of weaponry.
On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, according to the government’s evidence, Khatallah directed his group to carry out the violence, striking first at the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi. A group of men, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades, and other weapons, swept into the Mission compound, setting fires and breaking into buildings. During that violence, Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith valiantly tried to protect themselves when the attackers stormed into a villa, but they were fatally overcome by thick, black smoke when the attackers set a fire. A State Department employee, who tried to guide them to safety, was injured.
Before, during and after the attack, Khatallah maintained contact with his group in a series of cellphone calls. Also, according to the government’s evidence, for much of the attack, he positioned himself on the perimeter of the compound and kept others, including emergency responders, from getting to the scene. The government’s evidence also showed that Khatallah made calls to leaders of other militia groups warning them not to interfere with the attack.
Following the attack at the mission, in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2012, the violence continued at a nearby CIA annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty died in the mortar attack, and a State Department employee and U.S. government security specialist were seriously wounded.
Khatallah faces statutory maximums of 15 years in prison on each of the two terrorism offenses, 20 years for maliciously damaging and destroying dwellings and property, and life imprisonment for the firearms offense. The firearms offense also carries a mandatory minimum consecutive term of 10 years. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the two victim agencies, the CIA and the Department of State.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Crabb, Jr., Michael C. DiLorenzo, Julieanne Himelstein and Opher Shweiki, all of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Trial Attorney C. Alexandria Bogle of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Kohl and David Mudd of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant and Paralegal Specialists Rayneisha Booth, Jessica Moffatt and Legal Assistant Matthew Ruggiero, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges in September 2012 Attack in Benghazi, LibyaRead the Press Release
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, 46, a Libyan national, was found guilty by a jury today of federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died in the attack at the Mission and the nearby Annex in Benghazi.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Grant Mendenhall of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah's arrest and prosecution were critical steps in our efforts to identify and hold accountable those who were responsible for the terrorist attacks on our facilities in Benghazi, Libya. Our work is not done. We will not rest in our pursuit of the others who attacked our facilities and killed the four courageous Americans who perished that day,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.
“The jury has now held Ahmed Abu Khatallah accountable for his role in the terrorist attack that destroyed the U.S. Mission in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “During that attack and the one that followed, four American heroes lost their lives and others were seriously wounded. We will never rest in our efforts to bring to justice those who commit terrorism abroad.”
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah is being held responsible for executing a brazen terrorist attack against the United States. That attack resulted in the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya. This investigation demonstrates the FBI's ability to investigate terrorist attacks against Americans even in the most difficult conditions, determine who perpetrated the acts and bring those actors to justice,” said Assistant Director Mendenhall. “We remain dedicated to the pursuit of justice in this case and others around the world where Americans and our allies have been victimized.”
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah was convicted for his integral role in a calculated, cold-blooded attack on a U.S. diplomatic location in Benghazi,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “Our hope is Khatallah's conviction will provide some measure of justice for the honorable and heroic American victims and their families. Our work will continue, but today's verdict serves as a reminder to those who plot terror attacks against the United States – the New York FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force's reach is global. Working together with our partners in the intelligence community and law enforcement, our commitment to investigating acts of terrorism, capturing those responsible and ensuring justice is served will never waver. I would like to express our appreciation for the many investigators, analysts and operators from many agencies who played a role in ensuring justice was achieved today.”
Khatallah was captured in Libya on June 15, 2014, and brought to the United States to face trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The jury found him guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists, one count of providing material support or resources to terrorists, one count of maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of using and carrying a semiautomatic weapon during a crime of violence. He was acquitted of the remaining counts against him.
The trial began Oct. 2, before a jury in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Over the next six weeks, the government presented testimony from 30 witnesses, including four from Libya. The witnesses included those who were wounded in the attack, as well as relatives of the people who died. The government’s witnesses also included others who survived the attacks.
According to the government’s evidence, Khatallah was a leader of an extremist militia named Ubaydah bin Jarrah, which operated outside the law, and in the months prior to the attacks, he sought to incite violence by his and other militia groups against the presence of the United States in Libya. In early September of 2012, he and other members of his group mobilized for an attack by stockpiling truckloads of weaponry.
On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, according to the government’s evidence, Khatallah directed his group to carry out the violence, striking first at the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi. A group of men, armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades, and other weapons, swept into the Mission compound, setting fires and breaking into buildings. During that violence, Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith valiantly tried to protect themselves when the attackers stormed into a villa, but they were fatally overcome by thick, black smoke when the attackers set a fire. A State Department employee, who tried to guide them to safety, was injured.
Before, during and after the attack, Khatallah maintained contact with his group in a series of cellphone calls. Also, according to the government’s evidence, for much of the attack, he positioned himself on the perimeter of the compound and kept others, including emergency responders, from getting to the scene. The government’s evidence also showed that Khatallah made calls to leaders of other militia groups warning them not to interfere with the attack.
Following the attack at the mission, in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2012, the violence continued at a nearby CIA annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty died in the mortar attack, and a State Department employee and U.S. government security specialist were seriously wounded.
Khatallah faces statutory maximums of 15 years in prison on each of the two terrorism offenses, 20 years for maliciously damaging and destroying dwellings and property, and life imprisonment for the firearms offense. The firearms offense also carries a mandatory minimum consecutive term of 10 years. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from various other government agencies, including the two victim agencies, the CIA and the Department of State.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Crabb, Jr., Michael C. DiLorenzo, Julieanne Himelstein and Opher Shweiki, all of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Trial Attorney C. Alexandria Bogle of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Kohl and David Mudd of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant and Paralegal Specialists Rayneisha Booth, Jessica Moffatt and Legal Assistant Matthew Ruggiero, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Former State Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Take and Sell Government VehiclesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former U.S. Department of State employee pled guilty today to conspiring with others to sell vehicles belonging to the government, without authorization, for their own personal profit, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Ricky J. Motley, 59, of Thurmont, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and wire fraud. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a potential range of 18 to 24 months of incarceration and a fine of $4,000 to $40,000. The plea agreement calls for Motley to pay $416,020 in restitution and an additional amount of $53,000 in a forfeiture money judgment. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Feb. 22, 2018.
A second defendant, James Ratcliffe, 68, of Fairfax Station, Va., pled guilty to the same charge in January 2017 and is awaiting sentencing. As part of his plea, Ratcliffe has agreed to pay $416,020 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to a statement of offense, Motley worked in the State Department’s Defensive Equipment and Armored Vehicle Division. He was responsible for the acquisition, repair and maintenance of armored vehicles and also handled related record-keeping duties.
Ratcliffe is the manager of the Car Collision Center, located in Springfield, Va. He and the owner of the Collision Center, who is identified in court documents as “Person A,” also have a license to sell automobiles in Virginia under the name of Collector’s Auto Restoration.
Through the Car Collision Center, Ratcliffe and others performed legitimate work on vehicles for government agencies, including the U.S. Department of State. Vehicles that came to the Collision Center from the State Department were delivered by State Department employees. The Collision Center provided estimates for the work requested, and, if approved, employees of the Collision Center prepared work tickets, performed the work, and billed the State Department.
The criminal charge involves a scheme carried out by Motley, Ratcliffe, and others from 2011 until 2013. According to the statement of offense, on at least two occasions in 2011 and 2012, Motley caused truckloads of State Department tires and wheels to be delivered to the Collision Center. Motley told Ratcliffe that he could sell them and keep the proceeds. Ratcliffe kept the full proceeds of his sales, which amounted to at least $7,500.
Also, beginning in or before June 2011, and continuing through at least November 2013, Motley and Ratcliffe took a Hummer and 12 Chevrolet Suburbans from the State Department motor pool; these vehicles were unarmored. They agreed that Ratcliffe would sell the vehicles and split the proceeds with Motley. Ratcliffe did not tell purchasers of the misappropriated vehicles they in fact belonged to the State Department. If customers or others asked him where he got the vehicles, he would falsely claim that he acquired them at an auction.
The total amount generated through these sales was $408,520. Per Motley’s request, Ratcliffe paid Motley in cash. Cash withdrawal and deposit records show that Motley obtained at least $53,000 in cash from the sales of the stolen vehicles.
Additionally, in 2015, Motley provided Ratcliffe with two unarmored Suburbans that Ratcliffe kept at his place of business or home. The base price of these vehicles was $48,200 each, for a total of $96,400. The two vehicles were recovered during a law enforcement investigation of the criminal activities.
All told, the value of the property misappropriated through the schemes was at least $512,420.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Inspector General Linick, and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General, as well as the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marina Stevenson, and Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Jessica Mundi. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Marston, who is prosecuting the matter.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 60 Years in Prison for 2011 Slaying of 18-Year-Old in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dwayne Hilton, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 61 ½ years for the 2011 slaying of a teenager in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hilton was found guilty by a jury in September 2016 of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. López.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 26, 2011, at approximately 12:35 a.m., Hilton and an unknown accomplice followed the victim, 18-year-old Mico Briscoe, and his friends for approximately two blocks, as they walked to the Circle 7 convenience store in the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road NE. Hilton and the accomplice ran up behind Mr. Briscoe and his friends. As Mr. Briscoe and three friends approached the front door of the Circle 7, they were shot approximately 19 times from behind. Mr. Briscoe was shot once directly in the back, and once from a ricochet in the clavicle. He died several hours later. One of his friends was shot in the elbow, and survived. The remaining two friends suffered graze wounds.
This shooting is believed to have arisen from an old rivalry between two neighborhood groups in the Trinidad and E Street/Rosedale areas. Hilton was arrested on Feb. 11, 2013, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Deputy U.S. Marshals John Hale and Gregory Conner of the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; David Foster, LaJune Thames, and Meshall Thomas all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, and Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane and Zekiah Wright.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton, who investigated the case and secured the defendant’s indictment, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Alicia Long, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Bank Robbery in Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Aguilar, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 57 months in prison on a federal bank robbery charge stemming from a hold-up he committed earlier this year at a bank in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Aguilar pled guilty in July 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following the prison term, Aguilar will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $852 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 26, 2017, at approximately 11:15 a.m., Aguilar entered a Capital One Bank in the 1200 block of F Street NW. He gave the teller a note in which he threatened to shoot the teller unless he immediately was given $10,000. The teller handed over $852, and Aguilar fled. He later was identified through bank surveillance footage and other evidence. Aguilar was arrested on April 18, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
As part of the plea, Aguilar also admitted attempting to rob a BB & T bank in the 600 block of 13th Street NW on June 24, 2016. In that incident, he demanded money and stated, “I’m going to count to three and I’ll shoot … one.” The teller pressed an alarm and he fled without any cash. Aguilar was identified as the robber through surveillance videos and other evidence.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson and Lisa Walters, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Christmas Day Slaying of Tricia McCauleyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Duane Johnson, also known as Adrian Duane Johnson, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for the Christmas day slaying last year of Tricia McCauley, a stranger who he also sexually assaulted, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson, 30, formerly of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in September 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree felony murder. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 30 years in prison. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea and sentenced Johnson accordingly. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on 30 years of supervised release and he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on Dec. 25, 2016, at about 5:30 p.m., Ms. McCauley, 46, left her home in the 2000 block of North Capitol Street NW and got into her two-door Toyota Scion to drive to a holiday party at a friend’s home in Washington, D.C. On the drive to her friend’s home, Ms. McCauley encountered Johnson. He entered her vehicle and, shortly thereafter, sexually assaulted her. He attempted to restrain her and she attempted to fight him off by kicking and punching him. During this struggle, Ms. McCauley’s clothing was ripped and she suffered a fractured nose. Johnson, meanwhile, took the scarf that Ms. McCauley was wearing and used it as a ligature, tightening it around her neck muscles and causing her death. After Ms. McCauley died, Johnson took her body and put it in the back seat.
Ms. McCauley was reported missing and a widespread search was launched to find her. The following night, Dec. 26, 2016, at about 11:20 p.m., Ms. McCauley’s car was discovered, found parked in front of a pharmacy in the 2200 block of M Street NW. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department went inside the store and found Johnson. He had the key to Ms. McCauley’s car in his pocket. A check of the car led to the discovery of Ms. McCauley’s body. Johnson was arrested and has remained in custody ever since. In a search, police recovered several of Ms. McCauley’s credit cards in Johnson’s pocket.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the officers, detectives and others from the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Park Police and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan; Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Lornce Applewhite; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Litigation Technology Specialist William Henderson. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.