District of Columbia

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.

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.   

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

 

            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.

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.

 

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.

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.

 

**

 

            “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.”

**

 

            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.

 

**

 

         

 

            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.

 

       

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

WASHINGTON – Hector Martinez, a former compliance officer with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), was sentenced today to 52 months in prison on federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he stole more than $400,000 from the agency.

 

            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 David P. Berry, Inspector General for the National Labor Relations Board.

 

            Martinez, 53, of Pico Rivera, Calif., pled guilty on Aug. 21, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Moss ordered Martinez to pay $423,531 in restitution to the NLRB. Upon completion of his prison term, Martinez will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, the judge ordered, Martinez cannot work for any labor organization.

 

            The NLRB is an independent federal agency. Among its responsibilities, the NLRB acts to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices committed by private sector employers and unions. Employees, union representatives, and employers who believe that their rights under the National Labor Relations Act have been violated may file charges alleging unfair labor practices at their nearest NLRB regional office. When the NLRB successfully litigates or settles a case on behalf of aggrieved workers (litigants known as “discriminatees”), monetary damages are paid by the employer or union, or through the NLRB. The NLRB refers to such payments as “back pay.”

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Martinez carried out his scheme from December 2010 and continued it through October 2015, when he was placed on administrative leave by the agency and ultimately discharged. During that time, he was a compliance officer at the NLRB’s Region 21 office in downtown Los Angeles. In that role, his responsibilities included disbursing back pay to discriminatees in the Los Angeles area.

 

            As part of the scheme, Martinez created fictitious discriminatees in real cases in which back pay was owed. He invented names for the discriminatees and paired the fabricated names with real Social Security numbers for other people. Then he created fictitious amounts of back pay and diverted this money to his own personal bank accounts. In order to generate the money, Martinez diverted the full amount of money due to legitimate discriminatees, who received nothing, or skimmed money from legitimate discriminatees, reducing the amount paid to them.

 

            All told, in his guilty plea, Martinez admitted that he diverted back pay funds that nine employers paid to the NLRB and that he should have paid to victims. According to the government’s evidence, these victims included laid-off hospital workers, an air-conditioning sheet metal worker, plasterers, nursing home care givers, meat delivery drivers, and interpreters from a sign language interpreting service. The NLRB has since engaged in remedial efforts.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Inspector General Berry commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the NLRB’s Office of the Inspector General. 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 Diane Lucas, who handled forfeiture issues, and Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Christopher Toms. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise A. Simmonds, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Steve Jamal Smith, also known as Jabrail Love, 23, of Hyattsville, Md., and John King Lionell, also known as Rashad Lionell, 24, of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to rob banks in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

 

             The verdicts, returned Nov. 13, 2017, were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department, and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.

 

            Smith and Lionell were found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Smith on Feb. 2, 2018, and for Lionell on Feb. 22, 2018.

 

            According to the evidence at trial, on Jan. 26, 2016, at approximately 1:50 p.m., Smith and Lionell entered a BB&T Bank in the 3100 block of 14th Street NW. While inside, they inquired about opening a bank account. A bank employee provided them with a brochure. Both defendants were observed in possession of the brochure. They then walked to a bank teller, and Lionell presented a demand note for money. He also instructed the teller not to press the silent alarm. The teller did not provide the defendants with any money.  After not receiving any cash, Lionell told Smith: “Hurry up let’s go! Let’s go!” 

 

            At that time, the two men exited the bank together. They then entered the Columbia Heights Metro station and rode Metrorail to the Silver Spring stop.

 

            After exiting the subway station, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Smith and Lionell entered a Capital One Bank in the 8600 block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring and approached the teller’s window.  This time, Smith displayed a demand note for money to the teller, while Lionell stood next to him. Smith told the teller: “Put your hands up ... Don’t put your hands down.”  They did not receive any money at this bank, either, and left the branch.

 

            During the course of the investigation by law enforcement of the bank robbery at the BB&T Bank, the FBI retrieved the bank brochure that the defendants had possessed, and sent it to be further examined for possible fingerprints. A subsequent forensic examination by an FBI fingerprint examiner determined that Smith’s fingerprint were on the brochure.  After the identification of Smith from his fingerprint on the BB&T brochure, agents from the FBI were able to identify several witnesses who identified both defendants from bank surveillance photos.

 

            The defendants were indicted in June 2017 and remain in custody pending sentencing.

 

            In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, Chief Newsham, Chief Manger, and Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Metro Transit Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI Laboratory.

 

            Additionally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz, Catherine O’Neal and Teesha Tobias; Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Holly Crouse; Law Clerk Jennifer Newman, and Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Kamilah O. House, who prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – Francis Lyles, 28, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today 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 following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The felony murder charge carries an enhancement based on the victim’s age and the cruel, heinous nature of the crime. Lyles faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with no possibility of release. The Honorable Zoe Bush scheduled sentencing for Jan. 8, 2018.

 

            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 verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work the Metropolitan Police Department, 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.

 

WASHINGTON – Marques Henderson, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to ten years in prison on narcotics and firearm offenses stemming from his operation of an open-air drug market in Southeast 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).

 

            Henderson pled guilty in May 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful distribution of cocaine base and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. He was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Upon completion of his prison term, Henderson will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            The government’s evidence established that Henderson, known on the street as “DA BEAST,” was the subject of investigations by both the FBI and MPD and that he sold PCP and crack cocaine in the 300 block of Ridge Road SE with his base of operations at 359 Ridge Road. In the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized five firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, distribution quantities of PCP and crack cocaine, and numerous types of drug paraphernalia.

 

            As part of his plea agreement, Henderson acknowledged selling PCP and crack cocaine to an MPD undercover officer on four separate occasions and having both PCP and crack cocaine on his person with a loaded firearm when arrested on June 20, 2016, by the FBI.

 

            At the time of his arrest, Henderson was on supervised release for three separate felony cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He now faces formal revocation of his supervise released and additional incarceration, separate from the above-referenced sentence, from the U.S. Parole Commission.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force in shutting down Henderson’s drug trafficking operation. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.

WASHINGTON - Joseph Ramsey, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to 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 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 is contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon prison term of 25 years.  Once released from prison, Ramsey will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. He also could be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26, 2018.

            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 plea, 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.

WASHINGTON – Two Mexican nationals were sentenced today to two terms of life in prison for the murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, and related offenses in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.

 

            Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Stephen E. Richardson and Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of ICE made the announcement.

 

            The defendants, Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, aka “Zafado,” 36, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Piña, aka “Loco,” 29, of Matamoros, Mexico, are among seven Mexican nationals who were extradited to the United States on federal charges in this case.  They were found guilty by a jury on July 27, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth.

 

             “HSI Special Agents Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila were in Mexico to protect and serve our country when they were ambushed by these ruthless criminals, who will now spend the rest of their lives in a prison cell,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco.  “This case serves as a reminder, that if you harm a U.S. agent, the U.S. government will pursue you to the ends of the earth to ensure that you are brought to justice.”

 

            “Special Agents Zapata and Avila dedicated themselves to federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Liu.  “While working on behalf of our country, they were ruthlessly gunned down in a carjacking attempt by members of hit squads for the Los Zetas drug cartel.  We have never forgotten what happened to these two American heroes in that ambush on a Mexican highway more than six years ago.  The sentencings this week reflect our determination to protect U.S. officials abroad and bring to justice those who do them harm.”

 

            “This week’s sentencings for those responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila are the closure and justice we have been working toward since we began our investigation” said Assistant FBI Director Richardson. “Any attack against a federal agent serving his or her country is deeply personal for us and investigating those attacks remain a top priority for the FBI. I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners and our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their tireless work to bring this case to a successful conclusion and secure these sentences.”

 

            “The sentences handed down today should serve as a powerful message to drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that there is no escape from justice, and that we will not rest until they have been held accountable for their crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said ICE Acting Director Homan.  “We remain grateful to the government of Mexico, the Department of Justice, and all our partners involved in sending these murderers to prison.  The men and women of ICE will not forget the example of bravery and sacrifice set by Special Agent Zapata as we work to eradicate these criminal networks across the globe.”

 

            Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were found guilty of four federal offenses: murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and using, carrying and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death.  The verdicts followed a trial that began July 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, during which the government presented testimony from 22 witnesses, including Special Agent Avila.

 

            According to the government’s evidence at trial, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were members of two Los Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” and were on a mission on the day of the shootings to steal vehicles for use in the cartel’s operations.  On the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2011, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were among a group of cartel members who targeted an armored Chevrolet Suburban bearing diplomatic plates and driven by the special agents on a busy highway south of San Luis Potosi.  Special Agent Zapata and Special Agent Avila were on official business, heading southbound to Mexico City, when the attack took place.  During the ambush, the cartel members fired at and into the agents’ vehicle with handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, including AK-47 and AR-15 type assault rifles.  Special Agent Zapata, 32, was fatally shot, and Special Agent Avila, then 38, was wounded.  Investigators later found approximately 90 shell casings at the scene, according to the trial evidence.

 

            Five other defendants previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in this case and are to be sentenced tomorrow.  Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka “Catracho,” 29; Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka “Cacho,” 35; Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka “Piolin,” 36; and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, aka “Camaron,” 34, pleaded guilty to federal murder and attempted murder charges between August 2011 and October 2016.  The fifth defendant, Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka “Dalmata,” 42, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE HSI agents.  All of the defendants are Mexican nationals, with the exception of Venegas Rivera, who is from Honduras.

 

            This case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Marshals Service.  The Government of Mexico provided substantial assistance throughout the investigative and prosecution phases of the case. 

 

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys David Karpel and Karen Seifert of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.  Former Assistant Deputy Chief Andrea Goldbarg of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also served as members of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.

 

            Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones, Paralegal Specialist Mac Caille Petursson, and Intern Jake Yelin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Paralegal Specialist Alejandra Arias of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.

Two Mexican nationals were sentenced today to two terms of life in prison for the murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, and related offenses in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.

 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Stephen E. Richardson  and Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of ICE made the announcement.

 

The defendants, Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, aka “Zafado,” 36, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Piña, aka “Loco,” 29, of Matamoros, Mexico, are among seven Mexican nationals who were extradited to the United States on federal charges in this case.  They were found guilty by a jury on July 27, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth.

 

 “HSI Special Agents Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila were in Mexico to protect and serve our country when they were ambushed by these ruthless criminals, who will now spend the rest of their lives in a prison cell,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco.  “This case serves as a reminder, that if you harm a U.S. agent, the U.S. government will pursue you to the ends of the earth to ensure that you are brought to justice.”

 

“Special Agents Zapata and Avila dedicated themselves to federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Liu.  “While working on behalf of our country, they were ruthlessly gunned down in a carjacking attempt by members of hit squads for the Los Zetas drug cartel.  We have never forgotten what happened to these two American heroes in that ambush on a Mexican highway more than six years ago.  The sentencings this week reflect our determination to protect U.S. officials abroad and bring to justice those who do them harm.”

 

“This week’s sentencings for those responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila are the closure and justice we have been working toward since we began our investigation” said Assistant FBI Director Richardson. “Any attack against a federal agent serving his or her country is deeply personal for us and investigating those attacks remain a top priority for the FBI. I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners and our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their tireless work to bring this case to a successful conclusion and secure these sentences.”

 

“The sentences handed down today should serve as a powerful message to drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that there is no escape from justice, and that we will not rest until they have been held accountable for their crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said ICE Acting Director Homan.  “We remain grateful to the government of Mexico, the Department of Justice, and all our partners involved in sending these murderers to prison.  The men and women of ICE will not forget the example of bravery and sacrifice set by Special Agent Zapata as we work to eradicate these criminal networks across the globe.”

 

Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were found guilty of four federal offenses: murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and using, carrying and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death.  The verdicts followed a trial that began July 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, during which the government presented testimony from 22 witnesses, including Special Agent Avila.

 

According to the government’s evidence at trial, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were members of two Los Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” and were on a mission on the day of the shootings to steal vehicles for use in the cartel’s operations.  On the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2011, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were among a group of cartel members who targeted an armored Chevrolet Suburban bearing diplomatic plates and driven by the special agents on a busy highway south of San Luis Potosi.  Special Agent Zapata and Special Agent Avila were on official business, heading southbound to Mexico City, when the attack took place.  During the ambush, the cartel members fired at and into the agents’ vehicle with handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, including AK-47 and AR-15 type assault rifles.  Special Agent Zapata, 32, was fatally shot, and Special Agent Avila, then 38, was wounded.  Investigators later found approximately 90 shell casings at the scene, according to the trial evidence.

 

Five other defendants previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in this case and are to be sentenced tomorrow.  Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka “Catracho,” 29; Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka “Cacho,” 35; Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka “Piolin,” 36; and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, aka “Camaron,” 34, pleaded guilty to federal murder and attempted murder charges between August 2011 and October 2016.  The fifth defendant, Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka “Dalmata,” 42, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE HSI agents.  All of the defendants are Mexican nationals, with the exception of Venegas Rivera, who is from Honduras.

 

This case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Marshals Service.  The Government of Mexico provided substantial assistance throughout the investigative and prosecution phases of the case. 

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys David Karpel and Karen Seifert of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.  Former Assistant Deputy Chief Andrea Goldbarg of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also served as members of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.

 

Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones, Paralegal Specialist Mac Caille Petursson, and Intern Jake Yelin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Paralegal Specialist Alejandra Arias of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.

WASHINGTON - Deborah A. Morrison, a former executive at Providence Hospital, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from her theft of $391,600 from an association of medical professionals, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

 

            Morrison, 60, of Bethesda, Md., pled guilty in July 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to transportation of money taken by fraud. She was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following her prison term, Morrison will be placed on three years of supervised release. Judge Boasberg also ordered her to pay $391,600 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

 

            According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the guilty plea, Morrison worked for Providence Hospital from 1978 until 2016, with much of her career in executive positions. Apart from her official work duties, since at least 2001, Morrison oversaw the bank accounts of the Providence Hospital Medical Staff, an association comprised of medical professionals at the facility. In that role, she had access to the checkbooks and reviewed the account statements.

 

            From December 2009 until December 2015, according to the statement of offense, Morrison wrote approximately 140 checks, totaling $391,600, from one of the association’s bank accounts containing dues payments. She endorsed the front of the checks with a signature stamp of a former President of the Medical Staff who no longer worked at Providence Hospital. She deposited all of the checks into her personal bank account. 

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny, Joshua Fein, and C. Rosalind Pressley. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Anthony Thomas, also known as Anthony Jones, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 90-month prison term for robbing a woman at gunpoint this year, in broad daylight, at a bus stop in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

 

            Thomas was found guilty by a jury in July 2017 of charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $200 in restitution to the victim.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 13, 2017, at approximately 2:10 p.m., the victim was waiting for her bus in the 2100 block of Alabama Avenue SE, when Thomas and two other assailants approached her.  As a Metro bus pulled up to the stop, Thomas stepped between the victim and the bus, showed her the handle of a gun tucked into his waistband, and told her she was not getting on board. At first, the victim thought Thomas was joking and tried to get around him by pushing past him.  Thomas then threatened to shoot the victim.  He and his accomplices took the victim’s iPhone, cash, wallet, and other personal effects, before fleeing in a gray Chevy Monte Carlo.  Thomas was arrested later that day.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Metro Transit Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Victim/Witness Security Specialist Debra Cannon. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Kaitlin  Vaillancourt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Saul Castillo, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing an intoxicated stranger in the stairwell of his apartment building in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

 

            Castillo pled guilty in August 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of kidnapping and second-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. After his prison term, Castillo will be subject to deportation proceedings, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and five years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Castillo found the victim in the early morning hours of May 7, 2017 on a sidewalk near Lafayette Square in downtown Washington. She was extremely intoxicated, unable to walk, and told Castillo that she wanted to go to her home. Castillo hailed a passing taxi and brought her back to his apartment building in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW.

 

            Once inside, the victim refused to enter Castillo’s fourth-floor apartment and repeated that she wanted to go home. On multiple occasions, she fell and laid down on the hallway floor due to her intoxication. She tried to push Castillo away and return to the elevator to leave the building, but Castillo blocked her and pulled her back toward his apartment. Because of the commotion this was causing in the hallway, Castillo lifted her and carried her to the fourth- floor staircase, where Castillo sexually assaulted her. His conduct inside the building was captured on building surveillance cameras, and Castillo was arrested on May 12, 2017.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris and Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa West and J. Matt Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Dominic Leatherwood, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from an attempted murder in Northwest Washington in March 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

 

            Leatherwood pled guilty in May 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Zoe Bush. Following his prison term, Leatherwood will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, the victim’s girlfriend shared two children in common with the defendant. At approximately 12:15 a.m. on March 4, 2016, the victim was giving his girlfriend a ride from work, and was going to drop his girlfriend off near Leatherwood’s home. Leatherwood had been in communication with her, and arranged for her to be dropped off by the victim near the intersection of Georgia Avenue NW and Crittenden Street NW. When the two arrived at the intersection, Leatherwood, who was armed with a firearm, approached the car and fired four shots at the victim, who was in the driver’s seat. One of these shots struck the victim in the abdomen, and the victim later underwent surgery because of his injuries. Leatherwood was arrested on March 5, 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 assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.

 

            She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, Tiffany Jones, Donville Drummond, and Debra McPherson; Christina Principe, Lu Lan, LaJune Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia; and Criminal Investigators Christopher Brophy, Tommy Miller, and John Marsh.

 

            Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Romano and Luke Jones, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

            WASHINGTON – Malik Hough, 22, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the broad daylight killing of a man last December in Southeast Washington, and, in a separate case, to a drug charge, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

 

            Hough pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance while armed with a firearm. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls 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 scheduled sentencing for Jan. 3, 2018.

 

            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 plea, 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.

WASHINGTON – Paolo Aldorasi, 34, of London, pled guilty today to assaulting and attempting to rob a man who he forced into his sport utility vehicle in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

 

            Aldorasi pled guilty to assault with intent to commit robbery, a District of Columbia offense. The plea took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss a federal kidnapping charge. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for Jan. 30, 2018. Aldorasi faces a statutory minimum sentence of two years in prison and a statutory maximum of 15 years of incarceration.

 

            According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, on Jan. 26, 2017, at about 3:20 p.m., Aldorasi saw the victim walking eastbound in the 3400 block of O Street NW. Aldorasi, who was operating a sport utility vehicle, pulled alongside the victim and asked for directions to Washington Dulles International Airport. The victim, who spoke limited English, said he did not know the location. As the conversation continued, Aldorasi grabbed the victim and ordered him into the SUV. He then drove off with the victim, taking him to four ATMs in the District of Columbia, in unsuccessful attempts to withdraw money, as well as to two retail establishments in unsuccessful attempts to make purchases. After the last failed attempt, at a retail store in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, he finally let the victim go.

 

            Aldorasi was arrested by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office on Feb. 24, 2017, in SeaTac, Washington, and has been in custody ever since.

 

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz, Catherine O’Neal and Teesha Tobias; Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Holly Crouse, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Kamilah O. House, who prosecuted the matter.

Mustafa al-Imam, a Libyan national approximately 46 years old, has been charged for his alleged participation in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans.

 

“The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Ambassador Christopher Stevens – four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  "We owe it to them and their families to bring their murderers to justice. Today the Department of Justice announces a major step forward in our ongoing investigation as Mustafa al-Imam is now in custody and will face justice in federal court for his role in the attack.  I am grateful to the FBI, our partners in the intelligence community and the Department of Defense who made this apprehension possible.  The United States will continue to investigate and identify all those who were involved in the attack – and we will hold them accountable for their crimes.”

 

“The apprehension of Mustafa al-Imam demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable all of those responsible for the murders of four brave Americans in a terrorist attack in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will do all that we can to pursue justice against those who commit terrorist acts against the United States, no matter how far we must go and how long it takes.”

 

Mustafa al-Imam is charged in a recently unsealed three-count criminal complaint.  The complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges al-Imam with:

 

• Killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.
• Providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death.
• Discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

 

Al-Imam is in U.S. custody, and upon his arrival to the U.S. he will be presented before a federal judge in Washington, D.C.

 

Charges contained in criminal complaints are merely allegations that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from various other government agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division of the U.S.  Department of Justice

WASHINGTON – Mustafa al-Imam, a Libyan national approximately 46 years old, has been charged for his alleged participation in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans.

 

            “The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost – Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Ambassador Christopher Stevens – four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "We owe it to them and their families to bring their murderers to justice,. Today the Department of Justice announces a major step forward in our ongoing investigation as Mustafa al-Imam is now in custody and will face justice in federal court for his role in the attack.  I am grateful to the FBI, our partners in the intelligence community and the Department of Defense who made this apprehension possible.  The United States will continue to investigate and identify all those who were involved in the attack – and we will hold them accountable for their crimes.”

 

            “The apprehension of Mustafa al-Imam demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable all of those responsible for the murders of four brave Americans in a terrorist attack in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will do all that we can to pursue justice against those who commit terrorist acts against the United States, no matter how far we must go and how long it takes.”

 

            Mustafa al-Imam is charged in a recently unsealed three-count criminal complaint.  The complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges al-Imam with:

• Killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.
   
• Providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death.
   
• Discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. 

 

            Al-Imam is in U.S. custody, and upon his arrival to the U.S. he will be presented before a federal judge in Washington, D.C.

            Charges contained in criminal complaints are merely allegations that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from various other government agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division of the U.S.  Department of Justice

WASHINGTON – Alan Wade Coleman, 47, of Gainesville, Florida, pled guilty today to a charge of first-degree child sexual abuse for sexually abusing of 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 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia as 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 Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26, 2018.  Coleman is scheduled to be sentenced in Montgomery County on Dec. 14, 2017.  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 up to 10 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 plea, 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.

WASHINGTON – Jeffrey Neal, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 60 years in prison on charges stemming from the slayings of his two roommates, whose bodies were found at their residence in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Neal was found guilty in July 2017 of two counts of first-degree murder while armed, with aggravating circumstances, and related offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Robert E. Morin. Following his prison term, Neal will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 12, 2014, at approximately 11:35 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were dispatched to a house in the 1800 block of Eighth Street NW for a report of an unconscious person. The body of Leon Young, 22, was discovered in the attic, naked except for a black plastic bag tied around his head. Neal was arrested the following day and charged with Mr. Young’s murder.

 

            On June 16, 2014, police returned to the house and discovered the body of Delano Wingfield, 23, in a shallow grave in the backyard. He was naked except for a pair of socks.

 

            An investigation determined that both men were beaten multiple times in the head with a hammer.  During the investigation, police learned that Mr. Young and Mr. Wingfield were childhood friends with the defendant. When the police interviewed Neal, he confessed to killing Mr. Young. He claimed he killed Mr. Young in self-defense, after Mr. Young allegedly confessed to killing Mr. Wingfield. Neal claimed he hit Mr. Young twice in the head with a hammer in self-defense.  However, the autopsy of Mr. Young revealed that Mr. Young had been hammered in the head at least 26 times.  Some of those blows were after the black plastic bag had been placed on Mr. Young’s head. Further, according to the government’s evidence, DNA evidence of Mr. Wingfield’s blood was found in various locations in Neal’s bedroom.  Also, Neal told detectives that he left a pair of socks on Mr. Young’s body.  However, Mr. Young was not discovered with socks.  It was Mr. Wingfield’s body that had on a pair of socks.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences; the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team; the FBI’s DNA Casework Unit; the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; Bode Cellmark Forensics, and the New Smyrna Beach Police Department of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

 

            They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section; Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney; former Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick, Amoret Vanterpool, and Vanessa Trent-Valentine; Marcia Rinker, David Foster, LaJune Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Criminal Investigators John Marsh, Durand Odom, and Zachary McMenamin; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, Contract Specialist Sallie Rynas; Interns Hayley Poindexter and Simone Unwalla, and former intern Benjamin Symons.

 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana L. Fulton and Veronica Sanchez, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

 

WASHINGTON – A 49-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total of 33 years and four months in prison for severely beating his wife while holding her captive in a small U-Haul storage unit, and for raping her two days later in a motel room, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

 

            The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, was found guilty by a jury in June 2017 of kidnapping while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, first-degree sexual abuse, and assault. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release. Also, upon his release from prison, he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, the defendant and his wife – both homeless – spent the night of Jan. 12, 2017 in a small storage locker that she was renting at a facility in the 2200 block of Fifth Street NE.  Once the facility closed, the defendant began accusing her of cheating on him.  He took what the victim described as a wooden pole, with metal on each end, and brutally beat her with it.  He kept her locked in the unit the rest of the night and, when she needed to use the restroom, he ordered her not to let anyone see her injuries and he accompanied her to the restroom and back.

 

            The next evening, the defendant called his father, who agreed to pay for a hotel room for the defendant and the victim.  At the defendant’s order, the victim hid her face from her father-in-law as they got into his car in the dark.  On Sunday, Jan. 15, after a day of relative peace, the defendant again became enraged and raped his wife at the hotel, which is in the 1600 block of New York Avenue NE. He then hit her in the head with the TV remote until he broke it.  When the defendant went to the hotel’s front office to replace the remote, the victim escaped from the hotel room wearing nothing but panties, shoes and a winter coat.  As she fled, she sought help from people she encountered, but no one would help her.

 

            Finally, she arrived on foot at the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Fifth District Station, where she received help from officers there. Veteran police officers, one of whom had patrolled the streets for over two decades, were shocked at the degree of the victim’s injuries: her eyes were extremely bloodshot and swollen almost shut, her nose was broken, and her body was badly bruised. 

 

            Later that night, the defendant was arrested in the same hotel room in which he had raped his wife earlier in the day.

           

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of officers from MPD’s Fifth District and from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit, as well as the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and other medical personnel at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.  She also expressed appreciation to the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, which performed DNA analysis of evidence recovered in the case, and to Nicole Stahlmann, Clinical Manager of the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners.

 

            She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Paralegal Specialists Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, Brenda C. Williams and Donhue Troy Griffith; Victim/Witness Advocates Juanita Harris and Tracey Hawkins; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez, and Interns Kate Sullivan, Layla Kousari and Jonah Panikar.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa S. West and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

WASHINGTON - Eugene Burns, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 31 years in prison for killing a man in a Southeast Washington apartment, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

 

            Burns was found guilty by a jury in July 2017 of first-degree murder while armed and related weapons offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo. Following the prison term, Burns will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Burns had been in a drug-related dispute with the victim, Onyekachi Emmanuel Osuchukwu III, of Woodland Hills, Calif., and began planning to kill him. On Nov. 14, 2015, Mr. Osuchukwu flew into the Washington, D.C. area. That day, Burns lured Mr. Osuchukwu to Burns’s mother’s apartment in the 2900 block of Second Street SE. He confronted Mr. Osuchukwu and shot and killed him before fleeing the scene.

 

            The next day, the defendant, along with two relatives, returned to the apartment and Burns supposedly “discovered” that his best friend had been killed. After a call to 911, Mr. Osuchuwku, 24, was found on the living room floor with multiple gunshot wounds. An investigation led to Burns’s arrest in December 2015, and he has been in custody ever since.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of the detectives, officers, and mobile crime technicians who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Lashone Samuels; Diana Lim, David Foster; M. Laverne Perry, Tanya Via and Debra Cannon, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, and William Henderson; former Litigation Technology Specialist Aneela Bhatia; Forensic Operations/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Computer Forensics Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Law Clerk Alexandra Maher.

 

            Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Willoughby, Jr. and Kevin Flynn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Darnell Franklin, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for groping a stranger after pushing her into the back seat of a car, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.

 

            Franklin pled guilty in August 2017 to a charge of third-degree sexual abuse. He entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia under what is known as the Alford doctrine. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. He was sentenced by the Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo. Once released from prison, Franklin will be required to register as a sex offender for a 10-year period and will be on supervised release for three years.

           

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 22, 2017, at about 7 p.m., Franklin approached the victim – a total stranger – inside a store at 35th and Clay Streets NE, where he tried to engage her in small talk and told her that she was pretty.  The victim told Franklin that she had a boyfriend, concluded her business in the store, and left.

 

            Franklin then followed the victim outside, to a car-for-hire that was waiting to drive her home.  As the victim was getting into the back seat of that car, Franklin pushed her in, got in beside her and began fondling her as she tried to fight him off.  The driver saw what was going on and got out of the car to come to the victim’s aid.  As the driver neared the back door of his car, Franklin fled down the street.  The driver and the victim saw some nearby officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and told them what had happened. 

 

            The MPD officers spotted Franklin, and with other officers, chased and caught him.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of officers from MPD’s Sixth District and from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit.  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 Veronica Vaughan.  Finally, she commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

WASHINGTON – Syles Kealoha, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal bank robbery charge for a hold-up in August 2016 in Southeast 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).

 

            Kealoha entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on March 15, 2018 by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 30 to 37 months in prison and potential financial penalties

 

            According to the government=s evidence, on Aug. 12, 2016, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Kealoha entered a Wells Fargo bank in the unit block of M Street SE and presented a demand note which stated, “I didn’t come to hurt anyone. Give me all the money or everyone dies.” Kealoha also handed the teller a plastic bag in which to place the money. After reading the note, the teller ducked behind the counter and began placing money into the plastic bag, and pressed the panic button in the bank, triggering law enforcement response.

 

            After banging on the glass to get the teller’s attention, Kealoha fled, leaving the note behind, without obtaining any money. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement obtained video surveillance from the bank, which captured the bank robbery and showed the defendant. The demand note was sent to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia for testing and analysis. Specifically, the note was tested for the presence of DNA and fingerprints or palm prints. Two palm prints were located on the note and were identified as belonging to Kealoha.

 

            Kealoha was arrested on March 27, 2017.

 

            In announcing the plea, 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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI Laboratory. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Law Clerk Jennifer Newman. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Jerome C. Lewis, 50, of Washington, DC, has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, second-degree murder, and first-degree cruelty to children in a fire that led to the death of a four-year-old child.

 

            The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Gregory M. Dean, Chief of the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DCFEMS).

 

            Lewis was found guilty on Oct. 25, 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26, 2018. Lewis faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Lewis owned a home in the 2600 block of 33rd Street SE.  In late 2011, Lewis began renting the first and second floors to relatives while he lived in the basement.  In early 2013, his relationship with his tenant-relatives had become strained and he was experiencing a financial crisis.  On Feb.17, 2013, in the early hours of the morning, he set fire to his mattress located in his basement living area, causing a fire that spread throughout the basement and to the first floor of the home.

 

            Everyone was able to escape the home, with the exception of four-year-old Samauri Michelle Jenkins. She was rescued from a second floor bedroom by the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. She was taken to a hospital with burns and smoke inhalation, but died from her injuries two days later.

 

             Lewis was arrested on the morning of the fire and has been in custody ever since.

 

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Dean commended the work of the D.C. Arson Task Force, which is comprised of members from MPD, the Washington Field Division of the ATF, and DCFEMS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Legal Secretary Dawn White; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Administrative Services Specialist Tina Wall, and Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas.

 

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Michelle D. Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge has entered a verdict in favor of the United States and against Dynamic Visions, Inc., and awarded the government $1.98 million in a False Claims Act case, in which the United States demonstrated that employees of the home health care company repeatedly and routinely falsified records to obtain funds from Medicaid. 

 

            The award was announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew 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.

 

            The decision was issued on Oct. 20, 2017, by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

 

            Dynamic Visions, Inc., a corporation that was based in Bowie, Md., was a home health care company that did business in the District of Columbia and that also had a District of Columbia address. Under the Medicaid program, Dynamic Visions was initially approved to furnish elderly and disabled patients with assistance in the day-to-day activities of living, such as bathing, dressing, and taking needed medications.  D.C. Medicaid, which is subsidized by the federal Medicaid program, paid for many of Dynamic Visions’ services for low-income patients. 

 

            In the fall of 2008, the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance discovered irregularities in Dynamic Visions’ records during a routine audit, and a team consisting of Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General began an investigation.  During the investigation, in December 2008, search warrants were executed on Dynamic Visions’ Washington, D.C. offices and the residence of Isaiah M. Bongam, the company’s owner.

 

            The documents collected confirmed that patient files did not contain physician authorizations, called “plans of care,” as required under applicable regulations; contained plans of care that were not signed by physicians or other qualified health care workers; or contained forged signatures in order to cover up the lack of a physician’s authorization.  At the conclusion of the investigation, in April 2011, the United States filed a False Claims action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging a massive and routine pattern of fraud carried out between January 2006 and June 2009 by the employees of Dynamic Visions.

 

            Judge Kollar-Kotelly earlier held that Bongam engaged in uncooperative and obstructive behavior when he failed to provide many of Dynamic Visions’ financial records to the United States, withdrew large sums of money out of Dynamic Visions’ business accounts after the government searched Dynamic Visions’ offices, and moved the funds to his own personal accounts, or to the accounts of his two other businesses that had no substantive connection to Dynamic Visions.  Accordingly, the Court held that Dynamic Visions was merely an “alter ego” for its owner, and found Bongam to be liable for the conduct of Dynamic Visions.

 

            In its decision to treble the initial $489,744 damages awarded to the United States under the False Claims Act, and to further impose an additional $11,000 civil penalty for each and every one of the 47 invoices at issue submitted by Dynamic Visions, Judge Kollar-Kotelly found that Dynamic Visions’ uncooperative and obstructive conduct during the investigation and the proceeding before the Court justified the trebling of damages and the imposition of the maximum civil penalty possible under the statute. 

 

            In announcing the award, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio commended the work of those who worked on the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General.

 

            Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case and brought it to trial from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell C. Valdez and Paralegal Specialist Idongesit “Benji” Umo. 

 

            The lawsuit is captioned United States v. Dynamic Visions, Inc., Civil Action 11-cv-695 (D.D.C.).

WASHINGTON - Stanislav Nazarov, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Russia, has been extradited from Israel to face charges in an indictment accusing him of taking part in an international money laundering scheme.

 

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, John L. Phillips, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for the U.S. Department of Treasury, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Washington, D.C.

 

            Nazarov was among 19 people charged earlier this year in federal indictments outlining various international fraud and money laundering conspiracies. He was arrested in March 2017 in Israel following an undercover investigation and later waived extradition to the United States. Nazarov was brought to the United States on Oct. 19, 2017, and is to make his first appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

 

            The indictment charges Nazarov with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering. It includes a forfeiture allegation seeking a money judgment representing the proceeds of the alleged scheme.

 

            According to the indictment, Nazarov conspired with others in June 2016 to defraud a large reinsurance company in India.  That company fell victim to a cyber-phishing scheme whereby Nazarov’s co-conspirators allegedly tricked a director of that company into wiring $1.4 million to a bank account in the United States.  In December 2016, the indictment alleges, 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 indictment, 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.

 

            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 FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of the Inspector General, and ICE-HSI Washington, D.C. Assistance has been provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Israeli National Police. The FBI Legal Attache 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.

WASHINGTON – Thomasine Bennett, 68, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison on a charge of voluntary manslaughter for killing her 63-year-old boyfriend at her apartment in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.

 

            Bennett pled guilty in July 2017 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lopez accepted the plea today and sentenced Bennett accordingly. Following her prison term, Bennett will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on Feb. 17, 2017, at approximately 12:55 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received a call to investigate trouble at an apartment in the 700 block of 21st Street NE. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Walter M. Clark, unconscious and unresponsive inside a hallway closet with multiple bruises to the body. The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported Mr. Clark to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later determined that Mr. Clark, 63, died from multiple blunt force trauma.

 

            Bennett met police officers when they arrived on the scene. According to the proffer, she stated that her boyfriend was in the back and that he made her smoke “Love Boat” the previous night. She directed officers to the hallway closet. Investigators quoted Bennett as saying that she beat Mr. Clark with a baseball bat over the last day and a half. She was arrested 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 worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Nikita Davis, 48, a business owner with a firm in Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for a scheme in which she improperly qualified for government contracts and then fraudulently billed the United States more than $1.1 million.

 

            U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration, made the announcement.

 

            Davis pled guilty in June 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to major fraud against the United States. She was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. The plea agreement calls for her to pay $1,189,697 in restitution to the United States. Upon completion of her prison term, Davis will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            Davis was the president and chief executive officer of Federal Acquisition Consultants Inc. (FACI), a company based in Washington, D.C., that specialized in acquisition and program management support. The company was formed in 2007 as an economically disadvantaged, woman-owned, small business.

 

            According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Davis made fraudulent representations when she applied in March 2013 for a contract under a GSA program created to streamline the federal procurement process through pre-negotiated prices and terms. GSA provided centralized procurement for the federal government through this program, known as the GSA Multiple Awards Schedule Program (GSA MAS).

 

            The GSA awarded Davis’s company a GSA MAS contract designation in May 2013. Later in 2013, the Department of Commerce solicited requests for quotes from GSA MAS contractors for work related to the mission of the Afghanistan Investment and Reconstruction Task Force. The Task Force, part of the Commerce Department, aimed to facilitate and coordinate activities designed to help Afghanistan develop a sustainable economy, stabilize the market, and create strong Afghan-American partnerships.

 

            Davis’s company submitted quotes and in September of 2013 was awarded seven contracts, worth a total of more than $3.1 million. In April 2014, the Commerce Department’s Office of Inspector General initiated an investigation into Davis and the company, based on an allegation that she submitted false invoices and made false statements to government agencies. The investigation revealed that, in obtaining the GSA MAS contract designation, Davis made false representations about her company’s past work experience. It also determined that Davis’s company improperly billed and collected from the government a total of $1,189,697 under the contracts by billing improperly for travel, danger pay, insurance, security and labor.

  

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Inspector General Ochoa, and Inspector General Gustafson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Offices of the Inspector General for the General Services Administration and Department of Commerce. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Jasper Spires, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of first-degree murder while armed for the July 4, 2015 slaying of Kevin Sutherland on a Metrorail train, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.

 

            Spires pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence in the range of 30 to 35 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff set a hearing for Jan. 12, 2018 to determine whether to accept the plea and sentencing range.

 

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on July 4, 2015, at approximately 12:43 p.m., Spires was standing near the fare machines at the entrance to the Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood Metro Station, in the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE, when 24-year-old Kevin Sutherland entered the station.  Mr. Sutherland proceeded through the turnstiles and up the escalator to the platform, where he walked toward the front end of the platform to wait for a downtown-bound Red Line train.

 

            A short while later, Spires followed through the entrance and up the escalator.  As he stepped off the escalator and onto the platform, Metro digital surveillance cameras captured Spires putting gloves on his hands.  Spires also walked towards the front end of the platform.

 

            When a downtown-bound Red Line train arrived, both Spires and Mr. Sutherland boarded the second car of the train.  Mr. Sutherland sat down near the middle of the car, in a seat facing inward, towards the center of the car.  As the train traveled between the Rhode Island Avenue and NOMA-Gallaudet University Metro stations, Spires approached Mr. Sutherland and snatched Mr. Sutherland’s cellphone from his hand.  Spires then began to attack Mr. Sutherland with a knife.  He stabbed Mr. Sutherland repeatedly in the abdomen, upper right back, left side, right side, left arm, and right arm.  As Spires stabbed him, Mr. Sutherland fell to the floor of the train.  Spires continued to stab Mr. Sutherland as he lay on the floor.  He also kicked Mr. Sutherland in the body and head.  At the end of the attack, Spires threw Mr. Sutherland’s cellphone at him, striking him in the head.

 

            During this attack, witnesses aboard the train attempted to notify the train’s operator.   Spires menaced one of these witnesses with his knife and told the witness to “Shut up.”  He also menaced two other witnesses on the train with a knife and took their property.  When the train pulled into the NOMA-Gallaudet station, Spires walked off the train and ran down the stairs leaving the platform.  He discarded the knife in a trashcan before continuing his flight.  As he hopped the exit turnstiles of the station, Spires dropped a backpack.  He hesitated for a moment, as though he would stop to pick up the backpack, but then continued his flight without retrieving the backpack. Meanwhile, Metro employees and some civilians who had been on the train with Mr. Sutherland called 911, and some witnesses sat with Mr. Sutherland as they waited for emergency personnel to arrive.  By the time first responders got to the scene, Mr. Sutherland was unresponsive and emergency personnel pronounced Mr. Sutherland to be deceased.

 

            Spires was arrested on July 6, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.

 

            The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia conducted an autopsy on Mr. Sutherland. During the autopsy, the deputy medical examiner observed 19 stab wounds and 16 cutting wounds on Mr. Sutherland’s body.  Several of the stab wounds were very deep and caused damage to Mr. Sutherland’s internal organs. 

 

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Chief Pavlik commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Metro Transit Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and Bode Cellmark Forensics.

 

            They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, David Gorman, Michelle D. Jackson, Colleen M. Kennedy, Silvia Gonzalez-Roman, Mark Aziz, Kara Traster, and Anwar Graves; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Criminal Investigators Durand Odom and Mark Crawford; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Sandra Lane, Lashone Samuels, and Michelle Chambers; former Paralegal Specialists Karen Hansen and Vanessa Trent- Valentine; the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, including Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Clark and Marcia Rinker and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas.

 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Kathryn Rakoczy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Stanley Moghalu, 30, of Bowie, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to kill, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and other charges in an attack that killed one man, who was a government witness, and wounded another man in Northeast Washington.

 

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

 

            Moghalu was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26, 2018. Moghalu faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 14, 2011, shortly after 5 p.m., Moghalu and an accomplice ambushed Ronald D. Smith and Charles Harrison at the intersection of 21st and M Streets, NE. Mr. Smith, 27, was killed in the attack. Mr. Harrison was shot nine times, losing the use of his right arm, but survived his injuries.

 

            An investigation determined that Mr. Smith was killed because he was a government witness in an investigation into the May 2011 murder of Ervin L. Griffin in the 1200 block of 18th Street NE. One defendant, David Warren, now 31, and formerly of Washington, D.C., was later found guilty of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in Mr. Griffin’s slaying and sentenced to 36 years in prison.

 

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura R. Bach; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Kirschner and Gilead Light, who investigated and prosecuted the case.