District of Columbia

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office today honored more than 100 law enforcement officers, agents, and investigators for their outstanding work on dozens of cases that led to the convictions of murderers, sexual predators, fraudsters, and other criminals. The event took place at the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.

 

            U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips said the Office’s 35th Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recognized the exceptional work performed by honorees on a wide variety of investigations, including those involving violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and public corruption, and national security matters. Their efforts led to convictions in 41 cases that had an impact locally, nationally, and internationally.

 

            “The citizens of the District of Columbia, and indeed, people throughout the world, depend upon the dedication shown each day by the thousands of law enforcement officers here in the nation’s capital who protect us from harm,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Their commitment to public safety and the criminal justice system is a constant, extending 24 hours a day, and today we recognize their outstanding work.”

 

            The ceremony honored the achievements of people from 17 agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI, the U.S. Capitol Police, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Metro Transit Police Department, and other partners. The Sex Offender Investigations Squad of the U.S. Marshals Service received special recognition for an array of work, including its efforts to locate and arrest offenders who fail to maintain their sex offender registration.

 

            Among cases highlighted today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized the detective work performed by the Metropolitan Police Department that led to the first-degree murder conviction last year of Joe Anthony Barber for the 1984 slaying of a woman at her apartment in Southeast Washington. Barber was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

 

            Other MPD detectives and a Metro Transit Police officer were honored for work leading to the conviction last year of Demetrius Banks for a series of attacks in 2015 in which he assaulted five women at knifepoint who were walking home alone from Metro stations; he sexually assaulted two of the victims. Banks was sentenced in March 2017 to life in prison with no possibility of release, plus 82 years.

 

            In another case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized MPD’s detective work that led to the conviction of Jared Kline, a former emergency room staff nurse who sexually abused three patients in separate incidents at area hospitals. Kline was found guilty by a jury last year and subsequently sentenced to 45 months in prison and must register for life as a sex offender.

 

            A team from the U.S. Capitol Police was recognized for the arrest and conviction of Larry Russell Dawson, a Tennessee man who was caught with a handgun while being screened at the United States Capitol Visitor Center. Dawson brandished the weapon during the March 28, 2016, confrontation with law enforcement, ignored orders to drop it, and was shot by police. Police recovered the gun, a Daisy spring-loaded BB gun. In color, shape, weight, and other outward appearances, the gun resembled a semi-automatic handgun. Dawson pled guilty to a federal offense and was sentenced in March 2017 to 11 months in prison.

 

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office also honored the U.S. Capitol Police the case of Douglas Hughes, a Florida man who flew a gyrocopter onto the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on April 15, 2015. He pled guilty to a federal offense and was sentenced to 120 days in jail.

 

            The ceremony also honored the investigators whose work led to the convictions of the owners of a home health care agency for a scheme in which they and others defrauded the District of Columbia Medicaid program of over $80 million. Florence Bikundi was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison. Her husband, Michael D. Bikundi, Sr., was sentenced to a seven-year prison term. The investigative team included the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the U.S. Secret Service, and the Office of the Inspector General for the District of Columbia (D.C. OIG).

 

            The U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Columbia-Superior Court created the Sex Offender Investigations Squad in 2011. Today’s honorees included Deputy U.S. Marshals as well as investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Inspector General’s Office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In just over six years, the squad has arrested hundreds of people for violating sex offender registration requirements and other offenses, as well as others accused of various violent offenses

WASHINGTON – A 49-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of various felony charges 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 Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

            The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, was found guilty 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. The defendant is to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2017, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Under the District of Columbia’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, he faces a minimum of 24 years in prison. 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 verdicts, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised 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. He 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.

 

            He 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 Phillips commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa S. West and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

WASHINGTON - The United States has filed a complaint to civilly forfeit $1,902,976 from Mingzheng International Trading Limited (Mingzheng), a company based in Shenyang, China. The complaint alleges that Mingzheng is a front company that was created to launder United States dollars on behalf of sanctioned North Korean entities.

 

            According to the complaint, Mingzheng conspired to evade U.S. economic sanctions by facilitating prohibited U.S. dollar transactions through the United States on behalf of the Foreign Trade Bank, a sanctioned entity in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and to launder the proceeds of that conduct through U.S. financial institutions.

 

            The forfeiture action was announced today by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Michael DeLeon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office.

 

            The action represents one of the largest seizures of North Korean funds by the Department of Justice.

 

            “This complaint alleges that parties in China established and used a front company to surreptitiously move North Korean money through the United States and violated the sanctions imposed by our government on North Korea,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Sanctions laws are critical to our national security and foreign policy interests, and this case demonstrates that we will seek significant remedies for those companies that violate them.”

 

            “The FBI has dedicated substantial resources to investigate complex illegal monetary transactions involving foreign adversaries. This specific case has significant national security implications,” said Special Agent in Charge DeLeon. “The men and women of the FBI's Phoenix Field Division worked diligently to identify the illegal transactions. We hope this sends a strong message to those who utilize US banking systems for illegal activities.”

 

            The complaint was filed on June 14, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the complaint, Mingzheng is owned by a Chinese national and is based in Shenyang, China. Mingzheng allegedly operated as a front company for a foreign-based branch of the North Korea-based Foreign Trade Bank (FTB). In March 2013, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Foreign Trade Bank as a sanctioned entity pursuant to the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations. The designation noted that the Foreign Trade Bank is a state-owned bank, and “acts as North Korea’s primary foreign exchange bank.” The designation further noted that North Korea uses the Foreign Trade Bank to facilitate millions of dollars in transactions on behalf of actors linked to its proliferation network.

 

            The United Nations Panel of Experts reported in 2017 as to how North Korean banks have been able to evade sanctions and continue to access the international banking system. Specifically, despite strengthened financial sanctions, North Korean networks are adapting by using greater ingenuity in accessing formal banking channels. This includes maintaining correspondent bank accounts and representative offices abroad, which are staffed by foreign nationals making use of front companies. These broad interwoven networks allow the North Korean banks to conduct illicit procurement and banking activity.

 

            An FBI investigation revealed that Mingzheng’s alleged activities mirror this money laundering paradigm. Specifically, Mingzheng acts a front company for a covert Chinese branch of the Foreign Trade Bank. This branch is operated by a Chinese national who has historically been tied to the Foreign Trade Bank.

 

            The government is seeking to forfeit $1,902,976 that was transacted in October and November of 2015 by Mingzheng, via wire transfers, using their Chinese bank accounts. These U.S. dollar payments, which cleared through the United States, are alleged to violate U.S. law, because Mingzheng was surreptitiously making them on behalf of the Foreign Trade Bank, whose designation precluded such U.S. dollar transactions.

 

            The claims made in the complaint are only allegations and do not constitute a determination of liability.

 

            The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S Attorneys Arvind K. Lal, Zia M. Faruqui, Christopher B. Brown, Deborah Curtis and Brian P. Hudak are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato.

 

WASHINGTON – Gererd Hall, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six years in prison for a series of residential burglaries, mostly targeting the Greenway Apartment Complex in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

            Hall pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 10 counts of second-degree burglary for offenses committed on different dates. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of six years in prison. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles accepted the plea today and sentenced Hall accordingly. Following his prison term, Hall will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, between July of 2015 and July of 2016, Hall was responsible for a total of 18 burglaries of apartment units, taking items including cash, numerous televisions, laptops, video game consoles, and jewelry. Most of Hall’s crimes involved entering Washington, D.C. apartments through unlocked windows, then carrying out the items through the front door. He targeted apartment units mostly in the Greenway Apartment Complex, which was in close proximity to his own home.

 

            In his plea, Hall admitted to committing crimes on these 10 dates and at these locations:

 

• July 15, 2015, about 10 p.m.: 3500 block of A Street SE.

• August 18, 2015, about 11:30 p.m.: 3400 block of A Street SE.

• September 19, 2015, about 5:45 p.m.: 400 block of 37th Place SE.

• October 18, 2015, about 12:45 a.m.: 3500 block of A Street SE.

• November 12, 2015, about 11:30 p.m.: 3400 block of B Street SE.

• January 31, 2016, about 9:15 p.m.: 3500 block of East Capitol Street SE.

• February 28, 2016, about 10 p.m.: 3500 block of East Capitol Street SE.

• April 1, 2016, about 11:15 p.m.: 3800 block of Bay Lane SE.

• April 11, 2016, about 11:55 p.m.: 200 block of 36th Street SE.

• July 18, 2016, about 7:15 p.m.: 3500 block of B Street SE.

 

            Hall was arrested on July 18, 2016.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from Metropolitan Police Department, especially the detectives of the Sixth Police District. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rizwan Qureshi and Kathryn Rakoczy and Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Donathan Taylor, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for two robberies and a home break-in, all committed in broad daylight and in different neighborhoods, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

 

            Taylor pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of armed robbery, robbery, and destruction of property. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of seven years in prison. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles accepted the plea today and sentenced Taylor accordingly. Following his prison term, Taylor will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            In his guilty plea, Taylor admitted involvement in three crimes: damaging a door during a home break-in that took place at about 10:30 a.m. on April 1, 2015, in the 200 block of 17th Street NE; a robbery that took place at about 11:35 a.m. on May 25, 2016, in the 1600 block of G Street SE, and an armed robbery that took place at about 2:45 p.m. on June 24, 2016, in the 600 block of Buchanan Street NW. A co-defendant, Robert Lewis 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the latter robbery and is awaiting sentencing on July 14, 2017.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Latent Fingerprint Unit of the Forensic Science Laboratory of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Romano and Kamil E. Shields, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Jerome M. Holliway, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 17 ½ years in prison for attacking another defendant last fall while they were in a courthouse cellblock, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

            Holliway pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sex abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 17 ½ years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lόpez accepted the plea today and sentenced Holliway accordingly. Following his prison term, Holliway will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

 

             According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 11, 2016, Holliway and the victim were held in the same cellblock at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Both had finished their court hearings and were awaiting transport back to the District of Columbia Jail. At approximately 11:35 a.m., Holliway began attacking the victim -- beating, biting, kicking, and sexually assaulting him, mostly in the toilet area behind a metal divider.

 

            After the attack, Holliway pulled the naked victim up by his chains and stated, “Don’t tell anyone that I did this, tell them a ghost did it or the devil did it or something.”

 

            In a separate matter, Holliway also pled guilty in March to a charge of attempted threats. Judge Lopez sentenced Holliway to 180 days in prison for this offense. The plea agreement called for the sentence imposed in this case to run concurrently with the 17 ½ years for the sexual assault. In this matter, Holliway admitted calling his estranged wife’s telephone and leaving a voicemail on Oct. 5, 2016, in which he threatened to beat her and kill anyone she loved.

 

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D'Yvonne Key, Victim/Witness Advocate Supervisor Dr. Lorraine Chase, and Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the sexual assault, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Poulin, who investigated and prosecuted the threats matter.

WASHINGTON – BethAnne Moskov, a deputy director for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), pled guilty today to charges stemming from a contract-steering scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Jonathan Schofield, Special Agent in Charge for the USAID Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.

 

            Moskov, 53, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to law enforcement. The plea agreement, which is subject to Court approval, requires the Court to impose a sentence within the range of no prison time to a year and a day in prison. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for August 28, 2017.

 

            “By engaging in cronyism and contract-steering, this defendant chose to reward a friend with federal money instead of actively seeking the most qualified and cost-effective bidder,” said U.S Attorney Phillips. “The prosecution of this case underscores our determination to protect taxpayer dollars and demand that contracting officials act fairly and within the law.”

 

            “The American taxpayer expects federal employees to execute their duties and obligations conscientiously and in a dispassionate, fair manner that puts public good ahead of private gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Schofield. “Here we see an unfortunate exception; an official who used her position to benefit herself. Though the damage in reputational harm and erosion of public trust is difficult to quantify, the resolute investigation and prosecution of Ms. Moskov is a reminder that legal and ethical standards for federal employees are not haphazard and consequences for such transgressions can be grave.”

 

            According to the plea documents, Moskov worked from July 2012 through August 2016 as the USAID Deputy Director for the Office of Health, Infectious Disease, and Nutrition. Her office was located at USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C. The charges involve her dealings with a person identified in the documents as “Co-Conspirator A,” a close personal friend who worked as a consultant for various projects for USAID, as well as the private sector. Moskov and “Co-Conspirator A” took trips together and was the man of honor at her wedding.

 

            In June 2014, according to the plea documents, Moskov wanted to hire “Co-Conspirator A” for a consultancy contract. She was the approving and selecting official for the contract, and the person to be chosen for the work was to report to her. Moskov provided internal government document templates needed for the consultancy to “Co-Conspirator A.” In an e-mail at the time, Moskov told him that “we need to jump thru a few hoops and will go through the motions but you will (sic) selected in the job – any time you spend putting this together add it as days to your consultancy…thanks peaches.”

 

            In July 2014, “Co-Conspirator A” prepared a Selection Memo and other consultancy documents from the templates for Moskov. The Selection Memo listed “Co-Conspirator A” as the highest ranked candidate. Later that month, Moskov selected him as the “best consultant to fill the project order.” The Selection Memo included language taken verbatim from the version provided by “Co-Conspirator A.” “Co-Conspirator A” was paid a total of $22,480.85 for the consulting project, according to the plea documents.

 

            Additionally, during an investigation, law enforcement learned that Moskov had used her government e-mail account in 2012 to ask “Co-Conspirator A” for a loan to help her in financing a house. “Co-Conspirator A” agreed to loan her the funds. In an e-mail, Moskov thanked “Co-Conspirator A” for the loan and wrote, ““Send me your CV again and let me float it here with the 2 missions as well as some of my contacts around town …there is SOOO much work going on here! I got to get you in the system.” “Co-Conspirator A” wired her $7,100.

 

            In December 2015, Special Agents with the USAID Office of Inspector General interviewed Moskov at USAID headquarters. She falsely stated that she had repaid the entire $7,100 loan from “Co-Conspirator A.” In reality, she had paid nothing back.

 

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Schofield commended the Special Agents who investigated the case from the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny and Joshua Fein. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON - Anthony Morgan, 28, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to eight years in prison on two gun charges, including one stemming from the robbery of a food market on Independence Day last summer in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Morgan pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a prior crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan. Following his prison term, Morgan will be placed on two years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of July 4, 2016, Morgan and another man entered the Good Food Market located in the 2000 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. Morgan had a mask on his face and carried a black handgun. Once inside the store, Morgan approached a store employee and demanded that the worker open the cash register. Morgan then immediately reached into the register and grabbed all of the cash inside. Prior to leaving the store with the money, Morgan pointed his handgun at a second victim. Both Morgan and his accomplice fled the scene.

 

            The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the crime and obtained video surveillance. MPD created and distributed look-out bulletins from still shots in the surveillance, leading to Morgan’s arrest. During a search of Morgan at the time of his arrest, MPD recovered a semi-automatic handgun. Morgan previously was convicted in a 2007 robbery case.

 

            A co-defendant, Alfonzo Jackson, 27, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in May 2017 to a robbery charge and is to be sentenced on July 14, 2017.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips 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. 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, Paralegal Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie and Diana Lim, Katina Adams-Washington, and LaJune Thames of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Goodwin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – George Joyner, 50, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to an 11-year prison term on a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the slaying of a man last summer in downtown Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.

 

            Joyner pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 11 years in prison. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea on June 2, 2017, and sentenced Joyner accordingly. Following his prison term, Joyner will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 8, 2016, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Joyner became involved in a physical altercation with Keon Parker, 28, who was walking in the area of the intersection of Second and E Streets NW. At some point during the altercation, Joyner began to assault Mr. Parker with a sharp object. Mr. Parker fell to the ground, and Joyner continued to attack him. Onlookers rushed to the aid of Mr. Parker, as did the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Mr. Parker was declared dead at approximately 8:10 p.m. He had been stabbed in the neck and torso.

 

            Joyner was apprehended in the area soon after the attack by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He made several statements to police indicating that he was involved in an altercation with Mr. Parker at the intersection.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Zekiah Wright and Kelly Blakeney, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Willoughby, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Manuel Fernandez, 35, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to 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 Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Fernandez pled guilty 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 is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison term of 1.5 to 8 years. Upon release, Fernandez would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for September 7, 2017 at 2:00 pm.

 

            According to the plea documents, while Fernandez was a teacher at L.A.M.B., he touched multiple students on their genitalia while in his classroom and in the school basement. He touched both male and female students, both under and over their clothing.

 

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips 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 – Michael Bilecky, 34, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he illegally sold computer software at below- market prices by circumventing the product registration and licensing requirements, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

 

            Bilecky pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of trafficking in circumvention devices. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Bilecky faces a likely range of 10 to 16 months in prison and a fine of up to $40,000. He also is subject to an order of restitution. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for August 18, 2017 at 10:30 am.

 

            According to the plea documents, Bilecky came to the attention of the FBI after he advertised various computer software products for sale at below market prices, on websites such as eBay and Craigslist. An undercover FBI Special Agent posed as a prospective buyer and arranged to purchase a product made by Autodesk, Inc., at a fraction of its retail cost.

 

             Like other software programs, the product made by Autodesk had a license key. A software license key is a pattern of numbers and/or letters provided to a licensed user of a software program. License keys typically are created and delivered once the user has paid for the program and has agreed to the terms of use. A license key prevents a developer’s software from being copied, shared, or otherwise used illegally by non-licensed users.

 

           A separate class of software programs, known as “keygen cracks,” have been created with the purpose of bypassing the legal product registration and license key activation process by generating counterfeit license keys. According to the plea documents, Bilecky used this software in illegally providing the Autodesk product to the undercover agent. A subsequent investigation revealed that Bilecky sold the same “keygen crack” to seven other individuals between February and April of 2013 for commercial advantage and private financial gain.

 

           In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips 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 worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Hooks and Allen O’Rourke, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Marando, who is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging seven individuals with conspiring to steal trade secrets from a business in the U.S. on behalf of a company in China that was engaged in manufacturing a high-performance, naval-grade product for military and civilian uses.

 

     On May 23, 2017, two defendants were arrested in Washington, D.C., three in the Southern District of Texas, and one in the District of Massachusetts. All are charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. The government also filed a related civil forfeiture complaint in the District of Columbia for two pieces of real property which were involved in, and are traceable to, the alleged illegal conduct.

 

     Those arrested and charged include four U.S. citizens: Shan Shi, 52, of Houston, Texas; Uka Kalu Uche, 35, of Spring, Texas; Samuel Abotar Ogoe, 74, of Missouri City, Texas; and Johnny Wade Randall, 48, of Conroe, Texas. Also charged were Kui Bo, 40, a Canadian citizen who has been residing in Houston, and Gang Liu, 31, a Chinese national who has been residing in Houston as a permanent resident.

 

     Additionally, charges were filed against one Chinese national living in China, Hui Huang, 32, an employee of the Chinese manufacturing firm allegedly involved in tasking employees of the Houston company.

 

     The charges were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, Director Douglas Hassebrock of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Office of Export Enforcement, and Chief Richard Weber of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

 

     According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the trade secrets were stolen in order to benefit a manufacturer located in China; this manufacturer was the only shareholder for a company that had been incorporated in Houston. Between in or about 2012 and the present, the affidavit alleges that the Chinese manufacturer and employees of its Houston-based company engaged in a systematic campaign to steal the trade secrets of a global engineering firm, referred to in the affidavit as “Company A,” that was a leader in marine technology.

 

     The case involves the development of a technical product called syntactic foam, a strong, light material that can be tailored for commercial and military uses, such as oil exploration; aerospace; underwater vehicles, such as submarines; and stealth technology. According to the affidavit, the Chinese manufacturer intended to sell syntactic foam to both military and civilian, state-owned enterprises in China – part of a push toward meeting China’s national goals of developing its marine engineering industry.

 

     The affidavit alleges that the conspirators took part in the theft of trade secrets from Company A, a multi-national company with a subsidiary in Houston that is among the major producers of syntactic foam. The affidavit identifies a number of trade secrets allegedly taken from the company between January and June of 2015, including secrets that allegedly were passed to people associated with the Chinese manufacturer and Houston-based company.

 

     Defendant Shi was hired by the Chinese company on a contract basis in March 2014 in order to bring in experts, set up a design team, and push forward marine buoyancy technology. That same month, Shi incorporated the new company in Houston that was owned by the Chinese manufacturer.

     The affidavit alleges that defendants Shi and Bo then began to systematically target U.S. employees with experience in the production of syntactic foam. Between late 2014 and early 2015, the new company in Houston hired two former Company A employees, defendants Ogoe and Liu, by offering a combination of cash incentives and high paying positions. Uche, who was at the time a current employee of Company A, provided trade secrets to Ogoe, the affidavit alleges. Defendant Randall, who was at the time a current employee of Company A, allegedly provided at least one stolen trade secret to Ogoe.

     Ogoe provided these trade secrets as well as additional information to the company owned by the Chinese manufacturer in Houston shortly after being hired, the affidavit alleges. Liu also provided Company A trade secrets shortly after being hired.

 

     Some of these trade secrets were sent by Shi and Bo and others to defendant Huang, an employee of the manufacturer in China, so that the Chinese manufacturer could create a functional syntactic foam manufacturing facility, the affidavit states.

 

     The maximum penalty for a person convicted of conspiring to commit theft of trade secrets is 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

 

     The defendants are expected to make their initial court appearances today: Shi and Liu in the District of Columbia; Bo in the District of Massachusetts; and Ogoe, Uche and Randall in the Southern District of Texas. Huang remains at large.

 

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

 

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

WASHINGTON – Dominic White, 30, of Lanham, Md., was sentenced today to 8 years in prison on a charge of aggravated assault while armed, for assaulting a man with a metal pole at a towing establishment in Northeast Washington. In addition, White was sentenced to 1 year in prison on charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, to run consecutively, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

 

            A co-defendant, Phanessa Haynes, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 9 months of incarceration with the time suspended and 18 months of supervised probation for her role in the insurance fraud scheme.

 

            White and Haynes were found guilty by a jury on March 24, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. Following their prison terms, defendant White will be placed on 5 years of supervised release. White was ordered to pay $1535 and Haynes $500 in restitution to State Farm Insurance.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 4, 2014, at approximately 5 p.m., Haynes arrived at a towing company in the 1000 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE to pick up her car, which was getting its rims and tires replaced. She quickly noticed that the job wasn’t completed to her standards and became angry at the man who was doing the work. She called her boyfriend – White - multiple times expressing her frustrations.

 

            White raced over and once arriving, picked up a metal pipe. Haynes pointed to the victim, and said, “That’s him, that’s the one.” White rushed to the victim and struck him with the metal pipe a couple of times, hitting and injuring him. He then dropped the pipe and fled. The victim’s head injuries required 18 staples and resulted in debilitating migraines for approximately a year. Following the attack, other employees at the towing shop called 911 and one gave a partial license tag of White’s car. White was later identified as the owner of a car with the same make and color described by witnesses, with a similar tag.

 

            Further investigation showed that Haynes and White were involved with an insurance policy that was purchased by Haynes, which led to her car being at the towing establishment on the day of the assault. Soon after purchasing the policy, and making sure it covered tires and rims, Haynes filed a claim with the insurer for “stolen” rims.

 

            White was arrested on March 30, 2015, and Haynes was arrested at the scene on Nov. 4, 2014.

 

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the U.S. Marshals Service. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Rickard, Daniel Lenerz, Jocelyn Ballantine, Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez, Kathryn Rakoczy, and Opher Shweiki; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Paralegal Specialists Richard Cheatham, Debra McPherson, Crystal Waddy, and Tiffany Fogle; Criminal Investigator, Melissa Matthews; Litigation Technology Specialists, Josh Ellen and Leif Hickling; Investigative Analyst, Zachary McMenamin, and Computer Forensic Examiner; John Marsh.

 

            Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Seifert and David Misler, who investigated and indicted the case, and Monica Trigoso and Alysa Kociuruba, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – James Cherry, 58, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from a 911 call he made last summer that falsely claimed numerous bombs were set to go off at Union Station, announced Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Neil Trugman, Chief of the Amtrak Police Department.

 

     Cherry’s call led to an emergency response by law enforcement and the evacuation of the train station, as well as disruptions of train service, until the claim was found to be a hoax. In addition to the call regarding Union Station, which was the basis for the guilty plea, Cherry admitted making another two 911 calls with a bomb threat in downtown Washington.

 

     Cherry pled guilty in February 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to threatening and conveying false information concerning use of an explosive. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay$36,153 in restitution to Amtrak.

 

     According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, on Monday, July 25, 2016, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Cherry placed a call to 911 reporting there were two bombs “ready to go off in this building, one building 1818 Pennsylvania Avenue, next building is three blocks away. You figure it out, you figure it out.” Edward R. Murrow Park is located at 1818 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. The White House is within three blocks of that address. The United States Secret Service was notified of the threat. The World Bank is located on H Street facing the park and the numbers 1818 are prominently displayed on the side of the building. At approximately 6:31 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received another call stating, “There are two bombs.” This was followed by another call in which nothing was said. At about 6:32 p.m., a call back to the number received a voicemail for “James.”

 

     On Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at approximately 5:06 p.m., at the beginning of the evening rush hour, Cherry placed another call to 911 using the same cell phone that he used two days earlier. This time, he reported that “there are eight bombs at Union Station set to go off” and threatened to kill “all you white people,” describing them as pigs.

 

     Union Station, located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE, is the main interstate train station for Washington, D.C., used by interstate National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) trains, local Metro Transit trains, and MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) and VRE (Virginia Railway Express) trains serving commuters from Maryland and Virginia. In addition, it is a major commercial center, with numerous retail outlets, and dining establishments.

 

     The 911 threat call prompted an immediate emergency response. Union Station was evacuated and a sweep conducted of the exterior and interior of the building by Amtrak police, Capitol Police and Metro Transit Police K9s. The FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force was mobilized and began an investigation. The Metropolitan Police Department assisted with guarding the exterior of the building, monitoring pedestrian travel while the other agencies conducted a sweep for hazardous materials.

 

     After a thorough investigation, officials determined that the threat was a hoax. No explosive devices were found. Six Amtrak trains and numerous passengers were disrupted as a result of the threat, which caused a monetary loss for Amtrak in the amount of $36,153. There were also five MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) and two VRE (Virginia Railway Express) trains serving commuters from Maryland and Virginia delayed as a result of the threat.

 

     A law enforcement investigation determined that Cherry was the subscriber and registered owner of the cell phone used to make the false bomb threats. Cherry was arrested in Southeast Washington on Dec. 16, 2016 and has been in custody ever since. Upon arrest, Cherry told law enforcement that he made the threat against Union Station when he was high and drunk.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Chief Trugman commended the work of the emergency responders and those who investigated all of the hoax calls from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Amtrak Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Capitol Police, the Metro Transit Police, and the U.S. Secret Service. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mac Caille Petursson and Jorge Casillas, and Legal Assistant Matthew Ruggiero. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenda J. Johnson, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Victor Purdie, 56, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge stemming from an incident in October 2016 in which he repeatedly kicked and punched another man in the face, causing the victim’s death a few months later, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

     Purdie pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of voluntary manslaughter. The Honorable Jose M. Lopez scheduled sentencing for July 28, 2017.

 

     According to the government’s evidence, during the early morning hours of October 2, 2016, Purdie briefly interacted with the victim, Richard Lewis, in front of Union Station at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. At some point, a dispute arose and Purdie punched Mr. Lewis, who immediately fell to the ground. Purdie proceeded to repeatedly kick and punch Mr. Lewis, who had been rendered unconscious and was motionless throughout the assault. An occupant in a nearby vehicle sounded the car’s horn in an attempt to alert Purdie so that he would stop his assault. Purdie then kicked Mr. Lewis once more and fled the scene.

 

     Members of the Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to the area, as were members of the D.C. Fire and EMS Department. Mr. Lewis was transported to a local hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition as a result of suffering a fractured skull and severe hemorrhaging in his head. He never regained consciousness and was subsequently transferred to a long-term healthcare facility. On January 6, 2017, Mr. Lewis succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

 

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Paralegal Specialists Zekiah Wright and Kelly Blakeney, Victim/Witness Specialist Marcia Rinker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Willoughby, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against a detective from the Metro Transit Police who was involved in the fatal shooting on July 4, 2016, of Sidney Washington, Jr. in Northeast Washington.

 

     The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident. This included interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses as well as a review of photographs, diagrams, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, video surveillance footage, the autopsy report, and reports from the Metropolitan Police Department, Metro Transit Police Department, and District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

 

     According to the evidence, on July 4, 2016, officers and detectives with the Metro Transit Police Department were deployed to the area near the Deanwood Metro Station in Northeast Washington amid concerns about rival gangs and potential violence. At approximately 10:30 p.m., two rival groups began shooting fireworks at each other and into the Metro station. Metro Transit Police officers and detectives dispersed the two groups.

 

     At least one team of two detectives remained in the area and parked in the 4900 block of Quarles Street NE; they were in an unmarked vehicle but wore tactical clothing that had “POLICE” written across the front. While parked in the area, the detectives saw Mr. Washington walk to the intersection of 49th and Quarles Streets NE, and display a silver handgun.

 

     According to the evidence, the detectives saw Mr. Washington discharge the firearm toward a large crowd of people that were approximately 50 to 75 feet away. The detective behind the driver’s wheel of the unmarked police car pulled up next to Mr. Washington and yelled, “Police!” Instead of surrendering, Mr. Washington turned toward the detective and discharged his firearm at close range, striking the driver’s side door of the police car at least twice. The detective returned fire, striking Mr. Washington, who fell to the ground, landing in a seated position. Then, while in a seated position, Mr. Washington discharged additional rounds at the detective, and the detective fired back until Mr. Washington fell backwards onto the ground.

 

     After the scene was secured, mobile crime technicians recovered a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which was near Mr. Washington’s body. The technicians also recovered nine 45-mm cartridge casings and one 9 mm cartridge casing from the intersection where Mr. Washington was observed discharging the weapon.

 

     The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland determined that Mr. Washington, 21, died from multiple gunshot wounds. An autopsy determined that Mr. Washington had five gunshot wounds, including two to the chest, one to the upper abdomen, one to the right forearm, and one to the right buttock.

 

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

 

Use-of-force investigations generally

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

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

WASHINGTON – Marques Henderson, 36, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to narcotics and firearm offenses stemming from his operation of an open-air drug market in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew 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 before the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan 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. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 8, 2017.

 

     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, along 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 Phillips, 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 Anthony Scarpelli and Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.

WASHINGTON - Anthony Wade, 30, of Washington, D.C., and his uncle, Antwain Bailey, 47 of Temple Hills, Md., were sentenced to prison terms today for their roles in the killing of a man last year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced. Wade was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Bailey to a 13-year prison term.

 

            Both men entered guilty pleas in January 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Wade pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed, and Bailey pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed.

 

            The pleas, which were contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for Wade to be sentenced to between 15 and 24 years in prison and for Bailey to be sentenced to 13 years. The Honorable Milton C. Lee accepted the pleas today and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Following their prison terms, the men will be placed on five years of supervised release. They also will be required to register as gun offenders.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, in the late afternoon of March 9, 2016, Bailey had a verbal altercation with the victim, Aubrey Dansbury, in an apartment in the 800 block of Chesapeake Street SE. During the argument, Wade called his uncle, Bailey, and provided Bailey with his location. Wade then walked outside and Mr. Dansbury followed. Once outside, the two men began to fist fight. People from the neighborhood tried unsuccessfully to break up the fight.

 

            As the fight continued, Bailey drove onto the block in a black Lexus sedan. Bailey parked the car and got out, and Wade ran over to him. When Mr. Dansbury and Wade began to fight again, Bailey intervened and walked Wade to the front of the car. Bailey then handed Wade a gun. Wade turned and began shooting at Mr. Dansbury, who was standing at the back of the Lexus. Wade fired the gun at least two times, but neither shot hit Mr. Dansbury. The gun jammed. Wade handed the gun to Bailey, who unjammed the weapon and handed it back. Wade then repeatedly fired the gun as he followed Mr. Dansbury around the car. Mr. Dansbury got inside of the back seat of the sedan to seek cover. Wade then shot Mr. Dansbury multiple times. Mr. Dansbury fell out of the car onto the sidewalk. Bailey got into the driver’s seat and Wade got into the back seat and the car pulled off. Mr. Dansbury, 27, died from the gunshot wounds on March 17, 2016.

 

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrienne Dedjinou, Matthew Massey and Allessandra Stewart, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Pierre Mercer, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 22 months in prison on a federal firearms offense for carrying a semi-automatic handgun in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Mercer pled guilty in July 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He was sentenced on May 18, 2017, by the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson. Following his prison term, Mercer will be placed on two years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 22, 2015, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Criminal Interdiction Unit went to an apartment in the 1300 block of Savannah Street SE to serve a search warrant. Officers were in full uniform and were operating unmarked police vehicles. Upon arrival, officers observed three individuals at the rear of the location, within several feet from the door. Additionally, officers recognized one of the individuals as Mercer.

 

            Officers stopped the three individuals and conducted protective pat downs of them. As Mercer was being patted down, he began to struggle and actively resist by not allowing officers to conduct a thorough pat down of him. During the struggle, Mercer bit an officer on her right middle finger, causing a minor cut to the affected area. Mercer than spontaneously stated, “Okay, I got a gun on me.” Officers lifted up Mercer’s shirt, revealing an elastic band around his stomach area concealing a black and silver handgun.

 

            The firearm recovered from the defendant was a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun. There were 10 .40 caliber bullets in the magazine of the handgun, with no rounds in the chamber. Ammunition, a bullet-resistant vest, an ID bracelet for Pierre Mercer, and other items were recovered in a search of the residence.

 

            In an earlier case, Mercer was sentenced in March 2004 to a seven-year prison term after pleading guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to conspiracy and armed robbery charges.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips 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 worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Edward Lee Staton, Jr., 53, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 137 months in prison for a series of crimes he committed over a 19-month period, including the robbery at knifepoint of an elderly tourist and numerous thefts from retail establishments, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today. In three of the incidents, Staton brandished a knife in the direction of store employees who tried to stop him.

 

             Staton pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 12 offenses committed on different dates, including charges of robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, second-degree burglary, simple assault, second-degree theft, possession of a prohibited weapon, and failing to appear for a court hearing. He was sentenced on May 10, 2017 by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Following completion of his prison term, Staton will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, between February 2015 and September 2016, Staton was responsible for more than 35 incidents, ranging from shoplifting to robbery. The crimes led to more than $30,000 in reported losses. Most of Staton’s crimes involved entering Washington, D.C. retail establishments and using a large trash or laundry bag to steal a significant volume of retail items, such as clothing, medication, and toiletries. In his guilty plea, Staton admitted to 11 incidents, as well as failing to appear for a court hearing last summer. In some instances, Staton targeted the same store on more than one occasion.

 

            In his plea, Staton admitted to committing crimes on these dates and at these locations:

 

• Dec, 30, 2015, about 2:40 p.m.: Gap store, 600 block of 11th Street NW.

   

• Jan. 11, 2016, about 5:25 p.m.: CVS, 3200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW.

 

• Jan. 30, 2016: about 3:10 p.m.: CVS, 400 block of 8th Street NW.

   

• June 17, 2016, about 1:30 p.m.: CVS, 500 block of 12th Street SE.

 

• June 20, 2016, about 3 p.m.: District Taco, 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. In this incident, Staton took a woman’s wallet.

 

• July 2, 2016, about 9:45 p.m. CVS, 400 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW.

 

• July 10, 2016, about 8:50 p.m.: Staton took the wallet of an elderly tourist who was walking down 900 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW. He also brandished a knife at the tourist and two people who tried to intervene.

 

• July 21, 2016, about 7 p.m.: Banana Republic, 600 block of 13th Street NW.

 

• Aug. 8, 2016, about 2:30 p.m.: Banana Republic, 600 block of 13th Street NW.

   

• Aug. 9, 2016, about 4:25 p.m.: TJ Maxx, 600 block of 13th Street NW.

 

• Sept. 13, 2016, about 2:35 p.m.: CVS, 500 block of 12th Street SE.

 

            Staton was arrested on Sept. 13, 2016.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, especially the detectives of the First Police District. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the CVS Organized Retail Crime Unit as well as the Mid-Atlantic Organized Retail Crime Alliance. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacie Weston, Veronica Sanchez, and Douglas Klein; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenna Bush; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph, and Legal Intern Devin Barrett. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Floyd, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – LaQuinn Williams, 68, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to two months of incarceration, to be followed by a month of home confinement, for selling commercial grade fireworks/explosives, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Williams pled guilty in January 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to transport or receipt of explosive materials by a prohibited person. He was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Upon completion of his prison term, Williams will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received a tip in 2015 that an associate of Williams was selling illegal fireworks. An MPD task force officer assigned to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an undercover purchase of commercial grade fireworks. The investigation continued, and Williams and his associate were arrested on June 8, 2015, when Williams showed up in a van in Northeast Washington for a second anticipated sale of commercial grade fireworks, similar to those used in pyrotechnic fireworks shows. At the time, Williams had 63.7 pounds of illegal explosives that, if ignited, could blow up his vehicle and surrounding vehicles. Upon seizing the items, ATF had an expert in the handling of explosives remove them from the vehicle, to be stored in an underground facility pending resolution of the case.

 

            Williams earlier had pled guilty in July 2010, also in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to deal in explosive materials. In that case, he accepted responsibility for 300 pounds of display grade fireworks, one of the largest amounts of explosives ever recovered by ATF in a residence in the District of Columbia. In that case, Williams acknowledged under oath [i]f not properly handled and/or shot into the air, or if intentionally exploded while on the ground,” the explosives could be “dangerous or lethal.”

 

            ATF has jurisdiction over these highly regulated and dangerous explosives that regularly result in injuries to members of the community if misused or mishandled.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham commended the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Marc S. Jeffers, 23, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges stemming from an incident in which he randomly shot a gun at vehicles and passersby on a busy street in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Jeffers pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a 10-year prison term. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea on May 10, 2017, and sentenced Jeffers accordingly. Following his prison term, Jeffers will be placed on a period of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 7, 2016, shortly before 1:45 p.m., Jeffers was walking on Georgia Avenue NW, headed towards Randolph Street, while armed with a semi-automatic handgun. Jeffers came out of a restaurant at Georgia Avenue and Quincy Street NW and shot the handgun three times into the ground. He then pointed the gun at two people who exited the restaurant immediately before him and shot at them.

 

            Jeffers then continued to walk on Georgia Avenue, pointing the gun at people on the street and then at a bus. He also shot his handgun at a four-door sport utility vehicle. As the motorist in the SUV was driving north in the 3700 block of Georgia Avenue, he heard several gunshots coming from his left side. The motorist felt his vehicle being hit and drove away. When he eventually flagged down officers to report what had happened, the motorist saw that a bullet struck the rear passenger door of his car, causing damage to the door.

 

            Jeffers then walked into the middle of the street from the east side of the 3800 block of Georgia Avenue and fired several shots at another Metrobus that was traveling on the block. Several riders on the bus reported seeing Jeffers continue to walk northbound on Georgia Avenue as he fired the handgun. Several riders got on the floor of the bus to take cover.

 

            An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was in a Safeway in the 3800 block of Georgia Avenue when multiple people came into the store to report that a man was walking northbound on Georgia Avenue and shooting a handgun at passersby. The officer left the Safeway on his mountain bike and saw Jeffers across the street. The officer approached Jeffers, got off his mountain bike, took cover behind a sports utility vehicle parked on the west side of the street, and ordered Jeffers to drop his firearm. Jeffers ignored the commands and continued along Georgia Avenue. Jeffers then pointed his handgun north on Georgia Avenue and began shooting at an unknown subject. Once Jeffers began shooting, the officer left his cover behind the sports utility vehicle and approached him. According to the government’s evidence, the officer discharged his service weapon in an attempt to disarm Jeffers, who briefly fell to his knees, but did not drop the handgun. The officer continued to order Jeffers to drop the handgun, but Jeffers got up off his knees, and continued to walk north on Georgia Avenue. Jeffers then lifted the gun up to his chest level, at which point the officer discharged his weapon again. Jeffers was hit twice by the officer’s gunfire and fell to the ground.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Lashaune Briggs. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Anthony Burns, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to federal conspiracy, robbery, and weapons offenses for a series of armed robberies in late 2015 that targeted commercial businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Burns pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, three counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, and one count of using, carrying, brandishing and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. He is to be sentenced on July 25, 2017, by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and robbery charges, and a possible life prison term for the weapons offense. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 130 to 141 months in prison and a potential fine of $15,000 to $150,000. He also is subject to orders of restitution and forfeiture.

 

            Burns remains held without bond pending sentencing. Three other defendants have pled guilty to federal charges related to their roles in the armed robberies, which targeted stores in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. They include Gregory Hull, 23, of Suitland, Md; Breyon Lee, 23, and Lee’s brother, Bradley Lee, 21, both of Washington, D.C. All are awaiting sentencing.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 27, 2015, at approximately 2 p.m., store surveillance video captured Burns, Hull, and an unidentified co-conspirator, who were masked and armed with handguns, as they robbed the City Beats shoe store, in the 3000 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The men ordered everyone in the store to get on the floor. Burns approached a store employee with his gun drawn and demanded that the employee open the cash register. Burns, Hull, and their accomplice fled with approximately $1,594 in stolen cash and several pairs of stolen shoes.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 13, 2015, at approximately 4:40 a.m., Burns and an unidentified co-conspirator entered the 7-Eleven convenience store in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street SW. Surveillance video showed that both men tried to conceal their identities using masks and hooded garments, and Burns was armed with a handgun. Burns pointed a gun at a store employee’s head, grabbed him behind the collar, and forced him behind the store counter. Burns demanded money from the cash register and a safe underneath the counter. When the employee was unable to open the register and safe, Burns struck him on the back of his head with the gun, causing a laceration. A second employee came out of the bathroom, and Burns’s accomplice forced the employee to open the cash registers. Burns and his accomplice grabbed an undetermined amount of cash from the registers and several packs of cigarettes and cigars.

 

            About 40 minutes after the 7-Eleven robbery, government evidence shows, Burns and the accomplice entered another 7-Eleven store in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue NE, again wearing masks and hooded garments. Burns jumped over the counter and pointed the gun at the cashier, demanding money from the cash register. The employee opened both registers. Burns and his accomplice grabbed an undetermined amount of cash and fled.

 

            Burns was arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant on December 29, 2015.

 

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Acting Chief Newsham commended the actions of those who worked on the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Barr, Paralegal Specialist Catherine O’Neal, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamila Hodge, who is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON - Antoine Miller, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 47 months in prison for a federal weapons offense following his arrest last year by a gun recovery team from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Miller was found guilty on February 2, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The verdict followed a bench trial before the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson. In an earlier case, Miller was sentenced in 2004 to a prison term of 11 years and eight months, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his conviction of drug and weapons offenses.

 

            Following his prison term in the current case, Miller will be placed on two years of supervised release. In a separate proceeding, he also faces revocation of his probation in the earlier case.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 31, 2016, at approximately 9:50 pm, members of the MPD Narcotics and Special Investigation Division – Gun Recovery Unit were driving and operating a gray Ford Explorer. While the officers traveled northbound in the 4600 block of Livingston Road SE, they observed Miller walking with another person southbound on the sidewalk. The officers slowed the vehicle, greeted the two males, identified themselves as police, and asked if they had any guns on them. Miller immediately stated “no,” and turned around so that his back was facing the officers. He then lifted the back of his puffy vest jacket, deliberately not showing the officers the front of his waistband.

 

            As Miller did this, the other male continued to walk, keeping his head down, and at this time walking faster and ahead of the defendant. Seeing these actions from both individuals, the officers exited their vehicle to talk to the two men. One officer approached Miller and again calmly asked the defendant, “Hey, man can I talk to you?”, whereupon Miller stopped walking and turned and faced the officer. Subsequently, he turned and faced the officer and stated, “I told you I have! I been telling you I have one! You can have it! Just take it! Just take it! You can have it!” Moreover, a passing pedestrian called out, “You good slim?,” at which time the defendant replied, “They got me with a gun and all that.” The firearm was identified as a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber loaded with 9 rounds of ammunition.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham commended the actions of those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Jennings and Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Eugene Sickle, the former deputy executive director of a South African research institute, pled guilty today to a scheme in which he stole more than $200,000 in grant funds originating with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

 

            The guilty plea was announced by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Jonathan Schofield, Special Agent in Charge for the USAID Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.

 

            Sickle, 47, a chemist and a citizen of South Africa, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of six months to 12 months and a day of incarceration. The plea agreement requires Sickle to pay $206,250 in restitution. He is to be deported upon completion of his sentence. The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 1, 2017.

 

            “Eugene Sickle abused his position to steal more than $200,000 meant to promote safer childbirth practices in South Africa,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “His actions undercut efforts by the U.S. Agency for International Development to help those in need. His arrest and prosecution demonstrate our commitment to ensuring U.S. dollars are spent properly.”

 

            “When individuals are entrusted by the United States to help implement its overseas development programs, nothing but the highest ethical and legal standards are demanded,” said Special Agent in Charge Schofield. “Theft from those who have nothing - from a program dedicated to safer childbirth no less - not only violates the law but is an affront to the very dignity of America's ideals and largess. Whether such egregious behavior transpires domestically or overseas, the OIG stands ready to ensure perpetrators are held to account.”
 

            Based in Washington, D.C., USAID is the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies. It has regional offices in foreign countries to implement and administer USAID programs and funds. USAID South Africa is one such regional office that works with local organizations in that country.

 

            According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Sickle was deputy executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, a South African research institute focusing on sexual and reproductive health as well as vaccine-preventable diseases. Its primary source of funding is USAID, and Sickle administered grant funds for projects. One such project involved a mobile electronic device software application, in connection with the South African National Department of Health, which would help facilitate safer childbirth deliveries in South Africa.

 

            On October 2, 2015, according to the statement of offense, Sickle and the institute’s chief executive officer signed a contract with a company called Alzar Consulting Services Ltd. to develop the childbirth app. Likewise, an individual named “Dr. Carla Das Neves” Alzar’s purported director, signed the contract. Pursuant to this contract, the institute made two payments to Alzar totaling $206,250. However, the childbirth app has never been developed.

 

            Subsequent investigation revealed that Sickle created Alzar in the British Virgin Islands. Unbeknownst to anyone at the research institute, he was the sole owner of the company. Sickle also created e-mail accounts for Alzar and fake Alzar employees, including “Carla Das Neves.” He created a fake LinkedIn page for “Carla Das Neves,” which had a beach scene for a picture, and falsely claimed that “Carla Das Neves” was a trained expert in aid/relief work.

 

            Sickle shepherded the research institute’s contract with Alzar through the approval and compliance process. He signed the contract both as himself and also as “Carla Das Neves.”

 

            According to the statement of offense, Sickle did not perform any of the work required under the contract, nor did anyone else. None of the USAID money was used for its intended purpose to facilitate safer childbirth in South Africa. Instead, Sickle diverted the money to himself personally, and an associate.

 

            Sickle resigned from his position last year. Agents with the USAID Inspector General’s Office arrested him in Washington, D.C., in February 2017. He has been in custody ever since.

 

            This case is being investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Marston and Denise Simmonds and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vesna Harasic-Yaksic of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Arthur Chan, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine months of home confinement and ordered to perform 180 hours of community service on a federal charge involving the sale of counterfeit designer apparel and accessories, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., and Michael W. Sonntag, Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Field Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Inspector General.

 

            Chan pled guilty in January 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to trafficking in counterfeit goods. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer also ordered him today to serve one day in jail, complete 18 months of supervised release, and pay a forfeiture money judgment of $37,246, which represents the amount of proceeds he generated through the crimes.

 

            According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Chan is a resources analyst at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Between November 2013 and March 2016, according to the statement of offense, he used two personal eBay accounts to complete approximately 610 sales of apparel and accessories bearing marks identical with, or substantially indistinguishable from, those registered to Hugo Boss. Among other things, Chan used his work computer at NASA to facilitate the counterfeit apparel sales scheme.

 

            Chan imported all of these items from India to a mailbox he maintained at a UPS store in Lanham or his residence in Washington, D.C. According to the statement of offense, he netted a total of $37,246 from the sale of these items. During the investigation, law enforcement seized a variety of counterfeit items, including 113 counterfeit Hugo Boss wallets; 18 counterfeit Ralph Lauren Polo wallets; three counterfeit Fred Perry wallets; 23 counterfeit Hugo Boss Polo shirts; two counterfeit Fred Perry Polo shirts, and counterfeit Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren packaging.

 

            This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C., and the NASA Office of Inspector General. Hugo Boss AG, based in Metzingen, Germany, provided assistance to the investigative team. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Marando, with assistance on asset forfeiture issues from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.

WASHINGTON – Jerome A. Proctor, Jr., 23, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on federal charges alleging that he robbed and assaulted a United States Postal Service letter carrier in Northeast Washington last fall.

 

            The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            The indictment charges Proctor with one count of robbery of United States mail, one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees, and two firearms offenses. Proctor, who is in custody in Maryland for an unrelated matter, will be arraigned at a date to be scheduled by the Court.

 

            The indictment charges Proctor with taking part in an attack at about 6 p.m. on Nov. 26, 2016, in the 2300 block of Second Street NE. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that a letter carrier was completing his route when he was approached by an individual later identified as Proctor and an accomplice. Proctor allegedly pistol-whipped the letter carrier and ordered his accomplice to rummage through the letter carrier’s pockets.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Proctor and his accomplice took the letter carrier’s mail satchel and personal property, as well as his pants and sneaker, before the letter carrier was able to get up off the ground to try to flag down a car for assistance. As the letter carrier approached the car for help, he saw a shot fired in the air to scare away the car. The driver, frightened by the gunshot, sped off, but the letter carrier was able to run after the car and ultimately flagged down officers of the Metropolitan Police Department just blocks away.

 

            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.

 

            The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane.

WASHINGTON – Donnie Bean, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from incidents over a 90-minute period in which she struck numerous cars and pedestrians, including a police vehicle, while driving under the influence of alcohol and cannabinoids in downtown Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

            Under what is known as the Alford doctrine, Bean pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of felony assault on a police officer. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of five to seven years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for July 28, 2017.

 

            The plea involved a series of incidents that took place on Saturday, May 7, 2016, from approximately 5:45 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. According to the government’s evidence, Bean was under the influence of alcohol and cannabinoids, as well as suffering from unmedicated mental health conditions, that day when she drove a black Honda Civic in downtown Washington.

 

            At approximately 6 p.m., according to the government’s evidence, she ran a red light at the intersection of Seventh Street and Florida Avenue NW. She struck a bicyclist and continued through the intersection, then striking and knocking to the ground a 9-year-old girl who was crossing the street with her family. The child was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

 

            At about 6:10 p.m., Bean nearly hit two other people who were in a crosswalk at Fifth and H Streets NW. After one of the pedestrians yelled at her, Bean replied with words to the effect of “You wanna make it real?” and made a U-turn and then drove back at them. They escaped harm by dodging behind a traffic signal pole.

 

            Shortly thereafter, according to the government’s evidence, Bean rear-ended a car at Fifth Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW. The driver of that car got out of his vehicle, tapped on Bean’s window, and told her not to leave. Bean backed up and accelerated toward him, hitting him and flipping him over her car into the middle of Massachusetts Avenue NW. The man was treated on the scene by paramedics and later went to the hospital with minor injuries.

 

            Bean continued to flee. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) saw Bean driving erratically and attempted to stop her. An officer, who was in full uniform and driving a marked police car, saw her in the 1200 block of V Street NW and attempted to stop her. She tried to leave the scene, rammed her vehicle into the police car, and fled westbound into the 1300 block of V Street NW. The officer pulled alongside Bean’s car, trying to stop her, and she rammed her car into the side of his police vehicle several times. He eventually was able to stop Bean. Several officers removed her from the vehicle and placed her in handcuffs.

 

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Clark and Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky, C.B. Buente, and Vanessa Goodwin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Clark Calloway, 38, of Washington, D.C., has been arrested and charged with two federal firearms offenses after allegedly seeking and illegally purchasing a fully automatic AK-rifle 47 and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

 

            Calloway, who was arrested on May 4, 2017, in Washington, D.C., made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is charged in a criminal complaint with possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon and transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, assault with a deadly weapon. The Honorable Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey ordered Calloway held pending a hearing set for May 10, 2017.

 

            According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Calloway previously served in the United States Marine Corps, where he received infantry and explosives training. As described in the affidavit, Calloway agreed on April 1, 2017, to pay $250 for a fully-automatic AK-47 weapon; at the time, he was the subject of an undercover FBI investigation.

 

            According to the affidavit, Calloway made statements to the purported weapons provider about carrying out violence against law enforcement officers and others in places including a police station in Washington, D.C. The affidavit states that Calloway paid a first installment of $60 for the weapon and ammunition on April 7, 2017 and the remaining $190 on April 28, 2017. Calloway was arrested by the FBI when he took delivery of the AK-47. Law enforcement had disabled the AK-47 prior to its delivery.

 

            The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon is 10 years in prison. The maximum penalty for transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a felony is 10 years in prison.

 

            The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla and Jeffrey Pearlman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – John T. Fitzgerald, a former vice president of the Washington, D.C. office of an investment banking firm, was indicted today on 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 indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew 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., was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on 13 felony charges. They include three counts of wire fraud; one count of aggravated identity theft; two counts of tax evasion, and seven counts of money laundering. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking more than $700,000 in proceeds that can be traced to the alleged schemes.

 

            A co-defendant, Bryan D. Wright, 54, 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.

 

            According to the indictment, Fitzgerald 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, according to the indictment, Fitzgerald 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, according to the indictment, 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 allegedly 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), for a total of nearly $1.2 million. 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, the indictment alleges.

 

            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, the indictment alleges.

 

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

 

            In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Phillips, 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 and C. Rosalind Pressley, and Legal Assistants Angela Lawrence and John Lowell. 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 – Linda Washington, 53, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison in connection with a pair of attacks she carried out last summer against her ex-boyfriend, including one with a knife and one with sulfuric acid, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

 

            Washington pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (knife) and one count of aggravated assault while armed (chemical substance). She was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa Demeo. Following her prison term, she will be placed on five years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, late in the evening on July 24, 2016, Washington drove to the Northeast Washington home of her ex-boyfriend to retrieve hedge trimmers that she had loaned him. During a verbal confrontation in the alley behind his home, Washington pulled out a butcher’s knife and ran toward the victim with it. In fear, the victim ran away and jumped over a side fence into his neighbor’s yard. Washington then entered the victim’s house, where the victim’s daughter was sleeping, and took his house keys. She left with the knife. The victim’s home security camera captured the incident.

 

            Early on September 1, 2016, Washington again approached her ex-boyfriend, this time in a parking lot outside Washington’s residence in Southeast Washington. As he attempted to enter his vehicle, Washington threw a plastic cup full of El Diablo drain cleaner on him, covering his face, neck, chest, and arm. An FBI chemist determined that the bulk of the liquid contained sulfuric acid. The victim suffered devastating injuries—including lifelong disfigurement—and spent nearly a month at The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

 

            Judge Demeo sentenced Washington to two years of incarceration for the July 24th knife attack, and a consecutive ten years for the September 1st sulfuric acid attack.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI Laboratory and The Burn Center at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Maltese, and Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and D’Yvonne Key. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Timmer and J. Matt Williams, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Darrell Blackwell, 24, and Michael Kemp, 27, both of Washington, D.C., have been indicted on federal charges alleging that they conspired to commit a series of armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

 

            The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Blackwell was arrested on April 28, 2017 in the District of Columbia and made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was ordered held pending a detention hearing set for May 4, 2017. Also, a status hearing in his case is set for May 9, 2017, before the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson.

 

            Kemp will be presented at a future date. He will be brought to the District of Columbia, by writ, from Maryland where is serving a sentence on unrelated charges.

 

            The indictment, filed last month, charges Blackwell with one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery; two counts of armed robbery; two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle in a crime of violence, and 12 federal firearms offenses.

 

            The indictment charges Kemp with one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery; two counts of armed robbery; two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence, and five federal firearms offenses.

 

            The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the firearms offenses.

 

            According to the indictment, Blackwell and Kemp conspired to and executed the armed robberies of six 7-Eleven convenience stores, and individual patrons of those stores, in the District of Columbia and Maryland between January and June 2013. As alleged in the indictment, from January through June 2013, Blackwell, Kemp and others, engaged in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores, businesses engaged in and affecting interstate commerce, obtaining cash and lottery tickets for their own benefit. According to the indictment, Blackwell, Kemp, and others, used firearms in the commission of these offenses and robbed individual patrons, present at some of the robberies. Lastly, the indictment alleges that Blackwell and Kemp used, without authorization, cars belonging to others in the execution of the armed robberies.

 

            The robberies took place on the following dates and times:

 

• Jan. 5, 2013, approximately 5:20 a.m.: 4100 block of Kenilworth Avenue, Bladensburg, Md.

   

• Jan. 25, 2013, approximately 4:30 a.m.: 1900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE.

   

• Jan. 27, 2013, approximately 8:10 p.m.: 7900 block of Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Md.

   

• Jan. 31, 2013, approximately 11:40 p.m. 7400 block of Georgia Avenue NW.

   

• Feb. 16, 2013, approximately 3:05 p.m.: 8200 block of Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Md.

   

• June 12, 2013, approximately 2:50 p.m.: 2500 block of Benning Road NE.

   

            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 Phillips and Acting Chief Newsham expressed appreciation for the work performed by detectives and officers of the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Montgomery County, Md. Police Department and the City of Bladensburg, Md. Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including, Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, and Legal Assistants Peter Gaboton and Kate Abrey. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kerkhoff and Kacie Weston, who are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON - Dane Powell, 31, of Tampa, Fla., pled guilty today to charges of felony rioting and felony assault on a police officer for his role in the violence and destruction that took place in downtown Washington on Inauguration Day, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Powell was among more than 230 people arrested in the aftermath of various incidents on January 20, 2017; he was arrested the following day. He was among 212 defendants named in a superseding indictment returned on April 27, 2017, by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Powell is the first to plead guilty to felony charges.

 

            In his guilty plea, Powell admitted to breaking windows and throwing a brick, large rock, or piece of concrete at uniformed law enforcement officers. He admitted being part of a group of rioters who moved approximately 16 blocks over a period of more than 30 minutes.

 

            The charge of inciting or urging a riot (felony rioting) carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, or both. The charge of assaulting a police officer also carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, or both. Under the District of Columbia’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, Powell faces an estimated range of 12 to 36 months in prison on each of the two charges. Powell, who remains free on personal recognizance, is to be sentenced on July 7, 2017 by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz.

 

            According to a factual proffer signed by the defendant, on January 20, 2017, Powell joined together with more than 200 other people in and around Logan Circle in Washington, D.C. The group formed a “black bloc” in which individual defendants wore black or dark colored clothing, gloves, scarves, sunglasses, ski masks, gas masks, goggles, helmets, hoodies, and other face-concealing and face-protecting items to conceal their identities in an effort to prevent law enforcement from being able to identify the individual perpetrators of violence or property damage. Some of the members of the black bloc were armed with hammers, crowbars, wooden sticks, and other weapons. Powell was among those dressed in black, and had in his possession a gas mask. Powell also attempted to conceal his face with a mask. Powell was in possession of a hammer, and a heavy wooden stick with a flag attached to it.

 

            At or about 10:19 a.m., according to the proffer, Powell and others in the black bloc moved south from Logan Circle on 13th Street NW. He marched with the group and saw that, within minutes of leaving Logan Circle, individuals participating in the black bloc began to vandalize and damage public and private property.

 

            At approximately 10:35 a.m., Powell and other participants -- who armed themselves with hammers, crowbars, wooden sticks, and other weapons -- broke the windows of a Starbucks coffee shop in the 1200 block of I Street NW, the proffer states. He continued to move with the black bloc for several blocks when, at approximately 10:40 a.m., he broke the windows of a McDonalds restaurant near the intersection of New York Avenue NW and 13th Street NW, Washington, D.C. He then continued to move with the black bloc for multiple blocks.

 

            At approximately 10:50 a.m., according to the proffer, Powell and more than 200 participants in the black bloc observed law enforcement forming a police line consisting of less than two dozen officers at the intersection of 12th and L Streets NW. At approximately 10:52 a.m., he and the other participants formed their own line, counted down, and charged the officers who formed the police line. Powell was one of approximately 50 or more individuals in the black bloc who broke the police line and was able to escape. Law enforcement was ultimately able to detain and to arrest more than 200 participants in the black bloc, and those individuals were held at the intersection of 12th and L Streets until they could be processed for arrest.

 

            After Powell broke the police line and while law enforcement was detaining the more than 200 participants in the black bloc at the intersection of 12th and L Streets NW, he and others continued to engage in violence, the proffer states. Law enforcement formed another police line at 12th and K Streets NW. On at least three separate occasions, Powell threw a brick, large rock, or piece of concrete at uniformed law enforcement officers who had formed a line, the proffer states. Others also threw bricks, rocks, or pieces of concrete at uniformed law enforcement officers in the area. Multiple officers were transported to the hospital after being hit with bricks, rocks, or pieces of concrete, to include one officer who was knocked unconscious on the scene.

 

            The investigation is continuing, and three defendants were added to the case in the superseding indictment returned on April 27. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has dismissed cases against 19 of the 230 individuals arrested on Inauguration Day. Two other defendants have pled guilty to a misdemeanor rioting charge.

 

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer A. Kerkhoff and John W. Borchert.

WASHINGTON – Chaka Al-Fatah, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for a federal firearms charge related to a narcotics conspiracy that operated in the District of Columbia and Maryland. He was among 16 people to plead guilty following an investigation that led to the seizure of kilograms of narcotics, firearms, and cash.

 

            The announcement was made by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Stephen M. Schenning, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department; Robert D. MacLean, Chief of the United States Park Police, and Robert Turner, Acting U.S. Marshal for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

 

            Al-Fatah pled guilty in February 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a narcotics trafficking offense. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of five to eight years in prison. The Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell accepted the plea agreement today and sentenced Al-Fatah accordingly. Following his prison term, Al-Fatah will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must pay a forfeiture money judgment of $5,290.

 

            Over the past 20 months, Chief Judge Howell has also accepted felony pleas from 15 others charged in the case. In March, she sentenced a leader of the conspiracy, Demetrius Muschetta, 33, of Washington, D.C., to a 13-year prison term. Last November, another leader of the group, Myron Williams, 40, of Oxon Hill, Md., was sentenced to a nine-year prison term.

 

            As established through the defendants’ guilty pleas, in January 2015, the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force began a long-term investigation into a narcotics enterprise involving Muschetta and Williams, that primarily focused in the Barnaby Terrace area of Southeast Washington and extended into Maryland.

 

            The investigation revealed that Williams and Muschetta were partners in a drug business and purchased kilogram amounts of cocaine and heroin from multiple sources, and then in turn supplied it to other co-defendants for eventual distribution. According to the government’s evidence, Al-Fatah had narcotics dealings with Muschetta and Williams, which included the selling of narcotics to customers referred to him by Muschetta. He also engaged in phone calls regarding the acquisition of firearms. At the time of his arrest, in June 2015, law enforcement recovered a firearm and narcotics at Al-Fatah’s residence.

 

            The 16 defendants were arrested after months of investigation by the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the United States Park Police, and the United States Marshals Service. The Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force sponsored and supported this complex investigation

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting U.S. Attorney Schenning, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, Acting Chief Newsham, Chief Stawinski, Chief MacLean, and Acting Marshal Turner commended the work of the D.C. Safe Streets Task Force.

 

            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 Anthony Scarpelli and Christopher Macchiaroli of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Han and Todd Gee; Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Mary Downing, Teesha Tobias, Catherine O’Neal, and Toni Anne Donato, and Legal Assistants Brendan Coyne, Diane Brashears, and Latoya Wade. They also commended those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland including Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sullivan, who prosecuted the Maryland portion of Muschetta’s narcotics seizure prior to the charges being transferred to Washington, D.C. for resolution before Chief Judge Howell.

WASHINGTON – A 45-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 30-month prison term for sexually assaulting two nieces and a stepdaughter, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

            The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victims, pled guilty in February 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of second-degree child sexual abuse and two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 30 months in prison. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, the man is to be placed on three years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

 

            At his plea hearing, the man admitted that, on one occasion between Dec. 1 and Dec. 22, 2016, he sexually fondled two of his nieces, then aged eight and nine, on the same evening, while visiting their home in Northwest Washington. The girls told their mother – the man’s sister – who notified the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Further investigation by the police revealed that the man had been fondling his 15-year-old stepdaughter on various occasions throughout 2016. The man admitted his guilt at almost his earliest opportunity in the court proceedings.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of officers from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also expressed appreciation for the work of personnel from Safe Shores, who conducted forensic interviews of the three victims. He 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 Elsa Maltese. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter V. Taylor and Caroline Burrell, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

WASHINGTON – Milton Hood, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 14 years in prison on charges of robbing and assaulting a senior citizen couple in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Hood was found guilty by a jury in January 2017 of one count of robbery of a senior citizen, and one count of assault with intent to commit robbery of a senior citizen. The verdict followed a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles. Upon completion of his prison term, Hood will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence at trial, at about 11:15 a.m. on May 29, 2015, a 75-year-old woman and her 81-year-old husband were walking south on 23rd Street NW, between Q and P Streets. Hood attacked the husband, knocking him to the ground, and forcibly removed his wallet from his back pocket. The female victim, afraid for her husband’s life, began striking Hood with her cane, hitting him repeatedly on the head and neck. Hood turned on her, striking back and knocking her head to the ground. Hood tried to grab her purse, but the female victim, bleeding from her head and her knees, did not let go. People in two cars driving by stopped to help the victims, and the defendant ran off. Based on descriptions provided by the victims and eyewitnesses, Hood was spotted by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) two hours later wearing the exact same clothing as he was at the time of the attack. The victim’s cane was swabbed for DNA, and subsequent testing revealed the presence of Hood’s DNA on it.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting 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 Forensic Science Laboratory and Crime Scene Sciences Division of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, as well as Bode Cellmark Forensics.

 

            They 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; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Michael Spence, Chrisellen Kolb, and Stephen Rickard ; Paralegal Specialists Crystal Waddy, Stephanie Siegerist, Stephanie Gilbert, Donville Drummond, Lynda Randolph, Debra McPherson, and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialists Claudia Gutierrez, Jeanie Latimore-Brown, and Paul Howell, and Jennifer Clark, Katina Adams-Washington and LaJune Thames, of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gilead Light, Michael Romano, and Allessandra Stewart, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Quest Diagnostics Inc. has agreed to pay $6 million to resolve a lawsuit by the United States alleging that Berkeley HeartLab Inc., of Alameda, California, violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to physicians and patients to induce the use of Berkeley for blood testing services and by charging for medically unnecessary tests. Quest, which is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey, acquired Berkeley in 2011, and ended the conduct that gave rise to the settlement.

 

“We rely on doctors to provide honest, independent recommendations regarding clinical testing,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Companies that pay kickbacks to referring doctors corrupt those doctors’ independence, leaving patients vulnerable to expensive and unnecessary testing.”

 

Physicians refer their patients to independent laboratories like Berkeley to conduct tests on blood samples. According to the government’s complaint, Berkeley paid kickbacks to referring physicians disguised as “process and handling” fees. The complaint also alleged that Berkeley paid kickbacks to patients by routinely waiving copayments owed by certain patients who were legally required to pay for part of their tests. Allegedly, Berkeley paid the kickbacks to induce both the physicians and patients who received them to choose Berkeley over other laboratories. The government’s complaint further alleged that these illegal practices resulted in medically unnecessary cardiovascular tests being charged to federal healthcare programs.

 

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

 

“The South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office has dedicated considerable resources to pursuing fraud cases that divert federal tax payer dollars from important programs, like health care and defense contracting,” said U.S. Attorney Beth Drake of the District of South Carolina. “The goal for our qui tam unit is to protect taxpayers, patients, and soldiers by ensuring that important decisions are made according to medical science and engineering, and not based on dollar signs.”

 

“This settlement is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address conduct that allows medical decisions to be influenced by money rather than the best interests of patients,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia. “Our office is pleased to defend the integrity of our healthcare system and to demand the return of ill-gotten gains.”

 

“We will not allow laboratories to provide financial incentives to induce physicians to steer patients their way,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) in Atlanta. “The Office of Inspector General will continue to work aggressively to eliminate this type of behavior which ultimately drives up healthcare costs and eliminates fair competition.”

 

The lawsuit was initially filed by Dr. Michael Mayes under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene in and take over a whistleblower suit. The United States partially intervened in this and two related actions on March 31, 2015, and is continuing to pursue claims against the remaining defendants: Latonya Mallory, the former CEO of Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc., and marketing company BlueWave Healthcare Consultants Inc. and its owners, Floyd Calhoun Dent III and Robert Bradford Johnson. Dr. Mayes’ share of the settlement with Quest has not been determined.

 

On April 9, 2015, the United States announced settlements with two other laboratories - Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. of Richmond, Virginia, and Singulex Inc., of Alameda, California - for engaging in conduct similar to that resolved in the settlement with Quest.

 

The government’s intervention in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

 

This matter was investigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of South Carolina and the District of Columbia, FBI’s Columbia Field Office and the FBI Healthcare Fraud Unit Major Provider Response Team (MPRT), HHS-OIG, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

 

The cases is captioned United States ex rel. Mayes v. Berkeley HeartLab Inc., et al., Case No. 9:11-CV-01593-RMG (D.S.C.). The claims settled by these agreements and asserted against these companies and individuals are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

WASHINGTON – Quest Diagnostics Inc. has agreed to pay $6 million to resolve a lawsuit by the United States alleging that Berkeley HeartLab Inc., of Alameda, California, violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to physicians and patients to induce the use of Berkeley for blood testing services and by charging for medically unnecessary tests. Quest, which is headquartered in Madison, New Jersey, acquired Berkeley in 2011, and ended the conduct that gave rise to the settlement.

 

            “We rely on doctors to provide honest, independent recommendations regarding clinical testing,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Companies that pay kickbacks to referring doctors corrupt those doctors’ independence, leaving patients vulnerable to expensive and unnecessary testing.”

 

            “This settlement is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address conduct that allows medical decisions to be influenced by money rather than the best interests of patients,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia. “Our office is pleased to defend the integrity of our healthcare system and to demand the return of ill-gotten gains.”

 

            Physicians refer their patients to independent laboratories like Berkeley to conduct tests on blood samples. According to the government’s complaint, Berkeley paid kickbacks to referring physicians disguised as “process and handling” fees. The complaint also alleged that Berkeley paid kickbacks to patients by routinely waiving copayments owed by certain patients who were legally required to pay for part of their tests. Allegedly, Berkeley paid the kickbacks to induce both the physicians and patients who received them to choose Berkeley over other laboratories. The government’s complaint further alleged that these illegal practices resulted in medically unnecessary cardiovascular tests being charged to federal healthcare programs.

 

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

 

            “The South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office has dedicated considerable resources to pursuing fraud cases that divert federal tax payer dollars from important programs, like health care and defense contracting,” said U.S. Attorney Beth Drake of the District of South Carolina. “The goal for our qui tam unit is to protect taxpayers, patients, and soldiers by ensuring that important decisions are made according to medical science and engineering, and not based on dollar signs.”

 

            “We will not allow laboratories to provide financial incentives to induce physicians to steer patients their way,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) in Atlanta. “The Office of Inspector General will continue to work aggressively to eliminate this type of behavior which ultimately drives up healthcare costs and eliminates fair competition.”

 

            The lawsuit was initially filed by Dr. Michael Mayes under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene in and take over a whistleblower suit. The United States partially intervened in this and two related actions on March 31, 2015, and is continuing to pursue claims against the remaining defendants: Latonya Mallory, the former CEO of Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc., and marketing company BlueWave Healthcare Consultants Inc. and its owners, Floyd Calhoun Dent III and Robert Bradford Johnson. Dr. Mayes’ share of the settlement with Quest has not been determined.

 

            On April 9, 2015, the United States announced settlements with two other laboratories - Health Diagnostics Laboratory Inc. of Richmond, Virginia, and Singulex Inc., of Alameda, California - for engaging in conduct similar to that resolved in the settlement with Quest.

 

            The government’s intervention in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

 

            This matter was investigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of South Carolina and the District of Columbia, FBI’s Columbia Field Office and the FBI Healthcare Fraud Unit Major Provider Response Team (MPRT), HHS-OIG, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

 

            The cases is captioned United States ex rel. Mayes v. Berkeley HeartLab Inc., et al., Case No. 9:11-CV-01593-RMG (D.S.C.). The claims settled by these agreements and asserted against these companies and individuals are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Lim Yong Nam, aka Steven Lim, 43, a citizen of Singapore, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that caused thousands of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the U.S. to Iran, at least 14 of which were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq. 

The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Acting Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement Richard Majauskas for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The sentence was issued by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan.

Lim was extradited in 2016 from Indonesia, where he had been detained since October 2014 in connection with the U.S. request for extradition. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2016, to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by dishonest means. Lim will be deported upon completion of his sentence.

Lim and others were indicted in the District of Columbia in June of 2010 on charges involving the shipment of radio frequency modules made by a Minnesota-based company. The modules have several commercial applications, including in wireless local area networks connecting printers and computers in office settings. These modules include encryption capabilities and have a range allowing them to transmit data wirelessly as far as 40 miles when configured with a high-gain antenna. These same modules also have potentially lethal applications. Notably, during 2008 and 2009, coalition forces in Iraq recovered numerous modules made by the Minnesota firm that had been utilized as part of the remote detonation system for IEDs. According to the plea documents filed in the case, between 2001 and 2007, IEDs were the major source of American combat casualties in Iraq.

In a statement of offense submitted at the time of the guilty plea, Lim admitted that between August 2007 and February 2008, he and others caused 6,000 modules to be purchased and illegally exported from the Minnesota-based company through Singapore, and later to Iran, in five shipments, knowing that the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran was a violation of U.S. law.  In each transaction, Lim and others made misrepresentations and false statements to the Minnesota firm that Singapore was the final destination of the goods; at no point in the series of transactions did Lim or any of his co-conspirators inform the company that the modules were destined for Iran.   Similarly, according to the statement of offense, Lim and others caused false documents to be filed with the U.S. government, in which they claimed that Singapore was the ultimate destination of the modules. Lim and his co-conspirators were directly aware of the restrictions on sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran.

Shortly after the modules arrived in Singapore, they were kept in storage at a freight forwarding company until being aggregated with other electronic components and shipped to Iran. There is no indication that Lim or any of his co-conspirators ever took physical possession of these modules before they reached Iran or that they were incorporated into another product before being re-exported to Iran.

According to the statement of offense, 14 of the 6,000 modules the defendants routed from Minnesota to Iran were later recovered in Iraq, where the modules were being used as part of IED remote detonation systems. 

This investigation was jointly conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Boston and Los Angeles; FBI agents in Minneapolis; and Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security agents in Chicago and Boston. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, particularly the Justice Department Attaché in the Philippines, as well as the FBI and HSI Attachés in Singapore and Jakarta.

U.S. law enforcement authorities thanked the governments of Singapore and Indonesia for the substantial assistance that was provided in the investigation of this matter.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie Edelstein of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

WASHINGTON – Lim Yong Nam, aka Steven Lim, 43, a citizen of Singapore, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that caused thousands of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the U.S. to Iran, at least 14 of which were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq.

 

            The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Acting Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement Richard Majauskas of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Assistant Director Bill Priestap of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The sentence was issued by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan.

 

            Lim was extradited in 2016 from Indonesia, where he had been detained since October 2014 in connection with the U.S. request for extradition. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2016, to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by dishonest means. Lim will be deported upon completion of his sentence.

 

            Lim and others were indicted in the District of Columbia in June of 2010 on charges involving the shipment of radio frequency modules made by a Minnesota-based company. The modules have several commercial applications, including in wireless local area networks connecting printers and computers in office settings. These modules include encryption capabilities and have a range allowing them to transmit data wirelessly as far as 40 miles when configured with a high-gain antenna. These same modules also have potentially lethal applications. Notably, during 2008 and 2009, coalition forces in Iraq recovered numerous modules made by the Minnesota firm that had been utilized as part of the remote detonation system for IEDs. According to the plea documents filed in the case, between 2001 and 2007, IEDs were the major source of American combat casualties in Iraq.

 

            In a statement of offense submitted at the time of the guilty plea, Lim admitted that between August 2007 and February 2008, he and others caused 6,000 modules to be purchased and illegally exported from the Minnesota-based company through Singapore, and later to Iran, in five shipments, knowing that the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran was a violation of U.S. law. each transaction, Lim and others made misrepresentations and false statements to the Minnesota firm that Singapore was the final destination of the goods; at no point in the series of transactions did Lim or any of his co-conspirators inform the company that the modules were destined for Iran. Similarly, according to the statement of offense, Lim and others caused false documents to be filed with the U.S. government, in which they claimed that Singapore was the ultimate destination of the modules. Lim and his co-conspirators were directly aware of the restrictions on sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran.

 

            Shortly after the modules arrived in Singapore, they were kept in storage at a freight forwarding company until being aggregated with other electronic components and shipped to Iran. There is no indication that Lim or any of his co-conspirators ever took physical possession of these modules before they reached Iran or that they were incorporated into another product before being re-exported to Iran.

 

            According to the statement of offense, 14 of the 6,000 modules the defendants routed from Minnesota to Iran were later recovered in Iraq, where the modules were being used as part of IED remote detonation systems.

 

            This investigation was jointly conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Boston and Los Angeles; FBI agents in Minneapolis; and Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security agents in Chicago and Boston. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, particularly the Justice Department Attaché in the Philippines, as well as the FBI and HSI Attachés in Singapore and Jakarta.

 

            U.S. law enforcement authorities thanked the governments of Singapore and Indonesia for the substantial assistance that was provided in the investigation of this matter.

 

            The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie Edelstein of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

WASHINGTON - The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation and its principal, Dr. Alan Curtis, have agreed to a settlement worth more than $150,000 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims for payments of grant funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

            The settlement was announced today by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General for the Department of Justice.

 

            The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs awarded federal grants to the Washington, D.C.-based foundation, a non-profit that specializes in issues involving inner cities and the disadvantaged. The settlement resolves disputed claims that the foundation and Dr. Curtis misused grant funds in violation of the federal False Claims Act.

 

            Specifically, the foundation and Dr. Curtis are settling civil liabilities stemming from allegations that they improperly used grant funds to rent office space in Dr. Curtis’s own home; make sub-grants to organizations affiliated with the foundation’s trustees; engage in projects outside the scope of the foundation’s grant budgets; retain a lobbyist; and retain a foundation trustee to provide consulting services.

 

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice jointly investigated this matter.

 

            “This settlement reflects the United States’ commitment to ensure that its grant funds are being used as intended to further the important policy objectives of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The government expects that those receiving grant funds will adhere to the rules and requirements controlling their use and not knowingly expend such funds on clearly prohibited items.”

 

            “Grantees should understand that the United States will vigorously investigate allegations that they have failed to adhere to applicable rules, regulations, or award conditions,” said Kenneth R. Dieffenbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office. “It is imperative for the United States to protect taxpayers by seeking the recovery of grant funds, wherever and whenever it is appropriate.”

 

            Recipients of grant funds are required to adhere to applicable rules and regulations, and the terms of the applicable agreements, regarding their use. These authorities generally prohibit recipients from engaging in self-dealing or activities giving rise to conflicts of interest without appropriate approvals. The United States also expressly prohibits recipients from using grant funds to lobby Congress. The settlement resolves claims that the foundation, at the direction of Curtis, knowingly violated these proscriptions.

 

            This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combatting grant fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.3 billion through False Claims Act cases.

 

            The settlement agreement is neither an admission of liability by the foundation or Dr. Curtis nor a concession by the United States that the claims are not well-founded. The parties agreed to resolve the matter without litigation.

 

            In announcing the agreement, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Inspector General Horowitz commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Hudak, who handled the matter.

WASHINGTON – Michelle Cho, an officer of Far East Construction Corporation (Far East) and other construction companies, was sentenced today to six months in prison and 24 months of supervised release on a federal charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. Cho was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $169,166 and pay a criminal fine in the amount of $35,000.

 

            The sentencing was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Andrew Finch of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Acting Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Inspector General Carol Fortine Ochoa of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Reihms of the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).

 

            According to court documents, Cho was an initiator and mastermind of a scheme lasting more than five years to defraud a disadvantaged persons’ business assistance program of tens of millions of dollars. Cho utilized two straw companies, including Far East, to conspire with MCC Construction Company (MCC) and others to defraud the SBA. Cho’s two companies were eligible to receive federal government contracts that had been set aside for small, disadvantaged businesses under the SBA 8(a) program. Cho and MCC understood that MCC would illegally perform all of the work on these contracts and pay three percent of the proceeds to Cho’s companies rather than have Cho’s companies perform at least 15 percent of the work as required by the SBA 8(a) program. In so doing, MCC was able to win 27 government contracts worth over $70 million from 2008 to 2011. The scope and duration of the scheme resulted in a significant number of opportunities lost to legitimate small, disadvantaged businesses.

 

            The court documents also state that Cho and MCC violated the provisions of the SBA 8(a) program, which is designed to award contracts to businesses that are owned by “one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.” To qualify for the 8(a) program, a business must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen (or citizens) of good character who meets the SBA’s definition of socially and economically disadvantaged. The firm must also be a small business (as defined by the SBA) and show a reasonable potential for success. Participants in the 8(a) program are subject to regulatory and contractual limits. Also, under the program, the disadvantaged business is required to perform a certain percentage of the work. For the types of contracts under investigation here, the SBA 8(a)-certified companies were required to perform 15 percent or more of the work with its own employees.

 

            Cho, 45, of Downers Grove, Illinois, was charged on Oct.12, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud. She pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, 2016, and was sentenced today by the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson.

 

            MCC pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2016, to conspiring to commit fraud on the United States by illegally obtaining government contracts that were intended for small, disadvantaged businesses and agreed to pay $1,769,924 in criminal penalties and forfeiture. Thomas Harper, another former officer and owner of MCC, pleaded guilty on June 22, 2016, to conspiring to obstruct proceedings before a department or agency. He is to be sentenced on May 15, 2017. Walter Crummy, another former officer and owner of MCC, pleaded guilty on Aug. 23, 2016, to conspiring to commit wire fraud and was sentenced earlier this month to a year of probation and forfeiture in the amount of $105,618.

 

            The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).

 

            The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marston and Trial Attorneys Kevin B. Hart and Justin P. Murphy of the Antitrust Division.

WASHINGTON – Robert Apperson, 35, of Reva, Virginia, was sentenced today to 88 months of imprisonment on a federal drug trafficking charge relating to the distribution of heroin and cocaine in Culpeper County, Virginia. He is among 14 people charged with federal crimes following an investigation by a law enforcement task force of a narcotics trafficking ring that operated in places including New York, N.Y., Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

 

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips; Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

 

            All told, the investigation led to the seizure of 2.8 kilograms of powder cocaine, 248 grams of crack cocaine, 700 grams of heroin, more than $100,000 in cash, and a firearm.

 

            Apperson pled guilty in January 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Apperson will be placed on four years of supervised release. Apperson also was ordered to pay $130,000 in a forfeiture money judgment.

 

            According to plea documents, the investigation revealed that co-conspirators in the narcotics trafficking ring transported heroin and cocaine from New York to a supplier, based in Washington, D.C. In turn, the drugs were supplied to numerous other co-conspirators for distribution in Washington, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

 

            According to the plea documents, Apperson and/or one of the co-conspirators traveled to Washington, D.C., to obtain between 100 grams and one-kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin from the supplier. Apperson and the co-conspirator then worked to distribute cocaine (as both powder and as crack cocaine) and heroin throughout the Culpeper County area.

 

            Between September 2015, and January 7, 2016, according to the government’s evidence, Apperson and the co-conspirator purchased between 100 grams and one kilogram of cocaine and heroin approximately every seven to 10 days. In total, according to the government’s evidence, Apperson and the co-conspirator obtained approximately five kilograms of cocaine and four kilograms of heroin from the Washington, D.C. supplier, which they divided 50/50 between the two of them. Apperson then sold his half of the cocaine and heroin to customers throughout the Culpeper area. Apperson was arrested on August 25, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.

 

            During the course of his arrest, law enforcement seized $3,750 from Apperson’s vehicle and $40,000 from a nightstand drawer at his newly leased residence in Fredericksburg, Va.

 

            The drug sales took place at a time when the nation is experiencing a rise in opioid overdoses. In Culpeper County, Va. and the town of Culpeper, the Virginia State Police responded to more than 80 overdoses in 2016, including nine that resulted in deaths.

 

            This prosecution was the result of an investigation initiated in the fall of 2014 by the FBI/MPD Cross Border Task Force, with assistance from the DEA and the Blue Ridge Narcotics and Gang Task Force. The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the investigation. The Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force sponsored and supported this complex investigation.

 

            Those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia include Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, former Legal Assistant Brendan Coyne, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster and Nihar Mohanty, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Terrez Crocker, 20, and Andre Walker, 28, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury on charges of robbing and assaulting two women in separate attacks in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.

 

            The jury found Crocker guilty of one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, robbery, assault with intent to commit robbery, fleeing from law enforcement, reckless driving, destruction of property, and receipt of stolen property, as well as three counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence. The jury found Walker guilty of one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, robbery, assault with intent to commit robbery, and fleeing from law enforcement.

 

            The verdicts, on April 20, 2017, followed a one-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2017.

 

            According to the government’s evidence at trial, at about 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, August 30, 2015, a young woman was walking by herself on 61st Street NE at the intersection of Eads Street NE. She was walking home after work when she noticed a white Volkswagen Jetta parked in the intersection. Unbeknownst to her, Crocker and Walker were waiting in that vehicle, which had been stolen in Maryland approximately three weeks earlier. GPS evidence placed Crocker at the scene of the car theft during the time-frame in which the vehicle was stolen.

 

            As they sat in the stolen Jetta, Crocker and Walker directed their two female accomplices to jump out of the vehicle to steal the woman’s purse and cell phone. The two female accomplices followed Walker and Crocker’s directive, jumped out of the vehicle, and snatched the woman’s purse and cell phone, and then returned to the vehicle where Crocker and Walker were waiting. The four assailants then fled the scene.

 

            Shortly thereafter, at approximately 7:20 p.m., Crocker, Walker, and their two female accomplices spotted their second victim, another young woman walking near the intersection of Southern Avenue and Bass Place SE on her way home from church. The woman also noticed the white Volkswagen Jetta. Unbeknownst to her, as she walked, Crocker and Walker again directed their two female accomplices to jump out of the car to rob her. At the direction of Crocker and Walker, the two female accomplices again jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to take the woman’s purse. However, the woman fought back, fending off her attackers and thwarting the robbery. The two female accomplices then ran back to the Volkswagen Jetta, where Crocker and Walker were waiting.

 

            Both victims were able to provide information to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including the make and model of the vehicle used during the commission of the robberies and a partial license plate tag number.

 

            Members of MPD’s Fifth and Sixth Districts canvased the area in search of the suspects’ vehicle, which was spotted at East Capitol Street and Benning Road NE. Officers attempted to pull over the vehicle. However, Crocker and Walker ignored the directive of the police and sped away. Crocker, the driver, fled from the police, driving at a high rate of speed, driving erratically, and committing multiple traffic violations during the pursuit. Eventually, Crocker crashed the Volkswagen Jetta near the intersection of 57th Place and A Street SE. All four assailants then fled on foot and were apprehended within blocks of the crash site. The two female accomplices, an adult and a juvenile, pled guilty to charges in the case.

 

            In announcing the guilty verdicts, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He 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 Jennifer Kerkhoff, Paralegal Specialists Richard Cheatham, Lashone Samuels, and Donville Drummond, and Intelligence Research Specialist Zachary McMenamin. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and Laura Crane, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – KaShaun Perkins, 43, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison on a federal charge of wire fraud for embezzling from his employer, causing a loss in excess of $275,000, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

 

            Perkins pled guilty to the charge in February 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Following his prison term, Perkins will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also is required to pay $249,096 in restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment in the same amount.

 

            According to a statement of the offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Perkins worked as a payroll specialist from December 2014 to July 2015 at a global consulting firm. As a payroll specialist, he managed external payroll provider services in order to ensure salaries were accurately and timely processed for payments. Perkins also updated the payroll and human resources information systems with bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, addresses, and names of employees and maintained these employee records.

 

            From January to July 2015, according to the statement of offense, Perkins caused his employer to pay out approximately $275,000 in bogus salary and tax withholding payments for “ghost” employees. Perkins altered a terminated employee’s payroll profile, repeatedly changing entries such as name, Social Security number, bank account number, address, and salary payments. In fact, none of the altered data corresponded to an actual employee. Through these changes to the payroll system, Perkins caused the unauthorized salary payments to be directly deposited into accounts in his name, accounts with his joint ownership, and accounts under his control. By directing the payroll provider service to make these payments, Perkins obtained “salary” payments of “ghost” employees totaling $249,096. The employer paid an additional $26,092 in tax withholdings, for a total loss of $275,188.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips expressed appreciation for the work performed by Forensic Accountant Jean Luc Guerrier of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Lamont Delrico Roberts, 46, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to approximately nine years in prison for stalking, threatening, and assaulting a woman, and unlawfully disclosing graphic, sexual images of her, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            This case marked the first trial involving the new “Criminalization of Non-Consensual Pornography Act of 2014” (22 D.C.C. 3052), which became effective on May 7, 2015. The law codifies the offense of “unlawful disclosure” and prohibits the publication or disclosure of naked photos without the consent of the person depicted in them, even if the photos were taken or given to the defendant consensually by the victim.

 

            A jury found Roberts guilty in November 2016 of five counts of unlawful disclosure, one count of stalking, three counts of making felony threats, and one count of simple assault. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Juliet McKenna sentenced Roberts this morning to a total of 30 months in prison on the unlawful disclosure charges; 12 months on the stalking charge; 66 months on the threats offenses, and one month on the assault charge. Upon completion of his prison term, Roberts will be placed on three years of supervised release. While on supervised release, Roberts will be required to get counseling for domestic violence issues and must stay away from the victim and her family.

 

            “Lamont Roberts subjected the victim in this case – his ex-girlfriend – to months of threats and harassment. As a result, the victim’s entire life was altered and she felt like she always had to look over her shoulder,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “He humiliated the victim by displaying sexually explicit photos of her in public places. This case demonstrates the benefit of a District of Columbia law that expressly prohibits such unlawful disclosures. The law provided our Office with an additional valuable tool to hold Lamont Roberts accountable for his reprehensible acts.”

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Roberts and the victim were romantically involved for about four years. During the course of their relationship, Roberts became controlling, often dictating to the victim what she could wear and with whom she could spend time. The victim finally ended the relationship in May 2015.

 

            However, Roberts refused to accept that the relationship was over. He telephoned and texted the victim hundreds of times a day and showed up unannounced and uninvited at her job and home countless times. At a certain point, Roberts learned that the victim was romantically involved with someone new and consequently, his behavior escalated dramatically. Roberts began leaving threatening voicemails and texts on the victim’s phone in which he threatened to kill or hurt the victim and her family, he tattooed the victim’s face on his back, and he persistently followed the victim, often holding up graphic, sexual images of the victim that the two had taken during their relationship.

 

            When the victim changed her phone numbers so that Roberts could no longer text her, he emailed her, threatening to share the graphic images with her children, mother, and the rest of the world. Roberts followed through on these threats over the course of October 2015, and posted these images, along with the victim’s name, on her car, her front door, and throughout her neighborhood. Roberts also continued to stalk the victim with these photos in hand. The victim managed to photograph Roberts holding up the graphic images in public places, such as at her workplace and on the street. In fact, the victim photographed Roberts in one instance, when he stood in front of her car holding the image up and in another instance, as he drove by her with the graphic photo hanging out the window of his car.

 

            In an unrelated case, Roberts was sentenced in November 2016 to six years in prison on a drug distribution charge. Roberts pled guilty in August 2016 to distribution of cocaine in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to the government’s evidence in that case, Roberts repeatedly sold crack cocaine in quantities that suggested it would be re-distributed. His sentence in this federal case will run consecutively to the sentence imposed today.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting 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 Patricia A. Riley and Renata Cooper, Special Counsels to the U.S. Attorney; Paralegal Specialists Donhue Troy Griffith, T. J. McPhail, and Angelina Slagle; David Foster, La June Thames, Tracey Hawkins, Tracy Owuso, and Meshall Thomas, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Litigation Technology Specialists Ron Royal and Aneela Bhatia, and former Interns Molly Lovell and Wendy Acquazzino. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty, who prosecuted the narcotics case in the U.S. District Court.

 

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Brooks and Youli Lee, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Sergio Velasquez Cardozo, 35, formerly of Falls Church, Va., has been found guilty by a jury of charges stemming from an incident in which he snuck up on a college student and grabbed and groped her, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.

 

            A jury found Velasquez Cardozo guilty on April 17, 2017, of kidnapping, third-degree sexual abuse, fourth-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor sexual abuse. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on June 9, 2017, by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Under the District of Columbia’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, Velasquez Cardozo faces a likely range of three to seven years in prison. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a 10-year period following his release from prison.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2016, the victim was walking home to her apartment on the Georgetown University campus. While walking in the 3400 block of Prospect Street NW, Velasquez Cardozo snuck up behind her, grabbed her in a bear hug and fondled her breast and buttocks.

 

            Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) happened to be driving slowly right behind, and next to, Velasquez Cardozo when he attacked the woman. They immediately stopped and arrested him. He has been in custody ever since.

 

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of officers from MPD’s Second District and from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the Georgetown University Police Department, which arrived on the scene shortly after Velasquez Cardozo was apprehended, and assisted both the victim and the MPD officers. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams, former Paralegal Specialist Joyce Arthur, Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, and Litigation Technology Specialist Aneela Bhatia and Anisha Bhatia. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen “Katie” Kern and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.

WASHINGTON – Jesse Green III, 41, of Germantown, Md., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for a carjacking earlier this year in Southeast Washington in which he drove off with a woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

 

            Green pled guilty in February 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of carjacking. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Green will be placed on three years of supervised release.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 8, 2017, at approximately 12:10 p.m., the woman, her husband, and their 2-year-old granddaughter were driving in a GMC Yukon sports utility vehicle. The husband pulled over and got out of the vehicle for a stop in the 5000 block of Kimi Gray Court SE. Green came out of a neighboring house and went to the vehicle. Then, without permission, he got into the driver’s seat and sped off, with the woman and child still in the vehicle. The child was in a car seat in the rear.

 

            The woman demanded that Green let them out and attempted to grab the steering wheel. Green, however, kept driving fast, passing through stop signs. He crashed into a parked vehicle near 51st Street and Central Avenue SE, traveled up an embankment, and then crashed backward into a telephone pole. He attempted to flee, but was soon apprehended and has been in custody ever since. The victims were taken to a hospital by ambulance for examination and treatment.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting 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. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy, Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Ernesto A. Mendoza, 18, who had no fixed address, was sentenced today to three years in prison for assaulting a housekeeper with a knife last fall at a downtown Washington hotel, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.

 

            Mendoza pled guilty on Feb. 1, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of three years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lopez accepted the plea and sentenced Mendoza accordingly. Upon completion of his prison term, Mendoza will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 26, 2016, Mendoza entered an 11th-floor room at the Grand Hyatt Washington hotel, in the 1000 block of H Street NW. The victim, a housekeeper, entered the room to clean it. When she came out of the bathroom, Mendoza was standing in the room. At first, the victim thought he was a guest who was occupying the room, and so she walked past him. However, Mendoza brandished a silverware knife, threatened her with it, and demanded that she go back to the bedroom.

 

            Mendoza threatened the victim with the weapon and ordered her to take off her clothes. He then pulled his pants down. The victim attempted to grab the knife from him, and a struggle ensured. She screamed for help, and Mendoza tried to cover her mouth with a towel or cloth to prevent her from yelling. Eventually, after further struggles, she was able to escape.

 

            Mendoza was identified based on surveillance video and was arrested on Dec. 29, 2016. He has been in custody ever since.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metro Transit Police and Prince George’s County, Md. Police Departments. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson and Paralegal Specialist T.J. McPhail. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A former manager of an employee benefit plan at Howard University was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for embezzling more than $420,000, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Michael Schloss, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Philadelphia Region.

 

            Crystal Duncan Baker, 38, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty in February 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of theft or embezzlement from an employee benefit plan. She was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release. She also is required to pay $420,128 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.

 

            According to the government’s evidence, Baker worked for Howard University’s Benefit and Pension Administration from August 2010 through May 2015. The office administers benefits to the university’s administration, faculty, staff, and retirees. Baker began work as a temporary employee, but became full-time in September 2010, taking on the role of benefit supervisor. In December 2011, she became manager of benefits and pension. In both positions, she could make unilateral changes to the benefits plan without anyone’s approval.

 

            Baker made unauthorized changes to six former Howard University employee’s pension accounts, one retired and five deceased. The changes included updated bank information that coincided with Baker’s personal checking account, routing number, and mailing address. Between April 2012 through August 2015, Baker fraudulently embezzled $420,128 by directing banks to make fraudulent pension disbursements to her checking account and home address instead of to the six victims’ accounts. She used this money for her own expenses and benefit.

 

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Regional Director Schloss commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vesna Harasic-Yaksic, who assisted with forfeiture issues, Criminal Investigator Nicole S. Hinson, and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendra D. Briggs and Derrick Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.