District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Urlick Evans, 41, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of first-degree child sexual abuse involving a 15-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Evans pled guilty before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon 102-month prison term. Judge Walton set a hearing for June 26, 2017 to determine whether the plea and sentence will be accepted. In addition to the prison term, Evans would be required to register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years.
According to a statement of offense submitted during the plea proceedings, at the end of July 2015, the 15-year-old victim ran away from her residence in Baltimore. Once in Washington, D.C., she made contact with her estranged father, and stayed with him for approximately one week until she met Evans.
Evans, who was 39 at the time, asked the girl how old she was and she initially told him that she was 18. He invited her to his apartment in Southeast Washington. Once there, he sexually abused the girl. Shortly thereafter, he was contacted by members of the girl’s family and informed that she was only 15. Specifically, on Aug. 20, 2015, the girl’s parents contacted Evans to inquire about the whereabouts of their daughter. The father requested that Evans return the girl to him. Evans, however, told the parents that she no longer was living with him and that he did not know where they could find her.
After this conversation, the girl continued to live with Evans at his apartment in Washington, D.C. Also, according to the statement of offense, over the course of the next several weeks and up until Evans’s arrest on September 22, 2015, he continued to sexually abuse the girl.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Acting Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from MPD’s Youth Division and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea L. Hertzfeld and Lindsay J. Suttenberg, who are prosecuting the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 8 1/2-Year Prison Term for Armed Burglary at Gallaudet University KitchenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Donald Williams, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 8½-year prison term for forcing his way at gunpoint into the kitchen of the food service department at Gallaudet University, where he used to work, and ordering employees to turn over money kept in a safe, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Two of the victims, who are deaf, helped identify him as the gunman.
Williams pled guilty in January 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree burglary while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Following completion of his prison term, Williams will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the late afternoon of Oct. 22, 2016, Williams entered his former place of employment, the food service department on the campus of Gallaudet University, in the 800 block of Florida Avenue NE. Upon entry, he pointed a gun at two female employees and forced them into the rear of the kitchen. He forced one of the two victims into a storage room and the other, who is deaf, into a back office space that contained a safe that held daily deposits. He pointed a gun at the latter victim and motioned for her to open the safe. When she refused, he struck her upon the head with the gun, causing a laceration.
Williams left the office and approached a third female employee, who was located in a different area of the kitchen and was unaware that a robbery was taking place; this employee is also deaf. Williams pointed his gun at her, grabbed her by the shirt, forced her into the office with the other victim, and directed her to open the safe. Once she opened the safe, she and the other victim handed money to Williams, who then fled the scene.
During their interviews with members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the two victims who were directed to open the safe indicated that their assailant reminded them of their former colleague, Williams, who had been fired from Gallaudet University a few weeks before the crime. Although their assailant had a mask covering his face, the victims stated that his build, skin complexion, leanness, mannerisms, and gait were consistent with the defendant’s, whom they had worked with regularly for more than a year.
During their investigation, MPD located surveillance video footage depicting a vehicle similar to the defendant’s enter a parking garage on campus around the time of the crime. The video also depicted a male, wearing clothing identical to the look-out description, exit the vehicle and walk toward the building where the robbery occurred. MPD also recovered video from the defendant’s cell phone showing him dumping a large amount of cash into a bathroom sink bundled with red bands consistent with the description given by the victims. Williams recorded the cell phone video approximately three and a half hours after the crime. Finally, a black mask consistent with the mask described by the victims as the one worn by the assailant was found at the scene and was swabbed for DNA. Subsequent testing revealed the presence of Williams’s DNA on it. Williams was arrested on Dec. 20, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the work performed by the Forensic Biology Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences as well as Sorensen Forensics. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana Fulton and Tamika Griffin; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Diana Lim, Katina Adams-Washington, and LaJune Thames, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Supervisory Paralegal Supervisor Darline Douglas; Lead Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph, and Paralegal Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie.
Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Goodwin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 11-Month Prison Term for Confrontation with Law Enforcement at U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Russell Dawson, 67, of Antioch, Tenn., was sentenced today to 11 months in prison on a federal offense stemming from a confrontation with law enforcement while he was being screened at the United States Capitol Visitor Center, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Dawson pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a federal charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers while using a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following his prison term, Dawson must complete three years of supervised release. Judge Boasberg also ordered that Dawson receive mental health treatment while in prison and while on release.
According to the plea documents, on Monday, March 28, 2016, at about 2:37 p.m., Dawson entered the north security screening facility at the visitor center. He placed several personal items in a bowl in preparation for going through a metal detector. He then walked through a metal detector, which indicated the presence of metal at his waist level. Dawson was instructed to pass back through the detector, and metal again was detected.
A Capitol Police officer then ushered Dawson through the metal detector. In response to the officer’s request, Dawson spread his arms. The officer then scanned Dawson with a hand-held metal detector, which indicated the presence of metal in the area of Dawson’s right waistband. Suddenly, Dawson reached into the area of his waist with his right hand, and removed what appeared to be a black handgun. Dawson also raised his left hand between himself and the officer. The officer grabbed Dawson’s left upper arm. As Dawson moved away from the officer and to Dawson’s right, the officer placed the hand-held metal detector on Dawson’s torso. Dawson seized the hand-held metal detector from the officer and quickly moved further into the visitor center. While moving, he threw the hand-held metal detector onto the floor.
A few moments later, Dawson turned around, held the gun in his right hand, and pointed it at the officer who had screened him. While Dawson brandished the pistol at the officer, other officers moved civilians, including children, out of harm’s way. Other Capitol Police officers ordered Dawson to drop the weapon and put his hands in the air. Dawson ignored their verbal commands and advanced toward the officer who had screened him, continuing to point the weapon. One of the other Capitol Police officers then shot Dawson. The entry doors into the screening facility as well as the doors leading into the Capitol Visitor Center were locked to contain the threat. Dawson was apprehended, searched, rendered first aid, and transported to a hospital.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Mobile Crime units recovered Dawson’s gun, a Daisy spring-loaded BB gun. In color, shape, weight, and other outward appearances, the gun resembled a semi-automatic handgun. Under federal law, an imitation gun, when used in circumstances such as those described in the plea documents, qualifies as a dangerous weapon.
Dawson has been in custody since his arrest on the day of the incident.
At today’s proceedings, Dawson also was sentenced on a second charge arising from another matter. On Oct. 22, 2015, Dawson was arrested after allegedly having disrupted Congress. He was charged in that case in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting or interfering with a police officer and disorderly and disruptive conduct on U.S. Capitol grounds. He was released in that case with a court order to return for a hearing on Dec. 8, 2015. Dawson failed to appear for that hearing. He pled guilty in December 2016 to a charge of failing to appear in court, a District of Columbia offense. Judge Boasberg sentenced him to 90 days in prison for this offense, consecutive to the 11 months for the incident at the Capitol.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Verderosa commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline Barkett and Nathan Charles. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mudd, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess HeroinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Durrette, 45, of Clinton, Md., has been found guilty by a jury of a federal drug charge stemming from his role in a drug trafficking organization that operated in the Washington, D.C. area.
The guilty verdict, which was returned March 16, 2017, was announced today by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Andre R. Watson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore, and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Durrette was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams of heroin. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face a sentence of up to life incarceration. With his prior conviction for a similar drug offense, Durrette faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. He is to be sentenced June 1, 2017, by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta.
The government’s evidence established that Durrette and others participated in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of narcotics between 2009 and2014. This drug trafficking group mainly involved itself with trafficking very large quantities of marijuana, but also involved itself with redistributing various and significant quantities of heroin and cocaine. In that regard, during the conspiracy, California suppliers frequently sent – or conspired to send – large quantities of marijuana, heroin, or cocaine to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where Durrette and others participated in the illegal redistribution of one or more of the controlled substances to others in the Washington, D.C., area for profit.
Several others previously pled guilty to charges in the investigation.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, Special Agent in Charge Watson, and Acting Chief Newsham praised the work of the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which in this case involved work from the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and HSI. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department. In addition, they commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz, Candace Battle, Rommel Pachoca, Mary Downing, and Teesha Tobias; Legal Assistants Holly Crouse and Peter Gaboton; Intern Zachary Kaplan, and Litigation Technology Specialist Kimberly Smith. Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Andrea G. Duvall of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth F. Whitted and Emory V. Cole, who indicted and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Thirteen Years in Prison for Leading Narcotics ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demetrius Muschetta, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of thirteen years stemming from his leadership role in a narcotics conspiracy that operated in the District of Columbia and Maryland. He is among 16 people to plead guilty following an investigation that led to the seizure of kilograms of narcotics, firearms, and cash.
The sentence was announced by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Rod J. Rosenstein, 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.
Muschetta pled guilty in November 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a kilogram of heroin, 500 grams of cocaine, and 280 grams of cocaine base, and a charge of possession with the intent to distribute a kilogram of heroin. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 11 to 13 years on each charge, with the sentences to run concurrently. The Honorable Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Muschetta will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must pay a forfeiture judgment of $237,336.
The Government’s evidence established that in January 2015, the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force began a long-term investigation of a narcotics enterprise involving Muschetta and Myron Williams that primarily focused in the Barnaby Terrace area of Southeast Washington, and extended into Maryland. The investigation revealed that Muschetta and Williams were partners in a drug business and purchased kilogram amounts of cocaine and heroin from multiple sources, including Ricco Johnson and William Winter, and then in turn supplied it to other co-defendants for eventual distribution. According to the government’s evidence, Muschetta exercised decision-making authority by determining the price of the narcotics and controlled the supply of the drugs to other co-conspirators.
In addition to numerous recorded telephone calls and text messages that revealed the role of the narcotics enterprise, law enforcement seized large amounts of narcotics, firearms, and U.S. currency, especially from Muschetta. On May 6, 2015, law enforcement stopped Muschetta in District Heights, Md., and recovered from his vehicle three kilograms of heroin. Later that evening, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Muschetta’s residence in Washington, D.C. and recovered additional kilograms of narcotics, including crack cocaine drying on the windowsill, and three separate firearms in an area where small children resided. During subsequent search warrants of the co-defendants’ residences, law enforcement recovered additional quantities of narcotics, firearms, narcotics paraphernalia, and large amounts of cash.
Over the past 18 months, Chief Judge Howell has also accepted felony pleas from 15 others charged in the case. They include Myron Williams, 40, of Oxon Hill, Md.; Ricco Johnson, 40, of Brandywine, Md., and William Winter, 39, of Suitland, Md. Williams earlier was sentenced to a nine-year prison term for his role in the conspiracy. Johnson and Winter earlier were sentenced to five-year prison terms.
The others who have pled guilty include: Chaka Al-Fatah, 37, of Washington, D.C.; Andre Arrington, 34, of Washington, D.C.; Tijuan Arrington, 40, of Washington, D.C.; Donovan Bostick, 32, of Washington, D.C.; Tamara Davies-Henry, 28, of Oxon Hill, Md.; Donnell Ennels, 41, of Washington, D.C.; Earica Hamilton, 34, of Washington, D.C.; Rodney Jones, 22, of Washington, D.C.; Kyree Mitchell, 20, of Washington, D.C.; Kevin Morris, 43, of Washington, D.C.; Jonathan Taylor, 33, of Washington, D.C., and Don Whitaker, 22, of Washington, D.C.
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 conclusion of the government’s prosecution, U.S. Attorney Phillips, U.S. Attorney Rosenstein, 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.
District Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting His Two Daughters and Threatening Special Police OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 34-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 14 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to first-degree child sexual abuse of his 14-year-old daughter and attempted first-degree child sexual abuse of his 12-year-old daughter, as well as attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and threats charges against two Special Police Officers, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victims in the sexual assault case, pled guilty in January 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 14 years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lopez accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, the man will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s investigation in the sexual assault case, the defendant had sexually abused his older daughter several times in the past year, while he had been sexually abusing his younger daughter since she was approximately eight years old. On one occasion that took place on or around Sept. 1, 2016, the defendant penetrated his older daughter’s vagina with his penis while they were at her mother’s home. On another occasion, which took place on or about Oct. 2, 2016, the defendant was at their mother’s home when he had his younger daughter perform oral sex on him. The defendant asked his younger daughter if she “liked” performing oral sex, to which she responded, “No.” The defendant then met with both daughters and apologized to them for his actions. It was then that the girls learned they were both victims of the defendant’s sexual abuse. The girls then decided to disclose the incidents to their aunt, ultimately leading to the defendant’s arrest.
In the defendant’s other case, the government’s investigation revealed that the defendant had been barred from a homeless shelter in Northeast Washington on April. 29, 2016. The defendant entered the shelter on Aug. 29, 2016, and was immediately told by two Special Police Officers to leave the facility. The defendant left but returned moments later, at which point he pulled out a knife and threatened to fight and stab the Special Police Officers. After the Special Police Officers ordered the defendant several times to put down the knife, the defendant walked up the street, at which point an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) stopped the defendant and placed him under arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division, which investigated the sexual-assault case, and members of the MPD’s Fifth District who were involved in the threats case. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Angelina Slagle and Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Nguyen and Maryam Adeyola, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Individual Charged in Connection with 2001 Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem That Resulted in Death of AmericansRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi, also known as “Khalti” and “Halati,” a Jordanian national in her mid-30s, with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against U.S. nationals outside the U.S., resulting in death. The charge is related to the defendant’s participation in an Aug. 9, 2001, suicide bomb attack at a pizza restaurant in Jerusalem that killed 15 people, including two U.S. nationals. Four other U.S. nationals were among the approximately 122 others injured in the attack. Also unsealed today was a warrant for Al-Tamimi’s arrest and an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant. The criminal charge had been under seal since July 15, 2013.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
“Al-Tamimi is an unrepentant terrorist who admitted to her role in a deadly terrorist bombing that injured and killed numerous innocent victims. Two Americans were killed and four injured. The charges unsealed today serve as a reminder that when terrorists target Americans anywhere in the world, we will never forget – and we will continue to seek to ensure that they are held accountable,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. “I want to thank the many dedicated agents and prosecutors who have worked on this investigation.”
“We have never forgotten the American and non-American victims of this awful terrorist attack,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We will continue to remain vigilant until Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi is brought to justice.”
“Al-Tamimi is a terrorist who participated in an attack that killed United States citizens,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “The bombing that she planned and assisted in carrying out on innocent people, including children, furthered the mission of a designated terrorist organization. The FBI continues to work with our international partners to combat terrorists like Al-Tamimi and hold them accountable.”
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant, Al- Tamimi was living in the West Bank in the summer of 2001, while attending school and working as a journalist for a television station. Al-Tamimi agreed that summer to carry out attacks on behalf of the military wing of Hamas (the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades), a Palestinian organization designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
The affidavit states that on Aug. 9, 2001, Al-Tamimi met with the suicide bomber in Ramallah, in the West Bank, and traveled with the suicide bomber by car to Jerusalem. The suicide bomber was in possession of an explosive device concealed within a guitar. Al-Tamimi led the suicide bomber to a crowded area in downtown Jerusalem and instructed the suicide bomber to detonate the explosive device in the area, or somewhere nearby if an opportunity arose to cause more casualties. According to the affidavit, the suicide bomber entered a Sbarro pizza restaurant and detonated the explosive device, causing extensive damage, bodily injury, and death. Seven of the dead were children, including one U.S. national.
The affidavit states that Al-Tamimi pleaded guilty in an Israeli court in 2003 to multiple counts of murder arising from the Sbarro suicide bomb attack and was sentenced to 16 life terms of incarceration. The defendant served only eight years of the sentence before being released on or about Oct. 28, 2011, as part of a prisoner exchange between the government of Israel and Hamas.
Al-Tamimi was returned to Jordan upon her release from incarceration. Jordan’s courts, however, have ruled that their constitution forbids the extradition of Jordanian nationals. The U.S. has worked and will continue to work with its foreign partners to obtain custody of Al- Tamimi so she can be held accountable for her role in the terrorist bombing. The FBI also announced today that Al-Tamimi has been placed on its list of Most Wanted Terrorists.
Charges contained in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The maximum penalty for a person convicted of this charge is a lifetime term of incarceration or death. 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 investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Victims and their families can contact the Department of Justice via e-mail at [email protected].
Individual Charged in Connection with 2001 Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem That Resulted in Death of AmericansRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi, also known as “Khalti” and “Halati,” a Jordanian national in her mid-30s, with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against U.S. nationals outside the U.S., resulting in death. The charge is related to the defendant’s participation in an Aug. 9, 2001, suicide bomb attack at a pizza restaurant in Jerusalem that killed 15 people, including two U.S. nationals. Four other U.S. nationals were among the approximately 122 others injured in the attack. Also unsealed today was a warrant for Al-Tamimi’s arrest and an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant. The criminal charge had been under seal since July 15, 2013.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
“Al-Tamimi is an unrepentant terrorist who admitted to her role in a deadly terrorist bombing that injured and killed numerous innocent victims. Two Americans were killed and four injured. The charges unsealed today serve as a reminder that when terrorists target Americans anywhere in the world, we will never forget – and we will continue to seek to ensure that they are held accountable,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. “I want to thank the many dedicated agents and prosecutors who have worked on this investigation.”
“We have never forgotten the American and non-American victims of this awful terrorist attack,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We will continue to remain vigilant until Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi is brought to justice.”
“Al-Tamimi is a terrorist who participated in an attack that killed United States citizens,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “The bombing that she planned and assisted in carrying out on innocent people, including children, furthered the mission of a designated terrorist organization. The FBI continues to work with our international partners to combat terrorists like Al-Tamimi and hold them accountable.”
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant, Al-Tamimi was living in the West Bank in the summer of 2001, while attending school and working as a journalist for a television station. Al-Tamimi agreed that summer to carry out attacks on behalf of the military wing of Hamas (the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades), a Palestinian organization designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
The affidavit states that on Aug. 9, 2001, Al-Tamimi met with the suicide bomber in Ramallah, in the West Bank, and traveled with the suicide bomber by car to Jerusalem. The suicide bomber was in possession of an explosive device concealed within a guitar. Al-Tamimi led the suicide bomber to a crowded area in downtown Jerusalem and instructed the suicide bomber to detonate the explosive device in the area, or somewhere nearby if an opportunity arose to cause more casualties. According to the affidavit, the suicide bomber entered a Sbarro pizza restaurant and detonated the explosive device, causing extensive damage, bodily injury and death. Seven of the dead were children, including one U.S. national.
The affidavit states that Al-Tamimi pleaded guilty in an Israeli court in 2003 to multiple counts of murder arising from the Sbarro suicide bomb attack and was sentenced to 16 life terms of incarceration. The defendant served only eight years of the sentence before being released on or about Oct. 28, 2011, as part of a prisoner exchange between the government of Israel and Hamas.
Al-Tamimi was returned to Jordan upon her release from incarceration. Jordan’s courts, however, have ruled that their constitution forbids the extradition of Jordanian nationals. The U.S. has worked and will continue to work with its foreign partners to obtain custody of Al-Tamimi so she can be held accountable for her role in the terrorist bombing. The FBI also announced today that Al-Tamimi has been placed on its list of Most Wanted Terrorists.
Charges contained in a criminal complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The maximum penalty for a person convicted of this charge is a lifetime term of incarceration or death. 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 investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Victims and their families can contact the Department of Justice via e-mail at [email protected].
U.S. Attorney's Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting of Carjacking Suspect in Southeast WasingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it has completed its review of the actions of four officers from the Prince George’s County and Forest Heights, Md., Police Departments who were involved in the fatal shooting of James W. Covington, Jr. on Nov. 2, 2015, following a carjacking in Maryland and a police pursuit into Washington, D.C. After a careful review of all of the evidence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Mr. Covington.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses as well as a review of forensic and autopsy reports, photographs, diagrams, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, video evidence, and reports from law enforcement agencies and the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
According to the evidence, the shooting took place on Nov. 2, 2015, at approximately 7:30 p.m., in the 2800 block of Gainesville Street SE. It followed a chain of events that began at 7:15 p.m., when a 2011 Toyota Camry was stolen from a man during an armed carjacking and assault in Fort Washington, Md. The Prince George’s County Police Department responded within minutes of the crime, and a look-out was broadcast with a description of the vehicle and the suspect.
A Prince George’s County police officer spotted the vehicle a quarter mile from where it was stolen, followed it a short distance, and then activated his lights and siren. The Camry’s driver, later identified as Mr. Covington, failed to stop, and other officers joined the pursuit. Once Mr. Covington reached Route 210, he increased his speed to 85 to 95 mph. When the pursuit crossed into Forest Heights, Md., two Forest Heights police officers responded to a call for assistance. A police helicopter was also dispatched to assist with the pursuit. As the pursuit approached the Suitland Parkway and 30th Street SE in Washington, D.C., the carjacked vehicle hit a curb and the front tire became flat. Mr. Covington did not stop. Mr. Covington continued onto Naylor Road SE, before turning left onto Gainesville Street SE.
According to the evidence, Mr. Covington bailed out of the car and attempted to flee on foot, at one point jumping over a fence. He did not respond to orders from police to stop or show his hands. During a foot pursuit, Mr. Covington was armed with a gun and he pointed the weapon at police. The four officers from Prince George’s County and Forest Heights, who were involved in the pursuit, discharged their weapons during the confrontation, fatally wounding Mr. Covington.
Mobile Crime technicians recovered a 9mm Luger semi-automatic handgun near Mr. Covington’s body. The handgun had one round in the chamber and 11 rounds in the magazine; the magazine has a capacity of 15 rounds. Two of the officers involved in the shooting reported that they believed Mr. Covington fired the gun during the confrontation, but no shell casings were found and there is insufficient evidence to determine whether Mr. Covington had recently fired the weapon.
An autopsy determined that Mr. Covington, 62, died from multiple gunshot wounds.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officers were acting in self-defense 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 fully and completely investigated. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Two Teenagers, Charged as Adults, Sentenced to Prison Terms for Armed Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jabarr Emerson Jr. and Dalonte Stewart, both 16 years old and from Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for robbing two people inside their home last September in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Philips announced today.
Emerson and Stewart were charged as adults given the serious nature of their crimes. Emerson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in January 2017, and Stewart in December 2016, to armed robbery for their roles in the crime. Emerson also pled guilty to robbery in a separate case.
The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan sentenced both defendants to four years in prison for the armed robbery. She also sentenced Emerson to an additional 18 months in prison for the second robbery offense. Following their prison terms, both will be placed on five years of supervised release. Emerson was sentenced today and Stewart was sentenced March 9, 2017.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 22, 2016, at about 12:45 a.m., Emerson, Stewart, and an accomplice, all wearing masks, approached a woman in the 1900 block of Lincoln Road NE. One assailant grabbed the victim from behind and placed her in a chokehold while pointing a handgun to her head. The group demanded her money, and she replied that she did not have any. When asked where her money was located, she told them that it was inside her apartment, and the three then forced the victim into her home.
Once inside the apartment, the assailants realized that a man was also present, and subsequently they held him at gunpoint and demanded his money, too. The victims told the assailants that they had a safe and where the key could be found. The assailants retrieved the key, located the safe, opened the safe, and took approximately $400.
Emerson also pled guilty to a second robbery on Aug. 26, 2016, also in Northeast Washington. In this instance, at 2:50 a.m., the victim had just arrived at his home in the unit block of R Street NE. He was walking into his basement apartment when Emerson and a second assailant approached from behind. The victim heard a noise, turned around, and saw Emerson and his cohort, wearing hooded sweatshirts tied around their faces, with long guns that appeared to be sawed-off shotguns. One of the assailants demanded that the victim open the door, get on his knees, and crawl through the door while the gun was placed to the back of his head. Once inside the residence, the two intruders demanded the man’s money and other property. The man gave them $40, an iPhone and several credit cards. The two also took the man’s two laptops, and one also went through the man’s pockets. They then asked if anyone else was home. When they learned that a roommate was in a bedroom, one of the assailants went inside. The roommate woke up when the bedroom lights were turned on, and he saw one of the intruders pointing a sawed-off shotgun at his head. The intruder went through the roommate’s suitcase and pants, walked out of room with two credit cards, and he and his accomplice left the residence.
Emerson and Stewart were arrested in November 2016.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Latent Fingerprint Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Barker and Vivien Cockburn, who prosecuted the matter.
CA, Inc. to Pay $45 Million for Alleged False Claims on Government-Wide Information Technology ContractRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – CA Inc. (CA) has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that it made false statements and claims in the negotiation and administration of a General Services Administration (GSA) contract, the Department of Justice announced today. CA is an information technology management software and services company headquartered in New York, New York.
“Today’s settlement demonstrates our continuing vigilance to ensure that contractors deal forthrightly with federal agencies when seeking taxpayer funds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will take action against contractors who withhold information and cause the government to pay more than it should for commercially available items.”
“This case illustrates that we will vigorously pursue federal contractors who fail to negotiate and perform their obligations with transparency and fairness,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “Together with our federal partners, we will zealously press such claims in court to recover what is owed to the American taxpayer.”
The settlement resolves allegations related to a GSA contract awarded to CA for software licenses and maintenance services. Under Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts like this one, GSA pre-negotiates prices and contract terms for subsequent orders by federal agencies. At the time of CA’s contract, contractors were required to fully and accurately disclose to GSA how they conducted business in the commercial marketplace so that GSA could use that information to negotiate a fair price for government agencies using the GSA contract to purchase CA products and services. The contract also contained a price reduction clause that set forth when the contractor had to reduce the prices it charged to the government if its prices to commercial customers improved.
This settlement resolves allegations that CA did not fully and accurately disclose its discounting practices to GSA contracting officers. Specifically, the agreement resolves claims that CA provided false information about the discounts it gave commercial customers for its software licenses and maintenance services at the time the contract was negotiated in 2002 and was extended in 2007 and 2009. Additionally, the settlement resolves claims that CA violated the price reduction clause in the contract by not providing government customers with additional discounts when commercial discounts improved.
“GSA contractors must be honest and forthcoming when doing business with the federal government,” said GSA Inspector General Carol Fortine Ochoa. “American taxpayers deserve a fair deal.”
The allegations against CA were first made in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act by Dani Shemesh, a former employee of CA Software Israel LTD. Under the False Claims Act, private individuals can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The False Claims Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did, in part, in this case. Shemesh’s share of the settlement is $10.195 million.
This case was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the GSA Office of Inspector General.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Shemesh v. CA, Inc., No. 09-1600 (D.D.C.) The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
CA Inc. to Pay $45 Million for Alleged False Claims on Government-Wide Information Technology ContractRead the Press Release
CA Inc. (CA) has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that it made false statements and claims in the negotiation and administration of a General Services Administration (GSA) contract, the Department of Justice announced today. CA is an information technology management software and services company headquartered in New York, New York.
“Today’s settlement demonstrates our continuing vigilance to ensure that contractors deal forthrightly with federal agencies when seeking taxpayer funds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will take action against contractors who withhold information and cause the government to pay more than it should for commercially available items.”
The settlement resolves allegations related to a GSA contract awarded to CA for software licenses and maintenance services. Under Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts like this one, GSA pre-negotiates prices and contract terms for subsequent orders by federal agencies. At the time of CA’s contract, contractors were required to fully and accurately disclose to GSA how they conducted business in the commercial marketplace so that GSA could use that information to negotiate a fair price for government agencies using the GSA contract to purchase CA products and services. The contract also contained a price reduction clause that set forth when the contractor had to reduce the prices it charged to the government if its prices to commercial customers improved.
This settlement resolves allegations that CA did not fully and accurately disclose its discounting practices to GSA contracting officers. Specifically, the agreement resolves claims that CA provided false information about the discounts it gave commercial customers for its software licenses and maintenance services at the time the contract was negotiated in 2002 and was extended in 2007 and 2009. Additionally, the settlement resolves claims that CA violated the price reduction clause in the contract by not providing government customers with additional discounts when commercial discounts improved.
“This case illustrates that we will vigorously pursue federal contractors who fail to negotiate and perform their obligations with transparency and fairness,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “Together with our federal partners, we will zealously press such claims in court to recover what is owed to the American taxpayer.”
“GSA contractors must be honest and forthcoming when doing business with the federal government,” said GSA Inspector General Carol Fortine Ochoa. “American taxpayers deserve a fair deal.”
The allegations against CA were first made in a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act by Dani Shemesh, a former employee of CA Software Israel LTD. Under the False Claims Act, private individuals can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The False Claims Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did, in part, in this case. Shemesh’s share of the settlement is $10.195 million.
This case was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the GSA Office of Inspector General.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Shemesh v. CA, Inc., No. 09-1600 (D.D.C.) The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Man Indicted on Charge of First-Degree Murder While Armed for 1993 Slaying of Woman in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Therion Bryant, 49, of Baltimore, Md., and formerly of Washington, D.C., was indicted today on one count of first-degree murder while armed for the 1993 slaying of a woman in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Bryant is to be arraigned March 10, 2017 before the Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of Oct. 16, 1993, the almost completely naked body of the victim, Charlene Johnson, was discovered at the bottom of a stairwell to the rear, basement entrance of a row home in the 3600 block of New Hampshire Avenue Northwest. The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Ms. Johnson, 25, was killed as a result of multiple stab wounds.
DNA evidence was obtained from the victim’s body and in the area surrounding where Ms. Johnson was found. Bryant was identified as a suspect in 2014 through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. He was arrested on June 1, 2016, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Laboratory Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing 17-Year-Old Victim and Committing Two Separate RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominick Simons, 26, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of first-degree sexual abuse, robbery, and attempted robbery, for three separate crimes against victims he accosted at or near Metro stations within a two-day span, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police, and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Simons pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence within the range of 22 to 30 years in prison. In addition to prison, Simons will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Judge Bartnoff set a hearing for May 12, 2017, to determine whether the plea will be accepted.
According to the government’s evidence, Simons approached a 26-year-old male victim on May 21, 2016, at approximately 4:40 p.m., while both were exiting the L’Enfant Metro station in Southwest Washington. As they approached the 400 block of 7th Street SW, Simons asked the victim whether he knew of anyone interested in buying a gun that the defendant currently had in his possession. The victim answered, “No.” Simons then told the victim that he needed money and did not want to have to shoot the victim. Simons took his right hand and placed it inside of his sweatshirt to suggest that he was reaching for a firearm. The victim said that he did not have any money. Simons then directed the victim to walk to the nearest ATM, which was at a CVS store on 4th Street SW. There, the victim withdrew $100 and gave it to the defendant. Simons also took the victim’s cell phone before separating from the victim.
Two days later, at approximately 3 p.m. on May 23, 2016, Simons approached a 17-year-old male victim while walking into the Bethesda Metro station in Montgomery County, Maryland. As they approached the mezzanine level of the station, Simons asked the victim if he could use the victim’s cellular telephone. The victim said, “Yes.” The victim then gave his phone to the defendant to use, at which point Simons immediately began to walk away.
The victim followed Simons and told him to return the phone. Simons turned towards the victim and told him he was keeping the phone, that he had a “.38,” and that if the victim made any “noise” about the phone, the defendant would “blow [his] [expletive] brains out over the Metro station.” Simons opened his sweatshirt and brandished an object that the victim perceived to be the butt of a handgun. Simons then returned the phone to the victim after learning that the victim was only 17 years old. Simons, however, ordered the minor to board a train traveling to the District. He and the victim exited the train at Friendship Heights and entered the Chevy Chase Pavilion in Northwest Washington. Simons then ordered the victim to enter a bathroom and stand against the wall of a stall, at which point the defendant sexually assaulted him.
After a few moments, the victim told Simons, “No, I have to go. Let me go.” The victim pushed Simons to get out of the stall, at which point the victim patted the area of his jacket where the victim had seen the butt of a handgun. The victim said, “No. I’m done. I have to go. Let me leave.” Simons directed the victim to keep his voice down, but the minor replied, “I’ll scream if you don’t let me go now.” Simons allowed the victim to exit the bathroom.
Simons eventually walked back to the Friendship Heights Metro station, where he boarded a train towards downtown Washington. He exited the train at the Van Ness station. At approximately 5:20 p.m., he approached a 14-year-old boy in the mezzanine level of the train station and told the victim, “I have a gun on me. I don’t want to have to use it. Do you have any money or jewelry on you?” then took his right hand and placed it inside of his sweatshirt to suggest that he was reaching for a firearm. The victim responded, “No.” then asked the victim if he was in possession of a cellular telephone and a fare card. The victim removed his phone and fare card from his pocket and handed it to the defendant. used the card to open the fare gates and left the victim behind. After the victim lost sight of , he went to the station kiosk and reported the incident to a manager.
Simons was ultimately arrested at approximately 7 p.m., at the Gallery Place Metro station, where he admitted that he had the child’s phone in his pocket.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Chief Pavlik, and Acting Chief Newsham commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division and Metropolitan Police Department’s First District. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Angelina Slagle and Victim Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Nguyen and L’Shaunteé Robertson, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Burglary and Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Lewis, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to burglary and robbery charges stemming from separate incidents in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Lewis pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to second-degree burglary, robbery, and contempt. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of five years in prison. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles set a hearing for June 2, 2017 to determine whether the plea and sentence will be accepted.
The guilty plea comes less than a week after Lewis was found guilty by a jury in another case of second-degree burglary and second-degree theft, with a finding that the crimes were committed while Lewis was on pretrial release. He is to be sentenced in that case on June 2, 2017, by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. Under the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, he could face an additional three to five years in prison on those charges.
In today’s guilty plea, Lewis admitted to carrying out a burglary during the daytime hours of Oct. 16, 2015 in the 700 block of Taylor Street NW. A laptop and several other items were stolen from that home. The laptop was found about six weeks later when law enforcement executed a search at Lewis’s apartment in Northeast Washington.
Lewis also admitted taking part in 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, Donathan Taylor, 19, pled guilty on March 3, 2017, to an armed robbery charge in the robbery, and is to be sentenced on May 19, 2017. Finally, Lewis pled guilty to a contempt charge for leaving a halfway house, where he was being held while awaiting trial, without authorization on June 22, 2016.
The verdict in the case last week followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges stemming from a burglary on April 9, 2015 at a home in the unit block of Gallatin Street NW, in which a laptop was taken. At the time of the burglary, Lewis was on pretrial release in another case. Fingerprint evidence linked him to the crime.
In announcing the plea and verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the cases 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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the cases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Romano, Alysa Kociuruba, and Kamil E. Shields, who prosecuted the matters leading to today’s guilty pleas, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kociuruba and C.B. Buente, who prosecuted the matter that led to the verdict last week.
Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Prison for Robbing Four Men and Then Shooting at Responding PoliceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Luvell Alverson, 23, of Suitland, Md., was sentenced today to 14 years and four months in prison for robbing four people at gunpoint last summer in Southeast Washington and then firing a gun at police officers, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Alverson pled guilty in October 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to four counts of armed robbery and three counts of assaulting a police officer while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 10 to 16 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. After his prison term, Alverson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, during the evening of July 11, 2016, and into the early morning hours of July 12, 2016, Alverson was with five other individuals; all arrived in a Lincoln Navigator that was parked behind Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in the area of the 600 block of Alabama Avenue SE. While behind the school, Alverson retrieved a semi-automatic handgun and went to a nearby basketball court, where four men were playing basketball. Alverson brandished the gun, ordered the men to the ground, and took their cell phones and keys. Before leaving, he fired multiple shots at the ground.
After the robberies, Alverson returned to his group and they all entered the Lincoln Navigator, with Alverson in the rear. As the vehicle attempted to leave the school, it was met by a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) vehicle containing three officers who were responding to a report of shots in the area. The Navigator’s path was blocked by the MPD vehicle, and the Navigator backed up and stopped. Alverson lowered the rear passenger window and fired multiple shots in the direction of the officers. Officers returned fire, and Alverson left the vehicle and fled. He was identified and arrested later on July 12, 2016, and has been in custody ever since.
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 Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Schurmann, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph N. Davenport, 45, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges of robbery and obstruction of justice for beating and robbing an acquaintance at her apartment, and then trying to get his girlfriend to lie about his whereabouts at the time of the attack, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
The plea took place on March 6, 2017, before the Honorable Zoe Bush in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine years in prison. Judge Bush scheduled a hearing for June 2, 2017, to determine whether the plea and sentence will be accepted.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of May 1, 2014, Davenport went to the Southeast Washington apartment of a female acquaintance who lived in the same complex as Davenport’s then-girlfriend. He told the woman that his girlfriend had put him out of her apartment and that he needed a place to stay. He asked whether he could spend the night sleeping on the victim’s couch. When the victim told Davenport “no,” he became enraged, punched her in the face, and knocked her onto a glass-topped table, which shattered as she fell through it. He then grabbed her debit card and other property and fled.
An arrest warrant was issued and Davenport was arrested on May 6, 2014. A few days later, he called his then-girlfriend from the District of Columbia Jail, where all such calls are recorded. During that call, Davenport tried to get his girlfriend to create a false alibi for him for the time during which he was beating and robbing the other woman. She refused to do so. Prosecutors subpoenaed Davenport’s jail calls and this call became the basis of the obstruction of justice charge to which Davenport pleaded.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of officers from the Seventh District of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and from a joint task force comprised of members of the MPD and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the Special Police Officers from the apartment complex, who assisted in the investigation of the case.
He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Colleen M. Kennedy, Special Counsel for Mental Health Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman, of the Office’s Special Proceedings Division; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, Donhue Troy Griffith and Brenda C. Williams; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Criminal Investigators Melissa Matthews and Nelson Rhone; Investigative Analysts Shannon Alexis, William Hamann, and Sharon Johnson; Information Technology Specialist Aneela Bhatia, and Legal Intern Emma McArthur. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aziz, Kenechukwu Okocha and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Two Robberies of Taxicab DriversRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Johnathan Waddell, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from two robberies of taxicab drivers that took place within a one-week period in December of 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Waddell pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed robbery and another count of attempted robbery. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles
scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2017.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 12, 2016, at approximately 6 p.m., Waddell entered a cab at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and requested that the driver take him to 300 Evarts Street NE. When they arrived at the intersection of Third and Evarts Streets, Waddell said he would get out there. The taxicab driver turned around to tell Waddell how much money was owed. At that point, Waddell brandished a handgun and demanded money. The driver handed him his wallet, and Waddell fled the scene with between $100 and $200.
The second robbery took place on Dec. 18, 2016, at approximately 5:30 p.m. Once again, Waddell entered a cab at Union Station and asked to be taken to 300 Evarts Street. When they arrived at Third and Evarts Streets, Waddell had his hands in his pockets and acted as though he aimed a weapon. He told the driver: “Give me your money.” The driver took about $16 from his pocket and turned it over, and Waddell once again fled the scene.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department reviewed surveillance footage from Union Station and noticed that the riders from both robberies appeared to be the same person. Further investigation led to Waddell’s arrest on Dec. 21, 2016. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, 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 work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Christin, Vanessa Goodwin, and Shana L. Fulton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donathan Taylor, 19, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from two robberies and a home break-in, all committed in broad daylight and in different neighborhoods, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Taylor pled guilty on March 3, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of armed robbery, robbery, and destruction of property. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of seven years in prison. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles set a hearing for May 19, 2017 to determine whether the plea and sentence will be accepted.
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 is awaiting trial in the latter robbery.
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 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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Romano and Kamil E. Shields, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Life in Prison, Plus 82 Years for Assaulting Five Women at Knifepoint Near Metro StationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Demetrius Banks, 33, of Riverdale, Md., was sentenced today to life in prison with no possibility of release, plus 82 years, for assaulting five women at knifepoint who were walking home alone from Metro stations. Two of the victims were sexually assaulted.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Banks was found guilty by a jury in November 2016 of 23 felony counts, following a four-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Banks was found guilty of three counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances; one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances; one count of third-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances; five counts of robbery while armed; four counts of kidnapping while armed; four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon; four counts of threats, and one count of credit card fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. Lopez.
According to the government’s evidence, the assaults occurred over a one-month period, from July 28 to Aug. 28, 2015, and included this series of attacks:
July 28, 2015: The defendant’s first victim, a 21-year-old cashier, was walking home alone after work, headed from the Fort Totten Metro station at about 10:30 p.m. The victim encountered Banks, a stranger to her, standing in the unit block of Riggs Road NE. As she passed him, he suddenly grabbed her from behind, pressed a knife to her side, and threatened to kill her. He forced her at knifepoint into a dark driveway behind a school. He then raped her and robbed her. The victim was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where she underwent a sexual assault examination, which included collection of forensic evidence.
July 31, 2015: The second victim, a 26-year-old bartender, was walking home from the Fort Totten Metro station at about midnight, in the 800 block of Gallatin Street NE. Banks pretended to be leaving a house on the block, then grabbed the victim from behind and forced her at knifepoint into a dark alleyway, where he robbed her.
Aug. 4, 2015: The third victim, a 26-year-old government employee, was walking home from the Fort Totten Metro station at approximately 10:30 p.m., taking the same route as the first victim. In the unit block of Riggs Road NE - across the street from where the defendant had committed a sexual assault exactly one week earlier - Banks grabbed this victim from behind, threatened her with a knife, and began dragging her by her hair into a nearby wooded area. When a passerby saw the assault and intervened, Banks grabbed the victim’s purse and fled.
Aug. 23, 2015: The fourth victim, a 41-year-old server, was walking home from the Fort Totten Metro station at about 3:30 a.m. when Banks approached her and demanded she give him her property. He was again armed with a knife. This robbery occurred in the 600 block of Gallatin Street NE, a couple of blocks from the July 31, 2015 attack.
Aug. 28, 2015: The fifth victim, a 22-year-old waitress, was walking home from the Brookland Metro station, one stop from the Fort Totten station, at about midnight. Banks pretended to arrive at a house, and when the victim passed him by, he grabbed her from behind and forced her at knifepoint into a dark driveway. In the driveway, he raped and robbed her. The victim was able to escape and ran naked into the middle of the street, where police officers happened to drive by and find her. She was also taken to Washington Hospital Center and underwent a sexual assault examination, which included collection of forensic evidence.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department obtained surveillance footage of the defendant using the fifth victim’s credit card shortly after sexually assaulting and robbing her. This footage was broadcast by the news media, and tips led to the identification of Banks as a suspect. In subsequent forensic testing, the defendant’s DNA was found on evidence collected during the sexual assault examinations of the two victims. The police investigation also uncovered that Banks had used the credit cards of the third and fifth victims at convenience stores shortly after those assaults. In addition, investigation by the Metro Transit Police Department revealed that Banks had been using the Metro cards of both sexual assault victims to travel around the city. When search warrants were executed for the defendant’s home and property with the assistance of the Prince George’s County Police Department, police recovered numerous items of property belonging to the third and fifth victims, as well as victims from unrelated cases. Banks was arrested on Sept. 4, 2015.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Chief Newsham, and Chief Pavlik commended the work of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Fourth Police District, as well as the Metro Transit Police Department. They also commended those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia A. Riley, Chrisellen Kolb, and Deborah Sines; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Paralegal Specialists Wanda Trice, D’Yvonne Key, Angelina Slagle, Michelle Wicker, Kathryn Hoey, and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson, Tracey Hawkins, and Veronica Vaughan; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Anisha Bhatia; David Foster, Katina Adams-Washington, and La June Thames, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Criminal Investigators Durand Odom and Mark Crawford; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Sharon Johnson, and Computer Forensic Examiner John Marsh.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Park and Julianne Johnston, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to Resolve Disability Discrimination ComplaintRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a proposed consent decree today to resolve a complaint that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) discriminated against a job applicant on the basis of his disability, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The department’s complaint alleges that WMATA extended a job offer as an elevator/escalator parts supervisor to an applicant but withdrew the offer upon learning that the applicant had epilepsy. The complaint further alleges that WMATA failed to discuss with the applicant how his disability might affect his ability to do the job or whether there were any available accommodations that would allow him to do the job.
As part of the consent decree, which is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, WMATA will institute new policies to ensure that employees and job applicants with disabilities have the opportunity to confer with WMATA about their limitations as well as opportunities for reasonable accommodation in the workplace. WMATA will also ensure that supervisors are fully trained in those policies. In addition, WMATA has agreed to pay $175,000 in compensatory damages to the applicant. This matter was based on a referral from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Washington Field Office, which completed the initial investigation of the facts.
“The ADA mandates that job applicants with disabilities receive fair and equal consideration in the hiring process,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement provides for new hiring policies that will protect against discriminatory practices and safeguard the rights of all individuals with disabilities who seek employment with WMATA. We commend WMATA for agreeing to revise its policies and offering to compensate the job applicant.”
“The discriminatory conduct in this case deprived a qualified candidate of a job opportunity and caused him economic and emotional stress,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia. “This case shows there will be consequences for employers who fail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are pleased that WMATA recognizes the need for new policies and will compensate the job candidate.”
To read the consent decree, please visit http://www.ada.gov/wmata/wmata_cd.html. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
WMATA Consent DecreeJustice Department Reaches Agreement with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to Resolve Disability Discrimination ComplaintRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department filed a proposed consent decree today to resolve a complaint that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) discriminated against a job applicant on the basis of his disability, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The department’s complaint alleges that WMATA extended a job offer as an elevator/escalator parts supervisor to an applicant but withdrew the offer upon learning that the applicant had epilepsy. The complaint further alleges that WMATA failed to discuss with the applicant how his disability might affect his ability to do the job or whether there were any available accommodations that would allow him to do the job.
As part of the consent decree, which is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, WMATA will institute new policies to ensure that employees and job applicants with disabilities have the opportunity to confer with WMATA about their limitations as well as opportunities for reasonable accommodation in the workplace. WMATA will also ensure that supervisors are fully trained in those policies. In addition, WMATA has agreed to pay $175,000 in compensatory damages to the applicant. This matter was based on a referral from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Washington Field Office, which completed the initial investigation of the facts.
“The ADA mandates that job applicants with disabilities receive fair and equal consideration in the hiring process,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement provides for new hiring policies that will protect against discriminatory practices and safeguard the rights of all individuals with disabilities who seek employment with WMATA. We commend WMATA for agreeing to revise its policies and offering to compensate the job applicant.”
“The discriminatory conduct in this case deprived a qualified candidate of a job opportunity and caused him economic and emotional stress,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia. “This case shows there will be consequences for employers who fail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are pleased that WMATA recognizes the need for new policies and will compensate the job candidate.”
To read the consent decree and complaint, please visit http://www.ada.gov/wmata/wmata_cd.html. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov.
INTERPOL Washington Helps Take Down International Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington partnered with U.S. and international law enforcement agencies to bring down four multi-million dollar international fraud and money laundering schemes perpetrated by a transnational organized crime network. In a March 1st news conference announcing the indictment of 19 individuals, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Channing D. Phillips lauded the contributions of and coordination between U.S. and international law enforcement partners.
Sixteen of the 19 defendants were arrested overnight and today in a law enforcement operation coordinated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Another was previously arrested, and two remain at large. The arrests took place in New York and Los Angeles, as well as Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and Israel. The arrests were conducted by more than 50 law enforcement agents.
INTERPOL Washington began providing support for these cases in 2015. Information gleaned through various INTERPOL and other database queries, participation in operational case meetings and conference calls, as well as processing of multiple routine and urgent notices by INTERPOL Washington contributed to the successful investigations.
“These indictments and today’s arrests followed an international investigation into an interconnected web of money launderers, fraudsters and individuals that aided and abetted their criminal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The defendants in the cases being unsealed today are accused of taking part in schemes in the United States and abroad, costing victims millions of dollars. The investigation demonstrates the importance of international cooperation amongst law enforcement in combatting fraud and money laundering on a global basis.”
Read the full news release from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
19 People Indicted Following Investigations into International Fraud and Money Laundering RingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Federal indictments were unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging 19 people with taking part in various international fraud and money laundering conspiracies that led to more than $13 million in losses, including one scheme in which mid-level corporate employees were tricked into wiring millions of dollars to bank accounts under control of those in the criminal enterprise.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips; Assistant Director in Charge Andrew Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury; Special Agent in Charge Clark E. Settles of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Washington, D.C.; Assistant Director Joseph Trigg of INTERPOL Washington (U.S. National Central Bureau); Director Vaughn Ary of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; Acting Director Christian Schurman of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Ebert, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.
Sixteen of the 19 defendants were arrested overnight and today in a law enforcement operation coordinated by the FBI. Another was previously arrested, and two remain at large. The arrests took place in New York and Los Angeles, as well as Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and Israel. The arrests were conducted by more than 50 law enforcement agents.
The arrests followed a multi-year investigative effort by federal and international law enforcement agencies to target multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering schemes perpetrated by a transnational organized crime network.
“These indictments and today’s arrests followed an international investigation into an interconnected web of money launderers, fraudsters and individuals that aided and abetted their criminal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The defendants in the cases being unsealed today are accused of taking part in schemes in the United States and abroad, costing victims millions of dollars. The investigation demonstrates the importance of international cooperation amongst law enforcement in combatting fraud and money laundering on a global basis.”
“Members of the transnational organized crime group who carried out these schemes were sophisticated, well connected and continually honed their techniques to exploit their victims,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “In total, they stole more than $13 million from over 170 victims, primarily in the United States. Because of the dedication and perseverance by our law enforcement partners in the United States and abroad, the FBI’s multi-year investigation into these schemes and this international criminal network, has yielded the disruption or return of more than $56 million in victim funds.”
“I would like to commend our law enforcement partners, the FBI, HSI and our international partners for the outstanding joint investigation that has led us to the arrests reported today,” said Assistant Inspector General Phillips. “Treasury OIG is committed to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the Treasury and the nation’s financial infrastructure from Transnational criminal organizations that attempt to exploit financial institutions and money service businesses and their anti-money laundering programs by moving illicit funds obtained in various scams perpetrated against businesses and citizens across the United States and the world that use the financial infrastructure of the United States to launder their illicit proceeds.”
A total of four indictments were unsealed today in these alleged schemes:
Online Vehicle Fraud: Participants in this scheme used the Internet to falsely advertise cars for sale that they did not own, the indictment alleges. Operating out of Europe, the participants marketed the cars on popular websites aiming to attract buyers in the United States. They offered prices that were lower than those offered by legitimate sellers. Prospective buyers were directed to deposit money into fraudulently created bank accounts via wire transfers. The funds were then immediately withdrawn and the expectant buyers never received any vehicles.
The indictment alleges that the criminal activities took place from November 2010 until April 2013 in the District of Columbia and elsewhere. According to the indictment, the co-conspirators induced at least 170 victims, located primarily in the United States, collectively to transfer at least $4 million to bank accounts controlled by those in the conspiracy, and the co-conspirators were able to withdraw approximately $3.2 million from the fraudulently opened accounts in the United States.
Eight defendants have been arrested and are charged with conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit a travel act violation, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They include Alex Almasi, 35; Ferenc Gajdos, 33; Laszlo Hesz,, 41; Attila Kartaly, 35; Zoltan Koszegi, 41; Alfred Kuttenberg, 34; Attila Molnar, 37, and Gabor Pataki, 35, all of Hungary. Gajdos and Kuttenberg also are charged with one count each of bank fraud.
Business Email Compromise (BEC): This scheme was an outgrowth of the vehicle fraud scheme, according to the indictment. The defendants allegedly used the Internet and primarily U.S.-based electronic communications to target mid-sized and large companies and impersonate executive-level employees in e-mail communications with mid-level employees. These mid-level employees were led to believe they were being entrusted to handle a large financial transaction, such as a “secret” corporate acquisition, the indictment alleges. The employees were instructed to initiate wire transfers from the company’s corporate bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by members of the criminal enterprise. Once the funds were transferred, the money was quickly wire transferred out of the reach of the target corporation into accounts located in the People’s Republic of China and elsewhere, with the funds ultimately being delivered to co-conspirators located in Europe and elsewhere.
The indictment alleges that this scheme took place from approximately January 2014 through March 2015. The indictment details over $10 million in transactions involving six companies from Germany, Spain, Finland, and Portugal.
Four defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Those arrested include: Harry Meir Mimoun Amar aka “Harry Amar,” or “Ari Amar,” 38, a resident of Israel and a citizen of Morocco and Israel; Sabina Selimovic, a resident of Germany and citizen of Serbia; and Cristian Flamanzeanu aka “Christiano Flamanzeano,” 32, a resident and citizen of Romania. A fourth defendant remains at large.
Unlicensed Money Transmitting Network: While investigating the fraud schemes and the co-conspirators’ related efforts to launder the fraud proceeds, law enforcement uncovered an unlicensed money transmitting network (“hawala”) operating in the United States, Europe, and Israel. This indictment reflects the FBI’s efforts to expose and identify certain “hawala” co-conspirators by transmitting FBI undercover funds through the “hawala” network in separate transactions in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The activities charged in the indictment took place from June 2015 through April 2016.
Six defendants were arrested and are charged with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Those arrested include Ori Saadon, 53, born in Israel and a resident of Israel; Itzhak Salama, 40, born in Israel and a resident of Los Angeles; Golan Chkechkov, 39, born in Israel and a resident of New York, New York.; Michael Admon, 50, born in Israel and a resident of New York, New York, and Haviv Arazi, 27, a citizen of Israel and a resident of New York, N.Y. A sixth defendant remains at large.
International Money Laundering Conspiracy: This indictment alleges that Stanislav Nazarov, an Israeli citizen, generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from various fraudulent schemes and engaged in international money laundering. Nazarov was arrested and is charged with three money laundering offenses during December 2016.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Treasury with assistance from HSI Washington, D.C.; the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, and the DSS. Assistance was provided by the Israeli National Police; the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation, Rapid Response and Special Police Services; Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany; Warsaw Metropolitan Police, and the Polish National Police, Police of the Czech Republic; the Slovak National Police; the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police, and Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior, Sofia Interpol, as well as INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau. The FBI Legal Attaches in Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Budapest, Bucharest, Prague, and Berlin also provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Atkinson and David Last, former Paralegal Specialists Taryn McLaughlin and Angela Lawrence, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Paralegal Specialists C. Rosalind Pressley, Brittany Phillips and Christopher Toms, and Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown.
Attachments
Business Email Compromise Timeline
Hawala SystemLondon Man Indicted on Kidnapping Charge, Accused of Abducting Man in Georgetown Last MonthRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paolo Aldorasi, 34, of London, was indicted today on a federal kidnapping charge stemming from the recent abduction of a man in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Aldorasi was arrested by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office on Feb. 24, 2017, in SeaTac, Washington, on a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He made his first appearance on Feb. 27, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. He was ordered detained there pending a hearing set for March 2, 2017.
The indictment today was returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge of kidnapping carries a statutory maximum of life in prison.
According to the complaint, the victim reported that he was abducted on the afternoon of Jan. 26, 2017, from the 3400 block of O Street NW. Aldorasi, who was operating a sport utility vehicle, pulled alongside the victim as he was walking on the street, the complaint alleges. According to the complaint, Aldorasi ordered the victim to get into the vehicle and demanded money. He allegedly took the victim to four ATMs in the District of Columbia, in unsuccessful attempts to withdraw money, as well as to two retail establishments. After about two hours, the complaint states, Aldorasi eventually released the victim, unharmed, in the District of Columbia.
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 Acting Chief Newsham commended the work of those who are investigating the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialist Teesha Tobias, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Kamilah House, who are prosecuting the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Commercial Establishments in Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Hull, 22, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to offenses stemming from his role in a series of armed robberies that targeted commercial businesses in Washington, D.C. and Maryland during a four-week period in 2015.
The guilty plea was announced by 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 Peter Newsham, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hull 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 and two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery. He is to be sentenced on May 16, 2017, by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 57 to 71 months in prison and a potential fine of $20,000 to $200,000. Hull remains held without bond pending sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, Hull and his co-defendants, Anthony Burns, 23, Bradley Lee, 21, and Lee’s brother, Breyon Lee, 23, committed a series of armed robberies of commercial businesses in November and December 2015.
On Nov. 27, 2015, at approximately 2 p.m., store surveillance video captured Hull and two other men, who were armed with handguns, as they robbed the City Beats shoe store, located in the 3000 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The men ordered everyone in the store to get on the floor, and forced a store employee to open the cash register. Hull and the two other men fled with approximately $1,594 in stolen cash and several pairs of stolen shoes.
On Dec. 21, 2015, at approximately 8:30 p.m., four men entered the Rite Aid pharmacy located in the 4000 block of South Capitol Street SW. Surveillance video showed that two of the men had handguns. One of the men pointed a gun at a store employee and demanded money from a cash register. The employee was unable to open the register before the men fled together from the store. One of the men jumped over a pharmacy counter and grabbed several bottles, including a bottle of promethazine with codeine. Witnesses observed the men enter a stolen white BMW and flagged down MPD officers who were driving nearby. The police officers followed the BMW until it crashed in the Barry Farm neighborhood of Southeast Washington. All of the men fled on foot and escaped, except for Hull who was caught nearby and had the key to the stolen BMW on his person.
The co-defendants, also of Washington, D.C., have pled not guilty to charges.
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.
Sixteen-Defendant Narcotics and Firearms Prosecution Ends with Felony Convictions and Lengthy Periods of IncarcerationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Chaka Al-Fatah, 37, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to a federal firearms charge today, concluding the prosecution of 16 defendants for narcotics and firearms offenses that resulted in felony convictions, lengthy periods of incarceration, and the forfeiture of assets.
The plea was announced by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Rod J. Rosenstein, 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 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell to the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a narcotics trafficking offense. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of five to eight years in prison. Chief Judge Howell scheduled sentencing for April 21, 2017.
Over the past 18 months, Chief Judge Howell has also accepted felony pleas from 15 others charged in the case. They include Andre Arrington, 34, of Washington, D.C.; Tijuan Arrington, 40, of Washington, D.C.; Donovan Bostick, 32, of Washington, D.C.; Tamara Davies-Henry, 28, of Oxon Hill, Md.; Donnell Ennels, 41, of Washington, D.C.; Earica Hamilton, 34, of Washington, D.C.; Ricco Johnson, 40, of Brandywine, Md.; Rodney Jones, 22, of Washington, D.C.; Kyree Mitchell, 20, of Washington, D.C.; Kevin Morris, 43, of Washington, D.C.; Demetrius Muschetta, 33, of Washington, D.C.; Jonathan Taylor, 33, of Washington, D.C.; Don Whitaker, 22, of Washington, D.C.; Myron Williams, 40, of Oxon Hill, Md., and William Winter, 38, of Suitland, Md.
Notably, Chief Judge Howell sentenced Morris to 10 years of incarceration and Williams to nine years, each followed by multiple years of supervised release. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Muschetta for March 17, 2017, and pursuant to the plea agreement, Muschetta is to be sentenced to a term of 11 to 13 years of incarceration.
As established through the defendant’s guilty pleas, in January 2015, the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force began a long-term investigation into a narcotics enterprise involving Williams and Muschetta 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, including Johnson and Winter, and then in turn supplied it to other co-defendants for eventual distribution.
In addition to numerous recorded telephone calls and text messages that revealed the role of the narcotics enterprise, law enforcement seized large amounts of narcotics, firearms, and cash. On April 6, 2015, law enforcement stopped Morris and recovered from his vehicle a kilogram of heroin. On May 6, 2015, law enforcement stopped Muschetta in Maryland and recovered from his vehicle three kilograms of heroin. Later that evening, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Muschetta’s residence in Washington, D.C. and recovered additional kilograms of narcotics and multiple firearms. During subsequent search warrants of the co-defendants’ residences, law enforcement recovered additional quantities of narcotics, firearms, narcotics paraphernalia, and large amounts of U.S. currency.
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 conclusion of the government’s prosecution, U.S. Attorney Phillips, U.S. Attorney Rosenstein, 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.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Shooting at Police OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Richard Butler, III, 35, formerly of Alexandria, Va., has been sentenced to a 17-year prison term for shooting at two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers and also firing at the occupant of a parked car that he tried to use as a shield in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Butler pled guilty in July 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault of a police officer while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was sentenced on Feb. 17, 2017, by the Honorable Zoe Bush. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, at approximately 5:50 p.m., two Metropolitan Police Department officers saw a group of individuals gambling in an alley alongside 625 Mellon Street SE. The officers approached the group because they believed Butler resembled an individual wanted by law enforcement in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on a criminal charge. As the officers got closer to the group, Butler turned away from them and ran. At the time, Butler was wearing a backpack on his chest from which a protruding handgun could be seen. When Butler got to the end of the alley, he turned around, shot at the officers, and fled out of the alley. The officers returned fire and pursued Butler on foot through the surrounding neighborhood. During the foot chase, Butler attempted to use parked cars as shields while he shot at the officers. Inside one of the cars used by Butler was a man seated in the driver’s seat of the parked car. Butler shot directly through the windshield of the car. The man was not injured, but the windshield was damaged.
Butler was stopped in a nearby alley. He was wearing a long-hair wig and was identified as the individual who shot at the officers and the parked car. Butler was also confirmed as the same individual wanted in Maryland, where his case remains pending. Along Butler’s flight path were two firearms.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jean Sexton and Sarah C. Santiago, who investigated the case and handled the sentencing.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of Commercial Establishments in Washington, D.C. and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Curtis Fogg, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total prison term of 22 years on charges stemming from a series of armed robberies that targeted commercial businesses in Washington, D.C. and Maryland during a three-week period in 2014.
The sentencing was announced by Channing D. Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Rod J. Rosenstein, 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), and Hank Stawinski, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Fogg pled guilty in September 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to nine counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, one count of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of armed robbery. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 20 to 22 ½ years. The Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Upon completion of his prison term, Fogg will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must pay restitution to his victims.
According to the government’s evidence, Fogg brandished a firearm while committing 10 separate armed robberies of commercial businesses in August and September 2014. In many instances, store surveillance video captured Fogg and his distinct tattoos.
The robberies included:
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Aug. 14, 2014, approximately 10:30 p.m.: Fogg stole $250 and phones from two women who were in the New Look Hair Salon, in the 4300 block of Sheriff Road NE.
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Aug. 14, 2014, approximately 11:15 p.m.: Fogg stole about $100 from the register of a Papa John’s pizza restaurant in the 900 block of 11th Street SE.
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Aug. 15, 2014, approximately 9:30 p.m.: Fogg stole about $600 from registers at the Patron Convenience Store in the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
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Aug. 27, 2014, approximately 2:45 p.m.: Fogg again stole about $100 from the register of the Papa John’s restaurant in the 900 block of 11th Street SE.
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Aug. 28, 2014, approximately 3 p.m.: Fogg stole $513 from a Cricket cellular telephone store in the 5500 block of Georgia Avenue NW.
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Aug. 30, 2014, approximately 5:10 p.m.: Fogg stole $284 from the cash register of a Subway sandwich shop in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE.
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Aug. 31, 2014, approximately 6:30 p.m.: Fogg stole $60 from the register of Mama’s Pizza Kitchen, in the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Avenue SE, while also robbing the store’s owner of $100 in cash.
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Sept. 1, 2014, approximately 7:25 p.m.: Fogg stole $469 from the register of a Metro PCS cellular telephone store in the 4100 block of Wheeler Road SE.
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Sept. 2, 2014, approximately 7:10 p.m.: Fogg stole $500 from the Boost Mobile cellular telephone store in the 6200 block of Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill, Md.
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September 3, 2014, approximately 2:10 p.m.: Fogg entered a Metro PCS store in the 5200 block of Indian Head Highway in Oxon Hill, Md. and took about 15 new cellular telephones that were for sale on the counter, $539.75 in cash, and personal items from the individuals inside the store.
Fogg was arrested on Sept. 5, 2014 and has been in custody ever since. At the time of his arrest, he was on supervised release following a 2009 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Fogg also had prior felony convictions for threats and possession with the intent to distribute heroin. He also now faces charges in two separate Superior Court of the District of Columbia matters relating to his conduct while incarcerated, which includes the stabbing of a fellow inmate and the assault of a prison official by hitting the official with his feces.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia include Legal Assistants Latoya Wade, Brendan Coyne, and Diane Brashears, Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the matter. Those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland include Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sullivan, who prosecuted the Maryland cases prior to them being transferred to Washington, D.C. for resolution before Judge Friedman.
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Three People Found Guilty of Taking Part in Scheme That Used Stolen Identifying Information to Fraudulently Seek Millions in Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
Three people were found guilty today by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of federal charges for participating in a scheme to file false federal income tax returns in order to fraudulently obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia, Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office; Inspector in Charge Joseph Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division; and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Approximately two dozen other participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty to charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, the overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought refunds of at least $20 million.
The jury’s verdicts were returned against Tony Bryant, 55, of Clinton, Maryland; his son, Brian Bryant, 29, also of Clinton, and Tarkara Cooper, 34, of Washington, D.C.
All three defendants were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and to defraud the United States. Tony Bryant was found guilty of five counts each of theft of public money and aggravated identity theft. Brian Bryant also was found guilty of three counts of theft of public money and two counts of aggravated identify theft. Tarkara Cooper also was found guilty of five counts of theft of public money. Judge Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for Tony Bryant and Brian Bryant for April 28. She set a sentencing date of May 26 for Tarkara Cooper.
According to the government’s evidence, members of the conspiracy participated in a massive and sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. The conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
The participants played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes.
According to the government’s evidence, the Bryants and Cooper took part in the conspiracy from approximately April 2010 through June 2012. Cooper agreed to have her residence used for the delivery of tax refund checks, and received payment from a co-conspirator when she provided the tax refund checks to him. The Bryants used bank accounts under their control for the deposit of tax refund checks, which were fraudulently obtained by others. According to the evidence at trial, the Bryants and Cooper had roles in refund claims fraudulently seeking $4,959,310; these claims led to the negotiation of refund checks totaling $2,285,717, representing the actual losses to the U.S. Treasury.
In announcing the verdicts, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Special Agent in Charge Holloman, Inspector in Charge Cronin and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended special agents, who conducted the investigation and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein and Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys, Donna Galindo, Julie Dailey, and Jessica Mundi. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who also worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Three People Found Guilty of Taking Part in Scheme That Used Stolen Identifying Information to Fraudulently Seek Millions in Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three people were found guilty by a jury today of federal charges for participating in a scheme to file false federal income tax returns in order to fraudulently obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled.
The verdicts, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia; Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office; Inspector in Charge Joseph Cronin of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Approximately two dozen other participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty to charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, the overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought refunds of at least $20 million.
The jury’s verdicts were returned against Tony Bryant, 55, of Clinton, Md.; his son, Brian Bryant, 29, also of Clinton, Md., and Tarkara Cooper, 34, of Washington, D.C.
All three defendants were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and to defraud the United States. Tony Bryant also was found guilty of five counts each of theft of public money and aggravated identity theft. Brian Bryant also was found guilty of three counts of theft of public money and two of aggravated identify theft. Tarkara Cooper also was found guilty of five counts of theft of public money. Judge Rosemary M. Collyer scheduled sentencing for Tony Bryant and Brian Bryant for April 28, 2017. She set a sentencing date of May 26, 2017 for Tarkara Cooper.
According to the government’s evidence, members of the conspiracy participated in a massive and sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. The conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
The participants played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited; and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes.
According to the government’s evidence, the Bryants and Cooper took part in the conspiracy from approximately April 2010 through June 2012. Cooper agreed to have her residence used for the delivery of tax refund checks, and received payment from a co-conspirator when she provided the tax refund checks to him. The Bryants used bank accounts under their control for the deposit of tax refund checks which were fraudulently obtained by others. According to the evidence at trial, the Bryants and Cooper participated along with others in claiming fraudulent refunds of $4,959,310; these claims led to the negotiation of refund checks totaling $2,285,717, representing the actual losses to the United States treasury.
In announcing the verdicts, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Special Agent in Charge Holloman, Inspector in Charge Cronin and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the special agents who conducted the investigation and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys, Donna Galindo, and Jessica Mundi; former Paralegal Specialist Julie Dailey; Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tonya Jones. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former Office Manager Sentenced to Prison Term for Theft of Nearly $280,000 from D.C. Architecture FirmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jill Murray, a former office manager and bookkeeper for a Washington-based architecture firm, was sentenced today to six months in prison on a federal charge involving the embezzlement of nearly $280,000 from her employer, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Murray, 50, of North Charleston, S.C., pled guilty in November 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Upon completion of her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release. She also was ordered to pay $279,611 in restitution and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to the government’s evidence, Murray was authorized to make supply purchases for the architecture firm’s business operations and was responsible for maintaining bookkeeping records for all expenses that were paid out to vendors and contractors. Murray was also authorized to pay her employer’s credit card bills.
Between December 2005 and March 2014, Murray made approximately $112,630 in unauthorized personal purchases of items from retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Staples, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Whole Foods, Office Depot, Crate & Barrel, and the District of Columbia Parking Enforcement Agency. From about January 2007, through about March 2014, Murray, using the company’s credit cards, purchased gift cards in her own name from Staples in the amount of $83,511 and from Office Depot in the amount of $83,469. Murray was able to conceal her theft scheme by manipulating the architecture firm’s books.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who handled forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham and Angela Lawrence, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
Former Federal Contract Employee Sentenced for Falsifying Timesheets at Two AgenciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel J. Glauber, who worked as a federal contract employee, was sentenced today to pay more than $70,000 in restitution and perform 360 hours of community service for falsifying timesheets while working at two separate federal agencies.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Russell Decker, Acting Inspector General of the National Security Agency (NSA).
Glauber, 44, who now resides in Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty in November 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of making false statements. The Honorable Richard J. Leon sentenced Glauber to five years of probation. During that time, he will be placed on GPS monitoring for 90 days, must perform the community service, and must pay a total of $70,646 in restitution.
According to the government’s evidence, Glauber was hired in April 2012, under contract, as a systems administrator at OPM. He was required to perform his duties on-site and work a standard 40-hour work week. Additionally, and unbeknownst to OPM, in May of 2012, he was hired as a subcontractor to work at NSA on computer systems. Here, too, his duties called for him to work a standard 40-hour work week and on-site.
From May through August of 2012, Glauber worked at both OPM and NSA, but neither agency was aware that he was working for the other. OPM’s Office of the Inspector General reviewed building access reports and confirmed that Glauber billed 323.75 hours for the time period ranging from May through August 2012 in which he was not actually present at his work site. He was paid $43,706 for these hours, and subsequently was terminated by OPM. However, it was only after his termination that OPM learned of the other employment at NSA.
NSA investigators later reviewed building records and uncovered a discrepancy of 269.5 hours in which Glauber had submitted timesheets for hours in which he did not work on-site. He was paid $26,940 for these hours.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Inspector General Vint, and Acting Inspector General Decker commended the work of Special Agent Christopher Sulhoff, OPM, Office of the Inspector General, and the investigators who worked on the case from the National Security Agency, Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kaitlyn Krueger, Christopher Toms, and Jessica Mundi, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne C. Dedjinou, who prosecuted the case.
Thai Man Sentenced to 55 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Violate Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms RegulationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Pheerayuth Burden, 47, a Thai national who had been living in Torrance, California, was sentenced today to 55 months in prison for taking part in a conspiracy involving the purchase and shipment of hundreds of gun parts and accessories from the United States to Thailand without a license. His company, Wing-On LLC, also was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C.
On Sept. 30, 2016, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a jury found Burden and Wing-On LLC guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, one count of unlawful export of defense articles from the United States, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer sentenced Burden and the company today. Following his prison term, Burden will be placed on three years of supervised release. He and the company also were ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $105,112.
A co-defendant, Kitibordee Yindeear-Rom, 30, a native and citizen of Thailand, pled guilty to a conspiracy charge in November 2014. Yindeear-Rom was sentenced in March 2015 to a three-year prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning at least in or about July 2010, Burden, Wing-On, LLC and Yindeear-Rom entered into an agreement to illegally ship United States origin goods, including defense articles - specifically gun parts - to Thailand. As part of their agreement, Yindeear-Rom purchased gun parts from United States manufacturers through on-line purchases, and directed the purchased items to be sent to Burden and Wing-On, which was based in Carson, Calif., to conceal the ultimate destination of the purchases.
Upon receipt of the gun parts, the items would be repackaged for shipment to Thailand. Extending through at least October 2013 as part of the conspiracy, Burden and Yindeear-Rom caused to be purchased and shipped hundreds of different gun parts from the United States to Thailand without a license. These gun parts included, for example, numerous firearm parts, including key components for AR-15 military-style assault rifles.
The jury found that Burden and his company, Wing-On, LLC, acted without a license and in knowing violation of federal export and money-laundering law.
“This defendant and his company exported numerous gun parts and accessories outside the United States, repeatedly breaking the law to make a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “This prosecution demonstrates that there will be consequences for those who disregard export laws and threaten our national security.”
“The U.S. has export laws in place to ensure that firearms and sensitive technologies are properly monitored when they are shipped overseas,” said Special Agent in Charge Settles. “Kudos to the HSI special agents who disrupted this export scheme.”
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Settles commended the efforts of the Special Agents who investigated the case for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown, Zia Faruqui, and Michael Friedman; Paralegal Specialists Elana Buruncenco and Jorge Casillas; Victim/Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Tonya Jones, and Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia and Josh Ellen. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Opher Shweiki, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking, Drove Off with Woman and Her 2-Year-Old GranddaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jesse Green III, 41, of Germantown, Md., has pled guilty to carrying out 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, Interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Green, also known as Michael McKoy, pled guilty on Feb. 10, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to carjacking. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for April 14, 2017. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and a statutory maximum of 21 years. Green has been in custody since his arrest on the day of the crime.
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, a stranger, 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 she 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. The victims were taken to a hospital by ambulance for examination and treatment.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Interim 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.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Series of Burglaries in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Melvin Anthony Turner, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a seven-year prison term for a series of burglaries of commercial establishments in Northwest Washington last summer, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Turner pled guilty in November 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to three counts of second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
The charges stemmed from a series of burglaries last summer targeting small businesses in the Washington area. In his plea, Turner admitted to three separate burglaries. First, he admitted to entering the Thai Pad restaurant, in the 4400 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, on July 11, 2016, and stealing $350 from the cash register. He also admitted attempting to take items from desk drawers in other locations in the restaurant. Second, he admitted to forcibly entering the Circle Yoga studio, in the 3800 block of Northampton Street NW, on July 16, 2016, and stealing a laptop computer. Finally, he admitted to entering the Sudhouse bar and restaurant, in the 1300 block of U Street NW, on July 21, 2016, and stealing approximately $4,000 in cash and a laptop computer.
After his arrest July 24, detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) linked Turner to a number of additional burglaries between April and July of 2016 targeting small business that the government was prepared to prosecute if the case had gone to trial.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Tiffany Jones. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Crane and J. Matt Williams, who investigated the case and handled the sentencing.
U.S. Attorney's Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it has completed its review of the fatal shooting of Peter John, Jr., by a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer on Feb. 1, 2016, in the Clay Terrace area of Northeast Washington. After a careful review of all of the evidence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Mr. John.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, including interviews of civilian and law enforcement witnesses as well as a review of autopsy and toxicology reports, Mobile Crime and District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences reports, photographs, and diagrams; video footage enhanced by the FBI; DNA analysis; audio transmissions; and physical evidence collected on the scene, including a BB pistol that is virtually identical in appearance to a real firearm.
According to the evidence, the shooting took place Feb. 1, 2016, at approximately 2:07 a.m., in the 5300 block of Clay Terrace NE. The officer, who was assigned to patrol the area in a marked MPD sport utility vehicle, first encountered Mr. John, 36, in the vicinity of the 300 block of 53rd Street NE. When the officer rolled down his window to ask Mr. John if he lived in the area, Mr. John started running and disappeared on nearby Cloud Place NE. As the officer continued his patrol, he saw Mr. John again, this time standing by a parking lot in the 300 block of 53rd Street NE. As the officer pulled up, Mr. John ran past the officer’s SUV and into the Clay Terrace housing area. After unsuccessfully trying to block Mr. John’s path by driving around the block, the officer drove back to the parking lot area and again saw Mr. John.
As the officer was pulling over, Mr. John ran past the officer’s SUV. The officer got out of his vehicle and pursued Mr. John on foot. As Mr. John turned left into the 5300 block of Clay Terrace, he slipped on the wet ground. According to the officer, as Mr. John fell, he saw a black gun, later determined to be a BB gun, fall from Mr. John’s hand. Mr. John landed on top of the gun. The officer, who was right behind Mr. John, could not stop his momentum and ended up straddling Mr. John while activating the emergency button on his radio for help. The officer ordered Mr. John to show his hands. Instead, Mr. John struggled repeatedly to push himself up from the ground while reaching under his body in the direction of the gun. As Mr. John raised up, the officer fired one round, fatally wounding Mr. John in the neck area. In less than 30 seconds, another officer arrived on the scene and observed the gun next to Mr. John’s body. DNA testing further confirmed that Mr. John’s DNA was on the weapon.
While the shooting was not captured on video, the footage of the dimly lit area shows furtive movements by Mr. John, to include Mr. John emerging from behind a building near Cloud Place, and his unprovoked flight from the officer.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence to corroborate the officer’s account that he was acting in self-defense 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 fully and completely investigated. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Making Bomb Threats Against Union StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Cherry, 58, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to 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, Interim 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 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of threatening and conveying false information concerning use of an explosive. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 30 to 37 months in prison and a fine of up to $55,000. The plea agreement calls for Cherry to pay $36,153 in restitution to Amtrak. He is to be sentenced on May 24, 2017, by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
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 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 plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Interim 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, Legal Assistant Matthew Ruggiero, Document Management Analyst Christopher Oppliger. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenda J. Johnson, who is investigating and prosecuting the matter.
District Man Found Guilty of Federal Charges for Three Bank Robberies in 24-Hour PeriodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Edward Wright, 46, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today of committing three bank robberies during a 24-hour period, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wright was found guilty by a jury of three counts of bank robbery, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face a range of 70 to 87 months of incarceration. Wright, who represented himself at the trial, will be sentenced at a date to be determined later by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras.
According to the government’s evidence, Wright was responsible for three bank robberies during a 24-hour period in April of 2016. The robberies occurred at two banks located within blocks of one another in the NOMA neighborhood of Washington, D.C., along the First Street NE corridor. During each of the robberies, the defendant entered the bank and passed a demand note to the teller before leaving with his demand note and bank money.
The first robbery took place at approximately 3:30 p.m. on April 20, 2016, at Premier Bank branch in the 1100 block of First Street NE. The second took place at 12:25 p.m. the following day at a TD bank in the 1200 block of First Street, and the third took place just eight minutes later, once again at the Premier Bank branch. A total of $6,577 was taken by the defendant. Wright was stopped by law enforcement a few blocks and minutes away from the final bank robbery, while coming out of a public library in the 100 block of L Street NW, with the proceeds of the latest robbery stuffed in his shoes and pocket. Bank videos of the robberies captured images of the robberies and the suspect in great detail.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Interim Chief Newsham praised the work of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, which in this case involved work from the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Energy. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the District of Columbia Public Library Police Department. They commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisor Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing; Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Catherine O’Neal and Tisha Tobias; Legal Assistant Latoya Wade; Litigation Support Specialists Jeanie Lattimore-Brown and Paul Howell and Kimberly Smith; and Intern Zachary Kaplan. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Gripkey, who indicted and tried the case.
Former Office Worker Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly $290,000 from Three Different EmployersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tinita Joyner, 52, of Rockville, Md., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for embezzling nearly $290,000 from three companies where she worked as an office manager or as an executive assistant, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Joyner pled guilty in November 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to wire fraud. She was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Upon completion of her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release. Judge Boasberg also ordered Joyner to pay a total of $289,640 in restitution.
According to the government’s evidence, Joyner stole the money from September 2012 through September of 2015, while working a succession of three jobs in which she had access to her employer’s financial information and accounts. The companies, which are not identified by name in court documents, did not authorize Joyner to make credit card purchases outside of her responsibilities of paying office related expenses and bank transfers and withdrawals that she then used for the benefit of herself and others.” The losses took place as follows:
“Company A” – Joyner was hired as an office manager in July 2012 for this consulting firm, which assisted organizations that wanted to establish and elevate their presence with emerging economies across the globe. In September of 2012, she became director of internal affairs and was in charge of the company’s day-to-day operations. According to the government’s evidence, from September 2012 through February 2014, Joyner fraudulently obtained $187,682 through unauthorized purchases on corporate credit cards and unauthorized bank transfers. Meanwhile, as the company fell behind on rental payments and payments for employee health insurance, Joyner forged documents to secure a loan for the firm. Finally, in February of 2014, the company’s chief executive officer learned that Joyner had forged his name, giving her unlimited access to the company’s account, and that she had made unauthorized withdrawals. Soon after that, he told Joyner that her services would no longer be needed. At the time of her departure, the company owed $31,120 on the bank loan that she had taken out.
Total loss caused by these activities: $218,802.
“Company B” – In April 2014, Joyner began employment at a temporary agency and was assigned to work as an executive assistant to the president of this non-profit that is focused on empowering students to become leaders in the community. In September of 2014, she was hired as a permanent employee. From August until December 2014, according to the government’s evidence, Joyner made $6,964 in unauthorized purchases on the company’s credit card. She also used the personal information of the president to fraudulently obtain two additional credit cards. From September 2014 through February 2015, she made $23,753 in unauthorized purchases on these cards. She also made two unauthorized electronic transfers to the cards from the company’s account, totaling $10,523. She was terminated in December 2014.
Total loss caused by these activities: $41,240.
“Company C” – In February 2015, Joyner was hired as the executive assistant to this management consulting company, which primarily worked with the federal government on civilian programs. From March 2015 through September 2015, according to the government’s evidence, she made $20,638 in unauthorized charges to the company’s credit card, using the money to pay a relative’s tuition at a private high school and for various personal expenses. In addition, she created six fraudulent vouchers that cost the company an additional $8,960.
Total loss caused by these activities: $29,598
In announcing the sentence, 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 expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Paralegal Specialists Kaitlyn Krueger, Jessica Mundi and Christopher Toms, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Former Financial Advisor Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $1 Million from ClientsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former financial advisor, who provided services and investment advice to current and former professional athletes, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from the theft of more than $1 million from his clients, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Brian J. Ourand, 55, now of Chicago, admitted stealing from four athletes, including boxing champion Mike Tyson and former National Basketball Association All-Star Glen Rice. At the time of the offenses, Ourand was an executive for a Washington, D.C.-based company.
Ourand pled guilty to a charge of wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Ourand faces a likely range of 33 to 41 months in prison and a potential fine. The plea agreement calls for him to pay $1,002,390 in restitution and an identical amount as a forfeiture money judgment. Ourand is to be sentenced on May 2, 2017, by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan.
In his plea, Ourand admitted that he embezzled the funds through various means, including numerous fraudulent checks that he made payable in his own name and to cash, which he later deposited into his personal accounts. Ourand also admitted to stealing his clients’ money for the benefit of others, including his girlfriend and another individual identified in court documents as “Person B”. In one such instance, Ourand obtained a cashier’s check using funds from the bank account of Mr. Rice in the amount of $10,000 in order to pay the registration fee of “Person B” to participate in the 2009 World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. Ourand also used client funds to send numerous wire transfers to his girlfriend and “Person B” via Western Union, at least some of which money was used to pay off Ourand’s gambling debts.
“Financial advisor Brian Ourand violated the trust of clients who depended upon him to protect their investments, using over $1 million of their hard-earned money for his own personal purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Thanks to law enforcement, his fraudulent conduct came to light and he is being held accountable for the money that he stole.”
“Today, Mr. Ourand admitted his participation in an embezzlement scheme intended to defraud investors,” said Assistant Director in Charge Vale. “The FBI is committed to protecting the public from investment fraud and other deceptive scams, and will vigorously investigate those who criminally abuse their positions of trust for their own personal gain.”
According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the plea, the criminal activities began as early as 2006 and continued through July 2011. Ourand’s employer, identified in court documents as “Company A,” terminated his employment in August of 2011, after the scheme was uncovered. The company reimbursed the athletes for their losses.
In his work for the firm, Ourand and the company provided advisory and financial management services to high net-worth individuals, most of whom were current or former professional athletes. For example, Ourand and the company paid invoices and bills, coordinated tax preparation, and provided estate planning on behalf of clients. In that capacity, Ourand managed his clients’ personal and business bank accounts and credit cards, among other financial-related services.
The criminal charges involve Ourand’s work for Mr. Tyson, Mr. Rice, and two other athletes, identified in court documents as “Athlete C” and “Athlete D.” As part of the plea agreement, Ourand agreed that he abused a position of trust in committing the offense.
According to the statement of offense, Ourand deposited nearly 100 checks, drawn on the accounts of the four athletes, into a personal bank account, even though he was not authorized to do so. He also initiated numerous wire transfers, drawn on the bank accounts of Mr. Tyson, Mr. Rice and “Athlete C,” for which he had no authorization. As part of his scheme, Ourand also made numerous unauthorized ATM withdrawals and debit card transactions using funds belonging to Mr. Tyson, and obtained credit cards in his own name on the accounts of Mr. Rice and a foundation formed by “Athlete C,” which Ourand used to make unauthorized purchases.
Ourand sought to conceal his activities by generating documentation falsely claiming the money was used for business-related or otherwise authorized expenses, such as “personal expenses” for the client. His actions caused $546,168 in losses for Mr. Rice; $265,124 for Mr. Tyson; $182,957 for “Athlete C,” and $8,141 for “Athlete D.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission previously announced charges against Ourand, who was later found by an administrative law judge to have misappropriated funds from client accounts in violation of securities laws. In an initial decision issued in March 2016, the SEC ordered Ourand to pay disgorgement of $671,367 plus prejudgment interest and a $300,000 penalty, and he was barred from the securities industry.
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 are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Vesna Harasic-Yaksic, also of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; and former Paralegal Specialists Heather Sales and Angela Lawrence.
Finally, they commended the work of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Last and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who are prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Attacking Two Men in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yeison Gomez Chavez, 18, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to an eight-year prison term for his role in a pair of attacks carried out against two men within a 90-minute period last summer, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Gomez Chavez pled guilty in November 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of aggravated assault while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced on Feb. 3, 2017, by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Upon completion of his prison term, Gomez Chavez will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Two co-defendants, Christian Mendoza, 18, and Ever Umanzor, 16, both of Washington, D.C., also have pled guilty to charges and are awaiting sentencing. Umanzor was charged as an adult given the serious nature of the crimes.
The charges against Gomez Chavez stemmed from attacks on two victims. However, in a proffer of facts submitted at his plea hearing, Gomez Chavez also admitted to taking part in the attacks of two additional victims at about the same time and in the same area.
According to the government’s evidence, the first attack took place on Aug. 29, 2016, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Gomez Chavez, Mendoza, and Umanzor arrived in front of a location in the 3100 block of 16th Street NW. The victim rode his bicycle to this location, and was approached by Mendoza, who stood in front of him and stopped him from riding forward. Within seconds, Umanzor and Gomez Chavez rushed toward the victim and began striking him with fists and feet. Gomez Chavez also slashed the victim with a knife. While Umanzor and Gomez Chavez struck and stabbed the victim, Mendoza took and held his bicycle. The victim fled after being stabbed, with Mendoza retaining possession of his bicycle. Gomez Chavez pled guilty to aggravated assault while armed for this attack.
The second attack took place at about 1 a.m. on Aug. 30, 2016, about 90 minutes later. Gomez Chavez and Mendoza were in front of a restaurant in the 1700 block of Columbia Road NW. The second victim exited the restaurant to check on a friend. He reported that an unknown suspect threw a rock at the back of his head and that someone stabbed him in his lower back. Gomez Chavez pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon for this incident.
In his proffer, Gomez Chavez admitted to participating in other offenses that took place a short time later with Mendoza, although he did not plead guilty to charges from these crimes. At about 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 30, a third victim was approached and robbed at a gas station in the 2800 block of Sherman Avenue NW. The defendants approached the victim, stated that the gas station was 18th Street territory, and asked what he was doing there. The victim tried to ignore them, but the defendants assaulted him. At least one of the defendants produced a knife and ordered the victim to give them his bicycle. Finally, at approximately 2:40 a.m., Gomez Chavez and Mendoza approached a fourth victim in the 1600 block of Columbia Road NW and asked if he was affiliated with MS-13 or with the 18th Street Crew. The victim replied that he was not affiliated with any gang and attempted to flee. Gomez Chavez and Mendoza caught him, surrounded him, and forced him to stop his bicycle. At least one suspect brandished a knife, and the victim was stabbed in his right bicep. At some point, the victim was able to flee.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris, former Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Principe, and Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Donville Drummond. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Trigoso and Michael Romano, who investigated the case and handled the sentencing.
Former Payroll Specialist Pleads Guilty in Embezzlement CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – KaShaun Perkins, 43, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty today to the 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, who pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is to be sentenced on April 21, 2017 by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a possible prison sentence of 21 to 27 months. Perkins also agreed 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 plea, 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 is prosecuting the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antoine Miller, 34, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of 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, Interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Miller was found guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Feb. 2, 2017, following a bench trial before the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson, of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. 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.
Miller will be sentenced in this case on May 4, 2017. He faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. In a separate proceeding, he also faces revocation of his probation in the earlier case. The Court ordered that Miller be held without bond pending his sentencing.
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 verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Interim 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 Emory V. Cole and Veronica Jennings, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Robbing Bank in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Proctor, 56, of Washington, D.C., who has no fixed address, has been sentenced to three years in prison for a mid-morning bank robbery he committed last year in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Proctor pled guilty in October 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a bank robbery charge. He was sentenced on Jan. 31, 2017, by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras. Following completion of his prison term, Proctor will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government=s evidence, on June 13, 2016, at approximately 9:25 a.m., Proctor entered a TD Bank in the 1400 block of P Street NW. He approached the teller counter and passed the teller a demand note that stated, “This a Robbery Pass All Big Bills 100’s 50’s 20’s And No One Will Get Hurt.” Proctor then instructed the teller to give him large bills. His right hand remained in his pocket, and the teller believed he could have possibly had a weapon. However, the teller did not observe a weapon. The teller, fearing for her safety and the safety of others, turned over more than $3,000 and Proctor fled. Surveillance video captured the robbery, and multiple witnesses subsequently identified Proctor. He was arrested Aug. 1, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Interim Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Committing Environmental CrimeRead the Press Release
James Powers, 59, of Falls Church, Va., was sentenced today to 20 months in prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release after earlier pleading guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for his role in a scheme to improperly remove asbestos from a historic building in the District of Columbia.
The sentencing, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia.
Powers pleaded guilty on September 7, 2016, to a charge of failure to remove asbestos prior to renovation. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Powers was also sentenced to perform 250 hours of community service.
Asbestos, a once-popular fireproofing insulation, is now known to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma in people who inhale the fibers released when asbestos is disturbed. Congress has determined that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. The Clean Air Act requires that renovation in asbestos-containing properties follow specific protocols designed to safely remove asbestos from the property prior to any renovation or demolition activity, so as not to expose workers to the risk of deadly respiratory diseases.The development project at issue involved renovating the historic Friendship House, located at 619 D Street SE in Washington, D.C., into condominiums, a development known as the Maples. According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the guilty plea, in March 2010, Powers formed a partnership with a local real estate development firm to purchase and renovate the property. An asbestos survey of the property documented asbestos throughout the property, including in floor tiles, wall board and pipe insulation.
After the survey, the partnership received bids from licensed professional asbestos abatement and renovation firms in the area. Despite knowing that the building contained asbestos, Powers hired Larry Miller, 59, of Palmetto, Georgia, a general contractor from Atlanta with no training, certification, or experience in asbestos abatement, to conduct interior demolition and renovation of the building. The written contract with Miller specifically excluded removal of asbestos from the property. Powers told Miller that the asbestos would be abated by another contractor after Miller’s work and did not fully inform Miller about the extent of asbestos in the property. Powers represented to his partners that a qualified entity would conduct appropriate asbestos abatement at the property. He e-mailed them a proposed asbestos abatement contract from a corporation that, unbeknownst to his partners, was simply an alter-ego for Powers.
During the period between August 2011 and October 2011, according to the statement of offense, Miller and his crew of workers conducted interior demolition at the Maples, without any asbestos abatement having occurred as required under the Clean Air Act. Powers also contracted with a waste disposal company to haul construction debris from the Maples off-site. Powers failed to inform the waste disposal company that the construction debris contained asbestos and the debris was not taken to a site qualified to receive asbestos waste.
Even after an inspection by local environmental authorities revealed asbestos in the building, Powers had Miller and his crew members proceed with demolition. Over the course of the project, the workers disturbed substantial quantities of asbestos, exposing themselves to a substantial risk of serious illness later in life.
Miller pleaded guilty on Nov. 19, 2015, to one count of negligent endangerment under the Clean Air Act. He is awaiting sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a maximum sentence of not more than one year of imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000 and a term of supervised release and/or probation.
After the acts described in the statement of offense, a licensed asbestos abatement firm conducted abatement at the Maples. The District of Columbia Department of the Environment subsequently conducted inspections and found the property to be free of all asbestos-containing materials.
U.S. Attorney Phillips acknowledged the efforts of those who investigated the case, as well as Trial Attorney Cassandra J. Barnum and Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Longmire of the Environmental Crimes Section and those who worked on the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, former Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham, Kaitlyn Krueger, and John Lowell, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Cheatham and Zia Faruqui.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Burglary at Gallaudet University KitchenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Donald Williams, 26, of Washington, D.C. pled guilty today to forcing his way at gunpoint into the kitchen of the food service department at Gallaudet University, where he used to work, and ordering employees to turn over money kept in a safe, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Two of the victims, who are deaf, helped identify him as the gunman.
Williams pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of first-degree burglary while armed. He is to be sentenced on March 23, 2017 by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. The charge carries a statutory minimum of five years in prison. Under the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, Williams faces a potential range of 102 to 192 months in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, in the late afternoon of Oct. 22, 2016, Williams entered his former place of employment, the food service department on the campus of Gallaudet University, in the 800 block of Florida Avenue NE. Upon entry, he pointed a gun at two female employees and forced them into the rear of the kitchen. He forced one of the two victims into a storage room and the other, who is deaf, into a back office space that contained a safe that held daily deposits. He pointed a gun at the latter victim and motioned for her to open the safe. When she refused, he struck her upon the head with the gun, causing a laceration.
Williams left the office and approached a third female employee, who was located in a different area of the kitchen and was unaware that a robbery was taking place; this employee is also deaf. Williams pointed his gun at her, grabbed her by the shirt, forced her into the office with the other victim, and directed her to open the safe. Once she opened the safe, she and the other victim handed money to Williams, who then fled the scene.
During their interviews with members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the two victims who were directed to open the safe indicated that their assailant reminded them of their former colleague, Williams, who had been fired from Gallaudet University a few weeks before the crime. Although their assailant had a mask covering his face, the victims stated that his build, skin complexion, leanness, mannerisms, and gait were consistent with the defendant’s, whom they had worked with regularly for more than a year.
During their investigation, MPD located surveillance video footage depicting a vehicle similar to the defendant’s enter a parking garage on campus around the time of the crime. The video also depicted a male, wearing clothing identical to the look-out description, exit the vehicle and walk toward the building where the robbery occurred. MPD also recovered video from the defendant’s cell phone showing him dumping a large amount of cash into a bathroom sink bundled with red bands consistent with the description given by the victims. Williams recorded the cell phone video approximately three and a half hours after the crime. Finally, a black mask consistent with the mask described by the victims as the one worn by the assailant was found at the scene and was swabbed for DNA. Subsequent testing revealed the presence of Williams’s DNA on it. Williams was arrested on Dec. 20, 2016.
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 work performed by the Forensic Biology Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences as well as Sorensen Forensics. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana Fulton and Tamika Griffin; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Diana Lim, Katina Adams-Washington, and LaJune Thames, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Supervisory Paralegal Supervisor Darline Douglas; Lead Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph, and Paralegal Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie.
Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Goodwin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Shooting Man in Back on Northwest Washington StreetRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Gore, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for firing 11 gunshots at a group of people in Northwest Washington, hitting one victim in the back, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Gore pled guilty in September 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable José M. Lopez. After his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 16, 2016, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Gore exited a car in the 3700 block of New Hampshire Avenue NW and began shooting at a group of people standing nearby. After he finished firing on the group, Gore returned to the vehicle and left the scene. One man, who tried to run away, was shot in the back. He was treated at a hospital for his wounds. Remarkably, no one else was hit. According to the government’s evidence, Gore launched the attack without any provocation. Gore was arrested June 10, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Crime Scene Sciences Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences as well as Sorensen Forensics. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Nelson Rhone, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Roman and Josiah Bournes, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Slaying of Co-Worker in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Bilal, 41 of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 22 years in prison on charges stemming from the murder of a co-worker during a confrontation that took place in broad daylight in July 2014, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bilal was found guilty in November 2016, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Upon completion of his prison term, Bilal will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 6, 2014, Bilal and the victim, Alonzo Gregory Beasley, 52, were assigned to a construction work crew in Northeast Washington. Throughout the day, the two men verbally argued over how to use the tools and the construction job itself. In mid-afternoon, Bilal got into his white pick-up truck and drove with two other workers to the work crew manager’s apartment complex at 22d and I Streets NE, while Mr. Beasley followed in another car. When they arrived, Bilal stayed in his truck while the rest of the crew sat across the street to wait for the manager.
At one point, according to the government’s evidence, Mr. Beasley walked over to Bilal’s truck to grab a beverage from the truck bed. Bilal got out and yelled at Mr. Beasley not to touch his truck. He then produced a knife and began stabbing Mr. Beasley, who was unarmed. Mr. Beasley tried to get away, repeatedly telling Bilal that he was sorry and “Don’t do this.” However, Bilal pursued Mr. Beasley and stabbed him multiple times before finally plunging the knife into Mr. Beasley’s neck. Bilal then walked back to his truck and drove away. Bystanders called 911 and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services immediately responded. Mr. Beasley was taken to a hospital, where he died soon afterward.
That evening, Bilal went to his neighborhood and parked his truck several blocks away from where he lived. Bilal shaved his head and beard, gathered a bag of clothes, and walked to his girlfriend’s house, where he spent the night. The next day, Bilal went back to his house to get more of his belongings and saw that his truck was gone. Bilal called 911 to report that his truck was stolen and that he last saw it on July 4th. However, seemingly unbeknownst to Bilal, MPD homicide detectives found the truck the night before, obtained a search warrant, and towed the truck to the District of Columbia Department of Forensics Sciences garage. Mr. Beasley’s DNA subsequently was found on the driver’s door armrest inside of the truck. The murder weapon was never found. Bilal was arrested on July 8, 2014, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Interim 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 the Crime Scene Sciences Divisions of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, as well as Bode Cellmark Forensics and Signature Science, LLC. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney George A. Pace, who investigated the case; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarrity and Stephanie Gilbert; former Supervisory Victim/Witness Program Specialist Michael Hailey; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Kirschner and Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guity of Robbing, Assaulting Elderly Couple as They Were Walking in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Milton Hood, 51, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury on charges of robbing and assaulting a senior citizen couple in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today
Hood was found guilty on Jan. 25, 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. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles scheduled sentencing for April 7, 2017.
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 guilty verdict, 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 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, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gilead Light, Michael Romano, and Allessandra Stewart, who investigated and prosecuted the case.