District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Executive Director of Military Charity Indicted for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Patricia Pauline Driscoll, the former executive director of the Armed Forces Foundation, was indicted today on federal charges stemming from a scheme in which she allegedly stole from the non-profit charity, defrauded donors, and lied to the Internal Revenue Service and the public about her salary and benefits.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Driscoll, 38, of Ellicott City, Maryland, will be arraigned at a later date in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was named in an indictment charging her with two counts each of wire fraud, mail fraud, and tax evasion, and one count of attempts to interfere with administration of Internal Revenue laws, all federal offenses. She also was charged with first-degree fraud, a District of Columbia offense. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the alleged fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, until July 2015, Driscoll was the executive director of the Armed Forces Foundation, a tax-exempt non-profit charity based in Washington, D.C. The foundation’s stated mission is to protect and promote the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of military service members, veterans, and their families.
While Driscoll was the executive director, in its promotions and requests for money, the Armed Forces Foundation claimed that 94 - 96% of all donations went directly to military members and their families through the charity’s programs. As a “highly compensated individual,” Driscoll’s salary and benefits were required to be disclosed on forms (called “Form 990”) to be filed each year with the IRS. These publicly available documents are often used by charity watch groups and donors to judge worthiness of the charity and by the IRS to determine whether the organization was operating with IRS law and regulations.
The indictment alleges that Driscoll caused false reports to be filed on the Form 990s in a number of ways. She is accused, for example, of failing to include the fact that she received commissions from fundraising, the amounts of commissions that she received from fundraising, and the other benefits that she received. Driscoll also is accused of falsely categorizing and causing others to falsely categorize expenses in the Armed Forces Foundation’s books and records as being for the benefit of the veterans, troops, and their families, when, in fact, they were for her own private benefit. Driscoll also is accused of concealing from the foundation’s accountants the money she took from the charity, such as rent that was paid for the use of office space in a building that she co-owned. Additionally, she is accused of falsely reporting and causing others to falsely report the amount of donations received by the foundation on Form 990s, by inflating the amounts of donations, incorrectly listing the types of donations, and including donors who did not, in fact, actually donate. The indictment further alleges that Driscoll sent false and fraudulent Form 990s to members of the foundation’s Board of Directors and to the IRS, and caused to be published Form 990s, containing false and fraudulent information, on the foundation’s website, knowing that they would be available and viewed by charity watch groups, potential donors, and others.
The indictment also alleges that Driscoll took the foundation’s money for her own personal use and to pay her for-profit business expenses. Finally, the indictment charges tax evasion for tax years 2012 and 2013.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work performed by Special Agents from the FBI and the IRS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman; Paralegal Specialist Kaitlyn Kruger; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Supervisor Josh Ellen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.
Former Executive Director of Military Charity Indicted for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Defendant Accused of Stealing from Charity, Defrauding Donors, Lying to IRS
The former executive director of the Armed Forces Foundation was indicted today on federal charges stemming from a scheme in which she allegedly stole from the non-profit charity, defrauded donors, and lied to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the public about her salary and benefits.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Paul M. Abbate in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Washington Field Office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Patricia Pauline Driscoll, 38, of Ellicott City, Maryland, will be arraigned at a later date in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was named in an indictment charging her with two counts each of wire fraud, mail fraud and tax evasion and one count of attempts to interfere with administration of Internal Revenue laws, all federal offenses. She also was charged with first-degree fraud, a District of Columbia offense. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the alleged fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, until July 2015, Driscoll was the executive director of the Armed Forces Foundation, a tax-exempt non-profit charity based in Washington, D.C. The foundation’s stated mission is to protect and promote the physical, mental and emotional wellness of military service members, veterans and their families.
While Driscoll was the executive director, in its promotions and requests for money, the Armed Forces Foundation claimed that 94 - 96 percent of all donations went directly to military members and their families through the charity’s programs. As a “highly compensated individual,” Driscoll’s salary and benefits were required to be disclosed on forms (Form 990) to be filed each year with the IRS. These publicly available documents are often used by charity watch groups and donors to judge worthiness of the charity and by the IRS to determine whether the organization was operating with IRS law and regulations.
The indictment alleges that Driscoll caused false reports to be filed on the Form 990s in a number of ways. She is accused, for example, of failing to include the fact that she received commissions from fundraising, the amounts of commissions that she received from fundraising and the other benefits that she received. Driscoll also is accused of falsely categorizing and causing others to falsely categorize expenses in the Armed Forces Foundation’s books and records as being for the benefit of the veterans, troops and their families, when, in fact, they were for her own private benefit. Driscoll also is accused of concealing from the foundation’s accountants the money she took from the charity, such as rent that was paid for the use of office space in a building that she co-owned. Additionally, she is accused of falsely reporting and causing others to falsely report the amount of donations received by the foundation on Form 990s, by inflating the amounts of donations, incorrectly listing the types of donations and including donors who did not, in fact, actually donate. The indictment further alleges that Driscoll sent false and fraudulent Form 990s to members of the foundation’s Board of Directors and to the IRS and caused to be published Form 990s, containing false and fraudulent information, on the foundation’s website, knowing that they would be available and viewed by charity watch groups, potential donors and others.
The indictment also alleges that Driscoll took the foundation’s money for her own personal use and to pay her for-profit business expenses. Finally, the indictment charges tax evasion for tax years 2012 and 2013.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work performed by Special Agents from the FBI and the IRS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman; Paralegal Specialist Kaitlyn Kruger; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Supervisor Josh Ellen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Carter, 72, of Rancho Cordova, Calif., pled guilty today to a charge of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Interim Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Carter pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced Dec. 7, 2016, by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Carter faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 210 to 262 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years upon his release from prison.
According to the government's evidence, on May 6, 2016, Carter began communicating with an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force who purported to have access to a juvenile. Carter then began a series of text message conversations with the undercover officer in which he indicated that he would be traveling to Washington, D.C. As their conversations continued, he arranged to meet on May 10, 2016. When he arrived at a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.
During his conversations with the undercover officer, according to the government’s evidence, Carter made reference to a previous arrest that led to his conviction in another federal child exploitation case. In that case, which was filed in the Eastern District of California, Carter was sentenced in 2005 to a three-year prison term and ordered to register as a sex offender.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Interim Chief Newsham praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who is prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Failing to Register as Sex Offender and Felony ThreatsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Azeik Keys, 38, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to six years in prison on charges stemming from his failure to register as a sex offender and threats he made to kill the mother of his son, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, announced today.
Keys was found guilty in June 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of failure to register as a sex offender, and felony threats. He was sentenced on Sept. 15, 2016, by the Honorable Todd E. Edelman. After his prison term, Keys will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Keys was convicted in 2004 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of first-degree sex abuse, sentenced to a six-year prison term, and ordered to register as a sex offender. He was required to register quarterly for the rest of his life. In 2013, he was convicted in the District of Columbia of failing to register as a sex offender. He registered the following year, using his parents’ address in Northeast Washington. Despite moving from that residence, he continued to register that address between November 2014 and April 2015 as his own.
The U.S. Marshals Service began an investigation in January 2015, and Keys’s true residence was ultimately located in Southeast Washington. On April 15, 2015, when Deputy U.S. Marshals entered his house to arrest him, Keys attempted to flee out his bedroom window. He was apprehended on the scene. Additional evidence linking Keys to the address was found in the defendant’s bedroom.
In late 2015, while Keys was in jail awaiting trial on charges stemming from this incident, the mother of his young son brought to the government a letter that Keys had sent her from jail threatening to kill her or to have her killed. Fingerprint and handwriting analysis and recorded calls made by Keys from jail confirmed that Keys sent the letter.
As part of an overall strategy to combat child exploitation, the U.S. Marshals Service launched a nationwide operation to target sex offenders who violate registration laws by knowingly failing to comply with their sex offender registration requirements.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Marshal Hughes commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Marshals Service, particularly Deputy Marshals William Straw, Justin Bankert, and Jesse Miller. They 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. Attorney Elizabeth Danello; Supervisor Security Specialist Michael Hailey; Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins; and Paralegal Specialist D'Yvonne Key. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando, who was responsible for the initial investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Timmer and Sumit Mallick, who secured the indictment and tried the case.
District Business Owner Sentenced for Conspiring to Violate Campaign Laws and to Obstruct Justice in a Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Eugenia C. Harris, a business owner in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 90 days in a halfway house or community corrections facility and an additional 180 days of home confinement for taking part in a conspiracy to disguise the source of campaign contributions in federal and local elections, including the 2010 District of Columbia mayoral campaign, and then taking steps to conceal the illegal activities from investigators.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Harris pled guilty on July 10, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to three charges: one count of conspiring to violate federal campaign finance law and to obstruct justice; one count of engaging in fraud and making false statements, and one count of conspiring to violate District of Columbia campaign finance law. The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Harris to one day in jail, which she already has served, and three years of supervised release. The 90 days in a halfway house or community corrections center and the 180 days of home confinement are to take place at the start of the period of supervised release. Judge Kollar-Kotelly also fined Harris $1,000.
Harris, 79, of Washington, D.C., admitted to participating in a scheme with business owner Jeffrey E. Thompson and others, in which Thompson’s funds were used to make conduit contributions to various federal and District of Columbia political candidates and to finance “shadow campaigns” of unreported contributions and expenditures in support of candidates.
Thompson is the former chairman, chief executive officer, and majority owner of Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates (TCBA), a corporation that provided accounting, management, consulting, and tax services. He also is the former chairman, chief executive officer, and owner of D.C. Healthcare Systems, Inc. (DCHSI), an investment holding and for-profit corporation. In his guilty plea, Thompson admitted using funds from those corporations to secretly finance campaign contributions and activities from at least 2006 until 2012. He was sentenced on Aug. 15, 2016 to three months of incarceration, to be followed by 90 days of home confinement. Both Thompson and Harris ultimately cooperated with the investigation.
Harris and Thompson are among 14 people who pled guilty to charges in a broader investigation related to federal and local political campaigns. They are among six defendants who pled guilty to offenses directly involving or connected to the 2010 District of Columbia mayoral election. All 14 defendants charged in this investigation have now been sentenced.
According to the government’s evidence, Harris, Thompson, and others conspired with each other to make contributions in violation of the prohibition against disguised contributions made through conduits in various District of Columbia and federal elections.
Further, in 2010, Harris conspired with Thompson and others to use over $653,000 of Thompson’s funds to implement a shadow get-out-the-vote effort to support a candidate running for Mayor of the District of Columbia. Money for this campaign passed through Belle International, Inc., one of Harris’s companies.
In 2011, when the mayoral shadow campaign was being investigated, Harris conspired to, and did, obstruct the investigation. Among other things, she created false documentation and filed false 2010 federal and District of Columbia tax returns for Belle International - essentially characterizing the shadow campaign payments from Thompson as a legitimate business arrangement. By deducting these non-deductible expenses of the shadow campaign from her company, Harris caused a total tax loss of $402,366.
The Federal Election Campaign Act establishes limits on the amounts that individuals can contribute to individual and multi-candidate political action committees. It also prohibits a person from making a political contribution in the name of another person. The act bars a person from reimbursing a donor who has already given to a candidate. In addition, the law bans corporations from contributing money to candidates for federal public office.
The District of Columbia Campaign Finance Reform Act and Conflict of Interest Act similarly regulates financial activity intended to influence the election of candidates for District of Columbia office.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work of those who investigated the case for the FBI and IRS-CI. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Lionel André, Criminal Investigators Mark Crawford and Melissa Matthews, and Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris and Corinne Kleinman. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. Atkinson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks, who represented the government at sentencing.
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District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Shooting That Wounded 7-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Wiggins, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a seven-year prison term on charges stemming from a shooting last spring that injured a 7-year-old bystander, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Wiggins pled guilty on Aug. 19, 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a seven-year prison term. The Honorable Zoe Bush accepted the plea and sentenced Wiggins accordingly. After his prison term, Wiggins will be placed on five years of supervised release.
In his plea, Wiggins admitted that on April 8, 2016, at about 9:30 p.m., he was in the 2900 block of Knox Place SE, and had been fighting with his cousin. As his cousin was leaving Knox Place by car, Wiggins fired four shots at the vehicle, shattering its back windshield. Meanwhile, the victim, a 7-year-old girl, was arriving home with her family after an outing to Chuck E. Cheese. One of the shots hit her in the chest and she fell to the ground. The victim was immediately transported to Children’s National Medical Center and has made a full recovery.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were swift to identify Wiggins as the shooter and he was arrested on April 11, 2016. Wiggins admitted that he was shooting at his cousin that night.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the work of those handling the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Barr, who prosecuted the matter.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Providing Material Support to Islamic Movement of UzbekistanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Irfan Demirtas, 58, a dual Dutch-Turkish citizen, pleaded guilty today to providing material support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Demirtas pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is to be sentenced on Nov. 30, 2016 by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison and potential financial penalties. The plea agreement calls for Demirtas to be removed from the United States upon completion of his prison term.
On Dec. 8, 2011, Demirtas was charged in a sealed four-count indictment for conduct occurring from at least Jan. 2006 through May 2008, when Demirtas was a resident of the Netherlands and acted as an IMU fundraiser and facilitator. In Jan. 2015, Demirtas was arrested in Germany based on an Interpol red notice that had been issued on these charges. He was detained and then extradited to the United States on July 17, 2015.
According to the government’s evidence, the IMU is a militant Islamic group which was formed in 1991 with the stated purpose to overthrow the government of Uzbekistan and to create an Islamic state under Sharia law. Since its inception, the IMU has been conducting military operations in Uzbekistan and Pakistan and participated in combat operations against coalition forces in Afghanistan. The IMU was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Sept. 25, 2001.
Between January 2006 and May 2008, according to the government’s evidence, Demirtas acted on the IMU’s behalf in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Jordan, the Netherlands, France and elsewhere outside the United States. During this period, he provided, attempted to provide, and conspired to provide personnel and funding to the IMU, knowing that it is a designated terrorist organization that has engaged and engages in terrorism. Specifically, Demirtas admitted in his plea to providing funds to the leader of the IMU.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Ari B. Redbord of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Brian K. Morgan of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Series of Armed Robberies of Commercial Establishments in Washington, D.C. and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Curtis Fogg, 29, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to offenses 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 guilty 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; Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Hank Stawinski, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Fogg pled guilty 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 is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 20 to 22 ½ years. The Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2017.
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.
“For nearly three weeks, Curtis Fogg armed himself with a gun and held up restaurants, convenience markets and cellphone stores,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “He was apprehended after a concerted effort by law enforcement and now has taken responsibility for his crimes. This prosecution demonstrates the commitment shared by federal and local law enforcement to target violent offenders who threaten the safety of our communities.”
“Curtis Fogg violently targeted our local area business community, threatening and endangering lives for his own financial gain,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI will continue to work closely with our exceptional partners at the Metropolitan and Prince George’s County Police Departments to track down and stop those who threaten our citizens with violence. Today’s guilty plea sends a strong message that crime that does not pay.”
“The Prince George’s County Police Department thanks our federal and local law enforcement partners for their tremendous efforts in this case. Together, we were able to arrest and prosecute a suspect who brazenly targeted businesses in our community in the summer of 2014. We are pleased he can no longer victimize anyone in our region,” said Chief Stawinski.
The robberies included:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Aug. 28, 2014, approximately 3 p.m.: Fogg stole $513 from a Cricket cellular telephone store in the 5500 block of Georgia Avenue NW.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sept. 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 possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
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 and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Paeffgen, who prosecuted the Maryland cases prior to them being transferred to Washington, D.C. for resolution before Judge Friedman.
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Broad Daylight in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Carlton Hammond, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison on charges stemming from the slaying of a man in a broad daylight attack that took place in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Hammond was found guilty in May 2016 of second-degree murder while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael Ryan. Upon completion of his prison term, Hammond will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the late afternoon of Oct. 3, 2014, Hammond was among a group of over 10 men gathered in the 3400 block of 14th Street NW; the group included the victim, Kenneth Young, 35. Hammond and Mr. Young got into a fight at about 5:30 p.m. that ended with the stabbing of Mr. Young. Hammond fled on foot, and Mr. Young collapsed on the sidewalk. He died from his injuries, which included a three-inch deep stab wound to the right center of the chest that pierced his heart. He also sustained several other deep, gaping stab wounds to the left forearm and right shoulder. Later that night, a witness overheard Hammond boasting about the attack. Hammond was arrested Oct. 24, 2014.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Paralegal Specialist Kendra Johnson, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bradford, who secured the indictment in the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Allessandra Stewart, who prosecuted the case.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Illegally Scaling White House FenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph A. Caputo, 23, of Stamford, Conn., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from an incident on Thanksgiving Day 2015 in which he illegally scaled the White House fence, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.
Caputo pled guilty to a charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, which carries a statutory maximum of one year in prison, potential financial penalties, and up to a year of supervised release. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6, 2016. At sentencing, the government has agreed to recommend that the Court impose a period of probation, during which Caputo would be subject to various conditions, including an order to stay away from the District of Columbia and any facilities, sites or people under Secret Service protection, and an agreement to submit to interviews by the Secret Service and undergo a psychiatric evaluation, if requested, by a Secret Service psychologist.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 26, 2015, Thanksgiving Day, an officer with the U.S. Secret Service’s Uniformed Division witnessed Caputo scaling the White House fence at about 2:45 p.m. At the time, Caputo had one leg over the fence and was wearing an American flag around him like a cape. The officer ran towards Caputo, but Caputo made it over the fence and dropped onto the North Lawn of the White House. The officer called over the radio to alert other officers, and members of the Uniformed Division ordered Caputo to stop and get on the ground. Caputo complied with the orders and was immediately taken into custody.
While in custody, Caputo made spontaneous statements to law enforcement, including, “I love my country” and “I knew I would be locked up.”
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Ebert commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Secret Service. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari B. Redbord and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Barkett, who are prosecuting the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Murder of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dion X. Martin, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for the shooting death of a man last year in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Martin pled guilty in June 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Following his prison term, Martin will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 6, 2015, at approximately 11:20 a.m., Martin shot and killed Muhammad “Mo” Washington, 20, in the 4200 block of Edson Street NE. Shortly before the shooting, Martin was heard walking around asking for “Mo” and loudly stating that he was going to shoot him because he had told people where his mother lived. The victim, an acquaintance of the defendant, approached Martin soon afterwards at the corner, where they engaged in a heated argument. Martin walked away, only to return minutes later with his hand tucked in his pocket. Mr. Washington reached for Martin with both arms as Martin approached, and after a brief struggle, Martin pulled a gun out of his pocket and fired a single shot into Mr. Washington’s chest. Martin ran away and Mr. Washington ran around the corner where he quickly died from his injuries.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified Martin by locating eyewitnesses to the defendant’s actions, and by locating an additional eyewitness to whom the defendant confessed his crime. Martin was arrested on Dec. 11, 2015.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case for 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 Advocates Jennifer Clark and Jennifer Allen; Paralegal Specialists Karen Hansen and Stephanie Siegerist; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Witness Security Specialist Wanda Queen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gilead Light, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Attack Against Woman in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Juwaun Evans, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges involving a home invasion and sexual assault at an apartment building in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Evans pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count each of attempted first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree burglary. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison term of eight years. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2016.
During today’s proceedings, Evans admitted that on the afternoon of Aug. 17, 2014, he encountered the victim near her apartment building in the 3900 block of Georgia Avenue NW. Evans, whom the victim did not know and had never met, followed her into the building and to her floor. There, he forced his way into her apartment against her will, overcoming her as she attempted to stop him from entering. Evans admitted that he threatened the victim, sexually assaulted her, and then fled the apartment.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified Evans as the suspect and an arrest warrant was issued on Feb. 23, 2016. As part of his plea, Evans admitted to sexually assaulting the victim and forcing his way into her apartment against her will.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson and Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Park and John Timmer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Man Outside Southeast Washington Carry-Out RestaurantRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Tyarn Thompson, 36, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a shooting that took place in broad daylight last spring outside a Southeast Washington carry-out restaurant, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Thompson pled guilty on Sept. 7, 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with intent to kill. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison term of four to six years. The Honorable Florence Pan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 12, 2016, at approximately 11:40 a.m., Thompson encountered the victim at a carry-out restaurant in the 2900 block of Naylor Road SE. Thompson then confronted the victim regarding a fight they had earlier in the week over the victim’s girlfriend. As the victim was leaving the restaurant, Thompson approached him, brandished a gun, and fired several shots at him as the victim tried to run away. The victim stumbled and fell and Thompson fired additional shots. The victim’s sweatshirt was grazed by one of the bullets Thompson fired. Thompson then fled the scene before officers arrived.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified Thompson as the shooter and an arrest warrant was issued on May 13, 2016. Thompson has been in custody since his arrest on June 6, 2016. As part of his plea, Thompson admitted to shooting at the victim and placing a call the day beforehand informing a witness that he intended to kill the victim.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Elsa Maltese and Lu Lan; Supervisor Security Specialist Michael Hailey; and Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sumit Mallick, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Environmental CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Powers, 59, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today 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 guilty plea, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden, head of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) criminal enforcement program in the Mid-Atlantic States.
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.
“Our nation’s Clean Air Act requires strict adherence to the practices that protect the public from exposure to asbestos and includes criminal liability for those who do not comply with the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Cruden. “This prosecution is part of the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to protect the public and workers who are particularly vulnerable to harm from irresponsible, unsafe and illegal practices in the work place.”
“James Powers put a work crew and the public at risk by not taking the proper steps to safely renovate a building containing asbestos,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The Clean Air Act specifically establishes standards for the safe handling of this dangerous material. This prosecution holds this businessman accountable for his recklessness and shows we will enforce laws that protect the health and safety of workers and citizens in the District of Columbia.”
“Exposure to asbestos poses serious risks to public health and our communities, so it’s imperative that it be handled properly and disposed of safely,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lynn. “This case demonstrates EPA and its law enforcement partners will hold accountable those who put the public at risk through unsafe practices.”
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, 58, 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.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson for the District of Columbia scheduled sentencing for Dec. 16, 2016. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties.
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.
In announcing the plea, Assistant Attorney General Cruden, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting Special Agent in Charge Lynn expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents from EPA and the Department of Transportation. They also acknowledged the efforts of 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 Specialists Kaitlyn Krueger, former Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham and John Lowell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hooks and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Cheatham and Zia Faruqui.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Confrontation with Law Enforcement Near the White HouseRead the Press Release
Defendant Was Shot After He Refused Repeated Commands to Drop Handgun
Jesse A. Olivieri, 31, of Ashland, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a confrontation with law enforcement in which he brandished a gun near the White House, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia and Chief Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police.
Olivieri pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth for the District of Columbia to resisting or impeding certain officers or employees with a dangerous weapon. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of eight to 14 months in prison and a potential fine of up to $40,000. No sentencing date was set.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, on May 20, Olivieri was seen in a car that was parked on the north side of the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue NW. Moments later, witnesses heard a gunshot and observed Olivieri holding a silver handgun and standing outside his vehicle. He was then seen walking quickly north through the grass toward the south lawn of the White House.
A short time later, U.S. Secret Service Uniform Division Officers observed Olivieri pass through the security gate near the southwest grounds of the White House, in the 1600 block of E Street NW. He was proceeding quickly towards the security gate near E Street and South Place NW, still openly holding a silver handgun in his right hand, pointed toward the ground. Secret Service officers repeatedly ordered him to stop, but he ignored their commands and continued to walk toward the White House. At that point, a Secret Service agent confronted him, again ordering him to halt and drop the weapon. When Olivieri refused, the agent shot him once.
A silver .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun was recovered from Olivieri. It contained one round of ammunition in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine. In addition, Olivieri’s car was located, and an empty holster, 15 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition and a canister of pepper spray were found by law enforcement inside the vehicle. A spent .22-caliber shell casing was found nearby, in the westbound travel lanes of Constitution Avenue NW.
Today’s plea hearing took place at a hospital in Washington, D.C., where Olivieri continues to receive treatment related to the injuries that he sustained in the incident.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief MacLean commended the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Park Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided during the investigation by the Secret Service, the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Confrontation with Law Enforcement Near the White HouseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jesse A. Olivieri, 31, of Ashland, Pa., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a confrontation with law enforcement in which he brandished a gun near the White House, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Robert D. MacLean, Chief of the United States Park Police.
Olivieri pled guilty before the Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to resisting or impeding certain officers or employees with a dangerous weapon. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of eight to 14 months in prison and a potential fine of up to $40,000. No sentencing date was set.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, on May 20, 2016, at about 3:05 p.m., Olivieri was seen in a car that was parked on the north side of the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue NW. Moments later, witnesses heard a gunshot and observed Olivieri holding a silver handgun and standing outside his vehicle. He was then seen walking quickly north through the grass toward the south lawn of the White House.
A short time later, U.S. Secret Service Uniform Division Officers observed Olivieri pass through the security gate near the southwest grounds of the White House, in the 1600 block of E Street NW. He was proceeding quickly towards the security gate near E Street and South Place NW, still openly holding a silver handgun in his right hand, pointed toward the ground. Secret Service officers repeatedly ordered him to stop, but he ignored their commands and continued to walk toward the White House. At that point, a Secret Service agent confronted him, again ordering him to halt and drop the weapon. When Olivieri refused, the agent shot him once.
A silver .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun was recovered from Olivieri. It contained one round of ammunition in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine. In addition, Olivieri’s car was located, and an empty holster, 15 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, and a canister of pepper spray were found by law enforcement inside the vehicle. A spent .22-caliber shell casing was found nearby, in the westbound travel lanes of Constitution Avenue NW.
Today’s plea hearing took place at a hospital in Washington, D.C., where Olivieri continues to receive treatment related to the injuries that he sustained in the incident.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief MacLean commended the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Park Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided during the investigation by the Secret Service, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Embezzlement Scheme Against Her EmployerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stacey Walters, 38, a former accountant at Howard University, pled guilty today to a federal charge of wire fraud stemming from a scheme in which she embezzled over $105,000 from her employer, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Walters, of Indian Head, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, Walters was hired at Howard University in July 2010. Her responsibilities included preparing financial reports and performing general accounting and budget functions. She was terminated from the job in October 2011.
From December 2010 through May of 2011, according to the government’s evidence, Walters submitted a total of 13 forms authorizing payment from her employer to various vendors. However, she fraudulently listed the banking information for her own account on one of the forms, causing $9,388 to be transferred to her own account. In addition, Walters listed banking information for another individual, Shantel Brown, on 12 other forms, causing $96,398 to be transferred to Brown’s account. At the direction of Walters, Brown transferred half of the funds she had fraudulently received from Howard University to Walters.
Brown, 34, of Waldorf, Md., pled guilty on Feb. 22, 2016 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. She is to be sentenced on Nov. 1, 2016, also by Judge Boasberg. In her guilty plea, Brown admitted taking part in the fraud against Howard University. She also admitted to carrying out a separate scheme from November 2011 through March 2013 in which she stole $79,874 from her employer, Defenders of Wildlife; Brown worked for the non-profit organization as a payroll/compliance specialist at the time.
As part of their pleas, both defendants must pay restitution.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), as well as Criminal Investigator Stephen Cohen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, Criminal Investigator Juan Juarez, and Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Christopher Toms, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie, who is prosecuting both cases.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Series of Sexual Attacks Against Women in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Darius Nelson, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges involving a series of sexual assaults in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Nelson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison term of 40 years. This term will run consecutively to the 22-year sentence he is currently serving for sexual assault convictions previously prosecuted by this office. Upon release, Nelson would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2016.
In the earlier case, Nelson pled guilty in 2014 to sexually assaulting two women in separate attacks that took place in Southeast Washington in October of 2013. Today, Nelson pled guilty to assaulting three other women in separate incidents in 2012 and 2013.
During today’s proceedings, Nelson admitted that late in the evening on April 11, 2012, he was walking with the first victim when he put her into a chokehold and dragged her to the rear of a residence in the 1600 block of 21st Place SE. He threw her to the ground, punched her in the face, and sexually assaulted her. After the sexual assault, he again physically assaulted her.
Nelson further admitted that in the early morning hours of Aug. 18, 2012, the second victim was walking on Minnesota Avenue SE, near Pennsylvania Avenue, when he started a conversation with her. During that conversation, Nelson hit her in the face and put what he told the victim was a knife to her back. He then forced her to the rear of a gas station where he sexually assaulted her. Afterward, he ordered her to stay on the ground and not get up, and he fled.
Finally, Nelson admitted that late in the evening on Sept. 18, 2013, he grabbed the third victim from behind in a chokehold and forced her into an alley in the rear of the 2200 block of Nicholson Street SE. In the alley, he robbed her, then pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. When finished, he told her to stay down and remain still, and he fled the scene.
The victims were all taken to Washington Hospital Center, where they each received a sexual assault examination. Swabs taken from two of the victims during their examinations were sent to Bode Technology for DNA testing. A male DNA profile found on the swabs was entered into 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. Nelson was identified as a suspect through a CODIS search and DNA “cold hit.” His DNA profile had been loaded into the CODIS database following his 2014 convictions for sexually assaulting the other two women. During an interview with detectives from the MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit in November 2014, Nelson admitted to committing his crimes against the three women in the case that led to the plea today.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson and Paralegal Specialists Tierra Nanches, Angelina Slagle, and Wanda Trice. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston, Jodi Lazarus, and Lindsay Suttenberg, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing 11-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Robert Kelsey, 28, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl he met through Instagram when he was 26 years old, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.
Kelsey was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 29, 2016, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, and first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2016. Kelsey, a convicted felon, faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison without the possibility of release, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Kelsey met the girl during the summer of 2014 on Instagram, concealing his true identity, posing as a 19-year-old and using a fictitious name. He suggested that they begin communicating by text via Kik Messenger. He flirted with her and told her that he wanted to have sex with her. On July 25, 2014, Kelsey arranged to pick up the girl from her summer camp, which was held at an elementary school in Bowie, Md. He told the camp staff that he was the child’s cousin so that he could take her from camp early that day.
Kelsey drove the victim to his house in Washington, D.C., where he sexually abused her, and then returned her to the vicinity of the camp. By that time, the victim’s father, who was at the camp to pick up his daughter, learned that she had been taken from the camp by a man, and the father summoned police. The victim disclosed what happened and Prince George’s County, Md. Police began an investigation. The case was referred to the Metropolitan Police Department, and an investigation by MPD and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force led to Kelsey’s arrest. DNA analysis of evidence obtained from a medical examination of the victim also linked Kelsey to the crime.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD’s Youth Investigations Division. 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 Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Elizabeth Trosman, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Paralegal Specialists Joyce Arthur, Troy Griffith, and Tiffany Jones; Litigation Technology Specialists Aneela Bhatia and Anisha Bhatia, and Intern Wendy Acquazzino. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea L. Hertzfeld and Kenya Davis, who prosecuted the case.
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Maryland Woman Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Taking Part in Scheme Involving Prescription and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Novella White, 53, of Accokeek, Md., was sentenced today to 12 months in prison on federal charges of conspiracy to obtain controlled substances by prescription fraud and participating in a health care fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
White pled guilty on April 14, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by the Honorable Richard J. Leon. He also ordered her to pay $5,442 in restitution representing her share of illegal proceeds obtained from various health care plans. Following her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release.
A co-defendant, Claire Elizabeth Rice, 69, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty on Feb. 25, 2016 to the same charges. Rice was sentenced on July 1, 2016, to a 10-month prison term. As part of the plea agreement, Rice agreed to pay $16,175, representing her share of illegal proceeds.
Both defendants were charged in a federal indictment returned in 2014. In her plea, White admitted to a statement of offense concerning her conduct. She admitted that, from 2008 to 2013, she passed 127 forged prescriptions for drugs, including oxycodone, a synthetic opiate, in the name of practicing cardiologist with offices in Northwest Washington. Ninety-one of the prescriptions were written in the name of Rice, her friend, who was never a patient of the doctor.
White, a former employee of the doctor, left her job as a receptionist in January 2010, but took a blank prescription pad from the office when she left. White was not a health care professional and did not have authority to write prescriptions for herself or for Rice.
Rice caused the forged prescriptions that she obtained to be billed to health care plans such as Express Scripts and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The health plans were defrauded the costs of filling these various prescriptions. White presented forged prescriptions in her own name as well, and caused them to be billed to one of four different health insurance plans which she maintained: Safeway Informed RX, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Health, and Medco Health, which were the victims of the health care fraud charges.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the HHS Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Jennifer Kerkhoff, who prosecuted the case.
Former Background Investigator for Federal Government Pleads Guilty to Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edward J. Kincade, 63, a former background investigator who did work under contract for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), pled guilty today to a charge stemming from his falsification of work on background investigations of federal employees and contractors, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management.
Kincade, of Guyton, Ga., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to making a false statement. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Nov. 9, 2016. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of the plea, Kincade has agreed to pay $264,312 in restitution to the federal government.
According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court, Kincade was employed by USIS, formerly known as U.S. Investigations Services Inc., as an investigator under contract to conduct background investigations on behalf of OPM’s Federal Investigative Services.
Between August 2011 and September 2012, in more than 30 Reports of Investigations on background investigations, Kincade represented that he had interviewed a source or reviewed a record regarding the subject of the background investigation. In fact, he had not conducted the interviews or obtained the records of interest. These reports were utilized and relied upon by the agencies requesting the background investigations to determine whether the subjects were suitable for positions having access to classified information, for positions impacting national security, for receiving or retaining security clearances, or for positions of public trust.
Kincade’s false representations have required Federal Investigative Services to reopen and rework numerous background investigations that were assigned to him during the time period of his falsifications, at an estimated cost of at least $264,312 to the U.S. government.
Federal Investigative Services has a robust integrity assurance program which utilizes a variety of methods to ensure the accuracy of reported information. The falsification of investigative case work by the defendant was detected through the program.
This is one of numerous cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia since 2008 involving false representations by background investigators and record checkers working on federal background investigations. In addition to Kincade, 22 other background investigators and two record checkers have been convicted of charges.
Federal Investigative Services, through its workforce of approximately 5,400 field investigators, is responsible for conducting background investigations for numerous federal agencies and their contractors, on individuals either employed by or seeking employment with those agencies or contractors. Federal Investigative Services conducted more than 2.4 million investigations during the 2015 fiscal year. More than 600,000 of these investigations involved applicants for access or continued access to classified information.
In performing background investigations, the investigators conduct interviews of individuals who have information about the person who is the subject of the review. In addition, the investigators seek out, obtain, and review documentary evidence, such as employment records, to verify and corroborate information provided by either the subject of the background investigation or by persons interviewed during the investigation. After conducting interviews and obtaining documentary evidence, the investigators prepare a Report of Investigation containing the results of the interviews and document reviews, and electronically submit the material to OPM in Washington, D.C. OPM then provides a copy of the investigative file to the requesting agency, which can use the information to determine an individual’s eligibility for employment or a security clearance.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting Inspector General Vint praised the efforts of Special Agent Shantel Robinson, OPM, Office of the Inspector General, and Philip Kroop, Kevin Cassidy, and Jeffrey Addicks, OPM, Federal Investigative Services. They also acknowledged the work of Paralegal Specialist Julie Dailey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
Former MCC Construction Company Officer and Owner Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Walter Crummy, a former officer and owner of MCC Construction Company (MCC), pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. Crummy also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $105,618.
The plea was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division; U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); Brian J. Reihms, Special Agent in Charge of the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).
According to court documents, MCC and others conspired with two companies that were eligible to receive federal government contracts set asides for small, disadvantaged businesses with the understanding that MCC would illegally perform all of the work. In so doing, MCC was able to win 27 government contracts worth over $70 million from 2008 to 2011. The scope and duration of the scheme resulted in a significant number of opportunities lost to legitimate small and disadvantaged businesses.
“We will continue to work with our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and in law enforcement to protect the integrity of federal contracting programs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Hesse of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
“Walter Crummy knowingly participated in a scheme that allowed MCC Construction Company to illegally cash in on federal contracts designated for small disadvantaged businesses. This prosecution shows our determination to maintain the integrity of federal contracting programs meant to aid small, disadvantaged businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who abuse these programs at the expense of deserving businesses.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to upholding the integrity of the federal contracting process and protecting opportunities intended for small and economically disadvantaged businesses,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “Those who cheat the system through unlawful, fraudulent means are harming small businesses and stealing from American taxpayers, and they will be held accountable under the law."
“Those who commit fraud in SBA’s preferential contracting programs will face justice,” said SBA Inspector General Gustafson. “The integrity of SBA’s programs is vital to honest, hard-working small business owners across the nation. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their leadership and dedication to serving justice.”
“Federal vendors who use deceitful practices to game the small business set-aside program will be held accountable,” said GSA Inspector General Ochoa.
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to working with our partner agencies to combat fraud impacting the Department of Defense's vital programs and operations and maintain the integrity of the procurement system,” said Special Agent in Charge Reihms
Crummy, 63, of Morrison, Colorado, was charged in a criminal information on July 27, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud. He waived the requirement of being charged by way of federal indictment, agreed to the filing of the information and accepted responsibility for his criminal conduct. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties.
The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2016.
Court documents state that MCC violated the provisions of the SBA 8(a) program. The SBA 8(a) development program is designed to award contracts to businesses that are owned by “one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.” To qualify for the 8(a) program, a business must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen (or citizens) of good character who meet the SBA’s definition of socially and economically disadvantaged. The firm must also be a small business (as defined by the SBA) and show a reasonable potential for success. Participants in the 8(a) program are subject to regulatory and contractual limits. Also, under the program, the disadvantaged business is required to perform a certain percentage of the work. For the types of contracts under investigation here, the SBA 8(a)-certified companies were required to perform 15 percent or more of the work with its own employees.
Court documents also state that Crummy drafted corporate documents between MCC and one of the SBA-eligible companies whereby MCC would provide all labor, equipment, materials, safety and supervision and in return receive 97 percent of the contract task order amount. This agreement by its terms meant that the SBA-eligible company would be violating SBA rules and regulations and would instead collect a 3 percent fee for allowing their small business status to be used.
Earlier this year, MCC pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud on the United States by illegally obtaining government contracts that were intended for small, disadvantaged businesses and agreed to pay $1,769,924 in criminal penalties and forfeiture. In June, Thomas Harper, another former officer and owner of MCC, pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct proceedings before a department or agency.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Graves and John Marston of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Assistant Chief Craig Y. Lee and Trial Attorneys Kevin B. Hart and Justin P. Murphy of the Antitrust Division.
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District Man Sentenced to over Ten Years in Prison for Beating Two Men at Rooming HouseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deonta J. Simms, 34, of Clinton, Md., has been sentenced to over 10 years in prison on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and simple assault for an attack of two men that took place in June 2014 after an argument at a rooming house in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Simms was found guilty by a jury in June 2016, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on Aug. 19, 2016, by the Honorable Florence Pan. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 6, 2014, Simms, who had been visiting and consuming alcohol with residents of a rooming house in the 700 block of Lamont Street, NW, became involved in an altercation with two of the home’s occupants, each of which were men who were approximately 60 years old. The argument turned physical and Simms struck one of the men in the head while inside the house. The argument migrated outside the house and Simms took the second victim down to the ground, where Simms then struck the man in the face multiple times with his fists, and repeatedly kicked the man in the head while he lay on the ground defenseless.
While the first victim suffered minimal injuries, the second victim suffered multiple lacerations and contusions to his face. He required emergency brain surgery to treat a blood clot, and still suffers some cognitive impairment.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Paralegal Specialists Chae Vang and Donville Drummond; Criminal Investigator Mark Fitzgerald; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente and Stephen Rickard. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Jennings, who secured the indictment and tried the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Palmieri, who also worked on the case and handled the sentencing hearing.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting in Southeast Washington That Wounded 7-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Wiggins, 27, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges in a shooting last spring that injured a 7-year-old bystander, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wiggins pled guilty on Aug. 19, 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a seven-year prison term. The Honorable Zoe Bush scheduled sentencing for Sept. 15, 2016.
In his plea, Wiggins admitted that on April 8, 2016, at about 9:30 p.m., he was in the 2900 block of Knox Place SE, and had been fighting with his cousin. As his cousin was leaving Knox Place by car, Wiggins fired four shots at the vehicle, shattering its back windshield. Meanwhile, the victim, a 7-year-old girl, was arriving home with her family after an outing to Chuck E. Cheese. One of the shots hit her in the chest and she fell to the ground. The victim was immediately transported to Children’s National Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery. MPD officers were swift to identify Wiggins as the shooter and he was arrested on April 11, 2016. Wiggins admitted that he was shooting at his cousin that night.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of those handling the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Barr, who is prosecuting the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Shooting at Anacostia Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demetri Goldsmith, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the shooting of a teenage girl last spring near the Anacostia Metro station, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Goldsmith pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of assault with significant bodily injury and unlawful possession of a firearm. The assault charge carries a statutory maximum of three years in prison and the firearms charge carries up to 10 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2016. Goldsmith has been in custody since his arrest three days after the shooting.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, May 29, 2016, during Memorial Day weekend, Goldsmith was at the Anacostia Metro station in the 1100 block of Howard Rod SE. At approximately 7:30 p.m., he was talking to the 16-year-old victim near the station’s entrance. He pulled a firearm from his jacket and fired in the direction of the girl, shooting her in the left leg. This action was intentional and not by mistake or accident. Goldsmith put the firearm back in his jacket and biked away. The victim was taken to a hospital.
At the time of this shooting, Goldsmith was on probation for an earlier conviction involving a robbery that took place in April 2015 in Northeast Washington. He was charged as an adult in that case and pled guilty in May 2015 to robbery. He was sentenced in September 2015 to 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. However, that time was suspended on the condition that he successfully complete 18 months of supervised probation. He now faces the revocation of his probation in that case.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Chief Pavlik, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany A. Keil, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Indicted for First-Degree Sexual Abuse and Other Charges in 2001 and 2002 AttacksRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Chelo Gwathmey, 38, of Washington D.C., was indicted today on charges stemming from armed rapes of two women in 2001 and 2002, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gwathmey was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances, and related offenses. Gwathmey was arrested on Aug. 15, 2016, and has been in custody while awaiting further court proceedings. He will be arraigned on a date to be scheduled by the Court. The charges of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances carry a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison.
The indictment followed an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department into two separate sexual assaults that occurred in 2001 and 2002. The first victim was walking home alone in the early morning hours of Aug. 26, 2001, in the vicinity of 9th and Upshur Streets NW, when she was accosted by a man wielding a knife. The man forced her inside of his vehicle and raped her. The second victim was raped at gunpoint in the early morning hours of Aug. 27, 2002, inside a vehicle in an alleyway adjacent to the unit block of Van Buren Street NW.
Forensic analysis of the sex kits collected following the two assaults revealed that the same unknown male DNA profile was found on the biological material in both cases. In the summer of 2016, detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit developed the defendant as a suspect in these assaults and obtained a warrant to collect a DNA sample from him. Forensic analysis revealed that Gwathmey’s DNA profile matched the unknown male DNA profile found in the sex kits collected following both assaults.
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 and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who are investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, and Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky and Jason Park, who are prosecuting the matter.
Jeffrey E. Thompson Sentenced for Conspiring to Violate District of Columbia Campaign Finance LawRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jeffrey E. Thompson was sentenced today to three months of incarceration, to be followed by 90 days of home confinement, for his involvement in a scheme in which he and his companies secretly channeled about $3.3 million in illegal contributions to at least 28 political candidates and their campaigns.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, and Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Thompson, 61, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on March 10, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two felony charges. One was a federal offense: conspiring to violate federal campaign finance laws and to submit false filings to the Internal Revenue Service. The other was a District of Columbia offense: conspiring to violate District of Columbia campaign finance laws by defrauding the District of Columbia’s Office of Campaign Finance.
The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the Court to dismiss the federal charge against Thompson at sentencing on the condition that he cooperate with a broader investigation into illegal campaign spending. The plea agreement limited the period of incarceration for the federal charge to a period of up to 18 months of incarceration. Because Thompson complied with his obligations under the plea agreement, the charge was dismissed today by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
The plea agreement limited the period of incarceration for the remaining District of Columbia offense to a maximum of six months of incarceration. In addition to periods of incarceration and home confinement, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Thompson to pay the maximum $10,000 fine allowed by the District of Columbia offense. Also, following his prison time, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
At sentencing today, the government noted that Thompson’s cooperation exposed a longstanding culture of corrupt spending in District of Columbia campaigns.
Thompson is the former chairman, chief executive officer, and majority owner of Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates (TCBA), a corporation that provided accounting, management, consulting, and tax services. He also is the former chairman, chief executive officer, and owner of D.C. Healthcare Systems, Inc. (DCHSI), an investment holding and for-profit corporation. In his guilty plea, he admitted using funds from those corporations to secretly finance campaign contributions and activities from at least 2006 until 2012.
TCBA received millions of dollars under contracts with District of Columbia and federal government entities. DCHSI owned D.C. Chartered Health Plan, Inc. (Chartered), a corporation that contracted with the District of Columbia government to provide managed care services to a substantial number of District of Columbia residents. Chartered’s contract with the District of Columbia, paid primarily by the federal government, totaled about $300 million each year.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of Thompson’s guilty plea, Thompson secretly provided more than $1,445,000 for off-the-books, or “shadow campaigns,” on behalf of seven candidates seeking office in the District of Columbia from 2006 to 2011. The largest such amount was over $653,000 to pay for campaign activities of a candidate in the 2010 mayoral race. He also secretly spent more than $130,000 for a voter registration drive on behalf of one candidate and agreed to pay another candidate $200,000 - along with other benefits - to withdraw from the 2006 mayoral race. Thompson also entered into a $150,000 consulting agreement with the competing candidate on behalf of TCBA. Also, according to the statement of offense, between 2006 and 2011, Thompson utilized at least 75 conduits to make contributions to at least 15 mayoral and D.C. Council candidates in excess of $500,000.
From February 2008 through May 2008, according to the statement of offense, Thompson secretly channeled about $608,750 to fund a shadow campaign for a candidate running for President of the United States. Thompson also secretly provided $50,000 to help a civic organization pay for a lawsuit in Texas challenging the two-step voting process in that state, in which voters were allowed to vote twice, once in a primary and once in a caucus. He also provided $150,000 for a political demonstration organized by the civic organization in Washington, D.C. The funds for the lawsuit and the demonstration were to assist the campaign of the preferred presidential candidate. Also, between 2006 and 2012, Thompson utilized at least 32 conduits to make contributions to at least 13 federal candidates and a political action committee of at least $250,000.
In addition, after the federal investigation into campaign finance irregularities began in 2011, Thompson engaged in various efforts to obstruct the investigation.
Thompson is among 14 people who pled guilty to charges in a broader investigation related to federal and local political campaigns. He is among six defendants who pled guilty to offenses directly involving or connected to the 2010 District of Columbia mayoral election.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work of those who investigated the case for the FBI and IRS-CI. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Lionel André, Criminal Investigators Mark Crawford and Melissa Matthews, and Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris and Corinne Kleinman. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. Atkinson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks, who represented the government at sentencing.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years to Life in Prison for 1997 Murder of Woman in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John F. General, 52, formerly of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years to life in prison for the 1997 murder of a woman at an apartment building in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
General was found guilty by a jury in December 2014, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder. He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of Nov. 26, 1997, the partially clothed body of the victim, Deborah McKinney, was discovered in a stairwell of an apartment building in the 900 block of M Street NW. The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Ms. McKinney, 38, was killed by means of asphyxiation.
Although there were no eyewitnesses to this murder, the government’s evidence showed that Ms. McKinney encountered the defendant and that a violent encounter ensued. Based on the evidence, General pressed his hand or other body part over Ms. McKinney’s mouth and applied life-taking pressure to her mouth, chest and neck. During this assault, she fought to save her life. In doing so, she injured General, causing him to bleed on her shirt. However, she was no match for the defendant, and he killed her by cutting off the air she needed to live.
General was identified as a suspect in January 2010 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. General’s DNA was in the system as a result of an earlier conviction in a case in the District of Columbia. DNA testing confirmed that his blood and semen were on the scene of Ms. McKinney’s attack. He was arrested in May of 2010.
“This cold case was revived when a DNA hit connected John General to the long-ago murder,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “This prosecution shows the power of DNA and other forensic evidence to secure justice even after many years have passed.”
“It is our hope that this sentencing brings some sort of closure to the victim's family and friends after so many years,” said Chief Lanier.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Services. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Haines; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane, Mia Beamon, Jason Manuel and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, and Victim/Witness Security Specialists David Foster and Katina Adams.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Adrienne Dedjinou, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Indicted for Conspiracy and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Tyrone Johnson, 48, of Washington, D.C. has been indicted on charges that he conspired to commit bank fraud and other crimes arising from a real estate scheme involving a forged mortgage satisfaction document.
The indictment, which was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Johnson, who was arrested today, was named in a six-count indictment that was returned on Aug. 9, 2016. He is charged with federal violations of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, engaging in illegal monetary transactions, and making a false statement, as well as uttering, which is a District of Columbia offense. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the fraud scheme. Johnson pled not guilty to the charges at his first court appearance this afternoon.
According to the indictment, SunTrust Mortgage, Inc. loaned a friend of Johnson’s approximately $470,000 to purchase residential real estate in the 100 block of 57th Street SE in 2008. By 2009, the friend had failed to repay the mortgage loans, and in 2010, SunTrust Mortgage filed a notice of foreclosure with the District of Columbia’s Recorder of Deeds. In April 2013, SunTrust Mortgage began the process of foreclosing on the mortgage and taking possession of the property, due to the friend’s failure to make good and timely payments on the mortgage loans.
The indictment alleges that sometime before Oct. 2, 2013, Johnson caused the creation of two phony and forged certificates of satisfaction, which falsely represented that the SunTrust Mortgage loans at the property on 57th Street SE had been paid and that his friend owned the property “free and clear.” The indictment also alleges that on Oct. 2, 2013, Johnson filed these two phony certificates of satisfaction with the Recorder of Deeds.
In or about December 2013, after the fake certificates of satisfaction allowed the friend to sell the property without paying the outstanding mortgages, the title and escrow company wired out the sales proceeds of $337,105, of which approximately $170,688 was obtained by Johnson.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Assistant Director in Charge Abbate expressed appreciation for the work performed by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman, Paralegal Specialist Kaitlyn Kruger, Litigation Tech Specialist Ron Royal, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who is assisting with forfeiture issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham who is prosecuting the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Two Armed Robberies of Commercial Businesses in the Same WeekRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Mingo, 19, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to offenses stemming from two separate armed robberies of commercial businesses that were committed in broad daylight last year in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mingo pled guilty before the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and one count of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a possible range of 161 months to 180 months in prison and a statutory maximum of life in prison. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 20, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2015, at approximately 12:50 p.m., Mingo, while masked, and with at least two additional masked individuals, entered Pizza Bolis, a pizza shop in the 1500 block of Alabama Avenue SE. During the course of the robbery, a gun was placed at the head of the cashier and approximately $213 was stolen from the register. Mingo and his accomplices also stole $1,800 and a cellphone from a customer inside the pizzeria. The masked individuals were seen leaving the area in a black Infinity SUV.
Four days later, on Sept. 23, 2015, at approximately noon, Mingo and his accomplice, Jarred Thomas, entered the “Like That 2” barber shop in the 3300 block of Stanton Road SE, while wearing masks and brandishing loaded firearms. The barber shop was located around the corner from the Pizza Bolis that had been robbed four days earlier. At gunpoint, Mingo ordered everyone to the ground and demanded that they hand over their money. Numerous victims were robbed at gunpoint of cash and possessions. Present during the armed robbery was a small child.
After the robbery, Mingo was observed leaving the area in a black Infinity SUV that matched the vehicle seen leaving the Pizza Bolis pizzeria. Mingo subsequently was apprehended by the police three blocks from the barber shop and a firearm was recovered in his flight path. The black Infinity SUV used by Mingo was located and identified as having been stolen in a separate armed robbery eight days earlier.
Thomas, 19, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in May 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges stemming from the barber shop robbery, including one count 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 unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was sentenced on July 13, 2016 to a prison term of 121 months.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Violent Crime Task Force of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the matter.
District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms on Charges Stemming from Murder of Man During Noontime RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Pinkney, 20, William Bass, 18, and Kalif Brown, 23, all of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from the shooting death of a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
The three men pled guilty to charges in April 2016 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The pleas were contingent upon the Court’s approval. The plea agreements called for a 17-year sentence for Pinkney for second-degree murder while armed and a five-year prison term for Brown for robbery. The third plea agreement called for Bass to be sentenced to a term within the District of Columbia Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines for assault with intent to rob while armed. The Honorable Robert E. Morin accepted the pleas today and sentenced the defendants accordingly; Bass was sentenced to a 5 ½-year prison term. Following their prison terms, all three defendants will be placed on periods of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, just before noon on February 16, 2015, the defendants were driven to the 300 block of 61st Street NE for purposes of conducting a PCP transaction with the victim, Rico Myers, 25, and his friend. Once there, the defendants entered an alley and Pinkney pulled a gun, demanding the victim’s possessions.
Bass began going through Mr. Myers’s pockets, while Brown robbed Mr. Myers’s friend. Mr. Myers began struggling to defend himself and Pinkney then shot him four times. The defendants ran to the waiting car on 61st Street NE, which then drove off.
Mr. Myers ran out of the alley and collapsed on a sidewalk in the 300 block of 61st Street NE. He was taken to a hospital, where all efforts to save his life were unsuccessful. An autopsy performed by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death to be homicide.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division, Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Sixth Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as Special Agent Benjamin Inman of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the D.C. Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Victim/Witness Security Specialist M. Laverne Forrest, and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jacintoport International LLC and Seaboard Marine Ltd. Agree to Settle False Claims Allegations Related to Delivery of Humanitarian Food AidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that Jacintoport International LLC (Jacintoport) and Seaboard Marine Ltd. (Seaboard Marine) have agreed to pay $1.075 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the companies violated the False Claims Act in connection with a warehousing and logistics contract for the storage and redelivery of humanitarian food aid. Jacintoport is a cargo handling and stevedoring firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, and Seaboard Marine, an affiliate of Jacintoport, is an ocean transportation company headquartered in Miami, Florida.
In its lawsuit, the United States alleged that Jacintoport executed in 2007 a warehousing and logistics contract with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the storage and redelivery of emergency humanitarian food aid. This contract contained explicit caps on the rates Jacintoport could charge ocean carriers to load humanitarian food aid onto ships (referred to as “stevedoring” charges) bound for crisis areas around the world. The complaint alleges that beginning around January 2008 and continuing through at least October 2009, Jacintoport, under the supervision and control of Seaboard, charged ocean carriers more for stevedoring than permitted to load over 50,000 tons of humanitarian food aid. These inflated stevedoring charges were subsequently lumped into other costs for delivering humanitarian food aid and passed on to the United States.
“USAID’s humanitarian food aid program provides critical assistance to starving people all over the world,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who seek to abuse this important program.”
“It is unacceptable for companies that do business with the federal government to inflate their costs,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips. “This settlement demonstrates our determination to protect the taxpayers’ dollars – and humanitarian programs – from abuse.”
The allegations resolved by this settlement were initially brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by John Raggio, a shipping contractor who allegedly received an invoice from Jacintoport that contained the excessive stevedoring charge. Under the Act’s qui tam provisions, a private citizen, known as a “relator,” can sue on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The United States is permitted to intervene in the lawsuit, as it did here. Raggio will receive $215,000. Earlier today, the government requested that the case be dismissed.
This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the USAID Office of the Inspector General. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The case is United States ex. rel. Raggio v. Jacintoport International, LLC, et al. Case No. 1:10-cv-01908 (D.D.C.).
District Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting Former Girlfriend and Another Man, Wounding Her and Killing HimRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Moore, 27, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a domestic violence incident in which he shot his former girlfriend and another man, wounding her and killing him, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Moore pled guilty on July 26, 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of 15 years in prison, which would be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence on March 4, 2016, just before 3 p.m., Moore’s ex-girlfriend and a friend, Noel Rezene, 26, drove to Moore’s apartment in the 3300 block of 23rd Street SE. Also in the car was the 2-year-old child of the ex-girlfriend and Moore. Shortly after arriving, Moore’s ex-girlfriend brought their child to the apartment. She then came across Moore outside the apartment building, and the two argued. During the course of the argument, Mr. Rezene displayed a firearm and asked Moore to stop speaking in a disrespectful manner. The ex-girlfriend then went to retrieve the child from the apartment. Moore also proceeded to return to his apartment. Mr. Rezene followed them both into the building.
The ex-girlfriend then retrieved the child and fled with her to her car, which was parked in a nearby parking lot. Mr. Rezene then began shooting through the door of Moore’s apartment and into the apartment that was then occupied by the defendant and his family.
Moore retrieved a firearm from within the apartment and began shooting back through the door at Mr. Rezene, striking him at least once. Mr. Rezene fled towards the car, which by then was occupied by Moore’s ex-girlfriend and the child. As Mr. Rezene neared the car, Moore shot him again, causing Mr. Rezene to stumble and drop his firearm. Mr. Rezene got into the car and Moore’s ex-girlfriend backed the vehicle away, trying to flee. Moore chased after the car, firing multiple shots into it, striking both Mr. Rezene and the ex-girlfriend. At least one shot went through the front windshield on the driver’s side. The child was not struck by any gunfire.
Moore’s ex-girlfriend drove to a nearby hospital, where Mr. Rezene was pronounced dead from the gunshot wounds inflicted by the defendant. She received treatment for multiple gunshot wounds to her right arm and the right side of her torso.
During his plea, Moore acknowledged that he was not acting in self-defense when shooting his ex-girlfriend, and even if his actions against Mr. Rezene were taken in self-defense, by following him outside and continuing to shoot, he used excessive force.
Moore has been convicted of multiple prior domestic violence assaults against his ex-girlfriend, and was on probation for one of those assaults at the time of the shooting. That probation has since been revoked.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Seventh Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Intern Anthony Jankowski. He also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Bruckmann and Akhi Johnson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Murder Charge in Broad Daylight Slaying of Man Near Public LibraryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alphonso Roberts, 32, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for killing a man earlier this year outside a public library, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Michael Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In another case, Roberts pled guilty earlier this week to a federal firearms offense.
Today’s plea, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, involved the Feb. 10, 2016 slaying of Maurico Walker. It followed a guilty plea on July 18, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
The pleas, subject to approval in their respective courts, call for Roberts to serve a total of 20 years in prison. The plea agreements call for Roberts to be sentenced to 20 years in prison in the murder case and 15 years in the firearms case, to run concurrently. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing in the murder case for Sept. 16, 2016. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton scheduled sentencing in the firearms case for Oct. 14, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, the murder took place on Feb. 10, 2016, outside the Anacostia Library, in the 1800 block of Good Hope Road SE. The chain of events began at 4 p.m. in the 2100 block of R Street SE, nearby. The victim, Maurico Walker, 23, and another person had been checking for unlocked car doors in the area. Roberts, who resided nearby, spotted the second person taking items from his Volvo. Roberts confronted the two, and they walked away. Moments later, as Mr. Walker and the second person were walking over the grass lot adjacent to the library Roberts came by in his Volvo. He pulled to the curb, got out of the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and began shooting. Mr. Walker ran back through the lot, but was shot in the back and head and collapsed. He later died from these injuries.
The firearms charge stems from a search conducted on Feb. 25, 2016, at Roberts’s apartment. During the search, officers recovered, among other items, a loaded Glock 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun from the top shelf of a bedroom closet. The gun was not the murder weapon. Roberts, who had an earlier felony conviction, was legally barred from possessing any firearm. He was arrested following the search and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Boxler, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S Attorney Natalia Medina, who is prosecuting the firearms case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who is prosecuting the murder case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Recent Shoot-Out in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Leroy Robinson, 32, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a recent shoot-out that took place in broad daylight in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Robinson pled guilty on July 20, 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2016 by the Honorable Neil E. Kravitz. Robinson faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison on the assault with a dangerous weapon charge and 15 years on the unlawful possession of a firearm charge. Because he has a prior conviction for a crime of violence, he faces a statutory minimum of three years in prison. Under the District of Columbia Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, he faces a likely range of 36 to 72 months in prison.
In entering his guilty plea, Robinson admitted to being an initial aggressor in a shoot-out that occurred in broad daylight on the morning of June 1, 2016. According to the evidence, at approximately 9:45 a.m., Robinson and an unknown suspect exchanged gunfire with a group of individuals in the 1300 block of Brentwood Road NE. Surveillance video shows Robinson and the unknown suspect firing gunshots in the direction of two parked cars. The video further shows the muzzle flash of Robinson’s firearm moments after an innocent civilian entered into one of these cars. As a result of the gunshots, the side and rear windows of the civilian’s car were destroyed. Numerous gunshots also struck the front driver’s side and rear of the civilian’s vehicle, which was riddled with bullets. Amazingly, none of these bullets struck the civilian.
Robinson was struck by a bullet and crawled away from the scene. When law enforcement arrived, they saw him in a grassy area across from the area of the shooting, suffering from a gunshot wound. Law enforcement also found an empty gun holster on his waistband.
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 of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamika Griffin and Richard Barker, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Impersonating a Congressional Chief of StaffRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 35, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from his impersonation of the chief of staff of a member of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Lewis, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of false personation of an employee or officer of the United States. The charge carries a statutory maximum of three years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Lewis could face up to six months in prison and a fine. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Oct. 13, 2016.
According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the plea, from September 2014 through May 2015, Lewis falsely claimed to be a chief of staff for the Honorable John Lewis, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He did so to request admission and special privileges at a high-end restaurant, bar and lounge in Miami’s South Beach area and to seek field passes from the Washington Redskins for a football game. The scheme came to the attention of Congressman Lewis’s actual chief of staff, and led to a law enforcement investigation.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Verderosa commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who is prosecuting the matter.
United States Files Suit against DynCorp International Alleging Submission of False Claims under State Department ContractRead the Press Release
The United States filed a False Claims Act complaint against DynCorp International Inc. (DynCorp) alleging that it knowingly submitted inflated claims in connection with a State Department contract to train Iraqi police forces (CIVPOL contract), the Department of Justice announced today. The United States filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. DynCorp, which is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Tucker Holdings Inc.
In April 2004, the State Department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs awarded the CIVPOL contract to DynCorp to provide training for civilian police forces in Iraq and other services needed to support that effort, such as trainers, guards, translators, vehicles and living quarters for contractor personnel. In its complaint, the United States alleges that DynCorp knowingly allowed one of its main CIVPOL subcontractors to charge excessive and unsubstantiated rates for hotel lodging, translator, security guard and driving services and overhead expenses, and included these charges in the claims it submitted under the CIVPOL contract to the State Department. The complaint also alleges that DynCorp added its own markup to its subcontractor’s excessive charges, thereby further inflating the claims it submitted to the government.
“Companies that contract with the United States have an obligation to deal fairly and openly with the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Attempting to take advantage of the American taxpayers in times of war is a shameful abuse of this responsibility.”
“The United States relies on its contractors to be forthcoming with accurate information and to act responsibly in return for receiving the taxpayers’ money,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia. “Our office is committed to recovering funds from those who fail to adhere to those responsibilities and obligations.”
The civil complaint in this action is the result of an investigation by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the State Department’s Office of Inspector General.
The case is captioned United States v. DynCorp International, Inc., No. 1:16-cv-01473 (D.D.C.). The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
United States Files Suit Against DynCorp International, Alleging the Submission of False Claims Under State Department ContractRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The United States filed a False Claims Act complaint against DynCorp International Inc. (DynCorp) alleging that it knowingly submitted inflated claims in connection with a State Department contract to train Iraqi police forces (CIVPOL contract), the Department of Justice announced today. The United States filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. DynCorp, which is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Tucker Holdings Inc.
In April 2004, the State Department’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs awarded the CIVPOL contract to DynCorp to provide training for civilian police forces in Iraq and other services needed to support that effort, such as trainers, guards, translators, vehicles and living quarters for contractor personnel. In its complaint, the United States alleges that DynCorp knowingly allowed one of its main CIVPOL subcontractors to charge excessive and unsubstantiated rates for hotel lodging, translator, security guard and driving services and overhead expenses, and included these charges in the claims it submitted under the CIVPOL contract to the State Department. The complaint also alleges that DynCorp added its own markup to its subcontractor’s excessive charges, thereby further inflating the claims it submitted to the government.
“Companies that contract with the United States have an obligation to deal fairly and openly with the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Attempting to take advantage of the American taxpayers in times of war is a shameful abuse of this responsibility.”
“The United States relies on its contractors to be forthcoming with accurate information and to act responsibly in return for receiving the taxpayers’ money,” said U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips. “Our office is committed to recovering funds from those who fail to adhere to those responsibilities and obligations.”
The civil complaint in this action is the result of an investigation by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the State Department’s Office of Inspector General.
The case is captioned United States v. DynCorp International, Inc., No. 1:16-cv-01473 (D.D.C.). The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Former Employee of Charitable Organization Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $140,000 in FundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON- Floyd L. Middleton, 47, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from the theft of over $140,000 from a religious charity where he worked in an administrative capacity, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Middleton pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of interstate transportation of stolen property. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Middleton faces a likely range of 15 to 21 months in prison and a fine of up to $30,000. The plea agreement also calls for Middleton to pay $142,484 in restitution. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for Oct. 12, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, the scheme took place between February 2009 and October 2014, when Middleton was employed by an organization referred to in court documents as “Charity A,” a religious charity. During this period, Middleton embezzled $142,484 in funds through false representations and invoices. For example, he established the property management company that managed the apartment building where he resided in the charity’s computer system as a legitimate vendor. He then submitted false invoices leading to payments to that property management company for his personal benefit. Middleton also made false representations to secure reimbursement for personal funds that he never expended.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Assistant Director in Charge Abbate commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Angela Lawrence and Assistant U.S. Attorney Muyiwa Bamiduro, who is prosecuting the matter.
Former D.C. Government Official Pleads Guilty to Tax Charge, Under-Reported Income for Five Tax YearsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Warren Graves, 63, a former District of Columbia government official, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from his failure to fully report income on federal tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Philips and Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Graves, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to subscribing to a false tax return. The charge carries a statutory maximum of three years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Graves faces a likely range of 12 to 18 months of incarceration and a potential fine of up to $55,000. The plea agreement calls for him to pay the United States Treasury a total of $220,987 in restitution. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Oct. 25, 2016.
Graves was Chief of Staff for the District of Columbia’s Office of City Administrator from 2011 to 2015. Prior to that, from 2007 to 2011, he was a contractor who worked within the D.C. government.
According to the government’s evidence, Graves owned a company that provided consulting services to individuals and entities in Washington, D.C. The work generally consisted of arranging meetings between District of Columbia government officials and private businesses and individuals. In general, the arrangements with clients involved performing services in exchange for a future stream of payments totaling an agreed amount. Most of this work was done prior to 2009, but Graves continued to receive payments for prior services in the following years, including in years when he was a District of Columbia government employee.
In his plea, Graves admitted that he claimed false expenses on his tax returns for the tax years of 2009 to 2013 and that he omitted items of income in some of those years. This resulted in the under-reporting of $536,091 in income, leading to a loss of tax revenue to the U.S. government of $220,987.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work of those who investigated the case from of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Marston, who is prosecuting the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Atkinson, who assisted in the investigation.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison on Robbery, Theft and Credit Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marlon A. Wilson, 35, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 16-year prison term for a robbery and a theft that he committed at two restaurants on the same night in 2014, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Wilson was found guilty by a jury in December 2014 of robbery, first-degree theft, second-degree theft, and credit fraud. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on July 15, 2016, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, Wilson will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, July 6, 2014, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Wilson entered a restaurant in the 500 block of Florida Avenue NW, ordered an iced tea, and then stole a wallet from a customer’s bag. The bag had been hanging over the back of her chair. Wilson left the tavern and then walked to another restaurant in the 600 block of T Street NW, a few blocks away. Once again, he ordered an iced tea. He then stole a wallet from a purse of a customer whose bag likewise was hanging on the back of her chair. Wilson then went to a nearby drug store and used one of the stolen credit cards to purchase two $480 gift cards.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested Wilson soon afterward in the area. He was caught with credit cards from both victims, as well as numerous gift cards. Wilson was subject to sentencing enhancements in this case because of his prior criminal history, which includes convictions for robbery, burglary, and theft and credit card fraud-related crimes.
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 efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Rochelle Mills; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Connolly, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler.
Investment Fund Manager Sentenced for Obstructing Justice in SEC Investigation of His Business ActivitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vineet Kalucha, 52, an investment fund manager from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for obstructing justice in an investigation into his business activities that was being conducted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Kalucha pled guilty to the charge in February 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. Upon completion of his prison term, Kalucha will be placed on two years of supervised release.
A business partner, George Palathinkal, 55, of Singapore, pled guilty in March 2015 to a federal charge of perjury. He is awaiting sentencing before Judge Collyer.
According to the government’s evidence, Kalucha formed Aphelion Fund Management LLC (“Aphelion Management”) in 2012 and was its majority owner, partner and chief investment officer. Palathinkal was the general partner and chief financial officer. The company served as the investment adviser and general partner for two unregistered hedge funds (known as “the Aphelion Funds”).
In 2013, according to the government’s evidence, Kalucha, Palathinkal, and Aphelion Management began soliciting new investors for the Aphelion Funds. Kalucha subsequently provided potential investors with marketing materials for Aphelion Management, using inaccurate performance statistics. Among other things, he altered a report prepared by an accounting firm hired by Aphelion Management to review prior investment performance and caused this report to be sent to prospective investors.
The accounting firm became aware of the misrepresentations and demanded that Kalucha cease distributing the altered report and that he provide notice to those who received it. He incorrectly reported back to the firm that only one copy of the altered report had been distributed.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission began an investigation of Aphelion Management in January 2014, including an investigation into the propriety and reasonableness of payments from Aphelion Management to Kalucha. Kalucha provided investigative testimony before the SEC on Feb. 25, 2014. Among other things, he testified that he had entered into a written promissory note for “about $350,000” with Aphelion Management. Kalucha later told Palathinkal that he had testified before the SEC that there were written promissory notes covering loans that the two of them had purportedly taken from Aphelion Management.
Knowing that these notes did not exist, Kalucha told Palathinkal that he would have Aphelion Management’s outside counsel prepare such written loan documents. Kalucha and Palathinkal later signed two such documents, both said to be promissory notes. One purportedly showed a loan of up to $350,000 for Kalucha and the other was for a loan of up to $200,000 for Palathinkal. Although these documents were actually signed in early March 2014, they were dated January 1, 2013. Kalucha and Palathinkal provided these documents to the SEC.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Assistant Director in Charge Abbate commended the work of those who investigated the case for the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the SEC. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Document Management Analyst John Lowell and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Seeley. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Office Manager Sentenced to Jail Term for Stealing over $150,000 from ChurchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Barry Tillman, 59, who worked as the office manager for a church and its affiliated non-profit organization, has been sentenced to 156 days of incarceration and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service for a scheme in which he embezzled over $150,000, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Tillman, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in April 2016 to wire fraud. He was sentenced on July 13, 2016, by the Honorable Rudolph Contreras in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Upon completion of the jail time, which is to be served over 52 weekends, he will be placed on five years of probation. Tillman also must pay a total of $153,754 in restitution.
According to the government’s evidence, Tillman began work in 2008 as an office manager for the Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, as well as City Gate, an affiliated non-profit organization that provided support for youth through after-school and summer educational programs. The organization also provided support to low-income families by supplying meals and job training. Tillman’s responsibilities included bookkeeping and accounting duties.
From January 2009 through May 2013, Tillman processed salary payments to himself through both direct deposit and salary checks. He allowed the direct deposits knowing that he was receiving his salary by check, which resulted in him being paid twice. He kept a total of $153,754 of these electronic transfers for himself for his own use and benefit.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case, including Criminal Investigator Juan Juarez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of others who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Stephen Cohen; Paralegal Specialist Kaitlyn Krueger; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall; former Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarrett. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Broad Daylight Armed Robbery of Barber ShopRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarred Thomas, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 121 months on charges stemming from a broad daylight armed robbery last year at a barber shop in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Thomas pled guilty in May 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count 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 unauthorized use of a vehicle. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. Upon completion of his prison term, Thomas will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 23, 2015, at approximately noontime, Thomas and his accomplice entered the “Like That 2” barbershop in the 3300 block of Stanton Road SE, while wearing masks and brandishing loaded firearms. At gunpoint, Thomas ordered everyone to the ground and demanded that they hand over their money. Numerous victims were robbed at gunpoint of cash and their possessions, including four barbers and four customers. A four-year-old child also was in the shop at the time of the robbery.
After the robbery, Thomas was observed leaving the area in a black Infinity SUV. Thomas was subsequently apprehended by the Metropolitan Police Department three blocks from the barber shop and a firearm was recovered in his flight path. The black Infinity SUV used by Thomas was located and identified as having been stolen in a separate armed robbery eight days earlier.
At the time of his arrest, Thomas was on probation following a 2015 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for attempted robbery.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Violent Crime Task Force of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the matter.
New York Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Internet Offenses, Including "Doxing," "Swatting," Making a False Bomb Threat, and Cyber-StalkingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mir Islam, 22, of New York, N.Y., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison on three federal charges stemming from a conspiracy to commit various crimes related to the “swatting” and “doxing” of dozens of victims, and from a false bomb threat made against a university in Arizona and a pattern of online harassment constituting cyber-stalking against a university student, all occurring between February and September 2013.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo of the District of Arizona, and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Islam pleaded guilty on July 6, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a total of three charges. They included one count of conspiracy to commit a range of federal offenses, including identity theft; access device fraud; social security number misuse; computer fraud; wire fraud; assaulting federal officials; and interstate transmission of threats. The other charges included one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning the use of explosives and one count of cyber-stalking.
In his guilty plea, Islam admitted to “swatting” and “doxing” numerous individuals, to communicating a false shooting and bomb threat on a university campus in Arizona, and to committing a pattern of online harassment against a university student. “Swatting” is the act of placing emergency 9-1-1 type calls to police departments, usually through Internet-based telecommunication relay services, to make false claims of homicides or other assaultive or criminal conduct by, or against, other targeted individuals at the locations of those individuals. These false 9-1-1 communications are intended to result in, and usually did result in, a tactical police response, including SWAT teams, to the targeted, unsuspecting victims’ residences. “Doxing” is the act of gathering, by licit and illicit means, and posting on the Internet personal identifying information (“PII”) and other sensitive information about an individual, including, for example, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, credit information, employers, and details regarding the individual’s children and other family members.
“The crimes committed by this defendant violated the privacy of dozens of people, fostered identity theft, and endangered the safety of many others,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Mir Islam put people at risk on the Internet and in their own homes, placed responding police officers at risk, created a dangerous situation on a college campus, caused substantial emotional distress to numerous victims, and diverted law enforcement from work they could be doing to protect the public. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and hopefully will deter others from similar actions.”
“This crime not only diverted first responders from actual life-threatening emergencies and wasted their valuable time and resources, but it also caused severe emotional distress to a large number of victims,” said U.S. Attorney Leonardo. “We hope this prosecution will deter others from engaging in similar dangerous and criminal behavior in the future.”
“Making false threats diverts critical law enforcement resources, and places first responders and the public at significant risk of physical injury and harm, which is unacceptable,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI takes ‘swatting’ and ‘doxing’ attacks very seriously because such illegal conduct jeopardizes public safety and places innocent people in harm’s way by exposing private and personal information. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues to refine technological capabilities and investigative techniques to prevent these types of crimes, and to track down criminals who commit them.”
According to court documents, Islam and his co-conspirators “swatted” and “doxed” numerous individuals from February through August 2013. Islam and his co-conspirators committed the doxing and swatting to entertain themselves, to exact revenge for official conduct they found objectionable, to express animus toward certain victims, and for their own notoriety. The investigation is continuing.
Swatting: “Swatting” in many instances is an assault with a deadly weapon in which the police are used as proxies to commit the assault. By definition, the crime entails an armed police response. When the responding officers are threatened in the fake 9-1-1 communications with physical harm or death if they respond, as some were by Islam and his co-conspirators, the officers invariably arrive at the premises in force, with guns drawn and trained on the premises and its occupants. The prospect for injuries or fatalities in such a police response is manifest. According to the government’s evidence, Islam and his co-conspirators swatted at least 20 celebrities and state and federal officials. For example, a former member of Congress from Michigan was swatted because of federal legislation he sponsored; a former State Representative, who is now a member of Congress, was swatted because of anti-swatting state legislation he sought to enact, and an Assistant United States Attorney was swatted in retaliation for a particular prosecution he participated in.
Doxing: According to the government’s evidence, Islam and his co-conspirators posted the PII of at least 50 celebrities and state and federal officials on different websites that all shared the domain name “Exposed,” which were accessible to anyone, anywhere. The natural, inevitable, and intended consequence of this publication of names, social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, credit reports, and the like, was the use of that information by countless others to illicitly obtain credit cards and other finance-related accounts using the identities of the doxing victims, causing many victims to suffer continuing credit issues. The publication of the victims’ personal identifying information also revealed to any other would-be harassers or assailants how and where to contact the victims.
Additionally, according to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2013, Islam separately falsely reported a shooting and explosives incident on the campus of a university located in Arizona. Using a 9-1-1 Internet relay system, Islam reported that a man on campus had a gun and a rifle and was shooting people on campus. Islam further stated that the man was shooting up the area and that he had explosives and was going to blow up buildings. In response to Islam’s false report, the local police, university police, and the FBI responded to the campus to investigate, including SWAT Teams and a Police Department Bomb Squad. The campus was placed in lockdown, with flash text messaging sent to the student population advising of a potential active shooter situation.
Islam made the false shooting and explosives report as part of Islam’s cyber-stalking of a student attending that university. Over the course of several months after the false bomb threat, according to the government’s evidence, Islam repeatedly called or sent text messages to this student and some of her friends, occasionally threatening them. Islam impersonated state and federal law enforcement officials to try to collect information about the student. Islam further acquired unauthorized access to the student’s e-mail and social media accounts, and then downloaded information from those accounts and changed the passwords to the accounts, thereby denying the student access. Islam created a social media account in which he assumed a false identity, including photographs of someone other than Islam, pretending to be a student attending the student’s university. Islam used this account and identity to attempt to befriend the student. Islam’s prolonged harassment of the student caused the student to suffer substantial emotional distress.
Islam, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Bangladesh, was arrested in September 2013 and has been in custody in this case since July 2015. In addition to the prison time, the Honorable Randolph D. Moss ordered Islam to be placed on three years of supervised release following the prison term; during that time, Islam must agree to computer monitoring and other conditions.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistance was provided by the FBI’s Phoenix, New York and Los Angeles Field Offices; the United States Secret Service’s Boston Field Office, and the Los Angeles, Boston, and Fairfax County, Va., Police Departments. The Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) also provided support.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin A. Weiss of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Anderson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 39 Years in Prison for Stabbing Three People at Home in the Middle of the NightRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ernest Johnson, 21, formerly of Baltimore, Md., was sentenced today to a 39-year prison term for stabbing his ex-girlfriend and two others in her apartment in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Johnson pled guilty in October 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence in the range of 35 to 40 years in prison. The Honorable Milton C. Lee accepted the plea today and sentenced Johnson accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Johnson was previously in a romantic relationship with one of the victims, a 24-year-old woman. On the date of the attack, Aug. 15, 2015, they were no longer in a romantic relationship. At that time, Johnson’s ex-girlfriend was in a romantic relationship with another man. The ex-girlfriend was living with her 75-year-old grandmother in an apartment in Northeast Washington.
On Aug. 15, 2015, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Johnson entered the ex-girlfriend’s apartment through the balcony door. First, he went into the grandmother’s bedroom and began to strangle her, causing her to lose consciousness. He also stabbed her numerous times in the back, head, and neck. Johnson then entered the second bedroom, where his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend were asleep. He locked the door behind him. Johnson then stabbed his ex-girlfriend approximately 28 times in back, arm, neck, chest, hand, and other parts of her body. He also stabbed the new boyfriend several times in the head, and the knife went through his skull.
Two witnesses were asleep in the living room of the apartment. One heard the screaming and broke into the locked bedroom, picked up a vacuum cleaner, and hit Johnson with it to stop the attacks against his ex-girlfriend and the boyfriend. The second witness also came into the room to assist. Johnson then left the apartment, fleeing the scene.
Two knives were recovered inside the apartment.
All three victims were transported to the hospital by ambulance. The grandmother remained at the hospital for approximately nine days. Doctors believed that she may have had a laceration to the inside of her throat, and so she was not permitted to eat food or liquid through her mouth for approximately one week. The man was at the hospital for two days and was released. Several days thereafter, however, he began to have seizures and was readmitted for approximately four days. Since this incident, he has had memory issues and headaches. Finally, Johnson’s ex-girlfriend was admitted to the hospital for almost two months. She has severe spinal cord damage from the stabbing that initially left her paralyzed. Through extensive physical therapy, she has regained some motor skills, but remains significantly impaired and frequently confined to a wheelchair.
Johnson was apprehended in Baltimore shortly after the attack. He has been in custody ever since. In a custodial interview after his arrest, he admitted to the stabbings.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Joyce Arthur, former Paralegal Specialist Erica Vample, and Victim/Witness Advocate Meshall Thomas. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 38 Years in Prison for Armed Rapes of Two StrangersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paul Williams, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 38 years in prison for raping and assaulting two women in separate attacks in Northeast Washington within a three-week period in November 2014, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Both women were strangers that Williams and his accomplice, Rai-Jon Gerald, kidnapped off public sidewalks and forced into deserted areas, where Williams and Gerald sexually assaulted them. One attack took place on Thanksgiving Day.
Williams pled guilty in March 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of armed robbery. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between 35 and 38 years. It also required the defendant to register as a sex offender for life upon his release. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the plea at a hearing today and sentenced Williams accordingly. The judge called the defendant’s actions “shocking.” Following his prison term, Williams will be placed on 15 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Nov. 7, 2014, Williams and Gerald planned to rob a convenience store at 49th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. When a suspicious employee thwarted their plans, Williams and Gerald, armed with a BB gun that looked like a real handgun, walked eastbound down Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. They soon spotted a woman walking alone, whom they approached. Gerald displayed the gun to the woman, while Williams grabbed her by the hair and forced her to the ground. Williams then put the woman in a headlock and dragged her into a deserted alley near an abandoned wooded lot. There, in the dark and amidst such debris as discarded mattresses and tires, Williams and Gerald orally and vaginally raped the woman. They also robbed her of cash and phones, and Williams threatened to kill her if she reported the assault.
Three weeks later, on Nov. 27, 2014 – which was Thanksgiving Day - Williams and Gerald again met up in the early morning hours to rob the convenience store at 49th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. Once again, their plans were thwarted, causing them to head down Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in search of other victims. They encountered a woman, who, like their first victim, was a complete stranger to them. Armed with a BB gun and Taser, Williams and Gerald assaulted the woman, robbing her of her purse and forcing her off the sidewalk toward tall bushes at nearby Kelly Miller Middle School. While Gerald led the way, Williams dragged the woman, repeatedly striking her in the head and face with his gun. Once behind the bushes, Williams forcibly removed the woman’s clothing and orally sexually assaulted her. Williams also attempted forced vaginal sex. Throughout, the woman fought back. In response, Williams continued to pistol whip her, as well as strike her in the face with his fists. Williams and Gerald Tasered the woman multiple times. With Williams’s assistance, Gerald also sexually assaulted the woman orally, and attempted to do so vaginally.
A neighbor heard the woman’s screams and the sounds of her being Tasered. He called the police, who quickly arrived on scene. Gerald escaped, but Williams was arrested nearby hiding in a yard. Williams has been in custody since his arrest.
Gerald, 21, also of Washington, D.C., was identified and arrested two months later, and he earlier pled guilty to first-degree sexual abuse, attempted first-degree sexual Abuse, and two counts of robbery. He is awaiting sentencing.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Division, the patrol officers who responded, and the crime scene officers who processed both crime scenes. He thanked the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners who examined the victims shortly after the assaults, the FBI’s Footwear Examiners, the forensic biologists and DNA analysts at Bode Cellmark Forensics and the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, and Teel Technologies, which performed forensic analysis of the defendant’s phone.
U.S. Attorney Phillips also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughn; Paralegal Specialists Jessica Moffatt and Joyce Arthur; Legal Assistant Brendan Coyne; Criminal Investigation Unit Investigator John Marsh; Information Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Aneela Bhatia, Paul Howell, and Joshua Ellen; Investigative Analyst William Hamann; Witness Security Specialist Michael Hailey; current and former interns Allison Denton, Stephanie Dinan, Emma McArthur, and Marissa Moshell; former Paralegal Specialist Chantal Corrigan; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morgan, and Assistant U.S Attorney Jodi Lazarus, who assisted with the initial investigation of the case. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John L. Hill and Kara Traster, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 47 Months in Prison for Role in Massive Identity Theft and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal district court judge sentenced a Virginia man today to 47 months in prison for his involvement in a far-reaching stolen identity refund fraud scheme in which he worked with others to seek over $1.5 million in income tax refunds through the filing of fraudulent federal income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates 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.
Bradley King, 35, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is among approximately 20 participants in this scheme who 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 $42 million. King pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, one count of theft of public money and one count of aiding and abetting in fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents.
King was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, he must also pay $493,436 in restitution to the IRS and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $5,400. Following his prison term, King will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, King 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 refunds were sought for tax years 2005 through 2013, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, residents of assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of and refunds were issued to, people who were willing participants in the scheme. The refunds listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
According to documents filed with the court, King’s involvement in the scheme began in 2008 and continued through July 2015. Initially, he permitted co-conspirators to use his name, social security number and residential address for the creation and submission of fraudulent income tax returns. From March 2010 through July 2015, he recruited others to provide him with means of identification for use in preparing and filing fraudulent returns. He also recruited others to permit the use of their residential addresses on fraudulent returns that he prepared and filed. King split the proceeds of the fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks with his co-conspirators. In addition, he and others used bank accounts for the negotiation of refund checks that were issued in the names of other persons. Finally, according to the court documents, he sold fraudulently obtained refund checks to another individual in June 2015.
Taking together the losses generated by the use of residential addresses and bank accounts under his control, including checks associated with his co-conspirators, King was responsible for the filing of approximately 444 fraudulent returns that sought more than $1.5 million. These actions led to a total actual loss of approximately $493,436 to the U.S. Treasury, based on the negotiation of a total of 153 U.S. Treasury checks listing addresses under his control and/or negotiated by his recruits.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski, Inspector in Charge Kelokates and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended those who investigated the case. They also 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 Donna Galindo and Julie Dailey. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender and Thomas F. Koelbl and former Trial Attorney Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Shooting at Van Full of Police OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shawn Gray, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 100 months in prison on charges stemming from a shooting in which he fired at an unmarked van full of police officers in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Gray earlier pled guilty, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, a District of Columbia offense, and possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, a federal offense. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. Gray has remained incarcerated since his arrest on Jan. 26, 2013.
According to the government's factual proffer, on Jan. 26, 2013, at about 7:10 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were operating an unmarked burgundy minivan in the 1600 block of Montello Avenue NE. The officers were wearing casual clothing and operating as a unit in a robbery intervention program.
As the officers drove through the block, they spotted Gray and another individual acting suspiciously. After the officers drove around and re-entered the block, Gray suddenly fired multiple gunshots at the van. One bullet entered the van and passed between the four officers inside, and others apparently hit houses across the street.
Gray fled, but was soon found hiding underneath a parked vehicle in the rear of the alleyway from which he had fired. Seven spent shell casings were found on the ground. The gun itself was ultimately recovered from the ground near where the defendant was seized. At the time of the shooting, Gray was on supervised release for a 2009 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for carrying a pistol without a license.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Starla Stolk, and Paralegal Specialists Tisha Tobias, Kim Hall, and Jessica Moffatt. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincent Caputy, who indicted the case, and Stephen J. Gripkey, who handled the case thereafter.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Obtain Federal ContractsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tarsem Singh, 61, a businessman from Fairfax, Va., was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiring to commit fraud on the United States by illegally obtaining over $6 million in contracts that were meant for small, disadvantaged businesses.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips; Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Singh pled guilty to the charge in December 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Judge Walton also fined Singh $25,000 and ordered him to pay $119,165 in restitution. After his prison term, Singh will be placed on three years of supervised release and required to perform community service.
The fraudulent activities involved the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, a program named for Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. This program was created to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market. To qualify for the 8(a) program, a business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen (or citizens) of good character who meet the SBA’s definition of socially and economically disadvantaged. The firm also must be a small business (as defined by the SBA) and show a reasonable potential for success. Participants in the 8(a) program are subject to regulatory and contractual limits. Also, under the program, the disadvantaged business is required to perform a certain percentage of the work.
According to the government’s evidence, from Jan. 12, 2000, through January 12, 2009, Singh and his wife, through a firm described in court documents as “Company A,” which specialized in construction and renovating and altering buildings, obtained millions in federal contracts. On Jan. 12, 2009, “Company A” graduated from the SBA’s 8(a) program and was no longer eligible for contracts awarded through the program.
On Jan. 12, 2009 - the same day that “Company A” graduated from the 8(a) program – “Company A” assisted a firm described in court documents as “Company B” apply to the 8(a) program. “Company B” was certified to participate in the 8 (a) program on May 1, 2009. Shortly after “Company B” was certified, Singh caused himself to be named its vice president.
As the vice president of “Company B,” Singh was contacted by government personnel about federal contracts and, in some circumstances, made the decision on whether the company would bid on these projects. However, “Company B” was little more than a shell company that “Company A” helped create as it was graduating from the 8(a) program. “Company B” lacked the employees to perform the 15% of the labor it was required to provide on the projects that Singh bid. Throughout the life of the contracts obtained through this scheme, “Company B” had only one employee who performed work on the projects it was awarded. Singh used a combination of “Company A” personnel and sub-contractors to staff projects awarded to “Company B.”
From August 2009 through December 2010, “Company B” obtained a total of $6,808,552 in more than 25 federal contracts in this manner from the General Services Administration. The scheme generated at least $90,397 in profits for “Company A.” In addition, Singh received at least $28,768 in compensation attributable to the contracts.
To disguise the activities, Singh took a variety of steps, including:
- Obtaining magnetic logos bearing the name of “Company B”
- Directing a “Company A” employee to place “Company B’s” magnetic logos on a “Company A” vehicle when the vehicle would be used at construction sites for projects awarded by GSA.
- Using and directing other “Company A” employees to use “Company B” e-mail accounts when corresponding with the government about contracts awarded to “Company B.”
- Instructing “Company A” employees to tell GSA representatives that they were representing “Company B” on certain jobs.
This investigation was conducted by the Inspector General’s Offices of the U.S. General Services Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Graves and John Marston of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.