District of Columbia

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arising out of the death of a 56-year-old District resident from a drug overdose that occurred on July 22, 2025.  

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, Body Worn Camera footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, autopsy and toxicology reports, and reports from MPD. 

According to the evidence, on July 22, 2025, two officers arrested Darrell Cox inside of a convenience store located in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. Cox originally followed one of the officers into the store after he had been acting erratically outside on the sidewalk. Cox’ erratic behavior continued inside. When the owner of the store requested that Cox leave, a minor altercation ensued, and Cox was placed under arrest.  

As the officers were waiting to transport Cox, his physical condition began to deteriorate. An ambulance, which had already been summoned to the scene, arrived and Cox was placed in the care of the medical technicians. The decision was made to take Cox to the Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center. Cox became completely unconscious shortly after arriving at the hospital. The physicians were unable to revive him, and he died on the scene. A subsequent autopsy revealed that Cox’s death was accidental and resulted from ingesting a combination of cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP).   

After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights. 

Investigations generally 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.  

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

WASHINGTON – Charles Washington, Jr., 34, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition while he was on probation, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Washington pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2025, before Judge Reggie B. Walton to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Walton ordered Washington to serve three years of supervised release.  

According to court documents, Metropolitan Police officers responded at 4:05 p.m. on March 12, 2025, to the 2800 block of Alabama Ave. SE, for reported firearms.  

Multiple individuals, including Washington, were gathered near a grey car. Washington was seen leaning on the vehicle. As MPD officers arrived, Washington took off running while holding his waistband. At one point, he stopped, hunched over a sewer drain, and appeared to toss an object down the drain. The officers observed Washington was no longer holding his waistband.  

Shortly after discarding the item, Washington tripped and officers apprehended him. Officers went to the sewer drain, lifted the manhole cover, and recovered a black “ghost gun,” a privately made firearm with a Polymer 80 frame, with an attached Glock 23 slide and barrel, loaded with 12 rounds and one in the chamber. 

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

This case was investigated by the MPD and the ATF. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.  

25cr75

WASHINGTON – Derrico Johnson, 21, Ronald Henderson, 19, Daveon Robinson, 18, and Demarco Robinson, 22, were sentenced Friday in connection with three different day-time shootings that occurred in Southeast Washington, D.C. between April 2022 and January 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

          Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan sentenced Derrico Johnson to 22 years of incarceration, Ronald Henderson to 22 years of incarceration, Daveon Robinson to eight years of incarceration, and Demarco Robinson to four years of incarceration on March 6, 2026. Each defendant was also sentenced to a period of supervised release at the conclusion of their sentences. 

           The government’s evidence indicates that on April 12, 2022, Johnson shot and killed Clayton Marshall (who does not appear to have been the intended target) and shot and injured another individual (who also does not appear to have been the intended target) during a daytime drive-by shooting at Shipley Market (a known hang-out spot associated with the “Deuce Deuce” crew).  About six weeks later, on May 26, 2022, Johnson, Henderson, and a still-unidentified third individual traveled by foot to the Savannah Terrace Circle associated with the “23rd and Savannah” crew, where they shot and killed 16-year-old Justin Johnson aka “23 Rackz.” On January 2, 2023, Henderson and Daveon Robinson shot and injured two individuals who were standing outside Alabama Convenience Store (a known hang-out spot associated with the “23rd and Savannah” crew) in another daytime drive-by shooting in which the evidence indicates Dionzai Parker was also inside the suspect vehicle. The case against Dionzai Parker, the fifth defendant in this conspiracy case, is still active.

Each of the defendants, who are members of the Southeast D.C. “Get Back Gang” and/or “the Z,” previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder or armed crime of violence stemming from their involvement in a months-long conspiracy that included two murders and a non-fatal drive-by shooting that left multiple people injured. Derrico Johnson, Ronald Henderson, and Daveon Robinson also pleaded guilty to charges related to specific acts of violence. This crew is part of a broader group driving violence in Washington, D.C. over the past several years, known as “Fox 5 Gang.”

           Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

          This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Sellinger, Assistant United States Attorneys John Parron and Wes Faulkner, Jr.

2022 CF1 003590

WASHINGTON – Kaevon Sutton, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty March 6 in U.S. District Court to federal kidnapping for leading an armed assault on two victims in Northeast Washington, forcing them at gunpoint into their own vehicles, and driving them across state lines into Maryland, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Sutton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly to one count of kidnapping which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Judge Kelly scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2026. 

According to court documents, about 1:44 a.m. on May 20, 2023, Sutton arrived with other individuals in a black sedan on the 4900 block of Quarles Street NE. Armed with a firearm, Sutton and his co-conspirators ordered two victims to the ground and assaulted them. Sutton visibly held his firearm as he searched the victims and struck them. 

Sutton then forced one victim into the victim’s Nissan Murano at gunpoint while co-conspirators forced the second victim into a GMC Yukon. Sutton coordinated the operation, guarding one victim with his weapon while co-conspirators controlled the other. Sutton and his co-conspirators then drove the victims’ own vehicles — in a convoy together with their black sedan — across state lines into Bladensburg, Maryland. 

In Maryland, Sutton and his co-conspirators forced both victims out of the vehicles, ordered them to remove their clothes, and directed them to walk into the nearby woods. The defendant and his co-conspirators then drove away in the victims’ vehicles, leaving the victims stranded in Maryland. 

The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caelainn Carney and Joshua Satter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

25cr221 

WASHINGTON – Stephen Herring, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced Friday in the killing of Marcus Thurman in August 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Herring pleaded guilty on November 7, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder while armed. On March 6, 2026, the Honorable Judge Danya Dayson sentenced Herring to the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:10 am, on August 22, 2023, Metropolitan Police Department received a call for a stabbing in front of 140 M Street, NE. Upon their arrival, they found the victim, Marcus Thurman, unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from an apparent stab wound to the upper chest. Responding police and medical personnel conducted life saving measures as well as CPR on the scene. The victim was transported to Washington Hospital Center where on September 4, 2023, he died from his injuries.

            On the day of the incident the defendant was involved in an altercation with a female victim that led to the defendant physically assaulting the victim. Upon seeing this, Thurman tried to intervene and protect the female victim. The female victim was also with her infant son who was in a baby stroller nearby. The defendant—obviously unhappy and enraged by Marcus’ attempt to protect the young woman—left the area and returned to the scene shortly thereafter armed with a knife. Surveillance video captured the defendant stabbing the victim and multiple eyewitnesses on the scene identified Stephen Herring as a suspect. Herring fled the scene shortly after the attack.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke, who prosecuted the case.

2023 CF1 005866

The Department of Justice filed two civil forfeiture complaints today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $15.3 million allegedly used to fund an illicit Iranian oil distribution network. According to the complaints, the funds are subject to forfeiture because they afford a person a source of influence over the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the IRGC Quds Force (IRGC-QF), and are intended to promote ongoing violations of U.S. sanctions imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). The IRGC and the IRGC-QF are designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

The complaints allege that Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani (Shamkhani) has operated a network consisting of companies and individuals (the Shamkhani Network) engaged in selling and shipping Iranian oil and other commodities in violation of U.S. sanctions and obfuscating the source of the oil and role of Iranian persons and entities in the transactions. According to the complaints, the funds in question were being used to operate multiple distribution companies in the Shamkhani Network.

According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which sanctioned Shamkhani on July 30, 2025, Shamkhani is “the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran.” Ali Shamkhani is the former head of Iran’s National Defense Council, according to the complaints.

In sanctioning Shamkhani, OFAC stated that the Shamkhani Network “comprises a vast fleet of vessels, ship management firms, and front companies — some posing as legitimate financial services firms — that launder billions in profits from global sales of Iranian and Russian crude oil and other petroleum products, most often to buyers in China.” OFAC further stated that “[t]he network employs significant measures to disguise its operations and obfuscate its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and Russia.”

“Under President Trump's leadership, we have ZERO tolerance for foreign actors using the U.S. financial system to prop up our nation's enemies,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This defendant was allegedly supporting the IRGC with millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanctions — he will now pay a heavy price.”

“Today’s civil forfeiture complaints illustrate the Criminal Division’s steadfast mission to prevent Iranian-backed shadow companies from using the U.S. financial system to support terrorist organizations, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran,” said Assistant Attorney General Tysen A. Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Shamkhani and the Shamkhani Network allegedly attempted to clandestinely use U.S. financial institutions to enrich themselves by evading sanctions on Iran and benefit Iran’s terrorist networks. The Department of Justice will use all of the tools at our disposal to prevent the U.S. banking system from being used in any manner to support Iran and its terrorist operations.”

“Shamkhani runs a vast network of shell companies used to evade U.S. sanctions and launder funds for the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s forfeiture actions reflect the National Security Division’s commitment to dismantling the illicit financial networks that have helped to enable Iran to oppress its own people at home and sow instability abroad, including through funding terrorism worldwide.”

“We will continue to aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime that has sowed instability and violence in the Middle East,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Working with our partners, we will dismantle the Iranian regime’s ability to fund its illicit activities by seizing and forfeiting any funds that the regime launders through the U.S. financial system.”

“Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani and his network allegedly violated U.S. sanctions by running an illegal scheme to sell millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, and today’s forfeiture complaints seek to seize funds that would otherwise enrich Shamkhani and benefit international terrorist organizations,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI will not sit back and watch as criminal actors threaten the integrity of our financial systems and jeopardize U.S. national and economic security. With our partners at home and abroad, we will continue following the money and hold accountable all who attempt to undermine international sanctions and fund terrorists.”

“By working alongside our law enforcement partners, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is fulfilling its mission to investigate and dismantle illicit financial networks that attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions and support foreign terrorist organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of the HSI Washington, D.C. Field Office. “The Shamkhani Network’s efforts to launder millions of dollars through front companies underscore the importance of our work to protect the integrity of the financial system and prevent funds from reaching dangerous criminals. I commend our HSI Washington, D.C. special agents for their hard work and dedication to this effort.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) remains steadfast in pursuing those who exploit the financial system to support terrorist organizations,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office. “We will follow the money, wherever it leads, to protect national security. Today’s filing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners commitment to protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial system.”

According to the complaint filed in case 26-cv-802, $12,973,529 of the seized funds were intended for use by Wellbred Capital Pte, Ltd. (Wellbred) and its subsidiary Wellbred Trading DMCC (Wellbred Trading), two companies that were acquired and operated by Shamkhani and his associates to maintain a “brand” that was not publicly perceived to be affiliated with Shamkhani or Iran. As alleged in the complaint, despite this public-facing image, Wellbred and Wellbred Trading were actually operated by Shamkhani and his close associates, not the nominal leadership of those companies, for the benefit of the Shamkhani Network and Iran. Shamkhani maintained organizational charts and diagrams showing Wellbred’s place in the Shamkhani Network:

According to complaint 1:26-cv-00807, $2,400,000 of the seized funds were intended for use by Sea Lead Shipping Pte, Ltd. (Sea Lead) and its affiliate entity, Sea Lead Shipping Agency India PV (Sea Lead India). As alleged in the complaint, Sea Lead and Sea Lead India were intended to provide shipping services to the Shamkhani Network. The complaint alleges that, as with Wellbred, Shamkhani maintained organizational charts showing Sea Lead’s place in the Shamkhani Network:

The FBI Minneapolis Field Office; HSI Washington D.C. Field Office; and IRS-CI Global Illicit Finance Team (GIFT) are investigating the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Peter M. Nothstein and Trial Attorneys Mark H. Goldberg, Katlin K. O’Brien and Jonathan C. Lowry of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section (MNF); Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Barry for the District of Columbia; and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section (CES) are prosecuting the case.

The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

WASHINGTON – Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 27, a previously deported Mexican national, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a multinational drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl-laced pills across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Rodriguez-Gonzalez, aka “Alacran,” of Rosarito, Mexico, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to a criminal information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony.  

In addition to the 235-month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered  Rodriguez-Gonzalez to serve 10 years of supervised release.   

“Rodriguez-Gonzalez, a previously deported Mexican national, poisoned our communities with large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. The impetus for the investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.  

“Law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of fentanyl traffickers that led to seizing more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms." U.S. Attorney Pirro continued. "Now this illegal alien can take the next 19 years to enjoy his new view of the America he worked so hard to infiltrate and undermine, from an American prison.” 

Rodriguez-Gonzalez was one of 24 co-defendants arrested during 2023 in the District, Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy. 

According to court documents, during the conspiracy Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a Mexico-based supplier to Los Angeles-area drug distributers of large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. He utilized social media platforms, most commonly Instagram, to facilitate the importation of thousands of counterfeit “M-30” pills per shipment. 

Rodriguez-Gonzalez previously had been deported to Mexico from the United States following a conviction in Utah for distributing methamphetamine. On Oct. 4, 2019, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On June 13, 2021, he was released and deported to Mexico.  

From December 2021, Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a member of the conspiracy that eventually distributed an estimated 36 kilograms of illegal fentanyl in the U.S. He remained a member of the conspiracy until April 3, 2024, when he was arrested after illegally re-entering the United States. 

The illegal fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills that Rodriguez-Gonzalez sold to multiple LA-based traffickers were resold to redistributors in Washington, D.C., area and elsewhere. Communications evidence, as well as physical seizures, indicate that he facilitated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris Y. McCranie of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) Section.  

DEFENDANT

AGE

LOCATION

CHARGES/SENTENCE  

Hector David Valdez,

aka “Curl” 

28 

Santa Fe Springs, California

Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;

conspiracy to commit international money laundering. 

Craig Eastman  

22 

Washington, D.C. 

Sentenced Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

Charles Jeffrey Taylor 

22

Washington, D.C.

Sentenced Aug. 19, 2025, to 98 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Raymond Nava, Jr.  

21

Bell Gardens, 

California 

Sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Ulises Aldaz 

29

Bell Gardens,

California

Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Max Alexander Carias Torres 

28

Bell Gardens,

California

Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit international money laundering.

Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”

36

Washington, D.C.

Sentenced Dec. 19, 2025 to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Marvin Anthony Bussie,

aka “Money Marr”

23

Washington, D.C. 

Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Marcus Orlando Brown

30

Washington, D.C.

Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”  

28

Washington, D.C.

Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden 

36

Washington, D.C.

Sentenced May 5, 2024, to 45 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Andre Malik Edmond,

aka “Draco”

24

Temple Hills, Maryland

Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Treyveon James Johnson,

aka “Treyski”

21

Alexandria, Virginia

Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Karon Olufemi Blalock,

aka “Fat Bags”

31

Alexandria, Virginia

Pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Ronte Ricardo Greene,

aka “Cardiddy”

30

Washington, D.C. 

Sentenced July 18, 2025, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”

40

Washington, D.C.

Sentenced June 20, 2025, to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Darius Quincy Hodges,

aka “Brick”

35

Glen Allen, Virginia 

Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Lamin Sesay,

aka “Rock Star”

29

Alexandria, Virginia

Sentenced May 30, 2025, to 110 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Paul Alejandro Felix 

27

Glendale,

California 

Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Omar Arana,

aka “Frogs”

28

Cudahy,

California

Sentenced May 2, 2025, to 93 months, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”

27

San Diego,

California

Sentenced May 8, 2025, to 148 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Raul Pacheco Ramirez 

31

Long Beach,

California

Sentenced Nov. 26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Giovani Alejandro Briones 

32

Victorville, California 

Sentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 90 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez 

27

Rosarito, Mexico

Sentenced March 6, 2026, to 235 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl 

23cr73 

## 

WASHINGTON – Davone Smith, 40, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting in Southeast in March 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Smith pleaded guilty on December 12, 2025, to one count each of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. On March 3rd, Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean sentenced the defendant to serve eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith was previously convicted and served a lengthy prison sentence for firearm and robbery charges stemming from an armed robbery in September 2009.  He was released from prison in November 2024, appropriately four months prior to this offense, and was on supervised release at the time he committed this offense.

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 11, 2025, a gunshot victim walked into D.C. Fire Emergency and Medical Services Engine 33 located at 101 Atlantic Street, SE. The victim was transported to a local area hospital for treatment, for injuries to his right shoulder. The victim was uncooperative and would not provide the exact location where he was shot. The victim’s wife arrived at the scene a short time later and stated that she was in their apartment when she heard people yelling for her, letting her know that her husband had been shot. She then transported the victim to the firehouse.

            Officers were able to review surveillance cameras as they canvased the area and located the crime scene which showed a blood trail along the sidewalk of 20 Mississippi Avenue SE. Smith was identified through CCTV footage at the offense location which captured his face following the shooting. Smith was arrested on April 13, 2025, and he has remained in custody since.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll thanked those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Cook, who prosecuted the case.

2025 CF3 004115

WASHINGTON – Kevin Andrade, 34, of Washington, D.C., was indicted this week on charges related to a stabbing spree on April 3, 2025, where six people were attacked with a knife in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            “The indictment returned against Kevin Andrade sends a clear message: anyone who commits a crime in D.C. will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The senseless violence in this city must stop, and my office will continue pursuing justice and working to ensure the safety of our residents.”

            Andrade was indicted on 24 felony counts, including six counts of assault with intent to kill while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The indictment includes enhancements for a third violent felony offense and for assaulting senior citizen victims. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years of incarceration if convicted of the enhanced charges. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 3, 2025, at the intersection of Montello Avenue and Meigs Place NE, Andrade was heard yelling at a woman before stabbing her on the right side of her face. The second and third victims were in the area visiting a family member, the fourth victim, when one of them observed the defendant pacing back and forth and screaming. Witnesses heard Andrade say, “everybody getting stabbed today,” and “I am going to kill them all.”  Suddenly, Andrade ran towards the three victims and started stabbing all three of them. The second victim suffered a laceration to the left shoulder, left clavicle, and left torso. The third victim suffered two stab wounds to her back. The fourth victim suffered stab wounds to her lower left back and breast. A fifth victim, who observed the defendant run up to the group and start stabbing them, attempted to stop Andrade, but they both fell to the ground. Andrade was able to get on top of that victim and stabbed him, before walking away. The sixth victim was getting off of the D8 Metrobus on Montello Avenue NE wearing headphones and listening to music, when Andrade stabbed him in the back of the head.  Each victim was treated for their injuries at local hospitals and survived the attack. 

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistants U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck.

            An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

2025 CF1 003726

WASHINGTON – Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with threatening to detonate more than 100 homemade explosive devices on the steps of St. Matthew's Cathedral during the annual Red Mass attended by U.S. Supreme Court Justices and other senior government officials, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Geri pleaded guilty before Judge Randolph M. Moss to a count of Hobbs Act extortion by wrongful use of force, violence, or fear, and to a count of possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2026. Geri's final plea will be accepted at sentencing. 

“Threatening to detonate devices on the steps of a Catholic church—or any religious institution—is a violation not only of our way of life, but of the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Terrorizing people of faith will result in serious consequences and significant prison time.”  

According to the plea agreement, on the evening of Oct. 4, 2025, Geri rode his motorcycle to St. Matthew's Cathedral, on the 1700 block of Rhode Island Ave. NW, and erected a tent on the church's front steps. Inside the tent, he assembled more than 100 explosive devices he had manufactured from materials — including nitromethane, magnesium, charcoal, and thermite — purchased in Arkansas and assembled in Virginia. He also carried a nine-page list of written demands. 

The Red Mass, a high-profile annual religious ceremony attended by members of the Supreme Court, Cabinet, Congress, and the diplomatic corps, was scheduled at the cathedral for the following morning. 

About 5 a.m. on October 5, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers approached Geri's tent while patrolling the area before the service. When officers told him he would need to move, Geri refused and threatened to throw one of his explosive devices into the street to demonstrate its destructive power. He told officers that "several of your people are gonna die from one of these" if federal agents did not come to negotiate his demands. 

Geri's written demands included hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to himself and others, extended accommodations at the Mayflower Hotel, an expatriation flight to Japan, and requests that the Supreme Court remove Arizona from the United States and declare it a “foreign enemy.” He also made numerous demands directed at leaders of the Catholic and Jewish faiths. 

Law enforcement established a barricade around the tent and apprehended Geri about 5:53 a.m. when he briefly emerged. Officers found one explosive device in his pocket along with a butane lighter. A search of the tent revealed more than 100 additional devices. Testing by an FBI laboratory confirmed the devices were improvised explosive devices in operable condition. 

Following his arrest, Geri waived his Miranda rights and described the devices as “grenades” and “rockets.” He admitted that he intended to use the threat of force to coerce negotiations and that he was willing to use the devices to harm people and property — including St. Matthew's Cathedral, the White House, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol, and the Supreme Court. 

The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division, with valuable assistance from the FBI's Washington Field Office. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. 

26cr32 

WASHINGTON – A complaint was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Frank Olivarria, 35, of Maryland, with distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

According to court documents, starting on Aug. 1, 2025, Olivarria began communicating with a user on a dating application and subsequently an encrypted messaging application regarding his sexual interest in children. Olivarria stated during the exchange, “I really like cute toddlers man.” Olivarria then distributed approximately eight videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one video depicting a child being bound. Olivarria was previously employed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.  

This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell. 

This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. 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. 

Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

26mj42 

WASHINGTON – Maurice Edwards, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for a March 2024 armed carjacking in the Deanwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Edwards was found guilty of one count of armed carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence by a D.C. Superior Court jury on November 21, 2024.

            Edwards was sentenced to 15 years of incarceration for armed carjacking and five years of incarceration for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with those sentences to run concurrently, for a total of 15 years in prison. Armed carjacking carries a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a five year mandatory minimum sentence. The Court denied Edwards’ request to apply the Youth Rehabilitation Act (“YRA”), which would have voided the mandatory minimums, noting that Edwards already once received a YRA sentence and was out on pretrial release for a separate gun offense at the time he committed this armed carjacking.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 11, 2024, Edwards drove a car through a stop sign and struck the victim’s vehicle at the intersection of a residential neighborhood at 48th Place and Lee Street Northeast, as the victim was driving home from work. Edwards and his then-girlfriend, co-defendant Auzsa Beatty, got out of their car and began yelling at the victim. Edwards then used a handgun to intimidate the victim, causing the victim to retreat from his driver’s side door, allowing Beatty to get into the driver’s seat of the victim’s car and drive off.

            Beatty pleaded guilty to unarmed carjacking and was sentenced to seven years in prison on January 9, 2026.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Mark Levy.

2024 CF3 005662

WASHINGTON – Steven A. Price, 69, of the District of Columbia, and Keidi C. Moore, 39, of Temple Hills, Maryland, were found guilty today in U.S. District Court of conspiring to defraud D.C. Medicaid of $4 million, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

The jury deliberated for more than a week before finding Price and Moore guilty of conspiracy, health care fraud, false statements, and wire fraud. Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for June 29 and June 30, 2026. 

Price is a dentist who operates the Washington Smile Center in Northwest Washington. Moore was employed at the Washington Smile Center as a dental hygienist. 

“Price and Moore stole $4 million from a program designed to help people in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office is intent on cutting fraud, waste, and abuse by prosecuting those—like Price and Moore—who steal from government programs to line their own pockets.” 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in January 2017 and continuing through March 2022, Price and Moore conspired to defraud D.C. Medicaid by submitting repeated claims for reimbursement for clinical crown lengthening (a surgical procedure) and space maintainers (a dental device used primarily for children) for services that were not actually performed. The defendants submitted so many repeated claims that in some instances, patients were alleged to have been provided more than 30 clinical crown lengthening procedures and more than 20 space maintainers over the course of only a few years. In total, their false claims caused more than $4 million to be paid out from D.C. Medicaid. 

Wire fraud charges carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The conspiracy and health care fraud charges carry a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, and the charge for false statements relating to a health care matter carry a statutory maximum of five years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas Inspector General for the District of Columbia. 

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  The D.C. Department of Health Care Finance’s Division of Program Integrity provided valuable assistance.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Sarah Ranney, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Carlos Jiminez Guzman.  

23cr122 

WASHINGTON – Jack Dessin, 43, of Mantua, NJ, was found guilty yesterday by a Superior Court jury for charges stemming from driving his SUV onto the sidewalk of the Washington Monument in July 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Dessin was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon with a senior citizen enhancement. The Honorable Deborah Israel scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2026.

            According to the Government’s evidence on July 3, 2021, in broad daylight, Dessin drove his dark blue Ford Explorer truck onto the sidewalk of the Washington Monument grounds, where numerous pedestrians were walking and sightseeing. While the 68-year-old victim was walking, Dessin accelerated his vehicle and drove directly at the victim, who struggled to jump over the wall for protection and had to be pulled out of the way by a family member. 

            Dessin was arrested by U.S. Park Police on July 3, 2021. He is now held pending sentencing. 

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Scott Brecht of the U.S. Park Police.

            This case was investigated by U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton and Kraig Ahalt.

2024 CF1 010048

WASHINGTON – Terrance Kelly, 37, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for illegally carrying a firearm while on supervised probation, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Kelly pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2025, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Kelly to serve three years of supervised release.  

According to court documents, Special Police Officers (SPOs) detained Kelly on Aug. 28, 2025, for threatening one of the officers. During the encounter, Kelly voluntarily handed a small satchel he had been carrying to one of the SPOs. The satchel contained a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol with a 22-cartridge magazine.  

Kelly has been convicted eight times for prior offenses between 2006 and 2025, including three convictions for driving under the influence, two convictions for assault, two convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm and convictions for both resisting a public officer and assault of a police officer. He was on supervised probation for a felony when he was arrested with the pistol in his satchel.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Naseef. 

25cr361 

WASHINGTON – Roy Jordan, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Friday for the shooting death of Gary Love III on November 20, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Jordan entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter while armed before Superior Court Associate Judge Rainey Brandt on December 12, 2025. 

            On February 27, 2026, Judge Brandt sentenced Jordan to 17 years of incarceration, the maximum recommended sentence under the D.C. Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, to be followed by five years of supervised release. At the time of the offense, Jordan was on probation in Maryland for a July 2021 carjacking. He had also been previously sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act in Washington D.C. in a gun possession case.

            According to the government’s evidence, on November 20, 2023, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Jordan walked into a store in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street, SW, to purchase some items. A few minutes later, Jordan ran out of the store and pointed a firearm at Mr. Love who was standing outside. A gunfight then ensued between the two men.  Mr. Love was shot in the head and after all life-saving measures, he succumbed to his injuries the next morning. Jordan confirmed that, when he shot the victim, he was acting voluntarily and that he was not acting in self-defense.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Miles Janssen who prosecuted the case.

2023 CF1 008881

WASHINGTON – David Pena, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on February 27, 2026, for the shooting death of Maurice Robinson on June 12, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            On November 25, 2025, a D.C. Superior Court jury convicted Pena on one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearm offenses. Superior Court Associate Judge Danya Dayson sentenced Pena on Friday to 14 ½  years in prison. Pena had two prior gun convictions and faced a maximum sentence of 60 years. The government requested a 25-year prison sentence.  

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 12, 2023, Pena’s daughter and her best friend agreed to fight each other to settle an argument they were having. Robinson was part of a larger group that had arrived to watch the fight. As the girls were fighting, Pena became angry and pulled a gun, shooting Robinson in the back four times as he was running away, killing him. A second victim was nearby but was not struck by the gunfire. Although Pena claimed he was acting in self-defense, no weapons were recovered from any of the victims.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen and Zach Horton, who prosecuted the case.

2023 CF2 003881

WASHINGTON – Keyonte Johnson, 16, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged as an adult with the first-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 20-year-old D.C. resident Roy Bennett, Jr. on the evening of December 5, 2025, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            On February 27, 2026, Judge Michael Ryan found probable cause for the charge of first-degree murder while armed and ordered Johnson held pending trial.

            Johnson will next appear before Judge Ryan for a status hearing on March 26, 2026.

            According to court documents, Johnson, the victim, and several other people were present in an apartment located in The Gantry – a luxury apartment building - near Union Market that was being used as a recording studio. As the victim was recording a song, Johnson, who was seated behind him on a sofa, began shooting. Johnson shot the victim seven times, including twice in the back of the head and twice in the chest.  Johnson left the scene in a rideshare.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

2025 CF1 017939

WASHINGTON – Julan Byrd, 18, of Temple Hills, MD, was sentenced Friday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, stemming from an armed carjacking in September 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Byrd, who was seventeen years old at the time of the offense and who was charged pursuant to Title 16, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, to one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. At Byrd’s sentencing on February 27, 2026, the United States requested a sentence of seven years of incarceration, the top of his sentencing guidelines, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Jennifer DiToro sentenced Byrd to a fully-suspended sentence of 60 months, with 12 months of supervised probation. The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of five years of incarceration for armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

            Byrd’s co-defendant, Antonio Kent, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on January 14, 2026 by Judge DiToro on one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. At Kent’s sentencing, the United States requested a sentence of seven years of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also sentenced Kent pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, and gave Kent a fully-suspended sentence of 48 months, with two years of probation.

            Byrd was in custody from his September 30, 2024, arrest until October 4, 2024, when he was released on electronic monitoring, over the government’s objection. Kent was in custody in Washington, D.C., from February 28, 2025, until January 14, 2026.  Neither defendant will have to serve the remainder of his suspended sentence if he satisfactorily completes his term of probation.

            According to the proffer of facts, on September 1, 2024, Byrd, Kent, and a third suspect approached the victim in the 5500 block of Jay Street NE, as he was washing his car. One of the suspects brandished a gun and took the victim’s car keys, and the suspects drove off in the victim’s vehicle. Byrd drove the vehicle to the Pentagon parking lot where the suspects bailed out and fled on foot. Byrd and Kent each discarded handguns while fleeing. When stopped by police, Byrd was wearing the victim’s key lanyard around his neck.  

           Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition, they thanked the Arlington County Police Department, Pentagon Force Protective Agency, and the Virginia State Police who made the arrests. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and former Assistant United States Attorney Luca Winer, who prosecuted the cases.

2024 CF3 009865; 2025 CF3 002116

WASHINGTON – A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

            “Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”

            “This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”

            “We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”

            “Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”

            “For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”

            “Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”

            The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).

            The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.

            Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.

            On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.

            FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.

            Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.

A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

###

WASHINGTON – Antonio Cook, 27, a twice-convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm while on supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Cook pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025, before Judge Amit P. Mehta to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Mehta ordered Cook to serve 21 months for the felon in possession count and additional 15 months for being in violation of his supervised release. Judge Mehta also ordered Cook to serve three additional years of supervised release.  

According to court documents, on May 12, 2025, about 6:30 p.m., a police officer was on patrol on the 600 block of H Street, NW, when they spotted a man fitting the description of a suspect in a robbery committed at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. After radioing for backup, the officer followed the man to a Five Guys restaurant on the 800 block of H Street, NW. The man entered a restroom.  

Officers knocked on the door of the restroom, announced that they were police, and ordered him to come out. Cook emerged. Police detained him and recovered a loaded Kahr Arms semiautomatic pistol inside the restroom trash can. 

Cook previously was convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed and robbery in D.C. Superior Court. He also has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.  

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Bloss and James B. Nelson.  

25cr272 

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WASHINGTON – Daniel Holley, 59, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for charges stemming from three burglaries, which all took place within one week in June 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Holley pleaded guilty on December 3, 2025, to one count of burglary in the first degree in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel sentenced the defendant to serve seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 18, 2025, Holley entered the first victim’s home while the victim was upstairs by breaking a window and stole the victim’s bike. The victim saw the defendant exiting the house with the bike and began to follow. Holley made threats to the victim, who returned to the residence and called the police. The victim provided footage from his security camera which captured the defendant’s face.

            On June 25, 2025, Holley was stopped by officers at the Shaw Metro Station. Also on that date, police received a report that Holley attempted to break into a second home with a crow bar, but ran away when he saw that someone was home. In another residence, several roommates reported multiple items, including electronic devices, were missing from their home. When Holley was stopped at the Shaw Metro Station he was found in possession of the stolen electronic items.

            Holley was arrested on June 25, 2025, and he has remained in custody since.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll thanked those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ginsburg, who prosecuted the case.

2025 CF3 007187

WASHINGTON – Ovid Gabriel, 21, was indicted this week on charges related to the stabbing of a D.C. Jail corrections officer on August 3, 2025, and threats against a separate corrections officer on August 11, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Gabriel was indicted on one count each of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, unlawful introduction of contraband into a penal institution, aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and felony threats. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on August 3, 2025, Gabriel, an inmate at the D.C. Jail, was standing in the doorway of his cell as corrections officers were performing lockdown. When an officer approached the defendant and ordered him to go into his cell, he refused and attacked the officer. Gabriel took out an improvised knife and stabbed the officer nine times. The victim spent approximately three weeks in the hospital and underwent life-saving surgery.

            On August 11, 2025, approximately one week after the stabbing, officers discovered a drawing on a cell wall depicting Gabriel holding a knife over a corrections officer, who was identified by name in the drawing:

            Gabriel signed the threat and acknowledged that he drew it.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck. 

            An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

2025 CF1 010250

WASHINGTON – Gerald Day, 34, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was found guilty on all counts yesterday, by a Superior Court jury for charges stemming from an altercation that occurred in October 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Day was found guilty of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of felony threats on February 25, 2026.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 1, 2026, before Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt. Possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum of five years of incarceration.

            According to the government’s evidence, shortly after midnight on October 29, 2023, at the intersection of O Street and Carrollsburg Place, SW, the victim arrived at the location of a party when she saw a romantic partner with another woman with a larger group of people.  Unbeknownst to the victim, there was another woman in the group—the defendant’s girlfriend—with whom she had prior hostility. The victim and the defendant’s girlfriend began to fight, during which other members of the larger group joined in. Shortly after the exchange, the victim deployed mace at a woman in the group. After doing so, the victim took several steps away from the group when Day produced a black handgun with a tactical flashlight attachment and pointed the firearm at the victim, stating words to the effect of, “I’ll blow you’re a** up.” The victim and the group continued to exchange words, during which the victim attempted to deploy mace again. The victim eventually got into her vehicle just seconds before Day ran up to her car, kicked her car door shut, and slammed the firearm against the window.

            The victim drove past the group when she heard three gunshots, fired by co-defendant Paul Poston, another member of the group who pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon on April 23, 2024. The victim’s vehicle sustained gunshots to the driver’s side rear door, the driver’s side rear window, and trunk. The victim was not injured and drove away before pulling over and calling 911. Prior to the incident, the victim had never met Day or Poston.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorneys William Gandy and Samuel Ison.  The case was investigated, indicted, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Hanson, Michael Lee, Hannah Skopicki, and Katerina Qesari.  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, together with major federal law enforcement and interagency partners, announced that freezes and seizures of cryptocurrency by the Scam Center Strike Force have topped $580 million, a critical step in the Strike Forces fight against Southeast Asian cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams.

            These frozen and seized funds have been stolen by Chinese transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), which use cryptocurrency investment scams and a variety of confidence scams to steal the life savings of everyday Americans. These scammers utilize U.S. internet and social media platforms to prey on American victims. Recent reporting estimates that this scam industry defrauds Americans of nearly $10 billion per year.

            “In November, I announced the creation of our Scam Center Strike Force to lead the charge. In only three months, we have made significant progress, freezing, seizing, and forfeiting cryptocurrency worth more than $580 million from these criminals. These criminals don’t care who you are, what you believe in, or what you ate for breakfast—all they want is to steal from good and honest Americans to line the pockets of Chinese organized crime,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office and our law enforcement partners around the country are taking this threat head on. Seizures of cryptocurrency is one important part of the Scam Center Strike Force’s work.  Through the legal process, my Office will seek to forfeit these funds and return them to victims to the maximum extent possible. To our American victims: we are here for you, we care for you, and we will continue fighting like hell to claw back your hard-earned savings from the hands of Chinese TCOs.”

****

            The Scam Center Strike Force is targeting many of the worst scam compounds located in Southeast Asia. Chinese transnational criminal organizations are using Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud (“CIF”) scams and a variety of confidence scams to steal the life savings of everyday Americans. Strike Force teams are focused on identifying and pursuing key leaders—including Chinese organized crime affiliates operating in Burma, Cambodia, and Laos—to bring them to justice.

            These CIF schemes, which fraudsters refer to as “pig butchering” because they are “fattening” up their victims before defrauding them, are often run out of scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Using U.S. social media networks or text messages to U.S.-based cell phones, the scammers target their victims, gain their trust, and convince them to invest in real cryptocurrency, only to then trick their victims to transfer those funds into fake cryptocurrency investment websites and applications. Workers in the scam compounds often are victims of human trafficking, held against their will, abused and guarded by armed groups as they are instructed to target Americans. Some of the Southeast Asian countries where these compounds operate, scam-generated revenue is so massive that it amounts to nearly half of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”).

            The Scam Center Strike Force is a collaboration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; DOJ’s Criminal Division, including the Computer Crimes & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS); Fraud Section; and Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Western District of Washington, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Unit are also collaborating on the initiative.

            For the Department of Justice, the Scam Center Strike Force is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert. The cryptocurrency seizure team is led by Assistant United States Attorneys Rick Blaylock and John Borchert, along with partners from CCIPS. From the U.S. Secret Service, these cryptocurrency seizure matters are handled by the Global Investigative Operation Center and Field Offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Memphis, Washington D.C., Nashville and Seattle Field Offices. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation, these cryptocurrency seizure matters are handled by the Cyber Enabled Fraud and Money Laundering Unit and Field Offices in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Memphis, Honolulu, Phoenix, San Diego, New York City and Chattanooga.

            If you have been defrauded out of your money by a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme, please contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. 

WASHINGTON – Myandre Starnes, 22, Darius Irby, 19, and Andre Whitfield, 17, all of Washington, D.C., were arraigned on a series of armed carjackings, armed robberies and other related charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

            Whitfield, who is 17 years old, is being prosecuted as an adult under Title 16. 

            “The indictment returned on a 17-year-old and his co-conspirators for robbing delivery drivers at gunpoint, sends a clear message that if you commit a crime in D.C., you will be held accountable, regardless of age” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The violent crime in this city has got to stop and my office will continue to pursue justice and ensure the safety of our city.” 

            The defendants were arraigned on the indictment on February 12, 2026, at a hearing before the Honorable Errol Arthur. Starnes has been charged with nine counts of armed carjacking and nine counts of armed robbery, among other related charges. Irby and Whitfield have each been charged with eight counts of armed carjacking and eight counts of armed robbery, among other related charges. They each face a mandatory minimum of fifteen years of incarceration per armed carjacking if convicted of the charges.  

            According to the government’s evidence, the defendants and several unidentified co-conspirators carried out a series of at least nine armed carjackings and armed robberies between June 7 and June 12, 2025, throughout the District. The defendants primarily targeted delivery drivers on motorized scooters, taking their vehicles and personal belongings at gunpoint.  

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.  

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Scholz. 

            An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

2025 CF3 015341; 2025 CF3 015718; 2026 CF3 000409 

WASHINGTON –Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, a former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged by criminal complaint for providing, and conspiring to provide, unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. 

Brown, also known by the call sign “Runner,” is expected to have his initial appearance tomorrow, February 26, before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana. 

“As an Air Force officer, Brown took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies foreign and domestic. He allegedly broke that oath and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “We will hold Brown, and anyone conspiring against our Nation, accountable for their actions. The Department of Justice and my prosecutors are steadfast in our commitment to use every lawful tool available to keep American military expertise where it belongs – here in America.” 

“The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “When U.S. persons – whether military or civilian - provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department. The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA." 

“Gerald Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with decades of experience flying U.S. military aircraft, allegedly betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the U.S. armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities. This arrest serves as a warning that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to hold accountable anyone who collaborates with our adversaries to harm our service members and jeopardize our national security.” 

According to the complaint, since August 2023, Brown willfully conspired with foreign nationals to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force, known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training was a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Brown lacked the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to provide that training to foreign persons or foreign military units.  

Brown served for more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired in 1996 with the rank of Major. During his military career, Brown commanded sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor on a variety of fighter and attack aircraft, including the F-4 “Phantom II,” F-15 “Eagle,” F-16 “Fighting Falcon,” and the A-10 “Thunderbolt II” (Warthog). Brown then served as a commercial cargo pilot and, most recently, as a contract simulator instructor for two different U.S. defense contractors training U.S. military pilots on flying the A-10 and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.  

In August 2023, Brown began arranging the terms of his contract to train Chinese military pilots, using a co-conspirator to negotiate with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who in 2016 pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors and to steal sensitive military and export-controlled data for the PRC. Su Bin was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Su Bin and his company PRC Lode Technology Company also were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2014.  

Throughout these communications, Brown consistently stated his intent to train PRC military pilots in combat aircraft operations. In the resumé he prepared for his application, Brown wrote his “objective” as “Instructor Fighter Pilot.” A co-conspirator told Brown that he hoped Brown would be assigned to “my base, but otherwise you’ll go where is the local equivalent as the [U.S. Air Force] Weapon School.” Later, Brown stated to a co-conspirator that, upon his arrival in China, “Now…. I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!”

In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin his work training PRC military pilots. After his arrival, Brown answered questions for three hours about the U.S. Air Force on his first day in the PRC and then, on his second day, prepared and presented a brief about himself for the PLAAF. Brown remained in China until he traveled to the United States in early February 2026.  

The charges against Brown follow similar charges filed in September 2017 against former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan in the District of Columbia. Duggan was charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization in violation of the Arms Export Control Act, as well as for conspiring to engage in international money laundering. Like Brown, Duggan received significant training during his career as a pilot in the U.S. military, then used that training for the benefit of the Chinese military. In particular, Duggan is alleged to have trained Chinese military pilots on the tactics, techniques, and procedures associated with takeoff from and landing on an aircraft carrier. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 and is currently pending extradition to the United States.  

“Providing U.S. military training to our adversaries represents a significant threat to national security,” said Lee M. Russ, Executive Director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Office of Special Projects. “AFOSI remains committed to countering the threat posed by those who violate the trust placed in them and endanger our service members.” 

“Retired U.S. Air Force Major Gerald Brown allegedly sold out his country to train Chinese pilots with his expertise in United States’ combat aircraft techniques. Brown’s alleged betrayal exposed sensitive military tactics, threatening the security of our nation, our armed forces, and our allies,” said FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle. “May today’s arrest emphasize the FBI’s steadfast promise to defend the homeland against all foreign and domestic adversaries.” 

In June 2024, the United States, along with the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand, published a bulletin warning that “China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to target current and former military personnel from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations and other Western countries to help bolster the PLA’s capabilities.” 

In February 2025, Gen. James B. Hecker, the then-commander of NATO Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, stated: “Once you fly on our team, even after you hang up your uniform, you have a responsibility to protect our tactics, techniques and procedures.” 

The case against Brown is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with valuable assistance from the FBI’s Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles Field Offices. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations also provided substantial assistance.  

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from National Security Division Paralegal Specialist Derra McQuaig. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana. 

*   *   *

An indictment, complaint, or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

WASHINGTON – Kevin James Johnson, 38, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed for killing 44-year-old D.C. resident Antonio Pierre Woody in the early morning of October 6, 2024, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Johnson’s guilty plea was pursuant to Rule 11(c)(1)(c) which calls for an agreed upon prison sentence between 18 and 23 years. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt accepted the guilty plea on February 24, 2026. Sentencing has been scheduled, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, for June 12, 2026.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on October 6, 2024, the victim, Antonio Woody, who was paraplegic and wheelchair bound, was gathered with others in the 1700 block of Lincoln Road in Northeast, Washington, DC. Johnson joined the group and less than a minute later approached Woody and began assaulting him. Johnson knocked Mr. Woody out of his wheelchair and as Woody, still on the ground, scooched himself backwards away from Johnson, Johnson struck and stabbed Woody multiple times, killing him.

            Johnson has been in custody since his arrest on October 6, 2024.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marybeth Manfreda and Rashmika Nedungadi.

2024 CF1 010048

WASHINGTON – Jefry Stevent Padilla Sanchez, 21, a previously convicted felon whose last known address was in Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded handgun in a crowded public transit station, while unlawfully possessing fentanyl and while on active court supervision, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Padilla pleaded guilty on Oct. 23, 2025, before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 21-month prison term, Judge Chutkan ordered Padilla to serve three years of supervised release. 

According to court documents, on September 12, 2025, about 6:38 p.m., officers with the Metro Transit Police Department observed Padilla commit fare evasion at the Fort Totten Metro Station by “piggybacking” behind a paying customer. Officers then detained Padilla to issue a citation when a subsequent records check revealed Padilla had an active extraditable warrant issued by the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, for violation of probation stemming from a felony burglary conviction.  

Officers placed Padilla under arrest and conducted a search incident to arrest. Police discovered a 9mm Heckler & Koch P2000SK semiautomatic handgun concealed in Padilla’s waistband. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. In addition to the firearm, officers recovered approximately 37 “M30” pills, which field testing confirmed contained fentanyl. 

 At the time of this offense, Padilla had multiple prior felony convictions out of Maryland. The offenses included second-degree burglary and unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle. He was serving concurrent terms of supervised probation for those offenses. 

This case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice. 

25cr323 

WASHINGTON – Khalid Claggett, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty this afternoon by a Superior Court jury for charges stemming from a shooting that killed 30-year-old Isaac Aull, Jr., in June 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.

            Claggett was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior felony conviction). Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of June 11, 2021, an exchange of gunfire occurred between Aull and Claggett due to a feud about the previous murder of Aull’s brother. Aull and another man followed Claggett to a nearby Walgreens parking lot on Rhode Island Avene, NE and opened fire on him while he was sitting in an SUV.

            Claggett exited the SUV and returned fire to Aull as Aull was running away from the parking lot towards the 1600 block of Frankin Street NE, striking him once in the neck causing him to immediately fall into the street. Claggett then returned to the parking lot, got into another vehicle, changed his appearance, switched weapons, dawned a mask and drove back to Frankin street to pursue Aull.  Claggett exited the vehicle approached Aull as he lay on the ground in front of an ambulance and tried to shoot him again, but the weapon jammed. Claggett then left, was able to unjam his weapon and return to Aull and finish him off by shooting him eight times while he was helpless, unarmed and still alive on the ground.

            Claggett was arrested on June 25, 2021, and has been in custody ever since.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rashmika Nedungadi and Dan Seidel.

2021 CF1 003577

WASHINGTON — Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national who was employed by a U.S. defense contractor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in federal prison for selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“Williams took trade secrets comprised of national security software and sold them for up to $4 million in crypto currency. These incredibly powerful tools would have allowed Russia to access millions of digital devices,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “By betraying a position of trust and selling sensitive American technology, Williams’ crime is not only one of theft, it is a crime of national security. Our nation’s defense capabilities are not commodities to be auctioned off. People like Williams who endanger our national security will be met with swift and decisive consequences.” 

“Peter Williams stole a U.S. defense contractor’s trade secrets about highly sensitive cyber capabilities and sold them to a broker whose clients include the Russian government, putting our national security and countless potential victims at risk,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and our partners remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting America’s critical technologies, and we will ensure any who attempt to profit at our nation’s expense face the full weight of the criminal justice system. Let this be a clear warning to all who consider placing greed over country: If you betray your position of trust and sell sensitive American technology to our foreign adversaries, the FBI will not rest until you’re brought to justice.” 

“Williams’ self-serving actions caused significant loss and harm to his employer, the United States government, and its partners,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the Baltimore Field Office. “Today’s sentencing serves as a warning for anyone who knowingly endangers our national security. The FBI will pursue all such individuals and ensure justice is served." 

Williams, who resides in the District, pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2025, before Judge Loren L. AliKhan to two counts of theft of trade secrets. In addition to the 87-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $1.3 million in restitution and $1.3 million in forfeitures.  

According to court documents, the trade secrets were comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies.  

Beginning in April 2022 and continuing through August 2025, Williams used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets. Williams resold the stolen components in contracts worth up to $4 million in cryptocurrency, and he received $1.3 million for the specific exploits he provided.  

To initiate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. 

Williams’ transactions with the Russian broker continued even after he was aware the FBI was investigating the activity and had interviewed him about the theft of trade secrets. 

Williams used the illegal proceeds to buy himself high-value items that included a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porche Panamera, jewelry, watches, clothing, and properties. In addition, he spent $5,000 for four pieces of luxury luggage and over $715,000 for luxury vacations between 2022 and 2025. 

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the Baltimore Field Office. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Field Office. 

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. 

25cr322 

WASHINGTON — Angel Hall, 25, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court  to 70 months in prison for her role in a 2024 armed carjacking of a woman in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Hall and her co-defendant Brian Allison, 56, each pleaded guilty on Sept. 23, 2025, to one charge of carjacking and aiding and abetting. In addition to the prison term, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Hall to serve three years of supervised release. Allison is scheduled to be sentenced next month. 

According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2024, about 11 p.m., Allison and Hall followed the victim into a takeout restaurant on the 4500 block of Benning Road, SE. Allison and Hall left without ordering, but followed the victim as she left with her food.  

Allison approached the victim as she walked to her vehicle. As Hall stood lookout, Allison flashed the butt of a pistol that he was carrying in his pocket, and said, “Gimme those f---ing keys or I’m gonna bust your head.” 

After the victim handed over her keys, Allison demanded her phone and wallet. Allison then asked for the PIN number to her debit card. The victim provided the number. Allison told the victim if the PIN was not correct, he would kill her. 

Using the key fob, Allison tried to open the trunk to force the victim into it. Allison could not get the trunk open, so he ordered her into the front passenger's seat. Hall got into the back seat. Allison got into the driver’s seat and pulled away.  

Allison drove the victim and Hall to a grocery store in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Allison then told Hall to “bust” the victim if she tried to leave.  

Allison entered the store with the victim’s debit card, withdrew $500 from an ATM, and bought some food and other items. He returned to vehicle and drove them all back to the District.  

Allison parked the car on the 5700 block of Southern Avenue SE. Once stopped, he took one of the victim’s gloves and wiped down the victim’s keys and the steering wheel. Allison returned the phone, keys, and wallet to the victim. Allison and Hall fled on foot towards Central Avenue, SE. The victim drove to the 6th District Station house and reported the incident.  

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.  

24cr157 

WASHINGTON – Shawn Conway, 50, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was charged today for second degree murder while armed, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Judge Dayna Dayson found probable cause to charge Conway following a preliminary hearing which was held on February 18, 2026, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Dayson also ordered the defendant’s continued detention at D.C. Jail.

            According to court documents, at approximately 3:53 a.m., on September 13, 2025, 9-1-1 calls were placed to the Office of Unified Communications for the report of a stabbing victim in front of 2000 14th Street NW. The first responding patrol officers located a male victim laying on the sidewalk in front of the location, suffering from apparent sharp force injuries to the body. The victim, later identified as Jermaine Foster, was unconscious and unresponsive. Members of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported the victim to Howard University Hospital in NW, where despite all lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 4:41 a.m. 

            Based on several witness interviews coupled with social media postings and surveillance video footage, the defendant was identified as the person seen stabbing the victim several times.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke.

            A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

2025 CF1 015806

WASHINGTON – Gerard Stokes, 31, of Greenbelt, Maryland, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for driving an ATV into an MPD officer on March 15, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

             Stokes pled guilty to one count of felony assault on a police officer in December 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Errol Arthur sentenced Stokes to 36 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

            “Today, my office held accountable a criminal who attacked two Metropolitan Police Department officers by driving into them with his ATV. He will now spend 3 years behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The assault on any law enforcement officer will absolutely not be tolerated and my office will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who commit these violent, egregious attacks.”

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 15, 2025, officers were patrolling the area of 1442 U Street NW, Washington D.C., when they noticed a group of individuals on All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) loitering outside of a gas station. The officers drove toward the group at the gas station and got out of their cruiser to approach the group. Stokes then popped a wheelie and drove his ATV directly at two of the MPD officers, clipping one officer in the shoulder and striking the other officer head-on, dragging her under the ATV for approximately fifteen feet. As a result of Stokes’s actions, the officer who was struck head-on suffered multiple lacerations to the head and face, a concussion and a fractured jaw.

            Detectives were able to identify Stokes as the driver of the ATV based on his distinctive clothing, helmet and blue ATV, which were captured in CCTV footage of the incident.

            Stokes was arrested on August 16, 2025, and has been in custody since his arrest.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kadian Carter and Maggie Sullivan, who prosecuted the case.

2025CF3009570

WASHINGTON – Carlton Simon, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today on charges stemming from the shooting death of 17-year-old Angel Dominguez in Northwest D.C. this spring, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Simon entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder while armed before Superior Court Associate Judge Todd Edelman on December 17, 2025. Simon confirmed that, in shooting the victim, he was acting voluntarily, and that he was not acting in self-defense.

            Judge Edelman sentenced Simon to 18 years of incarceration, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Edelman noted the complex history between Simon and Dominguez, and the substantial impact this crime had on both families.

            According to court documents on May 29, 2025, around 3:00 p.m., Simon, a classmate of the victim, approached Dominguez in the 900 block oof Florida Avenue NW, with a loaded firearm. As Dominguez walked away from him, Simon pointed a gun at Dominguez’s back, before restraining him and ultimately shooting him in the chest. Dominguez died as a result of his injuries shortly thereafter.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.

2025 CF1 011682

WASHINGTON – Curtis Lear, 30, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 18 months of incarceration in connection with driving an SUV recklessly at high speed on the National Mall as hundreds of visitors were present, causing over $9,000 in damage to the lawn, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Lear pleaded guilty on October 10, 2025, before Judge Carl J. Nichols to one count of destruction of government property and to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition, Judge Nichols ordered Lear to serve three years of supervised release and pay $9,165 in restitution.

            On June 21, 2025, at 8:45 p.m., Lear, operating a black Jeep Patriot, drove onto the National Mall near 7th Street, SW, between Jefferson and Madison Drives. Lear raced at high speeds, making sharp turns on the grass and accelerating uncontrollably, according to witnesses. At the time, hundreds of pedestrians occupied the National Mall and surrounding areas for the “33rd Annual Giant Barbecue Battle.” At one point, Lear drove towards two individuals, putting them in fear of immediate injury. The incident was captured on video by surveillance and private cellular phone cameras.

            When a U.S. Capitol Police officer approached Lear’s vehicle on foot, Lear rolled down the driver’s side window and stated, “It’s just a joke.” Another officer reported that Lear stood outside of his vehicle and yelled at pedestrians while flexing his arms. Police attempted to stop Lear, but he fled the area. At approximately 3:00 a.m. the following morning, officers located the Jeep and conducted a traffic stop. Lear was behind the wheel.

            Joining the U.S. Attorney in the announcement was Chief Scott Brecht of the U.S. Park Police.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Park Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Michael C. Lee.   

Lear drove his Jeep SUV (circled in red) erratically on the National Mall.

Lear’s joyride on the National Mall caused more than $9,000 in damage.

25cr198

WASHINGTON – Brigette O. Robertson, 40, a former special police officer residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison in connection with violating the constitutional rights of a detained citizen by stomping on her face in June 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Robertson pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to a misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law. 

According to court documents, on June 24, 2023, Robertson was employed by Specific Protection Services, LLC., as a Special Police Officer (SPO). She was licensed in the District of Columbia to act and to carry out law enforcement actions as an SPO. That day, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Robertson was providing security services at a McDonald’s restaurant on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE. 

At about 3:30 p.m., Robertson got into a verbal altercation with a patron at the restaurant. The altercation escalated into a physical confrontation. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene. After the patron was under the control of an MPD officer, the patron remained prone on the ground. Robertson stepped over the patron and, while doing so, stomped on the patron’s face. The stomp to the face caused the patron to experience pain and bleeding. The stomp was without legal justification and in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights. 

Joining in U.S. Attorney in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. 

Use-of-force investigations generally 

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

The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. 

The FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division investigated the case. Prosecuting the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section. 

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WASHINGTON – Larry Johnson, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 50 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a 9mm pistol that he fired twice inside of an apartment where a woman and her two children were present, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

            Johnson pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2025, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to a count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 50-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release. 

            According to court documents, on Aug. 10, 2025, Metropolitan Police officers responded to the 2200 block of Town Center Drive, SE. Officers learned of an altercation that had occurred about 11:36 p.m. inside an apartment on the fourth floor. During the altercation, Johnson fired a gun twice while inside of the apartment in the presence of a woman and her children.  

            Officers recovered a Springfield-Armory XD-9 Mod.2 Sub-Compact 9mm pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet. Johnson was not licensed to possess a firearm in the District and had been previously convicted on a felony robbery count in Montgomery County, Maryland.  

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney.

 Officers recovered a Springfield-Armory XD-9 Mod.2 Sub-Compact 9mm pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet. 

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WASHINGTON – Carter Camacho, 18,  of Smyrna, Georgia, was charged in a complaint today with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm within the United States Capitol Buildings or Grounds in connection to carrying a loaded shotgun onto federal property, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Camacho made his first appearance in U.S. District Court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey who scheduled a detention hearing for March 2, 2026.

According to the charging documents, on Feb. 17, 2026, Camacho parked a white Mercedes SUV on Maryland Ave. SE, between First and Third Streets. About 12:07 p.m., Camacho exited the vehicle and ran toward the United States Capitol carrying a firearm while wearing a tactical-style vest and camouflage-style clothing.

Camacho reached the steps on the western side of the Capitol. A uniformed officer with the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) asked Camacho what he was carrying. Camacho produced the firearm. The officer ordered Camacho to halt and lie down on the ground.

Once Camacho was on the ground, USCP officers recovered a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun loaded with seven rounds in the tube and one in the chamber, with the safety off. An additional 17 rounds of ammunition were held in a carrier attached to the shotgun’s stock.

Officers placed Camacho in handcuffs. Camacho told USCP officers that he was just there to talk to a Member of Congress.

USCP officers traced Camacho’s path to the white Mercedes SUV and located a fixed blade knife on the ground about forty feet from the vehicle.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the United States Capitol Police.

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WASHINGTON – Jose “Joe” Biaou, 41, a citizen of Benin and a resident of the District of Columbia, was found guilty yesterday on seven counts in connection with defrauding Covid-era economic programs out of millions of dollars in taxpayer-provided emergency funds, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

A federal jury in U.S. District Court deliberated for less than one day before finding Biaou guilty on February 17 of six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.  

“Jose Biaou, a citizen of Benin, West Africa, was convicted of orchestrating massive fraud that siphoned millions of dollars from the American taxpayers at a time of national crisis when assistance was offered to those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The Trump Administration will not look the other way and will make thieves accountable. Mr. Biaou will suffer the consequence of his attempt to cheat the American taxpayers.” 

Biaou, the founder of FRB Capital Group LLC, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Christopher R. Cooper. A date is pending. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

According to the government’s evidence at trial, Biaou applied for more than $5 million in loans and received more than $3.5 million in proceeds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program on behalf of FRB and, Millennium Global Finance, the latter of which was an entirely fictional entity with no employees or operations.  

In support of his FRB application, Biaou falsely claimed that he was a U.S. citizen and provided a counterfeit birth certificate, which he forged using a copy of his minor daughter’s birth certificate. 

FRB Capital is a brokerage firm for the commercial real estate industry. On his applications for federal emergency funding, Biaou consistently inflated the number of FRB employees, as well as their average monthly salaries, office rents, and other financial information. Biaou then applied for forgiveness of one of the PPP loans and submitted false information about how his business spent the funds during the pandemic.  

Biaou also applied for and received $1.25 million in PPP funds for Millennium Global Finance after representing that the firm had 52 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $520,000 throughout 2019. Millennium Global was not a real company. 

Biaou was arrested July 17, 2024. 

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Sungtae Kang and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samanatha Miller. 

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WASHINGTON – Jerome Parker, 49, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to a combined total of 60 months in prison on charges related to two separate assaults on August 18 and August 19, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           “Today we took another criminal, victimizing the most vulnerable members of our community, off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This violence against our community committed by Parker, or any criminals like him, against the elderly or innocent will never again be tolerated in the District.”

            Parker pled guilty to one count of aggravated assault, one count of assault with significant bodily injury, and one count of second-degree theft in October 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. At sentencing, the government requested that the defendant be sentenced to a combined total of 84 months in prison. The Honorable Robert Salerno sentenced Parker to a combined total of 60 months in prison, with an additional 12 months suspended, to be followed by three years of probation.

            According to the government’s evidence, on August 18, 2025, a 66-year-old victim disembarked a Metrobus near the intersection of 14th St NW and Irving St NW, Washington, D.C. Parker approached the victim, a stranger, from the back and punched him in his face with enough force that the victim’s head turned nearly 90 degrees. The victim fell to the ground and Parker went through the victim’s pockets, stealing his wallet, identification, banking cards and cash. As a result of Parker’s actions, the victim had to undergo surgery to fix a fracture and had to have his jaw wired shut for several months to aid in healing.

            Additionally on August 19, 2025, a verbal argument ensued between Parker and a separate victim. Parker and this victim were acquaintances and knew each other through the mother of Parker’s child. Parker followed this victim out of an apartment building located in the 1400 block of 12th St NW, Washington, D.C. Parker proceeded to punch him, knocking him to the ground. Parker then stomped and kicked the victim approximately ten times, while calling the victim derogatory terms related to the victim’s sexual orientation. The victim was unconscious for over five minutes until officers arrived on scene and suffered a minor brain bleed.

            Parker was arrested on September 26, 2025 and has been in custody since his arrest.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie Tsesarenko, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against Metropolitan Police Department Officer Epshane Porter for a shooting that occurred on November 17, 2025, and fatally injured a 25-year-old District resident (D.C.) at the side of 1221 47th Place, N.E., Washington, D.C.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement accounts, crime-camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, and reports from MPD.

            According to the evidence, Porter was patrolling the neighborhood with another officer. The officers observed a group of men standing outside of 4725 Minnesota Avenue, N.E.  When the group observed the police, D.C. and another male began to run away in separate directions.  Officer Porter chased after D.C.  Porter gave commands during the chase for D.C. to display his hands to the officer. The foot chase ended when D.C. entered a small, fenced area alongside 1221 47th Place, N.E.  Porter gave several additional commands for D.C. to stop reaching for his hip area.  In addition to ignoring the commands, D.C. and Porter had a brief physical encounter.  Porter discharged his weapon at this point.  The police recovered a .45 caliber Glock from D.C.’s pocket. Despite life-saving measures, D.C. would ultimately succumb to his wounds and be declared dead. 

            After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights.

Investigations generally

           The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. 

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

WASHINGTON – Van Robinson, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 101 months for his participation in the violent, armed gang of drug dealers known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew which distributed an array of narcotics in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

 “Robinson was a key member of a crew that menaced our community around 21st Street and Maryland Avenue for years with its toxic mix of lethal drugs and random violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “With Robinson’s sentencing today, the 21st and Vietnam crew has definitively been put out of business.” 

Robinson, aka “Boogie,” pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Robinson to serve three years of supervised release. 

According to court documents, the 21st and Vietnam crew distributed crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in significant quantities and were involved in two shootings charged in connection with this case: a March 7, 2024, incident in which co-defendant Charles Manson opened fire on a passerby walking his dog near the crew’s open-air drug market; and an April 19, 2024, drive-by shooting, committed by co-defendants Briyon Shuford and Trevon Palmer, which wounded four people and terrorized others. 

Robinson was an active member of 21st and Vietnam, which staged a takeover of an apartment complex and used it as a headquarters for the crew’s operations. Robinson was observed by law enforcement on a near daily basis in and around the apartment complex on the 1900 block of I Street NE during the course of the investigation, working with his co-conspirators to sell drugs.  

During the execution of a search warrant on May 15, 2024, at Robinson’s residence, investigators recovered a loaded Glock 27 firearm, 14 grams of suspected fentanyl, and an assortment of drug trafficking paraphernalia. 

Robinson is the twelfth and final member of the 21st and Vietnam crew to be sentenced in this case. 

• Damien Jenkins, aka “Woe,” was sentenced to 151 months
• Trevon Palmer, aka “Rocky,” was sentenced to 192 months
• Charles Manson, aka “Cheese,” was sentenced to 170 months
• Jamiek Bassil, aka “Onion,” was sentenced to 135 months
• Nathaniel Russell, aka “Thump,” was sentenced to 42 months
• Briyon Shuford, aka: “Breezy,” was sentenced to 161 months
• Jason Green was sentenced to 115 months
• Ahmed Mikal Bailey was sentenced to 30 months
• Jerome Powell was sentenced to 27 months
• Lydell Douglas was sentenced to 24 months
• Abrian Walker was sentenced to 12 months with 6 months home confinement 

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Chris Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

The case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the MPD. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. 

This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel. 

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WASHINGTON – Vernon Daniels, 60, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 80 months in prison, on charges stemming from the burglaries of multiple organizations in Northwest, from February until April 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.

            Daniels pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree burglary and one count of attempted second-degree burglary in Superior Court on August 29, 2025. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Daniels to the prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 1, 2025, at approximately 8:21 p.m., Daniels entered through the garage of Monument Advocacy, located at 975 F Street Northwest. After gaining access to the building, Daniels stole three laptops and other property valued at approximately $6,857 before exiting the building.  Furthermore, on April 6, 2025, Daniels entered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, located at 1722 I Street Northwest, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Once inside, the Defendant stole two laptops. Surveillance showed the Defendant fleeing the scene. Police recovered a latent fingerprint that matched the Defendant’s from the scene.

            Daniels previously was convicted of burglaries in 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016, and 2022.

            Daniels was arrested on June 11, 2025, and has been in custody since.

            Joining in the announcement was Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Mason commended those who investigated the case from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuel Hampton, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Daniel Cary, 31, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for charges stemming from the shooting of his then-girlfriend Chantel Stewart’s former friend in July 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Cary pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence on November 20, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, Judge Rainey Brandt sentenced Cary to serve nine years of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Co-defendant Chantel Stewart, 34, also pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and received a one-year suspended sentence.

            According to the government’s evidence, on July 22, 2020, as the victim was driving near 108 Atlantic Street SE, Stewart pulled her car up to the victim’s car and warned the victim, “he’s about to shoot you.” Cary, Stewart’s boyfriend, then pulled a mask over his face, got out of the passenger seat of Stewart’s car, and fired a semi-automatic weapon 5 times at the victim’s car. One shot went through the victim’s car door and struck her in the back. Stewart then drove Cary away from the scene.

            The victim, through sheer force of will, drove herself to the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries and survived.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen, who investigated the case; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Brower and Ella Gladman, who prosecuted the case; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Claire Hoover, who handled the case.

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WASHINGTON – Dearay Wilson, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for his role in the shooting death of 50-year-old D.C. resident Jeremy Black on the evening of June 29, 2021, in Northwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Wilson entered a guilty plea before Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz, on February 13, 2026. Judge Kravitz ordered that Wilson remain held without bond pending sentencing. Wilson will next appear before Judge Kravitz for sentencing on April 10, 2026.

            According to court documents, Wilson and three others armed themselves with firearms before driving a vehicle to Johnson Avenue Northwest. Once in the area, they fired multiple shots at a group of people outside an apartment building in the 1400 block of R Street Northwest. Black, the victim, was an innocent bystander walking through the area with his wife and two friends following dinner at a local restaurant. Black and a friend were crossing Johnson Avenue when Wilson and his co-conspirators indiscriminately fired over 45 rounds on a busy public street. Black was struck and killed by a single gunshot wound to his left torso. After the shooting, Wilson and his co-conspirators fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Merikas, Kathleen Gibbons, and Sarah Santiago. The case was indicted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi.

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WASHINGTON – Meliton Cordero, a Supervisory Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, was arrested yesterday in Washington D.C. and charged in a complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in connection with his role in a bribery and U.S. visa fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

“This individual was entrusted by the American people to faithfully execute his duties and represent the American Government abroad as a leader within the DEA,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Instead, he is alleged to have broken the law, squandered this special trust and undercut the President’s immigration priorities. This behavior by any government official is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”  

 Cordero, 47, has been assigned for six years to the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. He is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud. According to the charging documents, Cordero allegedly accepted thousands of dollars in exchange for assisting foreign nationals with securing a nonimmigrant visa which would allow them to visit the U.S. for a temporary period.    

“The alleged actions do not reflect the thousands of DEA professionals who serve honorably every day dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting communities at home and abroad,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to professionalism, transparency, and the rule of law.”  

 In one instance described in the charging documents, Cordero met with a foreign national and provided them with a passport and visa allowing travel to the United States in exchange for cash. During his assignment at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Cordero expedited at least 119 visa applications, at least one of which is alleged to have been fraudulent, often coaching individuals in preparation for their visa interview with U.S. Consular Officers.  

 A complaint is a document that explains the charges against a defendant.  The complaint is not evidence of a crime. All defendants in criminal cases are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

 This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations - Newark Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations – Santo Domingo, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

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WASHINGTON – Seth Emmanuel Andrews, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for strangling his mother, Hazel Evans, to death in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            On November 26, 2025, a D.C. Superior Court jury convicted Andrews on one count of second-degree murder. Today, Judge J. Michael Ryan sentenced Andrews to 26 years in prison, the maximum recommended sentence under the D.C. Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, followed by five years of supervised release.

            The evidence at trial proved that on July 16, 2020, Andrews killed Evans by strangling her while she was inside of her bedroom at her home at 10 35th Street, SE, Washington, D.C. The defendant was arrested on August 20, 2020.

            Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Coronado and Marybeth Manfreda, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Laithen Bell, 20, of Washington, D.C., and Cornell Jamison, 21, Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in Superior Court to assaulting, robbing and carjacking a woman at gunpoint on January 22, 2025, announced Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Bell pleaded guilty to carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

            Jamison pleaded guilty to carjacking, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a prohibited weapon (machine gun).

            The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld accepted Bell and Jamison’s pleas and scheduled their sentencing for April 17, 2026.

            According to court documents, on January 22, 2025, in the 4300 Block of 3rd Street SE, at approximately 12:28 a.m., a woman was returning home and parked on the street near an apartment building. As she pulled into the parking space, she observed a white van pulling up beside her car and then drive off. As she exited her vehicle, the white van returned and pulled beside her. The woman attempted to get to safety in the apartment building, but she was attacked from behind by several men, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The men beat her, struck her with the handgun, and ultimately robbed her of her clothing, keys, and cellphone.  They also took her car.

            Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Lauren Miller.

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WASHINGTON – Ricky Jackson, 67, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96 months in federal prison in connection to his role in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the Nation’s capital, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.  

Jackson pleaded guilty on Oct. 7, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to a charge of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl. In addition to the 96-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Jackson to serve five years of supervised release. 

“Thanks to our prosecutors, a 10-time convicted felon and drug-trafficker is off the streets and behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Jackson went so far as to target drug addicts seeking rehabilitation by selling drugs outside of rehabilitation and treatment facilities in Southeast Washington D.C., but now he won’t be bringing down this community anymore.” 

According to court documents, Jackson was a prolific narcotics redistributor who collaborated with other members of the conspiracy to obtain wholesale quantities of fentanyl which he in turn cut and repackaged for other redistributors and purchasers in the district. 

Jackson obtained bulk quantities – up to 24 grams of fentanyl – five or six times each week. Jackson then redistributed the narcotic in Southeast Washington D.C. in the vicinity of methadone clinics.  

He was arrested on Nov. 29, 2023, and has remained continuously detained since that date. Jackson has approximately 10 prior convictions that include violent crimes like armed robbery, voluntary manslaughter, and drug trafficking offenses. 

Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Chris Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

This matter was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, the ATF Washington Field Division, and the MPD. It was prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos and Matthew Kinskey.  

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