District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder of Man During Noontime Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Pinkney, 20, William Bass, 18, and Kalif Brown, 22, all of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the shooting death of a man last year in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Pinkney pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which is contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of 17 years in prison. Bass pled guilty to assault with intent to rob while armed. His plea, which also is contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence consistent with the District of Columbia Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines. Finally, Brown pled guilty to robbery. His plea, also contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for five years in prison.
All three defendants will be sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin on July 8, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, just before noon on February 16, 2015, the defendants were driven to the 300 block of 61st Street NE for purposes of conducting a PCP transaction with the victim, Rico Myers, 25, and his friend. Once there, the defendants entered an alley and Pinkney pulled a gun, demanding the victim’s possessions.
Bass began going through Mr. Myers’s pockets, while Brown robbed Mr. Myers’s friend. Mr. Myers began struggling to defend himself and Pinkney then shot him four times. The defendants ran to the waiting car on 61st Street NE, which then drove off.
Mr. Myers ran out of the alley and collapsed on a sidewalk in the 300 block of 61st Street NE. He was taken to a hospital, where all efforts to save his life were unsuccessful. An autopsy performed by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death to be homicide.
In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division, Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Sixth Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as Special Agent Benjamin Inman of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the D.C. Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Victim/Witness Security Specialist M. Laverne Forrest, and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Spence, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to 120 Days in Jail for Flying Gyrocopter to U.S. Capitol GroundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Douglas Hughes, 62, of Ruskin, Fla., was sentenced today to 120 days in jail on a federal charge stemming from the April 15, 2015, incident in which he flew a gyrocopter into Washington, D.C., and landed on the West Front lawn of the Capitol, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, and Tammy L. Whitcomb, Acting Inspector General for the United States Postal Service.
Hughes pled guilty on Nov. 20, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a felony charge of operating as an airman without an airman’s certificate. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who stated that his actions showed a “total lack of concern and disregard” for the safety of others. Following completion of his prison term, Hughes will be placed on one year of supervised release; during that time, he is to stay away from the U.S. Capitol and White House. Also, as part of his plea agreement, he agreed to the forfeiture of his gyrocopter, which was seized on the day of the incident.
“Douglas Hughes intentionally violated one of the most secure and restricted airspaces in the world, placing himself and countless others at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “His actions led to a lockdown of the U.S. Capitol, major traffic delays, and a diversion of law enforcement resources. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his reckless acts and hopefully will deter others from attempting to violate the airspace surrounding Washington, D.C.”
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of April 15, 2015, Hughes drove to the Gettysburg Regional Airport in Pennsylvania and unpacked his gyrocopter for a flight to Washington, D.C. Hughes had never had an airman’s certificate (pilot’s license) and he did not license his aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration. Hughes also did not file a flight plan with the FAA or any other governmental agency, and he did not seek to obtain any official authorization before or during his flight.
Hughes had modified his aircraft by replacing the original gas tank with a larger-ten-gallon tank to increase the gyrocopter’s range to reach Washington, D.C. He also was wearing a U.S. Postal Service jacket and his gyrocopter was affixed with a U.S. Postal Service seal. Although Hughes worked for the U.S. Postal Service, he was not acting in any official capacity at the time. Hughes placed two bins into the gyrocopter, carrying letters addressed to members of the U.S. Congress. He then flew the gyrocopter into Washington, D.C. from Gettysburg, Pa., passing through three no-fly zones. This federally restricted airspace includes, among other places, the National Mall, the White House, and the U.S. Capitol area.
Hughes flew over the National Mall and landed his gyrocopter in the early afternoon on the Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. He was quickly arrested, and the gyrocopter was seized as evidence. No weapons were found on Hughes or his aircraft.
As a result of the defendant’s actions, the entire U.S. Capitol complex was placed on lockdown, including the Capitol Visitor Center. In addition, streets around the U.S. Capitol were shut down, which resulted in traffic delays. Capitol Police deployed bomb squad technicians, explosives’ dogs, and robotic devices to examine the scene. It was only after the scene was cleared that the lockdown was lifted.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Chief Verderosa, and Acting Inspector General Whitcomb commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States Park Police and the Federal Aviation Administration. Finally, they praised the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Devron Elliott and Michelle Holland; Legal Assistants Bianca Evans and Donice Adams, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla and Michael J. Friedman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $150,000 from ChurchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Barry Tillman, 59, who worked as the office manager for a church and its affiliated non-profit organization, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he embezzled over $150,000, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Tillman, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Tillman potentially faces up to 27 months in prison and a fine of up to $95,000. He also has agreed to pay a total of $153,754 in restitution. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, Tillman began work in 2008 as an office manager for the Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, as well as City Gate, an affiliated non-profit organization that provided support for youth through after-school and summer educational programs. The organization also provided support to low-income families by supplying meals and job training. Tillman’s responsibilities included bookkeeping and accounting duties.
From January 2009 through May 2013, Tillman processed salary payments to himself through both direct deposit and salary checks. He allowed the direct deposits knowing that he was receiving his salary by check, which resulted in him being paid twice. He kept a total of $153,754 of these electronic transfers for himself for his own use and benefit.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case, including Criminal Investigator Juan Juarez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Criminal Investigator Stephen Cohen, Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarrett, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Day Care Operator Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ruth G. Leach, 53, who owned and operated a day care center in the District of Columbia, pled guilty today to a federal tax evasion charge for failing to turn over more than $260,000 in payroll taxes that were withheld from her employees, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Leach, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of willfully failing to pay over employment taxes. The charge, a felony, carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Leach could face a likely range of 18 to 24 months in prison and a fine of up to $75,000. She also must pay $263,153 in restitution to the IRS. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, Leach owned and operated a business called Little Angels Child Care Center, Inc., which provided child care services for toddlers and young children. From 2006 through 2010, she ran the day-to-day operations of the business, which at various times employed several teachers and staff. She paid wages to her employees and deducted payroll taxes, including federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes.
For the first quarter ending March 2006 through the fourth quarter ending December 2010, Leach willfully failed to truthfully account for the payroll taxes withheld from the wages of Little Angels Child Care Center employees. She failed to pay over a total of $263,153 in payroll taxes, instead keeping and using the funds for her personal expenses. She did not report this money in her own personal income taxes.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-Criminal Investigation. They also acknowledged the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lionel André and Derrick Williams, who prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting of Robbery Suspect in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it has completed its review of the Metropolitan Police Department officers who were involved in the fatal shooting of Gregory Gray on Dec. 24, 2014, in a courtyard in Southeast Washington. After a careful review of all of the evidence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Mr. Gray.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and MPD conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included interviews of over a dozen law enforcement and civilian witnesses and assessing photographs, DNA, diagrams, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, the autopsy report, and other evidence.
According to the evidence, the chain of events began at about 3 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2014, when MPD received reports that two men had been robbed at the corner of 30th Street and Alabama Avenue SE. The witnesses who reported the robbery provided a detailed description of the robber.
MPD officers quickly responded to the area and spotted Mr. Gray, 33, who was walking in the 2700 block of Naylor Road SE, approximately three blocks from where the robbery occurred. Mr. Gray, who matched the description of the robbery suspect, began running when police asked him to stop. Four MPD officers got out of their vehicles and pursued Mr. Gray on foot. Mr. Gray ran between two apartment buildings and into a courtyard area behind residences in the 2800 block of Naylor Road SE. He did not heed numerous commands to stop and wound up being positioned between the officers and an iron fence that ran the length of the courtyard. At this point, the evidence shows, Mr. Gray pulled a handgun and pointed it in the direction of the officers. Seeing the weapon, all four officers fired their weapons, fatally wounding Mr. Gray.
A black firearm was recovered near Mr. Gray. An MPD technician who assisted with collecting evidence from the scene of the shooting was able to retrieve DNA from the firearm. A subsequent analysis of the DNA revealed, to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty, that Mr. Gray was a major contributor to the DNA mixture recovered from the firearm.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers used excessive force under the circumstances.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove such violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. A conclusion that “there is insufficient evidence” is not meant to suggest anything further about what evidence, if any, exists.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Taking Part in Scheme Involving Prescription and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Novella White, 53, of Accokeek, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to obtain controlled substances by prescription fraud and participating in a health care fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
White entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 additional years for the health care fraud scheme. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2016. As part of the plea agreement, White agreed to pay $5,400, representing her share of illegal proceeds obtained from various health care plans.
A co-defendant, Claire Elizabeth Rice, 68, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty on Feb. 25, 2016 to the same charges. She is to be sentenced on June 3, 2016. As part of the plea agreement, Rice agreed to pay $16,175, representing her share of illegal proceeds.
Both defendants were charged in a federal indictment returned in 2014. In her plea, White admitted to a statement of offense concerning her conduct. She admitted that, from 2008 to 2013, she passed 127 forged prescriptions for drugs, including oxycodone, a synthetic opiate, in the name of practicing cardiologist with offices in Northwest Washington. Ninety-one of the prescriptions were written in the name of Rice, her friend, who was never a patient of the doctor.
White, a former employee of the doctor, left her job as a receptionist in January 2010, but took a blank prescription pad from the office when she left. White was not a health care professional and did not have authority to write prescriptions for herself or for Rice.
Rice caused the forged prescriptions that she obtained to be billed to health care plans such as Express Scripts and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The health plans were defrauded the costs of filling these various prescriptions. White presented forged prescriptions in her own name as well, and caused them to be billed to one of four different health insurance plans which she maintained: Safeway Informed RX, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Health, and Medco Health, which were the victims of the health care fraud charges.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the HHS Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Jennifer Kerkhoff, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Firearm Possession in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Johnson, 34, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a prison term of 80 months for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Johnson pled guilty in January 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. On April 11, 2016, Johnson was sentenced by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan. Upon completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of July 31, 2015, law enforcement officers received a tip that there was a man with a gun in the 1500 Block of Neal Street NE. Officers made contact with Johnson, who was carrying in his waist a Sig Sauer 9mm firearm that was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was on supervision for possession with the intent to distribute PCP in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Business Owner Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Failing to Pay over $1.4 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for failing to pay over $1.4 million in federal personal income tax and employment taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
James T. Redding, 48, of Reistertown, Md., pled guilty in August 2015 to one count of attempted tax evasion and one count of willful failure to collect or pay over tax. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. Redding also must pay a total of $1,473,054 in restitution to the IRS.
“James Redding was a serial tax evader who committed numerous violations over a five-year period, resulting in a $1.4 million loss to the federal government,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “This investigation and prosecution show that there are significant consequences for those who try to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Hopefully this case will deter others from committing such crimes.”
“For years, Mr. Redding defrauded the American tax system through deceptive personal and corporate tax returns,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “By evading his income tax and payroll tax obligations, he cheated the hard-working taxpayers in this country for his own personal gain. The FBI and the IRS will vigorously pursue justice against those individuals who commit tax fraud and evasion.”
“Today, Mr. Redding has to face the consequences of failing to report all of his income on his federal tax returns and paying the tax he owed,” said Special Agent in Charge Jankowski. “In today’s economic environment, it is imperative the American taxpayer feel confident that everyone is paying their fair share. When criminals evade their taxes, honest Americans end up having to pay more.”
According to court documents, Redding was the president, sole shareholder and sole director of James T. Redding, Inc., doing business as JTR Inc., JTR Finishing Contractors, and JTR Construction. The company was primarily engaged in the business of interior construction in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Redding filed false and fraudulent tax returns for James T. Redding, Inc., for the 2009 and 2010 calendar years. He did not file returns for the corporation for the 2011, 2012, and 2013 calendar years.
Redding was required to report all of the corporation’s income on his personal tax returns and pay taxes for the income. For the tax years of 2009 through 2012, according to court documents, Redding filed false and fraudulent U.S. personal income tax returns on behalf of himself and his spouse. He and his spouse did not file a personal income tax return for the 2013 calendar year. The total income tax due and owing from the defendant and his spouse to the United States for the tax years 2009 through 2013 was approximately $600,000.
Finally, from the beginning of the fourth quarter of the 2010 calendar year through the fourth quarter of the 2012 calendar year, Redding willfully failed to pay over all of the federal income tax and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes withheld from JTR employees. Instead of paying over the taxes that he knew were due, he used those funds to pay JTR creditors and for the benefit of himself and his family members. In total, JTR did not pay over $873,054 that was due to the IRS.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, Office of Inspector General, of the U.S. Department of Labor. Assistance also was provided by Criminal Investigator Juan Juarez, Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, and Paralegal Specialists C. Rosalind Pressley and Toni Donato, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Kenneth C. Vert, of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division.
Former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Employee Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Spear-Phishing Attack on Department of Energy ComputersRead the Press Release
Charles Harvey Eccleston, 62, a former employee of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), was sentenced today to 18 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from an attempted e-mail “spear-phishing” attack in January 2015 that targeted dozens of DOE employee e-mail accounts.
The sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Eccleston pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of attempted unauthorized access and intentional damage to a protected computer. In his guilty plea, Eccleston admitted scheming to cause damage to the computer network of the DOE through e-mails that he believed would deliver a computer virus to particular employees. An e-mail spear-phishing attack involves crafting a convincing e-mail for selected recipients that appears to be from a trusted source and that, when opened, infects the recipient’s computer with a virus.
In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Eccleston to forfeit $9,000, an amount equal to the sum the FBI provided to Eccleston during the course of the undercover investigation.
“Eccleston’s sentence holds him accountable for his attempt to compromise, exploit and damage U.S. government computer systems that contained sensitive nuclear weapon-related information with the intent of allowing foreign nations to gain access to that information or to damage essential systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “One of our highest priorities in the National Security Division remains protecting our national assets from cyber intrusions. We must continue to evolve and remain vigilant in our efforts and capabilities to confront cyber-enabled threats and aggressively detect, disrupt and deter them.”
“Charles Harvey Eccleston is a scientist and former government employee who was willing to betray his country and his former employer out of spite,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “His attempts to sell access to sensitive computer networks demonstrate why the government must be so vigilant to prevent cyber-attacks. Thanks to the FBI, this defendant was apprehended before he could do any damage. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make the detection and prevention of cyber-crimes a top priority.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message that no one will be allowed to sabotage the U.S. Government’s cyber infrastructure or threaten our national security through the illicit sale of information to a foreign intelligence service,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI will continue to investigate and pursue those who attempt to disclose sensitive knowledge about our nation’s information systems and bring them to justice.”
Eccleston, a U.S. citizen who had been living in Davao City in the Philippines since 2011, was terminated from his employment at the NRC in 2010. He was detained by Philippine authorities in Manila, Philippines, on March 27, 2015, and deported to the United States to face U.S. criminal charges. He has been in custody ever since.
According to court documents, Eccleston initially came to the attention of the FBI in 2013 after he entered a foreign embassy in Manila and offered to sell a list of over 5,000 e-mail accounts of all officials, engineers and employees of a U.S. government energy agency. He said that he was able to retrieve this information because he was an employee of a U.S. government agency, held a top secret security clearance and had access to the agency’s network. He asked for $18,800 for the accounts, stating they were “top secret.” When asked what he would do if that foreign country was not interested in obtaining the U.S. government information the defendant was offering, the defendant stated he would offer the information to China, Iran or Venezuela, as he believed these countries would be interested in the information.
Thereafter, Eccleston met and corresponded with FBI undercover employees who were posing as representatives of the foreign country. During a meeting on Nov. 7, 2013, he showed one of the undercover employees a list of approximately 5,000 e-mail addresses that he said belonged to NRC employees. He offered to sell the information for $23,000 and said it could be used to insert a virus onto NRC computers, which could allow the foreign country access to agency information or could be used to otherwise shut down the NRC’s servers. The undercover employee agreed to purchase a thumb drive containing approximately 1,200 e-mail addresses of NRC employees; an analysis later determined that these e-mail addresses were publicly available. The undercover employee provided Eccleston with $5,000 in exchange for the e-mail addresses and an additional $2,000 for travel expenses.
Over the next several months, Eccleston corresponded regularly by e-mail with the undercover employees. A follow-up meeting with a second undercover employee took place on June 24, 2014, in which Eccleston was paid $2,000 to cover travel-related expenses. During this meeting, Eccleston discussed having a list of 30,000 e-mail accounts of DOE employees. He offered to design and send spear-phishing e-mails that could be used in a cyber-attack to damage the computer systems used by his former employer.
Over the next several months, the defendant identified specific conferences related to nuclear energy to use as a lure for the cyber-attack, then drafted emails advertising the conference. The emails were designed to induce the recipients to click on a link which the defendant believed contained a computer virus that would allow the foreign government to infiltrate or damage the computers of the recipients. The defendant identified several dozen DOE employees whom he claimed had access to information related to nuclear weapons or nuclear materials as targets for the attack.
On Jan. 15, 2015, Eccleston sent the e-mails he drafted to the targets he had identified. The e-mail contained the link supplied by the FBI undercover employee which Eccleston believed contained a computer virus, but was, in fact, inert. Altogether, the defendant sent the e-mail he believed to be infected to approximately 80 DOE employees located at various facilities throughout the country, including laboratories associated with nuclear materials.
Eccleston was detained after a meeting with the FBI undercover employee, during which Eccleston believed he would be paid approximately $80,000 for sending the e-mails.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the NRC and DOE. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Gillice of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie A. Edelstein of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Trial Attorney Scott Ferber of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section assisted in the investigation of this matter. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the government of the Philippines also provided significant assistance.
Former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Employee Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Spear-Phishing Cyber-Attack on Department of Energy ComputersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Harvey Eccleston, 62, a former employee of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), was sentenced today to 18 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from an attempted e-mail “spear-phishing” attack in January 2015 that targeted dozens of DOE employee e-mail accounts.
The sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Eccleston pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of attempted unauthorized access and intentional damage to a protected computer. In his guilty plea, Eccleston admitted scheming to cause damage to the computer network of the DOE through e-mails that he believed would deliver a computer virus to particular employees. An e-mail spear-phishing attack involves crafting a convincing e-mail for selected recipients that appears to be from a trusted source and that, when opened, infects the recipient’s computer with a virus.
In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Eccleston to forfeit $9,000, an amount equal to the sum the FBI provided to Eccleston during the course of the undercover investigation. Following his prison term, Eccleston will be placed on three years of supervised release.
“Eccleston’s sentence holds him accountable for his attempt to compromise, exploit and damage U.S. government computer systems that contained sensitive nuclear weapon-related information with the intent of allowing foreign nations to gain access to that information or to damage essential systems,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “One of our highest priorities in the National Security Division remains protecting our national assets from cyber intrusions. We must continue to evolve and remain vigilant in our efforts and capabilities to confront cyber-enabled threats and aggressively detect, disrupt and deter them.”
“Charles Harvey Eccleston is a scientist and former government employee who was willing to betray his country and his former employer out of spite,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “His attempts to sell access to sensitive computer networks demonstrate why the government must be so vigilant to prevent cyber-attacks. Thanks to the FBI, this defendant was apprehended before he could do any damage. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to make the detection and prevention of cyber-crimes a top priority.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message that no one will be allowed to sabotage the U.S. Government’s cyber infrastructure or threaten our national security through the illicit sale of information to a foreign intelligence service,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI will continue to investigate and pursue those who attempt to disclose sensitive knowledge about our nation’s information systems and bring them to justice.”
Eccleston, a U.S. citizen who had been living in Davao City in the Philippines since 2011, was terminated from his employment at the NRC in 2010. He was detained by Philippine authorities in Manila, Philippines, on March 27, 2015, and deported to the United States to face U.S. criminal charges. He has been in custody ever since.
According to court documents, Eccleston initially came to the attention of the FBI in 2013 after he entered a foreign embassy in Manila and offered to sell a list of over 5,000 e-mail accounts of all officials, engineers and employees of a U.S. government energy agency. He said that he was able to retrieve this information because he was an employee of a U.S. government agency, held a top secret security clearance and had access to the agency’s network. He asked for $18,800 for the accounts, stating they were “top secret.” When asked what he would do if that foreign country was not interested in obtaining the U.S. government information the defendant was offering, the defendant stated he would offer the information to China, Iran or Venezuela, as he believed these countries would be interested in the information.
Thereafter, Eccleston met and corresponded with FBI undercover employees who were posing as representatives of the foreign country. During a meeting on Nov. 7, 2013, he showed one of the undercover employees a list of approximately 5,000 e-mail addresses that he said belonged to NRC employees. He offered to sell the information for $23,000 and said it could be used to insert a virus onto NRC computers, which could allow the foreign country access to agency information or could be used to otherwise shut down the NRC’s servers. The undercover employee agreed to purchase a thumb drive containing approximately 1,200 e-mail addresses of NRC employees; an analysis later determined that these e-mail addresses were publicly available. The undercover employee provided Eccleston with $5,000 in exchange for the e-mail addresses and an additional $2,000 for travel expenses.
Over the next several months, Eccleston corresponded regularly by e-mail with the undercover employees. A follow-up meeting with a second undercover employee took place on June 24, 2014, in which Eccleston was paid $2,000 to cover travel-related expenses. During this meeting, Eccleston discussed having a list of 30,000 e-mail accounts of DOE employees. He offered to design and send spear-phishing e-mails that could be used in a cyber-attack to damage the computer systems used by his former employer.
Over the next several months, the defendant identified specific conferences related to nuclear energy to use as a lure for the cyber-attack, then drafted emails advertising the conference. The emails were designed to induce the recipients to click on a link which the defendant believed contained a computer virus that would allow the foreign government to infiltrate or damage the computers of the recipients. The defendant identified several dozen DOE employees whom he claimed had access to information related to nuclear weapons or nuclear materials as targets for the attack.
On Jan. 15, 2015, Eccleston sent the e-mails he drafted to the targets he had identified. The e-mail contained the link supplied by the FBI undercover employee which Eccleston believed contained a computer virus, but was, in fact, inert. Altogether, the defendant sent the e-mail he believed to be infected to approximately 80 DOE employees located at various facilities throughout the country, including laboratories associated with nuclear materials.
Eccleston was detained after a meeting with the FBI undercover employee, during which Eccleston believed he would be paid approximately $80,000 for sending the e-mails.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the NRC and DOE. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Gillice of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie A. Edelstein of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Trial Attorney Scott Ferber of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section assisted in the investigation of this matter. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the government of the Philippines also provided significant assistance.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Woman in 2002 AttackRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeremiah Juwley, 30, formerly of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 16-year prison term for sexually assaulting a woman in 2002, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Juwley pled guilty in February 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 16 years in prison. The Honorable José M. López accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Upon his release from prison, Juwley will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He also will be on lifetime supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Sept. 14, 2002, the victim, then 22, was walking alone to a friend's home in the 1100 block of Columbia Road NW after leaving a nightclub. While in route, Juwley, a stranger to her, began walking behind her. To evade him, she walked to an outdoor stairwell that was somewhat secluded.
Juwley continued to pursue her. When he caught up to her, he grabbed her around the waist. The victim screamed. Juwley told her to shut up and knocked her face down onto the ground. She continued to scream, turning her face towards the apartment building so someone could hear her. The defendant continued to strike her in the face and started banging her head on the ground, eventually knocking her unconscious. Juwley then attempted to sexually assault her.
The victim reported the assault to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and was taken to Howard University Hospital, where she was treated for injuries and swabbed for DNA. The case was cold until April 2014, when the defendant was identified as a suspect through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. Juwley’s DNA was in the system as a result of a 2011 conviction in a carjacking case; he was sentenced to a seven-year prison term in that case. Juwley’s DNA profile matched the DNA left behind by the assailant in 2002. Juwley was arrested in the sexual assault case in December 2015.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of detectives from the MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit, the Third Police District, and officers from the Forensic Science Division. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel, Tiffany Jones, and Tierra Naches, and Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Cook and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenya Davis and Nicholas Miranda, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder in 2014 Slaying of His Estranged WifeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Gayle 35, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder stemming from the brutal strangling and stabbing of his estranged wife at her home in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Gayle pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2016. The charge carries a potential maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 29, 2014, Gayle went to the home of his wife, 31-year-old Eboni Domally, in the 5200 block of Queens Stroll Place SE. On that date, Gayle was no longer living at the home, having moved out over two months earlier. After arriving at the home, Gayle choked Ms. Domally, and then later stabbed her, causing extensive sharp force injuries to Ms. Domally. These injuries eventually led to Ms. Domally’s death. Ms. Domally’s young son observed the events and ran to get help.
Gayle left the home before help arrived. He was ultimately arrested on July 22, 2014, by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force at his mother’s home in Charlotte, N.C. He has been in custody ever since.
Gayle pled guilty in 2012 in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Md., to assault and burglary charges stemming from another incident in September 2011 with his wife.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Patricia A. Riley, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Paralegal Specialists Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie and Kendra Johnson; former Lead Paralegal Specialist Kwasi Fields. and Librarian Lisa Kosow. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Magdalena Acevedo and Amy H. Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Crime Victims, Survivors, Good Samaritans and Community Groups to Be Honored at Event Marking National Crime Victims' Rights WeekRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia will pay tribute Monday, April 11, 2016, to over 30 crime victims, their families, witnesses, community groups, and Good Samaritans for their bravery, compassion, and dedication to the pursuit of justice.
The honorees are to be recognized during a ceremony at 2 p.m. hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, timed with the annual observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, at One Judiciary Square.
This year’s national theme, “Serving Victims, Building Trust, Restoring Hope,” highlights the importance of early intervention and victim services in establishing trust with victims, which in turn begins to restore their hope for healing and recovery.
“Day after day, all of us are inspired by the strength, perseverance and courage of the victims and witnesses who come forward in the name of justice and public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We are committed to doing everything we can to help them and their families throughout the criminal justice process. This ceremony is one way that we can show our respect and appreciation for the fortitude they demonstrate in the most challenging of circumstances.”
In addition to U.S. Attorney Phillips, those scheduled to speak at the ceremony include Sherry Zalika Sykes, whose 22-year-old son, Omar Sykes, was slain on July 4, 2013, in a botched attempted armed robbery in Northwest Washington. Her son was a rising senior at Howard University; his killer is serving a 28 ½-year prison term. Ms. Sykes is a career federal public servant with extensive experience in the non-profit community. She was granted a fellowship in 2014 and 2015 to engage in a year-long program of study, speaking, and teaching about violence, and has spoken to audiences nationwide about its impact.
Ms. Sykes will be honored at the ceremony, along with other individual victims, survivors and Good Samaritans whose efforts furthered the cause of justice. For example, the honorees include victims and witnesses who came forward after violent crimes; family members of murder victims, who attended weeks of trial; and a couple who intervened to stop a sexual assault, protected the victim until police arrived, and then pointed out the defendant to police.
The honorees also will include five officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District, who rescued residents from a burning apartment building in Southeast Washington earlier this year, and a U.S. Navy commander who came to the aid of a woman who had just been robbed at the L’Enfant Metro station. The Navy commander confronted the robber and was stabbed in an attempt to apprehend him for police.
Special recognition will be given to the Children’s Law Center, a non-profit based in the District of Columbia that is now celebrating its 20th anniversary of helping children and families. The Children’s Law Center is being honored for the assistance that it provided a child in obtaining stable housing as well as emotional support during a trial.
The event was developed and organized by the Victim Witness Assistance Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Members of the Unit provide essential services and support to victims and witnesses, such as making referrals for counseling and other services, addressing safety concerns, and accompanying victims to court proceedings. The Unit also notifies victims of their rights and provides information regarding significant case events, such as the filing of charges, plea hearings, trials and sentencing hearings.
Additional information about the Victim Witness Assistance Unit is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/victim-witness-assistance
Further information about National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is available at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.
NOTE: This event is open to the press. It will take place in the old Council Chambers of the One Judiciary Square Building, 441 Fourth Street NW. All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials. Media check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Bill Miller at 202-252-6643 or James Perez at 202-252-6608.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Attacking Girlfriend During ArgumentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Charles, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a six-year prison term for a vicious assault on his girlfriend last fall that left her in a coma for months, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Charles pled guilty in February 2016, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of aggravated assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable Todd E. Edelman. Following his prison term, Charles will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 19, 2015, Charles got into an argument with his girlfriend at the apartment they shared in Southeast Washington. The argument began in the bedroom, but was loud enough so that the victim’s daughter, who was inside the apartment with a friend at the time, could hear the yelling. As the argument ensued, the victim left the bedroom and walked out to the balcony.
When she reached the balcony, the victim tossed Charles’s clothes over the side and onto the ground below. She then immediately sat down in a chair on the balcony. Charles followed the victim out to the balcony, walked over to the edge, looked over and saw his clothes, and then turned to the victim and punched her in the face multiple times. Following the assault on the balcony, he and the victim made their way into the apartment, at which point, the argument and physical struggle continued. Charles punched the victim repeatedly until she lost consciousness. At some point during the altercation, the victim hit her head on a table. Charles, however, continued punching her even after she had fallen into the table and was unconscious.
Charles attempted to clean up the scene before he left the apartment. He did not call police before leaving. A witness called 911. At the hospital, the victim was unconscious and unresponsive. Two months after her arrival in the hospital, the victim slowly began to awaken from her coma. She is still recovering from the attack.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch as well as officers and detectives from the Seventh District. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the D.C. Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services and the U.S. Marshals Service. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Paralegal Specialists Zekiah Wright, Debra Joyner, and Tierra Nanches; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard DiZinno. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Eckert and Jessica Brooks, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Singapore Man Extradited to United States in Connection with Plot Involving Exports to Iran of U.S. Components Later Found in Bombs in IraqRead the Press Release
Defendant Extradited from Indonesia
Lim Yong Nam, aka Steven Lim, 42, a citizen of Singapore, has been extradited from Indonesia to stand trial in the District of Columbia on charges of taking part in a conspiracy that allegedly caused thousands of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the United States to Iran, at least 16 of which were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq.
The extradition was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Director Sarah Saldaña of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Executive Assistant Director Michael Steinbach of the FBI’s National Security Branch and Under Secretary Eric L. Hirschhorn of the Commerce.
Lim had been detained in Indonesia since October 2014 in connection with a U.S. request for extradition. He is to make his initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. EDT before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson of the District of Columbia. Lim was indicted on June 23, 2010, and faces one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of smuggling, one count of illegal export of goods from the United States to Iran, one count of making false statements to the United States government and one count of making false statements to law enforcement.
“The indictment alleges that Lim conspired to defraud the United States and defeat our export controls by sending U.S.-origin components to Iran instead of their stated final destination of Singapore,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Several of those components ultimately ended up in unexploded improvised devices in Iraq. This case, including the successful extradition of Lim, demonstrates our efforts to vigorously pursue and bring to justice those who threaten our national security.”
“Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement here and abroad, Lim Yong Nam will now appear in an American courtroom to face charges involving the illegal export of sensitive technology,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “As alleged in the indictment, the parts at issue here wound up in Iran and then on the battlefields in Iraq. The extradition of this defendant demonstrates our commitment to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who violate our export controls and threaten our nation’s security.”
“Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have injured or killed thousands of military service members overseas,” said Director Saldaña. “The U.S.-made products Lim is accused of illegally exporting were found in several of the devices used against America’s warfighters. After a long investigative process, Lim is back on U.S. soil to answer for his actions.”
“The illegal export of restricted U.S. technology is extremely harmful to our national security,” said Executive Assistant Director Steinbach. “In this case the technology had lethal applications and was used in improvised explosive devices in Iraq which endangered U.S. and coalition forces. This investigation was a coordinated effort by many agency partners and shows our determination to identify and bring to justice all those who steal sensitive technology.”
“The extradition of Lim Yong Nam highlights the significant cooperation of U.S. law enforcement agencies and our international partners to pursue and prosecute those who pose a threat to our national security, especially to U.S. service members overseas,” said Under Secretary Hirschhorn. “I commend the outstanding efforts of all of the agencies involved in the case.”
According to a superseding indictment that was returned against Lim and other defendants on Sept. 15, 2010, IEDs were the major source of American combat casualties in Iraq. The conspiracy alleged in the indictment involved radio frequency modules that have several commercial applications, including in wireless local area networks connecting printers and computers in office settings. These modules include encryption capabilities and have a range allowing them to transmit data wirelessly as far as 40 miles when configured with a high-gain antenna. These same modules also have potentially lethal applications. Notably, during 2008 and 2009, coalition forces in Iraq recovered numerous modules, all made by the same Minnesota firm, that had been utilized as part of the remote detonation system for IEDs.
The superseding indictment alleges that between June 2007 and February 2008, Lim and others caused 6,000 modules to be purchased and illegally exported from the Minnesota-based company through Singapore, and later to Iran, in five shipments, knowing that the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran was a violation of U.S. law. In each transaction, Lim and others made misrepresentations and false statements to the Minnesota firm that Singapore was the final destination of the goods. Similarly, according to the superseding indictment, Lim and others caused false documents to be filed with the U.S. government, in which they claimed that Singapore was the ultimate destination of the modules. At the time of these activities, Lim and others were allegedly communicating with one another about U.S. laws prohibiting the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran. However, in November 2009, Lim told U.S. authorities that he had never participated in illicit exports to Iran, the superseding indictment alleges.
The superseding indictment alleges that several of the 6,000 modules the defendants routed from Minnesota to Iran were later discovered by coalition forces in Iraq, where the modules were being used as part of IED remote detonation systems. In May 2008, December 2008, April 2009 and July 2010, coalition forces found at least 16 of these modules in unexploded IEDs recovered in Iraq, the indictment alleges.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This investigation was jointly conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Boston and Los Angeles; FBI agents in Minneapolis; and Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security agents in Chicago and Boston. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, particularly the Justice Department Attaché in the Philippines, as well as the FBI and HSI Attachés in Jakarta and Singapore.
U.S. law enforcement authorities thanked the governments of Singapore and Indonesia for the substantial assistance that was provided in the investigation of this matter.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie Edelstein of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Lim et al Superseding Indictment
Singapore Man Extradited to United States in Connection with Plot Involving Exports to Iran of U.S. Components Later Found in Bombs in IraqRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lim Yong Nam, aka Steven Lim, 42, a citizen of Singapore, has been extradited from Indonesia to stand trial in the District of Columbia on charges of taking part in a conspiracy that allegedly caused thousands of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the United States to Iran, at least 16 of which were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq.
The extradition was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Director Sarah Saldaña of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Executive Assistant Director Michael Steinbach of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and Under Secretary of Commerce Eric L. Hirschhorn.
Lim had been detained in Indonesia since October 2014 in connection with a U.S. request for extradition. He is to make his initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. today in federal court in the District of Columbia, where he was indicted on June 23, 2010. Lim faces one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of smuggling, one count of illegal export of goods from the United States to Iran, one count of making false statements to the United States government and one count of making false statements to law enforcement.
“The indictment alleges that Lim conspired to defraud the United States and defeat our export controls by sending U.S.-origin components to Iran instead of their stated final destination of Singapore,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Several of those components ultimately ended up in unexploded improvised devices in Iraq. This case, including the successful extradition of Lim, demonstrates our efforts to vigorously pursue and bring to justice those who threaten our national security.”
“Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement here and abroad, Lim Yong Nam will now appear in an American courtroom to face charges involving the illegal export of sensitive technology,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “As alleged in the indictment, the parts at issue here wound up in Iran and then on the battlefields in Iraq. The extradition of this defendant demonstrates our commitment to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who violate our export controls and threaten our nation’s security.”
“Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have injured or killed thousands of military service members overseas. The U.S.-made products Mr. Lim is accused of illegally exporting were found in several of the devices used against America’s warfighters,” said ICE Director Saldaña. “After a long investigative process, Mr. Lim is back on U.S. soil to answer for his actions.”
“The illegal export of restricted U.S. technology is extremely harmful to our national security,” said Executive Assistant Director Steinbach of the FBI's National Security Branch. “In this case the technology had lethal applications and was used in improvised explosive devices in Iraq which endangered U.S. and coalition forces. This investigation was a coordinated effort by many agency partners and shows our determination to identify and bring to justice all those who steal sensitive technology.”
“The extradition of Lim Yong Nam highlights the significant cooperation of U.S. law enforcement agencies and our international partners to pursue and prosecute those who pose a threat to our national security, especially to U.S. service members overseas,” said Under Secretary Hirschhorn. “I commend the outstanding efforts of all of the agencies involved in the case.”
According to a superseding indictment that was returned against Lim and other defendants on Sept. 15, 2010, IEDs were the major source of American combat casualties in Iraq. The conspiracy alleged in the indictment involved radio frequency modules that have several commercial applications, including in wireless local area networks connecting printers and computers in office settings. These modules include encryption capabilities and have a range allowing them to transmit data wirelessly as far as 40 miles when configured with a high-gain antenna. These same modules also have potentially lethal applications. Notably, during 2008 and 2009, coalition forces in Iraq recovered numerous modules made by the Minnesota firm that had been utilized as part of the remote detonation system for IEDs.
The superseding indictment alleges that between June 2007 and February 2008, Lim and others caused 6,000 modules to be purchased and illegally exported from the Minnesota-based company through Singapore, and later to Iran, in five shipments, knowing that the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran was a violation of U.S. law. In each transaction, Lim and others made misrepresentations and false statements to the Minnesota firm that Singapore was the final destination of the goods. Similarly, according to the superseding indictment, Lim and others caused false documents to be filed with the U.S. government, in which they claimed that Singapore was the ultimate destination of the modules. At the time of these activities, Lim and others were allegedly communicating with one another about U.S. laws prohibiting the export of U.S.-origin goods to Iran. However, in November 2009, Lim told U.S. authorities that he had never participated in illicit exports to Iran, the superseding indictment alleges.
The superseding indictment alleges that several of the 6,000 modules the defendants routed from Minnesota to Iran were later discovered by coalition forces in Iraq, where the modules were being used as part of IED remote detonation systems. In May 2008, December 2008, April 2009 and July 2010, coalition forces found at least 16 of these modules in unexploded IEDs recovered in Iraq, the indictment alleges.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This investigation was jointly conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Boston and Los Angeles; FBI agents in Minneapolis, and Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security agents in Chicago and Boston. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, particularly the Justice Department Attaché in the Philippines, as well as the FBI and HSI Attachés in Singapore.
U.S. law enforcement authorities thanked the governments of Singapore and Indonesia for the substantial assistance that was provided in the investigation of this matter.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Julie Edelstein of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Tennessee Man Charged with Federal Crimes in Confrontation with Law Enforcement at U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Russell Dawson, 66, of Antioch, Tenn., was charged today with two federal offenses stemming from a confrontation with law enforcement while he was being screened on Monday, March 28, 2016 at the United States Capitol Visitor Center, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Dawson was charged in a criminal complaint with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees with a dangerous weapon, which carries a statutory maximum of 25 years in prison, and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon, which carries a statutory maximum of 30 years. He is to appear at a later date, yet to be determined, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mudd and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Charles of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Disfiguring Victim in Knife Attack in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Meguiel Jackson, 36, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of malicious disfigurement while armed for cutting a woman approximately 28 times, all over her body, with a knife in an attack that occurred at an apartment building in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Jackson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 12 years. The Honorable José M. López scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Jan. 22, 2016, Jackson entered an apartment building in the 4700 block of C Street SE. He was brought to an apartment by the victim, and she permitted him into her bedroom. Jackson became angry when the victim refused to allow him to inspect her cellular telephone to see her text messages. At one point, he said words to the effect of “I am tired of you ---,” and began to assault her. She lost consciousness. While she was unconscious, Jackson took a knife and began to cut her.
Jackson cut the victim’s body approximately 28 times all over, including her face, her chest, her back, her buttocks, and her legs. Some of the wounds were so deep that tissue was exposed. Jackson ultimately broke the knife in the process of cutting her. He then left the building later that evening. He was arrested Jan. 30, 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
The victim was found to have suffered a total of 28 wounds to the face and body. Also, during the attack, she received a broken jaw and a broken orbital bone in her face. The victim is permanently disfigured as a result of the injuries inflicted by Jackson.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District, the patrol officers who responded in a major snowstorm to the crime scene, and the crime scene officers who processed the scene. U.S. Attorney Phillips also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade; Supervisor Security Specialist Michael Hailey; Victim/Witness Security Specialist M. Laverne Forrest; and Paralegal Specialist Tierra Nanches. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Julianne Johnston, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Supervisor of D.C. Water and Sewer Authority Pleads Guilty to Conflict of Interest ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A supervisor with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority pled guilty today to a federal conflict-of-interest charge for approving permits for work applications prepared by his own private company, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Londra S. Watson, 53, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a felony charge of criminal conflict of interest. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Watson could face up to six months of incarceration and a fine. The Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, Watson started work in 1981 for the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (“D.C. Water”). At the time of the offenses, he was the agency’s supervisor of documents and permits. His responsibilities included, among other things, supervising the processing of permit applications from applicants seeking to alter and make modifications to existing plumbing connections from D.C. Water lines to existing structures.
In November of 2007, Watson started a company named Ardnol of DC LLC. Starting that month and continuing to February 2012, applicants seeking permits from D.C. Water provided checks totaling $141,066 to Watson’s company. In return, the firm was to assist them in preparing design plans, permit applications, plumbing plans, and utility plans, as well as D.C. Water “permit expediting” services. Many permit applicants were referred to Watson’s company by former clients who already had their permits approved by D.C. Water with the assistance of Ardnol of DC. Once an applicant contacted his company, Watson advised that he would draft the complete permit package, including the necessary site plans and diagrams, and assured the applicant that the permit application would comply with format requirements and protocols.
Once the applicant paid Ardnol of DC its required fee, Watson prepared the complete permit package and delivered it to the client. The client then submitted the permit application to D.C. Water for approval. In his official capacity as a supervisor in the permit office, Watson approved, directly or indirectly through his subordinates, applications and issued D.C. Water permits to a number of applicants who were clients of his company. He intentionally failed to disclose his financial interest in the company to D.C. Water.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny, Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lionel André and Michelle N. Bradford, who are prosecuting the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in New Year's Crash in Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Lloyd, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of felony assault, destruction of property, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs stemming from a car crash early Jan. 1, 2016 in downtown Washington that caused significant injuries to three people, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Lloyd pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of assault with significant bodily injury, one count of destruction of property, and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug.
In a separate case, Lloyd pled guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Honorable Zoe Bush scheduled sentencing in the cases for May 25, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 1, 2016, at about 1:30 a.m., Lloyd was driving a Chrysler 200 northbound on 17th Street NW. He struck a Honda CRV that was also driving on 17th Street. After the collision, Lloyd drove away, making a right turn onto L Street NW and driving up onto the sidewalk in front of Barcode, a bar located in the 1600 block of L Street NW. The car that he was driving struck a tree box, tree, and several pedestrians on the sidewalk before finally striking a light pole on the north side of the sidewalk.
At least 13 people were assaulted as the result of the collision; some were injured directly by the vehicle and others indirectly by flying debris. At least three people incurred significant bodily injury that required immediate hospitalization or medical treatment. After the crash, while being treated by emergency medical personnel, Lloyd stated to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) that he had two glasses of champagne.
The MPD officer smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Lloyd’s mouth and observed that Lloyd’s eyes were bloodshot. At Howard University Hospital, Lloyd admitted to drinking in the club and smoking marijuana prior to going there. At the time of testing, his alcohol concentration level was 0.20 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, which is beyond the legal limit in the District of Columbia. There was also the presence of marijuana in his blood. Lloyd has been in custody since his arrest after the crash.
The other case stemmed from a search carried out by law enforcement on Oct. 30, 2014, of Lloyd’s residence in the 6000 block of Clay Street NE. According to the government’s evidence, MPD members found significant quantities of drugs inside the residence, including bottles of liquid PCP and multiple stashes of crack cocaine. MPD members also found drug paraphernalia, suggesting the packaging and distribution of narcotics, including multiple digital scales, cutting agents, and small “zip” bags used for street-level distribution of narcotics. MPD members also found boxes of ammunition and three firearms, including two semi-automatic handguns that were found in Lloyd’s bedroom.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated each of the cases for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Earnest, Michael Romano, Thomas Saunders, and Anwar Graves who are prosecuting the cases.
District Man Pleads Guilty in Fraud Schemes Targeting Tenants at Apartment Complex He ManagedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyi Michael Tunstall, 30, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from various schemes in which he used personal identifying information from others to steal more than $75,000, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and James M. Murray, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.
At the time of these offenses, Tunstall was on probation in an earlier fraud case. He used some of the proceeds of these schemes to pay his court-ordered restitution in the earlier case.
Tunstall pled guilty on March 28, 2016 to wire fraud and obstruction of justice. He is to be sentenced June 13, 2016 by the Honorable James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely sentence of 33 to 41 months in prison. He also will be required to pay restitution and a forfeiture money judgment.
Tunstall previously pled guilty in September 2013 to a charge of mail fraud. He was sentenced in March 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to five years of probation, with special conditions that he complete six months of home confinement to be followed by 20 weekends in jail. He also was ordered to pay $61,543 in restitution in that case.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Tunstall worked from July 2014 to July 2015 for a company that managed a senior citizens’ apartment complex in Washington, D.C., first as an office assistant and later as the complex’s manager. From Sept. 8 through Oct. 27, 2015, he worked at a staffing agency that assigned him to a call center for three credit unions. He used both workplaces as a means to carry out his schemes, as outlined below:
Identity Theft and Fraud at the Apartment Complex:
In one scheme, Tunstall stole the personal identifying information of an 83-year-old resident of the complex and used the information to open multiple accounts at financial institutions from March 2015 to October 2015. He used one card multiple times, causing American Express to incur $1,785 in losses. Tunstall also placed orders on a credit account at Montgomery Ward, causing $225 in losses.
In a separate scheme, Tunstall diverted to himself at least 22 checks and money orders from tenants to the apartment complex, totaling $8,723. These checks and money orders were intended to be used for rent, cable and community room rental. Tunstall added his name to the payee and/or memo line of the checks and money orders and kept them for his personal use.
Tunstall also created 18 additional counterfeit checks, using the names of the apartment complex and two other persons whose information he obtained. Some of these checks were returned, but Tunstall eventually received $1,640.
Identity Theft and Fraud at the Call Center:
While working at the credit union call center, Tunstall accessed a credit union member’s bank accounts. He created a counterfeit check using this account information in the amount of $61,525 and deposited it into his personal bank account. He also transferred $20,000 of the victim’s money to an account that he controlled and that he had set up in the name of the 83-year-old victim.
Tunstall used $52,512 of the proceeds from these schemes to pay off his restitution balance in the earlier case at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
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In addition to these acts, while he was on probation, Tunstall made a series of false representations to his probation officer and submitted forged documents to the Court, regarding his employment and other issues. This led to a probation revocation hearing on Oct. 29, 2015. At that time, Tunstall told the Court that he was able to pay the balance of his restitution because his grandmother had provided the money. In fact, as Tunstall well knew, he used the money that he had fraudulently obtained from others to pay off the restitution balance. His probation was revoked after the hearing and he has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Special Agent in Charge Murray commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Montgomery County, Md. Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Nicole Hinson and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marston. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who is prosecuting the matter.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donald A. Essex, 68, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to 42 months in prison on a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Essex pled guilty in September 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman. Upon completion of his prison term, Essex will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a period of 15 years.
According to the government's evidence, on May 14, 2015, Essex contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, through a social network site. He continued this conversation via instant messaging with the undercover officer, who purported to be the father of an under-aged girl. Essex then began sending approximately a dozen images of child pornography. He also expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with the under-aged girl. Law enforcement soon identified the defendant and obtained arrest and search warrants.
In a search of Essex’s home at the time of his arrest on May 15, 2015, law enforcement recovered a computer, drives, and other devices. A forensic examination of those devices led to the discovery of images and videos depicting child pornography. Essex pled guilty to knowingly possessing more than 600 images of child pornography. He has been in custody since his arrest.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Fairfax County, Va., Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Joyce Arthur and Assistant Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who prosecuted the matter.
Former D.C. Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Scheme Involving PermitsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucretia R. Barksdale, a former employee of the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), pled guilty today to a federal bribery charge stemming from a scheme in which she accepted cash in return for facilitating the issuance of construction permits, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Barksdale, 51, of Oxon Hill, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of receipt of a bribe by a public official. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Barksdale faces a likely range of 12 to 18 months in prison and possible financial penalties. She is to be sentenced July 13, 2016 by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta.
According to the government’s evidence, Barksdale worked from July 2001 until June 2012 as a contact representative in DCRA’s Business License Department. She was responsible for reviewing and processing applications for various permits. In two meetings at her workstation in April and May of 2012, Barksdale accepted a total of $900 in cash from a person who was actually participating in an undercover FBI investigation. In exchange for this money, she issued two air conditioning permits and one electrical permit. In processing these permits, she did not require the person to take a number and wait in line at DCRA, which is the practice for all customers. She also falsified the requirement calling for the signature of a certified licensed tradesman who would oversee the construction. Instead, she inserted the name of a master licensed tradesman who she knew was not involved in the construction work.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kristy Penny and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lionel André and Michelle N. Bradford, who are prosecuting the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Rapes of Two StrangersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paul Williams, 32, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to raping and assaulting two women in separate attacks that took place in Northeast Washington within a three-week period in November 2014, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Both women were strangers that Williams and his accomplice, Rai-Jon Gerald, kidnapped off public sidewalks and forced into deserted areas, where Williams and Gerald sexually assaulted them. One attack took place on Thanksgiving Day.
Williams pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence between 35 and 38 years. It also requires the defendant to register as a sex offender for life upon his release. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Nov. 7, 2014, Williams and Gerald planned to rob a convenience store at 49th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. When a suspicious employee thwarted their plans, Williams and Gerald, armed with a BB gun that looked like a real handgun, walked eastbound down Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. They soon spotted a woman walking alone, whom they approached. Gerald displayed the gun to the woman, while Williams grabbed her by the hair and forced her to the ground. Williams then put the woman in a headlock and dragged her into a deserted alley near an abandoned wooded lot. There, in the dark and amidst such debris as discarded mattresses and tires, Williams and Gerald orally and vaginally raped the woman. They also robbed her of cash and phones, and Williams threatened to kill her if she reported the assault.
Three weeks later, on Nov. 27, 2014 – which was Thanksgiving Day - Williams and Gerald again met up in the early morning hours to rob the convenience store at 49th Street and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. Once again, their plans were thwarted, causing them to head down Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in search of other victims. They encountered a woman, who, like their first victim, was a complete stranger to them. Armed with a BB gun and Taser, Williams and Gerald assaulted the woman, robbing her of her purse and forcing her off the sidewalk toward tall bushes at nearby Kelly Miller Middle School. While Gerald led the way, Williams dragged the woman, repeatedly striking her in the head and face with his gun. Once behind the bushes, Williams forcibly removed the woman’s clothing and orally sexually assaulted her. Williams also attempted forced vaginal sex. Throughout, the woman fought back. In response, Williams continued to pistol whip her, as well as strike her in the face with his fists. Williams and Gerald Tasered the woman multiple times. With Williams’s assistance, Gerald also sexually assaulted the woman orally, and attempted to do so vaginally.
A neighbor heard the woman’s screams and the sounds of her being Tasered. He called the police, who quickly arrived on scene. Gerald escaped, but Williams was arrested nearby hiding in a yard. Williams has been in custody since his arrest.
Gerald, 20, also of Washington, D.C., was identified and arrested two months later, and he earlier pled guilty to first-degree sexual abuse, attempted first-degree sexual Abuse, and two counts of robbery. He is awaiting sentencing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Division, the patrol officers who responded, and the crime scene officers who processed both crime scenes. He thanked the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners who examined the victims shortly after the assaults, the FBI’s Footwear Examiners, the forensic biologists and DNA analysts at Bode Cellmark Forensics and the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, and Teel Technologies, which performed forensic analysis of the defendant’s phone.
U.S. Attorney Phillips also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughn; Paralegal Specialists Jessica Moffatt and Joyce Arthur; Legal Assistant Brendan Conye; Criminal Investigation Unit Investigator John Marsh; Information Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Aneela Bhatia, Paul Howell, and Joshua Ellen; Investigative Analyst William Hamann, Witness Security Specialist Michael Hailey; current and former interns Allison Denton, Stephanie Dinan, Emma McArthur, and Marissa Moshell; former Paralegal Specialist Chantal Corrigan; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morgan, and Assistant U.S Attorney Jodi Lazarus, who assisted with the initial investigation of the case.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John L. Hill and Kara Traster, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Series of Threats Against Metro Transit SystemRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerez Nehemiah Coleman, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from an investigation into a series of calls he made falsely warning of various threats to the Metro transit system, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Coleman, also known as Kidd Cole and Jerez Nehemiah Stone-Coleman, was arrested on May 27, 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He pled guilty on Dec. 18, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of making threats involving explosive materials. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a sentence ranging from time served to up to 27 months in prison. Following his prison term, Coleman will be placed on three years of supervised release.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Mehta cited the severity of the conduct, noting that the 911 calls “involved threats to conduct innate acts of extraordinary violence, detonating bombs, snipers firing on Metro passengers, suicide bombers boarding buses, threats to kill the President of the United States … They most certainly were intended to cause bedlam and disruption.”
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Coleman placed over 300 calls to 911 from December 2014 to May 2015. Multiple law enforcement agencies -- including the Metro Transit Police, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the U.S. Secret Service -- responded to these calls and provided security at the various scenes. These threat and/or hoax calls caused law enforcement to spend hundreds of hours ensuring the public was safe.
In one such call, for example, made on Dec. 12, 2014, Coleman called 911 to report that he and his friends had bombs and were on a Metrobus at the Potomac Avenue Metro station in Southeast Washington. During the call, Coleman stated, “We are going to blow the entire whole bus…everybody is going to die in ten minutes…” This call prompted an immediate emergency response. MPD and Metro Transit Police were diverted from other duties and dispatched, emergency lights on and sirens blaring, to the scene. MPD arrived first and established a perimeter around the bus. There were about 20 passengers on board. When Metro Transit Police officers arrived, they evacuated the passengers. They searched each seat of the bus, the wheel wells, the undercarriage, and the exhaust pipes. Throughout this search, the bus was out of service. After the thorough investigation, police determined that the 911 call was a hoax.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Metro Transit Police Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metro Transit Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, the 911 Office of Unified Communications, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and other law enforcement agencies. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jorge Casillas, Jessica Moffatt, and Todd McClelland; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morgan. Finally, they commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah A. Curtis, John L. Hill and John Marston, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Murder of Man in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominique Holmes, 25, and Gregory Smithwick, 23, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms of 28 years and six years, respectively, after earlier pleading guilty to charges stemming from the murder of a man in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Both men pled guilty in January 2016 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Holmes pled guilty to one charge of second-degree murder while armed as well as a charge of armed robbery in an unrelated case. Smithwick pled guilty to acting as an accessory after the fact to armed carjacking in a crime leading up to the murder.
The guilty pleas, which were contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for prison sentences of between 25 and 30 years for Holmes and between five and eight years for Smithwick. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Upon completion of their prison terms, the men will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 10, 2014 at approximately 6:30 a.m., Holmes carried out a carjacking in the 2000 block of 37th Street SE. Holmes picked up Smithwick almost immediately after the carjacking. Smithwick got into the driver’s seat and drove away, helping Holmes escape from the area. Approximately 40 minutes after the carjacking, Holmes arrived in the carjacked vehicle in the 100 block of Ivanhoe Street SW. Holmes went up to the apartment unit of the victim, Ricky Kelly. Mr. Kelly, 29, was about to take his children to school, and they were in his car parked just outside of the apartment building. Mr. Kelly was alone inside the apartment. Holmes shot Mr. Kelly nine times with a 9mm handgun inside his apartment. He and Smithwick then fled the scene in the carjacked vehicle.
Shortly after the murder, the carjacked vehicle was spotted, and Smithwick and Holmes led officers on a high-speed chase that ended near Alabama Avenue and 32nd Place SE. Holmes and Smithwick were both immediately arrested.
The armed robbery charge stems from an attack carried out by Holmes early Sept. 27, 2014, in the area of 41st Street and Alabama Avenue SE. The victim was walking toward his parked car. Holmes, who was carrying what appeared to be a firearm, approached the man and demanded that he empty his pockets. The victim turned over his iPhone, some cash, and the keys to the vehicle. Holmes then drove away in the car with the victim’s belongings.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives, officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels; Victim/Witness Advocates M. Laverne Forrest, Wanda Queen, and Marcia Rinker; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Rickard and Lauren Bates, who provided appellate guidance, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendra Briggs, Richard DiZinno, and Jeffrey Nestler, who prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Two Women in Back-to-Back Attacks Near Foggy Bottom Metro PlazaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mustapha Kone, 48, who has no fixed address, pled guilty today to kidnapping and other charges stemming from separate attacks against two young women near the Foggy Bottom Metro station in the fall of 2014, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.
Kone pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of kidnapping, threats, and assault. He is to be sentenced on May 27, 2016 by the Honorable Florence Pan. The charges carry a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 19, 2014, at about 3:30 a.m., one of the victims was sitting on a bench in the above-ground plaza near the Foggy Bottom Metro station, in the 2300 block of I Street NW. The defendant – a total stranger – approached the woman and told her that he wanted her to come with him into the nearby bushes as he had something that he wanted to show her. When she declined, Kone grabbed her and tried to pull her into the bushes. She resisted, and Kone told her that if she tried to leave, he would kill her. She began to scream, and Kone let go of her. She then ran to her nearby residence and called 911 to report the assault.
Meanwhile, Kone walked further west in that same plaza, where he encountered the second victim, another total stranger. He walked up to her and told her that he wanted to have sex with her. He then knocked the woman to the ground and got on top of her. Unable to get away, she began to scream. A group of nearby Good Samaritans then came to her aid, yelling at Kone to get off of her. He did, and began to flee down New Hampshire Avenue, toward the Watergate complex. Two of the Good Samaritans gave chase, calling 911 as they pursued him.
Kone ran behind a bush or tree in front of one of the nearby apartment buildings. The two Good Samaritans stood watch, urging the 911 operator to get the police to their location quickly before Kone could flee again. While those two young men remained, keeping an eye on Kone, campus police from George Washington University arrived and arrested the defendant.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of police from the George Washington University, who initially apprehended the defendant; and of detectives from MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit, which investigated the case. He also commended the bravery and willingness to become involved of the Good Samaritans who came to the aid of the victims.
U.S. Attorney Phillips also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Kennedy and Mark Aziz, Paralegal Specialists Michelle Chambers and D’Yvonne Key, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of 13-Year-Old DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 34-year-old man from Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to 22 years in prison on a charge of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances for sexually abusing his 13-year-old daughter, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in November 2015 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between 9 ½ and 23 years. The Honorable Jennifer Anderson accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, the man will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 10 years upon his release.
According to the government’s evidence, the abuse occurred between July 19 and July 27, 2014 in Southeast Washington. The defendant, who is the victim’s father, was watching television with her in the defendant’s room. The defendant removed the victim’s pants and underwear, and sexually assaulted her. Afterwards, he apologized to the victim, promising that he wouldn’t sexually abuse her again.
The defendant, who left the Washington, D.C. area, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in New York City on Sept. 10, 2015. He admitted having had sex with the victim. He also wrote the victim an apology letter, asking her to forgive him.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division and of the Deputy U.S. Marshals based in New York. He also commended the efforts of staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Child Forensic Interview Specialists Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Paralegal Specialist Joyce Arthur, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John L. Hill, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Stabbing His Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donta Winslow, 33 of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for stabbing his ex-girlfriend last summer while they were in her car in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Winslow pled guilty in November 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence within the range of 13 to 16 years. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the plea today and sentenced Winslow accordingly. After his prison term, Winslow will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Winslow was previously in a romantic relationship with the victim. She had ended the romantic relationship, however. In the late morning of Aug. 14, 2015, Winslow approached and then got into the victim’s car. At one point, near the intersection of 46th and Meade Streets NE, Winslow forced the victim to pull the car onto a curb. The victim was in the driver’s seat, and Winslow was in the passenger seat.
Winslow took out a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times in the body, including in the back of her neck, back, and chest. The victim was curled down, facing forward in the seat, when Winslow stabbed her. A witness approached the car and confronted Winslow, causing him to get out of the car and run away.
When officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene, they found the victim motionless on her side. She was transported to the hospital via ambulance. She had approximately 11 stab wounds to her body, and two collapsed lungs. She was admitted to the hospital for almost two months. She has severe spinal cord damage from the stabbing that initially left her paralyzed. Through extensive physical therapy, she has regained some of her motor skills, but remains significantly impaired.
Winslow fled the scene and was apprehended in Washington, D.C., shortly after the incident. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Erica Vample and Joyce Arthur, and Victim/Witness Advocate Meshall Thomas. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting His Step-DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 42-year-old man, formerly of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to one count of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse of his 13-year-old stepdaughter, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a seven-year prison sentence. The Honorable Michael Ryan set a hearing for May 20, 2016 to determine whether the plea and sentence will be accepted.
According to the government’s evidence, sometime between May and October of 2015, the victim and her younger sibling would spend weekends at the defendant’s home in Northwest Washington On one occasion during that time-frame, the defendant told the victim to remove all of her clothes. At that time, he had a belt in his hand and threatened to beat the girl if she did not comply. Out of fear, she complied, whereupon the man sexually assaulted her. The man was arrested on Feb. 6, 2016, after the abuse came to light, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division, which investigated the case; and of personnel from Safe Shores, who forensically interviewed the victim and her younger sibling. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key; Child Forensic Interview Specialist Karen Giannakoulias, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Brooks and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Area Chiropractor Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lewis J. Levine, 59, a chiropractor who practiced in Southeast Washington, was sentenced today to five months of incarceration, to be followed by two years of supervised release, including a curfew and five months of electronic monitoring, for his role in a scheme involving fraudulent claims to the District of Columbia Medicaid program.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Levine, of Laurel, Md., pled guilty in September 2014 to a federal charge of health care fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. As part of his plea agreement, Levine must pay $50,260 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
The fraud involved D.C. Medicaid payments for home care services to be performed by personal care aides, working for home care agencies. The aides assist Medicaid beneficiaries in performing activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, keeping track of medication, and so forth. In order to be covered for such benefits, the beneficiaries must get prescriptions from physicians or advanced practice registered nurses. D.C. Medicaid only reimburses for care services if a physician determines after a physical examination that the beneficiary has functional limitations impairing activities of daily living. The prescriptions, also known as “intakes,” propose the frequency and duration of the services to be provided. The prescriptions are translated later into plans of care, also to be signed by the physician.
In the District of Columbia, a typical prescription, or “intake,” calls for eight hours of personal care services per day for five days per week, or eight hours per day for seven days per week. Over the six-month time span authorized by such a prescription, D.C. Medicaid could pay between $16,952 and $23,732 for personal care services provided to one beneficiary.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the government as well as the defendant, Levine was licensed as a chiropractor in the District of Columbia, not as a physician. He worked at the Anacostia Neck & Back Pain Center in Southeast Washington. He was not authorized to prescribe personal care services, and he was not enrolled as a provider in D.C. Medicaid.
According to the statement of offense, Levine and others carried out their scheme to defraud the D.C. Medicaid program from approximately November 2012 through February 2014. Personal care aides, working for at least eight home care agencies, brought numerous beneficiaries to Levine, and he wrote prescriptions and plans of care, listing himself as the “ordering physician,” after brief examinations; sometimes, however, he never even met the beneficiary.
Levine initially was paid $75 for each D.C. Medicaid beneficiary brought to his office by a personal care aide, but he later increased the size of the cash payments to $150. Levine’s prescriptions, or “intakes,” typically included a diagnosis such as “chronic severe back pain” and called for services for eight hours a day, seven days a week, for six months.
During the course of the fraud scheme, Levine signed hundreds of prescriptions and plans of care, and in exchange collected at least $50,260 in cash payments from D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries and personal care aides. Home care agencies used Levine’s prescriptions and plans of care to support and justify their claims for payment to Medicaid – even though the paperwork was invalid on its face because it was not prescribed or signed by a physician as required.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Radway, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dangkhoa Nguyen.
The FBI has set up a hotline number to report suspected incidents of Medicaid fraud: 855-281-1242. People can also provide information by e-mail to [email protected].
In addition to the FBI, numerous agencies are participating in broader investigations into Medicaid fraud, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); the U.S. Secret Service; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
HHS-OIG also has a hotline that can be reached at 800-HHS-TIPS or by visiting their website link at http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/index.asp
District Man Sentenced to Prison for Armed Robbery in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Mayo, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 42-month prison term for two offenses, including an armed robbery and receipt of stolen property taken during another armed robbery, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Mayo pled guilty in October 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of armed robbery and receipt of stolen property. The Honorable Todd E. Edelman sentenced him to a total of 72 months in prison, but suspended all but 42 months of the time on the condition that he successfully complete a period of probation.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015 at approximately 7:50 a.m., the victim reported that Mayo approached her after she exited her vehicle in the 1500 block of East Capitol Street SE. Mayo blocked the victim’s path, and stated, “Stop, give me your bags,” while directing her attention to the handle of the pistol that was sticking out from the right front portion of his waistband. The victim handed over her belongings, including her car keys.
Mayo fled the area, but returned several hours later to the parking lot where the victim had previously parked her vehicle. Law enforcement had been canvassing the area for the defendant, and when they attempted to stop him in his vehicle, he fled the area. He was eventually detained after he crashed the vehicle. Law enforcement recovered a black .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol from inside the vehicle, as well as some of the victim’s belongings.
The receipt of stolen property charge stems from Mayo’s possession of a cellphone stolen on April 11, 2015, during another armed robbery in Northeast Washington.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the officers, detectives, and others who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vivien Cockburn and Derrick Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the cases.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Attacking 65-Year-Old Homeless WomanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Benjamin Smalls Allen III, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on charges stemming from a brutal assault last year of a homeless 65-year-old woman with a baseball bat, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Allen was found guilty by a jury in January 2016, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (baseball bat) of a senior citizen and one count of committing the offense while he was on release in two other pending cases. The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring sentenced him to a total of 16 years in prison, but suspended seven years of that time on the condition that he later successfully complete a period of supervised probation. At sentencing, she described Allen as “a very dangerous man.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 28, 2015, at approximately 9:15 p.m., the victim was seated in front of the tarp tent that she calls home in the area of Miriam’s Kitchen, located in the 700 block of 24th Street NW. The victim was putting medication on the lower part of her stomach when Allen seated himself in front of her and started staring at her.
Wanting some privacy, she asked the defendant to move down the road. Allen refused and began verbally harassing her. She then called 911, stating that a man was threatening her. While she was still on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, the defendant announced himself by name in the background, twice stating, “Tell them my name is Benjamin Smalls Allen III.” When she completed the 911 call, Allen asked her if she had called the police and she replied that she had. At this time, Allen removed a metal baseball bat from his bag and struck the victim repeatedly with it, using overhead swings.
The woman put her hands over her head to protect herself as Allen continued to strike her in the hand, elbow and knee. An eyewitness, also homeless, saw a portion of this assault. The victim sought medical treatment a few days later and was diagnosed with a closed non-displaced fracture on her right hand. She later identified Allen as the person who assaulted her.
At sentencing, the government noted that Allen has prior convictions for assault with intent to kill, criminal sexual conduct in the third-degree, burglary and grand larceny.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy; Victim/Witness Coordinator Tonya Jones; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allessandra Stewart and Melissa Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced to Jail for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Russell J. Sveda, 70, and Richard V. Schachter, 56, of Alexandria, Virginia, were each sentenced yesterday to 15 months incarceration for their scheme to steal from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Maria L. Kelokates, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS), Washington Division, and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Both Sveda and Schachter pled guilty in October 2015 to Health Care Fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were sentenced on Thursday, March 10, 2016, by the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan. Upon completion of their prison terms, both defendants will be placed on 36 months of supervised release. They must jointly pay $257,000 to OPM and forfeit money judgments of $257,000.
According to statements of the offense, signed by the defendants as well as the government, Sveda is a former U.S. State Department employee, now retired. He is entitled to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which is the federally-funded health benefit program provided by the U.S. government for federal employees, retirees, and their eligible spouses and dependents. State Department Foreign Service employees and retirees, like Sveda, and federal employees living overseas, have the option of choosing the Foreign Service Benefit Plan of Washington, D.C., as their health insurance plan. Participants of this plan, like Sveda, pay for medical services and medications up front and then submit claims via facsimile or mail and are reimbursed by a check sent through the U.S. Postal Service or a payment electronically transferred into their bank account.
Schachter is Sveda’s spouse and acted on behalf of Sveda in demanding payments for medical insurance claims. Between February 2007 and October 2010, Sveda and Schachter submitted to the insurance carrier for the Foreign Service Benefit Plan claims for pharmaceutical items and services purportedly obtained from a German pharmacy, Stadt-Apotheke Fussen, located in Fussen, Germany. Similarly, from May 2007 through October 2012, Sveda and Schachter submitted claims for medical services Sveda allegedly obtained from various German doctors, clinics, and hospitals. Sveda’s claims used the names and addresses of various doctors, clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies, and other health care service providers, located in Germany.
Since at least 2007, Sveda and Schachter have engaged in extensive foreign travel and extended stays at spas. Government travel records — such as passport stamps and U.S. government’s records of border crossings — as well as documents obtained from airlines, ocean line operators, credit and debit card payments, and a major spa company, establish that Sveda was traveling across the Atlantic, receiving spa treatments in Massachusetts, or otherwise traveling outside of Germany on the dates when Sveda and Schachter claimed Sveda was in Germany receiving medical services from doctors, clinics, hospitals, or other health care providers. Based on information the government has received to date, $257,000 of those claimed medical services, purportedly performed in Germany, are known to be false given the dates when travel and other records establish that Sveda was not in Germany.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Inspector General Vint, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Inspector in Charge Kelokates expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents and analysts from OPM’s Office of the Inspector General and the FBI, and Postal Inspectors and analysts with the USPIS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo, Kristy Penny, John Lowell, Jessica Mundi, and Corinne Kleinman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Radway and Diane Lucas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.
Daughter of Former Federal Employees Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $700,000 in Retirement BenefitsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephanie Carethers, 47, of Capitol Heights, Md., pled guilty today to a charge of first-degree theft for taking approximately $702,000 in federal retirement pension benefits after her mother’s death, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Carethers pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She is to be sentenced on June 16, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Under the District of Columbia’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, she faces a possible sentence of six to 24 months of incarceration. Carethers also has agreed to pay restitution in an amount of $702,949.
According to the statement of the offense, signed by the defendant, OPM manages pension benefits for retired employees of the United States government. The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) is a retirement system covering federal employees who entered covered federal service before Jan. 1, 1987. Upon retirement from civil service, the federal employees covered by CSRS become CSRS annuitants and are entitled to CSRS benefits throughout their lifetimes. In addition, a CSRS annuitant has the option to elect a survivor benefit for his/her spouse; if selected, a spousal benefit allows for the annuitant’s surviving spouse to continue to receive a reduced amount of benefits throughout the spouse’s lifetime.
OPM pays retirement annuity benefits to the retired federal government employee only during his/her lifetime; payments cease upon the employee’s death. OPM pays survivor annuity benefits to the annuitant’s spouse only during his/her lifetime; payments cease upon the spouse’s death.
The defendant’s mother worked for the federal government from 1941 to 1986. From 1941 to 1945, she worked for the Executive Office of the President for Emergency Management, and then worked for the U.S. State Department from 1945 to 1986. She died on April 23, 2001. The defendant’s father also worked for the U.S. government until his retirement in June 1986. He died on March 7, 2002, surviving his wife by about one year.
Although Carethers notified Maryland’s Division of Vital Records that her mother died, she did not notify OPM. Unaware of the death, OPM paid approximately $495,967 in retirement annuity benefits from 2001 until March 2010 by way of direct deposits into a SunTrust Bank savings account solely in the name of the defendant’s parents.
Although Carethers likewise notified Maryland’s Division of Vital Records that her father died on March 7, 2002, she did not notify OPM. However, OPM learned of his death and suspended his retirement annuity benefits in July 2002. Carethers subsequently called OPM’s Office of Retirement Programs, identifying herself as the daughter. She requested that survivor annuity benefits application forms be sent to her mother, not disclosing that her mother actually was deceased. She then caused an application to be sent to OPM fraudulently requesting survivor annuity benefits for her mother; the application contained the forged signature of her mother. Because her mother was deceased, she was not eligible for survivor annuity benefits. Based on this application and unaware of the death of the defendant’s mother, OPM paid approximately $206,982 in survivor annuity benefits. These payments were directly deposited into a SunTrust Bank checking account solely in the name of the defendant’s parents.
From 2001 to 2010, Carethers used the fraudulently obtained payments that OPM sent after her mother’s death to buy items and services for herself and others.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting Inspector General Vint expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents and analysts from OPM’s Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Role in Massive Identity Theft and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal district court judge accepted a Virginia man’s guilty plea today for his involvement in a far-reaching stolen identity refund fraud scheme in which he worked with others to seek over $1.5 million in income tax refunds through the filing of fraudulent federal income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Bradley King, 35, of Fredericksburg, Va., is among approximately 19 participants in this scheme who have pleaded guilty to charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents, the overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought refunds of at least $42 million. King pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, one count of theft of public money, and one count of aiding and abetting in fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents.
The charges carry statutory maximum prison terms of 10 years, 10 years, and 15 years, respectively, as well as potential financial penalties. As part of the plea agreement, King agreed to pay $493,436 in restitution to the IRS. King also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $5,400. King is to be sentenced on May 18, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle.
According to the government’s evidence, King participated in a massive and sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. The refunds were sought for tax years 2005 through 2013, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, residents of assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, people who were willing participants in the scheme. The refunds listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.
According to documents filed with the court, King’s involvement in the scheme began in 2008 and continued through July 2015. Initially, he permitted co-conspirators to use his name, Social Security number, and residential address for the creation and submission of fraudulent income tax returns. From March 2010 through July 2015, he recruited others to provide him with means of identification for use in preparing and filing fraudulent returns. He also recruited others to permit the use of their residential addresses on fraudulent returns that he prepared and filed. King split the proceeds of the fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks with his co-conspirators. In addition, he and others used bank accounts for the negotiation of refund checks that were issued in the names of other persons. Finally, according to the court documents, he sold fraudulently obtained refund checks to another individual in June 2015.
Taking together the losses generated by the use of residential addresses and bank accounts under his control, including checks associated with his co-conspirators, King was responsible for the filing of approximately 444 fraudulent returns that sought more than $1.5 million. These actions led to a total actual loss of approximately $493,436 to the U.S. Treasury, based on the negotiation of a total of 153 U.S. Treasury checks listing addresses under his control and/or negotiated by his recruits.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski, Inspector in Charge Kelokates and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended those who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein and Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo and Julie Dailey. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender and Thomas F. Koelbl and former Trial Attorney Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10-Year Prison Term for Shootings That Targeted Two Off-Duty Metropolitan Police OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Romeo T. Hayes, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison on charges stemming from the Aug. 13, 2014 shooting of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Detective Thurman Stallings, and the attempted shooting of MPD Officer Shaquinta Gaines, both of whom were off-duty at the time. His brother, Ronald J. Hayes, Jr., also known as “Rocky,” 21, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 16 months of incarceration for related offenses. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Under what is known as the Alford doctrine, Romeo Hayes pled guilty on Nov. 4, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to eight felonies and one misdemeanor. Specifically, he pled guilty to one count of assault with intent to kill stemming from the shooting of Detective Stallings; one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (gun) stemming from the attempted shooting of Officer Gaines; one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during or to facilitate a crime of violence; three counts of felony destruction of property; one count of fleeing from a law enforcement officer, and one count of misdemeanor destruction of property. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. His guilty plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a 10-year prison sentence. The Honorable Jennifer Anderson accepted the plea today. Following his prison term, Romeo Hayes will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Ronald Hayes, Jr., who otherwise is serving a 12-year sentence for two counts of vehicular manslaughter in Prince George’s County, Md., pled guilty to one count of tampering with physical evidence, a felony. In accepting his guilty plea and the plea agreement on which it was based, Judge Anderson sentenced Ronald. Hayes, Jr. to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, to be run concurrently with the sentence he is presently serving in Prince George’s County. Ronald Hayes, Jr., has a projected long-term release date in Maryland in 2025. If he seeks early parole in Maryland, the guilty plea and sentencing in the District of Columbia could be used to argue for his continued detention.
“The sentencing in this case holds Romeo Hayes accountable for shooting at two off-duty police officers, taking them by surprise while they were driving in their privately owned vehicles on major streets in Southeast Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “It is fortunate that Detective Stallings, who was shot four times, was not more seriously wounded and that Officer Gaines somehow escaped injury. The sentencing also holds Ronald Hayes, Jr. accountable for his efforts to conceal his brother’s involvement in these senseless but serious and violent crimes.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Tuesday night, Aug. 12, 2014, Romeo Hayes and Ronald Hayes, Jr., together with several other individuals, were at a home in Glenarden, Md. Romeo Hayes was consuming tequila and also taking drugs known as “Mollies,” a toxic mixture of laboratory-created or synthetic chemicals that stimulates the central nervous system and causes euphoric highs similar to those created by ecstasy.
At some point, Romeo Hayes indicated that he wanted to go to a nightclub known as the Opera Ultra Lounge, in the 1400 block of I Street NW. Accordingly, in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, 2014, Romeo Hayes and another individual left the home to head to the nightclub. Romeo Hayes drove there in a red 2013 Nissan Altima that he knew recently had been stolen from a rental car agency at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Video footage from the nightclub captured Romeo Hayes and his companion entering the nightclub at about 12:50 a.m.
Video footage also captured Romeo Hayes and his companion leaving the Opera nightclub at approximately 2:24 a.m. Because Romeo Hayes had been drinking alcohol, and had consumed drugs known as “Mollies,” as well as some marijuana, the individual who was with Romeo Hayes obtained the car keys to the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima and assumed the role as driver. Romeo Hayes sat in the front passenger seat. Romeo Hayes had a black Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine in the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima.
The individual who was with Romeo Hayes started to drive back to the house in Glenarden, Md. As the individual drove outbound on Suitland Parkway in Southeast Washington, in the right lane, just before the exit for Alabama Avenue SE, at about 2:47 a.m., Romeo Hayes fired two or three gunshots from the window adjacent to the front passenger seat. The gunshots were directed at a white Nissan Maxima occupied by Officer Gaines, who was in the left lane and who was off-duty at the time and driving home. One of the bullets fired by Romeo Hayes struck the white Nissan Maxima, causing substantial damage to the car.
Thereafter, with Officer Gaines following behind, the individual who was with Romeo Hayes sped off and drove to Southern Avenue, where – in the left lane – he came to a stop light at the intersection of Southern and Pennsylvania Avenues SE. In the right lane, also at the stop light, was Detective Stallings, who was alone in a GMC Yukon Denali, and who was off-duty but on his way to work. From the front passenger seat, Romeo Hayes fired multiple gunshots at Detective Stallings, striking him with a bullet in the left forearm and inflicting significant damage to the driver-side of the GMC Yukon Denali.
Wounded, Detective Stallings rammed the red 2013 Nissan Altima in an effort to disable it and to prevent the shooter and any other occupants from escaping. When that occurred, the stolen red Nissan Altima pivoted in front of the GMC Yukon Denali. Romeo Hayes fired an additional volley of shots at Detective Stallings, striking him three additional times in the chest and shoulder area, and also damaging the windshield behind which he sat.
At the urging of Romeo Hayes, the individual who was with him managed to drive off. He turned left off of Southern Avenue onto Massachusetts Avenue. There, in the 4200 block of Massachusetts Avenue SE, just off of Southern Avenue SE, Romeo Hayes again began to shoot at the white Nissan Maxima occupied by off-duty Officer Gaines, who had been following them, who had reported the license tag number for the stolen red Nissan Altima to a 9-1-1 call-taker, and who had witnessed the collision between the Altima and the GMC Yukon Denali at the intersection of Southern and Pennsylvania Avenues SE.
After this third and last shooting, the individual who was with Romeo Hayes drove rapidly back to the house in Glenarden. He parked near that residence and ran inside, followed by Romeo Hayes. Inside the residence were Ronald Hayes, Jr., and several other individuals. The individual who was with Romeo Hayes quietly told Ronald Hayes, Jr., about the shootings, and expressed concern that Romeo Hayes fired gunshots for no apparent reason and may have killed someone. He also gave Ronald Hayes, Jr., the keys to the red 2013 Nissan Altima
Romeo Hayes gave the Glock 17 9mm pistol with the extended magazine to his brother, who quickly concealed – and later hid – the gun. Romeo Hayes and Ronald Hayes, Jr., then began to argue. Their voices were elevated and firm. Ronald Hayes, Jr., demanded to know exactly what Romeo Hayes had done, and why. For his part, Romeo Hayes demanded the car keys for the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima. Romeo Hayes said he wanted to purchase some gasoline and “blow the car up,” to degrade and devalue it as evidence. Following several minutes of loud argument, Romeo Hayes obtained the car keys from his brother.
Romeo Hayes then left and ran back to the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima, which had suffered significant damage on the passenger side when it was rammed by the GMC Yukon Denali driven by Detective Stallings. Romeo Hayes drove off, and soon was spotted and followed by the police. Multiple police units, including MPD officers, Prince George’s County Police Department officers, and a United States Park Police helicopter, were involved in the pursuit of the stolen red Nissan Altima. Romeo Hayes drove at a high rate of speed, and attempted to elude the police during this pursuit.
The pursuit came to an end in the 5500 block of Hunt Place NE, between 3:45 a.m. and 4 a.m., where Romeo Hayes ultimately was arrested. He has been in custody ever since. Ronald Hayes, Jr., was added as a defendant when the indictment was returned on May 12, 2015. He was arrested that same night.
In announcing the acceptance of the guilty pleas and the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Sixth and Seventh Police Districts of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the work of the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the helicopter unit of the U.S. Park Police. As well, U.S. Attorney Phillips expressed appreciation of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigators Derek Starliper, Durand Odom, and Mark Crawford; Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner; Investigative Analysts Shannon Alexis and Zachary McMenamin; Shawn Slade and Juanita Harris, of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine, Karen P. Seifert, John Marston, Lindsey Merikas, and Jessica Brooks. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Brittin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office Honors 200 Officers and Agents for Outstanding Work in Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office tonight honored about 200 law enforcement officers, agents and investigators for their outstanding work on dozens of cases that led to the convictions of murderers, terrorists, sexual predators, drug dealers, and other criminals. The event, at the Cannon House Office Building, drew a large crowd of prosecutors and others from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as leaders of numerous law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips said the Office’s 33rd Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recognized the exceptional work performed by honorees on a wide variety of investigations, including those involving violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and public corruption and national security matters. The efforts represent only a small portion of the remarkable work performed by law enforcement on behalf of the community.
“The many men and women being honored tonight exemplify the professionalism, dedication and commitment to public service shown by law enforcement throughout our community each and every day,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Their work has led to the arrest and prosecution of criminals operating here and overseas. This ceremony is a way to express our appreciation to the officers and agents on the front lines of justice.”
The ceremony honored the achievements of people from 20 agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI=s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement partners. Their efforts led to convictions in nearly 50 cases that had an impact locally, nationally, and internationally.
The honorees included a team from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Montgomery County, Md. Police Department that conducted the investigation of Eric Justin Toth, a former private school teacher and camp counselor who ultimately pled guilty to federal child pornography and other charges. Toth left Washington, D.C., in 2008, amid an investigation that began with the discovery of pornographic images on a school camera that had been in his possession. He was apprehended in 2013 in Nicaragua, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A team of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department was honored for the apprehension of a man responsible for a shooting on a busy public street that killed one man and wounded another. Bernard Fleming is now serving a 35-year prison sentence for shooting the victims on July 7, 2012 in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW. Ballistics evidence indicated that Fleming fired at least 11 shots at the group. The gunfire killed Michael Jones, 30.
Another MPD team was recognized for work leading to the arrests of the three men responsible for the Aug. 17, 2012 attack of a man in a robbery near the Eastern Market. One of the defendants, Tommy Branch, struck the victim in the head, causing a splintering fracture to his skull. The men stole the victim’s iPhone, keys, and a credit card, and then fled.
The ceremony also recognized an FBI team that conducted an 18-month-long investigation that led to the dismantling of a major cocaine distribution network in the Washington, D.C. area. The investigation led to large seizures of cocaine, firearms and cash, and the prosecution of 27 people connected to the drug operation. One of the key suppliers, Darnell Antonio Parker, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for his role in the network.
Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office honored agents and officers from several law enforcement agencies who responded on Sept. 16, 2013 to reports of an active shooter at the Washington Navy Yard. The gunman, Aaron Alexis, killed 12 people and wounded four others before he was fatally shot in a confrontation with law enforcement. The honorees included agents and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Naval Support Activity, Washington; the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Park Police.
Four Teenagers Sentenced to Prison Terms for Series of Armed Robberies and CarjackingsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four members of a violent crew, ages 16 through 18 and all from Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms on charges stemming from a series of armed robberies and carjackings that occurred in April 2015, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.
Between April 5 and April 30, 2015, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to commit armed robberies and carjackings. The criminal activities included armed robberies throughout the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Police Districts, as well as in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, Maryland. The defendants typically targeted convenience stores and taxicab drivers, wore masks and similar clothing, and used stolen cars to commit their crimes.
All told, the crimes included six robberies of various 7-Eleven stores in the District of Columbia and District Heights, Md.; the robbery of a restaurant in Northeast Washington; one armed carjacking in the District of Columbia and another in Temple Hills, Md.; two armed robberies of taxi drivers in the District of Columbia; and two high-speed chases throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Through an extensive law enforcement investigation, the defendants were identified and taken into custody. On June 15, 2015, a grand jury returned a 24-count indictment. All four defendants pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in September 2015.
The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring sentenced the defendants on Feb. 26, 2016.
Kraig Brown, 17, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on two counts of armed robbery, one count of robbery, and two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle to facilitate a crime of violence. The Court suspended two years of Brown’s prison sentence on the condition that he completes a period of supervision.
Dayquan Gore, 18, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on one count of armed robbery, two counts of robbery, and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle to facilitate a crime of violence. The Court suspended two years of Gore’s prison sentence on the condition that he completes a period of supervision.
Deangelo Johnson, 16, was sentenced to an 8 ½-year prison term on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle to facilitate a crime of violence.
Davon Sullivan, 18, was sentenced to seven years in prison on one count of armed robbery and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle to facilitate a crime of violence. The Court suspended three years of the prison time on the condition that Sullivan successfully completes a period of supervision.
All defendants were under 18 at the time they committed the crimes, and were charged as adults given the serious nature of their crimes.
At a three-hour sentencing hearing, Judge Josey-Herring heard tearful statements from the victims, including one who had suffered post-traumatic stress after being held up by the defendants. She stated that the defendants either lacked “empath[y]” or were “desperate or greedy.” Ultimately, she declared, they were “victims of [their] own foolishness and bravado.”
As part of their plea agreements, the defendants admitted participating in various crimes, including these incidents:
- Armed Robbery of Senior Citizen/Taxicab Driver, April 7, 2015: Brown, Johnson, and Gore pled guilty to crimes arising out of the armed robbery of a taxicab driver. On April 7, 2015, at approximately 10:10 p.m., in the 3500 block of Park Place NW, Brown, Johnson, and Gore were operating a Ford Fusion, which had been stolen two days earlier during a carjacking in Temple Hills, Md. They pulled up on the taxicab driver, who is a senior citizen, and approached him wearing face masks and armed with a black firearm or imitation. They trapped the victim, and he fell over trying to escape. Brown grabbed the victim’s Samsung tablet from him. The defendants all fled in the waiting Ford Fusion, which crashed into another vehicle 10 minutes later at Fifth and Florida Avenues NE. The defendants all fled on foot.
-Armed Robbery of 7-Eleven, April 21, 2015: Brown and Gore pled guilty to crimes arising out of the armed robbery of a 7-Eleven in the 4400 block of Benning Road NE. On April 21, 2015, in the early morning hours, Brown and Gore, along with a third individual, entered the store. Gore jumped over the counter and demanded that the store clerks open the cash registers. He pointed a black pistol or imitation gun at one of the clerks. The three robbers stole money, cigarettes, and cigarillos, fled the store, and were immediately picked up by a waiting, dark-colored, four-door sedan.
- Armed Carjacking of a Newspaper Delivery Man, April 21, 2015: Gore pled guilty to crimes arising from an armed carjacking that also occurred on April 21, 2015, at 4:07 a.m., minutes after the 7-Eleven armed robbery, in the 1900 block of R Street SE. The dark-colored, four-door sedan containing the perpetrators pulled onto the block and stopped near an idling tan Hyundai Santa Fe. The owner of the Santa Fe was delivering the morning newspaper to houses on the street and had stepped away to deliver some of the papers. One individual got out of the four-door sedan and attempted to enter the Hyundai Santa Fe. The victim saw this, and immediately ran back over to the car, grabbed the perpetrator and punched him in the face.
Thereafter, another individual exited the sedan and pointed a pistol at the victim. The victim ran and ducked for cover. All of the perpetrators fled the scene, some in the sedan and some in the Santa Fe. The stolen Hyundai Santa Fe was then used by the defendants to commit other armed robberies and eventually led police on a high speed chase throughout Washington, D.C. and into Prince George’s County, Md., during which the Santa Fe was crashed and abandoned. Gore was arrested the same day.
- Armed Robbery of 7-Eleven, April 30, 2015: Brown, Johnson, and Sullivan pled guilty to the armed robbery of another 7-Eleven, this one in the 300 block of Hawaii Avenue NE. On April 30, 2015, at approximately 2:40 a.m., the defendants arrived at the 7-Eleven in a black Chrysler 300, which had been stolen two days earlier during an armed robbery of yet another 7-Eleven store in Prince George’s County, Md. The defendants entered the convenience store wearing black face masks. Brown trained a silver pistol or imitation on the store clerks, while Johnson and Sullivan jumped over the counter, took money out of the cash register, and stole cigarettes and cigarillos. All three fled into the waiting black Chrysler 300.
- Armed Robbery of 7-Eleven, April 30, 2015: Brown, Johnson, and Sullivan pled guilty to crimes arising out of a second armed robbery on April 30, 2015 – this time at the 7-Eleven in the 1900 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. At 2:55 a.m., the defendants, wearing identical clothes and face masks, entered the store armed with the same silver pistol or imitation. Brown again pointed a silver pistol at the store clerk and demanded he open the cash register. Johnson jumped over the counter and emptied the contents of the cash register. Sullivan first robbed a customer, and then jumped the counter and grabbed multiple packs of Newport cigarettes. All three fled the scene in the black Chrysler 300.
Later in the day on April 30, Brown and Johnson were in the Chrysler 300 when it led police on a high-speed chase throughout Washington, D.C. and Maryland. Brown was driving and eventually crashed the car, causing serious damage.
Gore was arrested on April 21, 2015. Brown and Johnson were arrested on May 1, 2015.Sullivan was arrested on June 7, 2015. They have been in custody ever since. As part of the plea agreements, the government dismissed charges against the defendants involving the other crimes charged in the indictment. The investigation into other suspects is ongoing.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the officers, detectives and crime scene technicians who worked on the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Violent Crime Task Force of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which co-led the investigation, as well as the Montgomery County and Prince George’s County police departments, which provided valuable assistance. Finally, they commended the efforts of those who are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Luke M. Jones, who are prosecuting the matter.
District Man Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Shooting in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcus Berry, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 7 ½-year prison term for the shooting of two victims, which shattered one victim’s knee and left the second victim with a permanent hip injury, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Berry pled guilty in August 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a felony offense of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and a felony offense of aggravated assault. The Honorable Robert I. Richter sentenced him on Feb. 25, 2016. Following his prison term, Berry will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 17, 2012, a teenage girl called her family to report that she was touched and kicked in the buttocks by Berry while walking to the bus stop after leaving school. Her mother and brother went to the area, near the 1500 block of White Place SE, and found the girl there.
All three approached Berry, who was standing with several other young men. A confrontation ensued, during which Berry’s friend handed him a black pistol. Berry pointed the gun at the girl’s brother and started shooting. Several shots hit the brother in the hip, causing him to fall to the ground. While the brother was crawling away, Berry continued to shoot at him. The mother ran to help and was shot in the knee by Berry. Berry fled the scene, and was later apprehended by officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Both victims suffered debilitating injuries, and the mother required repeated reconstructive surgeries on her knee.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the officers, detectives, and others who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Long, now of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Kenerson and Karen P. Seifert, all of whom investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Police Officer Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison on Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Darrell Best, 46, a former member of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced today to 18 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography, one count of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Best pled guilty in October 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the 18-year prison sentence. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton accepted the plea today and sentenced Best accordingly. Following his prison term, Best will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He also will be required by law to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
In addition to working as a police officer, Best was the head pastor of a church in Southeast Washington. The sexual abuse charges stem from incidents involving two minor females who knew and trusted him through the church. Best pled guilty to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor based on his sexual abuse of one of the girls on Dec. 3, 2014 at MPD Headquarters. He pled guilty to first-degree sexual abuse of a minor based on his sexual abuse of the other girl on Feb. 14, 2015 while inside the church.
On March 14, 2015, after one of the girls told her parents about the abuse, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division began investigating the case. Best was arrested two days later and has been in custody ever since.
Following Best’s arrest, investigators obtained a search and seizure warrant from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for Best’s cellular phone. A forensic examination of the phone revealed seven images depicting child pornography, which Best had produced using one of the victims.
“As a police officer and church pastor, Darrell Best was entrusted by the community to help people in need, not exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “He betrayed the trust placed in him by the two young victims in this case, causing great harm to them and their families. This sentence holds him appropriately accountable for his predatory and criminal conduct.”
“I am hopeful the sentencing today provides some measure of comfort for these victims and their families,” said Chief Lanier. “Mr. Best used the trust he had built within the community, as a pastor and a police officer, to take advantage of those who relied on him.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. In addition, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Paralegal Specialist Donhue Troy Griffith, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah D. McClellan and Lindsay Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Robbing Pedestrians with a BB-GunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kyree Black, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for robbing pedestrians with a BB-gun last fall in a Capitol Hill neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Black pled guilty in December 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of robbery and one count of receiving stolen property. The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring sentenced him to a total of 48 months in prison, but suspended 18 of the months on the condition that he successfully complete three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Black robbed three men in the Capitol Hill neighborhood near Nationals Park in Southeast Washington. On Oct. 21, 2015, at approximately 9 p.m., he approached the first victim, who was walking down the sidewalk in the unit block of L Street SE, displayed a gun, and demanded his cell phone. Fifteen minutes later, and one block away, in the unit block of K Street SE, the defendant found his next victim, who he also approached and robbed of a cell phone at gunpoint. Then, on Oct. 23, 2015, at about 9:15 p.m., Black again approached a person on the sidewalk in the 900 block of New Jersey Avenue SE, displayed a gun, and robbed the victim of a laptop and a cell phone. The last robbery was witnessed by an off-duty police officer and the defendant was immediately apprehended.
The phones from all three victims were found in Black’s pockets, together with a BB-gun that resembled a semi-automatic firearm. Each of the victims had relinquished their property because they feared for their lives.
At the sentencing hearing, one victim described the robbery as a “terrible event” and he specifically thanked officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for “the police support I received after this event.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the First District Detectives Division, crime scene officers, and the patrol officers in both the First and Seventh Police Districts of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Jennifer Allen of the Victim Witness Unit. In addition, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dineen A. Baker and Douglas Klein, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Murder of Cousin in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roosevelt Robinson, 67, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison on a charge of second-degree murder while armed stemming from the shooting death last summer of his cousin, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Robinson pled guilty to the charge in December 2015 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, Robinson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015, at approximately 10:35 a.m., Robinson rode his bicycle to the house of his cousin, Loretta Carswell, 63, in the 3700 block of 18th Street NE. He confronted Ms. Carswell outside, accusing her of stealing a ring from him that he intended to give to his daughter. This was an ongoing accusation based on a time when Ms. Carswell safeguarded some of Robinson’s valuables. Every time this issue had been raised, Ms. Carswell denied knowing what Robinson was talking about.
When Robinson confronted Ms. Carswell on Aug. 21, 2015 and asked her about the ring, Ms. Carswell said she did not have it and gave Robinson a look that he interpreted as dismissive. Robinson told her: “Girl, you know I should kill you for doing what you did.” Ms. Carswell responded by saying, “You can go ahead and kill me if you want to, I done told you I don’t have your ring.” At that point, Robinson pulled out a Ruger .357-caliber Magnum revolver and shot Ms. Carswell one time in the head in front of her home. The bullet entered her forehead.
Immediately after the shooting, Robinson rode his bicycle down the street to his home in the 3600 block of 18th Street NE. Robinson barricaded himself inside until the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was able to arrest him approximately 30 hours later. In an interview with the police, Robinson confessed to shooting his cousin in the head.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Fifth Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit and Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Trent-Valentine. He also praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Macey, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Taking Part in Scheme Involving Prescription and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Claire Elizabeth Rice, 68, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to obtain controlled substances by prescription fraud and participating in a health care fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), for the region that includes Washington, D.C.
Rice entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 additional years for the health care fraud scheme. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2016. As part of the plea agreement, Rice also agreed to pay $16,175, representing her share of illegal proceeds obtained from two health care plans.
Both offenses were charged in a federal indictment returned in 2014. In her plea, Rice admitted to a statement of offense under oath concerning her conduct. From 2008 through 2013, Rice presented and filled 91 forged prescriptions for drugs, including oxycodone, a synthetic opiate, in the name of a practicing cardiologist with offices in Northwest Washington. Rice was never a patient of this doctor.
According to the statement of offense, Rice got the prescriptions from her co-defendant, Novella White. White, 53, also known as Novella Brown, of Accokeek, Md., has denied her role in the offenses and is facing a jury trial set for April 18, 2016. White was a former employee of the cardiologist, and according to the doctor, did not have authority to write prescriptions for herself or for Claire Rice. White is charged with presenting forged prescriptions for oxycodone and other drugs in her own name.
Rice caused the forged prescriptions that she obtained to be billed to health care plans such as Express Scripts and Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The health plans were defrauded the costs of filling these various prescriptions.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the HHS Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Dominguez and Jennifer Kerkhoff, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Francis Davis, 69, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal bank robbery charge for a hold-up at a bank in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2016. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Davis also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment.
According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Davis entered the rear door of the SunTrust Bank in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Once inside, he walked to a teller station. Davis then passed the bank teller a note which demanded money. The teller read the note and paused in disbelief. At that time, Davis stated, “Quit stalling … Somebody is gonna’ get hurt.”
The teller opened the cash drawer and passed $1,589 to the defendant. Davis stated, “That’s good,” and then walked swiftly out the door. Law enforcement officers submitted images taken from the bank’s surveillance video to the law enforcement community. The defendant was subsequently identified from several surveillance video photos from the robbery. He was arrested on Dec. 11, 2015 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier commended the actions of the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department officers who worked to solve this case. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Background Investigator for Federal Government Pleads Guilty to Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jason A. Razo, 38, a former background investigator who did work under contract for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), pled guilty today to a charge stemming from his falsification of work on background investigations of federal employees and contractors, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management.
Razo, of Van Nuys, Calif., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to making a false statement. The Honorable Senior Judge Gladys Kessler scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2016. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of the plea, Razo has agreed to pay $85,779 in restitution to the federal government.
According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court, Razo was employed by KeyPoint Government Solutions as an investigator under contract to conduct background investigations on behalf of OPM’s Federal Investigative Services.
Between October 2010 and July 2011, in approximately 50 Reports of Investigations on background investigations, Razo represented that he had interviewed a source or reviewed a record regarding the subject of the background investigation. In fact, he had not conducted the interviews or obtained the records of interest. These reports were utilized and relied upon by the agencies requesting the background investigations to determine whether the subjects were suitable for positions having access to classified information, for positions impacting national security, for receiving or retaining security clearances, or for positions of public trust.
Razo’s false representations have required Federal Investigative Services to reopen and rework numerous background investigations that were assigned to him during the time period of his falsifications, at an estimated cost of at least $85,779 to the U.S. government.
Federal Investigative Services has a robust integrity assurance program which utilizes a variety of methods to ensure the accuracy of reported information. The falsification of investigative case work by the defendant was detected through the program.
This is one of numerous cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia since 2008 involving false representations by background investigators and record checkers working on federal background investigations. In addition to Razo, 21 other background investigators and two record checkers have been convicted of charges.
Federal Investigative Services, through its workforce of approximately 6,000, including 5,200 field investigators, is responsible for conducting background investigations for numerous federal agencies and their contractors, on individuals either employed by or seeking employment with those agencies or contractors. Federal Investigative Services conducted more than 2.4 million investigations during the 2015 fiscal year. More than 600,000 of these investigations involved applicants for access or continued access to classified information.
In performing background investigations, the investigators conduct interviews of individuals who have information about the person who is the subject of the review. In addition, the investigators seek out, obtain, and review documentary evidence, such as employment records, to verify and corroborate information provided by either the subject of the background investigation or by persons interviewed during the investigation. After conducting interviews and obtaining documentary evidence, the investigators prepare a Report of Investigation containing the results of the interviews and document reviews, and electronically submit the material to OPM in Washington, D.C. OPM then provides a copy of the investigative file to the requesting agency, which can use the information to determine an individual’s eligibility for employment or a security clearance.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Deputy Inspector General Vint praised the efforts of Special Agent Christopher Sulhoff, OPM, Office of the Inspector General, and Philip Kroop, Kevin Cassidy, and Jeffrey Addicks, OPM, Federal Investigative Services. They also acknowledged the work of Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo and Julie Dailey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
Former Executive Director of Charity Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Stealing over $1 Million from Employer and Laundering over $220,000 of ProceedsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Byron Fogan, 43, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from the embezzlement of over $1 million from a private charitable foundation where he worked as executive director, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Fogan, of Columbia, Md., pled guilty in November 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of money laundering involving the laundering of approximately $220,000 of the proceeds of the embezzlement scheme. He was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2016, by the Honorable Judge Rosemary M. Collyer. Following his prison sentence, Fogan will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $223,568 in restitution to the charitable foundation as well as a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $223,568.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Fogan was the executive director of the Oasis Foundation, a private charitable foundation located in the District of Columbia. The Board of Directors of the Oasis Foundation was comprised of Fogan, a professor, and a priest. The Oasis Foundation’s purpose was to make financial donations to various non-profit and charitable organizations that worked in educational development, innovation in science and technology, the promotion of arts and culture, developing families and strong communities, and the promotion of environmental awareness and protection.
Fogan enjoyed exclusive access to, and control of, the Oasis Foundation’s finances, including all bank accounts. From on or about Jan. 1, 2011, to at least May 31, 2013, Fogan illegally obtained in excess of $1 million from the Oasis Foundation. Oasis Foundation accounts were replenished as Fogan continued to spend down the balances in each account.
Fogan spent at least $1 million of the illegally obtained funds at casinos. Spending the funds in such fashion was contrary to the purpose and mission of the organization. The Board was unaware of such spending, and would not have approved of it. Fogan continued in the unlawful spending of these funds until he was caught by law enforcement.
Of the numerous illegal transactions Fogan conducted, seven were for amounts in excess of $10,000, which comprise the money laundering charge. These seven transactions totaled $223,568.
During this time period, the defendant made some legitimate expenditures related to the Oasis Foundation, which resulted in the commingling of funds.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski and Assistant Director in Charge Abbate commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-CI and FBI. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Johnson, Paralegal Specialist Taryn McLaughlin, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui, Alessandra Stewart, and Maia L. Miller.
District Men Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Robbing and Carjacking Three VictimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marquell Derrington, 20, and Mark Penamon, 28, both of Washington, D.C., have each been sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges stemming from an armed robbery and armed carjacking in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Derrington and Penamon pled guilty in November 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, and related firearms offenses. They were sentenced on Feb. 19, 2016 by the Honorable Anita Josey-Herring. Upon completion of their prison terms, the defendants will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Derrington and Penamon admitted that, on Oct. 2, 2014, at about 6:50 a.m., they arrived at Derrington’s house via an alley off of the 900 block of I Street NE. At the mouth of the alley, two of the victims, who are home improvement contractors, were working to set up for a project at a home adjacent to the alley. As the defendants drove into the alley, they saw the victims in the backyard of the project site, and decided to rob them. The defendants approached the victims on foot, drew firearms – Derrington’s was a semi-automatic pistol with a lazer mounted on the barrel – and forced the victims to the ground. The third victim, a colleague of the first two, arrived shortly thereafter, and Derrington pistol-whipped him and commanded him and the other two to face the back wall of the house. Derrington and Penamon proceeded to hold the victims at gunpoint and rob them of their personal property. Penamon robbed one of the victim of his truck keys, and, while Derrington held all three victims at gunpoint, Penamon got the truck and drove it immediately next to the robbery location. Penamon went back to join Derrington in completing the robberies, and then both defendants fled in the victim’s vehicle.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Todd McClelland and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty, Kacie Weston, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Rubenstein. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marston and Laura Crane, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Robbing Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donte Thomas, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for an armed robbery he committed last year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Thomas was found guilty by a jury in November 2015 of charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable John McCabe. Following his prison term, Thomas will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the attack took place about 12:30 a.m. on May 13, 2015. The victim had just gotten off a bus at 18th Street and Alabama Avenue SE and was walking home from work. As he walked, he felt as if he was being watched. He then turned around and saw the defendant, a person he had known from childhood, standing behind him and pointing a handgun at him.
Thomas demanded, “Where the money at?” The victim dropped his backpack and laid face down on the ground. Thomas ordered the victim to give him his money and his diamond stud earrings. A second suspect then made the victim unlock his cell phone with his password. Thomas then approached the victim, pressed the muzzle of the gun against his head and instructed him not to move. The assailants then fled on foot.
The victim remained on the ground for a short period of time before getting up and going to his residence. Taken from him during the robbery were: his cellphone, stud earrings, LG headphones, a Bluetooth wireless headphone set, book bag, work clothes, $200 in tips from his job, and his keys. The victim reported the crime the next morning. Following his interview at the Seventh District Police Station, a detective drove the victim home. While they were en route, they saw the defendant walking. Once Thomas saw them, he took off running and a foot chase followed. Thomas ran into an occupied house and was found hiding in a closet. A single diamond stud earring was found in his back pocket and the victim’s cell phone was found in the closet where the defendant was sitting. No one else has been arrested in the case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the officers and detectives from the Seventh District of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Daphne Nelson and Gary Nails; Litigation Technology Specialist Joshua Ellen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Beating a Man and Joining in Slashing a Good Samaritan Who Attempted to Stop the AttackRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Frank G. Smith, 34, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault and simple assault for his role in the attack of two men that took place in December 2013 near the entrance to the U Street Metro station in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Smith was found guilty on Feb. 17, 2016, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Florence Pan scheduled sentencing for April 22, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Dec. 21, 2013, Smith and others attacked a man who had been involved in a traffic dispute with one of Smith’s friends. That man was taken down to the ground near the U Street Metro entrance, at 10th and U Streets NW, and Smith and his friends began kicking him as he lay on the ground defenseless.
A second man, the Good Samaritan, saw the beating taking place. He yelled at Smith and Smith’s friends to stop kicking the man on the ground, who appeared unconscious. When they refused to stop, the Good Samaritan intervened by pushing Smith and the others away from the man on the ground. One of Smith’s friends then began fighting with the Good Samaritan. As the Good Samaritan separated from his first attacker, he noticed that he was cut and bleeding across the right side of his chest. Smith then continued attacking him, at which point the Good Samaritan felt and saw that his left hand had been cut to the bone between his index finger and thumb. As the police arrived on the scene, Smith stopped his attack and attempted to walk away, but he was stopped by the police and identified at the scene by the victim who was cut.
No knife or sharp object was recovered from Smith, but he had blood on his face and clothes. Subsequent DNA analysis revealed that the Good Samaritan’s DNA was found on Smith’s clothes.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Bode Technologies. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Paralegal Specialists Lynda Randolph, Donville Drummond, and Allison Daniels; Criminal Investigator Melissa Matthews; Litigation Technology Supervisor Joshua Ellen; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia A. Riley and Chrisellen Kolb. Finally, he praised the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Connolly, who secured the indictment, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Crane and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez, who tried the case.