District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Woman Near Northwest Washington ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Glen Green, 24, also known as Glenvert Green, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman who had just finished jogging at a Northwest Washington park, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.
Green pled guilty in June 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a 19-year prison sentence. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston accepted the plea today and sentenced Green accordingly. Following his prison term, Green will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, the attack occurred just before 7 a.m. on April 21, 2015. That morning, the victim was jogging in Meridian Hill Park. When she finished, she began walking back home. She was wearing headphones and did not notice the defendant, who began following her from behind on foot. Green got steadily closer to the victim as she got closer to her home. As the victim turned into an alleyway near 14th and Chapin Streets NW, Green grabbed her from behind and began dragging her behind a dumpster.
The victim struggled to free herself, demanding repeatedly that the defendant let her go. Green, who is much larger than the victim, told her not to make this more difficult than it had to be. Then, as the victim continued to struggle, he punched her in the face. Green dragged the victim behind a dumpster in the alleyway, forced her to remove her pants and underwear, and sexually assaulted her. Afterwards, he demanded money from the victim. She handed over her iPod and the defendant fled the area, warning the victim not to move until he had left.
The victim returned home and called 911. After police responded, she was transported to Washington Hospital Center, where medical care providers documented numerous injuries on her body.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit responded to the scene and immediately commenced an investigation. They canvassed the area and located witnesses who were nearby when the assault occurred and provided a description of the assailant. Moreover, they quickly identified and recovered surveillance video capturing Green fleeing the area. Portions of that video were disseminated to the public through news outlets and other media requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect.
Soon thereafter, the police began receiving calls identifying the defendant as the individual seen fleeing in the surveillance video. Green was located and arrested on the evening of April 22, 2015, one day after the sexual assault occurred.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work performed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also acknowledged the work of the Forensic Services Division of the U.S. Secret Service, which assisted in processing the surveillance video. In addition, he recognized the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park, who prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donald A. Essex, 68, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty today to a charge of possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., 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 the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison as well as potential financial penalties. The Honorable Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1, 2015. Essex has been in custody since his arrest on May 15, 2015.
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.
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 plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, 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 is prosecuting the matter.
Nine Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nine individuals have been sentenced on federal charges stemming from a mortgage fraud scheme involving 45 properties and $16 million in mortgage loans used for the purchase of residential real estate in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
The sentences were announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Olga Acevedo, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Office of the Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency; Cary Rubenstein, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD-OIG); and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The sentences, the most recent of which took place today, occurred before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Defendants include:
Edward Dacy, 77, of West Melbourne, Fla. He was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2015 to six years in prison. Dacy was found guilty by a jury of 10 counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, and mail fraud. Upon completion of his prison term, Dacy will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition, Judge Walton ordered that he pay $2,730,345 in restitution and an identical amount as a forfeiture money judgment.
Frank Davis, Jr., 49, of Washington, D.C. He was sentenced on Aug. 7, 2015 to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Upon completion of his prison term, Davis will be placed on three years of supervised release. Judge Walton also ordered that Davis pay $2,730,345 in restitution and an amount of $2,296,463 as a forfeiture money judgment;
Frederick Robinson, Sr., 52, of Montgomery, Ala. He was sentenced on July 31, 2015 to 27 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Upon completion of his prison term, Robinson will be placed on three years of supervised release. Robinson also was ordered to pay $925,311 in restitution and an amount of $971,900 as a forfeiture money judgment.
Lonnie Johnson, 47, of Greensboro, N.C. He was sentenced on July 15, 2015 to one year and one day in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Upon completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition, Judge Walton ordered that he pay $277,000 in restitution.
Cheryl E. Morrison, 54, of West Melbourne, Fla. She was sentenced on Aug. 5, 2015 to five years of probation for conspiracy to commit mail fraud; she was required to serve 90 days of that time in home detention. She also must pay $42,600 in restitution;
Howard Tutman, III, 54, of Woodstock, Md. He was sentenced on Aug. 4, 2015 to five years of probation for conspiracy to commit bank fraud; he was required to serve 20 weekends in jail. In addition, Judge Walton ordered Tutman to pay $484,370 in restitution and $606,414 in forfeiture;
Pauline Pilate, 50, of Washington, D.C. She was sentenced on July 16, 2015 to three years of probation for conspiracy to commit bank fraud; she was required to serve eight weekends in jail. In addition, Judge Walton ordered that she pay $1 million in restitution and an identical amount as a forfeiture money judgment;
A. Conrad Austin, 49, of Bowie, Md. He was sentenced on May 15, 2015 to five years of probation for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud; he was required to serve four weekends in jail. In addition, Judge Walton ordered that he pay $5,001 in restitution and an identical amount as a forfeiture money judgment.
Anthony Young, 47, of Clinton, Md. He was sentenced today to five years of probation for conspiracy to commit bank fraud; he is required to serve eight weekends in jail. In addition, Judge Walton ordered that he pay $300,600 in restitution.
Today’s sentencing concludes a three-year investigation relating to this mortgage fraud scheme involving the defrauding of banks, mortgage lenders, and the Federal Housing Administration, part of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, of money by obtaining mortgage loans on residential real estate properties through false loan applications and documents and fraudulent settlements. These actions ultimately caused a loss to the banks, lenders, and FHA when mortgages were not paid. Some of the fraudulently-obtained mortgage loans were later resold in the secondary mortgage market to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
“In this case, a group of greedy individuals teamed up with a real estate agent, a certified public accountant, employees of a settlement company, and others to carry out a far-reaching scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses to banks and other lending institutions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “These defendants took money that could have been used to help honest, hard-working people attain the dream of home ownership. They used straw buyers and falsified documents to carry out their long-running fraud. The prosecution in this case demonstrates our resolve to aggressively deal with those who engage in mortgage fraud at the expense of the entire community.”
“This was a multi-tiered scheme with multiple individuals playing a role, and every single one of them underestimated the ability and commitment of law enforcement to protect innocent victims and ultimately the taxpayers from mortgage fraud schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Acevedo. “We are proud to be a part of the multi-agency effort to hold accountable those who engage in mortgage and bank fraud. FHFA-OIG will continue to carry out this work until all are held accountable.”
“This sentencing was the result of outstanding investigative work conducted by the HUD OIG, and our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Rubenstein. “This collaborative effort sends a clear message that we will commit the necessary resources to make sure that the fraudsters are brought to justice and are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“Even though this $16 million mortgage fraud conspiracy targeted lenders, banks, and the Federal Housing Administration, the result of these criminal actions hurts our entire community,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that these criminal schemes do not go unpunished.”
Davis and Robinson purchased properties in the names of general partnerships; Davis and Robinson then recruited individuals, or straw buyers, to re-purchase these same properties for higher amounts, funded by fraudulently obtained mortgage loans, by promising the buyers that they would not be required to: make financial contributions toward the purchase of the properties; pay the monthly mortgage payments or expenses; or maintain the properties. These mortgage loans were obtained by fraudulent statements and documents, including false loan applications and real estate contracts, phony cashier’s checks and verifications from banks, fabricated tax returns, and letters from a Certified Public Accountant.
Davis recruited Young, who assisted with recruiting other straw buyers; Pilate, who obtained her real estate license in order to create real estate sales contracts for the straw buyers, and Johnson, a bank employee who assisted in creating false verifications of deposits. In order to obtain mortgage loans in the names of some of the straw buyers, Robinson recruited Austin, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), to create false CPA letters, inflated tax returns, and unjustified financial statements. Tutman was the loan officer on 14 loans or loan attempts, and knew that the borrowers were merely straw buyers for Davis and Robinson and the loan applications contained inflated salaries.
Morrison worked at the settlement company with Dacy, her husband. The settlement company received the funding from the mortgage lender and should have collected the buyers’ cash contributions; it was under the obligation to disburse the loan money only if all of the mortgage lender’s conditions were met and the buyer’s financial contributions collected. Morrison and Dacy handled the straw buyers’ settlement of the properties, with knowledge that the straw buyers did not pay the cash contribution as required by the lenders.
In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Acevedo, Special Agent in Charge Rubenstein, and Assistant Director in Charge McCabe expressed appreciation for the work performed by the Special Agents and analysts from the Offices of Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FBI, who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Offices of Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, which assisted in the investigation. They acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Ida Anbarian, Donna Galindo, Corinne Kleinman, Kristy Penny, Tasha Harris, and Heather Sales, former Paralegal Specialist Sarah Reis, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Saler, Thomas Swanton, and Arvind K. Lal, who assisted with forfeiture issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Cheatham and David A. Last, who tried the case against Edward Dacy and handled the plea negotiations with Conrad Austin, and Virginia Cheatham who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter in Traffic Fatality in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Momodui I. Bello, 36, of Fort Washington, Md., was sentenced today to serve four years in prison on charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol, stemming from a traffic fatality that took place earlier this year in Washington, D.C., Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Bello pled guilty to the charges in June 2015 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between three and five years in prison. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the plea and sentenced Bello to a total of five years in prison. She suspended a year of that time on the condition that Bello successfully complete five years of probation upon his release from prison; during that time, the judge ordered that he refrain from driving as well as alcohol.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, March 22, 2015, at about 3:15 a.m., Bello was driving a Volkswagen Passat on Eastern Avenue with the victim, Nancy Tinoza, in the front seat, and a rear seat passenger. The group was coming from Mango Café in Bladensburg, Md., where Bello drank several alcoholic beverages. While driving in the 3400 block of Eastern Avenue NE, in the District of Columbia, Bello failed to maintain his lane or to reduce his speed and crashed the Volkswagen into the rear of a tractor-trailer combination truck that was parked in the curbside lane of Eastern Avenue. The passenger side of Bello’s Volkswagen struck the back of the truck, went under the truck, and came to a rest when it slammed into the truck’s rear wheels. The crash killed Ms. Tinoza, 26.
The evidence indicated that, at the time of the crash, Bello was traveling at 45 mph in the 25 mph zone, and that he did not apply his brakes or take any action to avoid the collision. While at a hospital after the crash, Bello submitted a urine sample which indicated the presence of alcohol with a concentration of .24 percent. A concentration of .10 percent of alcohol in urine is considered to be driving under the influence in the District of Columbia.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Investigations Unit and the Fifth District. He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane and Victim/Witness Advocate Jim Brennan. Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the matter.
Former School Teacher Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Fourth Grade Student in ClassroomRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Giovanni Pena, 31, a former teacher from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 2 ½-year prison term on charges stemming from the sexual abuse of a fourth-grade student at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, a D.C. Public School, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Pena pled guilty in June 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of second-degree child sexual abuse and one count of obscenity. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, Pena will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 10 years. Under the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, Pena could have faced a maximum prison term of five and a half years. The government asked for a 4 ½-year term, and the defense asked that Pena be sentenced to time-served, to be followed by a period of supervised release. Pena has been in custody since his arrest on June 2, 2015.
According to the government’s evidence, Pena was the victim’s fourth-grade teacher during the 2013 – 2014 school year. Pena sexually abused the child by touching the child’s clothed penis and buttocks. Pena told detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division that he was curious whether a child that age could have an erection. Pena also had the child touch Pena’s clothed penis. These incidents took place in the classroom during the school day.
Additionally, Pena sent nude photos of his erect penis to the child, as well as a photo of Pena’s sperm. Pena used the mobile application Snapchat to transmit these images. Pena also taught the child about masturbation.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. 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 Elsa Maltese, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Joyce Arthur and D’Yvonne Key, Legal Intern Allison Denton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John L. Hill, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Child RelativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 31-year-old man, from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a felony charge stemming from the sexual abuse of a child who is a relative, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of first-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 135 months, and requires the defendant to register for life as a sex offender. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for Nov. 13, 2015.
The charge stems from the man’s sexual abuse of a female relative when she was 10 to 11 years old. According to the government’s evidence, the defendant, on multiple occasions, went to the child’s home in Northwest Washington, where he engaged in various sexual acts with her. In May of this year, the girl disclosed vaginal discomfort to her mother, and was taken to Children’s National Medical Center. There, doctors diagnosed the child with Trichomonas, a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Afterwards, the child disclosed that the defendant had been sexually abusing her for the past one and a half to two years.
After the defendant’s arrest in July, the government obtained a urine sample from him, which was sent to the Johns Hopkins University’s STD Laboratory. The lab results showed that he possessed Trichomonas, the same STD he transferred to the child. The defendant has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. He acknowledged the critical services provided to the complainant at the District of Columbia Children’s Advocacy Center, and the specialized medical treatment provided at the Children’s National Medical Center. He further commended the vital assistance provided by Dr. Jonathan Zenilman, Dr. Charlotte Gaydos, and Laboratory Manager Laura Dize from the Infectious Diseases Department at Johns Hopkins University. Finally, he 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 Veronica Vaughn; Paralegal Specialist Joyce Arthur; Legal Intern Allison Denton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John L. Hill, who prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Participation in Armed PCP Drug Distribution RingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two men have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in an armed narcotics organization that trafficked phencyclidine (PCP) in Southeast Washington. The defendants were arrested in 2013 after a local resident walked into the Seventh District Police station and reported that armed defendants had forcibly taken over his apartment in the Woodberry Village Apartment complex to distribute PCP.
The sentences were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Dawayne Brown, 21, and Keith Matthews, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were found guilty in March 2015 following a nine-week jury trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. Brown was found guilty of second-degree burglary while armed with a firearm, possession with intent to distribute PCP, and possession of a firearm. Matthews was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Honorable Richard J. Leon sentenced the defendants on Sept. 1, 2015. Brown was sentenced to 14 years in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release. Matthews was sentenced to a nine-year prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Four others have been convicted or entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing.
Brown, Matthews, and the four other co-defendants were indicted in 2013 following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department of violent distributors of PCP in the Woodberry Village area of Southeast Washington. The investigation revealed that from May 2012 through April 2013, the defendants and fellow 23rd Street crew members (also known as “Little Mexico”) worked together to distribute PCP in the Woodberry Village area by taking over apartments from the residents and selling narcotics from the safety of these apartments. The crew members were often armed with firearms, and they sold large amounts of PCP in the local area. The crew members also regularly exposed young children to narcotics and firearms.
The investigation revealed that in January 2013, Brown violently took over the apartment of a resident at gunpoint to facilitate PCP sales, and that Brown used an 11-year-old child to facilitate his drug distribution. Brown and Matthews thereafter took control and used the resident’s apartment against his will, and they stored numerous firearms and bottles of PCP in his apartment. Despite being intimidated and in fear, the resident reported the defendants’ crimes by walking into the Seventh District Station to report that the defendants had taken over his apartment and that they were in possession of a large quantity of PCP and a number of firearms. Police immediately responded to the resident’s apartment and found Brown inside with three loaded firearms, including an Uzi-style firearm with 19 rounds of ammunition, and multiple bottles of PCP.
During the course of the investigation, MPD uncovered numerous other apartments being used by crew members to distribute narcotics and they seized multiple bottles of PCP, more than eight firearms, body armor, and over $3,500 in cash. Since the first arrest of the 23rd Street members in January 2013, more than a dozen 23rd Street drug traffickers, many of whom are known to be violent, have been identified, arrested and charged with narcotics, firearms and/or related criminal conduct.
In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of the agents, officers and investigators from the Seventh Police District who investigated the case. They also cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Crystal Barclay, Anthony Griffith, and Theresa Nelson, the Litigation Support Unit; Tanya Via, Debra Cannon, and Wanda Queen of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, Criminal Investigators Durand Odom and Nelson Rhone, and former intern Daniella Sterns.
Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla and George Eliopoulos, who prosecuted the case.
Two Men Charged with Federal Drug Offense Following Investigation into Distribution of Synthetic CannabinoidsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two men have been charged with a federal drug offense following a law enforcement investigation that led to the seizure of roughly 265 pounds of suspected synthetic cannabinoids at a warehouse in Washington, D.C.
The charges were filed today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Maryland State Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Yenework Tefera Abera, 41, of Alexandria, Va., and Siraj Issa, 33, of Washington, D.C., appeared this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Each was charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The Honorable G. Michael Harvey ordered them held pending a detention hearing on Sept. 8, 2015. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties.
“The charges filed today reflect our steadfast commitment to dealing with the serious problem of synthetic cannabinoids,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. “Whether it has been educating our citizens throughout the District of Columbia about the dangers of synthetic cannabinoids or pursuing local and federal investigations to target the distributors and street sellers of this dangerous drug, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been aggressively attacking this problem at all fronts. And we will continue to do so to keep our community safe.”
“Synthetic drugs pose a serious public health and safety issue to our communities,” said Clark Settles, Special Agent in Charge for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C. office. “This operation’s success is a testament to the excellent working relationship between our agencies and sends a clear message to anyone involved in illicit drug trade that we are united in our efforts to disrupt and dismantle their operations.”
According to the charging documents, Abera and Issa were arrested on Sept. 1, 2015 at a storage facility in Northwest Washington. The two men were observed by law enforcement moving boxes of synthetic cannabinoids into a storage unit at the facility. Law enforcement seized a shipment of 14 boxes weighing approximately 265 pounds. The boxes contained individual packages of substances labeled “Bizarro,” a marketing name for a synthetic cannabinoid.
Charges contained in criminal complaints are merely allegations that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Gripkey of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 2012 Killing of Taxicab Driver in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Mebane, 20, of Waldorf, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in the November 2012 killing of a taxicab driver in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
In addition to the murder charge, the jury found Mebane guilty of nine other charges, including conspiracy, assault with intent to commit robbery while armed, and firearms offenses. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jennifer Anderson scheduled sentencing for Nov. 13, 2015. Mebane could face decades in prison for the various crimes.
A co-defendant, Linda Bury, also 20, earlier pled guilty to charges of second-degree murder while armed and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. She is awaiting sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, Mebane and Bury, both 17 years old at the time, met online in October of 2012. Dissatisfied with their respective home environments, they made a plan to run away together. On Nov. 1, 2012, Mebane took a taxi from his family home in Waldorf, Md., to Bury’s family home in Parkton, Md. They then took a cab into the District of Columbia, and they stayed at a motel in Northeast Washington from Nov. 2 to Nov. 7, 2012.
In light of a dwindling money supply, Mebane and Bury devised a plan to commit a robbery of a taxicab driver on the evening of Nov. 7, 2012. A few minutes before 9 p.m., they randomly hailed a taxicab and instructed the driver, Muhammad Quadeer, to drive them to the rear of Hamilton Junior High School in the 1400 block of Brentwood Parkway NE. Once in the rear of the building, Mebane put on a black latex glove, pulled a 9mm pistol from a nylon bag, and fatally shot Mr. Quadeer, 44, once to the back of his head.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen 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 District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences; Bode Technologies; the Charles County, Md. Sheriff’s Department; the Baltimore County, Md. Police Department, and the Gallaudet University Department of Public Safety. In addition, he acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialists Kwasi Fields and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Victim/Witness Security Specialist David Foster. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney George A. Pace, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Lobbying Firm Agrees to Pay $125,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Lobbying Disclosure ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Carmen Group, a lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $125,000 in order to resolve allegations that it repeatedly failed to file lobbying and contribution disclosure reports that are required by the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.
The settlement was reached after the U.S. House of Representative and Senate referred Carmen Group to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. It represents the second resolution of LDA violations this year and the largest civil penalty settlement under the LDA to date. In January 2015, Alan Mauk Associates Ltd. agreed to pay a $30,000 civil penalty in order to resolve similar claims. In 2013, the United States secured a $200,000 default judgment against Biassi Business Services Inc. for that firm’s violations of the LDA.
“The American public has a right to know about the efforts of paid lobbyists to influence legislative and executive decision-making,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Lobbyists who fail to report their activities thwart the purpose of the Lobbying Disclosure Act and remove transparency from the legislative process. This settlement reflects our determination to seek significant penalties from repeat offenders who fail to meet their reporting obligations.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has the unique responsibility of enforcing the LDA and its reporting requirements. The office notifies all of the referred firms and individuals that they must comply with the LDA and informs them of potential civil and criminal penalties. The office pursues LDA penalties against lobbyists that continue to be noncompliant in their filing practices.
Carmen Group was accused of failing to file some of its quarterly reports regarding its lobbying activities. In addition, some of the individual lobbyists who were registered to work on behalf of Carmen Group’s clients were accused of violating the LDA by failing to file some of their semiannual reports regarding their political contributions.
In settling the case, Carmen Group denied that it ever knowingly violated the LDA. The firm has now complied fully with its outstanding reporting obligations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Short.
Florida Businessman Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
Dozens of Investors Lost More Than $13 Million in Scheme
A Florida businessman was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for his role in an investment fraud scheme resulting in over $13 million in losses to dozens of investors.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Kimberly A. Lappin of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
Donovan G. Davis Jr., 34, of Palm Bay, Florida, was found guilty by a jury on May 14, 2015, of one count of conspiracy to commit mail/wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, six counts of wire fraud and eight counts of money laundering. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza of the Middle District of Florida, who ordered him to pay $10,520,005 in restitution jointly and severally with his co-defendants.
“Donovan Davis Jr. and his co-conspirators lied to persuade victims to invest their retirement savings and children’s college funds, and then concealed the investment fund’s extreme losses so that the victims would stay invested,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “The investors lost everything, while Davis and others running the scam looted the fund to pay their own six-figure salaries, purchase luxury cars and travel in private planes. This sentence will help hold Davis accountable for his crimes, but the investors he deceived will suffer for decades because of his greed and deceit.”
“Dozens of investors and their families lost millions of dollars because they put their trust in an investment firm that lied about its performance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “The deception of Donovan Davis Jr. and the others involved in this scheme caused great personal and financial harm to people, including many who lost their retirement savings. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s greedy, deceptive conduct and underscores our commitment to prosecuting those who commit financial crimes. I commend the prosecutors from here in D.C. who held these criminals accountable for their deception in a Florida courthouse.”
“Today's sentencing demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors to unjustly enrich themselves,” said Special Agent in Charge Lappin. “IRS Criminal investigation and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who mastermind and perpetrate investment fraud schemes.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Davis was the managing member of Capital Blu Management LLC, a Florida-based corporation that purported to offer investment and managed account services for investors in the off-exchange foreign currency, or “forex,” marketplace. In 2007 and 2008, Davis solicited relatives, friends and associates to invest in Capital Blu.
In or about September 2007, according to evidence presented at trial, Davis and his co-conspirators formed the CBM FX Fund LP, which pooled investors’ money into a common fund to be traded by Capital Blu Management. Many of Capital Blu’s managed-account investors transferred their investments into the CBM FX Fund.
According to the evidence presented at trial, CBM FX Fund had sustained significant trading losses, resulting in large losses for its investors. Nevertheless, the evidence demonstrated that Davis and his co-conspirators made a series of misrepresentations to the investors about Capital Blu’s trading performance, the value of the fund and the risks of the fund.
For example, according to the evidence presented at trial, the Davis and his co-conspirators informed CBM FX Fund’s investors of positive monthly returns from January through August of 2008, even though the fund and its investors had sustained net losses of millions of dollars. In addition, they diverted investors’ money from the fund to pay for Capital Blu’s operational expenses and personal expenses, including their own six-figure salaries and payments for the use of private airplanes and luxury cars.
In or about September 2008, the National Futures Association, an independent self-regulatory organization that oversees commodities and futures trading in the United States, conducted a surprise audit of Capital Blu and suspended its operations. As of September 2008, investors had invested over $16.9 million into the CBM FX Fund and lost over $13 million.
Co-defendant Blayne S. Davis (no relation to Donovan Davis Jr.), 34, formerly of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty in July 2014 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $13,215,874 in restitution. Co-defendant Damien L. Bromfield, 39, of Ocoee, Florida, pleaded guilty in November 2013 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by a task force consisting of agents from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; U.S. Secret Service; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; and Brevard County, Florida, Sherriff’s Office. Attorneys, agents and accountants from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), National Futures Association, Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also provided assistance to the investigation. A related civil litigation was pursued by the CFTC, which resulted in a civil judgment against the defendants after a trial in 2011.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys David M. Fuhr and Ephraim Wernick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks of the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine K. Connelly and Anthony Saler of the District of Columbia provided invaluable assistance on asset forfeiture matters.
Florida Businessman Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Florida businessman was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for his role in an investment fraud scheme resulting in over $13 million in losses to dozens of investors.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Kimberly A. Lappin of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
Donovan G. Davis Jr., 34, of Palm Bay, Florida, was found guilty by a jury on May 14, 2015, of one count of conspiracy to commit mail/wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, six counts of wire fraud and eight counts of money laundering. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza of the Middle District of Florida, who ordered him to pay approximately $10,520,005 in restitution jointly and severally with his co-defendants.
“Donovan Davis Jr. and his co-conspirators lied to persuade victims to invest their retirement savings and children’s college funds, and then concealed the investment fund’s extreme losses so that the victims would stay invested,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “The investors lost everything, while Davis and others running the scam looted the fund to pay their own six-figure salaries, purchase luxury cars and travel in private planes. This sentence will help hold Davis accountable for his crimes, but the investors he deceived will suffer for decades because of his greed and deceit.”
“Dozens of investors and their families lost millions of dollars because they put their trust in an investment firm that lied about its performance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “The deception of Donovan Davis Jr. and the others involved in this scheme caused great personal and financial harm to people, including many who lost their retirement savings. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s greedy, deceptive conduct and underscores our commitment to prosecuting those who commit financial crimes. I commend the prosecutors from here in D.C. who held these criminals accountable for their deception in a Florida courthouse.”
“Today's sentencing demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors to unjustly enrich themselves,” said Special Agent in Charge Lappin. “IRS Criminal investigation and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who mastermind and perpetrate investment fraud schemes.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Davis was the managing member of Capital Blu Management LLC, a Florida-based corporation that purported to offer investment and managed account services for investors in the off-exchange foreign currency, or “forex,” marketplace. In 2007 and 2008, Davis solicited relatives, friends and associates to invest in Capital Blu.
In or about September 2007, according to evidence presented at trial, Davis and his co-conspirators formed the CBM FX Fund LP, which pooled investors’ money into a common fund to be traded by Capital Blu Management. Many of Capital Blu’s managed-account investors transferred their investments into the CBM FX Fund.
According to the evidence presented at trial, CBM FX Fund had sustained significant trading losses, resulting in large losses for its investors. Nevertheless, the evidence demonstrated that Davis and his co-conspirators made a series of misrepresentations to the investors about Capital Blu’s trading performance, the value of the fund and the risks of the fund.
For example, according to the evidence presented at trial, the Davis and his co-conspirators informed CBM FX Fund’s investors of positive monthly returns from January through August of 2008, even though the fund and its investors had sustained net losses of millions of dollars. In addition, they diverted investors’ money from the fund to pay for Capital Blu’s operational expenses and personal expenses, including their own six-figure salaries and payments for the use of private airplanes and luxury cars.
In or about September 2008, the National Futures Association, an independent self-regulatory organization that oversees commodities and futures trading in the United States, conducted a surprise audit of Capital Blu and suspended its operations. As of September 2008, investors had invested over $16.9 million into the CBM FX Fund and lost over $13 million.
Co-defendant Blayne S. Davis (no relation to Donovan Davis Jr.), 34, formerly of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty in July 2014 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $13,215,874 in restitution. Co-defendant Damien L. Bromfield, 39, of Ocoee, Florida, pleaded guilty in November 2013 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was transferred from the Middle District of Florida to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice, Criminal Division.
The case was investigated by a task force consisting of agents from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; U.S. Secret Service; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; and Brevard County, Florida, Sherriff’s Office. Attorneys, agents and accountants from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), National Futures Association, Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also provided assistance to the investigation. A related civil litigation was pursued by the CFTC, which resulted in a civil judgment against the defendants after a trial in 2011.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys David M. Fuhr and Ephraim Wernick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks of the District of Columbia. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler of the District of Columbia provided invaluable assistance on asset forfeiture matters.
Member of Colombian Terrorist Organization Pleads Guilty to Hostage-Taking of U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
Three Hostages Were Held in Colombia for More than Five Years
Diego Alfonso Navarrete Beltran, 43, a member of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Colombianas (FARC) terrorist organization, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia to hostage-taking charges stemming from the 2003 kidnappings of three U.S. citizens in Colombia.
The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Division.
Navarrete Beltran was extradited from Colombia to the United States in November 2014 to face charges in a superseding indictment that was returned in February 2011. He pleaded guilty to three counts of hostage-taking. The offense carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2015. Two other FARC leaders were convicted for their roles in the hostage-taking.
“This case underscores our resolve to hold accountable those who target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “With this guilty plea, Diego Alfonso Navarrete Beltran has admitted his participation in the hostage taking and captivity of three Americans by the FARC, a Colombian terrorist organization. I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents and analysts who made this result possible.”
“Today’s guilty plea is another step toward obtaining justice for the three U.S. citizens who were brutally held captive in Colombia for over five years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “This defendant is now the third member of a Colombian terrorist organization convicted of charges for his role in the hostage-taking. This case demonstrates the determination of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute terrorism against our citizens here and abroad.”
“Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes and Keith Stansell were held hostage in the jungles of Colombia for over five years by the FARC,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro. “The conditions they endured while held prisoner were horrendous. Today, another member of this terrorist organization has admitted to taking part in this despicable crime. Despite the passage of time, our commitment to hold these individuals accountable for harming U.S. citizens does not waiver.”
According to a statement of facts submitted as part of the plea hearing, the FARC is an armed, violent organization in Colombia, formed in 1964 as the armed wing of the Colombian Communist Party. It has evolved into a major armed force financed by drug trafficking, hostage-taking and extortion. International human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the FARC of serious crimes, including kidnapping, murder, use of land mines, threats, the recruitment of minors, forced displacement and hostage-taking. The FARC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and remains so designated.
As described in the statement of offense, Navarrete Beltran was a member of the First Front in the FARC’s Southern Block.
In his plea, he admitted taking part in the hostage-taking of three U.S. citizens, Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes and Keith Stansell. These three individuals, along with Thomas Janis, a U.S. citizen, and Sergeant Luis Alcides Cruz, a Colombian citizen, were seized on Feb. 13, 2003, by the FARC after their single engine aircraft made a crash landing near Florencia, Colombia. Janis and Cruz were murdered at the crash site by members of the FARC.
For the next five and a half years, according to the statement of offense, Gonsalves, Howes, Stansell and many others were held prisoners by the FARC and used to bargain with the Colombian government. Along with about a dozen Colombian hostages, they were forced to march from one site to another to prevent their rescue. They were threatened, chained and forced to participate in proof-of-life videos. In early October 2006, the hostages were delivered to the FARC’s Southern Block’s First Front and were held prisoners by the First Front of the FARC.
From October 2006 through mid-June 2008, according to the statement of offense, Navarrete Beltran and other guerillas kept the hostages under the control of the FARC’s First Front. In particular, Navarrete Beltran often served as an armed guard of the American hostages.
In July 2008, the Colombian military conducted an operation which resulted in the rescue of the hostages. All told, members of the FARC held the Americans hostage for 1,967 days.
This investigation is being led by the FBI’s Miami Field Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Kohl and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Substantial assistance in the case was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the department’s Judicial Attachés in Colombia, the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Colombia and the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office.
Navarrete Beltran Plea Agreement
Member of Colombian Terrorist Organization Pleads Guilty to Hostage-Taking of Three U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Diego Alfonso Navarrete Beltran, 43, a member of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Colombianas (FARC) terrorist organization, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to hostage-taking charges stemming from the 2003 kidnappings of three U.S. citizens in Colombia.
The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Division.
Navarrete Beltran was extradited from Colombia to the United States in November 2014 to face charges in a superseding indictment that was returned in February 2011. He pleaded guilty to three counts of hostage-taking. The offense carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2015. Two other FARC leaders were convicted for their roles in the hostage-taking.
“This case underscores our resolve to hold accountable those who target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “With this guilty plea, Diego Alfonso Navarrete Beltran has admitted his participation in the hostage taking and captivity of three Americans by the FARC, a Colombian terrorist organization. I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents and analysts who made this result possible.”
“Today’s guilty plea is another step toward obtaining justice for the three U.S. citizens who were brutally held captive in Colombia for over five years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “This defendant is now the third member of a Colombian terrorist organization convicted of charges for his role in the hostage-taking. This case demonstrates the determination of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute terrorism against our citizens here and abroad.”
“Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes and Keith Stansell were held hostage in the jungles of Colombia for over five years by the FARC,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro. “The conditions they endured while held prisoner were horrendous. Today, another member of this terrorist organization has admitted to taking part in this despicable crime. Despite the passage of time, our commitment to hold these individuals accountable for harming U.S. citizens does not waiver.”
According to a statement of facts submitted as part of the plea hearing, the FARC is an armed, violent organization in Colombia, formed in 1964 as the armed wing of the Colombian Communist Party. It has evolved into a major armed force financed by drug trafficking, hostage-taking and extortion. International human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the FARC of serious crimes, including kidnapping, murder, use of land mines, threats, the recruitment of minors, forced displacement and hostage-taking. The FARC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and remains so designated.
As described in the statement of offense, Navarrete Beltran was a member of the First Front in the FARC’s Southern Block.
In his plea, he admitted taking part in the hostage-taking of three U.S. citizens, Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes and Keith Stansell. These three individuals, along with Thomas Janis, a U.S. citizen, and Sergeant Luis Alcides Cruz, a Colombian citizen, were seized on Feb. 13, 2003, by the FARC after their single engine aircraft made a crash landing near Florencia, Colombia. Janis and Cruz were murdered at the crash site by members of the FARC.
For the next five and a half years, according to the statement of offense, Gonsalves, Howes, Stansell and many others were held prisoners by the FARC and used to bargain with the Colombian government. Along with about a dozen Colombian hostages, they were forced to march from one site to another to prevent their rescue. They were threatened, chained and forced to participate in proof-of-life videos. In early October 2006, the hostages were delivered to the FARC’s Southern Block’s First Front and were held prisoners by the First Front of the FARC.
From October 2006 through mid-June 2008, according to the statement of offense, Navarrete Beltran and other guerillas kept the hostages under the control of the FARC’s First Front. In particular, Navarrete Beltran often served as an armed guard of the American hostages.
In July 2008, the Colombian military conducted an operation which resulted in the rescue of the hostages. All told, members of the FARC held the Americans hostage for 1,967 days.
This investigation is being led by the FBI’s Miami Field Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Kohl and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Substantial assistance in the case was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the department’s Judicial Attachés in Colombia, the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Colombia and the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office.
District Woman Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Murder of Man at Northwest Washington HotelRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamyra Gallmon, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for the Feb. 9, 2015 murder of David Messerschmitt in a robbery at a downtown Washington hotel, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gallmon pled guilty on May 27, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 18 and 25 years. The Honorable Michael Ryan accepted the plea today and sentenced Gallmon accordingly. Upon completion of her 24-year prison term, Gallmon will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Also today, Judge Ryan sentenced a co-defendant, Dominique Johnson, 19, for her role in events on the day of the crime. Johnson, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on May 27, 2015 to a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery. Judge Ryan sentenced Johnson to a year of incarceration, but suspended all but six months of that time on the condition that she successfully complete three years of probation.
“Jamyra Gallmon planned and carried out a cold-hearted scam to trick David Messerschmitt for the purpose of robbing him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Then she repeatedly stabbed him when he tried to fight back. After leaving Mr. Messerschmitt to die from his wounds, she met up with Dominique Johnson and they rode a bus home together with the proceeds of the crime. The sentences handed down today hold both of them accountable for their callous crimes and hopefully will warn others who are even considering such senseless violence.”
Mr. Messerschmitt, 30, was killed on the evening of Feb. 9, 2015. He was attacked while a guest at the Donovan Hotel, in the 1100 block of 14th Street NW. According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Messerschmitt posted an advertisement earlier that day on Craigslist soliciting responses from other men. Gallmon pretended to be a man interested in meeting Mr. Messerschmitt and responded to his advertisement by e-mail. In fact, however, her true purpose in meeting with him was to rob him of his possessions.
Gallmon and Mr. Messerschmitt arranged to meet at approximately 7:30 p.m. in his hotel room. Gallmon walked into the hotel at 7:44 p.m., concealing her identity by wearing a jacket with a hood up and a covering over the bottom half of her face. She then entered Mr. Messerschmitt’s unlocked room. She attempted to rob him, and, when Mr. Messerschmitt fought back, she stabbed him approximately seven times in his chest, groin area, arm, and back.
During the robbery, Gallmon took Mr. Messerschmitt’s cell phone and SmarTrip Metro card. She then left the room and immediately made her way out of the hotel, once again disguising her identity by wearing a jacket with the hood up.
According to the government’s evidence, Gallmon and Johnson had discussed committing a robbery and traveled together to the hotel on the night of the murder. Johnson subsequently used Mr. Messerschmitt’s SmarTrip card on a near-daily basis for about six weeks.
Gallmon was arrested April 1, 2015 and Johnson was arrested seven days later.
In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of the detectives, officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Trent-Valentine, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Donovan. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana L. Fulton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
U.S. Investigations Services Agrees to Forego at Least $30 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that U.S. Investigations Services Inc. (USIS) and its parent company, Altegrity, have agreed to settle allegations that USIS violated the False Claims Act (FCA) for conduct involving a contract for background investigations that USIS held with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The companies have agreed to forgo their right to collect payments that they claim were owed by OPM, valued at least at $30 million, in exchange for a release of liability under the FCA. USIS and Altegrity are headquartered in Northern Virginia.
From its privatization in 1996 until September 2014, USIS provided background investigations services for OPM under various fieldwork contracts. The government alleged that beginning in at least March 2008 and continuing through at least September 2012, USIS deliberately circumvented contractually required quality reviews of completed background investigations in order to increase the company’s revenues and profits. Specifically, USIS allegedly devised a practice referred to internally as “dumping” or “flushing,” which involved releasing cases to OPM and representing them as complete when, in fact, not all the reports of investigations comprising those cases had received a contractually-required quality review. The government contended that, relying upon USIS’ false representations, OPM issued payments and contract incentives to USIS that it would not otherwise have issued had OPM been aware that the background investigations had not gone through the quality review process required by the contracts.
“Contractors who do business for the federal government have a responsibility to provide the goods and services that they promise,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia. “This particular company failed to meet its obligations of comprehensively reviewing the backgrounds of current and prospective federal employees. This settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding government contractors accountable.”
“Shortcuts taken by any company that we have entrusted to conduct background investigations of future and current federal employees are unacceptable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will ensure that those who do business with the government provide all of the services for which we bargained.”
“This case demonstrates my office’s dedication to protecting tax payers’ money,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama. “We will continue to vigorously pursue all fraud against the government in order to restore and safeguard funds paid by our citizens.”
In February 2015, Altegrity, USIS and their affiliates filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in Delaware. The settlement of USIS’ FCA liability is part of a broader settlement that also resolves other matters between the United States and USIS/Altegrity that were part of the bankruptcy proceeding.
The FCA lawsuit against USIS was originally filed under the whistleblower provisions of the act by Blake Percival, a former executive at USIS. The FCA prohibits the submission of false claims for government money or property and, under the act’s whistleblower provisions, a private party may file suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The United States may elect to intervene and take over the case, as it did here. Mr. Percival’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Alabama, OPM and OPM’s Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The case is United States of America, ex rel., Blake Percival, v. U.S. Investigations Services, LLC, No. 14-cv-00726-RMC (D.D.C.).
District Man Sentenced to Nearly 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Former Girlfriend's DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 29-year-old man, from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 29 ½-year prison term on charges stemming from sexual assaults he committed against his longtime girlfriend’s daughter, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, was found guilty in June 2015 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of four counts of first-degree child sexual abuse and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael Ryan. After his prison term, the defendant will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant lived with the victim and her mother in the same household in Northwest Washington, and acted as the victim’s father-figure for many years. He began sexually abusing the victim in 2012 while her mother was at work; at the time, the victim was eight years old. The sexual abuse continued regularly for over one and one half years, until the victim’s mother returned home from work and caught the defendant sexually assaulting the child. The defendant has been in custody since his arrest in May 2014.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the child abuse experts at the Child and Adolescent Protection Center at Children’s National Medical Center, as well as the Children’s Advocacy Center, which conducted the child forensic interview and provided other critical services to the victim. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Joyce Arthur, Troy Griffith and Tiffany Jones; Victim/Witness Advocates Christina Principe, Melissa Milam, and Lezlie Richardson; the Child Waiting Room staff of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Litigation Technology Specialists Joshua Ellen and Jeanie Latimore-Brown; and Legal Interns Stephanie Dinan, Monisha Rao, Emma McArthur, Angela Lam, Maria Romas, and Rachel Bond. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Holman and Danny Lam Nguyen, who tried the case, and Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who investigated and indicted the case.
Former U.S. Consulate Official Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Receiving over $3 Million in Bribes in Exchange for VisasRead the Press Release
Vietnam-Based Scheme Yielded Millions of Dollars in Bribes
A former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. Sestak, 44, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison on federal charges in a scheme in which he accepted more than $3 million in bribes to process visas for non-immigrants seeking entry to the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia and Director Bill A. Miller of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Sestak pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud and to defraud the United States, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from illegal activity. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Following his prison term, Sestak will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Under the plea agreement, Sestak agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation and the prosecution of other conspirators. He also agreed to the forfeiture of the proceeds of the crimes, which includes the sale of nine properties that he purchased in Thailand with his ill-gotten gains.
Three others have pled guilty to charges in the case.
“As a Foreign Service Officer, Michael Sestak should have been upholding his responsibilities to the United States, not illegally cashing in by collecting over $3 million in bribes to short-circuit our visa process,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Because of this defendant’s selfish greed, nearly 500 foreign nationals were able to enter the United States without the proper screening. This sentence reflects the seriousness of his corrupt conduct.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of crime related to passport and visa fraud and to bring those who commit these crimes to justice,” said Director Miller. “When a public servant in a position of trust is alleged to have committed a federal felony such as passport fraud, we vigorously investigate claims of corruption.”
Sestak, a former police officer and Deputy U.S. Marshal, was arrested on May 13, 2013, and has been in custody ever since. According to the government’s evidence, he and his co-conspirators in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and elsewhere, created and/or submitted approximately 500 fraudulent applications for non-immigrant visas to the United States. The overwhelming majority of these applications were subsequently approved.
The others who have pled guilty include Binh Tang Vo; his sister, Hong Vo, both American citizens who had been living in Vietnam; and their cousin, Truc Tranh Huynh, a Vietnamese citizen.
Binh Tang Vo, 41, was sentenced in July 2015 to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, bribery of a public official and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His plea agreement also called for forfeiture of nearly $5.1 million. Hong Vo, 29, was sentenced in March 2014 to seven months in prison and three months of home detention. Truc Tranh Huynh, 31, was sentenced in February 2014 to 16 months of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, the criminal activity took place while Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012. His responsibilities included reviewing visa applications, conducting in-person interviews of visa applicants and issuing visas when appropriate. While at the State Department, Sestak held a sensitive position.
In pleading guilty, Sestak admitted that he and Binh Tang Vo met in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010 and began a personal friendship. They ultimately came up with a plan to obtain money in exchange for facilitating the approval of non-immigrant visas from Vietnam to the United States. Sestak conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens who worked to recruit customers to the visa scheme. Before they appeared at the consulate for visa interviews, Sestak would be informed of the identities of foreign nationals who agreed to pay money in exchange for obtaining visas. He then attempted to issue a visa to each foreign national who had agreed to pay for obtaining a visa, often disregarding the veracity of the information on the application.
Sestak admitted that between February 2012 and September 2012, he caused visas to be approved for people whose applications were part of the scheme. Payments made by applicants to the conspirators in exchange for visas ranged from $15,000 to $70,000. Many of the individuals who received visas had been previously denied visas for a variety of reasons.
The entire scheme generated at least $9.78 million. Of this, Sestak personally received over $3 million in proceeds of the conspiracy, which he laundered through China into Thailand. In an attempt to hide the illegal proceeds of the scheme, Sestak purchased nine real estate properties in Thailand worth over $3 million. As part of his plea agreement, Sestak agreed to sell these properties and forfeit the proceeds in order to satisfy a portion of the money judgment of at least $6 million that will be entered against him.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson, Alessio D. Evangelista of the National Security Section and Catherine K. Connelly and Jennifer Ambuehl of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, as well former Assistant U.S Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh and Mona N. Sahaf.
Former U.S. Consulate Official Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Receiving over $3 Million in Bribes in Exchange for VisasRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. Sestak, was sentenced today to 64 months in prison on federal charges in a scheme in which he accepted more than $3 million in bribes to process visas for non-immigrants seeking entry to the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Bill A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
Sestak, 44, pled guilty on Nov. 6, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud and to defraud the United States, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from illegal activity. He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Following his prison term, Sestak will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Under the plea agreement, Sestak agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation and the prosecution of other conspirators. He also agreed to the forfeiture of the proceeds of the crimes, which includes the sale of nine properties that he purchased in Thailand with his ill-gotten gains.
Three others have pled guilty to charges in the case.
“As a Foreign Service Officer, Michael Sestak should have been upholding his responsibilities to the United States, not illegally cashing in by collecting over $3 million in bribes to short-circuit our visa process,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Because of this defendant’s selfish greed, nearly 500 foreign nationals were able to enter the United States without the proper screening. This sentence reflects the seriousness of his corrupt conduct.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of crime related to passport and visa fraud and to bring those who commit these crimes to justice,” said Director Miller. “When a public servant in a position of trust is alleged to have committed a federal felony such as passport fraud, we vigorously investigate claims of corruption.”
Sestak, a former police officer and Deputy United States Marshal, was arrested on May 13, 2013, and has been in custody ever since. According to the government’s evidence, he and his co-conspirators in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and elsewhere, created and/or submitted approximately 500 fraudulent applications for non-immigrant visas to the United States. The overwhelming majority of these applications were subsequently approved.
The others who have pled guilty include Binh Tang Vo; his sister, Hong Vo, both American citizens who had been living in Vietnam; and their cousin, Truc Tranh Huynh, a Vietnamese citizen.
Binh Tang Vo, 41, was sentenced in July 2015 to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His plea agreement also called for forfeiture of nearly $5.1 million. Hong Vo, 29, was sentenced in March 2014 to seven months in prison and three months of home detention. Truc Tranh Huynh, 31, was sentenced in February 2014 to 16 months of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, the criminal activity took place while Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012. His responsibilities included reviewing visa applications, conducting in-person interviews of visa applicants, and issuing visas when appropriate. While at the State Department, Sestak held a sensitive position.
In pleading guilty, Sestak admitted that he and Binh Tang Vo met in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010 and began a personal friendship. They ultimately came up with a plan to obtain money in exchange for facilitating the approval of non-immigrant visas from Vietnam to the United States. Sestak conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens who worked to recruit customers to the visa scheme. Before they appeared at the consulate for visa interviews, Sestak would be informed of the identities of foreign nationals who agreed to pay money in exchange for obtaining visas. He then attempted to issue a visa to each foreign national who had agreed to pay for obtaining a visa, often disregarding the veracity of the information on the application.
Sestak admitted that between February 2012 and September 2012, he caused visas to be approved for people whose applications were part of the scheme. Payments made by applicants to the conspirators in exchange for visas ranged from $15,000 to $70,000. Many of the individuals who received visas had been previously denied visas for a variety of reasons.
The entire scheme generated at least $9.78 million. Of this, Sestak personally received over $3 million in proceeds of the conspiracy, which he laundered through China into Thailand. In an attempt to hide the illegal proceeds of the scheme, Sestak purchased nine real estate properties in Thailand worth over $3 million. As part of his plea agreement, Sestak agreed to sell these properties and forfeit the proceeds in order to satisfy a portion of the money judgment of at least $6 million that will be entered against him.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson and Alessio D. Evangelista of the National Security Section and Jennifer Ambuehl of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, as well former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh, Mona N. Sahaf, and Catherine K. Connelly.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography and First-Degree Sexual Abuse of GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rolando de la Rocha, 42, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to one charge of production of child pornography and another charge of first-degree child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.
De la Rocha pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable James E. Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2015. The child pornography charge, a federal offense, carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. First-degree child sexual abuse, a District of Columbia offense, carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties. De la Rocha also will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 25 years.
According to the government’s evidence, de la Rocha was the former boyfriend of the girl’s mother, and had lived with the family in Northwest Washington until January 2014. In May of 2015, the girl’s mother called the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to report that she had discovered a recording in which de la Rocha is seen sexually assaulting her child. A subsequent examination of de la Rocha’s cellphone led to the discovery of videos depicting two such incidents.
A warrant was issued for the defendant’s arrest, and de la Rocha was arrested on May 29, 2015. He admitted to police that he produced the recordings and said that he had set up an iPad to film the sexual acts in the girl’s room without her knowledge. The girl told police about several incidents that took place when she was 12 or 13, and that ended in 2013. She expressed a fear of talking to police but ultimately agreed to an interview about the defendant’s conduct.
De la Rocha has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including those from the Third District and the Youth Investigations Division. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office Sponsors Events at Area Homeless Shelters on Dangers of Using Synthetic CannabinoidsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the District of Columbia Prevention Center for Wards 5 & 6 have scheduled a series of presentations at homeless shelters, starting tonight, that will be focused on the dangers of synthetic cannabinoids, such as K-2 and Spice.
These presentations are being given in response to a recent spike in overdoses related to the use of synthetic cannabinoids; many requiring hospital attention were staying at area shelters. The sessions are tailored to equip the homeless population with important information about the dangers of using substances such as K-2 and Spice, as well as the current state of the law enforcement efforts related to the use and sale of the substances. The D.C. Department of Behavioral Health will be at the events to assist those who are in present need of treatment.
“Despite innocent-sounding names like Spice and Scooby Snax, synthetic cannabinoids threaten public health and safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “While we are committed to enforcing criminal laws, we also have a responsibility to educate the public. As evidenced by recent overdoses of homeless individuals, we need to reach out to all segments of our community to get the message out that synthetic cannabinoids are far from harmless.”
Three events are scheduled:
Thursday, Aug. 6, 6:30 p.m.: Shelter at the former D.C. General Hospital, 1900 Massachusetts Avenue SE.
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 6 p.m.: Men’s shelter at the Central Union Mission, 65 Massachusetts Avenue NW.
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m.: Shelter at the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV), 425 Mitch Snyder Place (Second and D Streets NW).
All presentations are free for residents and guests of the shelters.
People with questions about the presentations may contact Carolyn Crank at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (202)-729-3718 or [email protected]. For media inquiries, please contact Bill Miller at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (202)-252-6933 or [email protected].
Settlement Agent Sentenced to Six Years in Prison in Multi-Million Dollar Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edward Dacy, 77, most recently of West Melbourne, Fla., was sentenced today to six years in prison on charges stemming from a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving 45 properties and $16 million in mortgage loans used for the purchase of residential real estate in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Olga Acevedo, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Office of the Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency; Cary Rubenstein, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD-OIG); and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Dacy was found guilty on March 25, 2015, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of 10 counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, and mail fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. His conviction completes a three-year investigation relating to this mortgage fraud scheme. A total of nine individuals have admitted their guilt through guilty pleas or were found guilty after trial. Upon completion of his prison term, Dacy will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition, Judge Walton ordered that he pay $2,730,345 in restitution and an identical amount as a forfeiture money judgment.
The government’s evidence at trial included testimony from conspirators who were involved in the scheme to defraud banks, mortgage lenders, and the Federal Housing Administration, “FHA,” (part of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) of money by obtaining mortgage loans on residential real estate properties through false loan applications and documents and fraudulent settlements, and ultimately causing a loss to the banks, lenders, and FHA when mortgages were not paid. Some of the fraudulently-obtained mortgage loans were later resold in the secondary mortgage market to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
The trial evidence included information about conspirators who purchased properties in the names of general partnerships. They then recruited individuals, or straw buyers, to re-purchase these same properties for higher amounts, funded by fraudulently obtained mortgage loans, by promising the buyers that they would not be required to: make financial contributions toward the purchase of the properties; pay the monthly mortgage payments or expenses; or maintain the properties. These mortgage loans were obtained by fraudulent statements and documents, according to the evidence, including false loan applications and real estate contracts, phony cashier’s checks and verifications from banks, fabricated tax returns and letters from a Certified Public Accountant, and fraudulent deeds conveying title to the nominee buyers.
According to the trial evidence, Dacy handled the settlements of the real estate transactions. The settlement company received the funding from the mortgage lenders and should have collected the buyers’ cash contributions; it was under the obligation to disburse the money only if all of the mortgage lenders’ conditions were met and the buyers’ financial contributions collected. Only then would the settlement company be authorized to release the lenders’ money, and pay the costs of the closing, the debts of the property or seller, and any other authorized expenses as set forth on the Settlement Statement. According to the evidence, Dacy joined the multi-million dollar fraud conspiracy by managing and overseeing the straw buyers’ settlements of the properties, with knowledge that the straw buyers did not pay the cash contribution as required by the lenders.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Acevedo, Special Agent in Charge Rubenstein, and Assistant Director in Charge McCabe commended the work of the Special Agents and analysts from the Offices of Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FBI, who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Offices of Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, which assisted in the investigation. They acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Ida Anbarian, Donna Galindo, Corinne Kleinman, Kristy Penny, Tasha Harris, and Heather Sales and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Saler, Thomas Swanton, and Arvind K. Lal, who assisted with forfeiture issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Last and Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Shooting Juvenile in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adrian Wade, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a six-year prison term on charges stemming from an incident this year in which he fired a gun at four juveniles, hitting one of them, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Wade pled guilty in May 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two felony offenses of assault with a dangerous weapon and a third offense of possession of firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Todd E. Edelman. Upon completion of his prison term, Wade will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of Feb. 7, 2015, Wade armed himself with a firearm, and encountered the four juveniles outside a neighborhood store on Half Street SW, between O and N Streets. During the encounter, Wade pointed the gun at the four victims, who immediately fled the area.
Shortly afterward, the four victims were walking along the 100 block of O Street SW. Wade again pointed the firearm at them, this time firing four shots at them. One shot struck a 16-year-old boy in the ankle. Wade then passed the gun to co-defendant JaJuan Smith, who fled the area and disposed of the weapon in a bush. The gun was recovered shortly after the shooting, and the spent shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting matched the recovered firearm.
Smith, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to charges of acting as an accessory after the fact, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of unregistered ammunition. He was sentenced to two years in prison; the prison time was suspended on the condition he successfully complete 18 months of supervised probation.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers, detectives, and others who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tamika Garcia, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Schurmann and Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Ex-Girlfriend's Apartment BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph F. Brown, 42, of Bladensburg, Md., was sentenced today to a five-year prison term for intentionally setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment building earlier this year, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Brown pled guilty in June 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of arson and second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Yvonne M. Williams. Following his prison term, Brown will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, Brown will be placed on GPS monitoring and must stay away from the victim.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 4, 2015, Brown went to visit his ex-girlfriend at her apartment in the 3200 block of 11th Place SE. At approximately 1 a.m., she asked Brown to leave. Shortly after she asked him to leave, she heard a loud explosion by her front door. She looked out the window and saw Brown running out of her building with his sleeve on fire. She also saw flames and smoke coming through her front door. She then saw Brown pull in front of her apartment building, blow the horn in his car, and drive away.
A witness also had seen Brown running out of the building with his sleeve on fire. The witness heard Brown yell, “How do you like that?” Brown also shouted profanities toward his ex-girlfriend’s window. Shortly after the incident, Brown sent her a text message that read, in relevant part, “you worried bout me setting your building on fire..you lucky it wasn’t you..”
All four of the apartments in the building were occupied, and all had to be evacuated. Several young children were among the residents who had to evacuate. No one was injured.
Firefighters with the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived shortly thereafter and saw smoke and flames coming from the front of the building. After the fire was extinguished, a fire investigator responded to the scene and conducted a complete origin and cause fire scene investigation. The investigation revealed that the fire was incendiary--that is, intentionally set--using gasoline as an accelerant.
The building was deemed uninhabitable, and the residents were forced to relocate as a result of the arson. Brown was arrested May 13, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Service’s Fire Investigations Unit. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Maria Shumar and Elsa Maltese and Paralegal Specialist Erica Vample.
Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for 2011 Murder of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Faunteroy, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for his role in the December 2011 killing of a man in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Faunteroy pled guilty in June 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson. Following his prison term, Faunteroy will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Judge Anderson sentenced a co-defendant, Jarod Yorkshire, to a 37-year prison term on July 24, 2015. Yorkshire, 21, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury in May 2015 of first-degree murder while armed, obstruction of justice, and related charges.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 16, 2011, the victim, Derrick Ragland, 19, orchestrated a sham gun sale with Faunteroy and Yorkshire. The gun sale was a ruse, and masked men fired at both Yorkshire and Faunteroy, grazing Faunteroy in the hand. The two men then hatched a plot to gain revenge against Mr. Ragland.
Three days later, on Dec. 19, 2011, Yorkshire encountered Mr. Ragland at a home in the 1000 block of Taussig Place NE. He texted and called Faunteroy 29 times prior to the murder to alert him to Mr. Ragland’s whereabouts. Yorkshire and two witnesses then entered a vehicle that began to drive around the neighborhood. According to the government’s evidence, Faunteroy ambushed the victim from behind, shooting him seven times in the back as Mr. Ragland ran for his life down an alley in the 1000 block of Taylor Street NE before collapsing in a neighbor’s yard. Despite the best efforts of emergency personnel, Mr. Ragland later died of his wounds.
Immediately after the shooting, Faunteroy and Yorkshire spoke seven more times by phone as Yorkshire directed the driver of the vehicle to Faunteroy’s location. According to the government’s evidence, Faunteroy confessed to the murder upon entering the vehicle, and then directed the driver to drop him off at a location away from the crime scene.
Cellular tower records demonstrated that both Yorkshire and Faunteroy were in the vicinity of the murder at the time it occurred.
Following the murder, Yorkshire began a campaign of witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. He instructed one witness to refuse to cooperate with police in the homicide investigation and resulting court proceedings; corruptly persuaded another witness to provide false information to a defense investigator in an attempt to be called as a witness at trial to provide knowingly false testimony; and finally agreed in a recorded call with a police informant to cooperate in a scheme to kill a government witness.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen recognized the efforts of the detectives, evidence technician, and officers who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the Special Agent from the FBI who provided expert testimony concerning cellular site evidence concerning the whereabouts of the defendant. He also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Kirschner and Michael Spence, who tried the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kerkhoff and Emily Miller and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Taylor, who investigated and indicted the case, and finally the work of Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarrity and Lashone Samuels, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
United Kingdom Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Two Separate Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marc T. Duchesne, 53, of London, England, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison on federal charges stemming from separate schemes involving financial fraud in the District of Columbia and Texas, announced Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Kenneth Magidson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
Duchesne pled guilty on May 11, 2015, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud in the District of Columbia case and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the unrelated case that had originated in Texas. Duchesne entered both pleas before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The plea, which was contingent upon the court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 91 to 97 months. Judge Walton accepted the plea and sentenced Duchesne accordingly. In addition, as part of the plea agreement, Duchesne is to pay a total of $4,543,261 ($2,087,730 and $2,455,531 in the District of Columbia and Texas cases, respectively). Following completion of his prison term, Duchesne is to be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the District of Columbia case, Duchesne engaged in a conspiracy from May 2002 through October 2002 to defraud investors by fraudulently creating Nationwide Capital Corporation (publicly traded as NCCN), and then artificially driving up its stock price. Unbeknownst to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or investors, Duchesne and his co-conspirators owned and controlled vast amounts of the stock. They employed tactics such as bid manipulation, false SEC filings, and false press releases to effectuate their scheme. The National Association of Securities Dealers estimated losses to investors to be in excess of $2 million.
In the Texas case, Duchesne and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme from 2000 to 2005 that involved the selling of fraudulent liability insurance policies to apartment complexes, condominium associations, bars, restaurants and other businesses throughout the United States and Caribbean. One company that purchased the insurance was Shoreline Cruises Inc. which operated a 40-foot tour boat called the Ethan Allen on Lake George, N.Y. The tour boat operator discovered its insurance policy was fictitious after the Ethan Allen sank on Oct. 2, 2005, in a tragic accident that claimed the lives of 20 elderly tourists. The total loss was $2,455,531.
Four others have also been convicted in the Texas matter. Christopher Purser pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while Edmund Benton, Malchus Irvin Boncamper and Robert Steve Mills pled guilty to conspiracy to launder money. Purser received a sentence of 188 months, while Boncamper is serving a 97-month-term. Benton and Mills were both ordered to serve 120 months of federal imprisonment.
The case in the District of Columbia was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the SEC. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. and Lionel André prosecuted that case. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Corinne Kleinman and Krishawn Graham.
The case in Texas was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas, New York and California Departments of Insurance. During this four-year investigation, the U.S. government also received extensive and valuable assistance from the governments of St. Kitts and Nevis and also St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Investigators also received valuable assistance from the governments of The Bahamas, Nicaragua, The Philippines and Australia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lewis and Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Voyeurism and Stalking Charges for Secretly Recording Women at Their ApartmentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Rosen, 45 of Washington D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a series of incidents between 2012 and 2014 in which he secretly took video recordings of women in various stages of undress by aiming his cellular phone through their apartment windows in Northwest Washington.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rosen, a former senior official of the U.S. State Department, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to six counts of voyeurism and five counts of stalking. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston scheduled sentencing for Oct. 9, 2015. Each of the counts of voyeurism and stalking carries a maximum penalty of one year and potential fines.
“Daniel Rosen crept through alleys and peered through windows to secretly film women during intimate, private moments in their own homes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Today he admitted to being a serial stalker and voyeur who robbed women of the privacy they expected in their own bedrooms and bathrooms. I hope that the fact he is being held accountable will serve as a deterrent and prevent others from engaging in this illegal and invasive conduct.”
According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, over the course of a three-year period, Rosen purposefully positioned himself outside of the windows of women who resided in basement-level apartments that faced rear, isolated alleys. The women believed they were shielded from outside view by the use of curtains, blinds, or the fact that their windows were situated in enclosed, hard-to-access to areas, either behind fences, through back residential alleys, or down a flight of basement steps. Once positioned behind these women’s apartments, Rosen peered through their windows and used his iPhone to record them. The activities took place in the areas of Mount Pleasant, the U Street Corridor, and Adams Morgan.
Rosen recorded the women in various stages of undress, capturing some in the most intimate and private moments in their bedrooms and bathrooms. Several women, had their blinds or curtains drawn, but Rosen was able to maneuver himself and his cell phone in between the cracks or small openings of the blinds to make his recordings.
All of the recordings took place during the late evening hours, thus enabling Rosen to hide in the shadows as he recorded these women in their lit bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms. At times, Rosen would engage in this conduct while walking his dog, thus disguising his true intentions. None of the women were aware that Rosen was watching and recording them, and none gave Rosen permission to watch and record them. For several of these women, the defendant returned on more than one occasion to record their private moments.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison Following Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mustafah Muhammad, 29, formerly of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking ring that operated out of Washington, D.C., and extended into Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.
Muhammad pled guilty in April 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. He was sentenced on July 22, 2015, by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Following his prison term, Muhammad will be placed on five years of supervised release. As part of his guilty plea, Muhammad agreed to the forfeiture of $57,000 as proceeds constituting or derived from his illegal drug trafficking activities.
Muhammad was among 16 people who were arrested and charged in November and December of 2012 with conspiracy and other related offenses; the others also pled guilty. The indictments followed an investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department into heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana trafficking. The drug ring’s activities primarily occurred in and around the 1400 block of Euclid Street NW and the 700 block of Kenyon Street NW in Washington D.C., as well as in Arlington, Va., and Bethany Beach, Del.
In his guilty plea, Muhammad admitted that between February 2012 and November 2012 he engaged in the drug conspiracy. He also admitted that during the conspiracy he and other conspirators used a residence located in the 1600 block of Fuller Street NW to store or hide illegal drugs, including 31-gram and 62-gram quantities of crack cocaine, for redistribution to others. He further admitted that during the conspiracy he travelled from the District of Columbia to Delaware to take heroin and crack cocaine to customers living there.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, MPD, and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the support of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. In addition, he cited the efforts of those who prosecuted and worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Whitted and Philip A. Selden, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arvind Lal and Zia Faruqui, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. He also commended Paralegal Specialists Teesha Tobias, Catherine O’Neal, and Kim Hall, and Legal Assistant Diane Brashears and Candice Sisco for their assistance.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Burglary Charge for Theft at Georgetown University Student's ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antoine Gibson, 36, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to burglarizing an apartment on the Georgetown University campus while a student was asleep inside, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Gibson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to first-degree burglary as well as a violation of the Bail Reform Act. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2015 by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Gibson faces a minimum of five years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 6, 2015, at about 8 p.m., Gibson entered the Henle Village apartment complex on the Georgetown University campus. He went to the fourth floor and entered the victims’ apartment, which was occupied at the time by a sleeping student. Gibson stole a laptop from the living room before heading to the upstairs bedrooms.
The sleeping student awoke to find Gibson, a stranger, standing in the hallway and confronted him. Gibson denied doing anything illegal and left. The student called the campus police, who found Gibson a short time later within blocks of the main campus gate with the laptop in his backpack. Gibson later failed to appear for the first status hearing in the case in Superior Court. He was later arrested on a bench warrant executed by the U.S. Marshals Service.
In announcing the guilty plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers of the Georgetown University Department of Public Safety, as well as the crime scene officers and detectives and officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including David Foster, La June Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, and Litigation Technology Assistant Aneela Bhatia. Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed for Killing Man in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Erik Postell, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges for killing a man in 2013 in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
In addition to the murder charge, Postell was found guilty of three firearms offenses stemming from the slaying of Paul Danzo Tanoh. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Sept. 25, 2015. Postell faces a mandatory minimum term of 30 years in prison, and a maximum of more than 60 years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2013, at about 2:45 a.m., Postell fatally shot Mr. Tanoh, 24, as Mr. Tanoh sat in the driver's seat of his car, which was stopped in the 1000 block of 17th Street NW. The shooting followed a brief physical altercation between Postell and Mr. Tanoh that took place inside a nearby nightclub 15 minutes earlier.
Following the confrontation at the nightclub, Postell retrieved a .45 caliber handgun from a parked car and tracked down Mr. Tanoh. He then stood alongside Mr. Tanoh's driver's side window and fired at him nine times. Postell fled in a vehicle driven by another man, Michael Smith. Smith, 35, of Camp Springs, Md., previously pled guilty to multiple felonies for his role in the murder of Mr. Tanoh and is awaiting sentencing. Postell was taken into custody on Oct. 11, 2013, and had been held without bond ever since.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives, officers and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service; the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences; Bode Technologies; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen Dwyer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; Trial Attorney Jessica N. Moran of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In addition, he acknowledged the work of those who handled the murder case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynda Randolph, Donville Drummond, Sandra Lane, Alesha Matthews, and Kalisha Johnson-Clark; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Kimberly Smith, Thomas “Ron” Royal, Paul Howell, Aneela Bhatia, Anisha Bhatia, Claudia Gutierrez, Joshua Ellen, and Karen McColman; Intelligence Specialists Sharon Johnson, Zachary McMenamin, and William Hamann; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and La June Thames, Katina Adams-Washington, and David Foster, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit.
Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Liebman and Philip A. Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury of Assaulting Deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jared Thompson, 45, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a federal jury of forcibly assaulting a Deputy United States Marshal during an incident at a courthouse earlier this year, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Thompson was found guilty on July 23, 2015, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal law enforcement officer. The Honorable Senior Judge Gladys Kessler scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2015. Thompson faces up to eight years in prison as well as potential financial penalties. The Court ordered that Thompson be held without bond pending his sentencing.
According to the government's evidence, on Jan. 8, 2015, Thompson was ordered by a Superior Court judge to be detained in a previous and unrelated criminal case; he was not in custody at this time. Thompson then was taken into custody by a Deputy U.S. Marshal. The deputy marshal escorted Thompson to the cellblock hall area at Superior Court and attempted to search and pat down the defendant’s clothing for possible contraband.
During this initial search, the deputy marshal found a pipe and a small container containing a green weed substance which was consistent with marijuana. While the search continued, Thompson asked the deputy marshal, “Did you find my weed yet?” The deputy marshal searched inside Thompson’s pants area, and then instructed Thompson to pull up his pants. Thompson refused, cursed, and stated, “You pulled them down, you pull them up.” He then began turning toward the deputy marshal in a threatening manner.
Thompson then balled his hand into a fist, tensed his arm, and began to turn to stand face-to-face with the deputy marshal. The deputy marshal attempted to re-apply the handcuffs on Thompson to gain control of the defendant and for the safety of the court, staff, and all others in the cellblock. Thompson cursed, kicked his feet towards the deputies, and bit the deputy marshal’s forearm. The bite broke the deputy marshal’s skin, caused his forearm to bleed, and caused great pain. Because of his injury and the possibility of infection, the deputy marshal was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injury.
In announcing the guilty verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Marshal Hughes commended the actions of the U.S. Marshals Service. They also commended those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Candace Battle. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Men Plead Guilty to Charges in 2013 Killing, Admit Shooting Victim in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Carlos Parks, 19, and Troy Robinson, 20, both of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the shooting death of a man in June 2013 in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Parks pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to second-degree murder while armed for the death of Tywayne Thompson. The plea, which is contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for 12 to 24 years of incarceration. Robinson pled guilty in the same court to the charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the same murder. His plea, also contingent on the Court’s approval, is for 10 to 15 years of incarceration. Both defendants are to be sentenced on Nov. 6, 2015, by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 24, 2013, at approximately 1:20 a.m., Parks and Robinson were outside in the Potomac Gardens Housing Complex in the 700 block of 12th Street SE. At that time, Parks and Robinson were each armed with semi-automatic pistols. A few minutes later, they approached Mr. Thompson, 25, who was also outside in the Potomac Gardens Housing Complex. They began to speak with him.
Robinson then began shooting at Mr. Thompson. At least one bullet from Robinson’s gun hit the victim. Parks then also began shooting at Mr. Thompson, and at least one bullet from Parks’s gun hit Mr. Thompson in his buttocks and exited through his abdomen. Mr. Thompson was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died as a result of the wound from shot fired by Parks through his buttocks and abdomen. Mr. Thompson was unarmed, and neither defendant was acting in self-defense.
In announcing the guilty pleas, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the First 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, La June Thames, M. Laverne Forrest, David Foster, and Michael Hailey of the Victim/Witness Unit; former Paralegal Specialist Mia Beamon; Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane; and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling. Finally, he praised the efforts of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Christopher Bruckmann, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Centanni, 49, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C.
Centanni pled guilty in January 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on July 20, 2015, by the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan. Upon completion of his prison term, Centanni will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 15 years.
Centanni was arrested on Oct. 30, 2014 following an investigation by HSI. According to a statement of offense signed by the defendant as well as the government, the investigation determined that Centanni had been using the Internet to obtain child pornography files.
Law enforcement searched Centanni’s residence on Oct. 14, 2014 and seized hard drives and other electronic media. A subsequent examination identified more than 3,000 images and 267 videos depicting child pornography. Centanni has been in custody since his arrest. In an interview with law enforcement, he admitted obtaining images and videos depicting child pornography and storing it on the electronic devices seized during the search.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Special Agent in Charge Settles commended the work of the HSI Special Agents who investigated the case and expressed appreciation for the assistance of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassidy Kesler Pinegar and Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who assisted in the investigation.
Facilitator and Fundraiser for Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Extradited to United States to Face Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Irfan Demirtas, aka Nasrullah, 56, a duel Dutch-Turkish national, made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a federal indictment charging him with terrorism offenses arising from his support of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office.
“Today Irfan Demirtas was brought into an American courtroom to face charges that he raised money and recruited fighters for a foreign terrorist organization battling the Afghan government and its allies, including U.S. troops,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “His extradition to the United States is an important step forward in holding him accountable for his alleged role in fomenting terror across Europe and the Middle East. Demirtas is one of four defendants currently pending trial on international terrorism charges in separate cases in the federal court here in our nation’s capital. These cases highlight our resolve to find and bring to justice those who support terror around the world.”
“According to the allegations in the indictment, Demirtas provided material support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a designated foreign terrorist organization, through his fundraising and recruiting activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Counterterrorism is the National Security Division’s highest priority and we will continue to pursue justice against those who provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”
“Demirtas was arrested and extradited to face justice in the U.S. because of his role as the European-based fundraiser and recruiter for a designated terrorist organization that directly worked against U.S. forces and our allies,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “On a daily basis, the FBI is faced with investigating complex cases that involve terrorist threats. Through international partnerships, the FBI will continue to pursue those who provide support to terrorist groups who threaten the security of our nation’s equities around the globe.”
On Dec. 8, 2011, Demirtas was charged in a sealed four-count indictment for conduct occurring from at least January 2006 through May 2008. Specifically, he was charged with providing material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a 10-year prison sentence; and using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries up to a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.
During the charged conduct, the IMU was a militant Islamic group acting as an armed insurgency against the legitimate government of Afghanistan and its allies, including the armed forces of the United States. The IMU was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Sept. 25, 2001. During the conduct charged in the indictment, Demirtas was a resident of the Netherlands. He was appointed by the IMU as its European-based fundraiser. He was responsible for raising funds and recruiting fighters for the IMU. His activities allegedly took place in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Jordan, the Netherlands, France and elsewhere outside the United States.
In January 2015, Demirtas was arrested in Germany based on a red notice that had been issued on these charges. He was detained and then extradited to the United States on July 17, 2015. The indictment was unsealed today.
An indictment is merely a formal allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Traffic Fatality in Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James B. Chandler, Jr., 33, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to 80 months in prison on charges of voluntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of PCP, stemming from a crash that killed Philip D. Snodgrass, who was walking on a sidewalk in downtown Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Chandler pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in an Alford plea. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction; Chandler entered an Alford plea because of his intoxication by PCP at the time of the crash and his inability to recollect events. He has been in custody since his arrest. The Honorable Robert E. Morin sentenced him today. Following his prison term, Chandler will be placed on five years of supervised release.
“A bright young man was killed when this defendant careened through downtown D.C. at 60 miles per hour while high on PCP,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “We see cases over and over again where drivers using PCP lose control with devastating consequences. We have to double down on our efforts to prevent these tragedies.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at about 4:50 p.m., during downtown Washington’s rush hour, Chandler drove his SUV at a high rate of speed west on H Street NW, between 2nd and 4th Streets, striking two other vehicles without stopping. As Chandler approached the intersection with 4th Street NW, he crossed over into H Street’s eastbound lanes. Chandler crossed 4th Street and struck the southeast curb of the corner of 4th and H Streets, mounted the sidewalk and struck the retaining wall of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) building. By crashing into the wall, Chandler caused his SUV to flip and roll several times along the south sidewalk of the 400 block of H Street, striking and killing Mr. Snodgrass, 27, who had been walking on the sidewalk.
Mr. Snodgrass, who was assistant legal counsel for the National Federation of Federal Employees, was on his way to night classes at Georgetown University’s Law Center.
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived on the scene and removed Chandler from the wreck. Chandler admitted to a paramedic that he had smoked a PCP-laced cigarette that day.
Surveillance video, which captured footage of the crash, was examined and it was estimated that Chandler was driving at a speed approaching 60 mph in the 25 mph zone. The video, as well as examination of the crash scene, also indicated that Chandler never attempted to apply his brakes or take any action to avoid the crash.
Mr. Snodgrass was taken to the Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. Chandler was taken to Howard University Hospital for treatment. While at the hospital, Chandler was examined by an officer with the MPD’s Driver Impairment Unit, who determined that Chandler was under the influence of a narcotic. Also while at the hospital, Chandler’s blood was drawn, which later tested positive for PCP.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Investigations Unit, the Driver Impairment Unit and the First District. He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery and Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamal Skinner, a.k.a. Shakir Skinner, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 94 months in prison on charges stemming from an armed robbery, as well as for failing to register as a sex offender, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Skinner pled guilty in November 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and failure to register as a sex offender. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, Skinner will be placed on five years of supervised release. He remains obligated to register as a sex offender in the District of Columbia for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, Skinner was convicted in 2009 of aggravated sexual battery in Prince William County, Va., based on his sexual assault of a five-year-old child. Following his release in that case, he moved to Maryland. He was obligated to register as a sex offender in Maryland, but failed to do so, and he was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender in Prince George’s County, Md., in 2011 and 2013. Skinner thereafter moved to the District of Columbia and in March of 2013, he was notified of his obligation to register as a sex offender there. However, he failed to provide the registry with his actual home address.
The robbery took place on April 20, 2014. At about 2 a.m., Skinner approached a couple while they were parking their car in the 2600 block of Jasper Street SE. He brandished a gun and ordered the couple out of the car and onto the ground. He took their cellphones and jewelry, as well as the female victim’s purse and the keys to the vehicle. He then stole their car and fled, but was apprehended a short time later.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 designated the U.S. Marshals Service as the federal agency responsible for assisting state and local authorities in the apprehension of non-compliant sex offenders. The U.S. Marshals Service National Sex Offender Targeting Center collaborates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Department of Justice’s Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking Office to support all levels of law enforcement in pursuing unregistered and non-compliant sex offenders.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Chief Lanier, and U.S. Marshal Hughes praised the work of Senior Inspector Floriano Whitwell and other members of the D.C. Superior Court Sex Offender Investigations Section of the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth and Seventh Districts, who investigated the robbery case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Donhue Troy Griffith and Daphne Nelson, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Witness Security Specialist Supervisor Michael Hailey. Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller, who assisted with the investigation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aziz and Sarah McClellan, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing and Assaulting Former GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nicholas White, 26, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to sexually assaulting his former girlfriend earlier this year in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
White pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of third-degree sexual abuse, one count of contempt, and one count of assault. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2015. In addition to facing prison time, White will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, White and the victim began dating while in college and moved in together following the victim’s graduation. During the course of their relationship, White physically assaulted the victim on several occasions, with the nature of the domestic violence escalating over time. The victim eventually ended their relationship on March 11, 2015, and began making efforts to move out of the apartment in Northwest Washington. An argument took place two days later on March 13, 2015, that culminated in White physically and sexually assaulting the victim inside the apartment.
On that day, White and the victim were involved in an argument over the use of the victim’s car. During the argument, White kicked the victim twice on her leg, smashed her work laptop across his knees, and took her cell phone and placed it on top of a kitchen cupboard in an attempt to prevent the victim from accessing it. While White was in another room, the victim took the phone and reported the assault to a friend.
White then discovered that the victim had used her phone, at which point he pushed her onto a bed and began striking her in the head and pressing his leg into her knee with such force that the victim’s kneecap slid to the side of her leg. Seeing this, White then grabbed the victim’s kneecap and attempted to place it back into its original position. As the victim lay in the bed, White removed her clothing and raped her. The victim attempted to push him away during the sexual assault but was unsuccessful. She ultimately left the apartment to call the police for help.
During the pendency of this case, White was ordered not to contact the victim in any manner, including through a third party. Despite this judicial order, he directed his father to provide the victim with a “sob story” in the hopes that she would no longer cooperate with the authorities. The defendant’s father sent the victim a text message later that same day, stating that White was, among other things, “frightened,” “alone,” “sad,” and “sorry.” The text message did not dissuade the victim from cooperating in the investigation, and her involvement helped secure the defendant’s guilty plea in this case.
In announcing the guilty plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District and Sexual Assault Unit. He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Troy Griffith and Erica Vample; Victim/Witness Advocates Meshall Thomas and Maria Shumar; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Legal Intern Emma McArthur. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Nguyen and Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Conspiring with Former U.S. Consulate Official in Visa SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Binh Tang Vo, 41, an American citizen who had been living in Vietnam, was sentenced today to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Bill A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
Vo pled guilty to the charges in March 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 a prison sentence between six and eight years, as well as forfeiture of nearly $5.1 million. The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Vo accordingly today.
Vo was arrested on Sept. 24, 2013, at Washington Dulles International Airport and has been held without bond ever since.
According to a statement of facts in support of his guilty plea, Vo conspired with co-defendant Michael Sestak and others to obtain visas to the United States for Vietnamese citizens. Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012.
As outlined in the statement of facts, Vo and Sestak conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens to advertise the scheme and recruit customers. Co-conspirators reached out to people in Vietnam and the United States and advertised the scheme by creating a website and by spreading the word through emails and telephone calls. The conspirators told potential customers that once the customers obtained a visa from the scheme, they could disappear, get married or return to Vietnam and be assured of receiving visas in the future.
Vo and his co-conspirators received biographical information and photographs from customers and assisted them with their visa applications. Upon submitting an application, the applicant would receive an appointment at the Consulate, be interviewed by Sestak, and approved for a visa. Applicants or their families generally paid between $30,000 and $60,000 per visa. Nearly 500 fraudulent visas were issued as a result of the conspiracy.
Applicants paid for their visas in Vietnam, or by routing money to co-conspirators in the United States. Vo admitted to receiving millions of dollars for arranging for Sestak to approve the visas. He ultimately moved some of the money out of Vietnam by using money launderers to move funds through off-shore banks. Co-conspirators also had money laundered through off-shore banks to bank accounts in the United States.
“Binh Vo conspired with a corrupt U.S. Consulate Official to collect bribes in exchange for issuing visas that allowed nearly 500 Vietnamese nationals to enter the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Binh Vo and his family members recruited bribe-paying customers by telling them that once in the United States they could disappear or get married. He collected millions of dollars in bribes by undermining the integrity of the process used to screen foreign visitors to our country. This prison sentence demonstrates our commitment to preserving the integrity of a process that is critical to our national security.”
“The U.S. visa is one of the most coveted travel documents in the world. Foreign nationals who acquire visas fraudulently to enter the United States could do so in order to carry out any number of criminal activities, including terrorism,” said Director Miller. “This case demonstrates Diplomatic Security’s unwavering commitment to investigating visa fraud and ensuring that those who commit this crime are brought to justice.”
Sestak, 44, pled guilty in November 2013 to one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud and to defraud the United States, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from illegal activity. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 1, 2015.
Hong Vo, 29, an American citizen, and Truc Thanh Huynh, 31, a Vietnamese citizen, also pled guilty to conspiring with Sestak and Binh Vo. Hong Vo is Binh Vo’s sister, and Truc Thanh Huynh is Binh Vo’s cousin. Hong Vo was sentenced in March 2014 to seven months in prison and three months of home detention. Truc Tranh Huynh was sentenced in February 2014 to 16 months of incarceration.
According to the statement of facts, fraudulent visas granted by Sestak were connected to an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address controlled by Hong Vo. Huynh allegedly participated in the visa scheme by obtaining documents necessary for the visa applications, collecting money and providing model questions and answers for visa applicants. Sestak also allegedly approved a visa for Huynh to the United States, the application for which was submitted by the IP address controlled by Hong Vo.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson, Alessio D. Evangelista of the National Security Section, and Catherine K. Connelly and Jennifer Ambuehl of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, as well former Assistant U.S Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh, and Mona N. Sahaf.
Two Florida Men Indicted on Federal Charges Stemming from Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Russell J. Sveda, 69, and Richard V. Schachter, 55, of Lauderdale-By-the-Sea, Fla., have been indicted for conspiracy, health care fraud, and related charges stemming from a scheme to submit false claims for non-existent medical reimbursements through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Foreign Service Benefit Plan.
The indictment, which was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and David M. McGinnis, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington, D.C., Division.
Sveda and Schachter were arrested today in Florida and they made their first court appearances this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Both were named in a 24-count indictment, unsealed today, that charges them with conspiracy, health care fraud, mail fraud, false claims, false statements, and theft. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the scheme. The defendants are scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 23, 2015.
According to the indictment, Sveda, a retired U.S. Department of State employee, was enrolled in the Foreign Service Benefit Plan, as his health care benefit program, with Coventry as the insurance administrator. Between January 2007 and January 2013, the indictment alleges, Sveda and Schachter attempted to obtain from Coventry approximately $599,000 in reimbursements for overseas pharmacy purchases and $637,000 in reimbursements for overseas medical care, for an approximate total of $1.2 million. The indictment charges that Sveda and Schachter submitted materially false and fraudulent claims and invoices, with most of the claims being submitted under the name of Sveda, in the care of Schachter. The indictment further charges that claims were false in that they represented that Sveda had purchased and paid for prescription medications and other pharmaceutical items from the Stadt-Apotheke Fussen, a pharmacy in Fussen, Germany, and that he had received and paid for health care items and medical services from doctors, hospitals, clinics, and other medical providers in the German cities/towns of Fussen, Bad Liebenstein, Bad Salzungen, Bad Ems, Baden, Schweina, and other locations in Germany.
Finally, the indictment states that after obtaining funds as reimbursements for medical expenses supposedly incurred, Sveda and Schachter used these funds, in part, to help finance joint travel around Europe and to pay for other joint expenditures wholly unrelated to medical services.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Inspector General McFarland, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe, and Acting Inspector in Charge McGinnis expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents and analysts from OPM’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI, and Postal Inspectors and analysts with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. In addition, they 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 is prosecuting the case.
Former Property Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $380,000 from Employer and ClientsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lorraine Cyr, 58, pled guilty today to charges stemming from the embezzlement of over $380,000 from her employer and properties that she managed, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cyr, of Palm Bay, Fla., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of wire fraud and one count of income tax evasion. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2015. The wire fraud charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and the charge of income tax evasion carries up to five years; both also carry potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Cyr faces a likely range of 41 to 51 months of incarceration and a fine between $7,500 and $75,000. The plea agreement calls for Cyr to pay over $380,000 in restitution to a property management company and various other victims of her scheme, as well as $96,112 to the IRS. She also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $342,917.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Cyr worked from 2001 until 2009 for a property management company, referred to in court documents as “Property Management Company A,” in Washington, D.C. She was vice president of operations during her last four years of employment, handling duties such as management of payroll, bank accounts, budgeting, invoicing, and tax preparation for the company and its clients. The clients consisted largely of cooperative and condominium apartment buildings in the District of Columbia.
In 2009, Cyr started her own property management company, Lorraine Cyr Management Group, Inc., also in Washington, D.C., in which she performed similar duties for various clients, including some who transitioned to her new firm. In her new role, she had virtually unfettered discretion to manage the business affairs of her clients, who granted her access to bank accounts to manage their operations and expenses.
Between July and November of 2009, prior to resigning from “Property Management Company A,” Cyr embezzled $37,620, which she used for personal purposes, including spending at casinos and various retailers. Then, between March 2010 and April 2011, while at her own firm, she stole $342,917 in funds from eight clients. She used the money for expenses such as spending at casinos, hotels, amusement parks, clothing stores, restaurants, and other retailers.
The tax charge stems from Cyr’s evasion of income taxes on the money that she was stealing during the course of her scheme.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-CI and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Swanton and Anthony Saler, who handled forfeiture issues; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Chris Dobbie; Paralegal Specialists Heather Sales and Tasha Harris, Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence, and former Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorney Jeffrey McLellan, of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division, who assisted on the tax matter, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Last, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault for Striking Metropolitan Police Department Officer with His CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Burno, 26, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, and assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from his use of a 1991 Lexus sedan to run over a Metropolitan Police Department patrol officer, Sean Hickman, in March 2013 in Southeast Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned on July 9, 2015, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for Sept. 15, 2015. Burno faces up to 30 years of incarceration.
“This case is a reminder that police officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to serve our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “This officer was seriously injured while on the job when a criminal intentionally ran him down with a car for no reason at all. A D.C. jury has now held Kevin Burno accountable for this brazen assault. We are pleased that justice has been served.”
“Officer Sean Hickman is not only a wonderful police officer, he is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting,” said Chief Lanier. “Prior to becoming a police officer Sean worked as a second-grade teacher, which is a true testament of his dedication to public service and speaks further to the generous and kind person that he is. The assault that Officer Hickman suffered is truly tragic, an unfortunate reality that police officers face, and one that has left him permanently injured. I am pleased by the jury’s decision.”
According to the government’s evidence, on March 5, 2013, at about 6:30 p.m., Officer Hickman was patrolling in Southeast Washington on his 250cc Honda Rebel motor scooter. Officer Hickman was responding to a call in the area when he observed Burno’s vehicle pulling out of a parking spot and heading southbound without its lights on. The officer was travelling northbound and pulled his motor scooter over to the northbound parking lane, where he made a hand signal to Burno’s vehicle indicating that his headlights were not on. Burno pulled out of his parking spot and drove in Officer Hickman’s direction. Burno then abruptly turned his vehicle into the officer, causing him to be thrown off his motor scooter and onto the sidewalk – unable to move. Burno sped off without stopping or providing medical assistance to Officer Hickman.
Officer Hickman was treated for serious injuries to the left side of his body in general, and his lower left leg in particular. To date, he has limited movement in his left leg and can no longer work patrol duties.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of Officer Hickman and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the prosecution from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Long and Richard DiZinno, who investigated and indicted the case; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Richard Cheatham; and Intern Willie Wilson. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derrick Williams and Karen Seifert, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Bias-Related Attack of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Morris, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an eight-year prison term for the felony offense of assault with intent to kill, with a bias enhancement, for repeatedly attacking a male co-worker who he believed was making a sexual overture toward him, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Morris pled guilty to the charge on May 14, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Upon completion of his prison term, Morris will be placed on three years of supervised release.
“This criminal’s prejudices drove him to punch, stomp, and use a metal pole to beat his co-worker,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “He will spend the next eight years in prison as punishment for this brutal assault. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of criminals who express their hate through violence.”
According to the government’s evidence, Morris and the victim, 52, were friends and work colleagues at the time of the attack. On the evening of March 14, 2015, the two men were at Morris’s apartment in the 200 block of 61st Street NE, drinking alcohol. Morris interpreted an action from the victim as a homosexual overture. He became enraged and physically threw the victim out of his apartment and down the hallway stairs, toward the first floor of the building. He then dragged the victim from the foyer onto the pathway in front of the building, leaving him there while he went back inside. Two minutes later, however, Morris returned outside, jumped off of a ledge, and, while wearing boots, stomped on the victim’s head. While the victim remained on the ground, Morris repeatedly punched him in the head and upper body.
Morris verbally expressed his rage at the victim, repeatedly exclaiming that the victim “tried to rape me” and similar phrases. He then began once again punching him in the head and upper body. He returned inside, only to come back out about six minutes later – this time with a metal pole. He poked the victim with the pole and then struck him with it multiple times in the head and upper body. Yet again, Morris returned inside, only to come back out a short time later. Still wearing boots, Morris kicked the victim in the head. Then he approached the victim’s car and scratched and marked it before finally leaving the scene.
The victim, who was left on the pathway, bleeding profusely from the head, was hospitalized for almost two weeks. He received about 10 stitches to close a gash on the top of his head. He also lost feeling in the right side of his face and will require facial surgery to attempt to repair that damage. His eyesight also has deteriorated significantly. He still uses a cane.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers, detectives, and others who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the Forensic Services Division of the U.S. Secret Service. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Nestler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking on Christmas Eve and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andy Thompson, 23, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for various crimes, including a carjacking of a delivery truck on Christmas Eve 2014 and a subsequent shoot-out with police, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., announced.
Thompson, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to four counts: armed carjacking, assault on a police officer while armed, attempted robbery, and attempted burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable Zoe Bush. Upon completion of his prison term, Thompson will be placed on six years of supervised release.
The armed carjacking and confrontation with police took place on Dec. 24, 2014. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:20 p.m., Thompson put on a mask and approached a FedEx employee making deliveries in the 1300 block of Adams Street NE. Thompson pointed a gun at the driver and demanded that he leave the FedEx truck. The driver complied, and Thompson drove away in the FedEx vehicle. An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) spotted the vehicle almost immediately and attempted to pull it over. Thompson refused to pull over and fled into an alleyway off the 2200 block of 16th Street NE. There, the FedEx truck became wedged between an exterior brick wall and a police cruiser.
When the police ordered Thompson to display his hands and exit the vehicle, he pointed his gun at the police officers and fired. The police returned fire. Thompson was the only person struck in the exchange of gunfire, with a bullet grazing him in the head. The police recovered a 9mm handgun next to where the stolen truck was stopped.
The other crimes targeted convenience stores. The attempted robbery took place at about 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2014 at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the 300 block of Hawaii Avenue NE. Thompson approached a store employee, asked that new milk be placed in the coffee machine, and then reached behind the counter and stole four cartons of cigarettes. He smacked at the hand of a second employee who tried to stop him.
The attempted burglary took place at about 8 a.m. on June 29, 2013, at another 7-Eleven store, this time in the 2200 block of New York Avenue NE. Thompson took multiple packs of cigarettes from the store. In pleading guilty, he admitted that he stole cartons of cigarettes from four different 7-Eleven stores on 11 different occasions.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Gilead Light, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matters.
LB&B Associates Inc. Agrees to Pay $7.8 Million for Alleged False Claims Related to Small Business Administration Set Aside ContractsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – LB&B Associates Inc. and its principals, Lily A. Brandon and F. Edward Brandon, have agreed to pay the government $7.8 million to resolve allegations that they made false statements to obtain contracts through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) 8(a) Business Development Program for Small Disadvantaged Businesses, the Justice Department announced today. LB&B is a North Carolina corporation headquartered in Columbia, Maryland.
“The basic purpose of this federal program is undermined when contractors falsely claim to be a small or disadvantaged business,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. “This $7.8 million settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of this important program. Working with relators and federal investigators, we will do all that we can to act against those who illegitimately bill the American taxpayers.”
“The purpose of the 8(a) Program is to assist small disadvantaged businesses to compete in the American economy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department is committed to making sure that those who participate in 8(a) contracts do so honestly and fairly.”
The government alleged that in seeking certification under SBA’s 8(a) Program, LB&B falsely represented that Lily Brandon – who satisfied the criteria for a socially and economically disadvantaged person under the program – controlled the operations of LB&B, when she did not. Securing 8(a) certification allowed LB&B to obtain 8(a) set aside contracts from various government agencies. Throughout the performance of these contracts, Lily Brandon allegedly failed to exercise actual control over LB&B’s operations, a key component to qualifying for the set aside contracts.
“This case shows the lengths we will go to protect the integrity of SBA’s 8(a) program,” said General Counsel Melvin F. Williams Jr. of the SBA. “Both the Justice Department and SBA are prepared to do what it takes to make certain that the program helps folks who are really disadvantaged, and for whom it is intended to assist."
The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by Steven O. Sansbury and James T. Buechler, former employees of LB&B, under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, known as relators, to file suit on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The act permits the government either to intervene in and take over the whistleblowers’ suit, or to allow the whistleblowers to pursue the action. In addition to alleging LB&B’s improper receipt of 8(a) set aside contracts, Mr. Sansbury and Mr. Buechler alleged that LB&B made false claims in connection with contracts it obtained pursuant to the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program, which allows participants to obtain set aside contracts following LB&B’s graduation from the 8(a) Program. The United States intervened in the whistleblowers’ 8(a) claims but not the Mentor-Protégé claims. The settlement resolves both claims, and Mr. Sansbury and Mr. Buechler will recover a total of $1.5 million of the settlement.
The settlement with LB&B was the result of a coordinated effort among the Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, the SBA’s Office of Inspector General and SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
The civil lawsuit was filed in the District of Columbia and is captioned United States ex rel. Sansbury, et al. v. LB&B Associates, Inc., et al., No. 07-cv-00251 (D. D.C.).
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
District Man Sentenced to 8 1/2 Years in Prison for Series of Robberies of BusinessesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quincy Lamont Bufford, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 8 ½-year prison term for robbing three businesses, including two banks, in Southeast Washington within a 10-day period in 2013, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bufford pled guilty in March 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of bank robbery and one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, Bufford will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $1,699 in restitution.
According to the government’s evidence, the first robbery took place on July 8, 2013 at approximately 12:35 p.m. Bufford entered the Boost Mobile, in the 2400 block of Good Hope Road SE, placed his hands on the counter, and told an employee, “Give me your money.” After an employee questioned him, Bufford responded, “Make it easy on yourself and just give me the money.” When the employee told Bufford that they did not have any money and that he would have to speak to the store manager, Bufford became angry, reached over the counter, opened the cashier’s drawer, and forcefully took $649, putting it in his pants pocket before walking out.
The second robbery took place on July 15, 2013, at about 11:25 a.m. This time, Bufford entered the Sun Trust Bank in the 1300 block of Good Hope Road SE and pressed a demand note up against the glass. The note stated, in part, “Put money in bag or I’ll kill someone.” As the bank teller began to fumble with her drawer, Bufford pointed at her and stated, “Don’t stall me.” The bank teller took out bundles of loose bills, at which point Bufford stated, “That’s enough.” The bank teller handed Bufford approximately $890. Bufford stated, “Call the police and I’m goin’ kill you” before exiting the bank. The bank robbery was captured on bank surveillance video. Following the robbery, law enforcement processed the doors, glass, and counter inside the bank for fingerprints. A fingerprint and palm print later were found to match Bufford.
The third robbery occurred on July 17, 2013, at about 10:35 a.m. Bufford entered the PNC Bank in the 4100 block of South Capitol Street SE and went directly to the teller line. Once again he presented a threatening demand note. The bank teller hit the panic alarm, and then pulled $50’s and $20’s from his drawer and placed them on the counter. Defendant Bufford then stated, “Hurry up, I’m serious,” to which the bank teller responded, “this is all I got” before sliding approximately $160 under the dividing glass. Bufford put the money in his pants pocket before exiting the bank. The bank robbery was captured on bank surveillance video. Following the robbery, law enforcement processed the doors, glass, and counter inside the bank for fingerprints. Four fingerprints and one palm print later were determined to match Bufford.
Less than three hours after this robbery, Bufford returned to Boost Mobile and attempted to reach over the counter to remove cash from the cashier drawer. Store employees recognized him from the July 8 robbery and chased him out of the store.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the FBI Laboratory’s Latent Print Operations Unit. In addition, they acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Holly Crouse and former Paralegal Specialist Starla Stolk, as well as Assistant U.S Attorney Arvind Lal and former intern Joseph Drummey, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Three Step-GrandchildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 51-year-old man from Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 13-year prison term on charges stemming from sexual assaults he committed against three step-grandchildren, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in May 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree child sex abuse and two counts of attempted first-degree child sex abuse. He was sentenced on July 1, 2015, by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. After his prison term, the defendant will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant hosted his former wife's three grandchildren at his apartment in Northeast Washington in the summer of 2012. During the visit, the grandsons – then 4, 6 and 10 years old - were sexually assaulted by the defendant.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the child abuse experts at the Child and Adolescent Protection Center at Children’s National Medical Center, as well as the Children’s Advocacy Center, which conducted the child forensic interview and provided other critical services to the victim. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Child Forensic Interview Specialists Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias; Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, Victim/Witness Advocates Veronica Vaughan and Tracey Hawkins, the Child Waiting Room staff of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, and Legal Intern Lauren Eastman. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya K. Davis, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Nelson, 52, of Morningside, Md., pled guilty today to charges of felony assault and misdemeanor assault for attacking two people after an argument on a Metro train, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Nelson entered the guilty plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Yvonne M. Williams scheduled sentencing for Sept. 8, 2015. Nelson faces a statutory maximum of three years in prison for felony assault and up to 180 days of incarceration for misdemeanor assault, as well as potential financial penalties.
“This brutal beating was a shocking attack on two innocent people who were simply using Metro to travel throughout the city,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “This level of outrageous violence is entirely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
“On behalf of all Metro riders, I want to extend our thanks to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their support in this case that led to today's plea,” said Chief Pavlik. “I also want to commend the responding Transit officers and detectives who helped to ensure that justice was served today. Any assault is unsettling, but when it involves juvenile victims and when it occurs within the confined space of a railcar, that makes the crime all the more disturbing.”
According to a factual proffer presented at today’s plea hearing, on June 7, 2015, at about 1 a.m., Nelson was seated in front of two juveniles, 16 and 17, on a Metro train headed toward the Anacostia station of the Green Line. Nelson appeared to be asleep. The juveniles placed their feet on a window partition between their seat and Nelson’s seat, and he woke up. Nelson then stated, “Can you stop kicking the glass before I smack one of y’all?” A verbal argument ensued between Nelson and one of the juveniles, and both juveniles moved away from Nelson to another part of the train. Nelson, however, followed and continued arguing. Then he turned, walked toward the second juvenile, and punched him in the face.
As the juveniles moved through the train to get into a different car, a 46-year-old man approached Nelson and told him that he shouldn’t be acting that way. Nelson then confronted the man and punched him in the face multiple times, causing him to fall into a seat on the train.
As the man was still in the seat, Nelson stood over him and continued to punch him repeatedly in the face, even though the man’s hands were at his sides. After Nelson walked away, the man got up and exchanged words with him. Nelson then walked back over to the man, raised his hands, in a fighting stance, and punched him again. The man was knocked to the floor, and began bleeding from his face.
Both the man and the juvenile identified Nelson as the individual that who assaulted them. As a result of the altercation, the man sustained a fractured jaw and cheekbone and needed several stitches for lacerations to his lips. Additionally, he was informed by doctors that he needed to undergo surgery and have a plate inserted. The felony charge involves his attack.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former MPD Detective Sentenced to Prison on Money Laundering Charge Involving Purchases Made with Proceeds of Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephanie Ellison, 51, a former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison on a money laundering charge stemming from the purchase and financing of two cars and a motorcycle with money that came from a drug conspiracy. In a related matter, Raymond Proctor, 47, was sentenced April 29, 2015, to a prison term of 63 months on drug conspiracy and money laundering charges.
The sentences were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Charles E. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Troy D. Berry, Sheriff of Charles County, Md.
Ellison and Proctor pled guilty on March 31, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ellison pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Proctor, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both were sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg.
In addition to the prison term, Proctor was ordered to pay a money judgment of $47,835 as forfeiture for the money laundering conspiracy and $41,800 for the narcotics conspiracy. As part of her plea agreement, Ellison agreed to the forfeiture of her interest in various items of jewelry; $5,000 in cash found on Dec. 11, 2012, inside a safe at her residence; a 2006 Maserati automobile; a 2007 Harley Davidson Night Rod motorcycle; and a 2009 750LI BMW automobile, and entry of the forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $47,835.
According to the proffers of evidence filed with the Court, in 2010 the ATF, the MPD and the Charles County Sheriff’s Department began this joint investigation. During that investigation, Proctor sold a total of approximately 418 grams of heroin during several controlled purchases to multiple undercover agents in exchange for cash and export-only cigarettes.
During the course of this narcotics conspiracy, Proctor and Ellison conspired to launder monetary instruments. As part of this conspiracy, Proctor and Ellison purchased a 2006 Maserati, a 2007 Harley Davidson Night Rod, and a 2009 750LI BMW. Proctor and Ellison purchased these vehicles by commingling Proctor’s illegal proceeds with funds obtained from Ellison. Proctor and Ellison titled these vehicles in Ellison’s name; however, the vehicles were purchased for Proctor’s use. These vehicles were purchased to conceal and disguise the nature, source, and ownership of the narcotics proceeds, and hide the true ownership of the vehicles. According to the government’s evidence, Ellison knew that the property involved in these financial transactions represented the proceeds of some unlawful activity.
Ellison joined the MPD in 1986. The guilty pleas include consent orders of forfeiture for a money judgment which represent the proceeds of the crimes.
In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Smith, Chief Lanier, and Sheriff Berry commended the actions of the ATF Special Agents, Metropolitan Police Department officers, and members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office who worked on the investigation and prosecution of this case. They also commended the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal, Kim Hall, Teesha Tobias, and Rosalind Pressley; Legal Assistant LaToya Wade, and former Legal Assistant Priscilla Hutson.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla-Dee Clark and Zia Faruqui, who investigated and prosecuted these cases.
Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison Terms for 2014 Murder of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –William Smallwood, 23, has been sentenced to a 22-year prison term and Demitrich Jones, 17, has been sentenced to 18 years of incarceration on charges stemming from the killing of man during an attempted robbery of a laptop last year in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
The defendants, both from Washington, D.C., pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder for the death of Rashard Raigns. They were sentenced on June 26, 2015, by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson. Upon completion of their prison terms, Smallwood and Jones will be on supervised release for five years.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 3, 2014, Mr. Raigns, 33, purchased a laptop at a Best Buy store. Later, at about 10 p.m., Mr. Raigns laid a blanket out on the sidewalk in the 1900 block of Fenwick Street across from a retail distributor known as ProFish Limited and watched his laptop. Mr. Raigns had his personal items laid out on the blanket, including a backpack, some clothing, a container of Chinese takeout food, a laptop case and power cord.
Jones noticed the laptop and decided he wanted to take it. He then went home and told Smallwood and a juvenile about the laptop and they all agreed to rob Mr. Raigns. Jones grabbed a BB gun and Smallwood grabbed a handgun. Jones and Smallwood also carried T-shirts around their necks that they used to cover their faces. All three suspects then left the house and walked back to Mr. Raigns’s location.
Jones and Smallwood placed the shirts over their heads and approached Mr. Raigns, while the juvenile stayed further back and acted as a look-out. Jones tried to grab the laptop, but Mr. Raigns resisted and grabbed Jones’s arm. Jones broke free. Mr. Raigns then tried to get away, but Smallwood shot him. Jones and Smallwood walked away from the crime scene and went home. Once back home, Jones changed his clothes, got on a bike and went back to get the laptop computer. Mr. Raigns died from a single gunshot wound to his chest.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen 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 acknowledged the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service. He expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker, of the Victim /Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Trent-Valentine; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the case.
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School Teacher Pled Guilty to Sexually Abusing 4th Grade Student in ClassroomRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Giovanni Pena, 31, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to one count of Second-Degree Child Sexual Abuse and to one count of Obscenity, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. The charges stem from Pena’s sexual abuse of a 4th grade student at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, a D.C. Public School, during the 2013 – 2014 school year. Pena remains held without bond pending sentencing on September 4, 2015 before the Honorable Michael Ryan of the D.C. Superior Court.
According to the government’s evidence, Pena was the child’s 4th grade teacher during 2013 – 2014. Pena sexually abused the child by touching the child’s clothed penis and buttocks. Pena told detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division that he was curious whether a 4th grade child could have an erection. Pena also had the child touch Pena’s clothed penis. These incidents took place in the classroom during the school day.
Additionally, Pena sent nude photos of his erect penis to the child, as well as a photo of Pena’s sperm. Pena used the mobile application Snapchat to transmit these images. Pena also taught the child about masturbation.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. 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 Advocate Elsa Maltese, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Joyce Arthur and D’Yvonne Key, Legal Intern Allison Denton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John L. Hill, who prosecuted the case.