District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Kevin Burno, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison on charges 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).

            Burno was found guilty by a jury in July 2015 of aggravated assault while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, and assault with a dangerous weapon. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Altogether, the judge sentenced Burno to 15 years, five months, and 10 days in prison. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            “Officer Sean Hickman was seriously injured while doing his job, simply for signaling to Kevin Burno that his car’s headlights weren’t on,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “For no reason whatsoever, Kevin Burno intentionally and recklessly ran Officer Hickman down before fleeing the scene. This case is another reminder of the dangers of police work, and the community will be much safer with this defendant behind bars for the next 15 years.”

            “Officer Sean Hickman, originally a second-grade teacher, became a police officer to serve and protect citizens of the District of Columbia,” said Chief Lanier. “Unfortunately, while Sean was doing just that, protecting and serving, this defendant brutally and maliciously drove his vehicle into Officer Hickman and fled.  I am pleased with the outcome and trust that Officer Hickman will find some comfort in the sentencing decision by the Court today.”

            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 sentence, 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.

Defendant Paid Public Officials in Millions in Return for Contracts; Company Submitted Fraudulently Inflated Invoices

Young N. Cho, aka Alex Cho, 43, of Great Falls, Virginia, has been sentenced to 88 months in prison on federal charges stemming from a bribery scheme in which he paid millions of dollars in bribes to corrupt public officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in return for lucrative government contracts.

Cho pleaded guilty in September 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a two count information that charged one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering and to defraud the United States and one count of bribery.  He was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2015, by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan.  Judge Sullivan also ordered Cho to pay $7,656,073 restitution to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and pay a forfeiture money judgment of $6,884,948.  Following his prison term, Cho will be placed on three years of supervised release.

The sentencing was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. for the District of Columbia; Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Inspector General Peggy E. Gustafson, for the Small Business Administration (SBA); Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).

In addition to Cho, 19 other individuals and one corporation, Nova Datacom LLC, have pleaded guilty to federal charges.  The investigation uncovered the largest domestic bribery and bid-rigging scheme in the history of federal contracting cases.  Overall, participants in the scheme stole over $30 million in government money through fictitious invoices and conspired to steer a nearly $1 billion government contract to a favored government contractor.  To date, through forfeiture, restitution, and civil settlements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been able to recover over $30 million of the stolen money.

“Alex Cho was at the center of a cash-for-contracts scheme that robbed the American taxpayer of $30 million,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “Cho is just one of 20 crooked contractors, government officials and other middlemen who have pled guilty as part of this investigation.  His prison sentence is proof that the temptation to cheat the system by paying off corrupt government employees is not worth it.” 

“More than six years after initiating one of the largest procurement fraud cases in history, this sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have a long memory when it comes to holding accountable those who engage in bribes and kickbacks,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate.  “The FBI will continue to diligently work to protect the integrity of our government by pursuing those who seek to violate the system through corruption.”

“SBA’s preferential contracting programs are designed to help eligible individuals achieve the American dream of running a successful business,” said Inspector General Gustafson.  “The defendant's actions of bribing government officials and committing fraud in order to obtain government contracts hurt every small business owner who is hoping that SBA can help them achieve that dream.  I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedication and the U.S. Attorney's Office for its leadership throughout this investigation.”

“Manipulations of the Department of Defense procurement process will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig.  “This sentencing demonstrates the vigilance and ongoing commitment by DCIS and its partner agencies to hold accountable individuals who attempt to bypass federal contracting laws.”

“This sentencing and the guilty pleas of Cho's co-conspirators, should serve as a stark reminder to the public that those who seek to defraud the U.S. government will face the consequences,” said Director Robey.  “Crimes like this one can undermine the financial readiness of our Army.  The agents who worked this case should be commended for their thorough investigation and for expertly following the paper trail that led to the unraveling of this complex fraud scheme.”

Cho was the chief technology officer for Nova Datacom.  Among others, he conspired with three defendants who worked closely with Nova Datacom throughout the course of the scheme: Kerry F. Khan and Michael A. Alexander, former program managers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Harold F. Babb, the former director of contracts at Eyak Technology LLC (EyakTek), an Alaska Native-owned small business.  All three men have pleaded guilty.

According to the government’s evidence, Cho’s criminal activities took place between 2007 and 2011.  Among other things, Cho admitted paying over $17 million in bribes to Khan and about $1 million to Alexander to obtain and retain government contracts and to conspiring with public officials to steer a nearly $1 billion planned government contract to Nova Datacom.  Cho also admitted paying approximately $700,000 in kickbacks to Babb to facilitate the processing of Nova Datacom’s invoices.

From in or about 2008 through March 2011, Cho caused Nova Datacom to submit invoices for equipment and services to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for approximately $45 million.  Of that amount, he admitted that over $18 million was inflated and/or fictitious.

Khan has been sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison.  Alexander was sentenced to six years in prison and Babb was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.

In announcing this sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski, Inspector General Gustafson, Special Agent in Charge Craig and Director Robey thanked those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Office of the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration; the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Army Criminal Investigation Command.  They also expressed thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service for its assistance on the forfeiture matter.

They also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson and Anthony Saler of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section.  Finally, they expressed thanks for assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Seeley; former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Dana; former Forensic Accountant Maria Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Krishawn Graham, and Taryn McLaughlin; and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.

WASHINGTON – Young N. Cho, also known as Alex Cho, 43, of Great Falls, Va., has been sentenced to 88 months in prison on federal charges stemming from a bribery scheme in which he paid millions of dollars in bribes to corrupt public officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in return for lucrative government contracts.

            Cho pled guilty in September 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a two-count Information that charged one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering, and to defraud the United States, and one count of bribery. He was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2015, by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Judge Sullivan also ordered Cho to pay $7,656,073 restitution to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and pay a forfeiture money judgment of $6,884,948. Following his prison term, Cho will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            The sentencing was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA); Robert E. Craig, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).

            In addition to Cho, 19 other individuals and one corporation, Nova Datacom, LLC, have pled guilty to federal charges. The investigation uncovered the largest domestic bribery and bid-rigging scheme in the history of federal contracting cases. Overall, participants in the scheme stole over $30 million in government money through fictitious invoices and conspired to steer a nearly $1 billion government contract to a favored government contractor.  To date, through forfeiture, restitution, and civil settlements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been able to recover over $30 million of the stolen money.

            “Alex Cho was at the center of a cash-for-contracts scheme that robbed the American taxpayer of $30 million,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “Cho is just one of 20 crooked contractors, government officials, and other middlemen who have pled guilty as part of this investigation.  His prison sentence is proof that the temptation to cheat the system by paying off corrupt government employees is not worth it.”

            “More than six years after initiating one of the largest procurement fraud cases in history, this sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have a long memory when it comes to holding accountable those who engage in bribes and kickbacks,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI will continue to diligently work to protect the integrity of our government by pursuing those who seek to violate the system through corruption.”

            “SBA's preferential contracting programs are designed to help eligible individuals achieve the American dream of running a successful business,” said Inspector General Gustafson.  “The defendant's actions of bribing government officials and committing fraud in order to obtain government contracts hurt every small business owner who is hoping that SBA can help them achieve that dream.  I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedication and the U.S. Attorney's Office for its leadership throughout this investigation.”

            “Manipulations of the Department of Defense procurement process will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig. “This sentencing demonstrates the vigilance and ongoing commitment by DCIS and its partner agencies to hold accountable individuals who attempt to bypass federal contracting laws.”

            “This sentencing, and the guilty pleas of Cho's co-conspirators, should serve as a stark reminder to the public that those who seek to defraud the U.S. government will face the consequences,” said Director Robey. “Crimes like this one can undermine the financial readiness of our Army. The agents who worked this case should be commended for their thorough investigation and for expertly following the paper trail that led to the unraveling of this complex fraud scheme.”

            Cho was the chief technology officer for Nova Datacom. Among others, he conspired with three defendants who worked closely with Nova Datacom throughout the course of the scheme: Kerry F. Khan and Michael A. Alexander, former program managers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Harold F. Babb, the former director of contracts at Eyak Technology LLC (EyakTek), an Alaska Native-owned small business. All three men have pled guilty.

            According to the government’s evidence, Cho’s criminal activities took place between 2007 and 2011. Among other things, Cho admitted paying over $17 million in bribes to Khan and about $1 million to Alexander to obtain and retain government contracts and to conspiring with public officials to steer a nearly $1 billion planned government contract to Nova Datacom. Cho also admitted paying approximately $700,000 in kickbacks to Babb to facilitate the processing of Nova Datacom’s invoices.

            From in or about 2008 through March 2011, Cho caused Nova Datacom to submit invoices for equipment and services to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for approximately $45 million. Of that amount, he admitted that over $18 million was inflated and/or fictitious.

            Khan has been sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison. Alexander was sentenced to six years in prison, and Babb was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski, Inspector General Gustafson, Special Agent in Charge Craig, and Director Robey thanked those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Office of the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration; the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Army Criminal Investigation Command. They also expressed thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service for its assistance on the forfeiture matter.

            They also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson and Anthony Saler of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section. Finally, they expressed thanks for assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Seeley; former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Dana; former Forensic Accountant Maria Boodoo; Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Krishawn Graham, and Taryn McLaughlin; and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick.

WASHINGTON – Nicholas Hagan White, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 3 ½ years for sexually assaulting his former girlfriend earlier this year in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            White pled guilty in July 2015, 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.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Following his prison term, White will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must 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 sentence, 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.

WASHINGTON – Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today that he is resigning as Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, effective at midnight, Oct. 18, 2015. He has led the Office for six months, following nearly five years as Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney.

            Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, 45, a native Washingtonian, succeeded Ronald C. Machen Jr. as the head of the nation’s largest U.S. Attorney’s Office on April 1, 2015. Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen had served since July 2010 as Principal Assistant U.S. Attorney.

            Following the recommendation of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, President Obama has nominated Channing D. Phillips as the next U.S. Attorney, pending Senate confirmation.

            “Over the past six months, Vince Cohen has served the District of Columbia as Acting United States Attorney with integrity and distinction,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.  “Through his work against violent crime, drug trafficking, and national security threats, Vince has demonstrated his commitment to service and his dedication to the people of Washington.  I have been proud to serve with Vince for many years, and I'm confident that he will continue to be an exemplary leader and a champion of justice in the next phase of his already distinguished career.”

            “It has been a great honor to serve the people of the District of Columbia over the past five years. There is nothing more rewarding than going into work every day with the single goal of improving the lives of the citizens of the city where I was born and raised,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “We have made great progress over the past five years in fighting violent crime, public corruption, and threats to our national security.  There are some important cases that I wish I could see through to their conclusions, but I have complete confidence in the team at the U.S. Attorney's Office to follow through and do justice for the people of the District. Channing Phillips is a seasoned lawyer with the decades of experience that will allow him to successfully carry on the important work of the Office.  In addition to spending more time with my young children, I am looking forward to taking on new professional opportunities and continuing to find ways to serve my hometown.  I want to thank my colleagues at the U.S. Attorney's Office, our community partners, law enforcement partners, and everyone who has offered their support of our efforts to build a stronger and safer District of Columbia.”

            During Mr. Cohen’s time as Acting U.S. Attorney, the Office secured indictments, convictions, and sentences of dozens of defendants accused of engaging in crimes such as terrorism, financial fraud, public corruption, and homicides. Mr. Cohen also placed a high priority on enforcing federal laws against banks involved in moving money illegally through the U.S. financial system on behalf of sanctioned countries and foreign entities. Under his leadership, the Office also secured millions of dollars from companies accused of violating the False Claims Act and cheating American taxpayers by overbilling the federal government. He helped create and expand the Office’s Cyber Unit to combat cyber-based crimes. Mr. Cohen also played an integral role in the creation of the first federal Conviction Integrity Unit in a United States Attorney’s Office. He has emphasized the importance of community outreach, hosting a youth summit and other events, including visits to homeless shelters, in which he warned of the dangers of using synthetic cannabinoids.

            As Acting U.S. Attorney, Mr. Cohen was appointed by Attorney General Lynch as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, a small group of U.S. Attorneys from across the country who provide advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management, and operational issues. Mr. Cohen also worked in partnership with a wide variety of law enforcement and regulatory agencies that investigate financial matters, including the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

**

            National Security: Mr. Cohen supervised the Office’s work on the ongoing case against Ahmed Abu Khatallah for his alleged participation in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans. Among other cases, he oversaw work on the prosecution of a dual Dutch-Turkish national, who was extradited to the United States in July 2015 to face terrorism charges stemming from his alleged support of a designated foreign terrorist organization and the prosecution of a Mexican national extradited to the United States last month to face charges in the murder of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent and the attempted murder of another.   

                Fraud and Public Corruption: For the past several years, Mr. Cohen has led an internal task force focused on local public corruption matters. He helped supervise the work that led to the convictions of three members of the District of Columbia Council and the Chief of Staff to a fourth member of the Council. In addition, he has helped manage the Office’s work leading to the prosecution of eight individuals for wrongdoing associated with the 2010 election for Mayor of the District of Columbia. Under Mr. Cohen’s leadership, the Office continued work on the investigation into the largest domestic bribery and bid-rigging scheme in the history of federal contracting cases. Overall, participants in the scheme stole over $30 million in government money through fictitious invoices and conspired to steer a nearly $1 billion government contract to a favored government contractor.  The Office also obtained a 64-month prison sentence in the case of a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, who accepted over $3 million in bribes to process visas for non-immigrants seeking entry into the United States; a 13-year sentence for a man who operated a $28 million Ponzi scheme; a 17-year sentence for a businessman who took part in an investment fraud scheme that led to over $13 million in losses for investors, and a 46-month sentence for a man who participated in a massive identify theft and tax fraud scheme involving the filing of fraudulent income tax returns seeking over $2.5 million in refunds. Overall, since 2010, under Mr. Cohen’s leadership, more than 150 people have been found guilty or pled guilty to federal corruption charges.

            Financial Recoveries: As Acting U.S. Attorney, and earlier in partnership with Mr. Machen, Mr. Cohen sharpened the Office’s focus on financial recoveries, generating over $2.8 billion for the federal government over the last five and a half years through civil and criminal collections and asset forfeiture.  In one such case, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered a formal judgment in May 2015 that required Schlumberger Oilfield Holdings Ltd. (SOHL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Schlumberger Ltd., to pay a $232,708,356 penalty to the United States for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by willfully facilitating illegal transactions and engaging in trade with Iran and Sudan.

            Under Mr. Cohen’s leadership, the Office’s Civil Division has expanded its work on affirmative civil enforcement actions. A particular focus has been the False Claims Act. The Office now has 159 active cases, including over 40 involving health care fraud. Mr. Cohen has built a strong relationship with the qui tam community by hosting a conference of the Relator’s bar and participating in similar conferences and forums. The Office now has the fourth-highest number of qui tam cases in the country.

            For example, in April 2015, two cardiovascular laboratories agreed to pay $48.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by paying remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals and billing federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing. Another company and its principals agreed in July 2015 to pay the government $7.8 million to resolve allegations that they made false statements to obtain contracts through a Small Business Administration program.

            Cyber-crime: Mr. Cohen has focused his attention on expanding the Cyber Unit to attack cyber-crimes throughout the country and internationally. The Unit investigates and prosecutes a wide variety of cyber-crimes and advises and assists other parts of the Office with issues related to electronic, computer and Internet-based evidence and legal process. In one recent case, for example, a former employee of the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is accused of an attempted e-mail spear-phishing attack that targeted government employee e-mail accounts.

            Violent Crime: As Acting U.S. Attorney, Mr. Cohen has focused heavily on strategies to combat violent crime, coordinating a multi-faceted approach with the Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement partners. He has helped coordinate efforts to devote more federal resources to assisting MPD in dealing with this problem, working closely with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and other agencies. During his leadership, Mr. Cohen led the Office’s work to deal with the public safety and health problems stemming from the emergence of synthetic cannabinoids. At his direction, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has launched community education sessions in which prosecutors and D.C. drug prevention experts talk about the dangers of these substances at various locations throughout the District of Columbia. On the enforcement front, the Office is prosecuting sellers of synthetic cannabinoids, and filed federal charges against two men after one of the biggest seizures to date in the District of Columbia.

            Community Outreach: Mr. Cohen has been a champion of community outreach throughout his time at the Office, and he led the fifth annual youth summit in June 2015 attended by hundreds of teenagers at the Friendship Collegiate Academy in Northeast Washington. He has spoken at town halls and other neighborhood events. Internally, Mr. Cohen has continued his work on recruiting and diversity. He spoke at the LGBT Bar’s annual conference in Chicago and attended the annual conferences of the National Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association. In addition, he delivered the keynote address in July 2015 at the gala for the conference of the National Black Prosecutors Association. As the head of the Office’s hiring committee, Mr. Cohen was responsible for the hiring of over 150 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, many of whom are from diverse backgrounds.

**

            Mr. Cohen graduated with honors from Syracuse University in 1992 and obtained his juris doctorate from Syracuse University School of Law in 1995. He first joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1997 following his hiring by then-U.S. Attorney Eric Holder. Mr. Cohen handled criminal and civil matters until 2003, when he left the Office for private practice.

            In private practice, Mr. Cohen first worked at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), specializing in white-collar criminal litigation and employment law. Mr. Cohen later became a partner at Schertler & Onorato, where his practice included the representation of individuals and corporations in all aspects of criminal and civil litigation.

WASHINGTON – A resident of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to serve 46 months in prison for his involvement in a far-reaching identity theft and tax fraud scheme in which he and others working with him filed fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $2.5 million in refunds, the Justice Department announced.

            Alvalonzo Graham, 30, is among approximately 12 people who have pleaded guilty to charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  According to court documents, the overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identifying information that sought refunds of at least $40 million from the U.S. Treasury.

            The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Inspector in Charge David G. Bowers of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington, D.C., Division and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

            On March 18, 2014, Graham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States through the filing of false income tax returns.  He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of the District of Columbia.  Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.  In addition, as part of his plea agreement, Graham must pay $424,017 in restitution to the IRS.

            “The theft of identities and taxpayer dollars has become a nationwide epidemic, and this case shows the lengths that criminals will go in pursuit of cashing in,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Unfortunately for Alvalonzo Graham and his co-conspirators, this case also shows the lengths that law enforcement will go to protect taxpayers’ dollars and to prosecute those who try to scam the system.”

            “Today’s sentence is a warning to those who think they can profit from stealing identities and filing false claims for refund,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “The department has made it a priority to work with the IRS and other federal and state law enforcement agencies to fully investigate and prosecute stolen identity refund fraud and see that these offenders pay for their crimes with significant jail terms.”

            “Perpetrators of identity theft schemes are motivated by greed, acting as if they are above the law and with total disregard for the consequences to the victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Jankowski.  “The actions of criminals such as Mr. Graham create distressing hardships for many innocent taxpayers and have a devastating impact on the entire community.”

            “This case serves as yet another example of the significant results that can be achieved when law enforcement agencies partner, share information, and collaborate,” said Inspector in Charge Bowers.  “Identity theft is an increasing problem. Today’s sentence shows that this type of criminal conduct, especially when it involves the U.S. mail, will not be ignored or go unpunished.”

            “Today’s sentencing reflects the Treasury Office of Inspector General and our law enforcement partners continuing focus and efforts to protect both the Treasury and the hard-working American taxpayers from offenders who fraudulently conspire to obtain improper payments from the Treasury,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Phillips.

            According to the government’s evidence, Graham participated in a massive and sophisticated identity theft and false tax refund scheme that involved an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance.  The refunds were sought for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners.  In other cases, the refunds were sent to people who were willing participants in the scheme.  The refunds listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

            According to documents filed with the court, from January 2011 through July 2012, Graham prepared and mailed fraudulent federal income tax returns, deposited the fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks into his own bank account and recruited, coordinated, directed and compensated others in the execution of the scheme, including a bank teller.  Graham’s actions and those of the people he directed and paid resulted in the filing of approximately 492 fraudulent income tax returns claiming $2,552,740 in refunds.  He maintained a bank account into which he deposited approximately 97 fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks that totaled approximately $424,017.  Graham kept portions of these fraudulently obtained refunds.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski, Inspector in Charge Bowers and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended those who investigated the case.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein and Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo and Ida Anbarian.  Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender and Thomas F. Koelbl and former Trial Attorney Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Darryl Green, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 55-month prison term for stabbing a man last spring in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Green pled guilty in June 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to the felony charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Following his prison term, Green will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on May 13, 2015, at about 4:55 p.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located the victim at 901 G Street NW, suffering from five stab wounds. The victim had been standing by a fire hydrant in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, when he was attacked from the rear side. The victim felt multiple stab wounds, with the first wound to his back, and subsequent stab wounds to his face, stomach, right hip and leg area. When he turned around, he saw his attacker, and he provided police with a description. The assault was recorded on video-surveillance tape, and the subsequent investigation led to the identification of Green as the suspect.

            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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Hasan Givens, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 ½ years in prison for stabbing a woman who asked him to leave a get-together she was hosting during a holiday weekend last year, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.

            Givens was found guilty by a jury in August 2015 of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault with significant bodily injury. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Givens will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, the victim had invited Givens, who was an on-again, off-again boyfriend, and two of his close friends to her apartment in Northeast Washington. The group gathered for a casual get-together on Nov. 29, 2014, during Thanksgiving weekend. In the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 2014, the victim asked the guests to leave. Givens became enraged.  He threw over the television, charged at her, and stabbed her in the abdomen with a kitchen knife. One of Givens’s friends summoned an ambulance. Givens’s friends worked to save the victim’s life while Givens sat idly on a couch. The knife lacerated the victim’s liver and she was taken to a hospital for emergency surgery.

            The victim remained hospitalized for seven days, during which time she received blood transfusions and constant pain medications.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the work of the U.S. Marshals Service, which provided assistance. He expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Mark Crawford; Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade; former Victim/Witness Advocate Maria Shumar; Paralegal Specialist Mark Morse, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Traster and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Schaefer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Rayshawn Tillery, 21, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to three years in prison for robbing an elementary school teacher at knifepoint near Union Station last spring as the teacher walked home from school, Acting United States Attorney Vincent H. Cohen announced today.

            Tillery pled guilty in June 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of robbery.  The Honorable Neal E. Kravitz sentenced him on Oct. 2, 2015. Following his prison term, Tillery will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, the victim, a fifth grade social studies teacher, was walking home from school on May 1, 2015 carrying a backpack that contained his students’ papers for grading at home.  As he cut through an alley behind a block of row houses on Capitol Hill, two men approached him and demanded his backpack.  When the teacher refused to part with his backpack, Tillery pulled out a knife, telling the teacher, “You’re gonna’ give us your bag or we’re going to cut you!”  Upon seeing the weapon, the teacher gave up his backpack.

            The robbers fled down the alley, where they were confronted by two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers on bicycle patrol.  The officers pursued the robbers through the alleyways and apprehended Tillery.  The knife was later found in Tillery’s sock.  The second robber escaped with the teacher’s backpack and the schoolchildren’s work.

            During the sentencing hearing, the victim expressed to the Court the fear he felt when the defendant threatened him with the knife.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work performed by the detectives of the First District and especially the officers of the Bicycle Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department.  In addition, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Dineen A. Baker, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Three men have been sentenced to lengthy 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 the armed defendants had forcibly taken over his apartment in the Woodberry Village Apartment complex to distribute PCP.

            The sentences were announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Marquette Boston, 28, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute PCP in March 2015 following a nine-week jury trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia.  Ira Adona, 24, of Fort Washington, Md., pled guilty in April 2014 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP and attempted assault with a deadly or dangerous weapon in a related case in D.C. Superior Court.  Breal Hicks, 25, also pled guilty in April 2014 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP.

            The Honorable Richard J. Leon sentenced Boston on Sept. 4, 2015, to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He sentenced Adona on Sept. 29, 2015, to a total of 11 ½ years in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release. Finally, he sentenced Hicks on Sept. 30, 2015, to a total of seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Adona was sentenced on the related charge by D.C. Superior Court Judge Patricia A. Broderick on Jan. 30, 2015.

            On Sept. 1, 2015, co-defendants Dawayne Brown, 21, and Keith Matthews, 24, were sentenced to 14 years and nine years of incarceration, respectively. One other co-defendant, Conovia Eddie, has entered a guilty plea and is still awaiting sentencing.

            The 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, crew members violently took over the apartment of a resident at gunpoint to facilitate PCP sales, and that defendant Brown used an 11-year-old child to facilitate his drug distribution.  Crew members 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 the apartment with three loaded firearms, including an Uzi-style firearm with 19 rounds of ammunition, and multiple bottles of PCP.

            In a subsequent search warrants conducted in March and April 2013, 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.  In one search warrant, Adona and Hicks were found inside an apartment with three loaded firearms and various narcotics, including multiple bottles of PCP.  In another warrant, Boston was found inside an apartment with a loaded gun, military-grade body armor, and multiple bottles of PCP.  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 for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Crystal Barclay, Tony Griffith, and Daphne (Teresa) 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, and Kathryn Rakoczy, who prosecuted the cases.

WASHINGTON - Emanuel Guzeh, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of charges stemming from a 2010 murder in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.

            Guzeh was found guilty by a jury on Sept. 29, 2015, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Guzeh is to be sentenced on Dec. 11, 2015, by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson.

            At trial, the government’s evidence showed that on Feb. 15, 2010, at approximately 11:30 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were called to an apartment in the 900 block of 48th Street  NE,  and discovered the body of Michaeldeon Talley, 33,  who was dead on the hallway floor of the apartment, having been shot several times.

            MPD homicide detectives learned, and the subsequent investigation revealed, that on the night of the murder, Mr. Talley was inside the apartment with his male friend, a girlfriend, and (later) two prostitutes who had advertised on “Backpage.com.”  The two prostitutes knew Mr. Talley and were invited over to “party” with the group.  One of the prostitutes had recently begun dating the defendant, Emmanuel “Manny” Guzeh, who accompanied the prostitutes to the apartment, but remained outside.  The prostitutes went over to the apartment, socialized with the group, and looked around the apartment for money or valuables to later take with them.  They did not find anything of value at first but, while the prostitutes were still inside the apartment,  Guzeh came inside, went to a back room, and started a struggle with Mr. Talley, eventually shooting him four times.  Guzeh and the prostitutes fled the apartment.

            In announcing the verdicts, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen expressed his appreciation for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also commended the efforts of Paralegal Specialists Debra Joyner, Meridith McGarrity, and Zekiah Wright; Paralegal Supervisor Sharon Newman; Law Clerk Adam Bereston; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcey Rinker; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Specialists Wanda Queen and M. LaVerne Forrest; Supervisory Victim/Witness Specialist Michael Hailey; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster.  Finally, he commended former Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Shick, who assisted in the investigation of this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Gorman and Robert Eckert, who investigated and prosecuted the case at trial.

Four Others Have Already Pleaded Guilty to Charges in the Case

A Mexican national was extradited from Mexico to face charges for his alleged participation in the February 2011 murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico.

The charges and extradition were announced today by 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, Assistant Director Joseph S. Campbell of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division and Director Sarah R. Saldaña of ICE.

Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, Zafado or Safado, 34, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was charged on May 6, 2013, in a four-count indictment with one count of murder of an officer or employee of the United States; one count of attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; one count of attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and one count of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death.  The indictment was unsealed today when Garcia Sota made his initial appearance before Chief U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia.  His next appearance in court is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2015.

“It has been over four and a half years since ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata valiantly lost his life and Special Agent Victor Avila suffered grave injuries when they were ambushed by gunfire while on assignment in Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “As evidenced by today’s announcement, the passage of time has not lessened our resolve to keep our promise to the family of Special Agent Zapata and to Special Agent Avila and his family, and bring to justice those responsible for this senseless and brutal attack.  And we are grateful to the Government of Mexico for its continued partnership in this case.”

“Four years ago, on a Mexican roadside, two American heroes came under attack in a violent ambush by members of Los Zetas, a dangerous criminal cartel,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “Four people have already accepted responsibility for their actions, and now a fifth will be brought to an American courtroom for justice.  We will not stop in the pursuit of justice – no matter how far away and how long it takes.”

“Today's announcement is the direct result of unwavering resolve and unrelenting cooperation to bring to justice those accountable for the murder of Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of Victor Avila,” said Assistant Director Campbell.  “Although this cowardly act of violence occurred more than four years ago, this investigation remains a priority for the FBI.”

“This extradition is another step closer to the justice Special Agents Zapata and Avila deserve,” said ICE Director Saldaña.  “ICE is grateful to our partners whose tireless efforts brought about today's news.  Their dogged pursuit of justice, often in face of great danger, enables us to continue in our quest to make these criminals pay for their deeds.  While nothing can ever truly heal such a loss, we hope today's news brings Agent Zapata's family and friends a measure of peace.  His ultimate sacrifice will always be honored by the men and women of ICE.”

Four defendants previously pleaded guilty to offenses based on their roles in the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.  Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka Piolin, 34, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2013, to the murder of Special Agent Zapata and the attempted murder of Special Agent Avila.  Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka Catracho, 27, pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2011, to federal charges concerning the murder of Special Agent Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Avila.  Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka Cacho, 33, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2012, also to federal charges concerning the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.  Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka Dalmata, 40, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10, 2012, to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.

As part of their guilty pleas, Espinoza, Rivera and Villagran admitted to being members of a Los Zetas hit squad and to participating directly in the Feb. 15, 2011, ambush of the two special agents.  The fourth defendant, Flores, acknowledged assisting Zetas members after the attack.

An indictment is a formal charging document and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The investigation was also coordinated with the assistance of the Government of Mexico.

The case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.

Garcia Sota Indictment

WASHINGTON – A Mexican national was extradited from Mexico to face charges for his alleged participation in the February 2011 murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico.

            The charges and extradition were announced today by 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, Assistant Director Joseph S. Campbell of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division and Director Sarah R. Saldaña of ICE.

            Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, Zafado or Safado, 34, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was charged on May 6, 2013, in a four-count indictment with one count of murder of an officer or employee of the United States; one count of attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; one count of attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and one count of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death.  The indictment was unsealed today when Garcia Sota made his initial appearance before Chief U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the District of Columbia. Garcia Sota was ordered detained without bail.  His next appearance in court is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2015.

            “It has been over four and a half years since ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata valiantly lost his life and Special Agent Victor Avila suffered grave injuries when they were ambushed by gunfire while on assignment in Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “As evidenced by today’s announcement, the passage of time has not lessened our resolve to keep our promise to the family of Special Agent Zapata and to Special Agent Avila and his family, and bring to justice those responsible for this senseless and brutal attack.  And we are grateful to the Government of Mexico for its continued partnership in this case.”

            “Four years ago, on a Mexican roadside, two American heroes came under attack in a violent ambush by members of Los Zetas, a dangerous criminal cartel,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “Four people have already accepted responsibility for their actions, and now a fifth will be brought to an American courtroom for justice.  We will not stop in the pursuit of justice – no matter how far away and how long it takes.”

            “Today's announcement is the direct result of unwavering resolve and unrelenting cooperation to bring to justice those accountable for the murder of Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of Victor Avila,” said Assistant Director Campbell.  “Although this cowardly act of violence occurred more than four years ago, this investigation remains a priority for the FBI.”

            “This extradition is another step closer to the justice Special Agents Zapata and Avila deserve,” said ICE Director Saldaña.  “ICE is grateful to our partners whose tireless efforts brought about today's news.  Their dogged pursuit of justice, often in face of great danger, enables us to continue in our quest to make these criminals pay for their deeds.  While nothing can ever truly heal such a loss, we hope today's news brings Agent Zapata's family and friends a measure of peace.  His ultimate sacrifice will always be honored by the men and women of ICE.”

            Four defendants previously pleaded guilty to offenses based on their roles in the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.  Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka Piolin, 34, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2013, to the murder of Special Agent Zapata and the attempted murder of Special Agent Avila.  Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka Catracho, 27, pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2011, to federal charges concerning the murder of Special Agent Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Avila.  Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka Cacho, 33, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2012, also to federal charges concerning the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.  Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka Dalmata, 40, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10, 2012, to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents.

            As part of their guilty pleas, Espinoza, Rivera and Villagran admitted to being members of a Los Zetas hit squad and to participating directly in the Feb. 15, 2011, ambush of the two special agents.  The fourth defendant, Flores, acknowledged assisting Zetas members after the attack.

            An indictment is a formal charging document and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The investigation was also coordinated with the assistance of the Government of Mexico.

            The case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.

WASHINGTON – Loretta Hall, also known as Loretta Beckwith, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing her longtime boyfriend, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Hall pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She is to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2016, by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston.

            According to the government’s evidence, Hall lived with her boyfriend, Kenneth Fogle, 54, and the two had been romantically involved for many years. On June 13, 2015, at approximately 5 p.m., Hall was verbally arguing with Mr. Fogle in the hallway outside the basement apartment that they shared in the 3200 block of 23rd Street SE. During the argument, Hall used a large kitchen knife to stab Mr. Fogle multiple times, including one stab wound to the left chest area that punctured Mr. Fogle’s aorta and caused his death.  Hall then entered the shared apartment and hid the knife in a cat litter box.

            Within minutes, witnesses discovered Mr. Fogle, slumped unconscious on the steps down to the basement level of the apartment building in a pool of blood.  Hall then fled past Mr. Fogle and out of the building. A witness called 911 and an ambulance transported Mr. Fogle to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead that same day.

            Hall was arrested on June 19, 2015 and has been in custody ever since. She had been on supervised release for a 2009 conviction for assault with significant bodily injury, and could face additional prison time for violating her release conditions.  During her plea today, Hall acknowledged that she was not acting in reasonable self-defense when she stabbed Mr. Fogle.

            In announcing the guilty plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Seventh Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Lead Paralegal Specialist Kwasi Fields; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Interns Gillian Tishuk and Rebecca Roher. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bruckmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Rives M. Grogan, 50, of Mansfield, Texas, has pled guilty to a federal charge stemming from a disturbance that he caused on April 28, 2015, at the United States Supreme Court, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.

            Grogan pled guilty on Sept. 25, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of picketing or parading in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1507, which covers illegal demonstrations within federal court buildings. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2015. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 12 months in prison and potential financial penalties.

            Grogan has a history of convictions for disorderly conduct and similar offenses, including cases involving other disturbances over the years at the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court and on Capitol grounds during the 2013 Presidential inauguration. The guilty plea in this case stems from his actions on the morning of April 28, 2015, as the Supreme Court was in session, with all nine Justices present and presiding.

            According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the guilty plea, on the date of the disturbance, the Justices were considering whether a state’s constitutional and statutory bans on recognition of marriages of same-sex couples validly entered in other jurisdictions violate the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution and whether a state’s refusal to recognize a judgment of adoption of a child issued to a same-sex couple by the courts of a sister state violates the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

            Due to the historical significance of the issues before the Supreme Court that day, the courtroom was full with civilians, members of the Supreme Court bar, and other professional attendees.

            Grogan entered the courtroom at about 10:30 a.m., as arguments were under way.  A short time later, he stood and began yelling statements in a very loud, forceful voice toward the front of the courtroom, where the Justices were seated at the court bench. Among other things, he stated that “the Bible teaches if you support gay marriage, you could burn in hell for eternity.” Police officers attempted to detain him, but Grogan refused to leave his bench. Then, as officers attempted to grab him and take him out of the courtroom, he continued to shout statements. This continued as he was escorted through the building and to a holding area. He could still be heard by attendees in the courtroom.

            In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen expressed appreciation for the work of the Police Department of the U.S. Supreme Court, which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper; Paralegal Specialist Carolyn Carter-McKinley, and Legal Assistant Holly Crouse. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela S. George, who is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Darious Scales, 21, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 19 years and nine months in prison for various crimes that took place in July and August of 2013, including a series of shootings that followed his escape from a District of Columbia youth rehabilitation center, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.

            Scales was sentenced on Sept. 18, 2015, by the Honorable Robert E. Morin of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In one case, Scales pled guilty in June 2015 to escape, tampering with a GPS device, assault with intent to kill, robbery, and possession of an unregistered firearm, for a series of crimes he committed in July and August 2013.  In a second case, he was found guilty by a jury in July 2015, of committing two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and related weapons offenses in connection with a shooting on Aug. 21, 2013. Following his prison term, Scales will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence in the first case, Scales escaped from a Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) facility on July 26, 2013.  Shortly afterward, he cut off his electronic, GPS-monitored ankle bracelet.

            Less than two weeks after his escape, early Aug. 9, 2013, Scales was walking in a parking lot in the 4300 block of 3rd Street SE, together with several unidentified associates.  Scales then spotted a Special Police Officer who was responsible for providing security at a local apartment complex.  Scales approached that Special Police Officer and shot at her, in an attempt to kill her.  Scales missed the Special Police Officer and then fled the area.  Just three minutes later, while Scales and his associates were walking down 3rd Street SE, they encountered a local resident who was on his way home from work.  Scales and his associates robbed this victim at gunpoint and ordered him to stay on the ground while they fled the scene of the robbery.  However, when the robbery victim started to get up and gather himself, he faced a barrage of gunfire.  The robbery victim was not struck, but the bullets did break the windows of vehicles parked nearby.

            The second case involved a shooting that took place on the evening of Aug. 21, 2013. Scales, armed with a 9-mm handgun and still in escape status with DYRS, went into the 4200 block of 4th Street SE, looking for individuals he believed were verbally harassing and threatening a friend of his.  He found two of those individuals, at least one of whom was already armed himself, and engaged in a gun battle with them.  During the resulting exchange of gunfire, Timothy Dawkins, 24, was fatally shot, most likely by a bullet fired by a person at whom Scales was shooting.  No one else was struck by gunfire during that incident.

            Scales was arrested on Oct. 1, 2013.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynette Briggs and Sandra Lane; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Victim/Witness Security Specialist David Foster; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman, Kondi Kleinman, Demian S. Ahn, Tejpal Chawla, Jin Park, and Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted these cases.

WASHINGTON - Jared Thompson, 46, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 26 months in prison for 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. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Gladys Kessler. Upon completion of his prison term, Thompson will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            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 sentence, 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,  Candace Battle, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – George Cocroft, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in an alley in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Cocroft, a prior sex offender, was found guilty in March 2015 of first-degree sexual abuse, with aggravating circumstances. The verdict, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, followed a bench trial before the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Judge Morin ordered that Cocroft be placed on five years of supervised release following the prison term. Cocroft also will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 25, 2012, the victim, then 19, traveled alone by Metro into the District of Columbia.  She has an intellectual disability and autism. At approximately 7 p.m., she went into a fast-food restaurant in the Chinatown neighborhood. Once inside, she encountered the defendant, a homeless man, who sat down with her and began complimenting her and holding her hand.

            Cocroft and the victim left the restaurant together, at which time the defendant led the victim into a dark alley.  The victim initially believed the defendant’s house was in the alley and that they were going to talk so that they could get to know each other better.

            Once in the alley, Cocroft began groping the victim and telling her he had not had sex in a long time.  The victim was scared and told Cocroft that she did not want to have sex.  She said that they should wait until they were older and married.  Cocroft did not stop, however.  He led her to a more secluded part of the alley and had her lie face down on concrete barriers.  Despite her continued protests, he sexually assaulted her.  After the assault, the victim reported what had happened to her to a Metro station manager.  Cocroft was subsequently arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit.  He also acknowledged the critical services provided to the victim at the District of Columbia Children’s Advocacy Center.  In addition, he expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan; Paralegal Supervisor Jason Manuel; Paralegal Specialist Tierra Nanches; Information Technology Specialist Michael Richards; Victim/Witness Security Specialists David Foster and La June Thames; and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heide Herrmann.

            Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky and Jeff T. Cook, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Cornelius Rice, 27, and Jamal Allen, 25, both of Washington, D.C. have been sentenced to prison terms for robbing seven teenagers at gunpoint earlier this year in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Rice pled guilty in July 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Allen pled guilty in June 2015 to charges of robbery while armed and fleeing a law enforcement officer.

            The Honorable Todd E. Edelman sentenced Rice on Sept. 11, 2015, to a 6 ½-year prison term, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The judge sentenced Allen on Aug. 25, 2015, to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 15, 2015, at about 6:30 p.m., Rice, Allen, and two other men followed seven teenagers, ages 14 and 15, into a carry-out restaurant in the 300 block of Southern Avenue SE with the intention of robbing them. Six of the seven juveniles were wearing Nike shoes, which had gone on sale to the public the previous day.  After following the juveniles into the restaurant, Rice brandished a pistol and demanded that the teenagers take off their shoes.  During the robbery, Allen had a pistol or imitation pistol.

            Rice, Allen, and the two other men took six pairs of shoes from the victims, along with a cell phone and cash from the only victim who was not wearing the newly released shoes. Nine days after the robbery, on Feb. 24, 2015, U.S. Park Police attempted to stop Allen for a traffic violation in Southeast Washington. He fled the area at a high rate of speed, crossing into oncoming traffic at a high rate of speed. He and Rice were arrested within weeks of their crimes.

            In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  He also expressed appreciation to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and indicted the case.

WASHINGTON – James Joseph, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a charge stemming from the shooting last year of a man in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. Joseph shot the victim seven times, including two gunshot wounds to the middle of the forehead.

            Joseph pled guilty to aggravated assault while armed, on July 6, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the 10-year prison sentence. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston accepted the plea today. Following his prison term, Joseph will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 25, 2014, at approximately 7:30 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department responded to a dispatch regarding a shooting in the 1000 block of 12th Street SE. Officers discovered the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his body, including his head, leg, kidney area, and hand. According to the victim, he had been arguing with Joseph in the hallway, and the victim returned to the apartment. A short time later, the victim heard a knock at the door, and when he opened the door, Joseph was standing in the doorway. Joseph pointed a handgun at the victim, and then fired one shot at the victim’s leg, causing the victim to fall to the ground. Joseph then fired several more times, striking the victim in the forehead, hand, and stomach area.

            The victim now walks with a pronounced limp and requires the aid of a cane at all times. He will never regain full function of his leg or kidney functions.

            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 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. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Brian Anderson, 28, of Riverdale, Md., has been found guilty by a jury of numerous charges stemming from an incident last year in Northeast Washington in which he fired nine gunshots at a group of women and an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.

            The jury found Anderson guilty on Sept. 18, 2015 of one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault on a police officer while armed; six counts of assault with a dangerous weapon; and related weapons offenses. The verdict was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20, 2015. Anderson remains held while awaiting sentencing.

            According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 21, 2014, Anderson’s girlfriend walked into a random private apartment in the 2100 block of H Street NE, where several young women were present.  An altercation ensued between Anderson’s girlfriend and the young women, and the argument extended outside the apartment building.

            While outside, Anderson got into a rental car and tried to run over the victims, driving up on the sidewalk, hitting parked cars, and hitting three of the young women, before ultimately fleeing the scene.  During the melee, the bumper of the rental car was left at the scene. An MPD officer responded to the scene and had begun to interview the women when the victims saw Anderson return.  As the MPD officer walked towards Anderson’s car, the defendant got out, pointed a gun in the direction of the officer and the young women, and fired nine shots.

            Fortunately, no one was struck by the gunfire.

            In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan; Litigation Technology Specialists Claudia Gutierrez and Aneela Bhatia; and Paralegal Specialist Donville Drummond. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Laura Crane, who tried the case, and Adrienne Gurley, who investigated and indicted the case.

WASHINGTON – Daraya Marshall, 35, and Jarnese Harris, 29, both of Washington, D.C., have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they engaged in sex trafficking of children and transported them for prostitution. Marshall also was indicted for child sexual abuse and production and possession of child pornography.

            The indictment, which was returned on Sept. 17, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Marshall and Harris were arrested earlier this summer and had been charged in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The case now will be prosecuted in the U.S. District Court, where the two defendants made their first appearances today. Both defendants pled not guilty to the charges and were ordered held pending a hearing on Sept. 30, 2015.

            Marshall and Harris could face life prison terms if convicted of the charges. The indictment includes forfeiture allegations seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the charges related to sex trafficking of children, transportation of minors for prostitution, and child pornography.

            According to the indictment, Marshall and Harris trafficked three children for sex and transported them between the District of Columbia and Maryland for the purpose of prostitution. The indictment alleges that Marshall and Harris began trafficking one of the children in the summer of 2014, and began trafficking the other two children earlier this year. The indictment also alleges that Marshall engaged in sexual acts with two of the children while they were under the age of 16. Finally, the indictment charges Marshall with production and possession of child pornography depicting one of the children.  

            “Those who engage in human trafficking are targeting the most vulnerable members of society, including children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “The federal prosecution of this case reflects the priority we have placed on aggressively combating this crime and saving victims from future abuse.”

            “Child sex trafficking is an abhorrent crime that creates a cycle of victimization which must be stopped,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI is committed to bringing child predators to justice and rescuing children from this heinous exploitation.  We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to aggressively prevent and investigate crimes against children.”

            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, Assistant Director in Charge Abbate, and Chief Lanier expressed appreciation for the work performed by detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division, and Special Agents and Analysts of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also recognized the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocates Lezlie Richardson and Veronica Vaughan; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Michael Hailey, Lesley Slade, Tanya Via, and Wanda Queen; Paralegal Specialists Tierra Nanches and Joyce Arthur; Criminal Investigator Mark Crawford, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Pinegar. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff T. Cook, who investigated and is prosecuting the case.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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

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.

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.

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.).

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.

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.  

            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.

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.

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].

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.