District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Three MS-13 Leaders Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Racketeering and Related Charges for Multiple Murders and AttacksRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three leaders of MS-13 in Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to decades in prison for conspiring to participate in racketeering activity and other charges stemming from their roles in murders, extortion and other violent crimes in the Washington area.
The sentences were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C.; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants were found guilty of various federal offenses in August 2013 following a month-long trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth.
Noe Machado-Erazo, aka “Gallo,” 32, of Wheaton, Md., was sentenced to life in prison plus ten years. Jose Martinez-Amaya, 28, aka “Crimen,” of Brentwood, Md., was sentenced to life in prison plus ten years. Yester Ayala, 24, aka “Freeway” and “Daddy Yankee,” of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
“This prosecution shows our commitment to purging MS-13’s bloody brand of violence from the District of Columbia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “These killers brought lawless vengeance to our community and left a 14-year-old boy dead. These gang members will now have decades in prison to reflect on their heinous crimes.”
“MS-13 is a brutally violent gang that has plagued communities in many parts of this country, including Washington, D.C.,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “The lengthy sentences imposed on the MS-13 leaders convicted in this case reflect the vicious and calculated nature of the murders they committed and the gang they led.”
“HSI continuously targets transnational gangs that wreak havoc on our American communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Settles. “Today’s sentences are testament to the strong investigative work of our HSI special agents and the Metropolitan Police Department.”
“The action by the courts today further exemplifies our message to persons engaging in criminal gang activity: you will find no place for your activities here in Washington, D.C.,” said Chief Lanier. “We will work as long as necessary to ensure this city, and the capital area, are free from the violence and harm gang activity brings into our communities. The agents, officers, and attorneys have done a tremendous job bringing this case to a successful end.”
Machado-Erazo was found guilty of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, murder in aid of racketeering and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Martinez-Amaya was found guilty of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, murder in aid of racketeering and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Ayala was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of second-degree murder.
The government’s evidence showed that MS-13, a large gang that operates in the United States and Central America, engages in racketeering activity including murder, narcotics distribution, extortion, robberies, obstruction of justice and other crimes. The gang has numerous rules, such as enduring a beating of 13 seconds before becoming a member; killing rival gang members; and staying unfailingly loyal.
According to the government’s evidence, Machado-Erazo was a member and Martinez-Amaya was a leader of the Normandie clique, one of a number of smaller MS-13 groups operating in the Washington area. Ayala was a leader of the Sailors, another clique. The local cliques often act together, and evidence showed that Machado-Erazo was the leader of a program of cliques that worked together. According to evidence presented in court, the local MS-13 cliques act in accordance with the international MS-13’s strictures and have frequent contact with MS-13 leadership in El Salvador. The evidence showed that two of the murders were committed on orders from MS-13 leadership in El Salvador.
The three defendants are among numerous people indicted by a grand jury in 2010 following a federal investigation. Twelve others have pleaded guilty to charges in the case.
The range of criminal activity alleged in the indictment includes acts committed from 2008 through 2010 in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and other states, as well as El Salvador.
Ayala was convicted of taking part in two in 2008, and Machado-Erazo and Martinez-Amaya were convicted of taking part in the murder of another victim.
The government presented evidence that Ayala helped carry out orders to murder Louis Alberto Membreno-Zelaya, a fellow MS-13 member who had removed his gang tattoos. Membreno-Zelaya, 27, was stabbed at least 20 times, according to evidence presented in court. His body was found on Nov. 6, 2008, in Northwest Washington.
The second murder, according to evidence presented in court, took place in the late afternoon of Dec. 12, 2008. Ayala joined in on an attack against Giovanni Sanchez, 14, near the Columbia Heights Metro station in Washington. Giovanni had 11 stab wounds, and witnesses identified Ayala as one of the assailants.
According to evidence presented at trial, Machado-Erazo and Martinez-Amaya took part in the killing of Felipe Enriquez, 25, whose body was found on March 31, 2010, in Montgomery County, Md. After being lured to a remote park there, Enriquez, another fellow MS-13 member, was fatally shot. Evidence presented during trial showed that Machado-Erazo provided the gun and Martinez-Amaya committed the shooting.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty of the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Laura Gwinn of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Those providing assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office included former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill O’Malley; Victim/Witness Services Supervisor David Foster; Victim/Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Christina Principe; Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Catherine O’Neal, and Candice Sisco; Legal Assistant Diane Brashears, and Litigation Technology Specialists Paul Howell, William Henderson, and Kimberly Smith.
The case was investigated by HSI and the MPD. Assistance was provided by the Montgomery County, Md., Prince George’s County, Md., and Riverdale Park, Md. Police Departments, the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department; the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Assistance was provided by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
District Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault for Stabbing Man in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Quintanilla, 24, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of aggravated assault while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon stemming from a stabbing on Nov. 9, 2013, in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. The verdict was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Yvonne Williams scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2015. Quintanilla faces up to thirty years’ incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 9, 2013, the victim was walking back from dinner with his friends and observed his vehicle broken into. As the victim was assessing the damage, Quintanilla, wearing a mask which covered his face, came walking down the street with another man. Quintanilla continued approaching and got closer and closer to the victim, who was backed-up against his car. A physical altercation ensued, whereby Quintanilla stabbed the victim multiple times with a knife. The victim underwent surgery and suffered a collapsed lung. Quintanilla was forcibly detained by the victim’s friends until the police arrived.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Third District. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Christopher Macchiaroli who investigated and indicted the case, Litigation Technology Specialists William Henderson, Paul Howell, and Anisha Bhatia; Paralegal Specialists Todd McClelland, Karen Hansen, Allison Daniels and Caroline Fitzhugh, and Interns Benjamin Field and Aly Mance. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Misler and Daniel Lenerz, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matter.
Delaware Man Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old D.C. GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Sanders III, 22, of Dover, Delaware, was sentenced today to ten years in prison on a felony charge stemming from his sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Sanders pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree child sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. Upon completion of his prison term, Sanders will be placed on 5 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s factual proffer at the plea hearing, during April of 2014, Sanders came to live with a relative in Southeast Washington. The victim was on spring break from school that week, and was visiting relatives in the same household. During that week, Sanders engaged in several sexual acts with the girl. The conduct was discovered by family members via text messages that Sanders and the victim had sent to one another.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division, which investigated the case, as well as the staff of Safe Shores, which interviewed the victim. He also expressed appreciation for the specialized medical treatment provided by the team of child abuse experts at the Freddie Mac Child and Adolescent Protection Center at the Children’s National Medical Center. In addition, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key; Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting 17-Year-Old Victim in Broad Daylight Attack in Northwast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Gerald Canty, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term, to be served after he completes a 21-year term he already is serving, for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old woman in a mid-morning attack that took place in December 2013 in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Canty pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the 10-year prison sentence to be served consecutively to a 21-year prison term Canty already is serving. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the plea today.
In the other case, Canty earlier pled guilty in May 2014 to sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman and attempting to kidnap three additional young women in a series of other incidents that took place between February and March of 2014, near the Minnesota Avenue Metro Station. In those matters, he pled guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of attempted kidnapping while armed, and two counts of attempted kidnapping. He was sentenced in July 2014 by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson to 21 years in prison.
Following his prison terms, Canty will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Today’s sentence involved an attack that took place on Dec. 17, 2013. According to the government=s evidence, at approximately 9:20 a.m. that day, the 17-year-old victim was walking alone in the 4600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. Canty approached her, brandished an object that she believed was a gun, and said, “Hey! Don’t move.” He demanded the victim’s property, reached his hand into her pocket and removed $3. Canty then told the victim to follow him, and walked her under a footbridge a short distance away. Under the footbridge, Canty demanded that the young woman perform a sexual act on him. She initially refused, but ultimately submitted to the defendant’s demand.
After the assault, the victim made an immediate report to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Officers and detectives with MPD’s Sixth District, Youth Investigations Division, and Mobile Crime Division, responded immediately. The victim was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. DNA later linked Canty to the attack.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, including officers and detectives from the Youth Division and the Sixth District, as well as mobile crime scene officers and technicians. He also expressed appreciation for the work of MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit and the Sixth District, which investigated the crimes that led to Canty’s earlier plea. He acknowledged the work of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, he praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel and Erica Vample; Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy H. Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen to Host Fifth Annual Youth Summit at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force, and a wide variety of law enforcement and community partners are teaming up to sponsor a Youth Summit on Friday, June 26, 2015, at Friendship Collegiate Academy.
The fifth annual summit is themed “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence” and will focus on teaching young people about their rights and how to interact with law enforcement. The event will include a line-up of dynamic speakers, entertainment, and resources. The guest emcee is DJ Flava of WKYS Radio (93.9 FM), and entertainment will be provided by performers such as Motive, KRU3H, Young Motive, D.O.P.E. Jam, DAWeapon01, and Chi Chi Monet.
Youths from the District of Columbia are invited to the program, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is free of charge. Doors open at 10 a.m. Friendship Collegiate Academy, 4095 Minnesota Avenue NE, is conveniently located directly across the street from the Minnesota Avenue Metro station in order to provide accessibility for students to attend.
This is one of the largest events sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year, typically drawing hundreds of youths. The fast-paced program assembles young people from under-served neighborhoods in the District of Columbia to discuss the most pressing public safety challenges facing their communities. The goal of the program is to reach out to area youth on current public safety topics in an informative and inspiring way.
This year, given recent national events, organizers decided to equip young people with the information that they need about interacting with the police and give them more insight into the important role of law enforcement in their communities. Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen is expected to be joined in panel discussions by District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine, and others.
In addition to the panels and performers, this year’s event also features a skit, poetry reading, and discussion of topics including Internet safety. The summit also will include an information fair where non-profit organizations provide information on youth development programs, mentoring, and education activities.
Several partners will be coming together to present the day’s programs, including the East of the River Family Support Collaborative, Collaborative Solutions for Communities, Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School, District of Columbia Youth Advisory Council, Metropolitan Police Department and our various other partners.. The effort is supported by Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing gun and gang crimes. People with questions or interest in bringing a youth group to the Youth Summit may contact Lenney Lowe at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (202)-698-1452 or [email protected].
Follow the event on Twitter: @DCNews1 or @YouthSummitDC.
Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen Reaches Out to Area Clergy in Aftermath of Violence in CharlestonRead the Press Release
Dear Clergy:
I am writing to offer my deepest condolences in the wake of the tragic shooting that occurred yesterday evening at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims who lost their lives, the A.M.E. church family, and all congregations and places of worship in our community. There is no place in our society for this type of vicious attack, and the U.S. Attorney's Office seeks to offer encouragement to everyone affected by this tragedy.
As you may have heard, the Department of Justice has opened a hate crimes investigation. Earlier today, I spoke by phone with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for South Carolina about the work that they are doing to investigate and prosecute this terrible act. As our colleagues in law enforcement continue to investigate this matter, please know that my office continues to be a resource for all clergy and places of worship in the District.
This horrific event reminds us of the importance of discussing ways to improve safety, even within the most sacred of places and assemblies. In the following days, we will seek to hear from you about how my office and our law enforcement partners can assist clergy during this troubling time. It is our desire to work together as a community to best identify proactive techniques that might aid places of worship with enhancing overall safety for their congregants and respective communities.
I look forward to continuing our partnership as we strengthen the bonds in our community. Thank you for your work and leadership.
Sincerely,
Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.
Acting United States Attorney
District Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Izlar, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from the sexual abuse of two girls at a residence where they were staying in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Izlar pled guilty in February 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between 9 ½ and 12 years. The Honorable Jennifer Anderson accepted the plea today. Upon completion of his prison term, Izlar will be placed on seven years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, Izlar was on supervised release for a previous child sexual abuse conviction involving a 2005 attack on a 13-year-old girl. In June 2013, he removed his GPS tracking device and began living in a house where the two girls, then 6 and 9, were temporarily residing. The people in the house did not know that Izlar was a convicted sex offender. Soon thereafter, Izlar began inappropriately touching the girls, who reported the abuse to a family member. Police were notified, leading to Izlar’s arrest.
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 acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan; former Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam; Child Forensic Interview Specialists Karen Giannakoulias and Tracy Owusu, and Paralegal Specialist Joyce Arthur. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John L. Hill, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $200,000 in Federal Retirement BenefitsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Harry Van Jackson, 69, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from his theft of $199,915 of his deceased father’s retirement benefits, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., and Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Jackson pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to theft from the government. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the plea carries a potential term of imprisonment of 12 to 18 months. As part of his plea agreement, Jackson agreed to pay $199,915 in restitution. He also could be subject to the same amount in forfeiture, and other financial penalties. The Honorable Beryl A. Howell set sentencing for Sept. 11, 2015.
According to the government’s factual proffer, OPM, among other duties, manages pension benefits for retired employees of the United States government. The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) is a retirement system covering federal employees who entered covered federal service before Jan. 1, 1987. Upon retirement from civil service, the federal employees covered by CSRS become CSRS annuitants and are entitled to CSRS benefits throughout their lifetimes. In addition, a CSRS annuitant has the option to elect a survivor benefit for his/her spouse; if selected, a spousal benefit allowed for the annuitant’s surviving spouse to continue to receive a reduced amount of benefits throughout the spouse’s lifetime.
There is no benefit under CSRS for surviving children older than 18 (unless the child was incapable of self-support due to a mental or physical disability that existed prior to age 18).
Jackson’s father retired from the U.S. Government on July 10, 1981, after 38 years of federal service. At the time of his death, on Aug. 23, 2004, Mr. Jackson’s father was receiving approximately $1,400 per month in annuity benefits from CSRS; this amount increased due to cost of living adjustments to approximately $1,770 per month by October 2014. These benefits were automatically deposited into a bank account solely in the father’s name.
Jackson was not entitled to any of his father’s benefits under CSRS, in that he was not a retired federal employee or spouse, he was not a surviving child younger than 18 when his father died, and did not suffer from a mental or physical disability that existed prior to the age of 18.
In October 2014, OPM sent an Address Verification Letter to the attention of Jackson’s father to his last known address in the District of Columbia, requesting confirmation that the annuity payments were going to the right person at the correct address. The letter enclosed an Annuitant’s Response form, which provided a section for confirmation from the CSRS annuitant, and a section for a response if the annuitant was deceased. A short time later, OPM received a response, purportedly signed by the father, confirming the annuity and Social Security number, and other information. This section for the deceased annuitant was not completed.
From the date of Jackson’s father’s death to October 2014, CSRS annuity payments continued to be made to the father’s bank account, totaling approximately $199,915. Jackson used this money, by accessing ATMs and by writing checks signing his father’s signature.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Inspector General McFarland expressed appreciation for the work performed by OPM’s Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.
Omar Gonzalez Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Armed Intrusion on White House GroundsRead the Press Release
Omar Gonzalez, 43, of Copperas Cove, Texas, was sentenced today to 17 months in prison on charges stemming from an incident in which he climbed a fence and ran toward and into the White House while armed with a folding knife.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. for the District of Columbia and Acting Special Agent in Charge James M. Murray of the Washington Field Office for the U.S. Secret Service.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty on March 13, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two federal offenses: one count of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds, while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon and one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. Upon completion of his prison term, Gonzalez will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Judge Collyer also prohibited Gonzalez from entering the District of Columbia for the duration of his supervision, except for court appearances and meetings with his attorney. He also will be required to participate in a psychiatric evaluation and cooperate fully with the Secret Service in any assessments they deem necessary to make of Gonzalez’s risk.
“Mr. Gonzalez is now paying the price for his foolish decision to jump the fence and run inside the White House,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “When he finishes his prison term, he will be barred from entering the District of Columbia and must receive psychiatric treatment. The prison sentence imposed by the court should deter others from taking actions that needlessly put the First Family and White House employees at risk.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2014, at about 7:19 p.m., Gonzalez climbed over the north fence of the White House. While he was climbing over the fence, officers with the U.S. Secret Service’s Uniformed Division ran towards him and repeatedly yelled at him to stop and get down. Gonzalez, however, ignored the commands and landed on the north grounds of the White House.
Moments later, after ignoring additional, repeated commands from uniformed officers to stop, Gonzalez went through the north doors of the White House, knocking a uniformed officer backwards. Another uniformed officer then tackled him inside the White House.
Gonzalez was searched and a folding knife, with a serrated blade that was over three and one-half inches long, was discovered in his right front pants pocket. After his arrest, he gave oral consent to search his vehicle, located on Constitution Avenue NW. The vehicle contained hundreds of rounds of ammunition, in boxes and in magazines, hatchets and a machete.
Gonzalez has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 19, 2014.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Mudd and Thomas A. Gillice of the National Security Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Omar Gonzalez Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Armed Intrusion on White House GroundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Omar Gonzalez, 43, was sentenced today to 17 months in prison on charges stemming from an incident in which he climbed a fence and ran toward and into the White House while armed with a folding knife.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and James M. Murray, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.
Gonzalez, formerly of Copperas Cove, Texas, pled guilty on March 13, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two federal offenses: one count of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds, while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon, and one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. Upon completion of his prison term, Gonzalez will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Judge Collyer also prohibited Gonzalez from entering the District of Columbia for the duration of his supervision, except for court appearances and meetings with his attorney. He also will be required to participate in a psychiatric evaluation and cooperate fully with the Secret Service in any assessments they deem necessary to make of Gonzalez’s risk.
“Mr. Gonzalez is now paying the price for his foolish decision to jump the fence and run inside the White House,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “When he finishes his prison term, he will be barred from entering the District of Columbia and must receive psychiatric treatment. The prison sentence imposed by the court should deter others from taking actions that needlessly put the First Family and White House employees at risk.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2014, at about 7:19 p.m., Gonzalez climbed over the north fence of the White House. While he was climbing over the fence, officers with the U.S. Secret Service’s Uniformed Division ran towards him and repeatedly yelled at him to stop and get down. Gonzalez, however, ignored the commands and landed on the north grounds of the White House.
Moments later, after ignoring additional, repeated commands from uniformed officers to stop, Gonzalez went through the north doors of the White House, knocking a uniformed officer backwards. Another uniformed officer then tackled him inside the White House.
Gonzalez was searched and a folding knife, with a serrated blade that was over three and one-half inches long, was discovered in his right front pants pocket. After his arrest, he gave oral consent to search his vehicle, located on Constitution Avenue NW. The vehicle contained hundreds of rounds of ammunition, in boxes and in magazines, hatchets, and a machete.
Gonzalez has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 19, 2014.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Mudd and Thomas A. Gillice, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Former D.C. Government Official Sentenced for Fraud Involving $110,000 Grant That Funded a 2009 Inaugural BallRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Neil S. Rodgers, a former District of Columbia government official, was sentenced today to a period of incarceration and ordered to pay full restitution on a charge stemming from his role in channeling $110,000 in youth and drug prevention grant funds that were used to pay for an inaugural ball.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Rodgers was found guilty in March 2015, by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of first-degree fraud. The Honorable Senior Judge John D. Bates sentenced Rodgers to 36 days of incarceration, to be served over 12 weekends. He also ordered him to pay $110,000 in restitution. Rodgers also will be placed on two years of probation.
Rodgers, 62, of Washington, D.C., served as the Committee Director of the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation and Planning. Before becoming Committee Director, Rodgers worked for many years at the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation, serving as Chief of Staff and Acting Director.
Six others have pled guilty to charges in the overall investigation, which focused on activities involving former Council Member Harry L. Thomas, Jr. Thomas pled guilty in January 2012 to charges stemming from a scheme in which he used more than $350,000 in taxpayers’ money that was earmarked for the arts, youth recreation, and summer programs for his own personal benefit, including paying for vehicles, clothing, and trips. He resigned in January 2012 as a condition of his plea agreement and later served a 38-month prison sentence.
According to the government’s evidence, Rodgers aided Thomas in illegally securing funds for the 51st State Inaugural Ball, held on Jan. 20, 2009, at the Wilson Building.
“Neil Rodgers worked with former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas to perpetrate a fraud that diverted money from at-risk children to throw a black-tie ball for adults,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “His conviction at trial brings to seven the number of people convicted as part of Harry Thomas’s chronic abuse of the public trust. Neil Rodgers refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong in the cavalier way that he and Harry Thomas stole from a program for children. He now will be required to pay back every penny he stole from the children of the District. Those children, who were most harmed by this, deserve better from our public officials.”
“Today, Mr. Rodgers accepted his penalty for illegally steering money meant to fund District of Columbia government programs to pay for a Presidential inauguration party,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “The FBI and our partners at the IRS have worked countless hours to investigate the trail of money that was intended to help youth in the District and how the corrupt actions of a public servant resulted in a loss to the community he served.”
Thomas directed one of his staffers to plan the ball to celebrate the inauguration of President Obama. The 51st State Inaugural Ball was sponsored by Thomas, other council members and a local chapter of a political organization which was run by Thomas’s staffer who planned the ball. Ticket sales and other contributions failed to raise enough money to pay the expenses associated with the ball. Following the ball, the vendors who provided services for the ball were owed approximately $100,000.
Thomas asked Rodgers to help find funding for the money owed to the vendors. Thomas and Rodgers participated in a scheme to take money that was originally donated by D.C. taxpayers to the Children at Risk and Drug Prevention Fund to pay for the inaugural ball.
After the ball was over, Thomas and Rodgers contacted the president of a public-private partnership that provided grants to children and youth of the district. Thomas and Rodgers falsely stated that the ball had been a youth event. The private-public partnership organization agreed to provide funding for the ball based on these representations. It also agreed to use the Children at Risk and Drug Prevention Fund money to pay for the ball.
The Children at Risk and Drug Prevention Fund consisted of money that had accumulated at the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation after years of tax donations by D.C. taxpayers. In 2008, the D.C. Council passed legislation that gave responsibility for distributing the money to the community to the public-private partnership organization. At the time of the ball, the money had not yet transferred to the public-private partnership. Rodgers used his influence to finalize the transfer of the money so that it could be used to pay for the inaugural ball.
Rodgers then submitted false paperwork to the public-private partnership that described the inaugural ball as a youth event. Rodgers provided multiple copies of budgets and supporting narratives that misled the public-private partnership and resulted in the issuance of the Children at Risk and Drug Prevention Fund money to pay for the inaugural ball.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe, and Special Agent in Charge Jankowski commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and IRS-CI. They also acknowledged the work of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Heather Sales, Jessica Mundi, and Ida Anbarian; Litigation Technology Specialists Joshua Ellen and Ron Royal; and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Haray, Bridget Fitzpatrick, James Smith, and David Johnson. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Graves and Michelle Zamarin, who prosecuted the case.
Children's Hospital Agrees to Pay $12.9 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Children’s Hospital, Children’s National Medical Center Inc. and its affiliated entities (collectively CNMC) have agreed to pay $12.9 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false cost reports and other applications to the components and contractors of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as to Virginia and District of Columbia Medicaid programs, the Department of Justice announced today. CNMC is based in Washington, D.C., and provides pediatric care throughout the metropolitan region.
“The integrity of federal health care programs depends on honest and accurate reporting from the hospitals and other health care providers that receive hundreds of billions of tax dollars every year,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia. “This settlement demonstrates our commitment to defending the integrity of the system and ensuring that taxpayer money goes to meet the most critical health care needs. We will continue to work with whistleblowers like the former employee who came forward in this case to battle waste, fraud and abuse that fuel the skyrocketing cost of health care.”
“The false reporting alleged in today’s settlement deprived the Medicare Trust Fund of millions of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Such conduct wastes critical federal health care program funds and drives up the costs of health care for all of us.”
According to the settlement agreement, CNMC misstated information on cost reports and applications in two distinct manners to HHS. This false information was used by HHS and Medicaid programs to calculate reimbursement rates to CNMC. The United States contended that CNMC misreported its available bed count on its application to HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration under the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program. The CHGME Payment Program provides federal funds to freestanding children’s hospitals to help them maintain their graduate medical education programs that train pediatric and other residents. The United States further contended that CNMC filed cost reports misstating their overhead costs, resulting in overpayment from Medicare and the Virginia and District of Columbia Medicaid programs.
The settlement resolves allegations brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by James A. Roark Sr., a former employee of CNMC. Under the act, a private citizen can sue on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The United States is entitled to intervene in the lawsuit, as it did here. As part of the resolution, Mr. Roark will receive $1,890,649.98.
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $24.3 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $15.3 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
This matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia with assistance from the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the HHS’ Office of Inspector General.
The case is United States ex rel. Roark v. Children’s Hosp., et al., No. 1:14-cv-00616 (D.D.C.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Seven-Year Prison Term and Fined $262,500 for Arranging for Sexual Contact with a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Paul David Hite, 58, an anesthesiologist from Midlothian, Va., was sentenced today to seven years in prison and fined $262,500 for arranging for sexual contact with a minor and possession of child pornography.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hite pled guilty on April 15, 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. The judge also ordered Hite to pay $16,750 in restitution to five victims of child pornography. Upon completion of his prison term, Hite will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to a factual proffer of evidence presented during the court proceeding, from Feb. 1, 2012 through Feb. 17, 2012, Hite engaged in a series of Internet chats and telephone calls with an undercover police detective in Washington, D.C., who was posing as an adult who was sexually abusing a minor girl and a minor boy. During the course of the communications with the undercover detective, Hite described, in graphic detail, the sexual activity in which he wanted to engage with the purported minors. Hite also discussed plans to travel to Washington, D.C. for the purpose of sexually abusing the purported minors.
Hite was arrested near his residence on Feb. 17, 2012. Law enforcement recovered computer equipment from Hite’s home, which uncovered evidence of over 400 files 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 sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Attorney General Caldwell, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe and Chief Lanier commended the work of all who participated in the investigation. They especially acknowledged the efforts of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as the FBI’s Richmond Field Division.
They also acknowledged the efforts of Digital Investigative Analyst Christie Gardner of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They additionally commended the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Starla Stolk; Legal Assistants Jessica Moffatt and Charmonique Price; Yvonne Bryant, Dawn Tolson-Hightower and David Foster of the Victim Witness Assistant Unit; and Joshua Ellen, Kimberly Smith, and Leif Hickling of the Litigation Services Unit. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wu and Brian Hood from the Eastern District of Virginia, Diane Lucas of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Chief Elizabeth Trosman, Elizabeth Danello, and Patricia Heffernan of the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, David B. Kent, Julieanne Himelstein, and Andrea L. Hertzfeld of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Deputy Chief Alexandra R. Gelber and former Trial Attorney Darcy Katzin of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
District Woman Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Physically Abusing Nine-Year-Old SonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 27-year-old woman, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison for physically abusing her son, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The woman, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in March 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of aggravated assault against a minor, first-degree child cruelty while armed, and first-degree child cruelty. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the nine-year prison term. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following her prison term, the defendant will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, between March 2014 and June 2014, the defendant and her boyfriend physically abused the defendant’s nine-year-old son in a variety of ways, including starving him, binding his limbs with duct tape, scalding him with hot water, and keeping him locked inside of a bedroom and bathroom for days at a time. The abuse was discovered in June 2014, when the defendant brought the boy to his biological father, who took the child to the emergency department at Children’s National Medical Center. The defendant’s boyfriend, 52, is awaiting trial in October 2015; he has pled not guilty to charges.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work performed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. They also recognized the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam, Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key; Child Forensic Interview Specialist Tracy Owusu, and Criminal Investigators Tommy Miller and Melissa Matthews.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Traffic Fatality in Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Momodui I. Bello, 36, of Fort Washington, Md., pled guilty today to involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol, stemming from a recent traffic fatality in Washington, D.C., Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Bello entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Sept. 4, 2015. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between three and five years in prison.
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 plea, 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 is prosecuting the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Woman in Early-Morning Attack Near Meridian Hill ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Glen Green, 23, of Washington D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse for a recent sexual assault that took place near a park in Northwest Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Green pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a 19-year prison sentence. Upon release, Green would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston scheduled sentencing for Aug. 21, 2015.
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 plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work performed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. They acknowledged the work of the Forensic Services Division of the U.S. Secret Service, which assisted in processing the surveillance video. They also 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, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Park, who is prosecuting the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Shooting Pregnant GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Terrell Bringier, 26, of Lanham, Md., was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term for shooting his then-pregnant girlfriend in the stomach last fall and causing her to lose their unborn child, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Bringier pled guilty on Jan. 2, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 15, 2014, Bringier and the victim were on a telephone call arguing over the custody of their unborn child, at which point the defendant told the victim that he would be coming to her apartment with his gun. The victim was approximately five months pregnant. Once Bringier arrived at the victim’s residence in Northeast Washington, shortly after noon, he attempted to gain entry. The door was locked, however, and the victim refused to open it. Bringier and the victim began arguing through the door, and at some point, he threatened to kick open the door if the victim did not open it within five seconds. After counting two seconds out loud, Bringier fired one round at close range into the door, striking the victim in the abdominal region.
An ambulance arrived on scene, and the victim was transported to the hospital. According to the doctors who treated her, the bullet had gone through the stomach before coming to rest in the victim’s left hip region. She would ultimately learn that the fetus was not viable inside or outside the womb, and soon thereafter, she lost her fetus.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Troy Griffith, Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Nguyen, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to Ex-Girlfriend's Apartment Building in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph F. Brown, 42, of Bladensburg, Md., pled guilty today to charges of arson and second-degree burglary for intentionally setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment building earlier this year, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. announced.
Brown entered the guilty plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Yvonne M. Williams is to sentence him on July 31, 2015. Brown faces a statutory maximum of 15 years of imprisonment as well as a potential fine.
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 plea, 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 Resendiz and Paralegal Specialist Erica Vample.
Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Elana Suttenberg, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 43 Years in Prison for Attacking Woman in Her HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarco Myles, 21, was sentenced today to 43 years and three months in prison on numerous charges, including assault with intent to kill while armed, attempted first-degree sexual abuse while armed, and mayhem while armed, stemming from an attack in which he forced his way into a woman’s apartment, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Myles, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in January 2015 to a total of 10 charges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. For one of the 10 offenses – attempted first-degree sexual abuse while armed - he entered what is known as an Alford plea. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations, but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. Upon completion of his prison term, Myles will be placed on 20 years of supervised release. Myles also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
“This home invasion was calculated and brutal,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “After Demarco Myles forced his way into the victim’s apartment, he tried to rape her and stabbed her repeatedly in the eyes and face. The people of the District of Columbia are safer with the perpetrator of this monstrous attack behind bars.”
According to the government’s evidence, in the early afternoon hours of Oct. 26, 2012, Myles gained entry to a secured apartment building in Northeast Washington. Once inside, he was able to take the elevator by riding with a tenant, who had a card-key to the elevator.
After getting off the elevator, Myles began knocking on doors. When he got to the victim’s apartment, she opened her door a crack to see who was knocking. Myles forced his way inside, knocking her to the floor. She began screaming, and Myles brandished a knife, held it to her throat, and ordered her to stop or he would kill her. He then forced the victim into her bathroom, where he attempted to rape her at knifepoint. Before he could, however, the victim fled into her bedroom and tried to shut herself inside a walk-in closet. Myles overpowered her, forcing his way into the closet, where he began stabbing, kicking and punching the victim.
By the time he finished, Myles had stabbed the victim more than 20 times, including in both eyes, her face and neck, and on her arms and legs. Myles left her lying on her floor, bleeding and unconscious, with life-threatening wounds. He then stole items from her apartment and left.
The victim, remarkably, regained consciousness, crawled across her floor to her phone and was able to call 911. The police and ambulance crew were able to get to the victim before she bled to death. She spent the next several weeks in a hospital, undergoing several surgeries, but survived. As a result of the wounds that Myles inflicted, the victim has had to undergo months of physical therapy and still suffers some limitations.
After the attack, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) posted footage from the apartment building’s security camera, trying to determine who committed this attack. Following up on investigative leads, MPD secured a search warrant for Myles’s home, where they recovered items that he stole from the victim’s apartment, as well as a pair of his pants that were covered in blood. DNA testing established that the blood on his pants belonged to the victim.
Myles has been in custody since his arrest on Nov. 3, 2012.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of members of MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit, and Fifth District, who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation for the support of Kristina Rose, Deputy Administrator of the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel, D’Yvonne Key, and Joyce Arthur; Jelahn Stewart, Chief of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Victim/Witness Advocates Melissa Milam and Elsa Resendiz; David Foster, La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, also of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Information Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson; Legal Intern Allison Denton, and Criminal Investigators Steve Cohen and Durand Odom. He also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Trosman, Chrisellen Kolb, and Elizabeth Danello of the Appellate Section, for assistance on legal issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kennedy, for assistance on mental health-related issues. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Hertzfeld, John L. Hill and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
District Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Armed Home Invasion in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Gantt, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 28 years in prison for his role in an armed home invasion that took place in October 2013 in Northeast Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.
Gantt pled guilty in August 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, first-degree theft, tampering with physical evidence, and second-degree burglary. He was sentenced by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Gantt will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Gantt and his accomplices, who were wearing ski masks, carried out the crimes at about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 3, 2013. They saw a taxicab dropping off the victim in the 5700 block of Blaine Street NE. They followed the victim into his home. Once inside, they held the victim, the victim’s fiancé, and the victim’s mother at gunpoint for approximately 40 minutes while they ransacked the home and stole various items. Those items included cash, electronics, and the fiancé’s engagement ring, which the fiancé unsuccessfully tried to hide from the defendants during the burglary.
Gantt and the other assailants left the home in two vehicles that belonged to the victims and deposited the proceeds from the burglary inside a vacant home on Raleigh Street SE. Worried that the police might recover fingerprints from the vehicles they had stolen, the men then drove the vehicles into a field adjacent to an elementary school on Alabama Avenue SE, set the vehicles on fire, and retreated on foot to the vacant home on Raleigh Street SE.
Gantt was wearing a GPS tracking device in connection with his supervised release in an unrelated robbery case. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) used data generated by that device to track the defendants to the home on Raleigh Street SE. The police barricaded the residence and ultimately arrested the defendants, including Gantt, in or near the residence. The police also recovered most of the proceeds of the burglary, along with several ski masks, from the Raleigh Street home. The police did not recover the engagement ring.
Two others are serving prison terms for their roles in the various crimes, and a third is awaiting sentencing. Andre Townsend, 20, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to armed robbery, first-degree burglary, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful entry and was sentenced in August 2014 to eight years in prison. Darnell Mason, 22, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury of obstruction of justice and related actions he took following the armed home invasion; he was sentenced in February 2015 to 22½ years in prison. Shareem Hall, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed, first-degree burglary while armed, first-degree theft, tampering with physical evidence, and second-degree burglary. He has not yet been sentenced.
In announcing today’s sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of the detectives and officers who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Richard Cheatham and Antoinette Sakamsa, Litigation Technology Specialists Aneela Bhatia and Leif Hickling, witness advocates Jim Brennan and Jennifer Clark, and former intern Harris Davidson. Finally, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Schrader and Karen Seifert, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Found Guilty of Hate-Based Attack of Homeless ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Robert “Leo” Dwyer, 33, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today of a hate crime for assaulting a homeless man last summer in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. At the time of the offense, the defendant was a member of the District of Columbia’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC).
“Robert Dwyer targeted this victim for assault because he was homeless,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “This prosecution vindicates the principle that everyone in our community deserves the protection of the law. We will not tolerate this reprehensible behavior in the District of Columbia.”
Dwyer was found guilty after a two-day bench trial in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia of simple assault with a bias enhancement, based on the homelessness of the victim. The Honorable Neal E. Kravitz scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2015. Dwyer faces a statutory maximum of 270 days of incarceration and a potential fine of up to $1,500.
In presenting his findings today, Judge Kravitz noted that there was no question that the crime was motivated by the defendant’s hostility toward homeless people, including the victim.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 28, 2014, at approximately 3 a.m., Dwyer was at the intersection of 17th and Corcoran Streets NW, where he stormed the area where homeless men slept and kept their property. Dwyer began throwing homeless men’s bedding and other possessions into the street, as well as dumping other belongings into nearby trash bins. He then began spraying the area with a cleaning solution, while the victim and other homeless men looked on in disbelief.
The victim, a local homeless man, then rode his bike past the defendant. Dwyer turned and sprayed the victim multiple times in the face, arms, and neck. He used a racial slur and profanity in declaring that he hated homeless people “dirtying up the streets.” He also told an eyewitness that he “hate[d] these people sleeping here.” Upon being sprayed, the victim fell off his bike, but recovered and rode his bike to the Third District police station. He immediately reported the attack to Metropolitan Police detectives, who promptly investigated. Dwyer left the scene prior to police arriving. The victim received medical attention on the scene for his injuries.
The defendant was identified by an eyewitness as being an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner at the time for the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives and officers who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Arviette Spain, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Criminal Investigator Durand Odom, and Legal Intern Michelle Munneke. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Starks and Alysa Kociuruba and Deputy Chiefs Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez and Michelle Parikh, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Investigation of Health Care Fraud Involving D.C. Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rehman Mirza, 42, a chiropractor who practiced in Suitland, Md., has pled guilty to a federal charge of obstructing a criminal health care fraud investigation for trying to cover up his role in a scheme involving fraudulent claims submitted to the District of Columbia Medicaid program for personal care aide services.
The guilty plea was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Mirza, of Woodbridge, Va., pled guilty on May 29, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled a status hearing for Sept. 24, 2015. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have agreed that Mirza faces a likely range of 10 to 18 months in prison and a potential fine of $3,000 to $30,000. He also has agreed to pay $48,450 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program.
The plea agreement calls for Mirza to cooperate in an investigation involving fraud, kickbacks, and false billings in the field of home care services for D.C. Medicaid patients.
The underlying fraud involved D.C. Medicaid payments for home care services to be performed by personal care aides, working for home care agencies. Personal care aides, also known as PCAs, are supposed to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in performing activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, keeping track of medication, and so forth. In order to be covered for such benefits, the beneficiaries must get prescriptions from physicians or advanced practice registered nurses. D.C. Medicaid only reimburses for home care services if a physician determines after a physical examination that the beneficiary has functional limitations impairing activities of daily living. The prescriptions, also known as “intakes,” dictate the frequency and duration of the services to be provided. The prescriptions are translated later into plans of care, which also must be signed by the physician.
In the District of Columbia, a typical prescription, or “intake,” calls for eight hours of personal care services per day for five days per week, or eight hours per day for seven days per week. Over the six-month time span authorized by such a prescription, D.C. Medicaid would pay between $16,952 and $23,732 for personal care services provided to one beneficiary.
Mirza is licensed as a chiropractor in Maryland and Virginia, but is not licensed as a chiropractor in the District of Columbia, and is not licensed as a physician. He worked at Capital Health LLC, d/b/a Capitol Health Chiropractic in Suitland, Md. He was not authorized to prescribe personal care services, and he was not enrolled as a provider in D.C. Medicaid.
“This chiropractor pocketed tens of thousands of dollars by generating bogus documents used to defraud D.C. Medicaid,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “When the FBI began to zero in on him, he obstructed justice by coaching his office assistant about what to say to the authorities. This guilty plea is one more step in our efforts to clean up the rampant fraud and corruption in the home health care industry in the District of Columbia.”
“By illegally writing prescriptions for services he was not qualified to provide in exchange for monetary kickbacks from home health care agencies, Mr. Mirza took advantage of D.C.’s Medicaid program and then lied to the FBI about his role in the scheme,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “This fraud steals from government programs designed to assist deserving patients and the FBI will continue to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone who participates in defrauding government programs.”
The scheme: According to a statement of offense, signed by the government as well as the defendant, Mirza and others carried out a scheme to defraud the D.C. Medicaid program from approximately November 2012 through at least June 2013. Personal care aides, working for at least seven home care agencies, brought numerous D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries to Mirza, and after brief examinations, Mirza wrote prescriptions and plans of care, listing himself and signing as the “ordering physician” even though he was not a physician and was not legally or medically qualified and could not determine whether the services were medically necessary.
Seeing D.C. Medicaid beneficiaries and signing their intakes and plans of care became Mirza’s primary source of income. Mirza initially was paid $125 for each D.C. Medicaid beneficiary brought to his office by a personal care aide, but he later increased the size of the cash payments to $200. Mirza’s prescriptions, or “intakes,” typically included a diagnosis such as “chronic severe back pain” and called for services for eight hours a day, seven days a week, for six months. The personal care aides would insist that Mirza write the name of the PCA on the intake before it was sent to the home care agency; it was understood this was so the personal care aides would receive their kickback from the home care agency for each D.C. Medicaid beneficiary the PCA brought to Mirza and then to the home care agency.
During the course of the fraud scheme, Mirza signed hundreds of prescriptions and plans of care, and in exchange collected at least $48,450 in cash payments from personal care aides. Home care agencies used Mirza’s prescriptions and plans of care to support and justify their claims for payment to Medicaid – even though the paperwork was invalid on its face because it was not prescribed or signed by a physician as required.
The obstruction: When Mirza was approached by the FBI in his office and questioned about his role, he denied he had any involvement with Medicaid. After the agents served Mirza with a subpoena for his patient files and other documents, the agents told Mirza they planned to interview his office assistant. After the agents left, Mirza offered to drive his assistant home. During that car ride, Mirza attempted to obstruct the government’s investigation, by attempting to influence his assistant’s statements to the FBI, telling the assistant not to use certain words, encouraging and suggesting that she not be fully truthful, and ensuring that their stories would match so that Mirza would not be “implicated” by his assistant. For example, Mirza tried to convince his assistant they had nothing to do with Medicaid and instructed the assistant not to say the word “Medicaid” at least ten times during the course of their 45-minute conversation.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Radway, and was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Radway and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dangkhoa Nguyen. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman.
The FBI has set up a hotline number to report suspected incidents of Medicaid fraud: 855-281-1242. People can also provide information by e-mail to [email protected].
Numerous agencies are participating in the broader investigation into Medicaid fraud, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Secret Service; the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor; and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder While Armed in Stabbing of David Messerschmitt at Northwest Washington HotelRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamyra Gallmon, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed 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 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between 18 and 25 years.
Also today, a co-defendant, Dominique Johnson, 19, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery for her role in events on the day of the crime. Johnson faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison.
The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for both defendants to take place on Aug. 14, 2015.
“Our hearts go out to everyone who knew and loved David Messerschmitt,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “It is outrageous that a young man with such a promising future was murdered over a cell phone and a Metro card. We can only hope that the rapid apprehension and conviction of those responsible for his death will help his loved ones find some sense of peace.”
“These criminals preyed upon David Messerschmitt for his property and they are being held accountable. The guilty pleas are just one step closer for the Messerschmitt family to attempt to gain closure in this senseless crime,” said Chief Lanier. “Our detectives and the U.S. Attorney's Office worked diligently to close and prosecute this case.”
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, Johnson and Gallmon 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 pleas, 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.
District Real Estate Agent/Broker Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $100,000 of Clients' MoneyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Alan Wall, 57, a real estate agent and broker from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a theft charge stemming from the embezzlement of over $100,000 of his clients’ money, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wall pled guilty to first-degree theft in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He appeared before the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. The plea carries a potential sentence, under federal guidelines, of six to 24 months in prison, $117,000 in restitution, $5,000 in fines and $100 to $5,000 in assessments. A status hearing was set for Aug. 4, 2015.
According to the government’s factual proffer, from about July 2010 to at least May 2013, Wall stole from real estate clients who had entrusted their money to him. He entered into agreements with clients to serve as their agent in purchasing residential property in the District of Columbia. The agreements stated that the clients would not be paying Wall an advance fee, nor did they agree to pay him a percentage of the purchase price. Instead, as in an arrangement typical of residential real estate sales of existing homes, Wall would be paid his commission by the seller of the property upon the completion of the transaction.
Wall convinced his clients to provide as their earnest money deposit an amount of money greater than typically used, saying that he would hold it in escrow for their benefit to demonstrate that they had sufficient money to close on future sales. He assured his clients that the money remained theirs unless and until they purchased a property. If the clients were unable to quickly succeed with an offer to purchase a home, Wall convinced them to deposit additional money telling them that it would strengthen their negotiating power for future offers.
As a licensed real estate agent and broker, Wall had a fiduciary duty to keep earnest money deposit client funds in a separate escrow bank account. Agents/brokers may not commingle the escrow funds with their own funds, use the escrow funds for a purpose other than the purpose for which they were entrusted to them, or fail to return the money when directed by the client.
Wall deposited the clients’ earnest money deposit checks into his operating account, rather than his escrow account. If the clients became dissatisfied with him and asked about their money, he assured them that their earnest money deposit money was maintained in an escrow account held at a federally insured bank. Wall did not maintain his clients’ money for their benefit; rather, he spent their money on himself and his expenses within a few weeks or months of receiving the funds. He also borrowed money from another person, falsely representing that he needed money to pay expenses of a real estate closing; having received the money, Wall used the money to replace the money he had stolen from clients in order that the settlement on their District of Columbia home may proceed. After the closing on the home, Wall falsely stated that the settlement did not occur and that buyers were forced to file a law suit against the sellers of the property. He did not repay the loan.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier expressed appreciation for the work performed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division-Financial Crimes Section as well as by Special Agent Juan Juarez of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of Paralegal Specialists Kristy Penny and Corinne Kleinman, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice and Other Charges for Plot to Kill VictimRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jarod Yorkshire, 21, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, and related charges in the December 2011 killing of a man in Northeast Washington. The jury also returned guilty verdicts on three counts of obstruction of justice, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Yorkshire faces more than 100 years in prison at his sentencing on July 24, 2015 before the Honorable Jennifer Anderson.
At trial, the evidence established that on Dec. 16, 2011, the victim, Derrick Ragland, 19, orchestrated a sham gun sale with Jarod Yorkshire and his co-defendant, Raymond Faunteroy. 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 a total of 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 following the shooting, Yorkshire and Faunteroy 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.
Faunteroy, 29, is awaiting trial in the case.
In announcing the verdict, 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.
Man from El Salvador Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Alberto Canales, 47, formerly of El Salvador, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for possession of child pornography, second-degree sexual abuse, first-degree child sexual abuse and illegal re-entry of a removed alien, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C.; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Canales pled guilty to these charges in August 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on 25 years of supervised release. Canales also will be required to register for 15 years as a sex offender.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 7, 2013, Special Agents for the Homeland Security Investigations arrested the defendant at an apartment in Washington, D.C. for violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act. During a search of a cellphone in Canales’s possession, agents recovered approximately eight images of child pornography. In addition, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Canales had sexually assaulted an adult victim in Northwest Washington in July 2013 and two minor victims, ages 12 and 10 at the time of the abuse, in or about 2006 and 2008 respectively, in various locations in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Canales was removed from the United States and deported to El Salvador in 1999 following his conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for drug offenses.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Settles and Chief Lanier praised the work of those who investigated the case. They also commended the efforts of Victim/Witness Specialists Elsa Resendiz and Yvonne Bryant and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassidy Kesler Pinegar and Ari Redbord.
Florida Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Flying Gyrocopter to U.S. Capitol GroundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Douglas Hughes, 61, of Ruskin, Fla., was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from the April 15, 2015 incident in which he flew a gyrocopter into Washington, D.C., and landed on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Kim C. Dine, Chief of the United States Capitol Police, and David C. Williams, Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service.
Hughes was arrested immediately after landing the gyrocopter. The grand jury indicted him on a total of six charges. They include two felonies: one count each of operating as an airman without an airman’s certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft. In addition, he was indicted on four misdemeanor counts: three counts of violation of national defense airspace, and one of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.
In addition, the indictment includes a forfeiture allegation seeking a judgment for the gyrocopter, which has been seized by law enforcement. Each of the felony charges carries a statutory maximum of three years in prison and potential financial penalties. Each of the misdemeanor charges of violations of national defense airspace carries a statutory maximum of one year in prison and potential fines, and the misdemeanor offense of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as postal carrier carries a statutory maximum of six months in prison and potential fines.
Hughes is to be arraigned on the charges on May 21, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, Hughes flew the gyrocopter into Washington, D.C. from Gettysburg, Pa., passing through three no-fly zones. An investigation determined that he does not have a pilot’s certificate or registration for the aircraft. The gyrocopter was privately owned by Hughes, but had the logo and emblem of the United States Postal Service without authorization. Hughes was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a postal carrier in Florida, but he was on leave at the time of the incident, and had no official duties in the Washington, D.C. area.
Hughes has been free on personal recognizance since his initial court appearance in this matter on April 16, 2015. At that time, the Court ordered that he be placed on home detention in Florida. He is barred from returning to the District of Columbia except for court appearances and meetings with his attorney. Any time that he is in the District of Columbia, Hughes must stay away from the Capitol, White House and nearby areas. He also was barred from operating any aircraft while he is on release and ordered to surrender his passport.
Charges contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the United States Capitol Police and the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service. Assistance has been provided by the United States Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal S. Chawla, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Rabbi Sentenced to Six and a Half Years Prison Term for Voyeurism, Admitted Secretly Taking Video Recordings of WomenRead the Press Release
Bernard “Barry” Freundel, 63, of Washington D.C., a rabbi who had worked for a Jewish congregation in Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of six years and six months on 52 counts of voyeurism stemming from a series of incidents between 2009 and 2014 in which he secretly took video recordings of women preparing for a Jewish ritual bath.
The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia and Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Freundel pleaded guilty in February 2015 to the misdemeanor charges before the Honorable Senior Judge Geoffrey M. Alprin in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The sentencing came at the end of a three-hour hearing in which more than a dozen women told the court of the emotional impact they continue to endure because of Freundel’s abuse of his position of trust. Judge Alprin sentenced Freundel to 45 days in prison for each of the 52 victims, calling his actions “a classic abuse of power and violation of trust.”
Freundel, who had been free on personal recognizance, was immediately taken into custody to begin serving his sentence.
“Today the court heard the heart-wrenching accounts of the victims of Barry Freundel’s exploitation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Their stories make clear the lasting scars that will be left by this outrageous abuse of power. This prosecution was an effort to restore the dignity that Barry Freundel tried to steal from these women. We hope that the scores of victims of his crimes will find some solace in the justice meted out by the court today.”
“It is my hope that the many victims in this case draw a small measure of relief from the sentencing action today,” said Chief Lanier. “His actions wounded an entire religious community and showed a flagrant disregard for his position of trust within that community. I am confident that today’s action by the courts will serve to continue the healing process for the many unwitting victims of this predator.”
According to a factual proffer submitted at the earlier plea hearing, between early 2009 and October 2014, Freundel was the sole rabbi of Kesher Israel congregation in Northwest Washington, D.C. Kesher Israel is adjacent to the National Capital Mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath. A mikvah is used primarily by Orthodox Jewish women for monthly spiritual purification and by other individuals as the final step in the Orthodox Jewish conversion process.
The National Capital Mikvah has two changing/showering rooms connected to the room with the ritual bath. On numerous occasions between early 2009 and October 2014, the defendant installed and maintained electronic recording devices in the larger of the two changing/showering rooms. Freundel did so for the sole purpose of secretly and surreptitiously recording women who were using the bathroom and shower; these women were totally and partially undressed before and/or after showering. The women recorded did not know they were being recorded and did not consent to being recorded.
On Oct. 12, 2014, Freundel entered the larger changing/showering room with a clock radio that contained a hidden recording device. He placed the clock radio on the countertop of the sink and positioned the recording element so that it faced the shower area. He then left the changing area. Shortly thereafter, the clock radio was taken by an individual associated with the Mikvah, who immediately turned it over to the MPD, leading to an investigation.
Freundel was arrested on Oct. 14, 2014. Law enforcement executed search warrants to examine the contents of the clock radio and to seek evidence at Freundel’s home and office at Towson University. Computer forensic examinations of all of the electronic devices and digital media storage devices seized from the defendant’s home and office revealed recordings made by the defendant of at least 52 women who were totally or partially undressed in the large showering/changing room of the Mikvah on a total of 25 different dates between March 4, 2012 and Sept. 19, 2014. These are the women who are the subjects of the charges to which Freundel pleaded guilty in February 2015. The charge of voyeurism has a three-year statute of limitations.
In addition to the 52 recordings that were the subject of the plea, computer forensic examinations revealed that Freundel secretly and surreptitiously recorded approximately 100 additional women totally or partially undressed before and/or after showering in the large bathroom at the National Capital Mikvah between 2009 and September 2014. These women did not know that they were being recorded and did not consent to being recorded.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including officers and detectives of the Second Police District. They also recognized the assistance provided by the Towson University Police Department. In addition, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including Chief Jelahn Stewart of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; and Deputy Chief Sharon Marcus-Kurn of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section.
Finally they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy H. Zubrensky and Rebekah Holman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Rabbi Sentenced to 6 1/2 Year Prison Term on Voyeurism Charges, Admitted Secretly Taking Video Recordings of Dozens of WomenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bernard (“Barry”) Freundel, a rabbi who had worked for a Jewish congregation in Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of six years and six months on 52 counts of voyeurism stemming from a series of incidents between 2009 and 2014 in which he secretly took video recordings of women preparing for a Jewish ritual bath.
The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Freundel, 63, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in February 2015 to the misdemeanor charges before the Honorable Senior Judge Geoffrey M. Alprin in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The sentencing came at the end of a three-hour hearing in which more than a dozen women told the Court of the emotional impact they continue to endure because of Freundel’s abuse of his position of trust. Judge Alprin sentenced Freundel to 45 days in prison for each of the 52 victims, calling his actions “a classic abuse of power and violation of trust.”
The judge also ordered Freundel to pay $13,000 to a crime victims' fund. Freundel, who had been free on personal recognizance, was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence.
“Today the Court heard the heart-wrenching accounts of the victims of Barry Freundel’s exploitation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Their stories make clear the lasting scars that will be left by this outrageous abuse of power. This prosecution was an effort to restore the dignity that Barry Freundel tried to steal from these women. We hope that the scores of victims of his crimes will find some solace in the justice meted out by the court today.”
“It is my hope that the many victims in this case draw a small measure of relief from the sentencing action today,’ said Chief Lanier. “His actions wounded an entire religious community, and showed a flagrant disregard for his position of trust within that community. I am confident that today’s action by the courts will serve to continue the healing process for the many unwitting victims of this predator.”
According to a factual proffer submitted at the earlier plea hearing, between early 2009 and October 2014, Freundel was the sole Rabbi of Kesher Israel congregation in Northwest Washington. Kesher Israel is adjacent to the National Capital Mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath. A mikvah is used primarily by Orthodox Jewish women for monthly spiritual purification and by other individuals as the final step in the Orthodox Jewish conversion process.
The National Capital Mikvah has two changing/showering rooms connected to the room with the ritual bath. On numerous occasions between early 2009 and October 2014, the defendant installed and maintained electronic recording devices in the larger of the two changing/showering rooms. Freundel did so for the sole purpose of secretly and surreptitiously recording women who were using the bathroom and shower; these women were totally and partially undressed before and/or after showering. The women recorded did not know they were being recorded and did not consent to being recorded.
On Oct. 12, 2014, Freundel entered the larger changing/showering room with a clock radio that contained a hidden recording device. He placed the clock radio on the countertop of the sink and positioned the recording element so that it faced the shower area. He then left the changing area. Shortly thereafter, the clock radio was taken by an individual associated with the Mikvah, who immediately turned it over to the MPD, leading to an investigation.
Freundel was arrested on Oct. 14, 2014. Law enforcement executed search warrants to examine the contents of the clock radio and to seek evidence at Freundel’s home and office at Towson University. Computer forensic examinations of all of the electronic devices and digital media storage devices seized from the defendant’s home and office revealed recordings made by the defendant of at least 52 women who were totally or partially undressed in the large showering/changing room of the Mikvah on a total of 25 different dates between March 4, 2012 and Sept. 19, 2014. These are the women who are the subjects of the charges to which Freundel pled guilty today. The charge of voyeurism has a three-year statute of limitations.
In addition to the 52 recordings that were the subject of the plea, computer forensic examinations revealed that Freundel secretly and surreptitiously recorded approximately 100 additional women totally or partially undressed before and/or after showering in the large bathroom at the National Capital Mikvah between 2009 and September 2014. These women did not know that they were being recorded and did not consent to being recorded.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including officers and detectives of the Second Police District. They also recognized the assistance provided by the Towson University Police Department. In addition, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Jelahn Stewart, Chief of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Deputy Chief of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section; Lead Paralegal Specialist Wanda Trice; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Victim/Witness Advocate Supervisor Dr. Lorraine Chase; and Criminal Investigator John Marsh.
Finally they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy H. Zubrensky and Rebekah Holman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Death of His Infant SonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrik Lamont Brown, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison on a charge of voluntary manslaughter stemming from the death last fall of his one-month-old son, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Brown pled guilty in February 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence within the District of Columbia’s voluntary sentencing guidelines; in this case, the range is from four to 10 years in prison. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston sentenced him accordingly. Following his prison term, Brown will be placed on five years of supervised release. Brown also was ordered by the judge to undergo a full psychiatric assessment, get a GED, and enter into grief counselling and anger management classes.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 29, 2014, Brown was caring for his one-month-old son, Raj’saun Tyrik Brown, at the family’s residence in Southeast Washington. The child’s mother woke the baby at 8 a.m., fed him, and then left him in the care of Brown when she went to work at about 8:30 a.m. At the time she left, she placed the child on top of a pillow in the bed with the defendant.
At 8:57 a.m., Brown sent a text message to the mother stating that he had just cut the baby’s leg with his fingernails while rushing to change him and that the baby was bleeding. At 9:32 a.m., he called her to report that the boy had a white “foamy milk-like” substance coming from his nose. Then at 9:41 a.m., he called to say that the child was unresponsive. The mother instructed Brown to call 911 and she herself called 911. Law enforcement met the mother, and provided her transportation to the hospital, where Raj’saun was pronounced dead.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, including a skull fracture and rib fractures.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives, officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences for assistance in the investigation. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Mia Beamon, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Intern Nicholas Molayem, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Brandishing a Gun at a High School GymnasiumRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steve Gantt, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for an incident in which he brandished a handgun inside a high school gymnasium in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Gantt pled guilty in March 2010, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was sentenced by the Honorable Neal E. Kravitz. Upon completion of his prison term, Gantt will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Gantt and two others entered the gym at Dunbar High School, in the 200 block of N Street NW, at about 8 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2015. Gantt was a lifeguard at the swimming pool at Dunbar, and entered the gym via the swimming pool area to attend a basketball game. Because he entered the school through the swimming pool doors, he did not have to pass through any metal detectors before entering the gym.
At some point during the basketball game, Gantt became involved in a physical altercation with another individual. Bystanders separated the two. However, after the two were separated, Gantt reached into his waistband and produced a handgun to frighten the individual with whom he had been fighting. When Gantt had the gun in his hand, several people inside of the gym began to run away and some could be heard saying, “He’s got a gun!”
Gantt ran from the gymnasium. During an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), he later was identified as the person with the gun. On Jan. 23, 2015, in a search of Gantt’s residence, MPD officers found a .9mm handgun and a shoe that had 28 rounds of ammunition tucked inside. Gantt was arrested on Feb. 4, 2015 and has been in custody ever since. At the time of the offense, Gantt was on supervised release for an earlier drug conviction.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs, of the Felony Major Crimes Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Florida Businessman Found Guilty of Conspiring to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
ORLANDO, FLA. – Donovan G. Davis, Jr., 33, of Palm Bay, Fla., was found guilty by a jury today of federal charges stemming from an investment fraud scheme in which more than 100 investors lost over $13 million, announced Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Office of IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Davis was found guilty 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. The jury trial began May 4, 2015, before the Honorable Carlos E. Mendoza of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. After the verdicts were returned the judge ordered Davis to be detained pending his sentencing on Aug. 5, 2015.
Two co-defendants earlier pled guilty. Blayne S. Davis, 33, formerly of Naples, Fla., pled guilty in July 2014, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; he was later sentenced to a nine-year prison term and ordered to pay $13,215,874.75 in restitution. (The Davises are not related). Damien L. Bromfield, 38, of Ocoee, Fla., pled guilty in November 2013, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing.
“These families lost more than $13 million when they entrusted their hard-earned savings to an investment firm that lied about its performance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “With today’s guilty verdict, all three men responsible for this fraud are seeing the consequences of their crimes. Financial crimes don’t just create losses on paper; they cause lasting harm to real people. I commend the prosecutors from here in D.C. who held these criminals accountable for their deception in a Florida courthouse.”
“Today’s verdict holds this man accountable for his misuse of a position of trust within his investment corporation,” said Special Agent in Charge Robnett. “The Special Agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes and bringing justice for the investors.”
According to the government’s evidence, Donovan Davis, Jr. 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. Blayne S. Davis was the director of trading, and Bromfield was the director of operations.
Blayne S. Davis and Bromfield formed Capital Blu in January 2007. In 2007 and 2008, according to the government’s evidence, Donovan Davis, Jr. solicited relatives, friends, and associates to invest in Capital Blu, resulting in substantial amounts being placed under the company’s management. Donovan Davis, Jr., became a managing member of Capital Blu in August 2007, working out of an office in Melbourne, Fla.
In or about September 2007, according to the government’s evidence, the three men 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.
By January 2008, according to the government’s evidence, the three partners knew that the CBM FX Fund had sustained significant trading losses, resulting in large losses for its investors. At or about that time, the men began defrauding investors by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. These included, according to the government’s evidence, a series of misrepresentations about Capital Blu’s trading performance, the value of the fund, and the risks of the fund.
According to the government’s evidence, the men conspired to post positive monthly returns to the CBM FX Fund’s investors from January through August of 2008, even though the fund and its investors had sustained net losses. In addition, the men diverted investors’ money from the fund to pay for Capital Blu’s operational expenses and personal expenses, including their salaries and payments for the use of a private airplane 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; the investors lost over $13 million.
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 IRS- Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Brevard County, Fla., Sherriff’s Office. Related civil litigation was pursued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which resulted in a civil judgment against the defendants after a trial in 2011.
Assistance on the criminal case was provided by Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo, Corinne Kleinman, and Heather Sales; former Paralegal Specialist Diane Hayes; Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence; Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo; Information Technology Specialist Thomas (Ron) Royal; and Victim Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Tasheeka Hawkins, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Paralegal Specialists Zayden Tethong and Elias Brockman of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, also assisted at trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine K. Connelly and Anthony Saler, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, have assisted with guidance on asset forfeiture matters.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, who was designated as a Special Attorney in the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys David M. Fuhr and Ephraim (Fry) Wernick, of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division.
District Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Deputy U.S. MarshalsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - David Jenkins, also known as Ronald Pannell, 37, has been sentenced to an 18-month prison term for assaulting deputy United States marshals who were attempting to arrest him on a warrant, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Jenkins, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in January 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers. He was sentenced on May 13, 2015, by the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on one year of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Dec. 30, 2013, deputy marshals went to Maryland Avenue and 19th Street NE to apprehend Jenkins, who was wanted on a warrant charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon. The deputies were assigned to the warrant squad assigned to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and wore approved U.S. Marshals Service vests with law enforcement insignia.
The deputy marshals located Jenkins in a sport utility vehicle at 19th and L Streets NE. They surrounded the vehicle and activated their police lights. Jenkins immediately fled the front passenger seat of the vehicle and ran on the sidewalk, where he made physical contact with one of the deputies, who fell and injured his hand. Jenkins continued to flee, despite verbal commands to stop. Deputies located him several minutes later, on a basement stairway in the 1700 block of Lang Place NE, where he pushed two of them and was able to run from them for about two blocks before he was apprehended. The Superior Court case later was dismissed, but Jenkins continued to face charges stemming from the assault on the deputy marshals.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Marshal Hughes commended the actions of the U.S. Marshals Service deputies who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
United Kingdom Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Two Separate Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marc T. Duchesne, 53, of the United Kingdom, has pled guilty to two 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 is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a prison sentence of 91 to 97 months. Also, 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). Judge Walton has set sentencing for July 30, 2015.
According to the government’s evidence, in the District of Columbia case, Duchesne engaged in a conspiracy from May 2002 through October 2002 to defraud investors by fraudulently creating Nationwide Capital Corporation (publicly traded as NCCN), and then artificially driving up its stock price. Unbeknownst to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or investors, Duchesne and his co-conspirators owned and controlled vast amounts of the stock. They employed tactics such as bid manipulation, false SEC filings, and false press releases to effectuate their scheme. The National Association of Securities Dealers estimated losses to investors to be in excess of $2 million.
In the Texas case, Duchesne and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme from 2000 to 2005 that involved the selling of fraudulent liability insurance policies to apartment complexes, condominium associations, bars, restaurants and other businesses throughout the United States and Caribbean. One company that purchased the insurance was Shoreline Cruises Inc. which operated a 40-foot tour boat called the Ethan Allen on Lake George, N.Y. The tour boat operator discovered its insurance policy was fictitious after the Ethan Allen sank on Oct. 2, 2005, in a tragic accident that claimed the lives of 20 elderly tourists. The total loss was $2,455,531.
Four others have also been convicted in the Texas matter. Christopher Purser pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while Edmund Benton, Malchus Irvin Boncamper and Robert Steve Mills pled guilty to conspiracy to launder money. Purser received a sentence of 188 months, while Boncamper is serving a 97-month-term. Benton and Mills were both ordered to serve 120 months of federal imprisonment.
The case in the District of Columbia was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the SEC. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. and Lionel André prosecuted that case. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialists Corinne Kleinman and Krishawn Graham.
The case in Texas was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas, New York and California Departments of Insurance. During this four-year investigation, the U.S. government also received extensive and valuable assistance from the governments of St. Kitts and Nevis and also St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Investigators also received valuable assistance from the governments of The Bahamas, Nicaragua, The Philippines and Australia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lewis and Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Massive Identity Theft and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Nelson, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to serve more than three years in prison for various crimes he committed in a far-reaching identity theft and tax fraud scheme in which he and others filed fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $1.1 million in refunds, the Justice Department announced.
Nelson is among approximately 12 people who have pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges in one of the largest prosecutions to date involving the use of stolen identifying information. The overall case involves the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought refunds of at least $40 million.
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 J. Kelly of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office, Acting Inspector in Charge David M. McGinnis of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington, D.C., Division, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of Treasury, and Acting Special Agent in Charge James M. Murray of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington, D.C., Field Office.
Nelson pled guilty on Jan. 29 to conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims, aiding and abetting in the making of false claims for refund and aiding and abetting in fraud and related activity involving identification information. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison by the Honorable 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, Nelson must pay $636,026 in restitution to the IRS.
“This criminal was part of a brazen scheme to flood the IRS with thousands of fake income tax returns and steal from honest taxpayers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “These thieves filed bogus tax returns with the stolen identities of people in nursing homes and prisons to generate fraudulent refunds. James Nelson is now headed to a federal penitentiary where he can no longer execute scams that drive up taxes on hardworking Americans who play by the rules.”
“One of the Tax Division’s highest priorities is prosecuting individuals who use stolen identities to file fictitious income tax returns and claim fraudulent refunds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “As in this case, this street crime often victimizes the most vulnerable members of our communities. The Tax Division is committed to working with our partners in law enforcement to identify these schemes, dismantle the criminal operations and use all available tools to prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Nelson’s greed will have a long-term impact on his victims and cause immeasurable harm to their financial well-being,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kelly. “The selfish acts of criminals like Nelson have far-reaching consequences, and those like him, who steal from innocent victims and the U.S. Treasury, should be on notice that the government will aggressively pursue identity thieves and tax cheaters.”
“Today’s sentencing confirms that anyone who preys on citizens’ identification for financial gain, especially when they use the U.S. Mail to further their criminal activity, will be held accountable,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge McGinnis. “The Postal Inspection Service values the collaboration with its law enforcement partners in the case.”
“This sentencing reinforces the commitment of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General and its law enforcement partners to pursue criminal charges against individuals and groups that prey on the public by stealing identities and fleecing the U.S. taxpayer and Treasury Department in their criminal schemes,” said Assistant Inspector General Phillips.
“The arrest of James Nelson is yet another example of how the Secret Service continues to successfully combat identity theft and financial crimes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Murray. “The Secret Service utilized state-of-the-art investigative techniques to dismantle this identity theft and tax fraud scheme. Our success in this case and other similar investigations is a result of extraordinary work of our investigators and our close work with our network of law enforcement partners.”
According to the government’s evidence, Nelson was among participants in a massive and sophisticated identity theft and false tax refund scheme involving an extensive network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. The refunds were sought since 2006 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 in the District of Columbia.
From December 2007 through January 2012, according to the government’s evidence, Nelson used his residential addresses in the District of Columbia to receive some of the fraudulently obtained tax refunds. He also recruited others to receive fraudulent refunds at their addresses. For example, Nelson paid one woman about $150 per check for each refund check delivered to her residential address in the District of Columbia.
Approximately 360 fraudulent federal income tax returns listing the addresses that were under Nelson’s control were filed with the IRS. The returns sought refunds of approximately $908,500. As a result, the IRS sent out 238 checks, totaling about $524,795, and 184 of those checks, totaling $432,804, were ultimately cashed.
Nelson also recruited others to negotiate at least 86 other refund checks, totaling approximately $203,222, causing a total intended loss to the U.S. Treasury of more than $1.1 million.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo, Special Agent in Charge Kelly, Acting Inspector in Charge McGinnis, Assistant Inspector General Phillips and Acting Special Agent in Charge Murray 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 Specialist Donna Galindo. 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 Jessica N. Moran and Jeffrey B. Bender of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Operating Ponzi Scheme That Cost Investors over $28 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
Garfield M. Taylor, 56, of Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison and ordered to pay over $28.6 million in restitution for operating a Ponzi scheme that resulted in investors losing money they invested with Taylor and companies he controlled.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Acting Commissioner Chester A. McPherson of the District of Columbia’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.
Taylor pleaded guilty in March 2014 in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia to securities fraud. He was sentenced by Chief District Judge Richard W. Roberts of the District of Columbia. Upon completion of his prison term, Taylor will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition to the $28.6 million order of restitution, the judge entered a forfeiture judgment in the same amount. Taylor was taken into custody after the sentencing.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a civil judgment against Taylor for his fraudulent conduct.
“Garfield Taylor masterminded a Ponzi scheme to bilk local investors out of over $28 million,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen Jr. “When his scheme collapsed, his lies left the families and charities who believed his empty promises holding the bag. This 13-year prison sentence is a reflection of the seriousness of financial crimes and our dedication to vigorous prosecution of securities fraud.”
“Mr. Taylor now faces the consequences of his role in a $28 million fraud scheme that defrauded clients for his own personal gain,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “With our partners, the FBI remains committed to investigating those who hide behind deceptive financial fraud schemes.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that defrauding investors in the District of Columbia carries significant consequences,” said Acting Commissioner McPherson. “Mr. Taylor deceived investors out of millions causing significant financial harm that justifies this sentence. Together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Securities and Exchange Commission and national and local law enforcement, my department will continue to protect investors from the illegal and deceptive practices Mr. Taylor used to defraud investors out of their hard earned money and savings.”
According to the government’s evidence, Taylor devised and employed a scheme from in or about September 2006 through in or about September 2010 in which he convinced investors to invest with him by promising them substantial returns on their investment, telling them that he used a sophisticated securities trading strategy that protected against loss and claiming that he had a proven track record of using this strategy effectively.
During the course of this scheme, however, Taylor never used the trading strategy that he told investors that he would use. With the investments he made during this period, Taylor either lost money or made minimal profits far below what was needed to pay the amounts he owed. The only way that Taylor was able to pay the substantial interest rates was to use portions of the principal invested by new investors to pay amounts that were owed to earlier investors.
In one example from the government’s evidence, Taylor, in April 2010, used approximately half of an investor’s $425,000 investment to pay interest and principal that was due to earlier investors, rather than using those funds to invest in securities, as he had promised to do. Taylor paid only a portion of the interest payments he was required to pay the investor, before telling the investor that, because of trading losses, he was unable to make any more interest payments or to return the investor’s principal.
At the time of the scheme’s collapse, Taylor owed investors over $28.6 million just to cover the principal he was contractually required to return to them.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe and Acting Commissioner McPherson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. They also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its significant assistance. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case was also investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Graves, Lionel André, Catherine K. Connelly, Della Sentilles and Zia Faruqui of the District of Columbia. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget Fitzpatrick of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Operating Ponzi Scheme That Cost Investors over $28 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Garfield M. Taylor, 56, of Rockville, Md., was sentenced today to 13 years in prison and ordered to pay over $28.6 million in restitution for operating a Ponzi scheme that resulted in investors losing money they invested with Taylor and companies he controlled.
The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr., Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Chester A. McPherson, Acting Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking.
Taylor pled guilty in March 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to securities fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts. Upon completion of his prison term, Taylor will be placed on three years of supervised release. In addition to the $28.6 million order of restitution, the judge entered an identical forfeiture judgment in the same amount. Taylor was taken into custody after the sentencing.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a civil judgment against Taylor for his fraudulent conduct.
“Garfield Taylor masterminded a Ponzi scheme to bilk local investors out of over $28 million,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “When his scheme collapsed, his lies left the families and charities who believed his empty promises holding the bag. This 13-year prison sentence is a reflection of the seriousness of financial crimes and our dedication to vigorous prosecution of securities fraud.”
“Mr. Taylor now faces the consequences of his role in a $28 million fraud scheme that defrauded clients for his own personal gain,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “With our partners, the FBI remains committed to investigating those who hide behind deceptive financial fraud schemes.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that defrauding investors in the District of Columbia carries significant consequences,” said Acting Commissioner McPherson, of the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. “Mr. Taylor deceived investors out of millions causing significant financial harm that justifies this sentence. Together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Securities and Exchange Commission and national and local law enforcement, my department will continue to protect investors from the illegal and deceptive practices Mr. Taylor used to defraud investors out of their hard earned money and savings.”
According to the government’s evidence, Taylor devised and employed a scheme from in or about September 2006 through in or about September 2010 in which he convinced investors to invest with him by promising them substantial returns on their investment, telling them that he used a sophisticated securities trading strategy that protected against loss, and claiming that he had a proven track record of using this strategy effectively.
During the course of this scheme, however, Taylor never used the trading strategy that he told investors that he would use. With the investments he made during this period, Taylor either lost money or made minimal profits far below what was needed to pay the amounts he owed. The only way that Taylor was able to pay the substantial interest rates was to use portions of the principal invested by new investors to pay amounts that were owed to earlier investors.
In one example from the government’s evidence, Taylor, in April 2010, used approximately half of an investor’s $425,000 investment to pay interest and principal that was due to earlier investors, rather than using those funds to invest in securities, as he had promised to do. Taylor paid only a portion of the interest payments he was required to pay the investor, before telling the investor that, because of trading losses, he was unable to make any more interest payments or to return the investor’s principal.
At the time of the scheme’s collapse, Taylor owed investors over $28.6 million just to cover the principal he was contractually required to return to them.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe, and Acting Commissioner McPherson commended those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. They also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its significant assistance. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, John Lowell and Ida Anbarian; former Litigation Technology Specialist Joseph Calvarese; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Graves, Lionel André, Catherine K. Connelly, Della Sentilles, and Zia Faruqui, who investigated and prosecuted the matter; and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget Fitzpatrick, who investigated the matter.
Twins Found Guilty of Attacking Man in Bias-Related Crime in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Lucas and Christina Lucas, 21-year-old twins from Washington, D.C., were found guilty by a jury today of the felony offense of aggravated assault while armed, with a bias enhancement, for attacking a man in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the aggravated assault charge, Christopher Lucas was found guilty of a charge of simple assault involving a second victim. The Honorable Yvonne M. Williams will sentence them at a date to be determined. Both defendants are detained pending sentencing. Because of the bias enhancement, the defendants could face additional time in prison for the crime.
According to the government’s evidence, early on Oct. 19, 2013, the male victim and two women were among those attending a party at a rooming house in the 2800 block of Sherman Avenue NW. Just before 12:30 a.m., the three left the party and walked to street corner to hail a cab. While they were trying to hail a cab, the Lucases and a group of men approached them and attacked the man, using homophobic slurs. One of the women was also punched by Christopher Lucas. The male victim was knocked over on the sidewalk and punched and stomped multiple times by the Lucases and others in the group. Christina Lucas had an object in her hand and used it to cut the victim’s face while he was lying on the sidewalk.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was called, and the defendants fled. The victim was treated at a hospital for facial fractures and lacerations. The victim has a permanent scar beneath his eye as a result of the cut. Both defendants were later arrested pursuant to arrest warrants. The object in Christina Lucas’s hand during the assault was never recovered.
In announcing the verdicts, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers, detectives and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Nicole McGhee and Tiffany Fogle; Litigation Technology Specialists Paul Howell, Aneela Bhatia, and Anisha Bhatia; Victim/Witness Security Specialist David Foster, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Jennings, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Kapil Longani, who prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Employee Charged with Attempted Spear-Phishing Cyber-Attack on Department of Energy ComputersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment has been unsealed charging Charles Harvey Eccleston, a former employee of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in connection with an attempted e-mail “spear-phishing” attack in January 2015, targeting dozens of Department of Energy employee e-mail accounts.
The indictment was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The indictment was unsealed, along with an earlier-filed complaint and affidavit, following Eccleston’s first appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Court ordered that he remain detained pending a hearing set for May 20, 2015.
According to the affidavit, the goal of the attack was to cause damage to the computer network of the Department of Energy through a computer virus that Eccleston believed was being delivered to particular department employees through e-mails, and to extract sensitive, nuclear weapons-related government information that Eccleston believed would be collected by a foreign country.
An e-mail spear-phishing attack involves crafting a convincing e-mail for selected recipients that appears to be from a trusted source and that, when opened, infects the recipient’s computer with a virus. Attackers may gather personal information about their target to increase their probability of success.
“This former federal employee is charged with trying to launch a cyber-attack to steal sensitive information from the Department of Energy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Thanks to an innovative operation by the FBI, no malicious code was actually transmitted to government computers. This prosecution demonstrates federal law enforcement’s vigorous efforts to neutralize cyber threats that put consumers, our economy, and our national security at risk.”
“Combating cyber-based threats to our national assets is one of our highest priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “As alleged in the indictment, Eccleston sought to compromise, exploit and damage U.S. government computer systems that contained sensitive nuclear weapon-related information with the intent to allow foreign nations to gain access to that material. We must continue to evolve our efforts and capabilities to confront cyber enabled threats and aggressively detect, disrupt and deter them. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of law enforcement in this case.”
“Computer intrusions are among the greatest cyber threats to our national security,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “Cyber actors have become increasingly adept at exploiting our computer networks in order to exfiltrate our nation’s secrets and valuable research. As threats to the U.S. government become increasingly complex, the FBI will continue to evolve in order to counter these threats.”
Eccleston, 62, a U.S. citizen who had been living in Davao City in the Philippines since 2011, was terminated from his employment at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2010. The attack targeted computers at the Department of Energy. Eccleston was detained by Philippine authorities in Manila on March 27, 2015, and deported to the United States to face U.S. criminal charges.
According to the affidavit, Eccleston initially came to the attention of the FBI after he entered a foreign embassy and offered to provide classified information, which he claimed had been taken from the U.S. government. Thereafter, Eccleston met with FBI undercover employees who were posing as representatives of the foreign country, and in exchange for a promised future payment, offered to design and send spear-phishing e-mails that could be used to damage the computer systems used by his former employer and to extract sensitive information from them.
The affidavit alleges that Eccleston sent those emails to over 80 Department of Energy computers in January 2015. The FBI was able to ensure that no computer virus or malicious code was actually transmitted to the government computers.
The indictment charges Eccleston with a total of four felony offenses. These include three counts of crimes involving unauthorized access of computers. Each of the crimes, as charged, is a felony punishable by a fine or imprisonment for various terms, the longest of which is ten years. The indictment also charges Eccleston with wire fraud. Such a violation is a felony punishable by a fine or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both. Eccleston is charged with attempted violations of the statutes because the FBI ensured that no computer virus was actually embedded in the spear-phishing emails.
Charges contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Gillice of the District of Columbia. Trial Attorneys Scott Ferber and Julie A. Edelstein of the Justice Department’s National Security Division assisted in this matter.
The Department of Justice expressed appreciation to the Government of the Philippines for its assistance.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Events Leading to Shooting That Wounded Eight-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Patten, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in events leading to a shooting that seriously wounded an eight-year-old girl, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Patten pled guilty in November 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. Following his prison term, Patten will be placed on three years of supervised release.
A co-defendant, the gunman, Karie Brown, 20, pled guilty in October 2014 to charges of aggravated assault while armed; assault with intent to rob while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced in December 2014 to 16 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Brown and Patten decided on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 14, 2014 to rob an individual they believed sold marijuana. The men were armed with a .22-caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol, which Brown was carrying. The men headed to the 1200 block of Valley Avenue SE, an area they knew that the individual had frequented.
Brown and Patten pretended to be waiting to gain access to a locked apartment building on the block. The eight-year-old girl – who was going outside to play in the snow - held the door open for them. Brown and Patten then followed the individual who they were targeting into the building as he went upstairs. They then attempted to rob him and gain access to an apartment that he was about to enter. The individual escaped and ran downstairs. Brown shot once at the individual while inside the building and then fired multiple shots at him outside.
The shots missed the individual, but hit the girl in the torso. The bullet struck inches from her heart. It caused severe bleeding, and she was rushed to an emergency room and placed in critical care. She required immediate surgery and could have died but for the timely intervention of medical assistance.
According to the government’s evidence, Brown and Patten fled together, not stopping to provide any assistance to their young victim, and Brown discarded the firearm, which was found by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The defendants were both found and arrested soon after the shooting in the 3500 block of Wheeler Road SE.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Muyiwa Bamiduro; Paralegal Specialist Theresa Nelson; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Victim/Witness Security Specialist Tanya Via. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla and Kendra Briggs, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Attempting to Buy Cocaine from Undercover Police OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Robert Walker, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a felony charge stemming from his attempt to buy cocaine from an undercover police officer, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Walker pled guilty in February 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of unlawful possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Upon completion of his prison term, Walker will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on several occasions in 2014, Walker had conversations in person and on the phone with a person who was an undercover officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to discuss the purchase of a kilogram of cocaine. He ultimately agreed to purchase the kilogram, and on July 18, 2014, at about 7:10 p.m., he met the undercover officer in the 6000 block of Kansas Avenue NW. Walker stated that he would pay $15,000 immediately for the kilogram and pay the remaining $15,000 owed in three days.
Walker further stated that he needed until 8:30 p.m., to obtain the money. He left the area to retrieve the money. At about 8:45, he returned, showing the undercover officer a large amount of U.S. currency that he said totaled $17,000; it actually was $16,967. He gave the money to the undercover officer and was subsequently arrested. In a search of the defendant’s person, officers recovered a quantity of marijuana and crack cocaine, along with another $847 in U.S. currency. The money was seized by law enforcement.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers from the Metropolitan Police Department who worked on the case. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 28 1/2 Years in Prison for 2013 Slaying of Howard University StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rasdavid Lagarde, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 28 ½-year prison term for a botched attempted armed robbery of two Howard University students in which one victim was killed, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Lagarde pled guilty in February 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed for the death of 22-year-old Omar Sykes and attempted armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for the attack on the surviving victim. He was sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Upon completion of his prison term, Lagarde will be placed on five years of supervised release.
“Omar Sykes was a rising senior at Howard with a passion for serving others and a world of promise,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “His murder impoverishes our entire community. This prison sentence ensures that Omar Sykes’s killer will spend decades behind bars for his embrace of senseless violence. This case should serve as a warning to all the young men in our city who are tempted to get something for nothing through armed robberies.”
According to the government’s evidence, on July 4, 2013, at about 11:20 p.m., Lagarde and an accomplice were in the 700 block of Fairmont Street NW. Mr. Sykes and another Howard University student were also on the block, walking ahead of them.
Lagarde’s accomplice pulled out a gun. He ran towards the student who was with Mr. Sykes, and ordered him to the ground. He struck the student in the head multiple times with the gun, hit him in the ribs, and kicked him. He then ordered the student multiple times not to look at him or Lagarde. At one point during the assault, Lagarde told the accomplice that he thought the student was looking at him. The accomplice then hit the student yet again.
During this attack, Lagarde pulled out a gun and approached Mr. Sykes to assist in the robbery. Lagarde’s accomplice ordered Mr. Sykes to the ground and tried to force him to the ground next to the other victim. As Lagarde attempted to pistol-whip Mr. Sykes, Lagarde fired his gun at Mr. Sykes. Mr. Sykes was shot by a single gunshot that traversed through his arm and into his chest. Lagarde and the accomplice then fled from Fairmont Street.
Mr. Sykes died from the gunshot wound. The other student suffered lacerations to his head, including a huge gash to his forehead that required multiple stitches to treat. He also suffered several bruised ribs.
Lagarde was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Oct. 15, 2013 for the murder of Mr. Sykes. He told detectives that the accomplice initiated the robbery. However, once the attempted robbery began, Lagarde helped with it. Lagarde admitted that he was armed with a .380 firearm, which he used during the robbery attempt. Lagarde stated that he did not intend for the gun to fire, but it did fire during a tussle with Mr. Sykes when he tried to force Mr. Sykes to the ground. No other arrests have been made in the case.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Third Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as Jacob Kunkle of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker, James Brennan, M. Laverne Forrest, Debra Cannon, Lesley Slade, and Michael Hailey, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Trent-Valentine; former Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick and Marian Russell; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown, and Intern Abhi Mehta. He also praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana Fulton and Veronica Sanchez, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the case.
Federal Court Issues Judgment Memorializing Sentence of Schlumberger Oilfield Holdings Ltd. for Violating U.S. Sanctions by Facilitating Trade with Iran and SudanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered a formal judgment yesterday memorializing the sentence requiring 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.
The judgment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, and Under Secretary Eric L. Hirschhorn of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
At a hearing on April 30, 2015, the Honorable John D. Bates accepted the company’s guilty plea and sentenced the company to the proposed sentence articulated in the plea agreement, which called for the fine and other terms of corporate probation. The court recognized the seriousness of SOHL’s criminal conduct, which posed a threat to our national security. In addition, the court noted that the scope of criminal conduct justified the large monetary penalty imposed. Finally, the court concluded that the terms of probation provided adequate deterrence to SOHL as well as other companies. Yesterday, the court entered the written judgment confirming the sentence imposed on April 30, 2015.
“This guilty plea and sentence hold this company accountable for violating trade laws by doing business with sanctioned countries and undermining the interests of the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “We hope that other companies tempted to break our export laws take note of the $232.7 million penalty that will be paid in this case.”
“The court’s judgment represents a milestone in the enforcement of U.S. sanctions laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “This case marks the first conviction of a corporate entity for facilitating violations of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act and the highest criminal fine ever imposed in a sanctions prosecution. The Court’s imposition of this serious sentence should serve as a strong deterrent for multinational corporations doing any business in countries subject to U.S. economic sanctions.”
The criminal information and plea agreement were filed on March 25, 2015, in federal court in the District of Columbia, charging SOHL with one count of knowingly and willfully conspiring to violate IEEPA. The plea agreement that the court approved also requires SOHL to submit to a three-year period of corporate probation and agree to continue to cooperate with the government and not commit any additional felony violations of U.S. federal law. SOHL’s monetary penalty includes a $77,569,452 criminal forfeiture and an additional $155,138,904 criminal fine. The criminal fine represents the largest criminal fine in connection with an IEEPA prosecution. In addition to SOHL’s commitments, under the plea agreement SOHL’s parent company, Schlumberger Ltd., has also agreed to the following terms during the three-year term of probation, among others: maintaining its cessation of all operations in Iran and Sudan, reporting on the parent company’s compliance with sanctions, responding to requests to disclose information and materials related to the parent company’s compliance with U.S. sanctions laws when requested by U.S. authorities, and hiring an independent consultant to review the parent company’s internal sanctions policies and procedures and the parent company’s internal audits focused on sanctions compliance.
The court agreed that in addition to SOHL continuing its cooperation with U.S. authorities throughout the three-year period of probation and agreeing not to engage in any felony violation of U.S. federal law, SOHL’s parent company, Schlumberger Ltd., will also hire an independent consultant who will review the parent company’s internal sanctions policies, procedures and company-generated sanctions audit reports.
According to court documents, starting on or about early 2004 and continuing through June 2010, Drilling & Measurements (D&M), a United States-based Schlumberger business segment, provided oilfield services to Schlumberger customers in Iran and Sudan through non-U.S. subsidiaries of SOHL. Although SOHL, as a subsidiary of Schlumberger Ltd., had policies and procedures designed to ensure that D&M did not violate U.S. sanctions, SOHL failed to train its employees adequately to ensure that all U.S. persons, including non-U.S. citizens who resided in the United States while employed at D&M, complied with Schlumberger Ltd.’s sanctions policies and compliance procedures. As a result of D&M’s lack of adherence to U.S. sanctions combined with SOHL’s failure to train properly U.S. persons and to enforce fully its policies and procedures, D&M, through the acts of employees residing in the United States, violated U.S. sanctions against Iran and Sudan by: (1) approving and disguising the company’s capital expenditure requests from Iran and Sudan for the manufacture of new oilfield drilling tools and for the spending of money for certain company purchases; (2) making and implementing business decisions specifically concerning Iran and Sudan; and (3) providing certain technical services and expertise in order to troubleshoot mechanical failures and to sustain expensive drilling tools and related equipment in Iran and Sudan.
The investigation that commenced in 2009 was led by the Justice Department’s National Security Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Commerce BIS’s Dallas Field Office. Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Assistant Attorney General Carlin are grateful to Special Agent Troy Shaffer from BIS’ Dallas Field Office for his excellent work. They also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case from the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Trial Attorney Ryan Fayhee and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Borchert and Ann H. Petalas.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maia L. Miller of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Casey Arrowood of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Durable Medical Equipment Supplier to Pay United States $300,000 to Resolve False Claims AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – American Rehab Equipment Company, formerly known as Patients First Medical Equipment Company, has agreed to pay the United States and the District of Columbia a total of $300,000 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by overcharging the District of Columbia Medicaid Program for custom power wheelchairs provided to residents of nursing facilities.
The settlement was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Nick DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge for the Inspector General’s Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the region including Washington, D.C., and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The settlement resolves allegations by the United States and the District of Columbia that American Rehab Equipment Company (American Rehab) submitted invoices to the Medicaid program for reimbursement for custom power wheelchairs that were inflated by approximately 20 percent greater than the amount actually paid by the durable medical equipment supplier. These activities allegedly took place between 2004 and 2008.
An investigation determined that American Rehab reported its costs to Medicaid at retail cost, and did not disclose that it was actually paying lower wholesale prices including “special” customer discounts from its vendors. This was confirmed through documents obtained by the investigative team demonstrating that American Rehab specifically instructed its vendors to provide written quotes using “retail” prices only. Those “retail” quotes were then submitted to Medicaid to show the price paid by American Rehab, when in fact it was paying much less.
“Every dollar that taxpayers spend on fraudulent Medicaid claims is one less dollar that can be spent on the legitimate health care needs of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “Companies that overcharge federal health care programs pad their bottom lines at the expense of public health. We will fight to protect every penny of taxpayer money from waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“My Office is working diligently to ensure the District not only recoups payments for fraudulent billing from Medicaid providers but, in particular, my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit dedicates themselves to the health and welfare of District residents by continually working to ensure that the needs of the District and its residents are met by investigating and prosecuting fraudulent providers and ensuring that victims of abuse and neglect are fought for,” said Inspector General Lucas. “This settlement is just one example of how my Office will continue its resolve to positively impact the District and its residents.”
The False Claims Act prohibits the submission of false claims for government money or property and allows the United States to recover treble damages and penalties for a violation. The United States will distribute $100,000 of the $300,000 amount to the District of Columbia to reimburse D.C. Medicaid for the overcharge.
The settlement is the result of a joint investigation involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Shooting Outside Northeast Washington Shoe StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor L. Coley, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was sentenced today to a 40-year prison term for a broad daylight shooting that took place outside a shoe store in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Coley was found guilty in February 2015 of a total of 15 charges, including four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan.
According to the government’s evidence, the shootings took place at 1:10 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2013 outside the Payless shoe store at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and Clay Place NE. Coley shot one man in the back and another man in the back of the head and then the chest. As the second victim managed to stumble away, Coley fired additional shots, two of which struck innocent bystanders. The man who was shot in the back is paralyzed from the waist down; the other three victims have recovered from their injuries. Dozens of people were outside the shoe store and at a nearby bus stop at the time that the gunfire began.
The investigation revealed that Coley had tried to enlist the intended targets as part of his drug-dealing crew, but they refused. After the shooting, he hid the gun in a house behind the shoe store. Coley was arrested minutes later, while coming out of the house. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of the officers and detectives who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Richard Cheatham and Stephanie Gilbert; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Eckert, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney James Smith. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler and David Misler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 24 1/2 Years in Prison for Murder of GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin McDarrin Johnson, 52, of Landover, Md., was sentenced today to 24 ½ years in prison for killing his girlfriend last year at the apartment they shared in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Johnson pled guilty in February 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between 20 and 26 years. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston approved the plea and sentenced Johnson today. Upon completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 20, 2014, Johnson strangled his girlfriend, Detra Martin, 48, to death in the apartment they shared in the 800 block of Southern Avenue SE. After strangling her, Johnson left Ms. Martin in her bed, locked the bedroom door, and fled the apartment. Johnson did not show up to work the next day. Law enforcement acted swiftly, and arrested Johnson the day after the murder at a relative’s home in Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives, officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lashone Samuels, Ethel Noble, and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno and Natalia Medina, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 16-Year Prison Term for 2012 Murder in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donald Dubose, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 16-year prison term on a charge of second-degree murder while armed stemming from a fatal shooting in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Dubose pled guilty in December 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent on the Court’s approval, called for a sentence between 15 and 17 years of incarceration. The Honorable Jennifer Anderson accepted the plea today. Following the 16-year prison sentence, Dubose will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 12, 2012, at approximately 5:35 a.m., the victim, Michael Smith, 34, and another man left Northwest Washington in a gray Mercedes Benz. They headed towards the Barry Farm community in Southeast Washington. The other man drove while Mr. Smith sat in the front passenger seat. Dubose followed behind them in a black Ford Fusion with the intention of causing physical harm and injury to Mr. Smith and the other man in the Mercedes Benz. At least two of Dubose’s associates were in the car with him.
When they reached Stevens Road SE, in Barry Farm, the other man pulled the Mercedes to the side of the road in the 1100 block of Stevens Road. Dubose stopped the Ford Fusion beside the Mercedes, on the driver’s side of the Mercedes. The individuals in the Ford Fusion shot at Mr. Smith and the other man with multiple guns. Mr. Smith was shot twice in the head and died shortly thereafter. The other man survived the gunfire, but suffered a gunshot wound to his arm. Though injured with a gunshot wound, he attempted to drive the Mercedes away. He crashed the Mercedes into the side of a nearby house across the street. Dubose and the shooters, meanwhile, fled from the shooting in the Ford Fusion, which Dubose drove.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Seventh Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker, M. Laverne Forrest, Tanya Via and Michael Hailey of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; former Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick and Marian Russell; Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Trent-Valentine; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Brittin; and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Dillon. He also praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana L. Fulton, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Takoma Park Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Pair of Burglaries in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ramone Laird, 21, of Takoma Park, Md., has been sentenced to a three-year prison term for a pair of burglaries, carried out while he was on probation for a prior conviction in Maryland, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today
Laird pled guilty in January 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of second-degree burglary. He was sentenced on April 22, 2015, by the Honorable Anita Josey-Herring. Upon completion of his prison term, Laird will be placed on three years of supervised release and required to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $7,284.
According to the government’s evidence, Laird committed two separate burglaries in Northwest Washington on Sept. 18, 2014. Laird, with two accomplices, broke into an apartment in the 2900 block of Adams Mill Road NW with a crowbar, stole electronics, cash, and clothing, and in the process ransacked the apartment and damaged the front door. After leaving the location, Laird, with his accomplices, broke into another apartment that same day in the 1800 block of Columbia Road NW, and again stole items from inside, ransacked the apartment, and damaged the front door. In response to a 911 call, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) apprehended Laird running from the residence with the stolen property from the second burglary in his possession. The police recovered surveillance video showing Laird at both apartment complexes prior to the burglaries taking place.
At the time of his arrest, Laird was on probation following a 2013 theft conviction in Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Third District. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Allison Daniels and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and David Misler, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in Traffic Fatality in Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James B. Chandler, Jr, 33, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty today to voluntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of PCP, stemming from a recent traffic fatality in Washington, D.C., Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Chandler pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in an Alford plea. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction; Chandler entered an Alford plea because of his intoxication by PCP at the time of the crash and his inability to recollect events. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2015. Chandler faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter charge. He has been in custody since his arrest.
According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at about 4:50 p.m., during downtown Washington’s rush hour, Chandler drove his SUV at a high rate of speed west on H Street NW, between 2nd and 4th Streets, striking two other vehicles without stopping. As Chandler approached the intersection with 4th Street NW, he crossed over into H Street’s eastbound lanes. Chandler crossed 4th Street and struck the southeast curb of the corner of 4th and H Streets, mounted the sidewalk and struck the retaining wall of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) building. By crashing into the wall, Chandler caused his SUV to flip and roll several times along the south sidewalk of the 400 block of H Street, striking and killing Philip D. Snodgrass, 27, who had been walking on the sidewalk.
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived on the scene and removed Chandler from the wreck. Chandler admitted to a paramedic that he had smoked a PCP-laced cigarette that day.
Surveillance video, which captured footage of the crash, was examined and it was estimated that Chandler was driving at a speed approaching 60 mph in the 25 mph zone. The video, as well as examination of the crash scene, also indicated that Chandler never attempted to apply his brakes or take any action to avoid the crash.
Mr. Snodgrass was taken to the Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. Chandler was taken to Howard University Hospital for treatment. While at the hospital, Chandler was examined by an officer with the MPD’s Driver Impairment Unit, who determined that Chandler was under the influence of a narcotic. Also while at the hospital, Chandler’s blood was drawn, which later tested positive for PCP.
In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Investigations Unit, the Driver Impairment Unit and the First District. He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who is prosecuting the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attacking Man and Woman in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ryan Ramotar, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for sexually assaulting a woman and assaulting a man in a May 2013 attack in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Ramotar pled guilty in September 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count each of first-degree sexual abuse and aggravated assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. Following his prison term, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 6, 2013, at approximately 12:50 a.m., the male and female victims had just parked their car in a parking lot in the 1400 block of Oak Street NW. While they sat talking in the car, Ramotar and another male approached and opened the car doors. Ramotar and the other male pointed handguns at the victims and asked where the money was. He and the other male punched and struck the male victim in the head until he lost consciousness and lay on the ground next to the car.
Ramotar then pulled the female victim out of the car while still brandishing the gun and pushed her to the ground. He struck her several times in the head with the gun, demanding her money and phone. He took her phone and ATM card, and then told her to stand up and not to run. Then he walked the female victim away from the car, down an alley and into an open garage behind a house. At this point, Ramotar opened the cylinder of the gun, removed several bullets, and placed them in the female victim’s hand to show her that the gun was real. Ramotar then sexually assaulted the victim while holding the handgun to the back of her head.
Afterward, Ramotar told the female victim to look at the wall and demanded her PIN number for the ATM card that he had taken. He told her not to leave, and then fled. The female victim stayed on the ground for a short time until she was sure that the assailant was gone, and then ran and flagged down a uniformed officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). After making her report, she was transported to Washington Hospital Center for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE). The SANE kit was later sent for forensic testing and analysis.
Within less than two hours after the attack, at approximately 2:20 a.m., three withdrawals were made on the female victim’s bank account for $300 each. Detectives later obtained still photos and surveillance video footage of the person conducting these transactions. MPD later made this video public via the Internet, and sought the public’s assistance in identifying the individual at the ATM as a person of interest. In September, 2013, MPD received information that the individual on the bank surveillance video was the defendant.
Ramotar also was subsequently linked to the crime through DNA.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Third and Fourth Districts and Sexual Assault Unit, as well as the mobile crime scene officers and technicians who worked on the case. He acknowledged the work of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam and Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Principe; Victim/Witness Specialists La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington; and Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel, Kristy Penny, Debra McPherson, and Erica Vample. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natalia Medina, who assisted in investigating the case, and Amy H. Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.