District of Columbia

WASHINGTON - Antoine Gibson, 36, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to burglarizing an apartment on the Georgetown University campus while a student was asleep inside, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Gibson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to first-degree burglary as well as a violation of the Bail Reform Act. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2015 by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick.  Gibson faces a minimum of five years in prison.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 6, 2015, at about 8 p.m., Gibson entered the Henle Village apartment complex on the Georgetown University campus.  He went to the fourth floor and entered the victims’ apartment, which was occupied at the time by a sleeping student.  Gibson stole a laptop from the living room before heading to the upstairs bedrooms.

            The sleeping student awoke to find Gibson, a stranger, standing in the hallway and confronted him.  Gibson denied doing anything illegal and left.  The student called the campus police, who found Gibson a short time later within blocks of the main campus gate with the laptop in his backpack.  Gibson later failed to appear for the first status hearing in the case in Superior Court. He was later arrested on a bench warrant executed by the U.S. Marshals Service.

            In announcing the guilty plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers of the Georgetown University Department of Public Safety, as well as the crime scene officers and detectives and officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including David Foster, La June Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, and Litigation Technology Assistant Aneela Bhatia.  Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Erik Postell, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed and other charges for killing a man in 2013 in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            In addition to the murder charge, Postell was found guilty of three firearms offenses stemming from the slaying of Paul Danzo Tanoh. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Sept. 25, 2015. Postell faces a mandatory minimum term of 30 years in prison, and a maximum of more than 60 years of incarceration.

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2013, at about 2:45 a.m., Postell fatally shot Mr. Tanoh, 24, as Mr. Tanoh sat in the driver's seat of his car, which was stopped in the 1000 block of 17th Street NW.  The shooting followed a brief physical altercation between Postell and Mr. Tanoh that took place inside a nearby nightclub 15 minutes earlier.

            Following the confrontation at the nightclub, Postell retrieved a .45 caliber handgun from a parked car and tracked down Mr. Tanoh. He then stood alongside Mr. Tanoh's driver's side window and fired at him nine times. Postell fled in a vehicle driven by another man, Michael Smith.  Smith, 35, of Camp Springs, Md., previously pled guilty to multiple felonies for his role in the murder of Mr. Tanoh and is awaiting sentencing. Postell was taken into custody on Oct. 11, 2013, and had been held without bond ever since.

            In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives, officers and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service; the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences; Bode Technologies; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen Dwyer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; Trial Attorney Jessica N. Moran of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In addition, he acknowledged the work of those who handled the murder case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynda Randolph, Donville Drummond, Sandra Lane, Alesha Matthews, and Kalisha Johnson-Clark; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Kimberly Smith, Thomas “Ron” Royal, Paul Howell, Aneela Bhatia, Anisha Bhatia, Claudia Gutierrez, Joshua Ellen, and Karen McColman; Intelligence Specialists Sharon Johnson, Zachary McMenamin, and William Hamann; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and La June Thames, Katina Adams-Washington, and David Foster, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit.

            Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Liebman and Philip A. Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON - Jared Thompson, 45, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a federal jury of forcibly assaulting a Deputy United States Marshal during an incident at a courthouse earlier this year, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            Thompson was found guilty on July 23, 2015, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal law enforcement officer. The Honorable Senior Judge Gladys Kessler scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2015.  Thompson faces up to eight years in prison as well as potential financial penalties. The Court ordered that Thompson be held without bond pending his sentencing.

            According to the government's evidence, on Jan. 8, 2015, Thompson was ordered by a Superior Court judge to be detained in a previous and unrelated criminal case; he was not in custody at this time.  Thompson then was taken into custody by a Deputy U.S. Marshal.  The deputy marshal escorted Thompson to the cellblock hall area at Superior Court and attempted to search and pat down the defendant’s clothing for possible contraband.

            During this initial search, the deputy marshal found a pipe and a small container containing a green weed substance which was consistent with marijuana.  While the search continued, Thompson asked the deputy marshal, “Did you find my weed yet?”  The deputy marshal searched inside Thompson’s pants area, and then instructed Thompson to pull up his pants. Thompson refused, cursed, and stated, “You pulled them down, you pull them up.” He then began turning toward the deputy marshal in a threatening manner.

            Thompson then balled his hand into a fist, tensed his arm, and began to turn to stand face-to-face with the deputy marshal. The deputy marshal attempted to re-apply the handcuffs on Thompson to gain control of the defendant and for the safety of the court, staff, and all others in the cellblock. Thompson cursed, kicked his feet towards the deputies, and bit the deputy marshal’s forearm.  The bite broke the deputy marshal’s skin, caused his forearm to bleed, and caused great pain.  Because of his injury and the possibility of infection, the deputy marshal was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injury.

            In announcing the guilty verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Marshal Hughes commended the actions of the U.S. Marshals Service. They also commended those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Candace Battle. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Carlos Parks, 19, and Troy Robinson, 20, both of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the shooting death of a man in June 2013 in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Parks pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to second-degree murder while armed for the death of Tywayne Thompson. The plea, which is contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for 12 to 24 years of incarceration. Robinson pled guilty in the same court to the charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the same murder.  His plea, also contingent on the Court’s approval, is for 10 to 15 years of incarceration.  Both defendants are to be sentenced on Nov. 6, 2015, by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson.

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 24, 2013, at approximately 1:20 a.m., Parks and Robinson were outside in the Potomac Gardens Housing Complex in the 700 block of 12th Street SE. At that time, Parks and Robinson were each armed with semi-automatic pistols.  A few minutes later, they approached Mr. Thompson, 25, who was also outside in the Potomac Gardens Housing Complex. They began to speak with him.

            Robinson then began shooting at Mr. Thompson.  At least one bullet from Robinson’s gun hit the victim. Parks then also began shooting at Mr. Thompson, and at least one bullet from Parks’s gun hit Mr. Thompson in his buttocks and exited through his abdomen. Mr. Thompson was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died as a result of the wound from shot fired by Parks through his buttocks and abdomen. Mr. Thompson was unarmed, and neither defendant was acting in self-defense.

            In announcing the guilty pleas, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the First Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker, La June Thames, M. Laverne Forrest, David Foster, and Michael Hailey of the Victim/Witness Unit; former Paralegal Specialist Mia Beamon; Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane; and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.  Finally, he praised the efforts of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Christopher Bruckmann, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Michael Centanni, 49, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C.

            Centanni pled guilty in January 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on July 20, 2015, by the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan. Upon completion of his prison term, Centanni will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 15 years.

            Centanni was arrested on Oct. 30, 2014 following an investigation by HSI. According to a statement of offense signed by the defendant as well as the government, the investigation determined that Centanni had been using the Internet to obtain child pornography files.

            Law enforcement searched Centanni’s residence on Oct. 14, 2014 and seized hard drives and other electronic media. A subsequent examination identified more than 3,000 images and 267 videos depicting child pornography. Centanni has been in custody since his arrest. In an interview with law enforcement, he admitted obtaining images and videos depicting child pornography and storing it on the electronic devices seized during the search.

                In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Special Agent in Charge Settles commended the work of the HSI Special Agents who investigated the case and expressed appreciation for the assistance of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassidy Kesler Pinegar and Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who assisted in the investigation.

WASHINGTON – Irfan Demirtas, aka Nasrullah, 56, a duel Dutch-Turkish national, made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a federal indictment charging him with terrorism offenses arising from his support of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

            The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office.

            “Today Irfan Demirtas was brought into an American courtroom to face charges that he raised money and recruited fighters for a foreign terrorist organization battling the Afghan government and its allies, including U.S. troops,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “His extradition to the United States is an important step forward in holding him accountable for his alleged role in fomenting terror across Europe and the Middle East.  Demirtas is one of four defendants currently pending trial on international terrorism charges in separate cases in the federal court here in our nation’s capital.  These cases highlight our resolve to find and bring to justice those who support terror around the world.”

            “According to the allegations in the indictment, Demirtas provided material support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a designated foreign terrorist organization, through his fundraising and recruiting activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin.  “Counterterrorism is the National Security Division’s highest priority and we will continue to pursue justice against those who provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”

            “Demirtas was arrested and extradited to face justice in the U.S. because of his role as the European-based fundraiser and recruiter for a designated terrorist organization that directly worked against U.S. forces and our allies,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe.  “On a daily basis, the FBI is faced with investigating complex cases that involve terrorist threats.  Through international partnerships, the FBI will continue to pursue those who provide support to terrorist groups who threaten the security of our nation’s equities around the globe.”

            On Dec. 8, 2011, Demirtas was charged in a sealed four-count indictment for conduct occurring from at least January 2006 through May 2008.  Specifically, he was charged with providing material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a 10-year prison sentence; and using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries up to a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.

            During the charged conduct, the IMU was a militant Islamic group acting as an armed insurgency against the legitimate government of Afghanistan and its allies, including the armed forces of the United States.  The IMU was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Sept. 25, 2001.  During the conduct charged in the indictment, Demirtas was a resident of the Netherlands.  He was appointed by the IMU as its European-based fundraiser.  He was responsible for raising funds and recruiting fighters for the IMU.  His activities allegedly took place in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Jordan, the Netherlands, France and elsewhere outside the United States.

            In January 2015, Demirtas was arrested in Germany based on a red notice that had been issued on these charges.  He was detained and then extradited to the United States on July 17, 2015.  The indictment was unsealed today.

            An indictment is merely a formal allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

WASHINGTON – James B. Chandler, Jr., 33, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to 80 months in prison on charges of voluntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of PCP, stemming from a crash that killed Philip D. Snodgrass, who was walking on a sidewalk in downtown Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Chandler pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, in an Alford plea. Under such a plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction; Chandler entered an Alford plea because of his intoxication by PCP at the time of the crash and his inability to recollect events.  He has been in custody since his arrest. The Honorable Robert E. Morin sentenced him today. Following his prison term, Chandler will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            “A bright young man was killed when this defendant careened through downtown D.C. at 60 miles per hour while high on PCP,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “We see cases over and over again where drivers using PCP lose control with devastating consequences.  We have to double down on our efforts to prevent these tragedies.”

            According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at about 4:50 p.m., during downtown Washington’s rush hour, Chandler drove his SUV at a high rate of speed west on H Street NW, between 2nd and 4th Streets, striking two other vehicles without stopping.  As Chandler approached the intersection with 4th Street NW, he crossed over into H Street’s eastbound lanes.  Chandler crossed 4th Street and struck the southeast curb of the corner of 4th and H Streets, mounted the sidewalk and struck the retaining wall of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) building.  By crashing into the wall, Chandler caused his SUV to flip and roll several times along the south sidewalk of the 400 block of H Street, striking and killing Mr. Snodgrass, 27, who had been walking on the sidewalk.

            Mr. Snodgrass, who was assistant legal counsel for the National Federation of Federal Employees, was on his way to night classes at Georgetown University’s Law Center.

            The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived on the scene and removed Chandler from the wreck.  Chandler admitted to a paramedic that he had smoked a PCP-laced cigarette that day.

            Surveillance video, which captured footage of the crash, was examined and it was estimated that Chandler was driving at a speed approaching 60 mph in the 25 mph zone.  The video, as well as examination of the crash scene, also indicated that Chandler never attempted to apply his brakes or take any action to avoid the crash.

            Mr. Snodgrass was taken to the Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.  Chandler was taken to Howard University Hospital for treatment.  While at the hospital, Chandler was examined by an officer with the MPD’s Driver Impairment Unit, who determined that Chandler was under the influence of a narcotic.  Also while at the hospital, Chandler’s blood was drawn, which later tested positive for PCP.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Investigations Unit, the Driver Impairment Unit and the First District.  He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark.  Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – Jamal Skinner, a.k.a. Shakir Skinner, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 94 months in prison on charges stemming from an armed robbery, as well as for failing to register as a sex offender, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            Skinner pled guilty in November 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and failure to register as a sex offender.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.  Following his prison term, Skinner will be placed on five years of supervised release.  He remains obligated to register as a sex offender in the District of Columbia for the rest of his life.  

            According to the government’s evidence, Skinner was convicted in 2009 of aggravated sexual battery in Prince William County, Va., based on his sexual assault of a five-year-old child.  Following his release in that case, he moved to Maryland. He was obligated to register as a sex offender in Maryland, but failed to do so, and he was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender in Prince George’s County, Md., in 2011 and 2013. Skinner thereafter moved to the District of Columbia and in March of 2013, he was notified of his obligation to register as a sex offender there. However, he failed to provide the registry with his actual home address.

            The robbery took place on April 20, 2014. At about 2 a.m., Skinner approached a couple while they were parking their car in the 2600 block of Jasper Street SE. He brandished a gun and ordered the couple out of the car and onto the ground.  He took their cellphones and jewelry, as well as the female victim’s purse and the keys to the vehicle.  He then stole their car and fled, but was apprehended a short time later.

            The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 designated the U.S. Marshals Service as the federal agency responsible for assisting state and local authorities in the apprehension of non-compliant sex offenders. The U.S. Marshals Service National Sex Offender Targeting Center collaborates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Department of Justice’s Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking Office to support all levels of law enforcement in pursuing unregistered and non-compliant sex offenders.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Chief Lanier, and U.S. Marshal Hughes praised the work of Senior Inspector Floriano Whitwell and other members of the D.C. Superior Court Sex Offender Investigations Section of the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth and Seventh Districts, who investigated the robbery case.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Donhue Troy Griffith and Daphne Nelson, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Witness Security Specialist Supervisor Michael Hailey.  Finally, they commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller, who assisted with the investigation, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aziz and Sarah McClellan, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Nicholas White, 26, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to sexually assaulting his former girlfriend earlier this year in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            White pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of third-degree sexual abuse, one count of contempt, and one count of assault. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2015. In addition to facing prison time, White will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

            According to the government’s evidence, White and the victim began dating while in college and moved in together following the victim’s graduation. During the course of their relationship, White physically assaulted the victim on several occasions, with the nature of the domestic violence escalating over time. The victim eventually ended their relationship on March 11, 2015, and began making efforts to move out of the apartment in Northwest Washington.  An argument took place two days later on March 13, 2015, that culminated in White physically and sexually assaulting the victim inside the apartment. 

            On that day, White and the victim were involved in an argument over the use of the victim’s car.  During the argument, White kicked the victim twice on her leg, smashed her work laptop across his knees, and took her cell phone and placed it on top of a kitchen cupboard in an attempt to prevent the victim from accessing it. While White was in another room, the victim took the phone and reported the assault to a friend.

            White then discovered that the victim had used her phone, at which point he pushed her onto a bed and began striking her in the head and pressing his leg into her knee with such force that the victim’s kneecap slid to the side of her leg.  Seeing this, White then grabbed the victim’s kneecap and attempted to place it back into its original position.  As the victim lay in the bed, White removed her clothing and raped her.  The victim attempted to push him away during the sexual assault but was unsuccessful. She ultimately left the apartment to call the police for help.

            During the pendency of this case, White was ordered not to contact the victim in any manner, including through a third party.  Despite this judicial order, he directed his father to provide the victim with a “sob story” in the hopes that she would no longer cooperate with the authorities. The defendant’s father sent the victim a text message later that same day, stating that White was, among other things, “frightened,” “alone,” “sad,” and “sorry.”  The text message did not dissuade the victim from cooperating in the investigation, and her involvement helped secure the defendant’s guilty plea in this case.     

            In announcing the guilty plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District and Sexual Assault Unit.  He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Troy Griffith and Erica Vample; Victim/Witness Advocates Meshall Thomas and Maria Shumar; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Legal Intern Emma McArthur.  Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Nguyen and Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

            WASHINGTON – Binh Tang Vo, 41, an American citizen who had been living in Vietnam, was sentenced today to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Bill A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

            Vo pled guilty to the charges in March 2015 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between six and eight years, as well as forfeiture of nearly $5.1 million. The Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Vo accordingly today.

            Vo was arrested on Sept. 24, 2013, at Washington Dulles International Airport and has been held without bond ever since.

            According to a statement of facts in support of his guilty plea, Vo conspired with co-defendant Michael Sestak and others to obtain visas to the United States for Vietnamese citizens.  Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012.

            As outlined in the statement of facts, Vo and Sestak conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens to advertise the scheme and recruit customers. Co-conspirators reached out to people in Vietnam and the United States and advertised the scheme by creating a website and by spreading the word through emails and telephone calls.  The conspirators told potential customers that once the customers obtained a visa from the scheme, they could disappear, get married or return to Vietnam and be assured of receiving visas in the future.

            Vo and his co-conspirators received biographical information and photographs from customers and assisted them with their visa applications.  Upon submitting an application, the applicant would receive an appointment at the Consulate, be interviewed by Sestak, and approved for a visa. Applicants or their families generally paid between $30,000 and $60,000 per visa.  Nearly 500 fraudulent visas were issued as a result of the conspiracy.

            Applicants paid for their visas in Vietnam, or by routing money to co-conspirators in the United States.  Vo admitted to receiving millions of dollars for arranging for Sestak to approve the visas.  He ultimately moved some of the money out of Vietnam by using money launderers to move funds through off-shore banks.  Co-conspirators also had money laundered through off-shore banks to bank accounts in the United States.

            “Binh Vo conspired with a corrupt U.S. Consulate Official to collect bribes in exchange for issuing visas that allowed nearly 500 Vietnamese nationals to enter the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “Binh Vo and his family members recruited bribe-paying customers by telling them that once in the United States they could disappear or get married.  He collected millions of dollars in bribes by undermining the integrity of the process used to screen foreign visitors to our country.  This prison sentence demonstrates our commitment to preserving the integrity of a process that is critical to our national security.”

            “The U.S. visa is one of the most coveted travel documents in the world. Foreign nationals who acquire visas fraudulently to enter the United States could do so in order to carry out any number of criminal activities, including terrorism,” said Director Miller. “This case demonstrates Diplomatic Security’s unwavering commitment to investigating visa fraud and ensuring that those who commit this crime are brought to justice.”

            Sestak, 44, pled guilty in November 2013 to one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud and to defraud the United States, bribery of a public official, and conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from illegal activity. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 1, 2015.

            Hong Vo, 29, an American citizen, and Truc Thanh Huynh, 31, a Vietnamese citizen, also pled guilty to conspiring with Sestak and Binh Vo.  Hong Vo is Binh Vo’s sister, and Truc Thanh Huynh is Binh Vo’s cousin. Hong Vo was sentenced in March 2014 to seven months in prison and three months of home detention. Truc Tranh Huynh was sentenced in February 2014 to 16 months of incarceration.

            According to the statement of facts, fraudulent visas granted by Sestak were connected to an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address controlled by Hong Vo. Huynh allegedly participated in the visa scheme by obtaining documents necessary for the visa applications, collecting money and providing model questions and answers for visa applicants.  Sestak also allegedly approved a visa for Huynh to the United States, the application for which was submitted by the IP address controlled by Hong Vo.

            The case was investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson, Alessio D. Evangelista of the National Security Section, and Catherine K. Connelly and Jennifer Ambuehl of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, as well former Assistant U.S Attorneys Christopher Kavanaugh, and Mona N. Sahaf.

WASHINGTON – Russell J. Sveda, 69, and Richard V. Schachter, 55, of Lauderdale-By-the-Sea, Fla., have been indicted for conspiracy, health care fraud, and related charges stemming from a scheme to submit false claims for non-existent medical reimbursements through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Foreign Service Benefit Plan.

            The indictment, which was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and David M. McGinnis, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Washington, D.C., Division.

            Sveda and Schachter were arrested today in Florida and they made their first court appearances this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Both were named in a 24-count indictment, unsealed today, that charges them with conspiracy, health care fraud, mail fraud, false claims, false statements, and theft.  The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the scheme. The defendants are scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 23, 2015.

            According to the indictment, Sveda, a retired U.S. Department of State employee, was enrolled in the Foreign Service Benefit Plan, as his health care benefit program, with Coventry as the insurance administrator.  Between January 2007 and January 2013, the indictment alleges, Sveda and Schachter attempted to obtain from Coventry approximately $599,000 in reimbursements for overseas pharmacy purchases and $637,000 in reimbursements for overseas medical care, for an approximate total of $1.2 million.  The indictment charges that Sveda and Schachter submitted materially false and fraudulent claims and invoices, with most of the claims being submitted under the name of Sveda, in the care of Schachter.  The indictment further charges that claims were false in that they represented that Sveda had purchased and paid for prescription medications and other pharmaceutical items from the Stadt-Apotheke Fussen,  a pharmacy in Fussen, Germany, and that he had received and paid for health care items and medical services from doctors, hospitals, clinics, and other medical providers in the German cities/towns of Fussen, Bad Liebenstein, Bad Salzungen, Bad Ems, Baden, Schweina, and other locations in Germany.

            Finally, the indictment states that after obtaining funds as reimbursements for medical expenses supposedly incurred, Sveda and Schachter used these funds, in part, to help finance joint travel around Europe and to pay for other joint expenditures wholly unrelated to medical services.

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            In announcing the charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Inspector General McFarland, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe, and Acting Inspector in Charge McGinnis expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents and analysts from OPM’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI, and Postal Inspectors and analysts with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. In addition, they acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo, Kristy Penny, John Lowell, Jessica Mundi, and Corinne Kleinman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Radway and Diane Lucas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Lorraine Cyr, 58, pled guilty today to charges stemming from the embezzlement of over $380,000 from her employer and properties that she managed, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Cyr, of Palm Bay, Fla., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of wire fraud and one count of income tax evasion. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2015. The wire fraud charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and the charge of income tax evasion carries up to five years; both also carry potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Cyr faces a likely range of 41 to 51 months of incarceration and a fine between $7,500 and $75,000. The plea agreement calls for Cyr to pay over $380,000 in restitution to a property management company and various other victims of her scheme, as well as $96,112 to the IRS. She also is subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $342,917.

            According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Cyr worked from 2001 until 2009 for a property management company, referred to in court documents as “Property Management Company A,” in Washington, D.C. She was vice president of operations during her last four years of employment, handling duties such as management of payroll, bank accounts, budgeting, invoicing, and tax preparation for the company and its clients. The clients consisted largely of cooperative and condominium apartment buildings in the District of Columbia.

            In 2009, Cyr started her own property management company, Lorraine Cyr Management Group, Inc., also in Washington, D.C., in which she performed similar duties for various clients, including some who transitioned to her new firm. In her new role, she had virtually unfettered discretion to manage the business affairs of her clients, who granted her access to bank accounts to manage their operations and expenses.

            Between July and November of 2009, prior to resigning from “Property Management Company A,” Cyr embezzled $37,620, which she used for personal purposes, including spending at casinos and various retailers. Then, between March 2010 and April 2011, while at her own firm, she stole $342,917 in funds from eight clients. She used the money for expenses such as spending at casinos, hotels, amusement parks, clothing stores, restaurants, and other retailers.

            The tax charge stems from Cyr’s evasion of income taxes on the money that she was stealing during the course of her scheme.

            In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Jankowski and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from IRS-CI and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Swanton and Anthony Saler, who handled forfeiture issues; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Chris Dobbie; Paralegal Specialists Heather Sales and Tasha Harris, Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence, and former Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorney Jeffrey McLellan, of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division, who assisted on the tax matter, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Last, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Kevin Burno, 26, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, and assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from his use of a 1991 Lexus sedan to run over a Metropolitan Police Department patrol officer, Sean Hickman, in March 2013 in Southeast Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The verdict was returned on July 9, 2015, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for Sept. 15, 2015.  Burno faces up to 30 years of incarceration.

            “This case is a reminder that police officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to serve our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen. “This officer was seriously injured while on the job when a criminal intentionally ran him down with a car for no reason at all.  A D.C. jury has now held Kevin Burno accountable for this brazen assault.  We are pleased that justice has been served.”

            “Officer Sean Hickman is not only a wonderful police officer, he is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting,” said Chief Lanier. “Prior to becoming a police officer Sean worked as a second-grade teacher, which is a true testament of his dedication to public service and speaks further to the generous and kind person that he is.  The assault that Officer Hickman suffered is truly tragic, an unfortunate reality that police officers face, and one that has left him permanently injured.  I am pleased by the jury’s decision.”

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 5, 2013, at about 6:30 p.m., Officer Hickman was patrolling in Southeast Washington on his 250cc Honda Rebel motor scooter.  Officer Hickman was responding to a call in the area when he observed Burno’s vehicle pulling out of a parking spot and heading southbound without its lights on.  The officer was travelling northbound and pulled his motor scooter over to the northbound parking lane, where he made a hand signal to Burno’s vehicle indicating that his headlights were not on.  Burno pulled out of his parking spot and drove in Officer Hickman’s direction. Burno then abruptly turned his vehicle into the officer, causing him to be thrown off his motor scooter and onto the sidewalk – unable to move. Burno sped off without stopping or providing medical assistance to Officer Hickman.

            Officer Hickman was treated for serious injuries to the left side of his body in general, and his lower left leg in particular.  To date, he has limited movement in his left leg and can no longer work patrol duties.

            In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Lanier commended the work of Officer Hickman and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the prosecution from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Long and Richard DiZinno, who investigated and indicted the case; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Richard Cheatham; and Intern Willie Wilson. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derrick Williams and Karen Seifert, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matter.

WASHINGTON – David Morris, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an eight-year prison term for the felony offense of assault with intent to kill, with a bias enhancement, for repeatedly attacking a male co-worker who he believed was making a sexual overture toward him, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.

            Morris pled guilty to the charge on May 14, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Upon completion of his prison term, Morris will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            “This criminal’s prejudices drove him to punch, stomp, and use a metal pole to beat his co-worker,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “He will spend the next eight years in prison as punishment for this brutal assault.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of criminals who express their hate through violence.” 

            According to the government’s evidence, Morris and the victim, 52, were friends and work colleagues at the time of the attack. On the evening of March 14, 2015, the two men were at Morris’s apartment in the 200 block of 61st Street NE, drinking alcohol. Morris interpreted an action from the victim as a homosexual overture. He became enraged and physically threw the victim out of his apartment and down the hallway stairs, toward the first floor of the building. He then dragged the victim from the foyer onto the pathway in front of the building, leaving him there while he went back inside. Two minutes later, however, Morris returned outside, jumped off of a ledge, and, while wearing boots, stomped on the victim’s head. While the victim remained on the ground, Morris repeatedly punched him in the head and upper body.

            Morris verbally expressed his rage at the victim, repeatedly exclaiming that the victim “tried to rape me” and similar phrases. He then began once again punching him in the head and upper body. He returned inside, only to come back out about six minutes later – this time with a metal pole. He poked the victim with the pole and then struck him with it multiple times in the head and upper body. Yet again, Morris returned inside, only to come back out a short time later. Still wearing boots, Morris kicked the victim in the head. Then he approached the victim’s car and scratched and marked it before finally leaving the scene.

            The victim, who was left on the pathway, bleeding profusely from the head, was hospitalized for almost two weeks. He received about 10 stitches to close a gash on the top of his head. He also lost feeling in the right side of his face and will require facial surgery to attempt to repair that damage. His eyesight also has deteriorated significantly. He still uses a cane.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the officers, detectives, and others who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the Forensic Services Division of the U.S. Secret Service. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Nestler, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Andy Thompson, 23, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for various crimes, including a carjacking of a delivery truck on Christmas Eve 2014 and a subsequent shoot-out with police, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., announced.

            Thompson, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to four counts: armed carjacking, assault on a police officer while armed, attempted robbery, and attempted burglary.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Zoe Bush.  Upon completion of his prison term, Thompson will be placed on six years of supervised release.

            The armed carjacking and confrontation with police took place on Dec. 24, 2014.  According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:20 p.m., Thompson put on a mask and approached a FedEx employee making deliveries in the 1300 block of Adams Street NE. Thompson pointed a gun at the driver and demanded that he leave the FedEx truck. The driver complied, and Thompson drove away in the FedEx vehicle. An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) spotted the vehicle almost immediately and attempted to pull it over.  Thompson refused to pull over and fled into an alleyway off the 2200 block of 16th Street NE.  There, the FedEx truck became wedged between an exterior brick wall and a police cruiser.

            When the police ordered Thompson to display his hands and exit the vehicle, he pointed his gun at the police officers and fired.  The police returned fire.  Thompson was the only person struck in the exchange of gunfire, with a bullet grazing him in the head.  The police recovered a 9mm handgun next to where the stolen truck was stopped.

            The other crimes targeted convenience stores. The attempted robbery took place at about 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2014 at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the 300 block of Hawaii Avenue NE.  Thompson approached a store employee, asked that new milk be placed in the coffee machine, and then reached behind the counter and stole four cartons of cigarettes. He smacked at the hand of a second employee who tried to stop him.

            The attempted burglary took place at about 8 a.m. on June 29, 2013, at another 7-Eleven store, this time in the 2200 block of New York Avenue NE. Thompson took multiple packs of cigarettes from the store.  In pleading guilty, he admitted that he stole cartons of cigarettes from four different 7-Eleven stores on 11 different occasions.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey and Gilead Light, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matters.

WASHINGTON – LB&B Associates Inc. and its principals, Lily A. Brandon and F. Edward Brandon, have agreed to pay the government $7.8 million to resolve allegations that they made false statements to obtain contracts through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) 8(a) Business Development Program for Small Disadvantaged Businesses, the Justice Department announced today.  LB&B is a North Carolina corporation headquartered in Columbia, Maryland.

            “The basic purpose of this federal program is undermined when contractors falsely claim to be a small or disadvantaged business,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. “This $7.8 million settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of this important program.  Working with relators and federal investigators, we will do all that we can to act against those who illegitimately bill the American taxpayers.”

            “The purpose of the 8(a) Program is to assist small disadvantaged businesses to compete in the American economy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “The Justice Department is committed to making sure that those who participate in 8(a) contracts do so honestly and fairly.”

            The government alleged that in seeking certification under SBA’s 8(a) Program, LB&B falsely represented that Lily Brandon – who satisfied the criteria for a socially and economically disadvantaged person under the program – controlled the operations of LB&B, when she did not.  Securing 8(a) certification allowed LB&B to obtain 8(a) set aside contracts from various government agencies.  Throughout the performance of these contracts, Lily Brandon allegedly failed to exercise actual control over LB&B’s operations, a key component to qualifying for the set aside contracts.

            “This case shows the lengths we will go to protect the integrity of SBA’s 8(a) program,” said General Counsel Melvin F. Williams Jr. of the SBA.  “Both the Justice Department and SBA are prepared to do what it takes to make certain that the program helps folks who are really disadvantaged, and for whom it is intended to assist."

            The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by Steven O. Sansbury and James T. Buechler, former employees of LB&B, under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, known as relators, to file suit on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery.  The act permits the government either to intervene in and take over the whistleblowers’ suit, or to allow the whistleblowers to pursue the action.  In addition to alleging LB&B’s improper receipt of 8(a) set aside contracts, Mr. Sansbury and Mr. Buechler alleged that LB&B made false claims in connection with contracts it obtained pursuant to the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program, which allows participants to obtain set aside contracts following LB&B’s graduation from the 8(a) Program.  The United States intervened in the whistleblowers’ 8(a) claims but not the Mentor-Protégé claims.  The settlement resolves both claims, and Mr. Sansbury and Mr. Buechler will recover a total of $1.5 million of the settlement.

            The settlement with LB&B was the result of a coordinated effort among the Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, the SBA’s Office of Inspector General and SBA’s Office of General Counsel.

            The civil lawsuit was filed in the District of Columbia and is captioned United States ex rel. Sansbury, et al.  v. LB&B Associates, Inc., et al., No. 07-cv-00251 (D. D.C.).

            The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

WASHINGTON – Quincy Lamont Bufford, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 8 ½-year prison term for robbing three businesses, including two banks, in Southeast Washington within a 10-day period in 2013, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Bufford pled guilty in March 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of bank robbery and one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Upon completion of his prison term, Bufford will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $1,699 in restitution.

            According to the government’s evidence, the first robbery took place on July 8, 2013 at approximately 12:35 p.m. Bufford entered the Boost Mobile, in the 2400 block of Good Hope Road SE, placed his hands on the counter, and told an employee, “Give me your money.”  After an employee questioned him, Bufford responded, “Make it easy on yourself and just give me the money.”  When the employee told Bufford that they did not have any money and that he would have to speak to the store manager, Bufford became angry, reached over the counter, opened the cashier’s drawer, and forcefully took $649, putting it in his pants pocket before walking out.

            The second robbery took place on July 15, 2013, at about 11:25 a.m. This time, Bufford entered the Sun Trust Bank in the 1300 block of Good Hope Road SE and pressed a demand note up against the glass.  The note stated, in part, “Put money in bag or I’ll kill someone.”  As the bank teller began to fumble with her drawer, Bufford pointed at her and stated, “Don’t stall me.”  The bank teller took out bundles of loose bills, at which point Bufford stated, “That’s enough.”  The bank teller handed Bufford approximately $890. Bufford stated, “Call the police and I’m goin’ kill you” before exiting the bank.  The bank robbery was captured on bank surveillance video.  Following the robbery, law enforcement processed the doors, glass, and counter inside the bank for fingerprints.  A fingerprint and palm print later were found to match Bufford.

            The third robbery occurred on July 17, 2013, at about 10:35 a.m. Bufford entered the PNC Bank in the 4100 block of South Capitol Street SE and went directly to the teller line. Once again he presented a threatening demand note.  The bank teller hit the panic alarm, and then pulled $50’s and $20’s from his drawer and placed them on the counter.  Defendant Bufford then stated, “Hurry up, I’m serious,” to which the bank teller responded, “this is all I got” before sliding approximately $160 under the dividing glass.  Bufford put the money in his pants pocket before exiting the bank.  The bank robbery was captured on bank surveillance video.  Following the robbery, law enforcement processed the doors, glass, and counter inside the bank for fingerprints.  Four fingerprints and one palm print later were determined to match Bufford.

            Less than three hours after this robbery, Bufford returned to Boost Mobile and attempted to reach over the counter to remove cash from the cashier drawer.  Store employees recognized him from the July 8 robbery and chased him out of the store.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the FBI Laboratory’s Latent Print Operations Unit. In addition, they acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Holly Crouse and former Paralegal Specialist Starla Stolk, as well as Assistant U.S Attorney Arvind Lal and former intern Joseph Drummey, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.  Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – A 51-year-old man from Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 13-year prison term on charges stemming from sexual assaults he committed against three step-grandchildren, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced today.

            The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in May 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree child sex abuse and two counts of attempted first-degree child sex abuse. He was sentenced on July 1, 2015, by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. After his prison term, the defendant will be placed on lifetime supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

            According to the government’s evidence, the defendant hosted his former wife's three grandchildren at his apartment in Northeast Washington in the summer of 2012. During the visit, the grandsons – then 4, 6 and 10 years old - were sexually assaulted by the defendant.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the child abuse experts at the Child and Adolescent Protection Center at Children’s National Medical Center, as well as the Children’s Advocacy Center, which conducted the child forensic interview and provided other critical services to the victim. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Child Forensic Interview Specialists Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias; Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, Victim/Witness Advocates Veronica Vaughan and Tracey Hawkins, the Child Waiting Room staff of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit, and Legal Intern Lauren Eastman. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya K. Davis, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – William Nelson, 52, of Morningside, Md., pled guilty today to charges of felony assault and misdemeanor assault for attacking two people after an argument on a Metro train, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.

            Nelson entered the guilty plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Yvonne M. Williams scheduled sentencing for Sept. 8, 2015. Nelson faces a statutory maximum of three years in prison for felony assault and up to 180 days of incarceration for misdemeanor assault, as well as potential financial penalties.

            “This brutal beating was a shocking attack on two innocent people who were simply using Metro to travel throughout the city,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen.  “This level of outrageous violence is entirely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

            “On behalf of all Metro riders, I want to extend our thanks to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their support in this case that led to today's plea,” said Chief Pavlik. “I also want to commend the responding Transit officers and detectives who helped to ensure that justice was served today. Any assault is unsettling, but when it involves juvenile victims and when it occurs within the confined space of a railcar, that makes the crime all the more disturbing.”

            According to a factual proffer presented at today’s plea hearing, on June 7, 2015, at about 1 a.m., Nelson was seated in front of two juveniles, 16 and 17, on a Metro train headed toward the Anacostia station of the Green Line. Nelson appeared to be asleep. The juveniles placed their feet on a window partition between their seat and Nelson’s seat, and he woke up. Nelson then stated, “Can you stop kicking the glass before I smack one of y’all?” A verbal argument ensued between Nelson and one of the juveniles, and both juveniles moved away from Nelson to another part of the train. Nelson, however, followed and continued arguing. Then he turned, walked toward the second juvenile, and punched him in the face.

            As the juveniles moved through the train to get into a different car, a 46-year-old man approached Nelson and told him that he shouldn’t be acting that way. Nelson then confronted the man and punched him in the face multiple times, causing him to fall into a seat on the train.

            As the man was still in the seat, Nelson stood over him and continued to punch him repeatedly in the face, even though the man’s hands were at his sides. After Nelson walked away, the man got up and exchanged words with him. Nelson then walked back over to the man, raised his hands, in a fighting stance, and punched him again. The man was knocked to the floor, and began bleeding from his face.

            Both the man and the juvenile identified Nelson as the individual that who assaulted them. As a result of the altercation, the man sustained a fractured jaw and cheekbone and needed several stitches for lacerations to his lips. Additionally, he was informed by doctors that he needed to undergo surgery and have a plate inserted. The felony charge involves his attack.

            In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen and Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Stephanie Ellison, 51, a former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison on a money laundering charge stemming from the purchase and financing of two cars and a motorcycle with money that came from a drug conspiracy. In a related matter, Raymond Proctor, 47, was sentenced April 29, 2015, to a prison term of 63 months on drug conspiracy and money laundering charges.

            The sentences were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr.; Charles E. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Troy D. Berry, Sheriff of Charles County, Md.

            Ellison and Proctor pled guilty on March 31, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ellison pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Proctor, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.  Both were sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg.

            In addition to the prison term, Proctor was ordered to pay a money judgment of $47,835 as forfeiture for the money laundering conspiracy and $41,800 for the narcotics conspiracy. As part of her plea agreement, Ellison agreed to the forfeiture of her interest in various items of jewelry; $5,000 in cash found on Dec. 11, 2012, inside a safe at her residence; a 2006 Maserati automobile; a 2007 Harley Davidson Night Rod motorcycle; and a 2009 750LI BMW automobile, and entry of the forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $47,835.

            According to the proffers of evidence filed with the Court, in 2010 the ATF, the MPD and the Charles County Sheriff’s Department began this joint investigation.  During that investigation, Proctor sold a total of approximately 418 grams of heroin during several controlled purchases to multiple undercover agents in exchange for cash and export-only cigarettes.

            During the course of this narcotics conspiracy, Proctor and Ellison conspired to launder monetary instruments.  As part of this conspiracy, Proctor and Ellison purchased a 2006 Maserati, a 2007 Harley Davidson Night Rod, and a 2009 750LI BMW.  Proctor and Ellison purchased these vehicles by commingling Proctor’s illegal proceeds with funds obtained from Ellison.  Proctor and Ellison titled these vehicles in Ellison’s name; however, the vehicles were purchased for Proctor’s use.  These vehicles were purchased to conceal and disguise the nature, source, and ownership of the narcotics proceeds, and hide the true ownership of the vehicles.  According to the government’s evidence, Ellison knew that the property involved in these financial transactions represented the proceeds of some unlawful activity.     

            Ellison joined the MPD in 1986.  The guilty pleas include consent orders of forfeiture for a money judgment which represent the proceeds of the crimes.

            In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen, Special Agent in Charge Smith, Chief Lanier, and Sheriff Berry commended the actions of the ATF Special Agents, Metropolitan Police Department officers, and members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office who worked on the investigation and prosecution of this case.  They also commended the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal, Kim Hall, Teesha Tobias, and Rosalind Pressley; Legal Assistant LaToya Wade, and former Legal Assistant Priscilla Hutson.

            Finally, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla-Dee Clark and Zia Faruqui, who investigated and prosecuted these cases.

            WASHINGTON –William Smallwood, 23, has been sentenced to a 22-year prison term and Demitrich Jones, 17, has been sentenced to 18 years of incarceration on charges stemming from the killing of man during an attempted robbery of a laptop last year in Northeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. 

            The defendants, both from Washington, D.C., pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder for the death of Rashard Raigns. They were sentenced on June 26, 2015, by the Honorable Jennifer Anderson. Upon completion of their prison terms, Smallwood and Jones will be on supervised release for five years. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on June 3, 2014, Mr. Raigns, 33, purchased a laptop at a Best Buy store. Later, at about 10 p.m., Mr. Raigns laid a blanket out on the sidewalk in the 1900 block of Fenwick Street across from a retail distributor known as ProFish Limited and watched his laptop.  Mr. Raigns had his personal items laid out on the blanket, including a backpack, some clothing, a container of Chinese takeout food, a laptop case and power cord.

            Jones noticed the laptop and decided he wanted to take it. He then went home and told Smallwood and a juvenile about the laptop and they all agreed to rob Mr. Raigns. Jones grabbed a BB gun and Smallwood grabbed a handgun. Jones and Smallwood also carried T-shirts around their necks that they used to cover their faces. All three suspects then left the house and walked back to Mr. Raigns’s location.

            Jones and Smallwood placed the shirts over their heads and approached Mr. Raigns, while the juvenile stayed further back and acted as a look-out.  Jones tried to grab the laptop, but Mr. Raigns resisted and grabbed Jones’s arm.  Jones broke free. Mr. Raigns then tried to get away, but Smallwood shot him. Jones and Smallwood walked away from the crime scene and went home.  Once back home, Jones changed his clothes, got on a bike and went back to get the laptop computer. Mr. Raigns died from a single gunshot wound to his chest.

            In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Fifth Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.  He expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Marcia Rinker, of the Victim /Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialist Vanessa Trent-Valentine; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Sanchez, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Giovanni Pena, 31, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to one count of Second-Degree Child Sexual Abuse and to one count of Obscenity, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. The charges stem from Pena’s sexual abuse of a 4th grade student at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, a D.C. Public School, during the 2013 – 2014 school year. Pena remains held without bond pending sentencing on September 4, 2015 before the Honorable Michael Ryan of the D.C. Superior Court.

            According to the government’s evidence, Pena was the child’s 4th grade teacher during 2013 – 2014. Pena sexually abused the child by touching the child’s clothed penis and buttocks. Pena told detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division that he was curious whether a 4th grade child could have an erection. Pena also had the child touch Pena’s clothed penis. These incidents took place in the classroom during the school day.

            Additionally, Pena sent nude photos of his erect penis to the child, as well as a photo of Pena’s sperm. Pena used the mobile application Snapchat to transmit these images. Pena also taught the child about masturbation.

            In announcing the plea, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. He also commended the efforts of staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Child Forensic Interview Specialists Tracy Owusu and Karen Giannakoulias, Victim Advocate Elsa Maltese, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Joyce Arthur and D’Yvonne Key, Legal Intern Allison Denton, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John L. Hill, who prosecuted the case.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.