District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Thirteen Men Indicted in Drug Conspiracy Case, Accused of Distributing Heroin and Cocaine in Washington Area-Charges Follow A Year-Long Investigation-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Eleven men have been arrested on federal charges stemming from an
ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. To date, over 3.5 kilograms of cocaine and over two kilograms of heroin have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with more than $68,000 in cash and at least five firearms. Two men remain at large.The arrests, on Dec. 12, 2013, followed the return of an indictment by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The arrests came as authorities executed 26 search warrants on Dec. 12, 2013, in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Several firearms, cocaine and heroin, jewelry worth over $60,000 and thousands in cash were seized during the law enforcement activities. Also recovered from within one residence was evidence of an apparent identity theft operation involving hundreds of credit cards, social security cards and driver’s licenses.
The indictment also includes a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes. All 11 defendants made their first court appearances this week and are being held without bond pending detention hearings.
“This investigation shows our resolve to target organizations that are bringing cocaine, heroin and other dangerous drugs into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Law enforcement was able to remove guns, drugs and dangerous people from the streets and take another step toward making our community safer.”
“These arrests are a result of the concentrated efforts by Special Agents and Detectives from the FBI Washington, Baltimore and Los Angeles Field Offices, MPD and Prince George's County, Maryland, Police Department who partner together to disrupt and dismantle drug networks that threaten our neighborhoods,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together, we are focused on stopping the movement and sale of drugs on our streets and we will bring those who profit from it to justice.”
“This investigation spanned the region including Washington, D.C., Prince George's County, Md., Baltimore, and Stafford, Va.,” said Police Chief Lanier. “This is a great example of us working with our federal partners to arrest those who supply our neighborhoods with illicit drugs.”
The charges arose from a year-long investigation by the FBI into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The investigation determined that from at least January 2013 through November 2013, the defendants maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of heroin and cocaine to drug dealers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. During the course of the investigation, agents seized three separate packages found to contain large quantities of both heroin and cocaine, which had been shipped or were destined to arrive in the Washington, D.C., area from sources located in California.
Those arrested include Lester Pryor, 62, of Washington, D.C., who is alleged to have supplied cocaine and heroin to the other defendants named in the indictment. The others include Patrick Avent, 45, of Stafford, Va.; George Ball, 65, of Washington, D.C.; Brandon Beale, 58, of Washington, D.C.; Aubrey Bennett, 61, of Washington, D.C.; James Burkley, 59, of Washington, D.C; Anthony McDuffie, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Chris Merriweather, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Earl Owens, 56, of Bowie, Md.; Tyrone Payton, 55, of Temple Hills, Md.; and Kevin Whitman, 54, of Washington, D.C.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier commended the work of the agents at the FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who investigated the case. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of Virginia and the Central District of California, the FBI’s Baltimore and Los Angeles Divisions, MPD and the Prince George’s County police and sheriff’s departments, which provided assistance.
Finally they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven B. Wasserman, Anthony Scarpelli, Jin Park, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia A. Stewart, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Saler, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.
13-419Teenager Sentenced to 30-Year Prison Term in Slaying at Woodley Park Metro StationDefendant Is Among Six Sentenced Today to at Least 15 Years in Prison for Various Roles in CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Chavez Myers, 18, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for first-degree murder while armed in the slaying of 18-year-old Olijawon Griffin at the Woodley Park Metro station, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Five co-defendants were also sentenced today, to prison terms ranging from 15 to 19 years.
Myers, of District Heights, Md., pled guilty in September 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for the 30-year prison sentence for the crime. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck approved the plea this morning and sentenced Myers accordingly.
Myers, who was 17 at the time of the murder, is among numerous defendants to plead guilty to charges in the murder and related crimes. The others include Muquan Cawthorne, 17, of Mount Ranier, Md.; Deon Jefferson, 18, of Landover, Md.; Gary Maye, 18, of Hyattsville, Md.; Immanuel Swann, 18, of Brentwood, Md., and Gary Whittaker, 20, of Hyattsville, Md. Cawthorne, Jefferson, Maye and Swann, like Myers, were under 18 at the time of the murder; the U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained their indictments after deciding to prosecute them as adults.
Cawthorne was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter while armed, armed robbery, and a firearms offense. Jefferson was sentenced to 16 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter while armed and armed robbery. Maye was sentenced to 19 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter while armed, armed robbery, and robbery. Swann was sentenced to 19 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter while armed and two counts of armed robbery. Whittaker was sentenced to 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, and a firearms offense.
All of the defendants have been in custody since their arrests. Upon completion of their prison terms, each defendant will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Myers and the other defendants were part of a group of 10 people who conspired on Nov. 16, 2012 and Nov. 17, 2012 to commit robberies in the District of Columbia. Plans called for robbing people of their iPhones and other items of value. The group took a Metro train on the night of Nov. 16, 2012, from the West Hyattsville, Md. station to the Gallery Place/Chinatown station in Northwest Washington. From there, they took another train to the Woodley Park Metro station to begin their crimes. Within a matter of hours, Mr. Griffin would become a victim of the group twice: once, during a robbery in the Adams Morgan area, and finally, the attack at the Metro Station that ended with his death.
“Today justice is served on the group of teenagers who murdered Olijawon Griffin for having the audacity to stand up to them after they robbed him of his coat and brutally assaulted his best friend,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Chavez Myers, who buried the knife in Mr. Griffin’s chest on a Metro Station platform, will serve 30 years behind bars. Five other participants in this attack, none of whom struck the fatal blow, will each serve at least 15 years in prison. Today’s proceedings should open the eyes of other young people thinking about committing street robberies to the deadly consequences and lengthy prison sentences that can easily result.”
“A young man lost his life, and now the young men who are responsible for that crime must face the consequences of their actions,” said Police Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department and our law enforcement partners continue to demonstrate that criminals will be held accountable.”
“I want to commend the work and cooperation of the Metro Transit and Metropolitan Police Departments as well as the D.C. Attorney General and U.S. Attorney’s Office’ in this year-long effort to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the events of Nov. 16 and 17, 2012,” said Metro Transit Police Chief Pavlik. “We continue to send a clear message to those who wish to threaten or bring harm to Metro customers that such activity will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the government’s evidence, the group targeted Mr. Griffin shortly after midnight, early Nov. 17, 2012, attacking him near a gas station in the 1800 block of Adams Mill Road NW. Mr. Griffin was robbed of his Helly Hansen coat, hat, and iPhone. The assailants then walked back toward the Woodley Park Metro station, intending to take a train back to West Hyattsville.
Mr. Griffin and his two companions arrived at the Metro station shortly after the assailants. They approached the assailants in an attempt to get Mr. Griffin’s property back. According to the government’s evidence, the various assailants repeatedly punched, kicked and stomped one of Mr. Griffin’s companions while he was lying prone and defenseless on the floor of the station platform. Once this friend rose to his feet, the group again took him to the ground and repeatedly punched, kicked and stomped him.
Shortly after the attack on the friend ended, Myers went up to the mezzanine level of the station, where the kiosk and fare machines are located. Jefferson, Maye, Whittaker and Swann were among those who also went to the mezzanine level. Mr. Griffin had been attempting to draw the defendants to that level in an effort to get them away from his injured friend. As the confrontation continued, Myers came up from behind Mr. Griffin and stabbed Mr. Griffin, who was unarmed, once in the heart. Mr. Griffin died a short time later.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen, Chief Lanier and Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metro Transit Police Department. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General, including Deputy Attorney General Andrew Fois; Jennifer White, Chief of the Juvenile Section; Barbara Chesser and Linda Monroe, Assistant Chiefs of the Juvenile Section; Assistant Attorney General Marybeth Manfreda, and former Assistant Attorney General Anthony Crispino. The District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General handled the part of this case that involved charges against some of the juveniles who were apprehended after the attack.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Chief Lanier and Chief Pavlik also acknowledged the efforts of those who provided assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews, Kwasi Fields, and Ethel Noble; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Will Henderson, and Paul Howell; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and former interns Ryan Lipes, Flynn Burke, and Lauren Sparks.
Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Dillon, Kathleen A. Connolly, and Kevin F. Flynn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-421District Man Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Child-Five-Year-Old Victim, A Relative, Aided Early Investigation-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 21-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 28 months in prison on charges stemming from a sexual assault against a five-year-old relative, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pled guilty in August 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count each of attempted second-degree child sexual abuse and violating the Bail Reform Act. The Honorable Robert E. Morin sentenced him. Upon completion of his prison term, the defendant will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 10 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 9, 2013, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the defendant was at the home of a relative in Northeast Washington. During this time, the child and her mother were living temporarily with the same relative and were also in the apartment. The child’s mother, who had momentarily left the home, returned to find the defendant under a blanket with her daughter. The child made an immediate report regarding sexual acts the defendant engaged in with her while her mother was gone.
While this case was pending, the court released the defendant, placing him in the high-intensity supervision program on June 14, 2013. After the June court date, the defendant removed his GPS device, and he did not appear in court as scheduled for a hearing on July 15, 2013. He was re-arrested on a bench warrant on July 26, 2013.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Youth Division who were involved in the arrest and investigation of this case. He also expressed his appreciation to Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-420Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for 2012 Shooting in Northwest Washington-Bullets Fired into A Block Crowded with Adults and Children-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Carlito Bailey and Rickey Watkins, both 22 and from Washington D.C., were sentenced today to more than a decade in prison on charges stemming from a shooting last year in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Bailey and Watkins were found guilty by a jury in October 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. The Honorable Robert I. Richter sentenced Bailey to a prison term of 16 ½ years and sentenced Watkins to 11 years and nine months of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of May 5, 2012, Bailey, Watkins, and a third unidentified shooter traveled to Northwest Washington armed with firearms. The three men approached the intersection of Johnson Avenue and R Street NW, where they opened fire, shooting at least ten bullets into a block crowded with adults and children gathered to celebrate a birthday party. One of the adults was shot several times in the legs. After firing the shots, the men fled on Johnson Avenue.
Bailey and Watkins were apprehended approximately 24 minutes after the shooting in a car with two firearms. One of the firearms was a ballistics match to six shell casings and a bullet from the crime scene, and a swab from the slide of that weapon yielded DNA that matched the DNA profile of Bailey. Cell site data placed Watkins at the scene of the shooting.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department Second District officers who apprehended the defendants and recovered the key evidence shortly after the shooting, as well as the Third District detectives who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to FBI Special Agent Kevin Horan for his valuable work analyzing cell phone records and testifying as a government expert at trial.
In addition, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialists Joe Calvarese, Kimberly Smith and Ron Royal and Paralegal Specialists Allison Daniels and Mia Beamon. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ephraim (Fry) Wernick and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Chris Dobbie, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Carroll and Jonathan Kravis, who prosecuted the case.
13-417Former Teacher Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography and Other Charges Following Federal InvestigationEric Justin Toth Fled Area Upon Discovery of Crimes; Former FBI Top Ten Fugitive Was Captured This Year in NicaraguaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Justin Toth, 31, a former private school teacher and camp counselor, pled guilty today to three counts of production of child pornography and other felony charges following an investigation that began more than five years ago with the discovery of pornographic images on a school camera that had been in his possession.
The guilty plea was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; John W. Vaudreuil, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin; Robert L. Pitman, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas; Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John S. Leonardo, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona; John R. Marti, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota; John McCarthy, State’s Attorney for Montgomery, County, Md.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the Montgomery County, Md. Police Department.
Toth pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In addition to the child pornography charges, he pled guilty to one count each of misuse of a Social Security number and identity theft. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for Toth to be sentenced to between 22 and 30 years in prison. Following completion of the prison term, the plea agreement calls for Toth to be placed on at least 25 years of supervised release. He also would be required to register as a sex offender for at least 25 years. If he approves the plea, the Honorable Rudolph Contreras is to sentence Toth on March 11, 2014.
The guilty plea resolves charges and potential charges in several jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, Maryland, Wisconsin, Texas, Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida.
**“Eric Toth is every parent’s worst nightmare: a serial predator who took advantage of his position as a camp counselor and a teacher to sexually exploit children in his care,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “After five years of eluding justice, Toth was captured in Nicaragua, where he was living under an alias, with more than 1,000 child pornography images on his computer. For all his efforts to run away from his crimes, today Toth faces the justice he deserves: up to 30 years in prison.”
“Today, Eric Toth took responsibility for producing pornographic images of children who were entrusted to his care,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “The unfortunate reality is that Toth, an audacious and prolific child predator, is representative of many abusers in our communities who prey upon children in places where we believe they are safe. Together as a society, we must be vigilant observers of a child’s behavior and talk to children about how to come forward when they feel in danger.”
“It is important that this defendant be held accountable,” said State’s Attorney McCarthy. “His reprehensible acts scar children for life. By entering a global plea, the victims of this child predator will not be further traumatized. Today is an important first step towards healing for the victims and their families.”
The investigation of Toth began in June 2008 with the discovery of images depicting child pornography on a camera at a private school in the District of Columbia, where he had been teaching. School administrators called the police, and security officers immediately escorted Toth from the school campus. Toth left the area soon thereafter, while the law enforcement investigation was continuing. Federal charges were filed against him in 2008 in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Toth, meanwhile, remained at large, traveling to multiple places.
Toth was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in April 2012 and finally apprehended in Nicaragua in April 2013.
The three child pornography charges included in the guilty plea stem from photographs and videos that Toth took of children while working in 2005 as a camp counselor in northwest Wisconsin; as a teacher in 2006 at the private school in the District of Columbia; and at a private home in Maryland in 2007. These photographs and videos were located on a camera and media card found at the school in June 2008 and on a thumb drive found in Toth’s car when it was located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in August 2008. Additionally, Toth pled guilty to misuse of a Social Security number for using someone else’s identifying information while working in Texas from 2009 until 2012. The identity theft charge stems from Toth’s use, in Texas, Florida, and elsewhere, of yet another person’s identifying information to obtain and travel with a false passport.
As part of the plea agreement, Toth will not face charges for additional images of child pornography that were found on computers that Toth used. In June 2009, after law enforcement learned that Toth had been living and working at homeless shelter in Phoenix, authorities discovered a laptop computer that Toth had been using that contained images depicting child pornography. Toth had already left Phoenix at the time of this discovery. In addition, after Toth’s arrest, law enforcement discovered images and videos depicting child pornography on a laptop computer that Toth used when he lived in Texas and Nicaragua.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the Metropolitan Police Department; the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department, and other agencies.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Marie Freitas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Fenton of the Montgomery County, Md. State’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistance during the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices from the Western District of Wisconsin; the Western District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the District of Arizona, and the District of Minnesota; the Montgomery County, Md. State’s Attorney’s Office; the U.S. Embassy Managua Regional Security Office; the Diplomatic Security Service Criminal Investigative Liaison Branch; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the U.S. Marshals Service's National Sex Offender Targeting Center; and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - Sex Offender Tracking Team.
The Nicaraguan National Police (NNP) Commissioner's Office, the NNP Trafficking in Persons Unit, and the Nicaraguan Immigration Service performed crucial work in securing Toth’s apprehension.
Those assisting from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julieanne Himelstein, Catherine K. Connelly, David Johnson and Virginia Cheatham, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Schmidt and Michelle Zamarin. Paralegal Specialist Toni Donato also provided assistance.
13-416District Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for 2006 Shoot-Out That Killed an Innocent Bystander-Gun Battle Unfolded in Parking Lot of Southeast Washington Apartment Complex-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dontrace Blaine, 26, formerly of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison on charges stemming from a gun battle in 2006 that led to the death of an innocent bystander, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Blaine was found guilty by a jury in September 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin.
According to the government’s evidence, Blaine took part in a gun battle at 11 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2006 outside an apartment complex in the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE. During the gunfire, an innocent bystander, 25-year-old Adegoke Adenikinju, was struck in the chest by a stray bullet as he attempted to exit his vehicle in hopes of seeking cover. Mr. Adenikinju died in the parking lot from his injuries. Witnesses later identified Blaine as among the shooters.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the officers, detectives and evidence technicians from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick , Sandra Lane, Alesha Matthews Yette and Sharon Newman,; Litigation Technology Specialists Jeannie Latimore-Brown and Anisha Bhatia, and Investigative Analysts Lawrence Grasso and Zachary McMenamin. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vinét Bryant, who prosecuted the case.
13-415Georgia Man Accused of Discharging Waste into Potomac River- Indicted on Conspiracy, Clean Water Act, False Claims, and Related Charges -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Patrick Brightwell, 47, of Bogart, Ga., has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he orchestrated the discharge of waste into the Potomac River at Hains Point from 2009 through 2011, during the same period his company was hired by the National Park Service to clean out the storm water sewer system on the National Mall.
The indictment was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, David G. McLeod, Jr. Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s criminal enforcement program for the Middle Atlantic States, and Teresa Chambers, Chief of the U.S. Park Police.
The eight-count indictment of Brightwell was unsealed following his arrest in Georgia on Dec. 5, 2013. It was filed on Nov. 15, 2013, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It charges Brightwell with conspiracy, a Clean Water Act violation, false claims, and obstructing the investigation of these offenses by tampering with witnesses and making false statements.
“This indictment alleges that Patrick Brightwell ripped off the taxpayer and polluted the Potomac River by illegally dumping waste he was being paid to dispose of properly,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “According to the indictment, Brightwell tried to cover up his crimes by lying to the police and encouraging someone else to lie as well. This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to enforcing criminal laws designed to protect our precious natural resources.”
“Illegally discharged wastewater presents a danger to public health and a threat to our environment,” said Special Agent in Charge McLeod. “This indictment demonstrates EPA’s resolve to collaborate with our partners to vigorously investigate any credible allegation that a company or individual is treating our nation's environmental laws with contempt.”
“We are pleased to have taken part in the initial discovery and investigation of this crime,” said Chief Chambers. “It is through collaborative efforts such as this that law enforcement sends a strong message that we take environmental crimes seriously and that violators will be prosecuted.”
According to the indictment, from in or about 2008 through 2011, Brightwell’s company had a contract with the National Park Service to clean the storm water sewer system on the National Mall. The contract required that waste removed from the Mall’s storm drains and oil-water separators be disposed of at a proper disposal facility in compliance with District of Columbia regulations and federal law. Brightwell hired employees to work under the contract in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and hired a subcontractor, B&P Environmental LLC, to perform the work in 2011. Each year, Brightwell supervised the work: collecting waste in a vacuum truck, a vehicle designed to gather, store, and transport such waste.
As alleged in the indictment, in 2009, 2010, and 2011, Brightwell directed his employees and subcontractors to discharge waste from the vacuum truck at a storm drain on Hains Point, where the waste would flow into the Potomac River; Brightwell also directed his employees to conceal these discharges from the National Park Service and police.
During this period, Brightwell continued to invoice the National Park Service for cleaning services, but concealed and did not disclose that Brightwell’s company was not properly disposing of the waste, as required by the contract. Brightwell’s company received approximately $533,000 between 2008 and 2011, according to the indictment.
The indictment further alleges that, on June 6, 2011, after the U.S. Park Police stopped the vacuum truck at Hains Point, Brightwell sought to obstruct the investigation by making false statements himself, by telling a subcontractor to make false statements to the police, and by telling an employee to leave the area to prevent police from interviewing him.
If convicted, Brightwell faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on each of the conspiracy and false claims charges, as well as a $250,000 fine; a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the Clean Water Act violation and a fine of up to $50,000 per day; a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison on the witness tampering counts; and a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison on the false statement count. The case is assigned to the Honorable James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Earlier this year, the subcontractor, B&P Environmental LLC, and a B&P employee working on June 6, 2011, both pled guilty to violations of the Clean Water Act before the U.S. District Court. As part of their pleas, both the company and employee agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation. Both the company and employee are awaiting sentencing.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by Special Agent Socrates Michael of the EPA and Detective Jon Crichfield of the U.S. Park Police. It is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Lana Pettus of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Ashleigh Nye of DOJ’s Environmental Crimes Section and Paralegal Specialist Krishawn Graham of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
13-414Virginia Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William G. VanSant, 51, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison on federal charges of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
VanSant pled guilty to the charges in August 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert L. Wilkins. Upon completion of his prison term, VanSant will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for at least 15 years after his release from prison.
According to the government's evidence, on March 20, 2013, VanSant contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had posted a message on a website that is frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Over the next two days, Vansant continued to engage in online conversations with the undercover officer, whom he believed was the father of an under-aged girl. During this period, VanSant arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child.
In addition, during the course of their communications, VanSant sent the undercover officer several images of child pornography. On March 22, 2013, VanSant traveled from Virginia to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was arrested.
Pursuant to a warrant, VanSant’s residence was searched on March 28, 2013. Law enforcement seized two laptop computers, including one that contained seven videos and eight images depicting 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, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who prosecuted the case.
13-412Jury Convicts Man of Second-Degree Murder While Armed in 2010 Killing of Acquaintance-Defendant Chased and Stabbed Victim After Argument at Gas Station-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard Williams, 43, was found guilty by a jury today of second-degree murder while armed in the slaying of an acquaintance along the border of the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, Md., U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Williams, who has no fixed address, was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury found him guilty of one count of carrying a dangerous weapon after having been convicted a felony, and two counts of committing offenses while on release in a pending criminal case. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 31, 2014. Williams faces up to 70 years in prison for the murder count alone, and up to 30 years for each of the other three charges.
According to the government’s evidence, Williams and the victim, Sean West, 37, knew each other and often spent time together at a gas station in Oxon Hill, Md., just over the border from the District of Columbia. On Aug. 27, 2010, at about 11:30 p.m., they got into an argument and shoving match at the gas station, for reasons that remain unclear. A mutual acquaintance broke up the fight, and Mr. West walked across the street into the 4300 block of Wheeler Road SE, headed home.
Williams, however, proceeded to run after Mr. West. Upon catching up to him, he stabbed Mr. West once in the chest. Mr. West ran back across the street, into Oxon Hill, and collapsed inside a liquor store. He died about two hours later.
Williams fled the scene on foot and was arrested on Oct. 18, 2010. At the time of the murder, the defendant, a previously convicted felon, had a pending misdemeanor case for which he had been released on bond. He has been held without bond since his October 2010 arrest.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended those who worked on the case from the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department and the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialist Josh Ellen, Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman, who prosecuted the matter.
13-413Former Medical Doctor Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Minors in KenyaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former medical doctor was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Kenya, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., and Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
John D. Ott, 68, pled guilty in May 2013 before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. Upon completion of his prison term, Ott will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to filed court documents and proceedings, Ott was a former medical doctor who worked for non-governmental organizations and hospitals in Kenya. Court records show that Ott also started an orphanage in Kenya. Ott admitted that between approximately January 2004 and September 2012, he engaged in illicit sexual conduct in Muhuru Bay, Sori and Kendu Bay, Kenya, with at least 14 minors, who ranged in age from approximately nine to 17 years old when the illicit sexual conduct began. Ott admitted that he frequently paid for schooling and provided other financial support, including housing, for minors with whom he engaged in illicit conduct.
Ott has been in federal custody since he was arrested in December 2012, following his deportation from Tanzania.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Keith A. Becker of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Significant assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs as well as by personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
13-411Three Area Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Series of Violent RobberiesGroup Targeted Victims in Adams Morgan and Near Metro Stations, Sold Stolen Phones to Eco-ATM Machines for ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men, all from the Washington D.C. area, were sentenced today to prison terms for multiple robberies and other crimes committed in a series of attacks on city streets and at a Metro station, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The men - Anthony J. Doggett, 21, Desean Floyd, 19, and Dominique C. Jones, 20 – pled guilty to conspiracy, robbery, and other charges in September 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Stuart G. Nash. Doggett was sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison. Floyd was sentenced to eight years of incarceration, and Jones was sentenced to a seven-year prison term. Upon completion of their prison terms, the men will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Doggett, Floyd and Jones admitted actively participating in a group that committed crimes in the Adams Morgan, L’Enfant Plaza, and Stadium Armory areas. Since at least Jan. 1, 2013, the group’s members canvassed the areas looking for targets of opportunity and teamed up to rob their victims. Members went out in groups of two or more and looked for potential victims who might have expensive cell phones, such as iPhone5s, or other property of value. The men would then work together as a team to steal the property. When they encountered resistance, the men assaulted the victims until someone in the group escaped with the property. The defendants sold stolen phones for a profit, on the street or to an Eco-ATM machine, and split the proceeds.
Doggett, of Suitland, Md., pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy, robbery, attempted robbery, accessory after the fact to armed robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and contempt. Floyd, of Oxon Hill, Md., pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy, robbery, attempted robbery, accessory after the fact to armed robbery, and attempted perjury. Jones, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy, robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted robbery.
As part of their plea agreements, the defendants admitted participating in various crimes, including these incidents:
-Jan. 20, 2013: Robbery in the 1400 Block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Jones admitted to taking part in the robbery of a woman during the late morning hours in the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. As the victim was about to get into her car, Jones and another individual approached and cornered her. They then demanded that she give them her purse and her car keys. The woman did so against her will, and Jones and the other individual then fled with her property. About a week later, Doggett and another individual returned to the area with the woman’s stolen car keys and stole her car.
Jones pled guilty to attempted robbery and Doggett pled guilty to unauthorized use of a vehicle for their roles in these crimes.
-Feb. 3, 2013: Robbery in the 1300 Block of Q Street NW
Doggett and Floyd admitted to taking part in the robbery of a man in the 1300 Block of Q Street NW. As the victim was walking down the street, Doggett, Floyd and another individual decided to rob him. The defendants approached the victim and began to assault him, causing him to fall to the ground. When the victim attempted to defend himself, the defendants repeatedly punched him in his head and body. They then took the victim’s iPhone and wallet and fled the scene. Doggett sold the stolen iPhone to an Eco-ATM machine at the Pentagon City Mall and received $300 for the phone. The defendants split the proceeds from the sale of the stolen phone.
Doggett and Floyd each pled guilty to robbery for their roles in this crime.
-Feb. 5, 2013: Armed Robbery at 19th Street and Constitution Avenue NE
Doggett, Floyd, and Jones admitted to taking part in crimes related to the armed robberies of multiple victims at 19th Street and Constitution Avenue NE. Jones and another individual went out into the street with a gun at about 8 p.m. and began to look for targets they could rob. They observed a young couple walking down the street. Jones and the other individual held the young couple at gunpoint, ordering them to get down on their knees and to surrender their property. A third victim was walking down the street and walked into this armed robbery-in-progress. Jones and the other individual robbed the third victim at gunpoint as well. Jones and the other individual then fled the scene with the property of the three victims.
Jones and the other individual went to a nearby abandoned house, where they met Doggett and Floyd. Jones told Doggett and Floyd that they had just committed an armed robbery. Doggett and Floyd then began to help Jones and the other individual “wipe” the stolen phones, meaning that they cleared the personal settings on the phones and set the phones back to factory settings. Doggett and Floyd also served as look-outs to see whether the police were following them. Doggett and Floyd did this in order to prevent the arrest of Jones and the other individual and ensure that the police would be unable to track the stolen property.
Jones pled guilty to robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and Doggett and Floyd each pled guilty to accessory after the fact to armed robbery for their roles in these crimes.
-Feb. 10, 2013: Robbery at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station
Doggett and Floyd admitted to taking part in an early-morning robbery at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station, located at 600 Maryland Avenue SW. The men saw the victim, who was on the platform waiting for the Metro and looking at his iPhone, which he held in his hand. The men decided to steal the phone from the victim. One of the men snatched the phone out of the victim’s hands, while others intentionally got in his way. When the victim attempted to follow them, a third individual began to punch him. Doggett later sold the victim’s stolen iPhone to an Eco-ATM machine at the Pentagon City Mall and received $300 for the phone. Doggett, Floyd and the third individual split the proceeds from the sale of the stolen phone.
Doggett and Floyd pled guilty to attempted robbery for their role in this crime.
-Feb. 10, 2013: Contempt of Court
Doggett was under court order to observe a 24-hour home confinement on Feb. 10, 2013. On that same date, he intentionally left his home to commit the above robbery at L’Enfant Plaza, and then traveled to Virginia to sell the stolen phone to an Eco-ATM machine. Doggett pled guilty to contempt of court for his role in this crime.
-March 14, 2013: Perjury
Floyd testified before a grand jury of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on March 14, 2013. He took an oath that he would testify truthfully. Floyd willfully and knowingly testified about matters which were not true and which he knew or believed to be false, including that he denied knowing about particular crimes in which he was involved and denied knowing one of his co-conspirators. Floyd pled guilty to attempted perjury for his role in this crime.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier commended the work of the officers, detectives and crime scene technicians who worked on the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Metro Transit Police Department, which assisted in the investigation. Finally, they praised the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Pozos, who prosecuted the matter.
13-410District Man Found Guilty of Manslaughter in Stabbing Death of Fellow Marine-Attack Took Place in April 2012 in Southwest Washington-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Poth, 22, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of manslaughter while armed in the fatal stabbing of a fellow U.S. Marine Corps enlistee, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Poth was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7, 2014. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 60 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Poth and the victim, Philip Bushong, 24, were active duty U.S. Marine Corps enlistees. At the time of the incident, the defendant was a private first class and was assigned to the Marine Barracks Washington, while the victim, a lance corporal, was a few days away from receiving an honorable discharge and was in the District of Columbia visiting friends. The men did not know one another. In the early morning hours of April 21, 2012, both were in the area near the 700 block of Eighth Street SE, near the Marine Barracks. Multiple bars and restaurants are in the area.
Poth walked by Lance Cpl. Bushong, who was with a group of friends. Shortly after he passed by the group, Lance Cpl. Bushong yelled something at the defendant. Poth took offense, took out a small pocket knife from his pocket, and waved it in the air toward Lance Cpl. Bushong and his group of friends. Poth also muttered out loud that he was going to “cut someone’s (expletive) lungs out.”
About 10 minutes later, Poth, after circling the block, aggressively walked toward Lance Cpl. Bushong, who was still in the area talking to a friend. Poth walked up to Lance Cpl. Bushong, uttered an anti-gay slur, and then kept walking. Lance Cpl. Bushong proceeded to follow Poth, and the two began to argue. As Lance Cpl. Bushong drew back his fist to punch Poth, Poth stated, “I’m going to stab you.” He then drew his knife and stabbed Lance Cpl. Bushong once in chest. Lance Cpl. Bushong died about two hours later.
“Today a District of Columbia jury held Michael Poth accountable for stabbing a fellow Marine to death on a public street near their barracks,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Their guilty verdict makes clear that our community will not tolerate the deadly violence that so often arises from petty disputes. We hope that this decision brings some measure of comfort to the family and friends of the young Marine killed that night.”
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and thanked the U.S. Marine Corps for their cooperation. He also expressed appreciation for the work of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In addition, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane and Alesha Matthews; Victim/Witness Advocate Tamara Ince; David Foster, Katina Adams-Washington, and La June Thames, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Litigation Technology Specialists Will Henderson and Paul Howell. Finally, he praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman, who prosecuted the case.
13-409District Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Federal Narcotics ChargesDefendant Fled Area After Pleading Guilty to Crimes in 2009; Later Captured by the U.S. Marshals ServiceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deandre Kelly, 31, formerly of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on federal narcotics charges, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Mark A. Magaw, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Kelly pled guilty in July 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges filed in two separate cases. In one, he pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP. In the other, he pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. While awaiting sentencing and other hearings in that case, Kelly disappeared. A warrant was issued for his arrest in September 2009 after he failed to appear for a court hearing.
Kelly remained a fugitive until Jan. 22, 2011, when he was arrested in Garrett County, Md., after leading police on a high-speed car chase. During that chase, he lost control of a vehicle several times, striking a guardrail and a bridge pillar, before ultimately becoming disabled in a snow embankment. Law enforcement discovered marijuana and a loaded firearm in the vehicle, and Kelly was arrested. However, the following evening, he made an armed escape from the Garrett County Detention Center, aided by associates waiting for him in the parking lot.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Kelly on May 13, 2011 in Lynchburg, Va., and he has been in custody ever since. The actions in Maryland remain under investigation.
The 15-year sentence, imposed Nov. 14, 2013 by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, was made public by the Court this week. The sentence was for the earlier drug offenses, involving crimes in the District of Columbia and Maryland. One case involved a search of Kelly’s residence in February 2009 that led to the recovery of PCP, a revolver and ammunition. As part of his plea, Kelly admitted to possessing the narcotics, firearm and ammunition, and to conspiring with others to distribute PCP. The second case, transferred to the District of Columbia from Maryland, involved the recovery of crack cocaine from Kelly’s vehicle following a traffic stop in Prince George’s County in July 2008.
Kelly has three previous convictions involving narcotics, as well as a conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Chief Lanier and Chief Magaw commended the work of those who investigated the drug offenses for the MPD and Prince George’s County Police Department. They also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Marshals Service for its work in locating and arresting the defendant, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for its work on the case. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen A. Connolly and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Costello, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-408Former Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $5.1 Million from Non-ProfitMoney Stolen over Eight-Year Period; Non-Profit Alerted Authorities Upon Discovery of the SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ephonia M. Green, 44, of Upper Marlboro, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from her embezzlement of more than $5 million from her former employer, the Association of American Medical Colleges, a non-profit corporation.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Green pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions. The Honorable Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for Feb. 28, 2014.
As part of the plea agreement, Green agreed to criminal forfeiture and restitution in the amount of roughly $5.1 million. Under the voluntary federal sentencing guidelines, she faces between 41 and 51 months of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, from Jan. 5, 1998, through July 15, 2013, Green was employed by the Association of American Medical Colleges as an administrative assistant. The association, located in Washington, D.C., represents all of the accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada and is responsible for administering the Medical College Admission Test or MCAT.
Green’s duties included processing invoices from the association’s vendors. Separately, Green owned a bridal shop in Upper Marlboro, Md. that conducted business under the name Fabulous Concepts Inc. or FCI.
From July 15, 2005, through July 1, 2013, Green created and submitted false invoices to the Association of American Medical Colleges in the name of three entities – The Brookings Institution, FCI, and the University Health System Consortium, also known as UHC. In doing so, she was seeking payment for services that were never provided and without the association’s knowledge that Green would be the actual recipient of the payments.
Through this fraudulent scheme, Green embezzled approximately $5.1 million from her employer. Although the association received federal program funds each calendar year, none of the money that was embezzled came from federal program funds.
The Brookings Institution is a private, non-profit policy organization based in Washington, D.C., and UHC is an alliance of academic medical centers and hospitals. Green is not affiliated with either entity. Green’s bridal shop, FCI, was never entitled to receive any money from the association. For the false invoices in the name of The Brookings Institution and UHC, Green registered similar trade names with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and then opened bank accounts in those names.
“This part-time wedding planner created bogus businesses and phony bank accounts to defraud her nonprofit employer out of more than $5 million,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Her lucrative and long-running scheme came crashing down when her employer discovered her deception and informed law enforcement. She now faces years in prison as a result of the millions she stole for her own self-indulgence that were initially intended to benefit educational programs.”
“Today, Ms. Green admitted her participation in a scheme to defraud her employer for her own personal gain,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “The FBI remains committed to investigating those who hide behind financial fraud schemes and to working to protect employers from the damages caused by these deceptive scams.”
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave thanked the Association of American Medical Colleges for promptly reporting its discovery of the embezzlement to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in July 2013, and for its full cooperation with the investigation that followed. U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave also commended the investigative work of agents and analysts of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Finally, they praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman, Deputy U.S. Marshal Wayne Rollock, Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui, who is working on forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Johnson, who is prosecuting the case.
13-407District Woman Indicted for First-Degree Murder While Armed in March 2013 Slaying of Her Husband-Shooting Took Place at Couple’s Apartment-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Diana Lalchan, 28, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for the slaying earlier this year of her husband, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
A grand jury returned the indictment on Nov. 21, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Lalchan pled not guilty to the charges at her arraignment today. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck has set a trial date of March 3, 2014. If convicted, Lalchan faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 28, 2013, at approximately 12:05 a.m., Lalchan called 911 and reported that she had just shot her husband inside their apartment in the 1200 block of Fourth Street SW. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene and found her inside the apartment, holding a cell phone. Police found her husband, Christopher Lalchan, 36, lying on the floor, unconscious and unresponsive. Mr. Lalchan was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head. The defendant was placed under arrest. A search of the residence revealed a semi-automatic handgun and three shell casings on the floor.
Lalchan had been married to Mr. Lalchan since October of 2008. After the shooting, Lalchan told police that her husband had asked her to come home on the evening of March 27, 2013, so that the two could have a meeting regarding their marriage. After having dinner, Lalchan said that an argument ensued that escalated and de-escalated for several hours. Ultimately, according to the government’s evidence, she fired three shots at Mr. Lalchan. According to the forensic evidence, the first shot was fired into the kitchen. The second shot was fired into the back of Mr. Lalchan’s head. A third shot was fired next to his head.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the MPD detectives and officers who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Mia Beamon; Criminal Investigators Nelson Rhone, John Marsh, and Tommy Miller; Victim/Witness Advocates Tamara Ince and Marcia Rinker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Wright, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-403District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting 8-Year-Old Girl-Victim Immediately Came Forward-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 38-year-old man from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to eight years in prison on a charge that stemmed from his sexual abuse of an eight-year-old girl at whose home he was staying temporarily, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim and her family, pled guilty in July 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree child sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson. In addition to the prison term, the defendant will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He already was a convicted sex offender, having been previously convicted of the misdemeanor sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in 2001.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant was a trusted family friend, who frequently stayed overnight in the victim’s home in Southeast Washington. On June 20, 2013, while the girl’s mother was asleep in another room, he was alone with the victim, and used the opportunity to sexually assault her. The victim immediately ran to her mother and disclosed the abuse.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigations Division. He also acknowledged the work of the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Children’s National Medical Center, which provided critical services to the victim. In addition, he praised the efforts of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Child Forensic Interview Specialist Karen Giannakoulias and Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Heide L. Herrmann, who prosecuted the matter.
13-405District Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Sexual Assault-Defendant Sexually Assaulted Woman, Then Threw Her Down the Steps-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cornell “Man” Shumate, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 6 ½ years in prison on charges stemming from the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman in March of 2012, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Shumate was found guilty in September 2013 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of charges of kidnapping, attempted sexual abuse, and assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson. Upon completion of his prison term, Shumate will be placed on five 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 evidence, in March 2012, the victim met Shumate’s friend and they exchanged phone numbers. A few days later, on March 25, 2012, the victim agreed to get together with Shumate’s friend. The friend brought the victim to Shumate’s house in Northeast Washington, and they, along with several others, drank and had casual conversation.
Unbeknownst to the victim, Shumate and his friend were using her as part of a game to see if they could get a woman to have sex with every man in the apartment. After a night of drinking and socializing, the victim had consensual sex with Shumate’s friend in the apartment. After she rejected the defendant, he pushed her into his bedroom, locked the door and started to rape her. After she was able to get away, he threw her out of the apartment and down two flights of stairs. The victim reported the assault immediately and Shumate was apprehended that night.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also praised those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, and Litigation Technology Specialist Kimberly Smith. Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy H. Zubrensky, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
13-404District Man Sentenced to 24-Year Prison Term for Kidnapping Two Men and Assaulting A Police Officer-Armed Attacks Occurred Early Christmas Morning-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Paul Smith, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 24 years for kidnapping two men and assaulting a police officer last Christmas morning, all while armed, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Smith pled guilty in September 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of kidnapping while armed, assaulting, resisting, or interfering with a police officer, and a firearms offense. He was sentenced by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Smith will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 25, 2012, at approximately 1 a.m., Smith approached three men who were traveling in a vehicle near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Sumner Road SE. He asked them for a ride home, and directed them to a building on Chesapeake Street SE.
Once at the building, Smith pulled out a firearm and ordered the men out of the vehicle. One ran away. Smith pointed a gun at the two others and demanded their money. The victims emptied their pockets, and one had an ATM card. Smith ordered the men back into the vehicle at gunpoint, and directed them to drive to a bank in the 4100 block of South Capitol Street SE.
Once they arrived at the bank, Smith ordered one of the men to go to the ATM, withdraw money, and give him the money. While this victim was at the ATM, Smith pointed the firearm at the second man, who remained in the vehicle. Once the victim returned from the ATM and handed Smith $300, an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) pulled up. The two victims told the officer that Smith was robbing them.
The officer ordered Smith to drop his gun. Instead, Smith pointed his gun at the officer, and told the officer “No you drop your gun!” Smith then ran away, and the officer followed, ordering him to stop and drop his weapon. Smith refused to comply with the officer’s demands, and continued to run away towards Chesapeake Street SE. While on Chesapeake Street SE, Smith pointed the firearm at the officer. The officer discharged his firearm, striking Smith twice.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lynette Briggs; Litigation Support Specialists William Henderson, Paul Howell, and Kimberly Smith, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Demian S. Ahn, who investigated the case, and Kendra Briggs, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
13-406Hungarian Woman Sentenced to One Year in PrisonFor Her Role in International Internet-Based Fraud Scheme-Defendant Was Part of A Ring That Tricked People into Thinking They Were Buying Cars, Trucks, and Motor Homes -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Beata Edina Wagnerne Abonyi, 55, of Budapest, Hungary, has been sentenced to a year in prison on a federal charge stemming from her participation in an international Internet-based fraud scheme that obtained more than $350,000 from people who thought they were buying cars, trucks, and motor homes.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Niall Meehan, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Abonyi pled guilty on Aug. 28, 2013 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and false use of a passport. She was sentenced on Nov. 19, 2013, by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. The judge also ordered Abonyi to pay $355,107 in restitution and ordered her to forfeit $1,245 in U.S. currency and a $395,485 money judgment, which represents the proceeds she obtained through the scheme. Upon completion of her prison term, Abonyi will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to a statement of offense signed by the defendant, Abonyi and others conspired to carry out the scheme from on or about late February 2013 through the beginning of May 2013. Members of the conspiracy falsely advertised and purported to sell motor vehicles, trucks, and motor homes on websites, targeting buyers located mainly in the United States. With assistance from her co-conspirators, Abonyi used false passports and false driver’s licenses to open bank accounts at four different financial institutions in Virginia. During the course of the scheme, Abonyi came to understand that buyers were being induced to wire money and funds into these accounts for the intended purpose of purchasing the vehicles. She fraudulently withdrew funds from the accounts before the buyers, financial institutions, and law enforcement detected the scheme. Abonyi then wired the falsely obtained funds to co-conspirators here in the United States and overseas. Abonyi admitted that the bank accounts she fraudulently opened received over $350,000 from victims.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Meehan praised those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. They also commended the efforts of Paralegal Specialists Lenisse Edloe, Tasha Harris, and C. Rosalind Pressley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael K. Atkinson and Diane Lucas, who prosecuted the case.
13-402Congressman Trey Radel Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Drug Charge-Admits Purchasing Drugs from Undercover Officer-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congressman Trey Radel, 37, pled guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a misdemeanor charge of possession of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Radel, who represents the 19th Congressional District of Florida, appeared before the Honorable Senior Judge Robert S. Tignor. As a first-time offender, Radel was able to ask the Court, under District of Columbia law, to defer entering a judgment of guilty and place him on probation. Judge Tignor placed Radel on one year of probation. If the probation is successfully completed, the Court could then dismiss the case without an adjudication of guilt.
According to a statement of offense submitted as part of the plea, Radel came to the attention of the FBI and DEA in the fall of 2013, during an investigation into cocaine trafficking in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Agents learned that Radel would purchase cocaine for his personal use and sometimes share it with others.
The statement of offense says that, on Oct. 29, 2013, Radel met with an undercover police officer at a restaurant in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C. At this time, Radel agreed to buy about 3.5 grams of cocaine from the undercover officer. He and the undercover officer went outside, and Radel handed over $260. The undercover officer provided Radel with a package of cocaine. Federal agents then approached Radel and the cocaine was recovered.
Radel agreed to speak with the agents about what had taken place and invited them to his apartment. There, he voluntarily admitted that he had purchased the cocaine. He also retrieved and provided to the agents a vial of cocaine that he had in his apartment.
“Today’s guilty plea emerges from a broader narcotics investigation that brought to light information that a sitting Member of Congress was routinely using and buying cocaine. Once this information was confirmed, law enforcement could not ignore this illegal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Mr. Radel’s guilty plea is similar to those entered every year by hundreds of other drug offenders in the District of Columbia who possess illegal narcotics. We appreciate his willingness to promptly accept responsibility for his conduct.”
“Today’s announcement demonstrates that illegal drugs continue to be present in our communities, and do not discriminate by age, gender, socio-economic group or profession,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our law enforcement partners at the DEA, the FBI remains focused on stopping the movement and sale of drugs on our neighborhood streets.”
“Drug traffickers and abusers respect no boundaries or limits and our neighborhoods and communities often pay the price,” said Special Agent in Charge Colder. “DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to relentlessly pursue these drug trafficking networks and their criminal associates at every level. They pose a direct threat to the safety and security of our community here in the D.C. metro area. We want young people to see the price people pay for drug abuse and trafficking in cases like this so they will resolve to live drug-free lives.”
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Colder commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the work of the Fairfax County, Va., Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Finally, they commended those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Jennifer Kerkhoff, who are prosecuting the matter.
13-40026 People Charged in Drug Conspiracy, Accused of Distributing Heroin, Cocaine and Marijuana-Drugs Trafficked from Texas to Washington, D.C. Area-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Seventeen people were arrested today following their indictments on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation by the FBI/Metropolitan Police Department Safe Streets Task Force into a network that trafficked heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from Texas to the Washington, D.C. area. The drugs were then distributed in the Washington, D.C. area.
In addition to the arrests today, in the Washington, D.C. area, two defendants already were in custody. Seven others were apprehended in McAllen, Texas on Nov. 18, 2013.
The arrests and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants are among those named in two indictments returned on Nov. 7, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictments, partially unsealed, charge the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Some of the defendants also are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both indictments also include a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds derived from the crimes, as well as assets used to commit the offenses. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD were joined in the law enforcement action this week by the FBI San Antonio Field Office’s McAllen Resident Agency; the U.S. Park Police; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department; the Hidalgo County, Texas Sheriff’s Office, and the San Juan, Texas Police Department.
A total of 17 locations and four vehicles locations were searched today in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Authorities seized 18 guns, heroin, PCP and cash.The indictments allege that the defendants conspired to carry out the drug operation from October 2012 through October of this year, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network allegedly operated in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Texas.
“These indictments were designed to dismantle a drug ring that trafficked heroin and cocaine from Texas into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to the more than 200 agents and officers whose courage today resulted in 17 arrests and the seizure of more than a dozen firearms and heroin and PCP. The District of Columbia is a safer place today with these guns and drugs off the street.”
“The arrests that were carried out this week in the Washington, D.C., region and in Texas once again show that we will not tolerate drug dealers who attempt to root their network within our communities and afflict our neighborhoods with their illegal trade,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI is focused on pursuing those who pose a threat to our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
“These are significant arrests, and the volume of drugs and weapons seized highlight the potentially devastating impact this criminal enterprise had on the D.C. metropolitan area and various communities across the country,” said Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department along with our local and federal law enforcement partners continue to work together to make our communities safer by locating and disrupting criminal organizations intent on wreaking havoc on our neighborhoods for their own personal gain. We are sending a message to criminals nationwide that we will find you and arrest you.”
A total of 12 men and five women were arrested in the area today.
Those arrested in the Washington, D.C. area include several members of one family: Juan Floyd, 45, of Temple Hills, Md., an alleged leader of the enterprise; his brother, John Floyd, 51, of Washington, D.C., and his daughter, Juanita N. Culbreth, 27, of Oxon Hill, Md.
Others arrested today include: Lisa Adona, 50, of Fort Washington, Md.; Rodney Kirk Carter, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Derek L. Gadsden, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Donald Johnson, 51, of Washington, D.C.; Mike Johnson, 30, of Deale, Md.; Albert P. Jones, 44, of Temple Hills, Md.; Vincent J. Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C.; Roxanne Matthews-Baker, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Maurice P. Mercer, 38, of Washington, D.C.; Lawrence E. Proctor, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Darnell S. Rogers, 50, of Fort Washington, Md.; Bruce Settles, 48, of Washington, D.C.; Delshawn A. Wrice, 53, of Washington, D.C., and Jeri Wright, 60, of Suitland, Md.
Jeffrey Coachman, 39, and Gary Price, 47, already were in custody.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.
This investigation also was sponsored and supported by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. They also expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the McAllen Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, for their assistance in the investigation.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal, Jeannette Litz, Reagan Gibson, Rommel Pachoca, Teesha Tobias, Kim Hall, Niya Attucks, and Mary Downing, and Legal Assistants Priscilla Hutson and Jessica Moffatt.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla-Dee Clark and Thomas A. Gillice, who are prosecuting the case; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, which is assisting with the forfeiture action, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Long-Doyle and Suzanne Clement Libby who assisted with the investigation and prosecution.
13-401Maryland Man Sentenced to 11 ½ Years in Prison for 2012 Shooting in Southeast Washington-He and Another Man Targeted Victims, Who Were in A Car-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Delonte Smith, 20, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced today to a prison term of 11 ½ years on charges stemming from a shooting that took place last year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Smith, also known as “Unc,” was found guilty in July 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of one count of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of simple assault. The verdicts followed a two-week trial. Smith was sentenced by the Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at about 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2012, Smith approached a vehicle that was parked in the 5000 block of H Street SE and told the man in the driver’s seat, Christopher Ballard, to get out. When Mr. Ballard refused, Smith tried to open the car door, which was locked. He then walked around the vehicle to the passenger’s side and told the woman in the front passenger’s seat to get out of the car.
In the meantime, Smith’s best friend and accomplice, Jeffrey Ray Tyson, 20, also known as “Baby Boy,” approached the driver’s side door and produced a handgun. Tyson tapped several times on the driver’s side window with the handgun and ordered Mr. Ballard out of the car. Mr. Ballard refused, put the car into drive, and attempted to drive away from the area. Tyson fired six shots at the vehicle, at least two of which hit the car. Although neither of the people in the car was hit, the two rounds that struck the vehicle were in the direction of the driver’s head. The car’s occupants flagged down patrol officers just a few blocks away.
Tyson died as the result of a homicide five days later, in an unrelated incident.
In a related matter, Smith’s brother, Antoine Mayhand, 28, was sentenced Nov. 15, 2013 to a five-year prison term for obstruction of justice. According to the government’s evidence, on May 28, 2013, Mayhand confronted Mr. Ballard in Southeast Washington and stated, “I should put a knife on you and stab you.” Mr. Ballard called 911 and got away unharmed. Mayhand was arrested on the day of the threat and has been in custody ever since.
On July 8, 2013, less than 48 hours before he was scheduled to testify in the trial against Smith, Mr. Ballard, 38, was murdered in Southeast Washington. The murder of Mr. Ballard remains under investigation and no arrests have been made.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed appreciation for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Tony Griffith; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Claudia Gutierrez; Victim/Witness Advocate Jim Brennan, Victim/Witness Supervisor Michael Hailey, Victim/Witness Security Specialist Tanya Via, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard E. DiZinno, who prosecuted the case.
13-399Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Pair of Robberies in Northwest Washington-Defendant Attacked Two Women from Behind-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raymond Jones, 23, has been sentenced to serve nine years and eight months in prison for a pair of robberies that targeted women in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Jones, whose last known address was in Prince George’s County, Md., pled guilty in July 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to robbery in one case and attempted robbery in the other. The Honorable Michael Ryan sentenced him on Nov. 15, 2013, to 17 years in prison for the crimes, but suspended some of that time on the condition that he successfully complete three years of supervised probation following his release from prison. Jones also must pay $610 in restitution to the victims.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 29, 2012, at about 6 p.m., Jones was seen pulling open a locked door to an apartment building in the 6100 block of 16th Street NW. He then attacked the victim as she walked through a fourth-floor hallway. He approached her from behind, put his right arm around her neck, and began choking her.
The victim fell and was pinned against the ground and the wall, while being choked by Jones, who then snatched her purse and an iPod from her hand. Believing that she would be killed, the victim reached back and pulled out one of Jones’s dreadlocks in the hopes that the police might find it and her attacker. Jones eventually released her and fled.
In the second attack, on Aug. 7, 2012, at 6:30 a.m., Jones accosted another woman as she walked to a bus stop in the 1500 block of Missouri Avenue NW. He struck the woman from behind, causing her to fall to the ground. Then he struggled with her, trying to wrestle away her purse. Jones then stole her purse and other items, which included a cell phone, cash, and earrings. The victim in this case suffered a fractured jaw. The injury required surgery and the victim’s jaw was shut for six weeks.
Jones previously was convicted of robbery in two other incidents, which took place in 2006 and 2007. Both times, he attacked victims from behind. During the investigation of the 2007 robbery, Jones admitted to police that he had carried out similar attacks.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the crimes from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Todd McClelland, Lynda Randolph, and Lynette Briggs; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Information Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith and Anisha Bhatia; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Adam Meinero, who investigated the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rickard, of the Appellate Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-397District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Pair of Violent Crimes in Northeast WashingtonDefendant Assaulted Man at Bus Stop; Weeks Later, He Forced His Way into an Apartment at GunpointRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Warren, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to six years in prison on charges stemming from an assault that took place in June 2013 and a home invasion that occurred several weeks later, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Warren pled guilty in September 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to first-degree burglary, carrying a pistol outside the home or place of business, and assault with significant bodily injury. He was sentenced on Nov. 15, 2013 by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Following his prison term, Warren will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the first crime took place about 3:20 a.m. on June 9, 2013, when Warren and two other men assaulted two people who were waiting at a bus stop in the 1900 block of West Virginia Avenue NE. While the assault was taking place, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) entered the block, and Warren and the others fled on foot. The officers caught Warren about a block away. Warren punched one of the victims during the attack. The victim suffered a fracture of the left orbital bone of his eye.
Following his arrest, Warren was placed on high-intensity release pending further court proceedings. He was on release on Aug. 1, 2013, when he staged the home invasion. That day, at about 10:30 a.m., Warren attacked a man as he was leaving an apartment in the 1600 block of Montello Avenue NE. The man had been visiting another man, still inside the apartment.
Warren, who was standing in the foyer with a handgun by his waist, ordered the man back into the apartment. Once inside, he pointed the gun at the man’s face, and demanded money. The man handed over some cash, but Warren demanded more.
At that point, Warren forced the man into a bedroom. The second victim, meanwhile, had been hiding in this room, and he had managed to call 911 to report the break-in. Warren encountered this man in the bedroom, and he forced both of the victims to sit on the bed. Warren’s cellphone then rang and the victims heard Warren talking to an unknown individual about the fact that the police were surrounding the premises. Warren put the gun in the waist of his pants and went out of the back door, only to be arrested by quick-responding officers from the MPD. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen recognized the outstanding efforts of the detectives and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as in both instances the quick actions of the first arriving officers were critical. He also acknowledged the efforts of Paralegal Specialist Todd McClelland. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ewing, who prosecuted the case.
13-398Maryland Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Obstruction of Justice-Defendant Threatened Witness in Confrontation on Street; Witness Was Murdered Weeks Later-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antoine Mayhand, 28, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced today to five years in prison for obstructing justice by confronting a witness in a criminal case that was pending at the time against his brother, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Mayhand was found guilty in September 2013 following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Stuart G. Nash. Upon completion of his prison term, Mayhand will be placed on three years of supervised release.
At trial, the government’s evidence established that on Dec. 11, 2012, Christopher Ballard reported to the police that two men had tried to steal his car and then, when he resisted, shot at him. Mr. Ballard informed the police that he knew one of the assailants as “Unc.” Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conducted an investigation, and Mr. Ballard identified a man named Delonte Smith as “Unc.”
As a result, on Jan. 30, 2013, Smith was arrested, charged with armed carjacking, and ordered held without bond pending trial. Smith and Mayhand are brothers. They grew up in and frequented the Benning Park area of Southeast Washington, which is where Mr. Ballard lived.
On May 28, 2013, at about 7:15 a.m., Mayhand encountered Mr. Ballard on Benning Road SE. Mayhand said, “I should put a knife on you and stab you!” Mr. Ballard called 911 and reported the threat while he walked up Benning Road to the Sixth District police station. During the following 17 minutes, Mr. Ballard stayed on the line with the dispatcher and Mayhand followed Mr. Ballard down the street. Moments before the police arrived on scene, Mayhand charged at Mr. Ballard as if he was going to assault him. When the police officers stopped Mayhand, and asked him what was going on, he responded, “Man, I don’t have time to f--- with that snitch!” He also told police that Mr. Ballard “got my brother locked up over some bull---.”
The criminal case against Mayhand stemmed from the May 28, 2013 confrontation. Mayhand has been in custody since his arrest that day.
On July 8, 2013, less than 48 hours before he was scheduled to testify in the trial against Delonte Smith, Mr. Ballard, 38, was murdered in Southeast Washington. Smith, 20, was nonetheless convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and multiple related firearms offenses. He is awaiting sentencing.
The murder of Mr. Ballard is under investigation and no arrests have been made.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen recognized the outstanding efforts of the detectives and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Anthony Griffith as well as Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Theresa Nelson. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Lallas, who prosecuted the case.
13-396District Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for 2010 Murder of His Mother and Assault on His Younger Brother-Jury Rejected Defendant’s Insanity Defense-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Christopher Martin, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 29 years in prison on charges stemming from the May 2010 murder of his mother and a subsequent attack on his brother, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Martin was found guilty in June 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a deadly weapon, and simple assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 20, 2010, Martin’s younger brother, Demetrius Martin, escaped from a second-floor window of a home in the 4200 block of Fourth Street SE. He alerted a neighbor that he had been beaten by his brother, Christopher, who had also stabbed their mother. When police finally gained entry to the locked apartment, they found the body of Patricia Ann Martin, 58, in an advanced stage of decomposition spurred on by the heat in the apartment and the fact that the defendant had covered her with multiple blankets.
Upon entering the apartment, it became apparent that Martin had attempted to conceal his crime from discovery by covering his mother’s body with cleanser and dryer sheets and using odor-eating gels, and various perfumes, room deodorizers and bleach to cover her scent. Later that day, when Martin was arrested, police discovered that he had a long, deep gash to the palm of his hand, consistent with his hand having slid down the blade of a knife.
At trial, the defendant proceeded on an insanity defense, calling experts to establish that because of mental illness, he lacked the substantial capacity to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law or lacked a substantial capacity to recognize the wrongfulness of his conduct. The government countered with experts to establish that, although the defendant does have a diagnosed mental illness (schizo-affective disorder), there was no evidence that his criminal conduct resulted from his mental illness. The jury found Martin guilty of all charges and rejected the defense of insanity.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also extended his appreciation to Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews Yette, Sandra Lane, Fern Rhedrick and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, and Litigation Technology Specialists Jeanie Latimore-Brown, Kimberly Smith, and Paul Howell. He also expressed thanks for the assistance provided by Patricia A. Riley, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kennedy. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vinét Bryant, who indicted the case and prosecuted the case at trial.
13-395Two District Men Plead Guilty to 2011 Murder of Retired Vietnam Veteran in Southeast Washington-Victim, 71, Was Slain in His Apartment After Trying to Protect His Wife-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON- James Brewer, 27, and Stephen Page, 20, of Washington, D.C., have pled guilty to charges of second-degree murder while armed in the 2011 slaying of a 71-year-old man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Both men entered the guilty pleas on Nov. 13, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2014.
According to a proffer of facts presented during the plea hearing, on June 27, 2011, at about 9:15 p.m., Brewer, Page, Anthony Thomas, and a fourth man walked into an apartment building in the 2300 block of Good Hope Road SE. They entered the front lobby and gathered at the elevator. Then they took the elevator to the seventh floor.
Minutes later, Brewer, Page and Thomas entered the apartment of Solomon Reese, 71, a Vietnam veteran who supplemented his retirement income by selling cigarettes to neighbors in the area. Mr. Reese was known by many neighbors as the “cigarette man.”
While the men were inside, Mr. Reese’s wife, meanwhile, returned to the apartment from the building’s trash room. Upon hearing scuffling, she began to scream. At that point, Brewer pulled her inside the apartment and threw her toward the front room sofa. Then, as she continued to scream, Thomas placed a blanket over her mouth. Mr. Reese, who initially struggled with Page over a pistol that Page was holding, grabbed Thomas. Page warned him to let go. Then, when Mr. Reese reached into his pocket, Page shot him several times.
Brewer, Page and Thomas left the apartment, taking two bags containing cigarettes and travelers’ checks. Mr. Reese was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. He had been shot multiple times, with bullets hitting him in the chest, abdomen and thigh.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) obtained surveillance video showing Brewer, Page, Thomas, and the fourth man entering the building and getting onto the elevator. Footage from approximately seven minutes later showed Brewer, Page and Thomas moving quickly out of the stairwell on the basement level, with Brewer carrying two bags.
On July 14, 2011, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Brewer in Newport News, Va., and transported him to the District of Columbia for presentment on a charge of first-degree murder while armed. While awaiting presentment in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Brewer switched armbands with another arrestee and pretended to be that person. He then signed release papers under that arrestee’s name and left the courthouse. Marshals discovered the ruse and searched for Brewer, who surrendered the following day.
Thomas, 25, earlier pled guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed and is awaiting sentencing.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the MPD detectives,
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officers, crime scene technicians, and forensic specialists who worked on the case. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. In addition, he praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews Yette; Litigation Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith, Leif Hickling, and Joshua Ellen; Jelahn Stewart, chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Victim/Witness staff members Maria Shumar, Marcia Rinker, Michael Hailey, Katina Adams-Washington, M. Laverne Forrest, Tanya Via, and David Foster. Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Wheeler, and Scott Sroka, who secured the indictment in the case and handled the prosecution which led to the plea.Former MPD Officer Found Guilty of Felony Charges for Sexually Abusing 11-Year-Old Girl-Victim Came Forward Years Later-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Wendel Palmer, 45, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was found guilty today of sexually abusing a child on numerous occasions between 2004 and 2006, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Palmer was found guilty by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of three counts of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, two counts of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and two counts of enticing a child with aggravating circumstances. The Honorable J. Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Jan. 31, 2014.
According to the government’s evidence, at the time of the offenses, Palmer was an MPD officer who was also the youth choir director at the Bethuel Temple Church of Christ Apostolic, Inc., in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Avenue SE. The defendant’s family founded and operated the church. The victim’s family belonged to the church, and the victim was a member of the choir. The abuse began when the victim was 10 or 11 years old, and occurred at the defendant’s home in Maryland, at the church during breaks in choir rehearsals, and at other locations in the District of Columbia and in Maryland. The victim was afraid to report the abuse while it was occurring, in part because the defendant was a police officer. The victim reported the abuse in 2012, after she turned 18.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division and Mobile Crime Division. He also expressed appreciation for the work of Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel and Kristy Penny, and the Litigation Support Staff. Lastly, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Zubrensky, who investigated, indicted and tried the case, and Sarah McClellan, who also investigated the case.
13-394Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud InvestorsOver 100 Investors Lost More Than $11 MillionRead the Press Release
ORLANDO, FLA. - Damien L. Bromfield, 37, of Ocoee, Fla., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from his role in an investment fraud scheme in which more than 100 investors lost over $11 million, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Office of IRS- Criminal Investigation.
Bromfield pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. No sentencing date was set.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and financial penalties. The parties agreed that, under the federal sentencing guidelines, Bromfield faces a range of between 78 and 188 months in prison and a fine of between $12,500 and $175,000. He also will be required to pay restitution to the investors of between $6,752,000 and $8,541,102.
“This defendant used fraud and deception to trick more than 100 people into investing in a fund they believed was financially sound,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “His conduct led to millions in losses and now he himself is paying the price with a criminal prosecution. This case demonstrates the resolve of law enforcement to hold fraudsters accountable for carrying out such investment schemes.”
“Illegal activity involving the investment industry has brought financial ruin to many Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Robnett. “IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously pursue corporate officers who victimize their investors and violate the public trust.”
According to facts presented to the Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ephraim (Fry) Wernick, who is designated to prosecute the case as a Special Attorney in the Middle District of Florida, Bromfield worked between January 2007 and September 2008 as the director of operations for Capital Blu Management, LLC, a Florida corporation that purported to offer investment and managed account services for investors in the off-exchange foreign currency, or “forex,” marketplace. He partnered with two others to operate Capital Blu Management: one as the director of trading operations, and the other as the managing member primarily responsible for soliciting investors.
In or about September 2007, Bromfield and the two other men formed the CBM FX Fund, LP, which pooled investors’ money into a common fund to be traded by Capital Blu Management. Investors, who resided both inside and outside of Florida, were induced to invest in the CBM FX Fund based, among other things, on the Capital Blu Management and CBM FX Fund’s advertised trading results, which posted only positive monthly returns.
In or about January 2008, Bromfield and his two partners knew that the CBM FX Fund sustained significant trading losses, and that the CBM FX Fund had lost approximately 30 percent of its value by the end of that month. At or about that time, Bromfield and his two partners agreed and conspired to post a positive monthly return to the CBM FX Fund’s investors for the month of January 2008. The positive performance results were provided to the CBM FX Fund’s investors on Capital Blu Management’s website, via email, and U.S. mail.
Although Bromfield and his two co-conspirators knew that performance numbers were false, they hoped that Capital Blu Management would make up the losses to the CBM FX Fund, which the three co-conspirators referred to as, the “gap,” through better trading performance in the future. Bromfield and his two co-conspirators also knew that if they reported the losses to the investors, then the investors would have removed their money from the CBM FX Fund. Bromfield and his co-conspirators agreed upon a gap catch-up plan which included “keep[ing] the upcoming performance numbers as low as possible, but still enough to achieve confidence in our client base and future client base.”
Between January and August 2008, Bromfield and his co-conspirators implemented their gap catch-up plan, but failed to make up the losses to the CBM FX Fund. During this time, Bromfield and his co-conspirators continued to provide investors with false monthly performance statements which reported only false positive monthly returns. In addition, during this time, Bromfield and his co-conspirators diverted investors’ money from the CBM FX Fund to pay for Capital Blu Management’s operational expenses. These expenses included, among other things, salaries of approximately $15,000 per month for Bromfield and his co-conspirators, thousands of dollars per month for their luxury car payments, and over $50,000 per month for their use and partial ownership of a private airplane. Bromfield and his co-conspirators also agreed to divert new investors’ funds from the CBM FX Fund to pay redemptions to other investors in order to conceal their fraudulent misrepresentations to investors about the value of their investments.
In or about August 2008, the CBM FX Fund sustained losses of approximately $4 million. Nevertheless, Capital Blu Management again reported a positive monthly return to investors for that month. Soon thereafter, the National Futures Association, an independent self-regulatory organization that oversees commodities and futures trading in the United States, visited Capital Blu Management and suspended the company’s trading operations. Between August 2007 and September 2008, over 100 investors invested approximately $16.6 million into the CBM FX Fund. By September 2008, the investors had lost a total of about $11.8 million.
As part of his plea agreement, Bromfield acknowledged that, after Capital Blu Management’s demise, he started another forex investment company and he accessed and traded approximately $200,000 of investors’ money from Capital Blu Management’s bank accounts. Bromfield also acknowledged that, between 2007 and 2009, he made false statements to law enforcement agents who were investigating Capital Blu Management and he and his co-conspirators. Finally, Bromfield acknowledged that he lied and committed perjury during civil proceedings which were initiated against Capital Blu Management, Bromfield, and his co-conspirators, by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission in 2010 and 2011.
This case was transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia from the Middle District of Florida. The investigation is continuing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Special Agent in Charge Robnett commended the work of the task force consisting of agents from the IRS- Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Brevard County Sherriff’s Office, which investigated the criminal case. They also expressed appreciation for the work of the agents from the National Futures Association and attorneys from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission who litigated the civil action. In addition, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Diane Hayes and Corinne Kleinman, Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence, Auditor Crystal Boodoo, and Information Technology Specialist Thomas (Ron) Royal.
Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Hooks and Ephraim (Fry) Wernick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They were designated as Special Attorneys in the Middle District of Florida, and are prosecuting the case. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine K. Connelly and Anthony Saler, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
13-393Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A MinorAnd Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomas DeGrange, 27, formerly of Frederick, Md., pled guilty today to federal charges of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
DeGrange pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for Feb. 13, 2014. DeGrange faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct and a maximum of 20 years for possession of child pornography, as well as potential fines.
According to the government's evidence, on May 3, 2013, DeGrange began a series of online communications with a man who he believed had a sexual interest in children. The man was actually an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, posing as the father of an under-aged girl. Over the next several days, DeGrange expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with the undercover officer’s purported daughter. DeGrange also sent the undercover officer several images depicting child pornography. On May 7, 2013, DeGrange traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. When he arrived, he was arrested.
A search by law enforcement of the defendant’s home led to the discovery of a computer containing two videos depicting child pornography, 23 images depicting child pornography and other evidence of child pornography.
The defendant’s plea agreement resolved other potential federal charges in the District of Columbia and the District of Maryland.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agent of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who prosecuted the case.
13-389Iowa Man Sentenced to 10-Year Prison Term for Possession of Child Pornography-Defendant Was A Registered Sex Offender at Time of Offense-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nicholas Michael Jackson, 36, of Boone, Iowa, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pled guilty in March 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Upon completion of his prison term, Jackson will be placed on 20 years of supervised release, with conditions including restrictions on Internet and computer use and contact with minors. Jackson also will be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 7, 2011, Jackson communicated with a man he believed to have access to child pornography. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. That day, Jackson shared about 20 images of child pornography with the undercover officer in exchange for a promise that the undercover officer would share pornographic images in return, via a live webcam, of an adolescent girl. No such webcam session occurred and law enforcement arrested Jackson the following day.
Upon execution of a search warrant on Jackson’s residence, law enforcement recovered a computer and external storage device containing nearly 100 images of child pornography.
At the time of his arrest, Jackson was a registered sex offender in Iowa. He was convicted in Iowa in 2002 of three counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.
The defendant’s plea agreement resolved other potential federal charges in the District of Columbia and the Southern District of Iowa.
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. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute those who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the MPD Detectives and the Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the FBI’s Omaha Field Office, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations, the Boone, Iowa Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, David Last, and Amy Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.
13-390Former Executive Director of Public Charter School Pleads Guilty to Stealing $29,000 in Funds-Defendant Wrote Series of Checks for Personal Benefit-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Monique S. Murdock, 44, the former executive director of Nia Community Public Charter School, pled guilty today to a federal theft charge stemming from the embezzlement of $29,000 in funds meant for the school.
As part of her guilty plea, Murdock also admitted making unauthorized purchases with a government-issued purchase card while she worked for another employer in Virginia.
The guilty plea was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Dana J. Boente, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Charles J. Willoughby, Inspector General for the District of Columbia; Steven Anderson, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education, and Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
Murdock, of Fort Washington, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of theft from a program receiving federal funds. The Honorable Richard J. Leon scheduled sentencing for Feb. 26, 2014. Under the plea agreement, Murdock must pay criminal forfeiture and restitution. Under the voluntary federal sentencing guidelines, she faces six to 12 months of incarceration.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Murdock was a co-founder of Nia Community Public Charter School and its executive director from June 2006 through October 2008. As the executive director of the Northeast Washington school, she had the primary responsibility of overseeing its fiscal management.
Public charter schools are independently-operated public schools that are open to all District of Columbia residents. Enrollment is on a space-available basis. Public charter schools receive public funds based on the number of students they enroll. Nia Community Public Charter School, for example, received funding through the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board as well as through the U.S. Department of Education.
Between July 2006 and August 2008, the school received more than $3.3 million from the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board. The school also received more than $548,000 from the U.S. Department of Education during the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years.
From March 2008 through August 2008, Murdock signed five checks on the school’s account, totaling $29,000, and converted them to her own personal use and benefit.
The theft charge involved the money stolen from the charter school.
The guilty plea also resolves a criminal investigation in Virginia. After separating from the school, Murdock was hired in August 2009 as a Child Youth and School Services Assistant Director by the Cody Development Center in Fort Myer, Va. In this position, she was provided with a government purchase card that was to be used for buying work-related items.
As part of her plea, Murdock admitted that from February 2012 through December 2012 while employed by the Cody Development Center, she used her government purchase card to make $11,773 in unauthorized gift card purchases.
Murdock has agreed to pay $29,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Education and another $11,773 to the U.S. Department of Defense.
The theft from Nia Community Public Charter School was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General. The activities at the Cody Development Center were investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Acting U.S. Attorney Boente, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Inspector General Willoughby, and Special Agent in Charge Anderson, and Special Agent in Charge Craig commended the work of those who investigated the matters. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham and Diane Hayes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who assisted with forfeiture issues. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lionel André, who is prosecuting the case.
13-391Maryland Man Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Robbery and Assault of Woman in Northwest Washington-Victim Suffered A Traumatic Brain Injury in the Attack-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derius Pierre, 20, of Cheverly, Md., has been sentenced to a 20-month prison term for assaulting a woman during a robbery last year in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Pierre pled guilty in September 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of aggravated assault and attempted robbery. He was sentenced on Nov. 7, 2013 by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Pierre will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 17, 2012, at about 11 p.m., the victim was walking in the 2200 block of Ontario Road NW when she was struck from behind in the neck. She lost consciousness and fell to the ground, on top of a laptop computer she was carrying. She chipped several teeth and suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the fall. Pierre and his accomplice, meanwhile, fled with the victim’s purse, which contained her wallet, sunglasses, keys, Metro card, Blackberry and other items.
An eyewitness, who yelled for police, reported seeing Pierre and a second assailant attack the victim. Pierre was arrested a short time later by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Officers’ recovered the victim’s wallet, with her bank and credit cards, keys, and driver’s license from Pierre’s pocket. The second assailant, a juvenile, also was arrested.
Since the attack, the victim has experienced severe pain, an inability to focus, and difficulty maintaining her attention. It is unknown how long these effects will last.
At his plea hearing, Pierre admitted to aiding and abetting the assault and the robbery.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Elsa Resendiz and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott L. Sroka, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-385Former United Medical Center Employee Sentenced to A Year in Prison for Embezzling over $335,000 in Overtime Pay-Defendant Manipulated Electronic Time-Keeping System-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marlene L. Merchant, 55, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison on a federal theft charge stemming from her embezzlement of more than $335,000 from her former employer, United Medical Center, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Charles J. Willoughby, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Merchant pled guilty in August 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. She was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Upon completion of her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release. As part of the plea agreement, Merchant agreed to criminal forfeiture and restitution in the amount of $335,663.
According to the government’s evidence, from Oct. 28, 2002, through April 8, 2013, Merchant was employed as an administrative assistant by United Medical Center (UMC) and its predecessor, Greater Southeast Community Hospital. UMC is a non-profit community hospital located in Southeast Washington. As a non-union employee, Merchant was exempted from the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. As an “exempt” employee, she was not entitled or eligible to receive overtime pay from UMC, regardless of the number of hours she actually worked.
From January 2005 through March 2013, Merchant and the payroll manager at UMC manipulated UMC’s electronic timekeeping system to cause the hospital to pay the defendant $335,663 in overtime pay to which Merchant knew she was not entitled. In the beginning of the scheme, the payroll manager repeatedly changed Merchant’s status from “exempt” to “non-exempt” in the electronic timekeeping system, resulting in overtime pay. Starting in 2008, Merchant learned the log-in and password of her supervisor, which she then used, without permission, to change her status from “exempt” to “non-exempt” in the electronic timekeeping system. Merchant also changed her start and finish times from what her identification badge logs reflected to increase her work hours.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and Inspector General Willoughby commended the investigative work of Special Agent John DiGravio and former Special Agent Anthony McGail of the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General. They also praised the efforts of Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman, Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who worked on forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Johnson, who prosecuted the case.
13-386Former Doctor at D.C. Jail Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting A Male Inmate in 2008-Defendant Now Serving Prison Time for Similar Charges in Georgia-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Lewis Jackson, 37, of Atlanta, Ga., who formerly did contract work as a medical doctor at the District of Columbia Jail, was sentenced today to a five-year prison term on a felony charge stemming from a sexual assault of an inmate, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Jackson, formerly of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. Upon completion of his prison term, Jackson will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s factual proffer at the plea hearing, on Nov. 10, 2008, Jackson was working at the D.C. Jail as a medical doctor. The victim, then an inmate at the jail, was sexually assaulted by Jackson when he went to him for medical care. The victim immediately reported the matter to authorities at the D.C. Jail.
The government secured Jackson’s indictment last year after developing DNA evidence. Within weeks of Jackson’s indictment in the District of Columbia, he was indicted for similar crimes in federal court in Atlanta. In that case, Jackson pled guilty in November 2012 to federal charges stemming from the sexual abuse of three inmates at a federal penitentiary where Jackson had worked as a doctor. Jackson, who worked at the federal penitentiary from January 2011 through July 2012, admitted that he sexually abused the three inmates in October 2011. He has been sentenced to 25 months in prison for those crimes.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also acknowledged the efforts of Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel and Victim Advocate Tracey Hawkins. Finally, he commended the work of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Brooker, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
13-388District Man Sentenced to 12-Year Prison Term for Shooting Man Who Asked Him to Leave His PorchDefendant Was Trespassing with A Group That Was Smoking, Drinking and GamblingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Cole, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for shooting a man on the front porch of the victim’s home in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Cole was found guilty by a jury in June 2013 of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Cole was sentenced by the Honorable Stuart G. Nash. Upon his release from prison, Cole will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 26, 2012, at about 11:45 p.m., Cole and a group of friends were smoking, drinking and gambling on the victim’s front porch on Langston Place SE, in the Woodland Terrace housing complex. The victim had never given Cole permission to enter the porch, and had been inside the house with his children, who were bothered by the noise and smoke. The victim asked Cole and his friends to leave, but they refused. Instead, Cole began menacing the victim, firing a gun twice before aiming a third shot at the victim’s leg. The bullet smashed the victim’s thigh bone into pieces.
Cole fled the scene to evade police detection. He was arrested months later.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service, which located the defendant after a warrant was issued for his arrest. In addition, he commended the work of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynette Briggs and Richard Cheatham; Litigation Technology Specialists Thomas (Ron) Royal, Josh Ellen, and William Henderson; James Brennan, Michael Hailey, and M. Laverne Forrest, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit; Child Forensic Interviewer Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Demian S. Ahn, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-387Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in PrisonOn Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jeffrey Klenk, 25, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison on charges of distribution and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Klenk pled guilty to the charges in June 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Richard J. Leon. Upon completion of his prison term, Klenk will be placed on 25 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 25 years.
According to the government's evidence, in September and October of 2012, Klenk contacted a man he believed to be the father of an adolescent girl on a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over a month-long period, Klenk engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer.
During this period of time, Klenk used the computer at his home to send the undercover officer a total of 45 unique images of child pornography, as well as several pictures of child erotica and clothed and unclothed children. On Oct. 18, 2012, Klenk’s residence was searched pursuant to a warrant, and various items were seized, including videos of child pornography. Klenk was arrested that day. All told, officers recovered approximately 13 videos and over 325 images of child pornography from the defendant’s computers and computer equipment.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force who investigated the case. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Connelly, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
13-382Four Members of Colombian Guerilla Organization Indicted on Charges in 2000 Kidnapping-Three U.S. Nationals Were Among the Hostages Taken by the ELN-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four members of a violent guerilla organization were indicted today on conspiracy and hostage-taking charges stemming from the kidnapping of more than 60 people in Colombia in 2000, including three United States nationals. As a result of the ensuing captivity, three Colombian citizens who were taken hostage by the kidnappers died.
The indictment, returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Division.
According to the indictment, at the time of the crimes, the defendants were members of the Ejercito De Liberación Nacional (ELN), which in English translates to the National Liberation Army. Since its inception in 1964, the ELN has engaged in an armed conflict to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Republic of Colombia. The ELN has engaged in terrorist activity, including murder, hostage-taking and the violent destruction of property.
Those indicted today include Eudes Ojeda Ovando, 44, also known as “El Tuerto” and “Martin;” Fidel Castro Murillo, 54, also known as “El Profe” and “Daniro Rodriguez” and two others identified as John Does. They were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking resulting in death and three counts of hostage-taking. None of the defendants is in custody. If convicted of these charges following an extradition, each defendant would face a maximum term of 60 years of incarceration, the maximum sentence permitted under Colombian law for Colombian nationals extradited to the United States for prosecution.
“The indictment returned today alleges that four members of an armed and violent guerilla organization held more than 60 hostages – including American citizens – for ransom in the Colombian jungle,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “During this harrowing ordeal, members of this insurgent group allegedly fired at Colombian military helicopters searching for the hostages and armed themselves with bazookas to resist the military operation pursuing the guerillas. This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to pursuing members of foreign terrorist organizations who target Americans as well as our resolve to seeking justice for the three Colombian citizens who actually died during this hostage ordeal.”
“The ELN is a foreign terrorist organization whose members have engaged in violent acts against American and Colombian citizens. These indictments today demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to bring these ELN members to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Steinbach. “The outstanding, long-term cooperation between the Colombian National Police and U.S. law enforcement has dealt another blow to international terrorism.”
According to the indictment, the defendants were among the leaders of a series of kidnappings carried out on Sept. 17, 2000. The three U.S. nationals – a woman, her brother, and her sister-in-law – were taken hostage at a country home roughly 30 minutes outside of Cali, Colombia. More than 60 others, all Colombian nationals, were taken hostage at two restaurants in the area. The restaurants and country home were all near Kilometer 18 of a road that led from Cali to Buenaventura, Colombia. The hostages were forced into vehicles and taken into the Colombian jungle and mountains. One of the U.S. nationals, a 66-year-old man, was released at that point because of concerns he would not survive a journey through the jungle and mountains and would also slow down the kidnappers during their escape from Colombian authorities.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators used firearms to keep and detain the hostages; threatened to kill the hostages; conducted or attempted to conduct negotiations for ransom with family members of the hostages, and demanded that military operations by the armed forces of the Republic of Colombia against the hostage-takers cease. On the second day of the ordeal, the kidnappers released another one of the U.S. nationals – a 58-year-old woman – so that she could personally convey one of their ransom demands. The third U.S. national, a 69-year-old woman, was released on Sept. 20, 2000 after three days in captivity, but the kidnappers continued to hold her adult son as a hostage and continued to demand that she pay a large ransom for his release.
The rest of the hostages remained with the ELN, some for several weeks. During this time-frame, the indictment alleges, the ELN conspirators fired at helicopters of the Colombian military members who were attempting to locate the hostages, and also armed bazookas intended to be used against the Colombian military. Three hostages, all Colombian nationals, died as a result of the extreme conditions: Dr. Miguel Nassif, Carlos Alberto Garcia, and Alejandro Henao Botero. According to the indictment, all were denied medical treatment by their captors.
By early November 2000, the last remaining hostages were finally released to representatives from the Colombian Red Cross and the Colombian Peace Commissioner. Even after that, however, the kidnappers pressed on with ransom demands.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
The charges were the result of an investigation led by the FBI=s Miami Field Division and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance also was provided by the FBI Office of the Legal Attaché in Colombia.
13-384District Man Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonFor Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dustin Metz, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to three years in prison on a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Scot Rittenberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington, D.C., and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Metz pled guilty in July 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth. Upon completion of his prison term, Metz will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
According to the government’s evidence, between September 2012 and April 2013, Metz possessed child pornography on his personal computer at his residence in Washington, D.C. On various dates during that time-frame, Metz used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download to his computer numerous images and videos depicting child pornography and at the same time make those images and videos available for other users of the program to download themselves. Metz viewed the images and videos and then deleted them.
On April 17, 2013, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Metz’s home and seized various items, including two laptop computers. Law enforcement subsequently discovered evidence showing that Metz had possessed child pornography on both of the computers, including at least one video depicting child pornography and remnants of additional video and image files indicative of child pornography. Metz was arrested on May 9, 2013.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Acting Special Agent in Charge Rittenberg, and Chief Lanier praised the work of the HSI special agents and MPD detectives who investigated the case. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassidy Kesler Pinegar, who prosecuted the case.
13-383District Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery Outside Restaurant-Security Footage and Citizens’ Tips Helped Lead Police to Defendant-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - James E. Wade, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 months in prison on an armed robbery charge stemming from a hold-up last spring outside a Northwest Washington restaurant, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Wade pled guilty in September 2013 the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Wade will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 17, 2013, at approximately 9:20 p.m., the two victims were dining at a table in front of a restaurant in the 1400 block of 12th Street NW when Wade approached them. He was brandishing what appeared to be a handgun. Wade demanded the victims’ property, and the two men turned over their cash, wallet, and cell phone. After taking the property, Wade fled.
Footage from the restaurant’s security camera was released to the public through various media outlets, along with a number for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The police received many calls from citizens on the tip line identifying the suspect in the video as Wade. Others who were familiar with Wade also identified him as the perpetrator of the robbery. On June 8, 2013, police officers located Wade and placed him under arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case for the MPD as well as the citizens who came forward. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Sroka, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-381Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Weapons Offenses Stemming from July 4th Incident at Freedom Plaza-Defendant Brandished Shotgun in Video Filmed at the Site-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adam Kokesh, 31, of Herndon, Va., pled guilty today to weapons offenses stemming from an incident on July 4, 2013 in which he held a pump-action shotgun while at Freedom Plaza, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Kokesh pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of carrying a rifle or shotgun, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. In a separate case, he pled guilty to a charge of possession of marijuana. The Honorable Patricia A. Broderick scheduled sentencing for Jan. 17, 2014.
The maximum penalty for carrying a rifle or shotgun is five years in prison. The other weapons-related offenses each carry maximum sentences of a year in jail. The maximum for possession of marijuana is 180 days in jail. All of the charges also carry potential fines.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of July 4, 2013, Kokesh stood in Freedom Plaza, in the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, while carrying a shotgun. While there, he loaded the shotgun with four rounds of ammunition and racked one of the rounds while being filmed on camera. Later that morning, a 23-second video of Kokesh carrying, loading and racking the shotgun was posted to YouTube and other social media sites run by Kokesh and others. In the bottom left corner of the video, the words, “Freedom Plaza, Between the White House and the Capitol, Washington, DC July 4, 2013” appear.
A search of Kokesh’s Virginia home on July 9, 2013 led to the recovery of the shotgun that was believed to have been shown in the video. During the search, Kokesh directed officers to a headboard in the master bedroom, where the shotgun was located.
“Every day, federal and local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect national government facilities, national landmarks, and public servants working in our city from ongoing threats to our security,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Their jobs are hard enough without irresponsible people intentionally coming into the District of Columbia to brandish a loaded shotgun in the heart of the nation’s capital. As today’s plea demonstrates, there are consequences for anyone who flagrantly abuses our city’s firearms and drug laws.”
Kokesh, who had been in custody while awaiting trial, is to be released pending sentencing. The judge ordered that he stay out of the District of Columbia pending sentencing. He also is not to possess any firearms.
The drug charge stemmed from an incident on June 8, 2013 in the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW. At 4:30 p.m. that day, officers with the U.S. Park Police observed Kokesh with what was believed to be a marijuana cigarette near the White House. Park Police recovered the cigarette, and it was later determined to contain marijuana.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the two cases from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), U.S. Park Police, the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He also acknowledged the assistance of law enforcement agencies from Virginia. U.S. Attorney Machen also commended the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Wanda Trice. Finally, he thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natalia Medina and Harry Roback and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Eaton, who investigated and prosecuted the matters.
13-380U.S. Consulate Official Pleads Guilty to Receiving More Than $3 Million in Bribes in Exchange for Visas-Scheme Allegedly Generated More Than $9 Million in Bribes –Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON A U.S. Foreign Service Officer, Michael T. Sestak, 42, pled guilty today to conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering charges in a scheme in which he accepted more than $3 million in bribes to process visas for non-immigrants seeking entry to the United States.
The guilty plea, which took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service Director Gregory B. Starr.
Sestak pled guilty before the Honorable John D. Bates 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. No sentencing date was set. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the applicable range for the offenses is 235 to 293 months in prison.
Under the plea agreement, Sestak has agreed to the forfeiture of the proceeds of the crimes, which includes the sale of nine properties that he purchased in Thailand with his ill-gotten gains. He also has agreed to cooperate in a continuing federal investigation.
“Today Michael Sestak admitted taking millions of dollars in bribes to issue visas to allow nearly 500 foreign nationals to enter the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “This Foreign Service Officer corrupted the integrity of a process designed to screen visitors to the United States, a process that obviously has implications for our national security. His motivation for betraying his oath of office was cold, hard cash, as he personally received more than $3 million in this visa-for-cash scam, much of which he funneled into the purchase of nine properties in Thailand. Mr. Sestak has now accepted responsibility for his conduct and is cooperating with federal law enforcement in this continuing investigation.”
“The Department of State became aware of potential visa improprieties in Vietnam and immediately referred the allegations to the Diplomatic Security Service (DS) to investigate, said Director Starr, of the Diplomatic Security Service. “DS worked collaboratively with the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs to identify irregularities in the visa process which allowed agents and consular officials to pursue investigative leads and develop the evidence which led to Mr. Sestak’s guilty plea today. This case demonstrates how cooperation with DS partners in the region allowed the Department of Justice to pursue charges where Vietnamese citizens were victimized by individuals guided by greed.”
Sestak was arrested on May 13, 2013, and has been in custody ever since. Four others have been charged with taking part in the conspiracy. They include Binh Vo, 39, and his sister, Hong Vo, 27, both American citizens who had been living in Vietnam; Binh Vo’s wife, Anhdao Dao Nguyen, 30, a Vietnamese citizen; and Truc Tranh Huynh, 29, a Vietnamese citizen.
Hong Vo was arrested in May 2013 and Huynh was arrested the following month. Binh Vo was arrested in September 2013. Nguyen remains at large, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Huynh pled guilty on Oct. 16, 2013, to one count of visa fraud and is awaiting sentencing. Binh Vo and Hong Vo have pled not guilty to charges and are held without bond pending trial.
Sestak was the Non-Immigrant Visa Chief in the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2010 to September 2012. His responsibilities included reviewing visa applications, conducting in-person interviews of visa applicants, and issuing visas when appropriate. While employed at the State Department, Sestak held a sensitive position.
In pleading guilty, Sestak admitted that he and Binh Vo met in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010 and began a personal friendship. They ultimately came up with a plan to obtain money in exchange for facilitating the approval of non-immigrant visas from Vietnam to the United States. Sestak conspired with other U.S. citizens and Vietnamese citizens who worked to recruit customers to the visa scheme. Before they appeared at the consulate for visa interviews, Sestak would be informed of the identities of foreign nationals who agreed to pay money in exchange for obtaining visas. He then attempted to issue a visa to each foreign national who had agreed to pay for obtaining a visa, often disregarding the veracity of the information on the application.
Sestak admitted that between February 2012 and September 2012, he caused visas to be approved for people whose applications were part of the scheme. Payments made by applicants to the conspirators in exchange for visas ranged from $15,000 to $70,000. Many of the individuals who received visas had been previously denied visas for a variety of reasons.
The entire scheme generated at least $9,780,000. Of this, Sestak personally received over $3 million in proceeds of the conspiracy, which he laundered through China into Thailand. In an attempt to hide the illegal proceeds of the scheme, Sestak purchased nine real estate properties in Thailand worth over $3 million. As part of his plea agreement, Sestak agreed to sell these properties and forfeit the proceeds in order to satisfy a portion of the money judgment of at least $6 million that will be entered against him.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Director Starr commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U. S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Legal Assistant Ashley Kellam, and Paralegal Specialists Gail Price and Devron Elliot.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brenda J. Johnson, Christopher R. Kavanaugh, and Mona N. Sahaf of the National Security Section and Catherine K. Connelly of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, who are prosecuting the case.
13-379Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductWith A Minor and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nicholas Hanlon, 28, of Stafford, Va., pled guilty today to one count of traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of receipt of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Earl L. Cook, Chief of the Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria, Va.
Hanlon entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Gladys Kessler is to sentence him on Jan. 23, 2014. Hanlon faces a maximum of 30 years of imprisonment for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct and a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 20 years of imprisonment for each of the counts related to his receipt of child pornography, as well as fines of up to $250,000 on each count.
According to the government's evidence, on April 25, 2013, a member of the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, a detective from the Alexandria Police Department, was contacted by the parent of an under-aged female who was concerned that the child had been engaged in illicit text message conversations with Hanlon and others. The task force member, in an undercover capacity, began communicating with Hanlon, who believed the officer was the child.
Over the next few days, Hanlon engaged in text messaging with the undercover officer. During this period of time, Hanlon arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child.
On April 25, 2013, Hanlon traveled from Virginia to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was arrested. Subsequent to his arrest, law enforcement searched Hanlon’s computer and cell phone. Pursuant to that search, law enforcement found evidence that Hanlon had been communicating via text message and email with multiple young girls. Specifically, law enforcement recovered evidence that Hanlon received explicit videos from a female child from Missouri and from a 15-year-old from Virginia.
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 guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave, Chief Lanier, and Chief Cook praised the work of the MPD and Alexandria Police Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.
13-378Former Background Investigator for Federal Government Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Making A False StatementRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lindsay Branson III, 58, a former background investigator for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), was sentenced today to six months of incarceration on a charge stemming from his falsification of work on background investigations of federal employees and contractors, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management.
Branson, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty in July 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to making a false statement. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Upon completion of his prison term, Branson will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, he is required to perform 200 hours of community service. In addition, he must pay $159,918 in restitution to the federal government.
According to a statement of offense submitted to the Court, Branson worked for Federal Investigative Services, a part of OPM that does federal background investigations.
Between September 2010 and November 2011, in multiple Reports of Investigations on background investigations, Branson represented that he had interviewed a source or reviewed a record regarding the subject of the background investigation. In fact, he had not conducted the interviews or obtained the records of interest. His reports were utilized and relied upon by the agencies requesting the background investigations to determine whether the subjects were suitable for positions having access to classified information, for positions impacting national security, or for receiving or retaining security clearances.
Branson’s false representations have required Federal Investigative Services to reopen and rework numerous background investigations that were assigned to him during the time period of his falsifications, at an estimated cost of at least $159,918 to the U.S. government.
Federal Investigative Services has a robust integrity assurance program which utilizes a variety of methods to ensure the accuracy of reported information. The falsification of investigative case work by the defendant was detected through the program.
This is one of numerous cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia since 2008 involving false representations by background investigators and record checkers working on federal background investigations. In addition to Branson, 16 other background investigators and two record checkers have been convicted of charges.
Federal Investigative Services, through its workforce of approximately 7,600, including 6,100 field investigators, is responsible for conducting background investigations for numerous federal agencies and their contractors, on individuals either employed by or seeking employment with those agencies or contractors. Federal Investigative Services conducted more than 2.3 million investigations during the 2013 fiscal year. More than 700,000 of these investigations involved applicants for access or continued access to classified information.
In performing background investigations, the investigators conduct interviews of individuals who have information about the person who is the subject of the review. In addition, the investigators seek out, obtain, and review documentary evidence, such as employment records, to verify and corroborate information provided by either the subject of the background investigation or by persons interviewed during the investigation. After conducting interviews and obtaining documentary evidence, the investigators prepare a Report of Investigation containing the results of the interviews and document reviews, and electronically submit the material to OPM in Washington, D.C. OPM then provides a copy of the investigative file to the requesting agency, which can use the information to determine an individual’s eligibility for employment or a security clearance.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and Inspector General McFarland praised the efforts of Special Agent Christopher Sulhoff, OPM, Office of the Inspector General, and Philip Kroop and David Newcomer, OPM, Federal Investigative Services. They also acknowledged the work of Paralegal Specialist Nicole Wattelet and Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and David A. Last, who investigated and prosecuted this matter.
13-377Specialty Hospitals of America to Pay United StatesRead the Press Release
$4.2 Million to Resolve False Claims AllegationsWASHINGTON – Specialty Hospitals of America, LLC has agreed to pay the United States $4.2 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly received reimbursement for inflated Medicare claims.
The settlement was announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Nick DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge for the Inspector General’s Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the region including Washington, D.C.
Specialty Hospitals of America, LLC, based in Portsmouth, N.H., operates two long-term care facilities in Washington, DC. The United States alleged that the company filed a cost report with its Medicare contractor in late May of 2008 that knowingly contained inaccurate revenue and expense data for the fiscal 2007 operations of Specialty Hospital of Washington-Hadley. These inaccuracies caused the cost-to-charge ratio to be inflated, which, in turn led to overpayments on certain claims submitted between Jan. 1, 2007 and July 14, 2009.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by a former company employee, James A. Roark, Sr., under the qui tam, or whistleblower provisions, of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, private citizens may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. Mr. Roark will receive $798,000 as his share of the government’s recovery.
“This settlement holds the contractor accountable for overbilling the government by $4.2 million and returns that money to the federal treasury,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “We commend the whistleblower for coming forward and bringing these billing practices to light.”
“When hospitals submit excessive costs for reimbursement, taxpayers pay more than they should for needed care,” said Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio. “We cannot tolerate any form of waste, fraud or abuse of our health benefits and we commend citizens who report suspected violations to the Office of Inspector General.
Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio urged people who suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud to call the Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; the Department of Justice, Civil Division, and the HHS Office of Inspector General in investigating the allegations in this case. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Roark v. Specialty Hospitals of America, LLC, Case No. 1:10-cv-0719 (D.D.C.).
13-373Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Cunningham, 26, of Hagerstown, Md., pled guilty today to traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cunningham entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Beryl A. Howell is to sentence him on Jan. 31, 2014. Cunningham faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct and a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment for possession of child pornography, as well as potential financial penalties.
According to the government's evidence, on July 19, 2013, Cunningham contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had posted an ad on a social network site. Over the next few days, Cunningham engaged in online email and text messaging with the undercover officer, whom he believed was the father of an under-aged girl. During this period of time, Cunningham arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child.
On July 22, 2013, Cunningham traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was arrested. Subsequent to his arrest, law enforcement searched Cunningham’s residence and recovered a large collection 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 guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.
13-375District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Woman at Her Apartment-Victim Was Unconscious at Time of Assault-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antawon Randall, 28, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced today to six years in prison on charges stemming from a sexual assault against a woman who was unconscious in her own home, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Randall pled guilty in July 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of second-degree sexual abuse and fourth-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Randall will be placed on five years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 8, 2012, the victim and her husband hosted a gathering at their apartment in Southeast Washington. At some point during the gathering, the victim became sick from consuming too much alcohol and passed out.
When the victim’s husband went to work, Randall snuck into her bedroom and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
13-376District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison in 2011 Slaying in Southeast Washington -Victim’s Father Pled Guilty to Tampering with Evidence at the Scene-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Faison, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 25 years of incarceration for the slaying of 19-year-old Jeffrey Covington during an attempted robbery in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Faison pled guilty in June 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna Lee Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Faison will be placed on five years of supervised release.
In a related development, the victim’s father, Jeffrey Blount, 43, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in June 2013 to a charge of tampering with physical evidence at the scene of the murder. Blount later was sentenced to five months of incarceration, but the time was suspended on the condition that he successfully completes a year of probation.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 2, 2011, Jeffrey Blount and his son were involved in a craps game in the 600 block of 46th Place SE. Shortly after 1 a.m., Faison, who was nearby, approached Blount while pulling a .38-caliber revolver from his waistband.
Faison pushed Mr. Covington aside to get to Blount and pointed the gun at Blount’s back in an attempt to rob him. Nearly everyone involved in the craps game, including Blount, fled. Faison chased after Blount, with his gun still drawn. Mr. Covington attempted to come to the aid of his father by pointing an inoperable weapon at Faison. Faison then turned back toward the victim and fired one shot at him, fatally striking him in the upper chest/throat.
Faison then fled into an apartment in a building on the block. Police sought and obtained a search warrant for that apartment on July 2, 2011, and they recovered a .38-caliber revolver with a spent shell casing inside. Faison was still in the apartment at the time of the recovery.
Following the murder, Blount returned to the scene, approached his son’s body, and attempted to remove currency from Mr. Covington’s pockets. He then checked his son’s pulse before moving the inoperable pistol from Mr. Covington’s side to a nearby trash can.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers, and crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Phaylyn Hunt, Fern Rhedrick, and Kendra Johnson and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen recognized Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Jeffrey Pearlman, and Erik Kenerson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-374Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Robbing Man on D.C.-Maryland Border with 14-Year-Old AccomplicesPrince George’s County and Metropolitan Police Departments Investigated the CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Amos Jones, 23, and Edwin Holmes, 20, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for robbing a man and contributing to the delinquency of two minors who joined in the attack, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Jones and Holmes were found guilty by a jury in August 2013 of charges of robbery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow sentenced both defendants on Oct. 28, 2013. Judge Pasichow sentenced Jones to 52 months in prison. She sentenced Holmes to a total of 106 months in prison, but suspended all but 40 months provided that he successfully completes two years of supervised probation.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 17, 2012, at about 2 a.m., Jones and Holmes, along with two 14-year-old boys, robbed a man who was walking from a Metro station in the area of Southern Avenue SE, along the border of the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County. After they confronted the victim, and the victim told them he had no money, the assailants forced the man to give up his watch and cell phone.
The victim called 911, and the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, which assists with patrols in the area, apprehended all four robbery suspects. Jones had been released just two days prior to the robbery after serving a sentence in a case involving a stolen car.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police and the Prince George’s County Police Departments. He also acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Anthony Griffith, Richard Cheatham and Antoinette Sakamsa; Information Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia and Kimberly Smith, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Demian S. Ahn, who investigated and prosecuted the case. 13-371
Former Defense Department Employee Indicted on Charges in Alleged $2.5 Million Health Care Fraud-Veteran Is Accused of Submitting Fraudulent Claims for Medical Expenses-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jonathan M. Hargett, a former civilian employee of the Department of Defense, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges alleging that he collected more than $2.2 million after submitting fraudulent claims for federal health care benefits.
The indictment was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); John Brooks, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office of Investigations, and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit.
Hargett, 41, now in Germany, faces charges in a 15-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, including: one count of health care fraud; four counts of making false statements relating to health care matters; four counts of wire fraud, and six counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from illegal activity. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of all illegal proceeds from the scheme.
According to the indictment, Hargett worked from 1996 through 2012 in various positions as a civilian employee for the Department of Defense in Germany. Most recently, from January 2011 through May 2012, he was an intelligence analyst stationed in Heidelberg. Previously, he had served in the U.S. Army from 1992 to 1996.
As a federal employee stationed overseas, Hargett was enrolled since 2002 in the Foreign Service Benefit Plan (FSBP) a health care benefit program. Because of his service in the Army, he also was eligible for health care coverage from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For veterans working or residing abroad, the VA provides this coverage through its Foreign Medical Program (VA-FMP).
From January 2007 through April 2012, the indictment alleges, Hargett carried out a scheme to submit fraudulent claims and invoices to the FSBP and the VA-FMP. The claims falsely represented that he bought prescription medications and other pharmaceutical items from a pharmacy in Germany. They also falsely represented that he had received and paid for various health care items and services from a doctor in Germany. Hargett also submitted forged invoices and other fraudulent paperwork, the indictment alleges.
All told, the indictment alleges, Hargett submitted more than $2.5 million in false claims to the two programs. He was paid more than $2.2 million, the indictment alleges, including about $943,519 from the FSBP and $1,261,512 from the VA-FMP.
“This indictment charges a former Defense Department employee with ripping off the American taxpayer to the tune of $2.5 million through fraudulent medical claims,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “This alleged fraud is particularly galling because it robbed precious resources from a program intended to serve our wounded veterans. Protecting the integrity of federal health care programs is an essential part of making affordable health care available to the vulnerable citizens who need it most.”
“Today's indictment reminds federal employees that they must meet the highest standards of ethical and professional behavior in all their dealings with the government, not just their dealings in the workplace,” said Inspector General McFarland. “Defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the program that provides insurance benefits for federal employees, is simply unacceptable.”
“Special Agents assigned to VA’s Office of Inspector General are committed to aggressively investigating fraud against the Department of Veterans Affairs and the taxpayers of this nation,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Brooks “Addressing major fraud within the VA's Foreign Medical Program has become a high priority. The dollars stolen from VA in this scheme could have benefitted many veterans with service-connected conditions needing medical treatment while residing or traveling abroad.”
If convicted of the various offenses, Hargett faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud charge, five years of incarceration for each of the false statements charges, 20 years on each of the wire fraud counts, and 10 years on each of the charges involving the monetary transactions. He also faces financial penalties.
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.
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Office of the Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistance was provided by the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the Department of Defense, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney G. Saleski, and Paralegal Specialists Nicole Wattelet and Donna Galindo. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Radway, of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
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