District of Columbia

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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     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.

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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.

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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.

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$4.2 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations

     WASHINGTON – 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.).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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WASHINGTON – David E. Harris, 32, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a prison term of four years and two months for stabbing a man earlier this year at an apartment building in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Harris, also known as “Bam Bam,” was found guilty by a jury in August 2013 of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, carrying a dangerous weapon, and felony threats. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Harris was sentenced Oct. 22, 2013 by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Harris will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, at about 8:30 p.m. on March 9, 2013, Harris approached the victim, who was entering an apartment building in the area of 16th and V Streets SE. Harris grabbed the victim by the shirt, brandished a knife, and stabbed him twice. The victim, who managed to flee, received more than 20 stitches for his stab wounds. Earlier in the day, Harris had unfairly accused the victim of stealing a drug stash he hid in the area and threatened to kill him. The victim notified police and returned to the area. Harris, who was on probation at the time for a drug conviction, was arrested four days after the stabbing.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those 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 Lynette Briggs, Lynda Randolph, Tony Griffith and Todd McClelland; Information Technology Specialists Claudia Gutierrez and Anisha Bhatia; former intern Taylor Jones, and David Foster, James Brennan, Michael Hailey, and M. Laverne Forrest, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Shawn Lewis, 42 of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for killing a man in June 2013 by setting him on fire at an apartment building in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Lewis pled guilty in July 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder. He was sentenced by the Honorable Russell F. Canan. Upon completion of his prison term, Lewis will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, at about 6:25 p.m. on June 28, 2013, Lewis returned to the apartment building where he was living in the 1600 block of 21st Place SE. He then went to the back porch of the building, holding a lit piece of newspaper and a container of ignitable liquid.  Lewis threw the liquid on the victim, Douglas Farley, 38, who was on the back porch. He ignited the liquid with the lit newspaper, engulfing Mr. Farley in flames.  Lewis was arrested on the scene at about 9:25 that evening.

     Mr. Farley was taken to the Washington Hospital Center, where he died on July 3, 2013. A post-mortem examination determined that Mr. Farley died as a result of complications from thermal and inhalation injuries sustained by the flames.

     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 Specialist Debra Joyner, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson. Finally, he recognized the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Selden, Kathryn Rakoczy, and Jonathan Kravis, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Guthrie Wright, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term on federal narcotics distribution and weapon charges, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Wright pled guilty in July 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of unlawful possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. The plea, which called for a 10-year sentence, was contingent upon the approval of the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. Judge Howell accepted the plea agreement today and sentenced Wright accordingly. Upon completion of his prison term, Wright will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, at about 1:45 a.m. on Nov. 9, 2012, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers stopped Wright’s vehicle for traffic violations in the 2400 block of 9th Street NW. The officers then arrested Wright for possession of an open container of alcohol.

     During a search of Wright, MPD officers recovered several narcotics packaged for sale, including about 3.9 grams of cocaine. The officers later conducted a consensual search of Wright’s belongings at his mother’s apartment in Northwest Washington, where he had been staying. During the search, they found additional packaged drugs, including about 48.9 grams of cocaine, drug distribution paraphernalia, and two fully loaded handguns. One handgun was found in a backpack that also held the recovered narcotics and a document addressed to Wright.

     Wright has seven previous convictions. His last conviction, which occurred in 2001, was for possession with the intent to distribute heroin.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the MPD officers who participated in Wright’s arrest and recovered the drugs and firearms.  He also acknowledged the efforts of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nalina Sombuntham, who prosecuted the case.   

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WASHINGTON – Jahlani Brown, 21, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge stemming from the recent sexual assault of a rental office employee at an apartment building in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Brown pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to first-degree sexual abuse. The Honorable John Ramsey Johnson scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2014.  In addition to prison time, Brown will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 17, 2013, at about 9 a.m., the victim reported to her office in the Shaw area of Northwest Washington and began preparing for her workday.  Brown, who was captured on video surveillance, entered the office and locked the door. He sexually assaulted, threatened, and robbed the victim before leaving the office.

     The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) released surveillance images to the media in hopes of generating information, and neighboring businesses and community members cooperated with law enforcement in getting the word out about the attack. Brown was arrested two days after the assault and has been in custody ever since.

     In announcing the plea, 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 and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

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     WASHINGTON Mohammed Niazi, 46, of the United Kingdom, was sentenced today to five years in prison on charges stemming from a hammer attack on a George Washington University student in a campus bathroom, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Niazi was found guilty in August 2013 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, and carrying a dangerous weapon.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Stuart G. Nash.

     According to the evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 9, 2009, at about 3 p.m., Niazi entered Duques Hall, an academic building in the 2200 block of G Street NW. He entered a men’s bathroom on the second floor and began striking the victim in the back of the head with a metal hammer. The victim attempted to defend himself against Niazi, who continued the attack inside a foyer located between the hallway and the main bathroom.  As the bleeding victim stumbled out of the bathroom, students rushed to his aid.  Niazi fled down the stairs and out of the building.

     Detectives with the George Washington University Police Department and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) obtained images of the suspect from security video taken in Duques Hall and issued a campus-wide e-mail alert.  A response to the alert led police to a coffee shop nearby where Niazi had been seen shortly before the attack.  Using security video and credit card transaction records from the coffee shop, police were able to obtain Niazi=s name and his Virginia driver=s license photo.

     The day after the attack, Niazi purchased an airline ticket to London, and he fled the country the very next day. On April 4, 2013, Niazi was apprehended when he tried to travel through Panama and was returned to the United States to face charges. He has been in custody ever since.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the Metropolitan Police Department, the George Washington University Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.  U.S. Attorney Machen also commended the work of Paralegals Allison Gregory Daniels, Victim Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.  Finally, he commended former Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Scruggs, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Sroka, who indicted and tried the case.

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WASHINGTON – Grant Johnson, 39, of Bladensburg, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree premeditated murder while armed for the May 2012 slaying of a Maryland man, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  In addition to the first-degree murder charge, the jury found Johnson guilty of second-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, and several firearms offenses.  The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Feb. 21, 2014. 

     According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Ricardo Lancaster, 32, drove his company truck to the 800 block of Burns Street SE on May 30, 2012.  He arrived at 11:22 p.m. with several hundred dollars to purchase a quantity of marijuana from Johnson.  Johnson and Mr. Lancaster were old family friends, having grown up together in the 700 block of Adrian Street SE.  Since childhood, Johnson was widely known as the best friend of Mr. Lancaster’s brother. 

     Sitting in the passenger seat of Mr. Lancaster’s company truck, Johnson shot Mr. Lancaster once in the right cheek at close range.  He then went to the driver’s side of the vehicle, where Mr. Lancaster was still seated, and through the open window, shot him, again at close range, in the neck.  Mr. Lancaster was found dead the next morning, still seated in the driver’s seat of his company vehicle on Burns Street.  His personal cell phone was missing and he had $3 on his person.  No marijuana was in the car.  Hours after the murder, Johnson provided his girlfriend with several hundred dollars in cash for his share of the rent. 

     When asked by his best friend – Mr. Lancaster’s brother – whether he had seen or spoken to Mr. Lancaster prior to the murder, Johnson lied, claiming that he had not.  The government’s evidence included cell phone records that showed that Mr. Lancaster and Johnson were in repeated contact the night of the murder, and Johnson’s DNA was found on a Doritos bag discarded on the passenger side floor of Mr. Lancaster’s company vehicle.    

     In announcing the verdict, 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 expressed appreciation to the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team.  He commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Marian Russell, Sandra Lane, Kendra Johnson, and Fern Rhedrick; Lead Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim Witness Security Specialist Katina Adams-Washington; Intelligence Specialists Lawrence Grasso and Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas “Ron” Royal.  Finally, he recognized the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Robert Feitel, who investigated the case and prosecuted the case at trial.

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WASHINGTON - Marlon Williams, 34, Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison term of 40 years on a charge of first-degree felony murder stemming from the 2010 slaying of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Williams was found guilty by a jury in July 2013, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Russell F. Canan.

     According to the evidence at trial, at about 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2010, the victim, Min Soo Kang, was found on the curb in the 3500 block of Croffut Place SE, with multiple gunshot wounds. Detectives found his wallet and contacted his next of kin, who advised them that Mr. Kang, 37, owned a 2010 Cadillac Escalade equipped with OnStar GPS technology. Detectives requested that OnStar assist in tracking the vehicle. At about 5:30 p.m. on that same date, OnStar located the Escalade in the 5200 block of Ames Street NE, and engaged the remote ignition block, which prevented the ignition from re-starting the vehicle once it had been turned off.

     Coincidentally, a short time later, a neighborhood resident returned home to find the disabled Escalade stopped in front of her residence. At about 7 p.m., that woman dialed 911 and alerted the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) about the suspicious behavior of a man who, upon hearing sirens approaching in the area, exited the vehicle, quickly slammed the hood, threw something into her yard, and walked away. However, when those sirens went elsewhere, the same man returned, retrieved what he had thrown into her yard, and re-entered the vehicle, making further attempts to get it started.

     Once police located Mr. Kang’s vehicle, they had it towed to the Mobile Crime Lab. Technicians lifted a palm print from the hood of the car and several fingerprints from the interior handles of the driver’s door. In addition, a search of the passenger compartment yielded a receipt for the purchase of two cartons of Newport cigarettes by Mr. Kang, in Virginia, less than three hours prior to his body being found. Three unopened packs of Newport cigarettes with Virginia tax stamps remained in the vehicle. The technicians, upon noticing apparent bullet holes in the driver’s seat, recovered three bullets from inside that seat.

     Earlier, during the day of Sept.13, 2010, upon performing an autopsy on Mr. Kang, a medical examiner identified three gunshot wounds to the chest with exit wounds from his back. In addition, Mr. Kang suffered a gunshot wound to the face, which exited the left ear, another gunshot wound to the left index finger, exiting the palm of Mr. Kang’s hand, and one gunshot wound perforating his right forearm.

     Detectives used the palm-print, lifted from the hood of the Escalade, and identified by the fingerprint examiner, to match that of the defendant, and the description given by the 911 caller, which also matched that of the defendant, to obtain a warrant for a search of Williams’s home. There they found the murder weapon beneath his bed. In that same bedroom, police recovered one empty pack of Newport cigarettes bearing a Virginia tax stamp.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the MPD detectives, officers, crime scene technicians, and forensic specialists who worked on the case. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance of OnStar. 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, and Interns Arielle Barnett and Malini Malhotra.

     Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Wheeler, who secured the indictment in the case and handled the prosecution at trial.

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WASHINGTON - Charles Link, 53, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today of a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from the November 2012 stabbing of a man in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Link was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 3, 2014.

     According to the government’s evidence at trial, the victim and Link were close friends for more than four years.  They socialized together and played chess, and the victim even helped Link at his job at a funeral home. From time to time, Link would loan the victim small amounts of money. Last fall, the two men got into a disagreement over the repayment of a $20 loan.  The victim had given Link his food assistance card and had told Link to use it to buy $40 of food, to cover the $20 debt.  When Link never used the card and failed to return it, the victim cancelled the card so that he could get a new one and access his food benefits.

     On the evening of Nov. 13, 2012, as the victim was walking down a street near his home, he encountered Link and the two began arguing over the debt.  When the victim reached the entrance to an alley off the 500 block of Newton Place NW, he was pushed from behind by an unidentified man and fell to the ground.  Link joined in the attack and kicked and punched the victim, stating “get me my money.”  Link then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim five times—twice in the chest and rib cage. He and the unidentified man fled, leaving the victim bleeding in an alley.

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, including detectives from the Fourth Police District. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Wanda Trice and Debra McPherson. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor N. McFadden, who assisted in the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittain Shaw, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Barrington Bennett, 35, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 9, 2013 of sexually assaulting four victims at knifepoint between December 2011 and August 2012, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Bennett was found guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia jury of four counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances, four counts of kidnapping while armed, and three counts of armed robbery. The Honorable J. Ramsey Johnson scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2014.

     According to the government=s evidence, Bennett lured the victims into his sport utility vehicle in attacks that took place on Dec. 16, 2011; Feb. 18, 2012; July 28, 2012, and Aug. 23, 2012.

     One victim joined Bennett after the offer of a ride home. The other victims were prostitutes who believed they would perform sex for money. Bennett had folded down the middle row of seats in the SUV and covered it with a blanket.  When victims got into the SUV, from various locations in Northeast and Northwest Washington, Bennett drove them to places in Northeast Washington. He pulled out a folding knife, held it to their throats, and raped them at knifepoint.

     Bennett also robbed three of the victims of cell phones and money. He cut the fourth victim on her jaw and head, and she wiped her blood on the blanket.  When she finally escaped the SUV, she saw the license plate and reported the tag number immediately. Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department located the SUV within an hour, impounded it, and searched it after obtaining a warrant. 

     Inside the SUV, police discovered a folding knife that contained DNA consistent with the fourth victim and the defendant. Police also found a blanket that contained the fourth victim’s blood, along with the DNA of the defendant and the first victim. Finally, the second victim had received a sexual assault kit which contained Bennett’s DNA. 

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department=s Sexual Assault Unit, the Fifth District, and the Forensic Science Division.  He also commended the work of the Consolidated Forensic Sciences Division.  He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Paralegal Specialists Jason Manuel and Tiffany Jones, and Victim-Witness Specialists David Foster and Katina Adams-Washington.  He particularly commended the work of Claudia Gutierrez, Joe Calvarese, Leif Hickling and the entire Litigation Support Staff for their work on the case. Lastly, Mr. Machen thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who investigated, indicted and tried the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi Lazarus, who co-tried the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Andrews, who also investigated the case.

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WASHINGTON – Carlito Bailey, 22, and Rickey Watkins, 22, both of Washington D.C., were found guilty by a jury on Oct. 11, 2013 of charges stemming from a shooting in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Bailey and Watkins were found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. They are to be sentenced on Dec. 10, 2013 by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. 

     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 verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended 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 praised FBI Special Agent Kevin Horan for his valuable work analyzing cell phone records and testifying as a government expert at trial.  In addition, he 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.

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WASHINGTON – Lashawn Carson, 28, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on Oct. 11, 2013 of aggravated assault while armed and related firearms offenses stemming from a shooting at a Northwest Washington restaurant, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     The jury’s verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, at 5:30 a.m. on March 11, 2012, two groups of friends were eating at the IHOP restaurant in the 3100 block of 14th Street NW. The victim’s group of friends was seated at one table and Carson’s group was at another.

     As the victim was attempting to walk to the cash register to pay his bill, Carson and a male friend inadvertently stood directly in his way. The victim attempted to squeeze by and accidently bumped into Carson. Words were exchanged, and the defendant’s male friend used a homophobic slur. A fight ensued, and an off-duty police detective, who was seated nearby, jumped up to break it up. At that point, according to the government’s evidence, Carson walked over, adjusted her hair, pulled out a firearm and shot the victim once in the chest.

     In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Finkelman and Lauren Dickie, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Cannon, who investigated the case and prosecuted it at trial.

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WASHINGTON - Jon C. Cooper, 64, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on Oct. 9, 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of tax evasion related to his failure to report over $448,000 in income he received in 2006.

     The guilty plea, which took place on Oct. 9, 2013, was announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

     As part of his guilty plea, Cooper admitted that, in December 2006, he and Alan Messner induced an Indonesian airline company to pay them a $1 million security deposit to lease two aircraft using various false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises – including forged and fraudulent documents.  Cooper admitted that, after he received the $1 million security deposit, he transferred $284,500 to Messner in December 2006 and January 2007.  Cooper spent the balance of the security deposit for his own personal benefit.  Cooper and Messner did not provide the promised aircraft and did not return any funds to the Indonesian airline company.

     Cooper admitted that he did not report at least $448,727 of those proceeds on his federal income tax return for 2006.  Instead, by under-reporting his income, Cooper claimed a tax refund that year.  As a result of Cooper’s tax evasion, Cooper caused a tax loss of at least $133,464 to the United States.

     Cooper is to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2014, before the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson.  He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  In addition, as part of his guilty plea, Cooper agreed to pay $133,464 owed to the United States.  Cooper further agreed to make restitution of $1 million to the victimized Indonesian airline company.

     In a related case, Messner, 41, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., pled guilty in August 2013 to one count of tax evasion, admitting that he failed to report any portion of the $284,500 he received on his federal income tax returns.  Messner is to be sentenced on Dec. 13, 2013. Messner faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his guilty plea, Messner agreed to pay the full $62,231 which he owed to the United States.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly expressed appreciation for the work done by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Washington Field Office of the IRS-CI. They also acknowledged the efforts of Trial Attorney Jessica Moran, of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. Finally, they commended the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Krishawn Graham, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno and Jonathan Hooks, who investigated and indicted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Levette J. Douglas, 35, of Toledo, Ohio, pled guilty today to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for her role in a scheme that defrauded the U.S. Postal Service out of over $164,000 through the submission of false insurance claims.

     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 Paul L. Bowman, Special Agent in Charge, Capital Metro Area Field Office, U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General.

     As part of the plea agreement, Douglas agreed to $164,859 in criminal forfeiture and restitution. Under voluntary federal sentencing guidelines, she faces between 21 and 27 months in prison. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Jan 16, 2014.

     According to the government’s evidence, from April 2010 to July 2013, Douglas and her co-conspirators submitted false claims to the Postal Service for allegedly damaged or lost parcels.  As part of this scheme, Douglas and others purchased insurance for approximately 325 parcels that were sent through the mail.  They later falsely claimed that the parcels were damaged or lost, often submitting forged or fictitious documents to support their claims.

     For example, on one occasion, Douglas submitted a false affidavit purporting to be from a postal letter carrier in support of a claim that a parcel was not delivered. The affiant, allegedly a postal letter carrier with the initials M.M., stated that she had not delivered any parcels to the recipient for several months. The affiant also provided a phone number in case there were questions.  That phone number was Douglas’s phone number.  In fact, the parcel in question was delivered and the recipient signed a delivery receipt. 

     As a final part of this scheme, Douglas also mailed to the Postal Service’s accounting department forged internal postal forms purporting to be from Postal Service employees verifying the false claims. In total, the Postal Service paid $164,859 based on these false claims.

     In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Special Agent in Charge Bowman commended the investigative work of Special Agent Jason Manning of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  They also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Corinne Kleinman and Nicole Wattelet; Criminal Investigator Matthew Kutz; Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who worked on forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Johnson, who is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON - Joseph Clifford Reel, 32, of Kettering, Ohio, pled guilty on Oct. 4, 2013 to a federal charge stemming from an incident in which he rigged his Jeep to travel, unattended, toward the White House, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Kathy A. Michalko, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service.

     Reel pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of assaulting, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer or employee of the United States with a dangerous weapon. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for Reel to be sentenced to 35 months of incarceration, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The plea agreement also calls for Reel to pay $5,345 in restitution to the U.S. Park Service for the damage he caused in the incident. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2014.

     According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Reel left his residence in Ohio on June 6, 2013, in his 2008 Jeep Patriot, heading to Washington, D.C. for the purpose of spray-painting the “Don’t Tread on Me” snake on the White House residence, believing the action would lead others to “stand up against government.”

     On June 9, 2013, shortly after 3 a.m., Reel rigged his Jeep to crash into the White House complex. The vehicle was traveling at about 40 mph upon impact.

     Reel, who was not in the Jeep, had affixed a wooden block to the accelerator and reached into the vehicle to shift it into drive. The vehicle, which Reel had parked on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, then began moving toward the White House complex, specifically, a Secret Service guard post. At the time, an officer was on-duty and inside the guard booth. At collision, the Jeep hit a light post, a steel bollard, and a steel bike rack, causing $5,345 in damage to property of the U.S. Park Service.

     Just before he set the Jeep in motion, Reel called 911 and warned that something was about to be staged at the White House. He made the call in hopes of causing members of law enforcement to convene at the White House complex, intending to create a distraction that would increase his chances of gaining access to the White House residence and spray-painting the “Don’t’ Tread on Me” snake on the building. Instead, Reel was arrested inside the White House Complex, within minutes of the Jeep’s impact.

     As part of the investigation, law enforcement searched the Jeep and found hundreds of rounds of ammunition, eight knives of various sizes, two machetes, a hand-held spotting scope, and other items. A spray-paint can was found on the White House complex grounds, near the area where Reel was apprehended.

     Reel has been in custody since his arrest.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Secret Service, which swiftly responded to the incident and investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Dayton Resident Agency of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistants Ashley Kellam and Donice Adams, Paralegal Specialist Selena Zuhoski, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maia L. Miller, who is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – Bernard Chung, 31, of Falls Church, Va., pled guilty on Oct. 7, 2013 to a federal wire fraud charge stemming from his embezzlement of more than $400,000 from the law firm where he worked as an office manager, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

     Chung entered the plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Thomas F. Hogan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 16, 2014. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and financial penalties. The parties have agreed that, under federal sentencing guidelines, Chung faces a likely range of 30 to 37 months of incarceration and a fine of up to $60,000. He also will be required to pay restitution.

     According to facts presented to the Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, Chung worked from 2009 until August 2012 as the office manager for North Star Intellectual Property Law, LLC, a law firm that is based in downtown Washington, D.C. His duties included setting up the firm’s computer systems and network, creating a paperless environment, payroll, and bill payments.

     Beginning in February 2010, and continuing until July 2012, Chung devised a scheme to defraud the firm, ultimately embezzling $407,062. He generated the money by issuing excessive salary payments to himself, inflating his regular paychecks, and other means. He was able to hide his activities in large part because his employment position authorized him to handle the payroll and accounts payable, creating a mechanism that he could exploit for his own financial benefit.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – Arvel Wills, 24, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty on Oct. 10, 2013 to charges stemming from the killing of his cousin, Dwayne Wills, last year in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Wills pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to involuntary manslaughter and a firearms offense. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2013.

     According to the government’s evidence, on May 26, 2012, at about 4 a.m., Wills and his cousin, Dwayne Wills, 25, engaged in a verbal dispute that turned into a physical altercation at Abbey Place and L Street NE. They had been drinking alcohol at the time of the incident.  

     Dwayne Wills took two punches at the defendant. Arvel Wills picked up his cousin by his neck and leg, held him over his head, and then forcefully slammed his head into a concrete street, causing a skull fracture. Dwayne Wills was unconscious, but was revived and taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he claimed that he had fallen and hurt himself. He lapsed into a coma. On June 4, 2012, he died as a result of head injuries suffered on May 26, 2012.

     The District of Columbia medical examiner=s office ruled the case a homicide. The evidence indicates that the cause of death was blunt impact trauma to the head.

     Wills was arrested on Sept. 27, 2012.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed a 9 mm Ruger, which had an extended magazine clip with 13 rounds of ammunition and was capable of holding 50 rounds.  He has been in custody ever since.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed appreciation to the detectives, officers and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for its assistance on the case. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigators Stephen Cohen, Tommy Miller, Melissa Matthews, Durand Odom, Nelson Rhone, Juan Juarez, Matt Kutz, and interns Ian Irlander and Brian Edgerton; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialist Kelley Blakeney. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Richard Mark Abbott, 62, of Chesterfield, Va., was sentenced today to a 2 ½-year prison term on a federal charge of 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).

     Abbott pled guilty to the charge in July 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  He was sentenced by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Abbott will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.

     According to the government's evidence, on March 15, 2013, Abbott contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had posted an ad on a social network site frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children.  Over the next few days, Abbott engaged in online e-mail and instant messaging with the undercover officer, whom Abbott believed was the father of an under-aged girl.

     During the course of their communications, Abbott sent the undercover officer ten images of child pornography.  On May 2, 2013, Abbott was arrested at his residence in Virginia.  Pursuant to a search warrant for the residence, law enforcement recovered various electronic devices including two computers and various external storage devices.  After a forensic review of those items, law enforcement recovered over 600 images of child pornography.

     This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.  In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     In announcing the 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 commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Marvin Palencia, 37, of Hyattsville, Md., was sentenced on Oct. 11, 2013 to a total of 31 years and four months in prison on charges stemming from the slaying of a man in a downtown office building, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced

     Palencia was found guilty by a jury in June 2013 of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license, and tampering with evidence. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 11, 2010, Palencia shot the victim, Jacobo Vazquez, 36, in the chest and in the back of the head in the laundry room of a ten-story office building in the 100 block of Constitution Avenue NW, where both of the men worked.  Palencia was angry because Mr. Vazquez was in a relationship with the defendant’s wife. Palencia and his wife were separated but he hoped for reconciliation.

     Prior to the murder, Valencia shared with several people how upset he was with Mr. Vazquez. He also threatened Mr. Vazquez about one week before the murder – telling him that he better not see him at work anymore. Over the course of the next week, Palencia purchased a firearm illegally and verified Mr. Vazquez’s work schedule with his superior.

     The government’s evidence showed that Palencia carefully planned out the timing and location of the murder by using his knowledge of the building and the various employee schedules. After killing Mr. Vazquez, Palencia put the body in a cardboard box, wrapped the box in duct tape, plastic, and a cord, and then dumped the body on the side of the road on Interstate 70 in Frederick County, Md. However, in his haste to wrap the box, he unknowingly attached his work identification card to the box.  Palencia was arrested Nov. 20, 2010 and has been in custody ever since.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives, officers and evidence technicians who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Maryland State Police, the Maryland State Highway Department and the Maryland State Medical Examiner’s Office. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Marian Russell and Kalisha Johnson-Clark; Intern Matt Lamb, and Litigation Technology Specialists Kimberly Smith and Thomas “Ron” Royal. He thanked Assistant U.S Attorney Seth B. Waxman, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Miller, who investigated the case and secured the indictment.

     Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Cannon and Kevin Flynn, who prosecuted the case at trial.

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WASHINGTON – Christopher Devese, 23, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced on Oct. 11, 2013 to five years in prison for abducting his pregnant girlfriend from a gas station, robbing her and then assaulting her, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Devese pled guilty in July 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, robbery, and felony contempt. The plea was contingent upon the approval of the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson, who accepted it and sentenced Devese. Upon completion of his prison term, Devese will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on April 27, 2013, at about 12:30 p.m., Devese chased his girlfriend, the victim, in a car from Capitol Heights, Md., into the District of Columbia, as she sped through red lights trying to get away from him.  The victim, who had called 911 for help while being pursued by Devese, was finally cornered in a gas station parking lot in the 4900 block of South Dakota Avenue NE.  Devese smashed the car window to get into the car and pulled his girlfriend out. He then put her into his car and drove her to an unknown alley in the District of Columbia, where he repeatedly assaulted her, including beating her in the stomach with his casted fist.  During the assault, he also robbed the victim of her cell phone, which police recovered from him when he was arrested.  Devese then drove the victim back to Capitol Heights, Md., where he assaulted her again before his mother came to the victim’s aid.

     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 and the FBI/MPD Violent Crimes Task Force.  He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key, and Intern Lucie Enns.  Finally, he commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and indicted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Four teenagers have been sentenced to prison terms for their roles in the armed robbery of three teenage victims earlier this year in a wooded area of Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.

     The defendants, who pled guilty to charges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, include Emmannuel Avent, 19; Daron Brown, 18; Stephon Christian, 18, and Diquan Lucas, 16. All are from Washington, D.C.  Avent pled guilty to a charge of robbery and the others to attempted robbery. The Honorable Stuart G. Nash sentenced Christian on Oct. 11, 2013 to 12 months of incarceration. Avent, Brown, and Lucas were sentenced last month to terms of incarceration of 36 months, 12 months, and 9 months, respectively.

     At the plea hearing, the defendants admitted that on March 30, 2013, at approximately 11:40 p.m., Avent, while wearing a ski mask, approached the victims - 14, 15, and 17 -  from behind in the 4300 block of Hunt Place NE , saying, “Everybody walk into the woods. If anybody tries to run, he’s going to get shot.” Avent then pulled up his shirt to reveal a black-handled object in his waistband. The victims complied and walked into a wooded area nearby.

     Once in the woods, Avent demanded that the victims empty their pockets. The victims turned over a cell phone and $20. As Avent collected these items, Brown, Christian, and Lucas entered the woods from a different direction. Brown and Lucas also were wearing ski masks. Brown, Christian, and Lucas told the victims to give up their tennis shoes. As they gave their shoes to the defendants, Brown checked their pockets for additional proceeds.

     After the robbery, Avent told the victims to get on the ground, put their jackets over their heads, and count to 100. The victims complied, and the defendants fled the scene of the robbery together. The victims ran out into a nearby roadway, flagged down a police vehicle, and provided a description of the robbery suspects to the police. Another police vehicle stopped the defendants a short distance away in an alley near Gault Place NE. The police searched the alley and recovered the victims’ shoes, as well as a cell phone belonging to one of the victims. The police also recovered two ski masks in a search of Avent, one ski mask in a search of Lucas, and one ski mask and a black-handled knife on the ground near where the defendants had been stopped.

     In announcing the sentencings, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the detectives and officers who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Schrader, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Jonathan Womble, 37, a former corrections officer at the District of Columbia Jail, was sentenced on Oct. 9, 2013 to 37 months in prison on a federal charge of conspiracy to commit bribery for accepting $400 in cash in return for smuggling drugs and other contraband into the facility, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

     Womble pled guilty in June 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Upon completion of his prison term, Womble will be placed on three years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, the FBI received information in January 2013 that a corrections officer was providing narcotics and other contraband to an inmate at the D.C. Jail. An investigation revealed that the inmate was working with co-conspirators outside the jail to assemble, deliver, receive and distribute narcotics intended for inmates at the jail, and that they were paying an individual to get the drugs into the facility.

     On Jan. 27, 2013, Womble met with one of the co-conspirators in the parking lot of a carry-out restaurant in the District of Columbia. The co-conspirator gave Womble a plastic bag, which contained a powdery substance consistent with heroin and marijuana. The bag also contained a cellphone, cellphone charger and $400 in cash. Womble understood that the cash was in exchange for him getting the drugs, cell phone and charger to the inmate in the jail. Two days later, he smuggled the items into the jail and provided them to the inmate.

     Plans were subsequently made for another delivery of contraband. However, on Feb. 12, 2013, multiple bags of marijuana were discovered and intercepted inside Womble’s locker at the jail by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections and one of its K-9 dogs. The marijuana had been provided to Womble by a person who wanted it delivered to another inmate.

     Womble is among four corrections employees convicted of bribery since December 2012.

     In December 2012, Daishawn Goodson, a former corrections officer employed by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), pled guilty to taking money to smuggle contraband into the District’s Correctional Treatment Facility. She was sentenced to eight months of home detention. In March 2013, Jeremiah Moorman, a former corrections officer, was found guilty of accepting money under the promise of bringing contraband into the District of Columbia Jail. He was sentenced to two years of probation. Also in March 2013, April Johnston, a former corrections officer for the District of Columbia Jail, pled guilty to taking money to smuggle contraband into the facility. She was sentenced to three months in jail and six months of home detention and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the three agencies who jointly worked the case, including agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, an FBI task force officer from Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and investigators from the District of Columbia Department of Corrections Office of Investigative Services and the Department of Corrections K9 Unit. Finally, they commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lenisse Edloe, Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard E. DiZinno and Christopher R. Kavanaugh, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON - Keely E. Thompson Jr., 48, executive director of Keely’s District Boxing and Youth Center, was sentenced on Oct. 9, 2013 to a 2 ½-–year prison term on a federal charge of wire fraud stemming from a scheme in which he spent District of Columbia and private grant funds, meant for youth programs and activities, on personal goods, entertainment, and services. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Charles J. Willoughby, Inspector General of the District of Columbia.

     Thompson, of Accokeek, Md., pled guilty in June 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Thompson must pay $205,000 in restitution to the entities that granted the misspent funds and forfeit a money judgment in the amount of $205,000. Upon completion of his prison term, Thompson will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, he must complete 500 hours of community service.

     According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Keely’s District Boxing and Youth Center was a non-profit organization based at locations in Northwest and Northeast Washington. The operations were funded with grant money. The funds were to be used to carry out the boxing program’s mission of promoting youth development.

     Thompson admitted improperly using $205,000 in funds from 2004 to 2009. The spending included $105,000 for gambling at a casino in Atlantic City, N.J. and on a cruise ship; $50,000 for meals at restaurants, purchases at grocery stores, concerts, speeding tickets and clothing, and an additional $50,000 on other unauthorized expenditures.

     Thompson was arrested in November 2010 and has been free on personal recognizance while the case remained pending. In November 2012, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him and his wife, Bianca Thompson, the non-profit’s deputy director, with wire fraud and other offenses. The plea agreement in Keely Thompson’s case called for the indictment against Bianca Thompson to be dismissed at the time of his sentencing.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Inspector General Willoughby commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Inspector General’s Office. They also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Nicole Wattelet, Krishawn Graham and Diane Hayes, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Jelahn Stewart, Chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, they praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Waxman and Lionel André, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – William Spriggs, 25, was sentenced today to 38 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder and other charges stemming from a violent rivalry between two street crews in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.

     Spriggs and Raymond Davis, 21, were found guilty of conspiracy charges in April 2013, following a two-month trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Spriggs also was convicted of charges of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and other gun-related offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable John Ramsey Johnson.

     Davis also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and weapons offenses. He was sentenced in June 2013 to a 12-year prison term for his role in the case.

     A third defendant, Deante Harding, 25, was found guilty in April 2013 of conspiracy to assault. Harding was sentenced to time served. All three men are from Washington, D.C.

     The case centered on a series of shootings that occurred in 2010 in the Benning Terrace neighborhood of Southeast Washington. The rivalry involved individuals from the Avenue, an area in Benning Terrace west of 46th Street SE, and individuals from the Circle, a cul-de-sac in the 600 Block of 46th Place SE. Both crews dealt narcotics, possessed firearms, and sought to evade law enforcement. Spriggs, Davis and Harding were part of the Avenue group.

     According to the government’s evidence, during the spring of 2010, individuals from the Avenue traded retaliatory shootings with individuals in the Circle.  Davis, for example, on one occasion shot at an individual coming from the Circle. Also, on May 14, 2010, three Avenue members, including Spriggs and Davis, ran into the Circle and fired multiple gunshots, hitting a Circle crew member.

     Then, on May 30, 2010, Circle members armed themselves and went to the Avenue and shot at individuals. Several minutes later, several Avenue crew members ran up into the Circle, firing their weapons, where they encountered multiple Circle crew members who fired at them. During the shooting, a bystander from the Circle, Antwan Buckner, 32, was shot and killed.

     In its verdict, the jury convicted Spriggs of first-degree murder while armed in the killing of Mr. Buckner, and acquitted Davis of that charge. Harding also was acquitted of some offenses. Harding was arrested in March 2011 and until November 2012 was serving time for a probation violation.

     In separate proceedings, other individuals from the Circle were tried and convicted or pled to crimes related to the murder of Mr. Buckner and an additional murder. 

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick, Sharon Newman, and Meridith McGarrity; Litigation Technology Specialists Thomas Royal and Kimberly Smith; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and  the entire staff of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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     WASHINGTON Devon Holmes, 30, also known as “Jamaica,” of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for the August 2011 slaying of a man in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Holmes was found guilty by a jury in July 2013 of a charge of second-degree murder while armed, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ronna L. Beck. Upon completion of his prison term, Holmes will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the evidence at trial, at about 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2011, in the area of 8th and Jefferson Streets NW, Holmes slashed the victim, Marcellus T. Bailey, 24, in the neck with a sharp object, causing a gaping wound and loss of blood. Holmes fled the scene. Mr. Bailey died a short while later. The motive for the attack is unknown. Holmes was arrested on Sept. 9, 2011, and has been in custody ever since.

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including detectives, mobile crime technicians, and others.  He also expressed appreciation for the work of Special Agent Kevin R. Horan of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST). In addition, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Fern Rhedrick and Mia Beamon; Litigation Support Services Specialists Jeanie Latimore-Brown, Kimberly Smith, Claudia Gutierrez, Joshua Ellen, and Joseph Calvarese; Victim/Witness Advocates Marcia Rinker and Tamara Ince; Victim/Witness Services Supervisor David Foster; Witness Security Specialists M. Laverne Forrest and Michael Hailey; Criminal Investigators Mark Crawford and Christopher Brophy, and Intelligence Research Specialists Zachary McMenamin, Sharon Johnson, and Shannon Alexis.

     Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Feitel and Kathryn L. Rakoczy, who prosecuted the case at trial.

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WASHINGTON - Kevin T. Washington, 48, of Gaithersburg, Md., was sentenced today to a 38-month prison term and ordered to pay restitution of approximately $39,000 to various businesses and banks that were defrauded in a pair of schemes, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr., Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department and Kathy A. Michalko, Special Agent In Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service.

     Washington pled guilty in August 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to felony credit card fraud, first-degree felony fraud, and misdemeanor credit card fraud. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter.

     According to the plea agreement, in September and October of 2012, Washington obtained the credit card numbers of four different victims while working as a waiter at a restaurant in Georgetown. One victim had treated his niece, who had been attending college in the area, to a meal at the restaurant. Shortly thereafter, he discovered thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges from an art gallery.  That victim’s card was used to purchase artwork totaling approximately $46,000 from a Georgetown art gallery, including two Pablo Picasso etchings, as well as Henri Matisse and Damien Hirst etchings. 

     Members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit enlisted assistance from the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department and together they were able to recover the artwork from a store in Fairfax County where Washington had pawned them. That store suffered roughly $3,000 in losses.

     During this same time period, September through October 2012, Washington used the credit card number of another victim who had dined at the restaurant to purchase diamond stud earrings, a wedding band, a diamond cross and a 16-inch gold chain from a jewelry store in Northwest Washington. He also used another victim’s credit card number for storage services and the fourth victim’s credit card number for car repair services.  All told, the purchases on these three victims’ cards totaled about $11,300.

     Finally, beginning in March 2012 and continuing through February 2013, Washington fraudulently obtained approximately $24,000 in cash in a check-kiting scheme. The investigation showed that Washington opened accounts at six different banks and subsequently deposited bad checks with the intent of artificially inflating his account balances. Washington would then withdraw large sums of money, knowing that the checks would be returned due to insufficient funds or for having been written on closed accounts.  

     In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Chief Lanier and Special Agent in Charge Michalko praised the investigative work of the MPD detective assigned to the Financial Crimes and Fraud Unit and the Special Agent assigned to the Secret Service‘s Washington Field Office.  They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Fairfax County Police Department. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie G. Miller, who prosecuted the case.  

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WASHINGTON – John Solano, 30, a former teacher from Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2013 to five years in prison for receiving 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).

     Solano pled guilty in July 2013 to receipt of pornography. He was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. Solano has been incarcerated since his arrest on March 8, 2013. Upon completion of his prison term, Solano will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for a period of 15 years.

     According to the government's evidence, Solano, who was then a teacher at McKinley Tech High School in Northeast Washington, engaged in inappropriate sexual communications with several current and former students. Specifically, in December 2012, Solano engaged in inappropriate and sexually explicit text message communications with a 16-year-old student. During the course of that correspondence, at Solano’s request, the student sent and Solano received images of child pornography.

     This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD.  In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     In announcing the 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 commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.

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WASHINGTON – Rocio Sanchez-Flores, also known as “Amador,” or “Taliban,” has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a ring that produced and sold false identification documents in the Columbia Heights area of Northwest Washington.

     The sentencing, which took place Oct. 16, 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Scot Rittenberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington.

     Sanchez-Flores, 30, was among seven defendants indicted in October 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, following an investigation into sales of fraudulent identity documents near the Columbia Heights Metrorail station at 14th and Irving Streets NW. Like Sanchez-Flores, the other six defendants pled guilty to charges in the case.

     Sanchez-Flores, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in March 2013 to a conspiracy charge. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. As part of his plea agreement, Sanchez-Flores agreed to the forfeiture of $5,000.

     Others pleading guilty to conspiracy include Jorge Castaneda, 39, also known as “Francisco Mendoza” and “George,” of Washington, D.C.; Victor Bedillo, 42, of Silver Spring, Md.; Juan Guarneros, also known as “Lobo,” 54, of Washington, D.C.; Javier Lopez, also known as “Pumba,” 46, of Washington, D.C.; Juan Lopez-Medina, also known as “Juanito,” 44, of Washington, D.C. , and Carlos Armando Rivas-Rivas, also known as “Paisa,” 42, of Silver Spring, Md. Except for Guarneros, all also pled guilty to a charge of transfer of fraudulent identity documents. Guarneros pled guilty to a charge of production of fraudulent documents.

     Castaneda was sentenced in September 2013 to a 27-month prison term. The remaining five defendants were sentenced in June 2013. Bedillo was sentenced to nine months of incarceration. Guarneros was sentenced to 10 months of incarceration. Javier Lopez was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Lopez-Medina was sentenced to 10 months of incarceration, and Rivas-Rivas was sentenced to 405 days of incarceration.

     All of the defendants also acknowledged that, because they are not U.S. citizens, they consent to removal from the country upon completion of their sentences.

     According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendants as well as the government, members of the group participated in the ring from in or around March 2010 until October 2012, when authorities made arrests. The defendants produced and sold false documents, including permanent resident cards, employment authorization cards, Social Security cards, and State licenses and identification cards.  Depending on the type and quality of fraudulent identity documents, the defendants charged customers between $40 and $200 per transaction.

     Potential customers typically provided their photographs, names, dates of birth and the kinds of fraudulent documents they wanted to purchase. Documents were manufactured at Sanchez-Flores’s home in the 1500 block of Ogden Street NW.

     Jorge Castaneda also was charged in a second case involving a separate group of individuals who sold fraudulent identity documents in the Columbia Heights area.  Authorities arrested seven other members of that conspiracy, which was led by Maria Campos-Sanchez, 30, also known as “Betty.”  Campos-Sanchez received a 24-month prison term, and the other defendants’ sentences were nine months of incarceration or higher.

     The cases were investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. field office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frederick Yette, T. Patrick Martin and Mona Sahaf, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON – Detrek Baker, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Oct. 4, 2013 to 23 years in prison for the April 2012 slaying of a man at a Northeast Washington bus stop, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Baker pled guilty in April 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder. He was sentenced by the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. Upon completion of his prison term, Baker will be placed on five years of supervised release.

     According to the government’s evidence, on Saturday, April 28, 2012, the victim, James Sherrod, Jr., and a friend, both 22, walked to the U5 Metro bus stop in front of Mayfair Manor, in the 700 block of Kenilworth Terrace NE. Baker, who was carrying a red, black, and grey single-strap book bag, was standing at the bus stop along with several other young men. 

     For nearly an hour, the victim, Baker, and others stood at the bus stop, talking.  At about 1:40 p.m., without provocation or warning, Baker pulled out a gun and shot Mr. Sherrod in the head. When the victim collapsed, Baker stood over him and fired additional bullets into his body. 

     Immediately after the shooting, Baker ran toward 800 Kenilworth Avenue NE. Eyewitnesses observed him pause beside one of the trash dumpsters there while running away; later they directed the police to those dumpsters.  Inside one of the dumpsters was a red, black, and grey single-strap book bag and a .357 revolver.  Inside the revolver were five spent casings and one live round.  Two bullets were recovered from Mr. Sherrod’s body during an autopsy; police determined that those bullets were fired from the .357 revolver found in the dumpster.

     Individuals at the bus stop as well as several members of the community spoke with law enforcement. They reported what they had observed at the bus stop.  These eyewitnesses were instrumental not only in helping the police identify Baker as the shooter within hours of the murder, but also in strengthening the evidence against him, ultimately resulting his guilty plea. 

     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 Ethel Gregory, Marian Russell, and Kendra Johnson; Lead Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Intelligence Specialists Lawrence Grasso, Shannon Alexis, Sharon Johnson, and William Hamann.  Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen recognized former Assistant U.S. Attorney J.P. Cooney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Nielsen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

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