District of Columbia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
District Man Sentenced to 3 1/2-Year Prison Term for Breaking into Northwest Washington Pizza Restaurant-Employees Tackled Mask-Wearing Defendant, Held Him Until Police Arrived-Read the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednessday, May 22, 2013WASHINGTON - Leon W. Bailey, 44, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a prison term of 3 ½ years for breaking into a pizza restaurant and trying to take money from the cash register, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Bailey pled guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to second-degree burglary. He was sentenced on May 21, 2013 by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. After his prison term, Bailey will be placed on three years of supervised release.According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 23, 2013, at about 4:50 p.m., Bailey, who was wearing a grey mask, entered a pizza restaurant in the 1500 block of North Capitol Street NW. An employee saw the masked man barging into the restaurant and tried to close the door to the kitchen and cash register area. Bailey, however, kicked the door and broke it open.
Once inside the cash register area, Bailey demanded money. The employee opened the cash register and Bailey began grabbing money from the drawer. When the employee realized that Bailey did not have any weapons on him, he called to his colleagues for help. The other employees rushed to the front of the store and tackled Bailey. They then struggled to hold him as he was kicking and trying to get away. The employees were able to detain Bailey until the police arrived. Police found Bailey was on the ground, with money strewn on the floor.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the work of Victim/Witness Advocate Kristina Rose, who assisted the victims, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-179District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Theft of More Than $340,000 in Government Funds-Defendant Cashed in on Benefits in Name of Deceased Mother-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Eugene Weatherford, 60, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from the theft of more than $340,000 in government money, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and Patrick E. McFarland, Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management.
Weatherford, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to theft of government funds. The Honorable Richard W. Roberts scheduled sentencing for Aug. 13, 2013. Weatherford faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 18 to 24 months of incarceration.
In connection with the guilty plea, Weatherford admitted that from March 1999 through June 2012, he received and negotiated U.S. Treasury checks issued in the name of his mother, who died in February 1999. These checks included retirement benefits from the U.S. Social Security Administration and annuity benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
According to the government’s evidence, following his mother’s death, Weatherford continued to receive and negotiate the U.S. Treasury checks in her name by depositing them into a joint bank account that they shared. In certain instances, Weatherford signed his own name in endorsing the backs of the checks issued in his mother’s name, and in other instances, he left the endorsement blank, aside from instructions to deposit the money into the joint bank account.
Weatherford admitted that, through this scheme, he obtained approximately $255,038 in Social Security retirement benefits and $91,484 in OPM annuity benefits, for a total illicit gain of approximately $346,522.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge McGill and Inspector General McFarland commended those who investigated the case from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and OPM’s Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Angela Lawrence and Nicole Wattelet, Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Connelly, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Last, who prosecuted the case.
13-181District Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
In Traffic Fatality in Southwest Washington
-Impaired Driver Struck Pedestrian, Who Died After She Was Pinned To a Tree-WASHINGTON – Maria N. Werts, 49, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence stemming from a recent traffic fatality in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Werts entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon Jr., scheduled sentencing for July 26, 2013. The plea agreement, contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for Werts to serve a seven-year prison term for her offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday afternoon, April 28, 2013, Werts was drinking malt liquor and smoking crack cocaine immediately before getting behind the wheel of a 2010 Toyota Yaris. While driving on First Street SW, at about 2:45 p.m., Werts ran a red light at the intersection of South Capitol Street, making an illegal right turn on red. A southbound driver on South Capitol Street had to swerve to avoid colliding with Werts.
Werts lost control of the Toyota she was driving, and mounted the sidewalk adjacent to the southbound lanes of South Capitol Street. The victim, Emmajean Gainey, 58, was walking on that sidewalk with another pedestrian. Both Ms. Gainey and her companion attempted to avoid being struck by Werts, but Werts struck Ms. Gainey head on, and pinned Ms. Gainey against a tree between the sidewalk and the roadway. Ms. Gainey was killed instantly.
Bystanders immediately called 911, and attempted to push the Toyota from Ms. Gainey’s body. Witnesses saw Werts get out of the Toyota’s driver’s seat and attempt to leave the scene. Werts was stopped by witnesses until police arrived. When police arrived, they administered filed sobriety tests, which Werts failed. Werts was arrested and, while at a police station, breath tests indicated that her blood alcohol content was above the legal limit for driving. Werts later admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking cocaine immediately prior to getting into the car. While she denied driving the car, stating that she was merely a passenger, several eyewitnesses identified Werts on the scene as the driver responsible for Ms. Gainey’s death.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Unit. He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane, Shavaka Melvin and Phil Aronson. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-178
Two Pakistani Nationals Extradited to District of Columbia to Face Charges Involving Illegal Pharmaceutical ShipmentsDefendants Allegedly Shipped Nearly $780,000 of Drugs into U.S.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Pakistani nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges alleging that they operated Internet sites that illegally shipped pharmaceuticals from Pakistan and the United Kingdom to customers in the United States.
Sheikh Waseem Ul Haq, 40, and Tahir Saeed, 51, are accused of operating Internet sites that, since late 2005, illegally shipped $2 million of pharmaceuticals from Pakistan and the United Kingdom to customers worldwide, including nearly $780,000 in sales to U.S. purchasers.
The defendants, who were arrested in London last fall, have been arraigned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were brought to the District of Columbia by the U.S. Marshals Service. Ul Haq had his first court appearance today. Saeed was arraigned on April 18, 2013. Both remain in custody pending further proceedings.
The developments were announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Antoinette V. Henry, Special Agent in Charge of the Metro Washington Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The defendants were indicted Nov. 6, 2012, following a presentation of evidence by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, working in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch. The 48-count indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to import controlled substance pharmaceuticals into the United States; conspiracy to distribute controlled substance pharmaceuticals; conspiracy to introduce misbranded pharmaceuticals into interstate commerce; importation and distribution of controlled substance pharmaceuticals; introduction into interstate commerce of misbranded drugs, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. It also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the scheme.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts involving the conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances, as well as up to 20 years for the conspiracy to commit international money laundering. They face a maximum penalty of five years for conspiracy to introduce misbranded pharmaceuticals into interstate commerce, and additional time if convicted of the other charges.
According to the indictment, the defendants and others owned, operated and conducted business as Waseem Enterprises and Harry’s Enterprises, wholesale pharmaceutical companies that were located in Pakistan. The businesses were used to unlawfully distribute a wide variety of controlled substances and prescription drugs through Internet sites. The defendants and others also advertised their companies on Internet sites to generate business.
Ul Haq and Saeed directed U.S. customers to submit payments via Western Union to numerous individuals in Karachi, Pakistan, in order to conceal the fact that the funds were going to Ul Haq and Saeed. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants admitted in e-mails that they paid bribes to Pakistani customs officials to facilitate shipment of the drugs out of Pakistan, and warned that U.S. customers bore the risk of interception by U.S. customs officials. The indictment alleges that the defendants packaged the drug shipments in ways which reduced the likelihood of interdiction by customs inspectors and told customers that, despite the packaging, some of the shipments might not get through.
The drugs shipped into the United States included methylphenidate (sold as Ritalin); various anabolic steroids; alprazolam (sold as Xanax); diazepam (sold as Valium), lorazepam (sold as Ativan), clonazepam (sold as Klonapin) and other controlled and non-controlled substances.
The strict statutes and regulations for pharmaceuticals – allegedly bypassed in this case by the defendants’ conduct -- are designed to protect consumers from adulterated, contaminated, and counterfeit drugs, and assure that medically necessary drugs are dispensed by licensed pharmacists who are filling legitimately issued prescriptions by licensed physicians.
In early October 2012, a law enforcement task force investigating the case learned that the defendants would be traveling from Pakistan to northern Europe. With the assistance of Interpol and law enforcement agents in Germany and the United Kingdom, the defendants were tracked from Germany to London. With coordination from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. authorities lodged provisional arrest warrants for the defendants in the United Kingdom.
The defendants were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police Service Fugitive Squad at a hotel near Heathrow Airport on October 19, 2012. They subsequently were presented to Westminster Magistrate’s Court in London and ordered held pending extradition to the United States. On March 25, 2013, the United Kingdom Minister of State issued extradition orders for both defendants, which became final when neither defendant appealed.
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“These defendants are accused of taking part in an international conspiracy to sell and ship unregulated pharmaceuticals to American consumers, without any doctors involved,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “The extradition of these Pakistani nationals demonstrates our commitment to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who are intent on shipping unregulated and potentially dangerous drugs into the United States.”
“The illegal sale of prescription drugs by Internet pharmacies operating around the world presents a serious threat to public health and safety,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to diligently investigate the fraudulent sale of controlled prescription drugs to protect our citizens from this danger.”
“The FDA will aggressively pursue those who offer drugs for sale over the Internet that are of unknown safety and efficacy, bypassing FDA’s regulatory authority and placing citizens at risk," said Antoinette V. Henry, Metro Washington OCI Field Office.
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 investigation was sponsored and supported by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office; the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S. Marshals Service provided assistance. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Dominguez and Linda I. Marks, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, who coordinated the investigation and presented the evidence to the grand jury.
13-176District Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Armed Robbery, Admitted Stealing Dog at Gunpoint-Defendant Told Victim: “Yorkies Cost A Lot of Money”-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Young, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a four-year prison term on a charge of armed robbery stemming from an attack in which he stole a dog from a woman at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Young pled guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert I. Richter. Upon completion of his prison term, Young will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 5, 2013, at about 10:35 a.m., Young approached a woman who was walking her Yorkshire Terrier in the area of Fifth and Kennedy Streets NE. Young displayed a handgun and said, “Give me your dog. Yorkies cost a lot of money.” He then grabbed the victim’s dog and ran toward Chillum Place NE.
The victim, who yelled for help, noticed that Young dropped his phone on Kennedy Street directly next to where the dog’s leash had dropped. While Young continued running, the dog escaped and ran to its home. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) determined that the dropped phone belonged to Young, and learned that he had a GPS device on his ankle. Police obtained Young’s GPS records, which placed him directly in the area of 5th and Kennedy at the time of the robbery as well as in the flight path described by witnesses.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who prosecuted the case.
13-177Former CEO of London-Based Company Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in $2.1 Million Fraud Scheme-Defendant Used Nearly $1.7 Million of Proceeds to Buy Home in Great Falls, Va.-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Richard Halligen, 51, an Irish citizen, pled guilty today to wire fraud, a federal charge stemming from a scheme in which he defrauded $2.1 million from a Netherlands-based commodities trading company, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Halligen pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, the first of two counts of an indictment that was returned against him in 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss the second count of the indictment, which was a money laundering charge stemming from the same scheme. The charge of wire fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties agreed that Halligen’s likely range would be a prison term of 33 to 41 months and a fine between $7,500 and $75,000.
Under the plea agreement, Halligen also must pay $2.1 million in restitution to the company that was the victim of his scheme.
The Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2013.
The wire fraud charge stems from actions taken by Halligen in 2006 and 2007, when he was the Chief Executive Officer of Red Defence International (RDI), a London-based security consulting and crisis management firm, which was hired by Trafigura Beheer BV (Trafigura), a Netherlands-based international commodities trading company, and its London-based law firm, Waterson Hicks. Trafigura hired RDI as a consultant in crisis management after two Trafigura executives were captured and imprisoned in the Ivory Coast while visiting there for the purpose of determining the company’s next steps to address an environmental issue caused by the leakage of toxic waste material from Trafigura vessels in an Ivory Coast port.
While employed by Trafigura, Halligen claimed to have incurred $2.1 million in expenses related to pursuing a strategy in the United States aimed at convincing the United States to assist in securing the release of the Trafigura executives; in reality, Halligen spent the money on a home in Great Falls, Va., which was to be his personal residence, as well as other personal expenses, according to the government’s evidence.
“This CEO exploited a company desperate to secure the release of its executives from a foreign prison,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “He conned the company out of $2 million he claimed would be used to support his efforts to rescue them, but instead used the money to buy a six-bedroom mansion. The extradition and imprisonment of this CEO demonstrates the strength of our resolve to prosecute corporate fraud.”
“Instead of assisting in the release of two executives imprisoned in the Ivory Coast, Mr. Halligen utilized the money paid to him to support his own lavish lifestyle,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with prosecutors, the FBI will continue to pursue individuals who devise schemes to defraud companies of money for services never provided to them.”
According to a Statement of Offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, at the request of Trafigura, Waterson Hicks hired RDI in October 2006 to help secure the release of two Trafigura executives who were arrested and detained in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The arrests followed an environmental spill off the coast of Abidjan. Under a contract that took effect in October 2006, RDI was to provide security intelligence and public relations services related to Trafigura’s presence in the Ivory Coast and to assist with facilitating the release of the Trafigura executives. Under the contract with RDI, Waterson Hicks paid RDI and then, in turn, the law firm was reimbursed by Trafigura.
During November 2006, after other efforts to secure the executives’ release proved unsuccessful, Halligen suggested that the U.S. government should be involved with facilitating negotiations with the Ivory Coast. His stated strategy was to utilize his contacts in the United States to encourage Ivory Coast officials to release the executives. Halligen said the “American Strategy” would cost an additional $2.1 million, on top of the money RDI already was receiving.
The $2.1 million supposedly was to be used to pay expenses incurred by Halligen in the United States to hire consultants and lobbyists to influence officials in the United States on Trafigura’s behalf. In December 2006, Halligen was informed that the law firm had received the $2.1 million from Trafigura. Then, in January 2007, Halligen told the law firm to wire $2.1 million from their bank account in London to his personal bank account in the United States.
Between November 2006 and January 2007, Halligen traveled to the United States on numerous occasions, claiming to have met with U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., allegedly in furtherance of the “American Strategy.” While in Washington, D.C., he began dating a woman who resided in the area and subsequently became engaged to her.
Halligen gave his fianceé a $2 million budget to find a suitable house in which they would live after their marriage. Shortly thereafter, she found a six-bedroom, 4 ½-bathroom residence in Great Falls, Va. On Jan. 11, 2007 - the day after $2.1 million was wired to Halligen’s personal bank account for the American strategy - Halligen wired nearly $1.7 million from his account to complete the purchase of the Great Falls residence.
None of the proceeds from the $2.1 million payment from Waterson Hicks to RDI were ever directed toward reimbursement of expenses related to the “American Strategy.” In addition to spending nearly $1.7 million on the purchase of the Great Falls residence, the rest of the money was spent on other personal expenses.
The Trafigura executives ultimately were released in February 2007.
At the time of his indictment in November 2009, Halligen was no longer residing in the United States. On Nov. 25, 2009, he was arrested at a hotel in Oxford, the United Kingdom, so that he could be extradited to the United States. At the time of his arrest, Halligen was using an alias. Subsequent to his arrest in the United Kingdom, Halligen litigated issues surrounding his extradition to the United States. He ultimately was extradited in December 2012.
Halligen was incarcerated in the United Kingdom from the date of his arrest in November 2009 until his extradition in December 2012. When he was presented for his initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, in December 2012, he was ordered to be held without bond and he has been incarcerated since that time. Halligen will continue to be incarcerated while he awaits his sentencing date.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Assistant Director in Charge Parlave commended the work of the Special Agents from the FBI’s Washington Field Office who handled the case. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegals Donna Galindo, Tasha Harris, and Krishawn Graham. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maia L. Miller and Matt Graves, who are prosecuting the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Vasu Muthyala who investigated the matter.
13-173District Man Sentenced to 39 ½-Year Prison Term in 2011 Slaying in Northeast WashingtonDefendant Came to Ex-Girlfriend’s House with Gun, Killed Her Brother and Shot at Her FatherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brandon Andrews, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 39 ½ years of incarceration on charges stemming from the killing of a man in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Andrews was found guilty in February 2013 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of second-degree murder in the slaying of his ex-girlfriend’s brother, Leonard Bigelow, 43. The jury also found him guilty of a charge of assault with a deadly weapon for shooting at Mr. Bigelow’s father; threats to injure, for threatening his ex-girlfriend, and related weapons offenses. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin.
According to the government’s evidence, Andrews and Mr. Bigelow’s sister dated for approximately 10 months. However, on Aug. 22, 2011, she ended the relationship after Andrews threatened her while they were driving through the District of Columbia.
After the break-up, Andrews repeatedly tried to call and sent text messages to his ex-girlfriend, but she did not respond. Many of the defendant’s text messages included profanity, threats and demands that she answer him. Andrews also went by the Bigelow family home repeatedly, though he was uninvited and unwelcome.
On Aug. 23, 2011, for example, Mr. Bigelow was with his sister at their home when Andrews came by. Andrews and Mr. Bigelow argued when Mr. Bigelow informed Andrews that he was unwelcome and that his sister did not want to talk to him. Andrews’s ex-girlfriend became so concerned about his behavior that she sought a protective order from the Court the following day to keep Andrews away from her and her family.
On Aug. 25, 2011, Andrews demanded his clothing via text messages. The following day, the ex-girlfriend dropped off the clothes on a street corner near a homeless center in the 400 block of Second Street NW, where Andrews stood and resided. She did not give them to Andrews directly because she feared him. Later that day, Andrews sent text messages claiming that the clothes were taken by others before he could retrieve them. He also used profanity and threatened her property and her safety.
On the evening of Aug. 26, 2011, Andrews called and texted his ex-girlfriend multiple times, but she did not respond. Then, Andrews called her home. Mr. Bigelow answered the phone and told Andrews that his sister did not want to see him or speak to him. Andrews declared that he was coming to the home at approximately 10 p.m. Mr. Bigelow said that he would be there.
Andrews arrived about 10:45 p.m. with a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his pocket. He emerged from an alley and into the 1300 block of Emerald Street NE, and walked toward the house. Mr. Bigelow, his sister, and his father saw Andrews coming. Mr. Bigelow went onto the front porch with his father, while his sister called 911. Andrews stopped in front of the house and, without a word, shot at Mr. Bigelow and his father twice. He struck Mr. Bigelow with a bullet in the chest. Andrews then walked back the way he came. Mr. Bigelow collapsed and died that night from the gunshot wound.
On Aug. 27, 2011, law enforcement located Andrews at the corner of Fifth and F Streets NW. When he was arrested, he told the police that he had a gun in his pocket. The police found in his pocket the loaded.25 caliber semi-automatic pistol used to kill Mr. Bigelow.
At trial, Andrews claimed self-defense and alleged, among other claims, that at the time of the shooting Mr. Bigelow charged at him with some type of weapon in his hand. The government strongly disputed Andrews’ claim. According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Bigelow did not have a weapon and did not approach Andrews.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives and officers of the Criminal Investigations Division and the First District of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Fugitive Task Force. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Snyder, who secured the indictment in the case, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Victim Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Victim Witness Specialist Katina Adams-Washington, Leif Hickling of the Litigation Technology Unit, and Paralegal Specialist Marian Russell. Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana L. Fulton who tried the case.
13-174District Man and Woman Sentenced to Prison Terms for Their Roles in Killing of 18-Year-Old Latisha FrazierVictim’s Body Was Left in A Dumpster, Never Found; Two Defendants Are Among Seven People Convicted in CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cinthya Proctor, 21, and Laurence Hassan, 24, were sentenced today to prison terms for second-degree murder and other charges in the August 2010 kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Proctor was sentenced to 21 years of incarceration on charges of second-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit evidence tampering. Hassan was sentenced to an 18-year prison term for second-degree murder and kidnapping. Both defendants, of Washington, D.C., were sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable William M. Jackson. Upon completion of their prison terms, they will be placed on five years of supervised release.
Proctor, who pled guilty in July 2011, and Hassan, who pled guilty in October 2011, are among six defendants who have pled guilty to charges related to the killing. A seventh defendant was found guilty by a jury last month of first-degree felony murder and other charges.
According to the government’s evidence, Proctor and Hassan were part of a group of six young men and women who took part in the murder of Ms. Frazier.
Ms. Frazier vanished on Aug. 2, 2010. For months, her family relentlessly sought to find her, passing out flyers and contacting local news stations to publicize her disappearance. In late January 2011, one witness finally stepped forward and contacted the Metropolitan Police Department, revealing the truth of Ms. Frazier’s whereabouts.
On the day of her disappearance, the government’s evidence showed, Ms. Frazier had been brutally murdered by the group of six men and women (ages 16 to 23), all of whom she believed to be her friends. The group had suspected - with little evidence - that Ms. Frazier had stolen about $900 from one of the men, Johnnie Sweet. He recruited others and exacted a plan of revenge in which they would call her over to an apartment where they claimed to be socializing.
When Ms. Frazier arrived at the apartment in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE, the group took her to a small bedroom where Sweet and others punched, kicked, and stomped her all over her body. Ignoring her pleas for them to stop, they bound her in duct tape, taped a pillowcase over her head so she could not scream, and shoved her in a small, dark closet. When she screamed and moaned, one of the members of the group placed her in a sleeper hold to “put her to sleep.” Later, the group discovered that she had died.
Upon learning that Ms. Frazier had died, Proctor took part in a discussion about what to do with her body. The initial plan was to dismember the body, put it in a container, and dispose of it in a park. The next day, Proctor joined in an attempt to dismember the body in a bathtub. But she became physically ill and went to a hospital before the body was removed from the apartment. That evening, Ms. Frazier’s body was thrown into a dumpster, and it is now believed to be somewhere in one or two landfills in rural Virginia.
In addition to Proctor and Hassan, those pleading guilty include Brian Gaither, 25, who was sentenced in April 2013 to a 32-year prison term after pleading guilty to first-degree murder; Anneka Nelson, 18, who pled guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping; Lanee Bell, 19, who pled guilty to kidnapping, and Antoine McCullough, 27, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit evidence tampering. Except for Gaither, the other defendants are awaiting sentencing.
Sweet, 19, was found guilty by a jury on April 30, 2013, of first-degree felony murder with aggravating circumstances; first-degree premeditated murder with aggravating circumstances; kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2013. Sweet faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum of 60 years of incarceration.
In announcing today’s sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including detectives from the Major Case/Cold Case Squad and the Seventh District.
They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Larry Grasso of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Kwasi Fields, Phaylyn Hunt, and Angela Lawrence. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Melinda Williams, who prosecuted the case.
13-175District Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison on Federal Charges After Search Turns up A Semiautomatic Gun and PCP-Defendant Arrested After A Struggle with Police-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antowaun Lynch, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 50-month prison term on federal drug and weapons offenses stemming from a search in which he was caught by police with a gun and phencyclidine (PCP), announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Lynch pled guilty in March 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to unlawful possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer. After his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, 2012, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were called to the 600 block of Edgewood Street NE to investigate several robberies. Lynch was part of a group of people that the officers encountered. When the officers approached him, Lynch appeared nervous and asked, “Why are you doing this?” Lynch continued to turn his body to the right toward the police car and away from the officers. He put his right hand on his waistband at his side. An officer then put his hand on Lynch’s waistband and noticed a weapon was concealed in the area.
When Lynch attempted to grab the weapon and remove it from his waistband, the officers grabbed onto the gun. Lynch kicked and resisted the officers who were trying to remove the gun and arrest him. After this struggle, the officers were able to retrieve the weapon, a semiautomatic handgun loaded with six rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. After his arrest, officers also found a clear glass vial with a black top containing a yellow liquid of approximately one ounce of fluid PCP in Lynch’s pants pocket.
Lynch has a 2005 felony conviction in Virginia.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the actions of the MPD officers who participated in this arrest and the removal of the handgun and drugs. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittan Heller, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-172District Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery and Other Charges in 2012 Attack-Defendant Robbed Victim in Northwest Washington After Asking Her for Directions-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Butler, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 13 years and 10 months in prison on charges stemming from the armed robbery of a woman last fall in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Butler was found guilty in March 2013 by a jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of armed robbery, carrying a dangerous weapon, felony threats, and possession of an open container of alcohol. He was sentenced by the Honorable A. Franklin Burgess, Jr. Butler, who has previous convictions for robbery, carjacking and other crimes, is to be placed on five years of supervised release following his prison term. In announcing the sentence, Judge Burgess indicated that he wanted to keep Butler off the streets and keep the citizens of the District of Columbia safe. Butler also faces parole revocation.
According to the government’s evidence, the attack took place about 8 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2012, near the National Zoo. The victim was walking alone near Adams Mills Road and Walbridge Place NW, headed to a friend’s house for a dinner party, when Butler saw her. He got out of a large red pick-up truck that was blocking her path and pretended to ask for directions.
Butler quickly grabbed the woman’s arm, thrust a knife up to her stomach, and demanded her phone and purse. After he got those items, he demanded her necklace. When she couldn’t get her necklace off fast enough, Butler yelled at her to take it off or he would kill her. After robbing her, he told her to run in the opposite direction and again threatened her if she didn’t comply.
Butler then took off in the pick-up truck. The victim was left on the side of the street without a phone, any money, and the keys to her house. She ran down the street and flagged down a motorist who allowed her in his car, and together they called 911. About 10 minutes later, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery Intervention Program spotted a truck matching the description of the one Butler was using near a gas station at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW. Officers found the victim’s belongings spread around the truck; Butler had a knife. The victim identified Butler and the knife. He was arrested. At the Fourth District Police Station, the woman’s identification was found in his pocket. At trial, Butler argued that he had merely found the purse on the side of the road.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-170District Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter While Armed in 1995 Slaying in Northwest Washington-Defendant Admits Shooting Victim, A Friend, Then Fleeing the Scene-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Fair, 35, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed in a slaying that took place in 1995 at an apartment in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Fair pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a 10-year prison term. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, James W. Belton, 18, was fatally shot on Oct. 5, 1995. Fair, who was then 17, had gone to Mr. Belton’s apartment, in the 1400 block of Sheridan Street NW, to smoke marijuana. While there, he shot Mr. Belton twice in the head with a .38-caliber revolver, causing Mr. Belton’s death. At the time of the murder, no arrests or leads were developed linking the defendant to the slaying.
On July 4, 2004, Fair approached police and told them he had set his mother’s house on fire. He was transported to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. While at the hospital, the defendant, spontaneously, told hospital staff that he shot and killed a man eight years earlier with a .38-caliber gun. He was not arrested for the homicide at that time.
Fair was arrested and interviewed on Oct. 23, 2007 by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in relation to the death of Mr. Belton. He told police that while visiting Mr. Belton on Oct. 5, 1995, he became paranoid and thought that Mr. Belton and another individual (who was not present) were going to rob and hurt him. He subsequently shot Mr. Belton in the head. At the time that Mr. Belton was shot, he was seated on a couch, unarmed, and had not done anything to suggest to Fair that he was going to rob or hurt him. After the shooting, Fair left the scene on a bicycle.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the MPD detectives and officers who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the effort of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s office, including Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ed Burley, who indicted the case, Steve Snyder, who worked on the investigation, and Cynthia G. Wright, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-171District Man Sentenced to 34-Year Prison Term for Attacking and Threatening Woman in Southeast Washington-Defendant Was on Parole at Time of Attack-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Clarence McCallum, 48, has been sentenced to a 34-year prison term on charges of kidnapping and felony threats stemming from an attack last year against an 18-year-old woman in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
McCallum, of Washington, D.C., has previously been convicted of violent offenses. He pled guilty in this case in October 2012 before he was to go on trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He subsequently moved to withdraw his plea, but that motion was denied last month. The Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow sentenced him on May 13, 2013. Upon completion of his prison term, McCallum will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at about 9:30 p.m. on May 27, 2012, the victim was walking home from work when McCallum grabbed her from behind in the 1200 block of V Street SE. He dragged her towards a nearby alley, at which point she managed to break free and run into the middle of the street. When she pulled out her cellphone and told McCallum that she was going to call 911, he told her that he would "get" her and started walking away.
While on the phone with 911, the victim followed McCallum so that he would not get away. She was aided by a neighborhood Good Samaritan who, when informed of what had just happened, agreed to help follow the assailant. After more than 10 minutes of pursuit, all while the victim remained on the line with 911, McCallum slipped into an alley. When he came out on the other side, several minutes later, the Good Samaritan spotted him and pointed him out to the police. After a brief foot chase, McCallum was stopped and placed under arrest.
At the time of the arrest, McCallum had been on parole for barely six weeks. He pled guilty in 1983, in two separate cases, to assault with intent to rape and rape while armed. He also pled guilty in 1984 in Prince George’s County, Md., to charges of kidnapping, robbery with a deadly weapon, and use of a handgun. Since his incarceration for those cases, he had been released on parole four times and had his release revoked four times, all following rearrests for assault-related conduct.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialist Anisha Bhatia, Paralegal Specialists Theresa Nelson and Ethel Noble, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Dillon of the Superior Court Homicide Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-169Virginia Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine-Defendant Hid Cocaine in Secret Compartments of Car-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darnell Antonio Parker, 43, formerly of Arlington, Va., has been sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, 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) announced today.
Parker pled guilty in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and money laundering. He was sentenced on May 9, 2013 by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. As part of the sentence, Parker was ordered to forfeit assets in the amount of $375,000. He will be placed on supervised release for five years when his term of incarceration is complete.
According to the government’s evidence, Parker sold large amounts of cocaine to others participating in the drug conspiracy. Parker and others carried out the drug operation from September 2010 through March of 2012, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network operated in the District of Columbia as well as in suburban Maryland.
Parker was arrested on March 1, 2012, following an investigation led by the FBI/Metropolitan Police Department Safe Streets Task Force. That day, law enforcement was conducting surveillance on Parker as he drove a Honda Accord from Washington, D.C., into a parking lot in Oxon Hill, Md. Law enforcement observed Parker exit the Honda, kneel near the driver’s side, and manipulate something inside. A few moments later, law enforcement stopped Parker a distance away after he entered another person’s vehicle.
Law enforcement stopped Parker and searched him and the Honda Accord. That search revealed approximately $10,000 in cash underneath the front passenger seat, and two secret compartments located in the side panels in the back seat. In one of the compartments, law enforcement discovered six large compressed bricks of powder cocaine that weighed slightly below six kilograms. The search of Parker himself turned up more than $7,000 in cash.
Parker was among numerous people indicted in the case. More than a dozen defendants have pled guilty to charges in the investigation.
This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. In addition, they expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police for their assistance in the investigation.
They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Zamarin and Thomas A. Gillice, who are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Anthony Saler, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
13-165Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty in Scheme That Used Stolen Identifying Information to Seek More Than $20 Million in Fraudulent Tax Refunds-She Allowed Her Bank Account to Be Used for Deposits of Fraudulent Refunds-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – April Arnold, 31, of Waldorf, Md. pled guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from her role in an identity theft and tax fraud scheme involving the filing of returns seeking more than $20 million in fraudulent refunds.
The plea, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Eric M. Thorson, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Treasury; and David Beach, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service.
Arnold pled guilty before the Honorable Magistrate Judge Alan Kay to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims. She will be sentenced at a later date by the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and other penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Arnold likely faces 18 to 24 months in prison and a fine of up to $40,000.
The case represents one of the largest prosecutions to date involving the use of stolen identifying information. Eight other defendants have pled guilty to charges in the case. They include Kevin Brown, 42, of Capitol Heights, Md., a key organizer and leader of the scheme.
According to evidence presented to the Court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, Arnold was among participants in a massive identity theft and false tax refund scheme involving an extensive network of more than 100 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. It also involves bank tellers and postal carriers. From 2006 to date, they allegedly caused the filing of at least 7,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns seeking more than $20 million in refunds. The case remains under investigation.
According to the government’s evidence in this case, the refunds were sought in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. At one nursing home alone, at least 14 identities were stolen, including five from people who were deceased at the time tax returns were filed in their names. Some people sold their identifying information. Some victims unwittingly turned over their identifying information after being told that they were due an income tax refund or were entitled to some “Obama Stimulus Money.”
The government’s evidence showed that participants in the schemes had various roles: some stole the identifying information; some permitted their personal identifying information to be used; some created and mailed the fraudulent federal tax returns; some permitted their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; some helped cash the checks; some provided bank accounts for negotiation of checks, and some forged endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks.
The false returns typically claimed that the “taxpayer” operated a sole proprietorship, as a barber or day care provider, claimed phony dependents, and then reported income that was sufficient to generate tax refunds based on the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes.
From January 2009 through November 2009, Arnold allowed her bank accounts to be used for the deposit and negotiation of 66 fraudulent U.S. Treasury tax refund checks, totaling about $145,351. All but one of these checks had been mailed to various residential addresses in the District of Columbia. Arnold did not know the individuals whose names were listed on the checks that were deposited into her bank accounts.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge Kelly, Inspector in Charge Barksdale, Inspector General Thorson, and Special Agent in Charge Beach commended those who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donna Galindo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein, who is prosecuting the case.
13-167Four Members of “Show Out” Crew Sentenced to Prison Terms for Series of Assaults-Group Targeted Victims in Chinatown and Other Areas-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four men, all from Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms on charges stemming from various gang-related crimes, including beatings, attempted robberies, and obstructing justice, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants were among six men who pled guilty in February 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to actively participating in a crew called “Show Out” that committed crimes in areas including Chinatown, Metro Center, NoMa, Bloomingdale, and Woodley Park. Since at least Jan. 1, 2012, the crew’s members canvassed the areas looking for targets of opportunity and teamed up to assault their victims, rob them of items of value, or both. They pursued people they thought were vulnerable to their surprise attacks, including people traveling alone to or from work, homeless people, and people distracted by their cellphones.
The crew also was accused of engaging in “flash mob” style robberies at drug stores, convenience stores, and gas stations, in which multiple members flooded in to the business at the same time, overwhelming and intimidating the staff, and stealing items.
The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz sentenced the defendants this morning. They included Quayshawn L. Leggett, 20, who allegedly had a senior position in the group; James D. Matheny, 19; Ricardo J. Williams, 20, and Travis L. Morris, 21.
Leggett was sentenced to nine years in prison on one count each of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. Matheny also was sentenced to a nine-year prison term, on one count each of aggravated assault, obstructing justice, threats to do bodily harm, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. Williams was sentenced to an 8 ½-year prison term on one count each of aggravated assault, attempted robbery, and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang. Morris was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison one count each of aggravated assault and committing a crime while affiliated with a criminal street gang.
Upon completion of their prison terms, all four of the defendants will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Two other leaders of the “Show Out” crew, both of Washington, D.C., are scheduled to be sentenced May 24, 2013. They include Bernard Trowell, also known as “McLovin,” 19, described in an indictment as “the self-styled president” of the group, and Deandre M. Williams, 19. Both pled guilty in February 2013 to charges stemming from their roles in the crimes.
“The Show Out crew ambushed vulnerable victims in some of our city’s most vibrant neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Today’s sentences hold four members of the crew accountable for their roles in a series of beatings, robberies, and flash mobs. These prison terms are just punishment for the lawless behavior of these young people.”
“This pack of thugs roamed around the city and preyed upon people whom they perceived to be vulnerable,” said Police Chief Lanier. “The level of violence was unjustifiable. I commend the officers and detectives from the First District, the members of the Intelligence Division and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in bringing these criminals to justice.”
As part of their plea agreements, the defendants, along with Trowell and Deandre Williams, admitted participating in various crimes, including these incidents:
-June 5, 2012: Beating in the 600 block of H Street NW
All six defendants who pled guilty in February admitted taking part in the beating of a man near a bus stop in the 600 block of H Street NW. As the victim approached the bus stop, at about 3:20 a.m., he was surrounded and assaulted. Deandre Williams and a juvenile member of Show Out knocked the man to the ground, and then multiple members punched, kicked and stomped him. Deandre Williams and others stole items from the victim while he was on the ground, including his cellphone and bank card. The victim was knocked unconscious for several minutes. He eventually found a police officer and received medical attention. He was treated later for a concussion, broken nose, and bruises to the head, face and torso.
--June 5, 2012: Beating near 2d and K Streets NW
Crew members targeted a second victim at about 3:45 a.m. The victim was walking to work near 2d and K Streets NW when Deandre Williams approached him and struck him repeatedly about the face and head with his fists. During this attack, Deandre Williams shouted racial slurs at the victim. The victim received medical treatment on the scene and later was given stitches to close a bleeding laceration to the side of his face. Deandre Williams pled guilty to assault with significant bodily injury for his role in this attack.
-June 7, 2012: “Flash Mob” near North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue
Ricardo Williams and several others approached a gas station and convenience store at about 4:20 a.m., in the area of North Capitol Street and Florida Avenue. After the station attendant opened the locked door, Williams and the others overwhelmed and intimidated him. They grabbed food or beverage items and fled without paying. Ricardo Williams pled guilty to attempted robbery for his participation in this attack.
-June 19, 2012: Obstruction of Justice
During the evening hours, Deandre Williams and others approached a former associate at a bus stop in Chinatown and threatened to kill him if he talked to police. Deandre Williams pled guilty to obstruction of justice for this incident.
-June 21, 2012: Attack at Metro Center
Leggett and others were on the lower platform at the Metro Center Metro station when they confronted a man at about 5:20 a.m. Leggett demanded money and threatened the victim. The victim did not give him any money, and one of the individuals punched him in the face, knocking him down. Leggett pled guilty to attempted robbery for his role in this attack.
-July 31-Aug. 1, 2012: Threats to Do Bodily Harm, Obstruction of Justice
Matheny posted audio recordings to his Facebook page, in which he is rapping. In three of them, he accused a Show Out member of “snitching.” The songs carried a threat that this member would be shot “on sight.” Matheny pled guilty to threats to do bodily harm and obstruction of justice for these threats.
As part of the plea agreement, the government dismissed charges against the defendants involving four other violent crimes that were charged in the indictment. The indictment covered a total of 10 violent crimes, nine of which occurred during a three-week period in June 2012.
Two other defendants in the case earlier pled guilty to charges, and a third adult member of the crew is still being sought. The investigation into other members of the crew is ongoing.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier commended the work of the officers, detectives and crime scene technicians who worked on the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Metro Transit Police Department, which assisted in the investigation. Additionally, they thanked local businesses for their assistance in the investigation, including Transwestern, a property management company, and employees of Securitas, a private security firm. Finally, they praised the work of those who are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Bednar and Clare Pozos, who are prosecuting the matter.
13-168District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Woman in Southeast Washington-Victim Rejected Advances and Then Was Attacked-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 41-year-old man was sentenced today to five years in prison on a charge stemming from a sexual assault earlier this year against a woman with whom he had a child, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The defendant, of Washington, D.C., is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim and her family. He pled guilty in March 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck sentenced him. Upon completion of his prison term, the man will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant and the victim once had a romantic relationship and she is the mother of his teenage child. On or about Jan. 10, 2013, he learned that the victim was involved in a romantic relationship with another man, which upset him. That day, he spoke to the victim on the telephone, demanding sex. When she rejected his advances, he showed up at her house in Southeast Washington, sent their child to the store to buy food, and propositioned her again. When the victim rejected his advances and told him that she was seeing someone, the defendant forced her to the bed and sexually assaulted her. During the assault, the defendant told the victim, among other things, that, “you will always be mine.”
In announcing the sentence plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key and Kristy Penny, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-166Man Sentenced to 81 Months in Prison for Traveling from France to the United States to Have Sex with Under-Aged ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jean Frederic Godoc, 30 of Paris, France, was sentenced today to an 81-month prison term after earlier pleading guilty to traveling to the United States to have sex with an under-aged child and one count of transportation of child pornography.
The sentencing, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 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, and Earl L. Cook, Chief of the Alexandria, Va., Police Department.
Godoc, who pled guilty in May 2012, was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. Godoc also must register as a sex offender for 25 years.
According to a factual proffer of evidence presented during the plea proceeding, between Sept. 1, 2011, and Dec. 22, 2011, a detective from the Alexandria, Va. Police Department, who was operating undercover as part of a Virginia statewide law enforcement initiative, entered a website which is frequented by those who have a sexual interest in children. Godoc and the undercover officer communicated online over the three-month period, and the defendant indicated an interest in traveling to the United States and having a sexual relationship with an underage girl. In arranging the visit, Godoc offered to bring presents for the girl and her younger sister. On Dec. 22, 2011, Godoc boarded a plane in Paris and traveled to the United States. Once he arrived, bearing his computer and the promised gifts, he was arrested.
A search of Godoc’s computer revealed that the defendant had transported several hundred images of child pornography to the United States.
This case was the result of collaboration by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the Northern Virginia-District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Alexandria City Police Department, the Virginia Department of State Police, and the MPD, with assistance from other law enforcement agencies.
The prosecution was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. 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, Chief Lanier and Chief Cook praised the work of Alexandria Police Department Detective Betty Sixsmith. They also commended the work of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and the Northern Virginia-District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, as well as the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. Finally, they commended the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Legal Assistant Charmonique Price, and the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Finally, they praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Julieanne Himelstein, who prosecuted the case.
13-163Lawyer Sentenced to Prison Term for Stealing Money Intended for His Clients-Scheme Cost Victims More Than $100,000-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deairich R. Hunter, 48, an attorney from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by six months of home detention, on a federal charge stemming from his theft of more than $100,000 in payments from insurance companies that were intended to settle some of his clients’ disability and personal injury claims.
The sentencing took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and William P. White, Commissioner of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking.
Hunter pled guilty in January 2013 to a charge of theft or embezzlement in connection with health care. He was sentenced by the Honorable Beryl A. Howell. The judge ordered Hunter to pay restitution and also entered a $73,901 forfeiture money judgment against him.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, from August 1998 until April 2009, Hunter was a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and practiced law in the District of Columbia. Also during that time period, he was a member of the bar of the state of Maryland.
Between 2003 and 2009, Hunter was retained by various individuals in disability and personal injury claim disputes. Those clients generally agreed that Hunter was entitled to one-third of any recoveries regarding their settled claims. Hunter generally agreed to notify these clients of any offers of settlement and to inform clients of significant developments, among other things. In some cases, he agreed to pay his clients’ health care expenses directly from the proceeds of the recovery in their cases.
However, on a number of occasions, Hunter settled such claims without notifying his clients and without authority to do so and then he stole the settlement proceeds, resulting in a total loss amount from this scheme in excess of $109,830. The Court sentenced Hunter to pay $253,549 in restitution for the benefit of these former clients and other former clients who were harmed by Hunter’s actions.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Commissioner White commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. They also praised those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Donna Galindo, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney G. Saleski, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Graves, who prosecuted the matter.
13-162District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charges in Attempted Sexual Assault-Defendant Lured Victim into His Car by Offering A Ride Home-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronnie Moore, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from an incident last year in which he lured a woman into his car and then tried to sexually assault her, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
Moore pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual abuse and felony threats. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2013. As a result of the plea, Moore must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 10, 2012, at about 10 a.m., Moore was driving a four-door blue car at the intersection of Branch and Pennsylvania Avenues SE. The victim, then 19, was standing at a bus stop at that location, and Moore pulled up and offered the victim a ride. Moore said that he knew the victim’s mother, who he mentioned by name, and the victim accepted the ride.
Once inside his vehicle, Moore began complimenting the victim on her looks and asked her if she would be willing to have sex for money. When the victim refused, Moore threatened to kill her if she did not comply. The victim then punched Moore in the face and attempted to escape. Moore struggled to keep her in his car. The victim was able to escape the car, but left several personal effects in the vehicle. Moore sped away from the area.
On June 20, 2012, the victim saw Moore in a checkout line at a supermarket on Alabama Avenue SE. She and a relative confronted Moore, and then reported the sighting to a police officer working at the supermarket. Moore was then placed under arrest.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sex Crime Investigations Division. He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Witness Advocate Lesley Richardson, Paralegal D’Yvonne Key, and Information Technology Specialist Kimberly Smith. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mervin A. Bourne, Jr. and Jeff T. Cook, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
13-164Pakistani Citizen Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to the Pakistani Taliban- Two Co-Defendants Previously Sentenced to 40 and 36 Months in Prison -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Pakistani citizen was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), often referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Two co-defendants were sentenced for the same charge in December 2011 to 40 and 36 months in prison.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; John Morton, Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Division.
Irfan Ul Haq, 37, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates. On Dec. 21, 2011, Judge Bates sentenced Qasim Ali, 32, to 40 months in prison, and Zahid Yousaf, 43, to 36 months in prison. On Sept. 12, 2011, each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. As part of their plea agreements, the defendants agreed to a stipulated order of removal to Pakistan upon the completion of their criminal sentences.
“Today’s sentence successfully brings to a close our prosecution of three criminals who aimed to use their human smuggling network to help a person who they believed to be a terrorist infiltrate our homeland,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “By convicting three Pakistani nationals who were operating out of Ecuador, we have demonstrated our ability to dismantle human smuggling operations throughout the world when they threaten our national security.”
“This case underscores our continuing commitment to dismantle networks that facilitate terrorist travel,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. “I thank the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who were responsible for this successful prosecution.”
“Mr. Haq conspired with others to smuggle into the United States an individual who was believed to be a member of a foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Such conduct presents a serious threat to our national security, and we will continue to work closely with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to prevent human smugglers from operating at home or abroad, and to punish them for their crimes.”
“ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents will continue to use every available resource to protect the American public from terrorist organizations and individuals who support them,” said ICE Director Morton. “Today’s sentence demonstrates our international resolve to ensuring that our nation is safer and more secure. I applaud the outstanding work conducted by our HSI attaché office in Ecuador who led this extensive investigation. I would also like to commend our HSI office in Atlanta, along with our law enforcement partners in the United States and Ecuador, who assisted us in this case.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message: Individuals such as Ul Haq, who operate outside the law to support terror represent a threat to our safety. Ul Haq and his co-conspirators sought to smuggle men into the US and did not care if they came here to ‘blow up’ something as long as they got paid. Ul Haq in turn provided material support to the TTP. Such would-be supporters of terror will be dealt with severely under our system of laws. I commend the FBI and everyone involved in the prosecution of this case for bringing him to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Gillies.
Ul Haq, Ali and Yousaf were arrested in Miami on March 13, 2011, on an indictment filed in the District of Columbia charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. Based on the defendants’ guilty pleas to terrorism conspiracy charges, the government dismissed at the sentencing hearing today the charges of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling against the defendants.
Ul Haq, Ali and Yousaf admitted that between Jan. 3, 2011, and March 10, 2011, they conspired to provide material support to the TTP in the form of false documentation and identification, knowing that the TTP engages in terrorist activity and terrorism. According to court documents, Ul Haq, Ali and Yousaf conducted a human smuggling operation in Quito, Ecuador, that attempted to smuggle an individual they believed to be a member of the TTP from Pakistan into the United States. The TTP was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department on Sept. 1, 2010.
Court documents indicate that law enforcement agents directed confidential sources to ask the defendants, who were residing in Ecuador at the time, for their assistance in smuggling a fictitious person from Pakistan to the United States. Over the course of the ensuing negotiations, the defendants were made aware that the person to be smuggled was a member of the TTP who was blacklisted in Pakistan.
According to the court documents, the defendants agreed to move this person from Pakistan into the United States, despite his purported affiliation with the TTP. Ul Haq, according to the court documents, told the confidential sources that it was “not their concern” what the men “want to do in the United States – hard labor, sweep floor, wash dishes in a hotel, or blow up. That will be up to them.” The defendants accepted payment from the confidential sources for the smuggling operation and procured a false Pakistani passport for the purported TTP member.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI attaché office in Quito, Ecuador, with the HSI office in Atlanta, the Miami Division of the FBI and the Ecuadorian National Police.
The investigation was conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Embassy in Quito and the Government of Ecuador provided invaluable support.
The case was prosecuted jointly by prosecutors from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division, the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Three Men Found Guilty of Conspiring to Distribute Heroin in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area-Defendants Conspired to Bring Shipments Here from New York-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to distribute large quantities of heroin in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. They were among those arrested in 2012, following a nine-month investigation by law enforcement.
The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Thaxton Young, Jr., 46, of Columbia, Md.; Gerry Duane Burnett, 42, of Washington, D.C., and Jesse McLester Young, Jr., 42, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., were found guilty following a three-week trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Burnett was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana.
The Honorable Beryl A. Howell set sentencing for Aug. 2, 2013. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a potential life sentence.
Thaxton Young, Jr., Burnett and Jesse Young were indicted in 2012, following an investigation by the DEA into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin in the metropolitan area. The investigation determined that from May 2011 through March 2012, the defendants and others maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of heroin to dealers in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
The investigation revealed that Thaxton Young, Jr. and another conspirator obtained large quantities of heroin from his cousin and co-defendant Jesse Young in the Bronx, New York area, which they transported back to the Washington, D.C. area for redistribution to wholesale traffickers, including Burnett.
Investigators seized over 170 grams of heroin during the investigation, along with over $7,000 in cash, along with jewelry valued at over $25,000.
“These defendants' commitment to flooding our community with narcotics was outmatched by law enforcement's commitment to protecting our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. "Swift, coordinated action by DEA, MPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office kept these three men from poisoning our city with heroin. I want to commend the investigators and prosecutors who have worked so hard to make sure these drug dealers pay a steep price for their crimes. With these criminals behind bars, the District is today a safer and healthier place."
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen, Special Agent in Charge Colder, and Chief Lanier commended the work of the agents, officers and investigators from the DEA and MPD who investigated the case. They also thanked the Maryland State Police, which provided assistance. They cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Jeremy Stoller and Regan Gibson, and Litigation Support Specialist Joshua Ellen.
Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Opher Shweiki, Steven B. Wasserman and Magdalena Acevedo of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who are prosecuting the case.
13-159Former Medical Doctor Pleads Guilty to Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Minors in KenyaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former medical doctor pled guilty today in Washington, D.C., to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in Kenya, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., and Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
John D. Ott, 67, pled guilty before the Honorable Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. Ott was charged in an information filed on March 21, 2012.
According to filed court documents and proceedings, Ott was a former medical doctor who worked for non-governmental organizations and hospitals in Kenya. Court records show that Ott also started an orphanage in Kenya. Ott admitted that between approximately January 2004 and September 2012, he engaged in illicit sexual conduct in Muhuru Bay, Sori and Kendu Bay, Kenya, with at least 14 minors, who ranged in age from approximately nine to 17 years old when the illicit sexual conduct began. Ott admitted that he frequently paid for schooling and provided other financial support, including housing, for minors with whom he engaged in illicit conduct.
Ott has been in federal custody since he was arrested in December 2012, following his deportation from Tanzania. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Ott’s sentencing has been scheduled for July 26, 2013.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Keith A. Becker of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the District of Columbia. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Significant assistance was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
13-160District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison in Break-In of Elderly Woman’s Home-Defendant Punched Victim, Knocking Her Unconscious-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Tyran Mcelrath, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison on charges stemming from an attack he carried out against an elderly woman during a burglary last fall of the victim’s home in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Mcelrath pled guilty in February 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of first-degree burglary and one count of aggravated assault. He was sentenced by the Honorable Patricia A. Broderick. Following completion of his prison term, Mcelrath will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Mcelrath left his home on the morning of Nov. 7, 2012, and traveled to the 3500 block of McKinley Street NW, where the victim, an 81-year-old woman, resided. Mcelrath, who did not know the victim, went to the house intending to steal property, and broke into the home through a basement window. At the time, the victim was on the second floor of the house, listening to music.
Mcelrath took some tools from the basement and made his way up to the main floor of the house, where he rifled through cabinets and took change from the victim’s change purse. Mcelrath carried an Apple computer outside and hid it in bushes located at the base of the front porch steps. The victim then came downstairs to put on her shoes and discovered a stranger, later identified as Mcelrath, in the foyer.
She walked toward the front door and politely asked Mcelrath to leave. Mcelrath punched her repeatedly in the face with closed fists until she lost consciousness. Mcelrath then fled before police were called.
A civilian witness, who came upon the victim sometime after the assault, called police. Police found the victim disoriented and suffering from multiple bruises and broken teeth as a result of the beating. She was hospitalized for several days for severe facial contusions and head injuries and was traumatized by the attack. She was no longer able to live alone in the home. Her overall health declined in the ensuing months, and she recently died.
Police were able to identify Mcelrath as the perpetrator when they searched GPS records, which showed Mcelrath inside the victim’s home between 11:41 a.m. and 12:21 p.m., when the crimes occurred. Police used that same GPS information to locate Mcelrath in Southeast Washington the following day, and found that he matched the limited description that the victim was able to provide, and was wearing a mask that was the same as the one the victim had described. Police subsequently obtained surveillance video from Metro that showed Mcelrath as he traveled to and from the crime scene.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives who investigated the case. He also commended the efforts of Victim Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Clark, for her work with the victim in this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Carroll and Jonathan Kravis, who investigated and indicted the case.
13-158Three District Men Plead Guilty to Charges in Deadly 2009 Gun Battle in Northeast Washington-Two Killed, Including A 15-Year-Old Innocent Bystander; Three Others Wounded-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a gun battle in Northeast Washington in which two people were killed, including a 15-year-old innocent bystander, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Sequarn Tibbs, 21, Antonio Barnes, 21, and Earl Jackson, 20, entered the pleas on the day their trial was to begin in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Each defendant pled guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter, one count of conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr., scheduled sentencing for Tibbs for Aug. 16, 2013. Barnes is to be sentenced on June 28, 2013, and Jackson on July 10, 2013. All three remain in custody. The men face a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for each of the manslaughter counts and 25 additional years for the other offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, the three defendants were part of a group, known as “Young Savage,” associated with the 37th Street/37th Place neighborhood of Southeast Washington. The violence came after the discovery on Oct. 12, 2009 that a burglary took place in the home of Jackson’s mother, located in the Clay Terrace area of Northeast Washington. A .38-caliber revolver, belonging to a juvenile co-conspirator, was stolen during the burglary.
Late Oct. 12, 2009 and early Oct. 13, 2009, Jackson, Barnes, and others, including Tibbs’s brother, Daquan Tibbs, 18, decided that Clay Terrace residents were responsible for the burglary. The group decided to travel to the home of Jackson’s mother in Clay Terrace to identify and find the people responsible and get the property back - with force, if necessary.
They rode to Clay Terrace in a taxicab, while armed with a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .40-caliber pistol and a .9-mm pistol. Once there, they decided to confront Clay Terrace individuals who were outside in the neighborhood. They demanded the .38-caliber revolver, and, although no money had been determined to be taken, they also asked for money.
A male from the Clay Terrace group advised that they did not know who was responsible for the theft, but opined that it was probably a “young’un.” Later, an older Clay Terrace resident came to the Jacksons’ house, and asked about the situation. This person also speculated it was probably “one of the little young’uns,” and left. The older man later came back and returned the gun, not saying where he got it. He said that he did not know anything about the missing money.
Sequarn Tibbs, meanwhile, joined the group in Clay Terrace. Throughout the day, several members of the group smoked marijuana. At one point, Jackson and the juvenile co-conspirator discussed whether they should wait until school was over to see if they could find the “young’uns” responsible for the theft/burglary.
Shortly before 4 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2009, the defendants and others in the group left the house. The group took their guns with them, which included a .45-caliber pistol, a .40-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver, and a .9-mm pistol. They headed to a courtyard known in Clay Terrace as “Briscoe Court,” in the 300 block of 53rd Street NE. A gun battle soon began, with Sequarn Tibbs firing the first shot. During the gunfire, Daquan Tibbs was shot to death by a weapon fired by the juvenile co-conspirator. A 15-year-old boy, Davonta Artis – an innocent bystander – was shot and also killed. Three others were wounded.
In August of 2010, all three defendants learned that warrants had been issued for their arrests, and they fled the Washington, D.C. area to avoid being apprehended. Tibbs was captured on Sept. 21, 2010 in New York. On March 14, 2011, Barnes was arrested on an unrelated matter in Gwinnett County, Ga., but he used a false name to avoid apprehension in this case. He was bailed out of jail before law enforcement learned his true identity. However, on Jan. 13, 2012, he and Jackson were arrested in North Carolina.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives, officers and mobile crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Tonolli, J.P. Cooney, Sharad Khandelwal and Heather Carlton; Paralegal Specialists Kendra Johnson, Alesha Matthews-Yette, Kwasi Fields, Kelly Blakeney, Sharon Newman, Fern Rhedrick and Marian Russell; Litigation Technology Specialist Joshua Ellen; Victim/Witness Advocates Marcia Rinker and Katina Adams-Washington, and Investigative Analysts Larry Grasso, Zachary McMenamin, Durand Odom, and John Marsh. Finally he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Taylor and Deborah Sines, who are prosecuting the matter.
13-157New Jersey Man Sentenced to Eight-Year Prison Term for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Loreng, 45, of Fanwood, N.J., has been sentenced to an eight-year prison term on charges 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).
Loreng pled guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography in November 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced on May 1, 2013 by the Honorable John D. Bates. Upon completion of his prison term, Loreng will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release.
According to the government's evidence, on April 23, 2012, Loreng contacted a man who he believed to be the father of an under-aged girl, using a social network site frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Loreng engaged in online conversations with the undercover officer. During this period, Loreng sent the officer multiple images of child pornography, including videos of adult men engaged in sexual acts with children.
Upon execution of a search warrant on the defendant’s residence in New Jersey, members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force recovered devices containing numerous additional videos and 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.
13-156Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Traffic Fatality in Northeast Washington-Impaired Driver Struck Pedestrian, Who Was in A Crosswalk-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joel R. Bromwell, 32, of Annapolis, Md., pled guilty today to charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from a recent traffic fatality in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Bromwell entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for Aug. 30, 2013. Bromwell faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and up to 180 days of incarceration and a $1,000 fine for driving under the influence.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 21, 2013, at about 8:15 p.m., Bromwell was driving a sport utility vehicle at a high rate of speed, headed east in the 1100 block of Florida Avenue NE. The victim, Ruby L. Whitfield, 71, and two other individuals were walking across Florida Avenue at the intersection with 11th Street NE, in a marked crosswalk. Ms. Whitfield had just left church after an usher practice for the upcoming Palm Sunday.
Vehicular traffic at the intersection had stopped to give Ms. Whitfield and the other pedestrians the right of way. An eyewitness saw the SUV strike Ms. Whitfield without stopping, and she was lodged beneath the vehicle for about 86 feet.
An eyewitness followed the SUV as it drove from the scene and approached Bromwell while he was stopped at a red light a block away. The witness told Bromwell that he had just hit someone and that he should return to the scene. Instead, Bromwell drove off without making his identity known.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located the SUV and Bromwell a short time later. Bromwell failed field sobriety tests. He admitted that he was the driver of the SUV and that he had been drinking prior to the crash. Bromwell was arrested and, while at a police station, breath tests indicated that his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit for driving.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, including members of the Major Crash Unit. He also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Sandra Lane, Fern Rhedrick and Phil Aronson. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward A. O’Connell, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-154Maryland Man Found Guilty of Armed Robbery, Other Charges in Two Attacks, Including A Beating That Led to Serious Injuries-Crimes Took Place Within About Three Hours Last Summer-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tommy T. Branch, 22, of Fort Washington, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from a pair of attacks last summer, including one in which a man was severely beaten with a baseball bat, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The jury returned the guilty verdict after a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Branch was found guilty of charges of conspiracy, aggravated assault while armed, armed robbery, assault with intent to rob, and attempted credit card fraud.
The Honorable Robert I. Richter scheduled sentencing for July 2, 2013. Branch, who has been in custody since his arrest last year, faces a statutory maximum of 105 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Branch and two accomplices – Sunny B. Kuti and Michael Moore - decided on Aug. 17, 2012 to commit a robbery together. They drove to the Adams Morgan area of Northwest Washington in Branch’s car. When they could not identify a suitable target, they drove to Capitol Hill and parked down an alley next to Eastern Market.
Shortly after midnight, early in the morning of Aug. 18, 2012, they saw the victim walking home and attacked him.
Branch hit the victim in the side of the head with a bat. He and his accomplices took the victim’s iPhone, credit card, and keys. They then drove to a gas station in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, a few blocks away from the robbery scene. Branch tried to use the victim’s credit card to buy gasoline, but the card was refused because he did not know the cardholder’s zip code.
Following this attack, Branch, Kuti, and Moore drove to the Barry Farm area of Southeast Washington where they met a fourth man, Darrin L. Beal. They then set off for the Adams Morgan area to commit a second robbery. At about 3:20 a.m., while Beal remained in the car, Branch, Moore, and Kuti, while armed with a non-functioning BB gun that resembled a real handgun, targeted three victims in an alley off of the 1800 block of 18th Street NW, violently assaulting one victim and taking a cellphone, wallet, and set of keys from another.
The victim of the first robbery, meanwhile, was found, unconscious, by police at about 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 18, 2012, on the front porch of a rowhouse in the 700 block of North Carolina Avenue SE. He had a massive fracture to his skull and bleeding throughout the brain cavity due to the blow from the bat.
“Tommy Branch used an aluminum baseball bat to put a young father into a coma,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “A young family has been changed forever because this defendant carried out a brutal beating to steal an iPhone and a bank card. Today's jury verdict is a reflection of our community's outrage over random acts of violence and our determination to hold criminals accountable. He now faces the prospect of decades in prison and we will ask that he be punished to the full extent of the law.”
Moore, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty to charges for his role in the crimes and is awaiting sentencing. Kuti, 17, of Washington, D.C., and Beal, 25, of Washington, D.C., are awaiting trial. Both have pled not guilty to charges.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also praised the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including the First District Prosecution team.
13-155District Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for 2008 Sexual Assault of Woman in Northeast Washington-DNA Linked Defendant to the Crime-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Antonio Moses, 32, of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to a 14-year prison term for sexually assaulting a woman in 2008, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Moses pled guilty in January 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced on April 12, 2013 by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Upon completion of his prison term, Moses will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2008, the victim, then 18, returned to her home in Northeast Washington after buying groceries. When she entered her home, she was grabbed from behind and thrown to the floor by Moses, a stranger to her. Moses choked the victim and dragged her into her bedroom while holding a small kitchen knife to her throat. He threatened to hurt her if she screamed, and then he sexually assaulted her. After Moses was finished, he forced the victim to stay in the bedroom with him for another hour before finally fleeing at the sound of someone at the front door.
In 2008, the victim’s sexual assault kit was sent to a DNA laboratory for analysis. In April 2012, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received an investigative lead that led them to Moses as the man who had raped the victim in her home in 2008.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the outstanding work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department, Sexual Assault Unit. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donhue Griffith and Victim Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg, who investigated this case.
13-152District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Felony Murder and Other Charges in Killing of 18-Year-Old Latisha Frazier Victim’s Body Was Left in A Dumpster, Never Found; Total of Seven People Now Convicted in CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Johnnie Sweet, 19, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree felony murder and other charges in the August 2010 kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Latisha Frazier, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury returned the verdict following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sweet was found guilty of first-degree felony murder with aggravating circumstances; first-degree premeditated murder with aggravating circumstances; kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2013. Sweet faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum of 60 years of incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, Sweet was one of the leaders of a group of six young men and women who took part in the murder of Ms. Frazier.
Ms. Frazier vanished on Aug. 2, 2010. For months, her family relentlessly sought to find her, passing out flyers and contacting local news stations to publicize her disappearance. In late January 2011, one witness finally stepped forward and contacted the Metropolitan Police Department, revealing the truth of Ms. Frazier’s whereabouts.
On the day of her disappearance, the government’s evidence showed, Ms. Frazier had been brutally murdered by a group of six young men and women (ages 16 to 23), all of whom she believed to be her friends. The group had suspected - with little evidence - that Ms. Frazier had stolen about $900 from Sweet. Sweet recruited others and exacted a plan of revenge in which they would call her over to an apartment where they claimed to be socializing.
When Ms. Frazier arrived at the apartment in the 1700 block of Trenton Place SE, the group took her to a small bedroom where Sweet and others punched, kicked, and stomped her all over her body. Ignoring her pleas for them to stop, they bound her in duct tape, taped a pillowcase over her head so she could not scream, and shoved her in a small, dark closet. When she screamed and moaned, one of the members of the group placed her in a sleeper hold to “put her to sleep.” Later, the group discovered that she had died.
To dispose of the body, Sweet helped carry her to the bathtub, where he and his friends attempted to dismember her. That evening, Ms. Frazier’s body was thrown into a dumpster, and it is now believed to be somewhere in one or two landfills in rural Virginia.
Of the seven people charged, six former co-defendants have pled guilty. They include Brian Gaither, 25, who was sentenced earlier this month to a 32-year prison term after pleading guilty to first-degree murder; Laurence Kamal Hassan, 24, who pled guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping; Cinthya Proctor, 21, who pled guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit evidence tampering; Anneka Nelson, 18, who pled guilty to second-degree murder and kidnapping; Lanee Bell, 19, who pled guilty to kidnapping, and Antoine McCullough, 27, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit evidence tampering. Except for Gaither, the other defendants are awaiting sentencing.
“Johnnie Sweet showed no remorse in organizing and participating in the senseless murder of Latisha Frazier. The heinous nature of his actions was only matched by the cowardly manner in which he carried out his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Today a jury of twelve District of Columbia residents found him guilty of first-degree felony murder and other charges. Mr. Sweet now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars. We can only hope that today's result will bring some measure of closure to Latisha Frazier's family, who will forever grieve the loss of their loved one.”
“This was a brutal crime,” said Chief Lanier. “Hopefully, the family of Latisha Frazier can take some comfort in knowing that the culprits will pay for this horrific offense.”
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier praised the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including detectives from the Major Case/Cold Case Squad and the Seventh District.
They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Larry Grasso of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Kwasi Fields, Phaylyn Hunt, and Angela Lawrence. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Melinda Williams, who prosecuted the case.
13-153Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – George G. Kahl, 42, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty today to traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, 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).
Kahl entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer is to sentence him on July 26, 2013. Kahl faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment as well as a fine of $250,000.
According to the government's evidence, on Feb. 9, 2013, Kahl contacted a man he believed to be the father of an under-aged female child on a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Kahl engaged in graphic online e-mail and text message conversations with the undercover officer. During these conversations, Kahl arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the purported child. On Feb. 22, 2013, Kahl traveled from Alexandria to Washington, D.C. for that purpose and was arrested.
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 MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.
13-150Former CEO and Two Associates Sentenced to Prison Terms for Conspiracy to Impede the Lawful Functions of the Internal Revenue ServiceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Shelly S. Singhal, Dennis L. Pelino, and Loretta Fredy Bush, formerly of Xinhua Finance Limited (Xinhua Finance), a Chinese company trading publicly in Japan, were sentenced today to prison terms after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to impede the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service.
All three defendants pled guilty in February 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth.
Singhal, 45, of Newport Beach, Calif., and Pelino, 65, of Miami Beach, Fla., were each sentenced to nine months of incarceration. Bush, 54, of San Francisco, was sentenced to one month of incarceration. Following their terms, each defendant will be placed on three years of supervised release. Bush will be required to serve the first 150 days of her release period in home confinement. Chief Judge Lamberth also ordered each defendant to pay $20,000 fines.
The sentences were announced by Mary B. McCord, Acting U.S. Attorney in this case, 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.
In connection with the guilty pleas and as set forth in detail in the executed Statements of Offense, the defendants acknowledged that Singhal was the owner and Chairman of SBI Advisors, LLC, a California limited liability company engaged in the business of providing investment advisory services as well as buying and selling securities. Bush and Pelino acknowledged that, from time to time, they participated in investment and borrowing opportunities developed and recommended by Singhal.
Beginning in or about April 2005, Entrée Capital, a limited liability company formed at Singhal’s direction, opened an account at the First Internet Bank of Indiana and transferred funds to Bush and Pelino. Bush and Pelino executed a series of promissory notes obligating them to repay the funds within a fixed term and to pay interest annually at a fixed rate, but the notes did not provide for the method of calculating interest (simple or compound).
The defendants acknowledged that, in or about August 2006, documentation was executed to transfer the ownership of Entrée Capital to a foreign national residing outside the United States. Employees of SBI Advisors continued to maintain Entrée Capital’s books and records. Between January 2006 and January 2009, Bush and Pelino made several interest payments at the rates prescribed in the promissory notes they had executed, but these payments were not made according to any fixed schedule.
Singhal, Bush and Pelino acknowledged that, in or about October 2008, the Entrée Capital account at the First Internet Bank of Indiana was closed by the management of the bank. Each of the defendants acknowledged that, by in or around February 2009, he or she had learned that the Entrée Capital account was closed. In addition, the defendants acknowledged that in 2009 and continuing into early 2010, they became aware that the foreign national to whom ownership of Entrée Capital had been assigned had failed to respond to inquiries or otherwise acknowledge his ownership of Entrée Capital.
The defendants acknowledged that from April 15, 2010 through May 10, 2011, they conspired to impede the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service in the ascertainment, assessment, and determination of whether the principal balances owed to Entrée Capital by Bush and Pelino had become forgiven debt and represented income to Bush and Pelino.
As of April 15, 2010, the principal balances owed by Bush and Pelino to Entrée Capital were approximately $2,153,663 and $1,380,633, respectively. The defendants acknowledged failing to notify and otherwise concealing from the Internal Revenue Service that the nominal owner of Entrée Capital had effectively abandoned its assets, including the principal balances payable to Entrée Capital by Bush and Pelino, to delay the payment of any income tax due and owing on those unpaid amounts as forgiven debt. They acknowledged discussing among themselves and with others the fact that the owner of Entrée Capital was a foreign national and that any information in the foreign national’s possession was possibly beyond the authority of the Internal Revenue Service to obtain. Singhal did not direct his employees at SBI Advisors, who maintained Entrée Capital’s books and records, to issue Forms 1099-C (Cancellation of Debt) to Bush and Pelino, which forms would have notified the Internal Revenue Service that Entrée Capital was treating the principal balances payable to Entrée Capital by Bush and Pelino as forgiven debt. Bush and Pelino acknowledged filing Forms 1040 (U.S. Individual Tax Return) for the tax year 2009, which returns failed to declare any portion of the $2,153,663 and $1,380,633 owed to Entrée Capital as income to Bush and Pelino, respectively.
As part of the plea agreements, the government agreed to move at sentencing to dismiss with prejudice the indictments previously returned against the defendants.
Three others earlier pled guilty to charges in the investigation.
In announcing the sentences, Acting U.S. Attorney McCord, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly praised the investigative efforts of the Special Agents of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division. They also recognized the work of U.S. Attorney’s Office Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo, Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, and Legal Assistants Lenisse Edloe and Krishawn Graham. Finally, they commended the efforts of Trial Attorney Kenneth C. Vert, U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, Northern Criminal Enforcement Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Hooks and Michael K. Atkinson, who prosecuted the case.
13-148District Man Sentenced to 23-Year Prison Term After Pleading Guilty to Charges in Two Sexual Assaults-DNA Later Tied Him to the Crimes, Including One Committed A Decade Ago-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Lamont Burns, 39, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from two sexual assaults that he committed years ago, including one attack against a 14-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Burns pled guilty on April 26, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of first-degree child sexual abuse and attempted first-degree sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 23 years in prison. The Honorable Robert E. Morin approved the plea and sentenced Burns immediately. Following completion of his prison term, Burns will be placed on five years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, the teenage victim was walking in the 4300 block of Iowa Avenue NW at about 10 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2003 when an unknown man grabbed her by the neck and placed a knife to her chest. The assailant told the girl that if she yelled, he would stab her in the heart. The man forced the girl into his vehicle and then made her perform numerous sexual acts against her will. When he finished, he drove the teenager back to where he had abducted her and allowed her to exit his car and leave. She immediately ran home and reported the assault to her family. Her family, in turn, immediately notified the police.
The girl had never seen Burns before the assault and had no idea who attacked her. However, the assailant’s semen was found on the girl’s underwear, and subsequent DNA analysis, developed after Burns was convicted in 2010 of a separate felony, tied him to the crime.
DNA evidence also linked Burns to a second attack, which took place in 2006. On April 29, 2006, at about 5:45 a.m., a woman was walking in the 6400 block of Georgia Avenue NW when a stranger approached her, brandished a knife and demanded money. The woman told the man she had no money. The man then forced her to the rear of a building in the 5400 block of Georgia Avenue, where he made her lay down in a bed of mulch and raped her. When he finished, the man ordered the victim to walk toward Georgia Avenue NW. She complied, then ran to a gas station and reported that she had just been raped by a stranger at knifepoint. As in the case of the 14-year old girl, semen that was recovered from the victim was shown, through subsequent DNA analysis, to belong to Anthony Burns.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of those who investigated the cases for the Metropolitan Police Department, especially the members of MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit and Youth Division. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Jason Manuel, Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
13-146District Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder While Armed in 2012 Shooting in Northeast Washington-Defendant Shot Victim in Broad Daylight at A Busy Metro Bus Stop-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Detrek Baker, 24, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed for the April 2012 slaying of a man at a Northeast Washington bus stop, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Baker entered his plea on April 26, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013.
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 accepting the defendant’s guilty plea, Judge Dixon asked the defendant why he shot Mr. Sherrod. Baker admitted that there was no ongoing hostility or “beef” between him and the victim; rather, he simply stated that he shot the victim because he “did not like him.”
In announcing the plea, 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.
13-147District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge in Sexual Assault of Young Male Relative-One Attack Took Place in 2008 at Defendant’s Place of Employment-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A 48-year-old man pled guilty today to one count of attempted first-degree child sexual abuse for sexually assaulting a young male relative in 2008, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The defendant, of Laurel, Md., is not identified here to protect the privacy of his victim. He entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2013. The defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant repeatedly sexually abused the victim in 2008, when the child was 9 or 10 years old. One of the sexual assaults took place at the defendant’s place of employment in Washington, D.C. In May of 2009, the victim reported the abuse to his mother and then to law enforcement.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen expressed his appreciation to the Metropolitan Police Department, Youth Investigations Unit. He also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Donhue Griffith, Victim/Witness Advocate Melissa Milam, and the Litigation Support Unit, including Paul Howell. He acknowledged the outstanding work of the Children’s Advocacy Center and specifically, Karen Giannakoulias, who provided critical services and treatment to the victim. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Suttenberg, who indicted the case.
13-149District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed and Other Charges in Shooting That Killed One Teenager and Wounded Another in Northwest Washington-Attack Took Place on Memorial Day of 2011-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Eugene A. Kelly, 28, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related charges for the shooting of two teenagers in Northwest Washington on Memorial Day of 2011, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 30, 2011, at about 10:15 p.m., the victims, two 15-year-old boys, were walking home in the 1400 block of New Jersey Avenue NW. As they were walking, Kelly opened fire and shot both teenagers. Isaiah Harris was killed by a single gunshot wound to his body. The surviving victim was shot in the leg.
Just before the shooting, Kelly, who was riding a small trick bike, had stopped to talk to a neighborhood acquaintance. The defendant mentioned his brother’s 2008 murder, and stated his belief that someone from the nearby 5th and O Streets neighborhood was responsible. Kelly announced that someone was going to pay for his brother’s murder, and said that he was going to retrieve a gun. He then retrieved a gun by a nearby dumpster and rode east on P Street toward New Jersey Avenue. Seconds later, the defendant fired multiple times, targeting the two teens.
The victims did not know Kelly and had no knowledge of or involvement in the 2008 murder of his brother. They were simply walking from the area of 5th and O Streets NW.
During a search warrant of the defendant’s home two days later, law enforcement officers found a small trick bike that matched the witnesses’ descriptions of the bike used by the shooter, as well as ammunition consistent with the type used in the murder.
Finally, on Sept. 14, 2011, a guard at the District of Columbia Jail found a note taken from an inmate during a routine morning check. The note, signed by Kelly with his jail identification number, provided a witness’s name and address, and identified members of the witness’s family. A handwriting expert from the FBI concluded that Kelly wrote the note.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, which were involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case. U.S. Attorney Machen also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney and Ethel Noble, Victim /Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Joseph Calvarese, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ortwein, who indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer A. Kerkhoff and Holly R. Shick, who tried the case.
13-151Unsealed Indictment Charges Former U.S. Federal Employee with Conspiracy to Commit Espionage for Cuba-Defendant Allegedly Helped Cuban Intelligence Service Recruit and Insert Spy into U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A one-count indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charging Marta Rita Velazquez, 55, with conspiracy to commit espionage, announced John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The charges against Velazquez stem from, among other things, her alleged role in introducing Ana Belen Montes, now 55, to the Cuban Intelligence Service (CuIS) in 1984; in facilitating Montes’s recruitment by the CuIS; and in helping Montes later gain employment at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Montes served as an intelligence analyst at DIA from September 1985 until she was arrested for espionage by FBI agents on Sept. 21, 2001. On March 19, 2002, Montes pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit espionage on behalf of Cuba. Montes is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence.
The indictment against Velazquez, who is also known as “Marta Rita Kviele” and as “Barbara,” was originally returned by a grand jury in the District of Columbia on Feb. 5, 2004. It has remained under court seal until today. Velazquez has continuously remained outside the United States since 2002. She is currently living in Stockholm, Sweden. If convicted of the charges against her, Velazquez faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison.
According to the indictment, Velazquez was born in Puerto Rico in 1957. She graduated from Princeton University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies. Velazquez later obtained a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1982 and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., in 1984.
Velazquez later served as an attorney advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and, in 1989, she joined the State Department’s U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a legal officer with responsibilities encompassing Central America. During her tenure at USAID, Velazquez held a Top Secret security clearance and was posted to the U.S. Embassies in Nicaragua and Guatemala. In June 2002, Velazquez resigned from USAID following press reports that Montes had pleaded guilty to espionage and was cooperating with the U.S. government. Velazquez has remained outside the United States since 2002.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in or about 1983, Velazquez conspired with others to transmit to the Cuban government and its agents documents and information relating to the U.S. national defense, with the intent that they would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of the Cuban government.
As part of the conspiracy, Velazquez allegedly helped the CuIS spot, assess and recruit U.S. citizens who occupied sensitive national security positions or had the potential of occupying such positions in the future to serve as Cuban agents. For example, the indictment alleges that, while Velazquez was a student together with Montes at SAIS in Washington, D.C., in the early 1980s, Velazquez fostered a strong, personal friendship with Montes, with both sharing similar views of U.S. policies in Nicaragua at the time.
In December 1984, the indictment alleges, Velazquez introduced Montes in New York City to a Cuban intelligence officer who identified himself as an official of the Cuban Mission to the United States. The intelligence officer then recruited Montes. In 1985, after Montes’ recruitment, Velazquez personally accompanied Montes on a clandestine trip to Cuba for Montes to receive spy craft training from CuIS.
Later in 1985, Velazquez allegedly helped Montes obtain employment as an intelligence analyst at the DIA, where Montes had access to classified national defense information and served as an agent of the CuIS until her arrest in 2001. During her tenure at the DIA, Montes disclosed the identities of U.S. intelligence officers and provided other classified national defense information to the CuIS.
During this timeframe, Velazquez allegedly continued to serve the CuIS, receiving instructions from the CuIS through encrypted, high frequency broadcasts from her handlers and through meetings with handlers outside the United States.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the DIA. It is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Clifford Rones of the Counterespionage Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Michael Harvey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
13-143District Man Sentenced to 82-Year Prison Term for First-Degree Premeditated Murder and Other Charges in Two Slayings and Related Violence-Opened Fire in Two Attacks in Northwest Washington in 2011-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Irvin Johnson, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 82 years of incarceration for killing two men and wounding another, and shooting at a fourth man, in a pair of shootings in 2011, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Johnson was found guilty in February 2013 of a total of 15 charges following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They included two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and numerous related firearms offenses. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz sentenced him today.
According to the government’s evidence, the violence stemmed from a longstanding dispute between Johnson and the victims, stemming from a robbery that Johnson had committed against one of their friends in 2008. During the evening hours of June 21, 2011, Johnson and an associate entered the 1500 block of Spring Place NW and shot at a man. No one was injured during the shooting, but a number of cars and buildings in the block were damaged.
Nearly three weeks later, in the early morning hours of July 9, 2011, in the 1400 block of Parkwood Place NW, Johnson ambushed and executed by shooting in the head Jimmie Simmons, 32, and Dominique Barbour, 31. The defendant also shot Anthony Thomas, then 21, in the head and chest. Miraculously, Mr. Thomas survived. Sadly, after a year of struggling from the injuries inflicted by the defendant, Mr. Thomas took his own life.
Immediately after the shooting, Johnson went on the run. He hid at friends’ homes in Washington, D.C., and eventually fled to a relative’s house in Lusby, Md., where he was apprehended by the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Sept. 9, 2011.
During the sentencing hearing, family members of the victims emotionally expressed their deep sorrow for the loss of their loved ones. After reviewing submissions from the government, attorneys for the defendant, and many victim impact statements from the family members and friends of the victims, Judge Leibovitz sentenced the defendant to the 82-year prison term followed by five years of supervised release. Immediately before the judge imposed sentence, Johnson yelled out, “Just throw the book at me and be done with it. I got things to do.”
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the outstanding investigative work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, including the Superior Court Warrant Squad; the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Maryland State Police. Mr. Machen thanked Dr. Carolyn Revercomb, formerly of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia, as well as the Court Supervision and Offender Services Agency. He expressed appreciation for the work of Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews, Meridith McGarrity, Sandra Lane, Sharon Newman, and Fern Rhedrick; Intelligence Analysts Lawrence Grasso and Sharon Johnson; Criminal Investigators Tommy Miller and Durand Odom; Witness Security Specialists David Foster, La June Thames, and Debra Cannon; Litigation Services Specialists Joshua Ellen, William Henderson and Paul Howell; and Victim Advocates Marcey Rinker and Christina Principe for their support. Mr. Machen acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorney Erin O. Lyons, who investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Erin O. Lyons and Glenn L. Kirschner, who tried the case.
13-145District Man Convicted of Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed and Other Charges in Northeast Washington Shooting-Shots Were Fired at Two Cars from Vehicle That Defendant Was Driving-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Brian Woodings, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of six counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and numerous other charges for his role in a shooting that targeted victims who were riding in two cars in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The jury also convicted Woodings of one count of aggravated assault while armed, three counts of assault with significant bodily injury, and related weapons offenses. The Honorable Stuart G. Nash scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 9, 2012, the six victims decided to go to the Scene nightclub in Northeast Washington to celebrate some friends’ birthdays. Woodings and some of his friends also decided to go to the nightclub that night. While there, Woodings got into a fistfight with one of the victims, and everyone involved in the fight was ejected.
Woodings, unsatisfied with the resolution of the fight, decided to recruit a friend with a gun and follow the victims out of the club. He and his accomplice got into a Honda Accord owned by a female friend of his, and followed the victims’ two cars down Bladensburg Road, and then onto Benning Road near the Langston Golf Course.
As the three cars crossed the bridge on Benning Road over Interstate 295, at about 3:55 a.m. on March 10, 2012, Woodings drove up next to each car, allowing his accomplice to fire multiple rounds into each vehicle. The victims were in the cars that were fired upon.
The gunfire struck one victim—the person involved in the fight with Woodings at the club—in the face. Another victim was shot in the neck, and a third was shot in the back.
After the shooting, Woodings fled the scene. The stunned victims collected themselves and drove home before calling the police and ambulances. Using license plate reader technology, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified the car the defendant was driving at the time of the assault, and they were ultimately able to use that information to identify the defendant. The shooter has yet to be identified and the case remains under investigation.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the MPD, the FBI, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, which were involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case. U.S. Attorney Machen also expressed appreciation to Paralegal Specialists Theresa Nelson, Kwasi Fields, and Kendra Johnson, Witness/Victim Advocate James Brennan, Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica M. Sanchez and Erik M. Kenerson, who investigated and tried the case.
13-144Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in August 2011 Slaying in Northeast Washington-Defendant Chased Victim and Shot Him Numerous Times-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ricardo Mitchell, 33, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed in a slaying that took place in August 2011 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Mitchell entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He also pled guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2013. Mitchell faces a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison on the murder charge and up to five additional years for the weapons offense.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early evening of Aug. 21, 2011, Mitchell was outside a residence in the 3900 block of Clay Place NE when he exchanged words with the victim, Wyatt Earp Robinson. Mr. Robinson, 33, walked away. Mr. Robinson headed toward his vehicle, where his girlfriend and four-year-old child were waiting.
Mitchell then ran into the residence. He returned outside and ran from the front porch of the house with a gun in his hand and up the sidewalk, toward Minnesota Avenue, and after Mr. Robinson. He caught up with Mr. Robinson when the victim was approximately five feet from his vehicle. At that point, Mitchell confronted Mr. Robinson and shot him several times.
After shooting Mr. Robinson, who had nothing in his hands but his cellphone, the defendant began to walk away, but turned back toward the victim and fired another shot at him. A total of nine .40-caliber cartridge casings were found on the scene by police, and all were fired from the same firearm. An autopsy revealed nine gunshot wounds to Mr. Robinson’s body.
Following the shooting, Mitchell fled into and through the residence on Clay Street NE. He exited through the residence’s back door and fled the scene on a motorcycle.
After shooting and killing Mr. Robinson, Mitchell fled to a storage facility in Forestville, Md., where he hid the motorcycle that he used to flee the crime scene. The defendant is captured on surveillance footage from that storage facility wearing the same clothes that he was seen wearing at the time of the murder. Mitchell was arrested on Aug. 24, 2011.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives, officers and crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Durand Odom, Victim/Advocate Marcia Rinker and Paralegal Specialists Mia Beamon and Kendra Johnson. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan M. Taylor, Teresa Howie and Stephen J. Gripkey, who prosecuted the matter.
13-142Maryland Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud in Scheme Involving More Than $200,000 in False Medicaid Claims-Scheme Carried Out from 2007 to 2011, Involved Incontinence Supplies-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tina Jackson-White, the owner and president of Family Home Medical Equipment and Supplies, LLC, pled guilty today to a federal charge of health care fraud stemming from a scheme in which the firm submitted and collected more than $200,000 in fraudulent Medicaid claims.
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; Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS - OIG) for the region including the District of Columbia, and Charles J. Willoughby, District of Columbia Inspector General.
Jackson-White, 51, of Bowie, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2013. Jackson-White faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have agreed that she faces a likely range of 24 to 30 months of incarceration and a fine of up to $50,000. As part of her plea agreement, Jackson-White has agreed to pay $212,893 in restitution to the District of Columbia Medicaid program.
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Family Home Medical Equipment and Supplies provided durable medical equipment, or DME, such as adult incontinence supplies and other medical products to Medicaid beneficiaries in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Under Medicaid rules, the company would pay for the cost of the products supplied to beneficiaries and then submit claims for reimbursement.
Between January 2007 and December 2011, the company billed D.C. Medicaid for a total of $212,893 in fraudulent claims. The claims, knowingly submitted by the defendant, were for incontinence products, such as briefs, diapers and liners, which were not actually provided.
“Medicaid is designed to provide low-income families and people with disabilities with access to critical health care,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Over five years, this business owner defrauded the Medicaid program by submitting bills for more than $200,000 in supplies that were never delivered. This prosecution illustrates our commitment to fighting the fraud that undermines the integrity of federal health care programs and diverts resources intended to serve our neighbors in need.”
“Instead of providing medical supplies to citizens in the District of Columbia and Maryland, Ms. Jackson-White intentionally manipulated our Medicaid system and pocketed the money from claims she submitted,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our partners at HHS-OIF and DC-OIG, the FBI will continue to pursue all such fraudulent schemes which damage the ability of health care providers, employers and patients to participate in a system free of fraud and dishonesty.”
“As demands on the D.C. Medicaid program increase even as resources remain scarce, fraud is less tolerable than ever”, said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio. “Criminals such as Jackson-White will be brought to justice through aggressive investigation and prosecution.”
“This matter again represents how the District can work together with its federal colleagues in law enforcement to protect the interests of its citizenry and the public treasury,” said Inspector General Willoughby.
In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Special Agent in Charge DiGiulio, and Inspector General Willoughby expressed appreciation for the work done by those who investigated the case from the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Medicaid Control Unit of the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. They also commended the work of Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham and Diane Hayes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lionel André, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Silverman, of the D.C. Medicaid Control Unit, who are prosecuting the case.
13-141District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault of Teenage Relative-Victim Came Forward Despite Defendant’s Warning Against Speaking Up-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 29-year-old man has pled guilty to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse stemming from an attack he carried out earlier this year against a 13-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
The defendant, of Washington, D.C., is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim. He pled guilty on April 18, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2013. The plea agreement, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an 11-year prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, the girl is related to defendant and was at the Northwest Washington home of another relative on Jan. 9, 2013. That day, between 4 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., the defendant lured her away from other adults and sexually assaulted her. He warned her not to tell anyone what happened. The child, however, alerted her mother and the police.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to those at the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked on the matter, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key and Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-140Delaware Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Powell, 48, of Bridgeville, Del., 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).
Powell entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton is to sentence him on July 11, 2013. Powell faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment for traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct and a maximum of 20 years and a minimum of 10 years of imprisonment for possession of child pornography, as well as fines of up to $250,000 on each count.
According to the government's evidence, on Sept. 10, 2012, Powell contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had entered a social network site frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. Over the next few days, the defendant engaged in online e-mail, instant message, and text message conversations with the undercover officer, whom the defendant believed was the father of an under-aged girl. During this period of time, Powell arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. During the course of their communications, Powell also sent the undercover officers two images of child pornography.
On Sept. 12, 2012, Powell traveled from Delaware to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C. When he arrived at the meeting place, he was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.
13-139Maryland Man Found Guilty of Assaulting A Man in Christmas Eve Attack Near Metro Station - Charges Include the Wearing of A Mask While Committing A Crime -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Michael Anthony Hartley, 21, of Temple Hills, Md., was found guilty by a jury today of charges stemming from an attack on Christmas Eve 2012 against a man near a Metro station in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Hartley was found guilty following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of charges of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed; assault with significant bodily injuries; malicious destruction of property, and wearing a hood or mask concealing his identity while committing these offenses. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 24, 2012, at about 3:30 p.m., the victim was leaving the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and was on his way home. He was putting his iPhone in his pants pockets when he encountered Hartley, a stranger. Both men exchanged a perfunctory greeting of "hey" as they walked past each other.
Seconds later, the victim noticed that Hartley was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him. However, Hartley now was wearing a hoodie over his head and a mask covering his mouth. Hartley demanded the victim’s iPhone. He told the victim that he had a gun, put his hand in his jacket-pocket, and made a gesture as if pointing the weapon. The victim tried to get away, but Hartley caught him. At this point, Hartley shoved the victim while loudly demanding the iPhone. A bystander happened to walk by and called the police.
Before police could get to the scene, Hartley punched the victim in the face at least twice with a closed fist, causing significant injuries, including facial lacerations. Hartley also broke the victim’s eyeglasses. During the entire attack, Hartley was wearing a hoodie over his head and a mask covering part of his face to conceal his identity. The police arrived while Hartley was still on the scene, and the victim pointed him out as the person who tried to rob him.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those worked on the matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tameka Garcia and Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas Royal. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Truong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling into the District of Columbia to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Scott Richard Swirling, 62, of Silver Spring, Md., pled guilty today to traveling interstate to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, 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).
Swirling entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable John D. Bates is to sentence him on July 11, 2013. Swirling faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment as well as a fine of up to $250,000.
According to the government's evidence, on Jan. 7, 2013, Swirling contacted a man he believed to be the father of an under-aged girl on a social network site. That man turned out to be an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force. Over the next few days, Swirling engaged in graphic online email and instant message conversations with the undercover officer. During these conversations, Swirling arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. Swirling traveled from Silver Spring to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., where he was arrested.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who is prosecuting the case.
13-137Former Chief Financial Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Theft of More Than $1 Million from Non-ProfitActivities Took Place over Seven Years, with Money Being Used for Defendant’s Personal BenefitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zachery K. Shaw, 52, the former chief financial officer of a non-profit dedicated to youths and young adults, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a seven-year scheme involving the theft of more than $1 million of organization funds, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Gary R. Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Shaw, of Glenn Dale, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of theft of federal program funds. The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Shaw faces a likely range of 37 months to 46 months in prison and a fine of up to $75,000. As part of the plea agreement, Shaw has agreed to the entry of a forfeiture money judgment against him in the amount of $1,113,245.
According to a statement of offense signed by the government and the defendant, Shaw worked from 1993 through 2009 for Youth Services America (YSA), a non-profit with a mission to “improve communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles.” The organization received federal funds for various purposes, including services for children and youth. Shaw began work as a part-time bookkeeper. In 1996, he was promoted to Director of Finance. He became Chief Financial Officer in or around 2006.
From in or approximately 2002 until the summer of 2009, when he left YSA, Shaw transferred about $1,113,245 of the non-profit’s funds to pay personal bills and make purchases for his benefit and the benefit of friends. The money was transferred through dozens of fraudulent wire transfers and forged checks to Shaw’s personal bank account, bank accounts of organizations he controlled, and credit card companies from which Shaw had obtained credit cards.
Among other things, Shaw caused YSA to transfer $289,829 to a fictitious company that he created, called “A Few Good Brothers,” or “AFGB.” AFGB did not have any employees, and was used to hold parties and promote events at night clubs. Additionally, and without YSA approval, Shaw used $26,561 of the non-profit’s money to pay for season tickets from 2002 until 2007 for the Washington Wizards professional basketball games.
“Zachery Shaw abused his position of trust to steal more than $1 million from programs for our youth,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “He committed fraud dozens of times over seven years in an effort to enrich himself at the expense of our kids. His prosecution demonstrates our commitment to protecting charities and their donors from con men.”
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Inspector in Charge Barksdale commended the work of the Special Agents who investigated the case from the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Friedman, Mary Chris Dobbie, and Jonathan P. Hooks; Paralegal Specialist Diane Hayes, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Smith, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-135District Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter While Armed in 2009 Shooting in Northeast Washington-Technology Provided Key Evidence in Case-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Terrell Patton, 20, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed stemming from a slaying that took place in October 2009 in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Patton entered the plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of up to 11 years of incarceration. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 29, 2009, at about 10:30 p.m., Patton, also, known as, “Fatman,” was observed with the victim, Deuante Ray, 20, in the area of the 1200 block of 49th Place NE. Another individual observed Patton in possession of a nine-millimeter handgun. A third person noted that the defendant was angry with Mr. Ray because he believed that Mr. Ray had taken his pack of Ecstasy pills valued at roughly $80.
At approximately midnight, Patton called Mr. Ray’s friend and asked to talk to Mr. Ray. He told Mr. Ray to meet him on 49th Street. Mr. Ray was last seen riding a bicycle and entering a rear alley off the 1100 block of 48th Street NE with Patton.
By Patton’s own admissions, he permitted Mr. Ray to use his cellphone to call Mr. Ray’s girlfriend. Mr. Ray made one call to his girlfriend at 12:20 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2009, and a second call at 12:30 a.m., which ended at 12:35 a.m. Phone records and other witnesses confirm that Mr. Ray had used Patton’s telephone.
ShotSpotter technology recorded gunfire at 12:35:15 a.m. in the rear alley. A witness heard shots and observed a thin person and a heavier individual in the alley. This witness called 911 at 12:36 a.m. This witness also saw the heavier individual, believed to be Patton, take a bike. The witness was unable to make any identification.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived at approximately 12:40 a.m. and found Mr. Ray’s body. He had been shot at close range in the head and also in the chest with a nine-millimeter weapon. He was found with his pants down, and his pockets turned out. Mr. Ray was known to typically carry a wallet, and none was found. His bike also was missing.
Patton was arrested in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 2011 and has been incarcerated since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the MPD detectives and officers who investigated the case. He also acknowledged the effort of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s office, including Paralegal Specialists Kelly Blakeney, Fern Rhedrick and Phaylyn Hunt; Investigators Stephen Cohen, Durand Odom and Tommy Miller; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Goodhand of the Appellate Section. Finally, he commended the work of Cynthia G. Wright, of the Homicide Section, who prosecuted the case.
13-136Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Series of Home Break-ins-Admits Entering Three Northwest Washington Homes Within A Month, Including One on Christmas-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Tyrone Edmondson, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., has pled guilty to charges stemming from a series of recent break-ins of Northwest Washington homes, including one on Christmas, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Edmondson pled guilty on April 11, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to three counts of attempted second-degree burglary. The Honorable Stuart G. Nash scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2013. Edmondson faces a statutory maximum of five years of incarceration on each of the three charges.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 25, 2012, at about 8 p.m., Edmondson entered a home in the 800 block of Varnum Street NW through an unlocked rear door. He took computers, a video gaming system, a camera, shoes, jeans, and a jacket.
On Jan. 21, 2013, at about 3:15 p.m., Edmondson entered a home in the 1500 block of Upshur Street NW through an unlocked rear sliding glass door. He took a computer, jewelry, phone and coat. Finally, on Jan. 22, 2013, at about 3:30 p.m., he entered a home in the 1500 block of Crittenden Street NW, once again through an unlocked rear door. This time, he took a television, a Kindle, and loose change. The owner of this home was upstairs at the time, and after hearing noises in her living room, called the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Police responded, and found Edmondson in an alley near the house, with the victim’s property.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also praised the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Assistant Todd McClelland, Intelligence Specialist Sharon Johnson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Selden, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-132District Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for 2012 Murder in Northeast Washington-Defendant Also Shot at Second Victim in the Attack-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sean Carter, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison on charges of second-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill stemming from a shooting in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Carter pled guilty in January 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Upon completion of his prison term, Carter will be placed on eight years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 23, 2012, at approximately 10:15 p.m., Carter saw Bidley Warren, 22, walking with a teenager on Rhode Island Avenue NE. Carter recognized both of them and went to his nearby home, where he retrieved a gun. Then he hurried toward them in the 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue.
When Mr. Warren and the teenager saw Carter approaching with the gun, they ran away from him. Carter chased after them and began shooting. Mr. Warren tripped and fell, and the teenager stopped to check on him. Carter, meanwhile, shot again at the teenager, nearly striking him in the head. Due to the assault with gunfire, the teenager was forced to leave Mr. Warren behind and he ran away. Carter then stood over Mr. Warren and shot Mr. Warren in the head. Mr. Warren died soon afterward from the gunshot wound to his head.
After the murder, Carter fled to Atlanta. He was apprehended there by the U.S. Marshals Service on Oct. 2, 2012. The next day, Carter admitted to two detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) that he chased and shot at Mr. Warren and the teenager, and that he then shot Mr. Warren in the head while Mr. Warren was on the ground. Carter claimed that he had been involved in fights with the teenager and Mr. Warren on previous occasions. According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Warren and the teenager had no interaction with Carter the night of the murder. Neither of the victims saw Carter approach them with the gun until it was too late. He ran after them from behind and chased them down the street with gunfire.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the detectives of MPD’s Criminal Investigations Division and the officers of MPD’s Fifth District. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Atlanta Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Victim Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, Witness Security Specialist Tanya Via and Paralegal Specialist Marian Russell. Finally, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Fulton of the Homicide Section, who prosecuted the case.
13-134District Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder While Armed in Slaying of Northeast Washington Deli Owner-DNA Linked the Defendant to the Crime Scene-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Williams, 46, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed in the June 2012 slaying of the owner of a Northeast Washington delicatessen, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison. Under the plea agreement, the government will ask for no more than 28 years of incarceration, and the defendant will seek no less than 20 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Hae Soon Lim, 64, was found by police on June 14, 2012, at about 6:15 a.m., on the floor of her delicatessen, Grace’s Deli, in the 700 block of H Street NE. Her vehicle was found parked directly outside. An autopsy determined that Ms. Lim died from a single gunshot wound that entered through the back of her neck.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has a crime surveillance camera located a block away from the delicatessen at 8th and H Streets NE. A review of the video from the camera showed that a vehicle consistent with the appearance of the vehicle belonging to Ms. Lim pulled up and parked in front of the deli at about 5:25 a.m. on June 14, 2012. The video also shows a single person, believed to be the victim, leaving the vehicle and walking toward the restaurant.
The video then shows, moments later, a single person crossing H Street rapidly on foot, moving toward the front entrance of the restaurant, where that person then proceeds to interact in close proximity with the person believed to be Ms. Lim.
An empty, brown handgun holster was found on the floor directly next to Ms. Lim’s body. DNA from that holster revealed a match to the defendant. Williams’s DNA was also recovered from an empty cash register located inside the restaurant, behind the counter and out of reach from the customer area.
Williams was charged with the murder in November 2012 and remains in custody.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier praised the work of those who investigated the case for the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the work performed by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, they commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Liebman and Justin Dillon, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
13-133District Man Found Guilty by A Federal Jury of Unlawful Gun Possession-Defendant Tossed Handgun Out A Window During Police Search of Apartment-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Ezra Griffith, 23, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of a federal weapons charge, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
The jury found Griffith guilty on April 10, 2012 of a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime that is punishable by more than a year in prison. Griffith was convicted in 2010 of an attempted robbery charge.
The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2013. Griffith faces up to 10 years in prison. The Court ordered that he be held without bond pending sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 7, 2013, at approximately 7:10 a.m., the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Homicide Branch executed a search warrant at an apartment in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE. Officers approached the front door and knocked and announced, “Police, search warrant.” After a few moments, another occupant opened the door. Officers observed Griffith standing at the rear of a bed in his underwear.
Moments later, an officer who was one stationed outside, and who has known Griffith for more than eight years, notified the other officers that he had observed the defendant throw a handgun out of the apartment’s bedroom window and onto the ground below. The firearm was a 9mm Glock, with an extended 30-round magazine loaded into the well of the weapon.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the actions of the MPD officers. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Candice Sisco. Finally, he praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittan Heller, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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