District of Maryland
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Baltimore Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Assisting in the Murder of a Woman and Her Seven-Year-Old Son During a 2015 Drug-Related RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Kiara Haynes, age 37, of Baltimore, today to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for two counts of aiding and abetting the use and discharge of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing the death of Jennifer Jeffrey and her seven-year-old child. Haynes has been detained since her arrest in Texas on June 18, 2021, on a related federal criminal complaint.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.
“The murders of Jennifer Jeffrey and her child were a senseless tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Not only did Kiara Haynes have opportunities to prevent the murders of Jennifer Jeffrey and her child, she lied to investigators about what happened after the crimes were committed. If you threaten or harm a witness, especially a child, the full weight of federal law enforcement will be harnessed to hold you accountable and bring you to justice, no matter how long it takes.”
“Kiara Haynes had every opportunity to try and stop her boyfriend from murdering a little boy and his mother, knowing that that was part of his robbery plan. Instead, she supplied Andre Briscoe with the murder weapon, in complete disregard for human life,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “Nothing can ever replace the loss of a loved one, but we hope that this sentencing today gives the family of Jennifer Jeffrey and her son a sense of justice. ATF will continue in our mission to stop trigger-pullers, protect victims and witness, and help create safer communities in Baltimore.”
According to Haynes’s plea agreement, Haynes helped her co-defendant, Andre Briscoe, with whom she was romantically involved, plan to steal heroin from Jennifer Jeffrey, a long-time friend of Haynes. On May 26, 2015, Briscoe arrived at Haynes’s apartment from his home in Cambridge. During the course of the evening, Briscoe explained that Jeffrey had heroin and he planned to rob and kill Jeffrey to get the heroin. Briscoe confirmed to Haynes his intention to kill not only Jeffrey, but her minor child if the child were present at the time of the robbery. Haynes offered to help Briscoe get a gun.
Haynes subsequently contacted a relative whom she knew to have a gun. In exchange for allowing Haynes to use the gun, Haynes promised to give the relative some of the stolen heroin and give his gun back. Haynes and Briscoe met with the relative’s brother, who gave Haynes a .45 caliber firearm. Haynes and Briscoe returned to Haynes’s apartment with the gun.
Later that night, as detailed in the plea agreement, Briscoe left Haynes’s apartment to go hang out with Jeffrey at Jeffrey’s nearby home. When Haynes woke up later and realized that Briscoe had not returned, Haynes got upset. Between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Haynes walked over to Jeffrey’s home and began banging on the door and yelling for Briscoe to come out. Jeffrey’s relative opened the door and told Haynes that children were in the house asleep and that Haynes should go home, which she eventually did.
According to Haynes’s plea agreement, at approximately 7:23 a.m., Briscoe walked back from Jeffrey’s residence to Haynes’s apartment. Briscoe told Haynes that Jeffrey had shown him a large amount of heroin and that Jeffrey’s child did not feel well and had not gone to school that day. At approximately 11:41 a.m. Haynes overheard Briscoe on the phone with Jeffrey, who was talking about making breakfast for Briscoe. When Briscoe got off the phone, he retrieved the .45-caliber gun from Haynes’s bedroom and told Haynes that he was going to Jeffrey’s to get the drugs.
When Briscoe returned to Haynes’s apartment, Haynes asked him what had happened. Briscoe told Haynes that Jeffrey and her child were dead and gave Haynes a bag of heroin as her “cut” of Jeffrey’s drugs. As detailed in the plea agreement, Haynes returned the gun, along with the heroin given to her by Briscoe, as payment for the use of the gun.
On May 28, 2015, after a receiving a call for assistance, the Baltimore Police Department discovered Jeffrey and her child dead in their home.
In her plea agreement, Haynes further admitted that she lied to investigators and prosecutors about these events on five occasions between May 2015 and November 2020.
Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a “Poo”, age 38, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, was convicted by a federal jury on June 8, 2022, for federal drug distribution charges, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to drug trafficking crime, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Briscoe faces a mandatory life sentence for killing a witness and for using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in death, related to the murder of Jeffrey’s child. Judge Bennett has scheduled Briscoe’s sentencing for September 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Budlow, who prosecuted the case, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Abigail Ticse for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Texas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening a Medical Doctor Who Advocated for the Covid-19 VaccineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Scott Eli Harris, age 52, of Aubrey, Texas, yesterday to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for sending a threatening message to a Maryland medical doctor who publicly advocated for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“While we are all entitled to our own opinion, no one has the right to threaten the life of someone because of race, national origin, or because of holding different views,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “Threats like these will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Threats of violence, especially those driven by racial animus and misguided beliefs concerning the COVID-19 pandemic will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Members of our Asian American Pacific Islander communities should never have to live in fear of violence because of their race or national origin.”
“Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who threaten or take violent action based on belief or ideology and breaks the law, that the FBI will enforce the rule of law,” said Special Agent in Charge, Thomas J. Sobocinski.
According to his plea agreement and statements made in connection with the sentencing hearing, Harris sent a threatening message from his cellular phone to a Maryland doctor who had been a vocal proponent of the COVID-19 vaccine. Harris’ message included violent statements including “Never going to take your wonder drug. My 12 gauge promises I won’t .… I can’t wait for the shooting to start.” The message also referenced the doctor’s Asian-American race and national origin.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorney Katherine DeVar of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron Announces Strategies to Use Additional State Funds to Reduce Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – At a press conference earlier today, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron, joined by federal, state, and local partners announced that his office is devoting more federal resources than ever before to fight violent crime in Maryland. These resources have been made possible by an unprecedented level of state funding to support these efforts. Partners at today’s announcement included:
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron;
Governor Larry Hogan;
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh;
Mayor Brandon Scott;
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby;
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget;
Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rob Turner;
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge James Harris;
Secretary Robert Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services;
Maryland State Police, Colonel Woodrow Jones;
Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison; and
Representatives from the Maryland Congressional delegation.As discussed at the press conference, the Maryland General Assembly passed Governor Larry Hogan’s allocation of $3.5 million to support 14 additional Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, 10 additional investigators, five data analysts, and four legal support personnel, with the support of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh. The hiring process for those positions has already begun in the Attorney General’s Office and several Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys have already started to combat violent crime on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Barron announced today that the newly established Violent and Organized Crime Section is being expanded by the 30 new state-funded positions. In addition, U.S. Attorney Barron has encouraged prosecutors to use all available resources to investigate and prosecute repeat violent offenders—specifically to look at any wrongdoing that meets office priorities, including COVID-19 CARES Act fraud, in particular unemployment insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program fraud, Economic Injury Disaster Loan fraud, and utilizing a federal school zone statute that makes it a crime to possess a gun within 1000 feet of a school.
“The appalling multi-victim shooting at Park Heights Avenue today underscores the need for the steps announced and the renewed commitment from our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron. “I have instructed my staff to provide whatever assistance we can to ensure that the shooters from the incident today are quickly arrested, taken off the street, and brought to justice. We will continue to use every legal means necessary to fight violent crime in Baltimore and throughout Maryland.”
“For eight years our administration has been fighting to give law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges the tools they need to fight violent crime and to hold violent criminals accountable,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “A critical piece of that has been active collaboration and coordination between all levels of government. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Barron for continuing the long-standing partnership we have had with the federal prosecutor's office, and I want to commend him for building on our crime-fighting efforts with these new initiatives.”
“I am pleased to join local, state, and federal leaders to share this announcement and show that, together, we are dedicated to making the streets of Baltimore the safe spaces that we know they can be,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. “I look forward to working with each and every agency that shares our commitment to reducing violence.”
“ATF is proud to work with all local, state, and federal partners in our collective efforts to reduce violence. The core of ATF’s mission in Baltimore is to identify, investigate, and apprehend trigger-pullers and traffickers by using the crime gun intelligence model. Firearms tracing, ballistic forensics from crime guns, and partnership are the cornerstones to this intelligence-led approach,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “We have seen policemen shot. Coaches, college students, and even children murdered. The street crews and gangs who commit shootings nearly every day do so without conscience, and we are relentless in our pursuit of them. Since 2019, partnered ATF Special Agents and Baltimore Police Task Force Officers on our Crime Gun Enforcement Team have closed 50 homicide cases and 22 nonfatal shooting cases, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Maryland Attorney General’s Office. With every closed case, we hope that the families of the victims feel some sense of justice. By working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, and with the community, we will continue to do everything in our power to take the most violent offenders off Baltimore streets.”
“The resources and programs we outlined today, along with the proactive work conducted with our community members and our partners, are going to make all the difference in reducing drug-related violent crime here in Baltimore,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Washington Division. “Working proactively to truly address these issues and make sure all of our area families can live safely is our top priority”
“We cannot expect to make a difference in the lives of our citizens if we do not work together, which is why the continuation of the funded task forces is key to the violent crime fight,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Turner.
“We would be naive to think that we have all the answers to the many factors that play a part in an individual committing senseless acts of violence,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore. “However, we have some amazing tools at our disposal, and we have developed some strong partnerships. If we can continue to engage in the initiatives that decrease the number of gangs and violent criminals on our streets, the initiatives that disrupt the selling of deadly drugs, and the initiatives that diminish the possession and trafficking of illegal weapons, we will see a significant downward trajectory in the number of violent incidents. This is something we all want and deserve, and it is something that we know we can eventually achieve.”
“The Department has 249 Parole and Probation employees based in the City, as well as more than 40 sworn law enforcement officers and intelligence personnel,” says Robert Green, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. “These resources are embedded within, or in direct support of, the law enforcement agencies represented here today. The Governor’s commitment to this critical collaborative expansion will enable us to provide more resources to help our city, state, and federal partners in this vital crime-fighting initiative announced today.”
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Lawyer Charged with Stealing More Than $3.9 Million from Clients and EmployeesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on August 16, 2022, charging Matthew C. Browndorf, age 51, of Irvine, California, with four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering arising from a scheme to defraud the clients and employees of a foreclosure law firm that he owned by stealing more than $3.9 million. Browndorf is currently expected to have an initial appearance on September 2, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Davis of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General.
According to the indictment, Browndorf, a licensed attorney, was a partner at a California law firm and the Chief Executive Officer of Plutos Sama, LLC, a limited liability company organized in Delaware, but principally located in California.
As detailed in the indictment, Plutos Sama owned BP Fisher Law Group, LLP, a law firm located in Prince George’s County, Maryland, that represented lenders and mortgage loan servicers in foreclosure and default proceedings in Maryland and the District of Columbia. BP Fisher acted as substitute trustee for lenders and mortgage loan servicers who had lawfully enacted foreclosure proceedings on properties in Maryland that were in default. The proceeds of those foreclosures would be transferred into BP Fisher’s trust accounts.
The indictment alleges that once the proceeds of the foreclosures were deposited into BP Fisher’s trust account, Browndorf transferred or directed the transfer of those funds out of the trust account and into other accounts that Browndorf controlled, when those funds should have been paid to BP Fisher’s clients. The indictment further alleges that Browndorf similarly directed the transfer of funds out of BP Fisher’s operating accounts, which often caused BP Fisher to be unable to pay its ordinary business expenses, including employee payroll, employee health insurance benefits, and employee retirement benefits. Browndorf allegedly used the stolen funds to pay for his personal expenses, the personal expenses of family members, or expenses incurred by Plutos Sama. Finally, the indictment alleges that Browndorf stole more than $3.9 million.
If convicted, Browndorf faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and FHFA OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Stephanie Williamson, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Admits to Sex Trafficking at Least Three WomenRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ryan Odell Oliver, “Dre,” “Fame,” and “Foreign”, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022, to sex trafficking at least three victims.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
“Oliver’s sex trafficking crimes were discovered because one of his victims reached out for help,” said Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “As a result of this victim’s bravery, Oliver will now be brought to justice. If you are a survivor of human trafficking, please reach out for help and report sex traffickers at 866-DHS-2ICE.”
According to Oliver’s guilty plea, in December 2018 a female victim (Victim 1) texted a non-profit sex trafficking prevention agency that she was forced into prostitution and was being held against her will by Oliver. An Alexandria Police Department undercover detective followed up on the report and made a commercial sex date with Victim 1 in order to find her. Officers located Victim 1 at the location given for the sex date. Oliver was also at the location, but fled before he could be arrested. A second female (Victim 2) was also found at that location.
During the investigation, law enforcement spoke with three women whom Oliver was trafficking or attempting to traffic. Victim 1 and Victim 2 told law enforcement that they were trying to leave but Oliver refused to let them go. Oliver admitted that trafficked Victims 1 and 3 for his prostitution business and was attempting to sex traffic Victim 2. Oliver physically and sexually assaulted Victim 1 and Victim 2. Victim 1 and Victim 3 worked for Oliver in the Washington D.C. and Maryland area, including surrounding states. Oliver advertised all three victims online for commercial sex dates and kept all of the money made by his victims on commercial sex dates. Oliver also arranged for a tattoo artist to tattoo his nicknames “Fame” and “Foreign” on one of his victims.
As detailed in his guilty plea, Oliver gave Victim 1 daily quotas for commercial sex dates and refused to provide for Victim 1 if she did not meet the quotas. Oliver also made Victim 1 take pictures of other sex trafficking victims to advertise them for commercial sex dates. Oliver used violence against Victim 1 when she did something he thought was wrong and Oliver told Victim 1 that she was his property. Victim 3 advised that Oliver provided her with drugs, including heroin.
According to Oliver’s plea agreement, after meeting Victim 2 on a social media platform in December 2018, Oliver paid for a car to drive Victim 2 from Pennsylvania to his Baltimore residence. There, Oliver forced Victim 2 to have sex with him and choked Victim 2 because she would not comply with his sexual demands. After the assault, Victim 2 met one of Oliver’s co-conspirators, now deceased, who took her to a hotel, forced her to watch another sex trafficking victim conduct a sex date, and warned Victim 2 not to try to escape because Oliver would find her and that Oliver had a gun.
Oliver was arrested on January 11, 2019, in Baltimore. A search warrant executed at his residence recovered three cell phones, a hand-held recorder, a laptop, a ledger, a plastic bag of a white powdery substance, a 9mm firearm, and ammunition. Additionally, law enforcement discovered images of Victim 1 and Victim 3 on Oliver’s phone.
Oliver and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Oliver will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for November 28, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.
This case was investigated by law enforcement agencies that are members of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Providing Fraudulent Driver’s Licenses to Applicants Who Paid a FeeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Marion Rose Payne, age 55, of Harwood, Maryland, on August 15, 2022, to 15 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to produce and transfer identification documents without lawful authority, specifically, Maryland driver’s licenses. Judge Chuang also ordered Payne to forfeit $25,000, which constitutes the proceeds of Payne’s participation in the criminal conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.
According to her plea agreement, from at least July 2015 through March 2016, Payne and Co-Conspirator 2 were both employees of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) and worked in the Largo, Maryland MVA branch office. Payne’s duties at the MVA included the issuance of Maryland driver’s licenses.
As detailed in her plea agreement, Payne, co-Conspirator 2 and Warner Antonio Portillo conspired to produce and transfer Maryland driver’s licenses without lawful authority. Specifically, Portillo and others met with prospective Maryland driver’s license applicants who were willing to pay money to obtain a driver’s license illegally, typically because the applicants were illegal aliens without lawful legal status in the United States or were otherwise unable to obtain a lawfully issued driver’s license. The applicants paid Portillo and others between $800 and $5,000 in cash for each fraudulently issued Maryland driver’s license.
Portillo and others assisted the applicants to travel to the Largo branch of the MVA and directed the applicants to Payne’s or Co-Conspirator 2’s workstation, where applicants obtained Maryland driver’s licenses produced by Payne or Co-Conspirator 2 without lawful authority. Payne knew that the documents used in support of the driver’s licenses were fraudulent. In exchange for the improperly issued driver’s licenses, Portillo paid Payne at least $25,000 in cash and gifts. The conspiracy resulted in the unlawful production and transfer of at least 276 Maryland driver’s licenses.
Warner Antonio Portillo, age 37, of Manassas, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Investigation and Security Services for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Mund, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Cecil County Drug Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore. Maryland - U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Luis Rivera, age 34, formerly of Elkton, Maryland, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Judge Russell ordered that the federal sentence be served consecutive to the 12-year state sentence Rivera is currently serving for a state drug conviction. Judge Russell also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Rivera must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.
According to his guilty plea, Rivera was arrested on drug charges in Cecil County, Maryland on January 30, 2018. At the time of his arrest, Rivera was found in bed with Jane Doe, who was 15 years old. Rivera denied having a sexual relationship with Jane Doe and further stated that all of the illegal narcotics, later confirmed to be crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and heroin, located in his bedroom belonged to Jane Doe.
While at the hospital for a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination, Jane Doe told a social worker that she and Rivera were in a sexual relationship and evidence proving that would be present on their cell phones which were seized during the search warrant at Rivera’s house. A search warrant was subsequently executed on the digital items seized, including the two cell phones. The SD cards of the phones were forensically examined and found to contain 18 videos of Rivera and Jane Doe engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which were all taken by Rivera or by Jane Doe at Rivera’s direction.
After his arrest and detention, Rivera admitted that he made over 700 calls to Jane Doe saying things like: She was the reason he was locked up; everyone knew that Rivera was arrested because Jane Doe lied and that everything was her fault. Rivera also instructed Jane Doe to: recant her statement to the social worker; deny that it was her in the videos; and to lie at his trial on drug charges in Cecil County. On January 22, 2019, several letters Rivera had written to Jane Doe from the detention center were recovered and reviewed by law enforcement. One letter told Jane Doe to get her family to say that it was not Jane Doe in the videos. Rivera stated, “You have to beg them to understand that it’s not fair that an innocent man is in jail because of your lies…”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, Maryland State Police, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Posing as a 16-Year-Old Boy to Entice at Least Three Minor Victims to Produce Sexually Explicit Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Derrell Lamar Hooker Orange (“Orange”) age 37, of Brandywine, Maryland, today to 19 years in federal prison, followed by 12 years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor to produce child pornography and to possession of child pornography. Judge Hazel also ordered Orange to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense. Orange has been detained since his guilty plea on May 13, 2022, after Judge Hazel determined that Orange was a danger to the community.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police and Sheriff Michelle Cook of the Clay County, Florida Sherriff’s Office.
“Parents should check their child’s smartphone and remind them that people may not be who they seem,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “This could save your child from becoming a victim. Many criminals, like Orange, take advantage of the anonymity of the internet to present themselves as something they’re not and use online messaging services to abuse children.”
“Derrell Lamar Hooker Orange’s crimes are inexcusable,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of HSI Baltimore. “He deceived and victimized three minors, and the cruelty of his actions was reflected in the severity of his prison sentence. Today he will begin to face the consequences of his crimes. HSI Baltimore is proud to have worked with our local law enforcement partners to bring Mr. Orange to justice. HSI Baltimore will continue to work to protect the law-abiding citizens of Maryland from notorious criminal elements like Mr. Orange.”
“The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is committed to doing everything in our power to combat child exploitation,” said Sheriff Michelle Cook. “I am grateful to the dedicated professionals and our law enforcement partners across the country for their tireless work to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these horrible crimes.”
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 2020 through October 2020, Orange, posing as a 16-year-old boy named “Lamar Thompson,” communicated with Victim 1, a 12-year-old girl living in Florida. Orange admitted that Victim 1 disclosed to him that she was in “junior high.” During their communications, Orange, using the Thompson persona, sent text messages requesting sexually explicit videos from Victim 1, including on August 29, 2020 and October 11, 2020, which Victim 1 then sent to Orange.
On March 16, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Orange’s residence and seized his iPad and iPhone. Forensic review of Orange’s devices revealed images and videos of child pornography, including sexually explicit videos of Victim 1.
As detailed in his plea agreement, Orange also communicated with three other minor victims, Victim 2, Victim 3, and Victim 4, through text messages and a secure communication application. As he did with Victim 1, Orange posed as a 16-year-old boy and requested sexually explicit images and videos from Victim 2, Victim 3, and Victim 4, which the victims sent to him. Based on the forensic analysis of his devices, Orange knew that Victims 3 and 4 were only 11 years old. In addition, on February 16, 2021, Orange sent text messages to Victim 2, who resided in Florida, indicating that he had traveled to her residence. The text messages included a screen shot of a Lyft route to the area of Victim 2’s residence, as well as a video of the apartment complex where Victim 2 lived at that time, with a text stating, “I’m outside.” Victim 2 did not meet Orange.
According to his plea agreement, Orange also participated in numerous chats using a cross-platform messaging service with enhanced encryption to transmit and receive material depicting minors, including prepubescent minors, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, in a chat with another user of the messaging service in March 2021, the other user asked Orange to “Trade.” In response, Orange sent approximately 74 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and received approximately 98 such videos.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Clay County, Florida Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Grossi and Jessica C. Collins, who prosecuted the case.
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Lexington Park Woman Convicted for Her Participation in a Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain Military Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Mary Francis Biggs, age 65, of Lexington Park, Maryland, late on August 15, 2022, for conspiracy to commit theft of government property and for theft of government property in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain additional military disability benefits for her husband from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As a result of the fraud scheme, from 2016 through 2019, Biggs and her husband received over $170,000 in disability benefits and early retirement pay to which they were not entitled.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Kim R. Lampkins, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Philadelphia Field Division.
According to the evidence presented at Biggs’ six-day trial, Biggs participated in a conspiracy organized by her daughter, Angela Farr, in which false and fraudulent documents were submitted to the VA in support of disability claims in the name of Individual 1, who was Biggs’ husband and Farr’s father. The fraudulent documents stated that Individual 1 was homebound and required full-time assistance for basic tasks such as eating, bathing, and dressing. In fact, Individual 1 lived an ordinary, active life. For at least some of the time, Biggs and Farr concealed their fraud from Individual 1.
According to trial evidence, Individual 1 was a member of the United States Navy from January 29, 1974 to January 31, 1997. The evidence proved that Individual 1 received a 100% service-connected disability rating by the VA, and Special Monthly Compensation (SMC), based on fraudulent documentation submitted as part of the conspiracy. On approximately July 5, 2017, the VA determined, based on fraudulent documentation, that Individual 1 was not capable of managing his finances because of his purported disabilities, and appointed Biggs as Individual 1’s fiduciary. As such, Biggs was responsible for the receipt and expenditure of Individual 1’s fraudulently obtained VA benefits funds. During this time, Individual 1 was employed as a civilian employee of the Navy, supervising a logistics unit of 25 people.
Specifically, Biggs and Farr conspired to exaggerate Individual 1’s claims, which involved the submission of fraudulent and fictitious medical documents. Biggs and Farr also conspired to conceal from VA the fact that Individual 1 was working, and as part of a VA field interview on September 13, 2017, Biggs did not disclose the fact that Individual 1was employed and completed a form stating that Individual 1 had no employment income. Biggs spent the fraudulently received disability compensation payments on daily living expenses, cruise vacations, and a kitchen renovation, even though she was aware that her husband was not entitled to the payments. Biggs and her husband received more than $170,000 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled.
Farr and her husband at the time, Michael Pace, fraudulently obtained disability benefits for themselves in the same way. Pace received the highest amount of disability compensation and SMC paid by VA. In addition, Pace received a Caregiver Assistance stipend of more than $2,500 per month, for purportedly serving as Farr’s caregiver, despite claiming to be completely disabled himself and unable to use his arms and legs. Farr fraudulently obtained disability benefits from the VA and from the Social Security Administration. In total, Farr received approximately $440,085 in VA benefits to which she was not entitled, and approximately $35,666 in Social Security benefit payments to which she was not entitled, resulting in a loss to the United States of $475,751 just on Farr’s claims alone. Pace received $370,912 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled.
Angela Marie Farr, age 36, and Farr’s ex-husband Michael Vincent Pace, age 42, both of Leonardtown, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
Biggs faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has not yet scheduled sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the VA OIG and SSA OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio and Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Washington, D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking a 15-Year-Old Homeless Girl for His Prostitution BusinessRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Sirron Little, age 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking of a minor female to engage in commercial sex acts. Little recruited the victim, who was homeless and 15 years old at the time, to work for him as a prostitute.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Little recruited Victim 1 to work for him as a sex worker in April 2018, when she was 15 years old and homeless. Victim 1 worked for Little, engaging in sex acts for money, until December 4, 2018. Little used his cell phone to communicate with Victim 1 regarding the prostitution business, to post scantily clad photos of Victim 1 on online dating services to solicit commercial sex clients and to advertise Victim 1 as a prostitute, and to arrange “dates” with commercial sex clients, in Washington D.C. and in Maryland. Little initially had Victim 1 meet clients for “car dates” or had someone drive Victim 1 to a client’s residence. Eventually, Little moved the sex trafficking operation to motels in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In addition to meeting clients for car dates and at hotels, Little directed Victim 1 to walk along Allentown Road in Maryland and solicit clients directly on the street.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Victim 1 would typically see multiple clients per day, generating as much as $1,500 in a day. Little set the prices for the sex acts, set certain monetary goals for Victim 1, and required Victim 1 to give all the proceeds from the sex trafficking operation to Little. Little threatened to stop providing the victim with food, transportation, and shelter if she did not meet the monetary goals. Little admitted that he physically assaulted Victim 1 on multiple occasions, threatened Victim 1 with a firearm on at least one occasion, and engaged in sex acts with Victim 1.
On December 4, 2018, Victim 1 called emergency services and reported that Little had threatened her with a firearm and had an open warrant. When law enforcement responded to the hotel where Victim 1 and Little were staying, Victim 1 advised that she was having a fight with Little and that he was armed. Little was arrested and a loaded .40-caliber handgun was seized from the room, along with a 20-round box of ammunition and two cellular phones.
As part of his plea agreement, Little must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Little and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Little will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for December 6, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.mdhumantrafficking.org/.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/human-trafficking and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Final Defendants, Including Former Correctional Officer, Sentenced for Prison Corruption Scheme at Jessup Correctional InstitutionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced a former Correctional Officer, an inmate, and an outside “facilitator” this week in connection with a federal racketeering conspiracy at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI), involving inmates and outside facilitators paying bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison. With this week’s sentencings, all 15 defendants charged in this case have now been convicted and sentenced to up to more than five years in federal prison.
On August 10, 2022, Judge Chuang sentenced former Correctional Officer Dominique Booker, a/k/a “Star,” age 45, of Baltimore, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On August 11, 2022, Judge Chuang sentenced inmate William Cox, a/k/a Dollar, age 45, to 33 months in prison, consecutive to his state term of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release; and today Judge Chuang sentenced facilitator Laurice Norfleet, age 44, of Taneytown, Maryland, to time served, and six months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Robert Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
JCI is a maximum-security prison located in Jessup, Maryland.
According to the defendants’ plea agreements, Booker, Cox, and Norfleet conspired with other COs, including CO Chanel Pierce, inmates, and outside facilitators to smuggle contraband into JCI, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones. According to their plea agreements and other court documents, COs accepted or agreed to accept payments from facilitators and/or inmates as consideration for smuggling contraband into JCI. Inmates acted as both wholesalers and retailers of contraband, often obtaining profits that far exceeded the profits that could be made by selling similar drugs on the street.
During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted phone calls and text messages in which the defendants discussed contraband to be smuggled into JCI, as well as the payment of bribes. Several of the inmate defendants, including Cox, had contraband cell phones, which they used to facilitate their smuggling activities. As detailed in her plea agreement, CO Booker conspired with inmate Cox, with whom she had a romantic relationship, and others, to smuggle contraband, including controlled dangerous substances, such as Suboxone, into JCI and then distribute the contraband to inmates. In January 2019, a search of Booker and her vehicle as she entered JCI revealed contraband, including plastic baggies containing the synthetic cannabinoid K-2, which she intended to smuggle into the prison.
As detailed in Norfleet’s plea agreement, she was the facilitator for her boyfriend and co-defendant, inmate Page Boyd. Norfleet admitted that on several occasions she obtained contraband, including controlled substances such as Suboxone which she provided to a co-conspirator in Baltimore. The co-conspirator then delivered the contraband to COs to smuggle into JCI for Boyd, on Norfleet’s behalf. Boyd then redistributed most of that Suboxone to other inmates at a significant profit. For example, during one jail call Boyd informed Norfleet that he was selling the Suboxone strips for $50 per strip inside JCI, far more than they sell for outside of prison.
Chanel Pierce, age 29, of Pikesville, Maryland, was previously sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy and inmate Page Boyd, age 38, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, consecutive to his state term of imprisonment.
The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, whose staff initiated the JCI investigation and have been full partners in this investigation.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Rigali, who is prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Two Members of a Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Forfeit $2 MillionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Rogelio Zamora, age 24, to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. On August 8, 2022, Judge Russell sentenced co-defendant Hugo Maldonado Ortiz, age 53, to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on the same charge. Judge Russell further ordered that Zamora and Ortiz must forfeit $2 million seized during the course of the investigation, as proceeds of drug trafficking.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division; Colonel Kevin M. Anderson, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Colonel Melissa Zebley, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police; and Colonel Robert Evanchick, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
According to their guilty pleas, between April 2020 and October 26, 2020, Zamora and Ortiz were part of a conspiracy to distribute drugs, specifically to possess with intent to distribute those drugs in Baltimore and elsewhere. As their part of the conspiracy, Zamora and Ortiz obtained cash, packaged it, and delivered the currency to couriers for transportation. Zamora and Ortiz admitted that they knew, or should have known, that the cash they transferred to and from members of the conspiracy was the proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in Baltimore and elsewhere. The defendants and their co-conspirators traveled to locations in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and elsewhere to receive large amounts of bulk currency, believed to be narcotics proceeds, and then transported or arranged the transport of the bulk cash to California on behalf of their drug trafficking organization.
During the investigation a total of more than $2 million was seized by or delivered to law enforcement. Investigators know that this amount of drug proceeds represents revenue from the sale of approximately seventy-five kilograms of cocaine. Accordingly, Zamora agreed that it was foreseeable to him that the conspirators would distribute between five and 15 kilograms of cocaine. Ortiz agreed that it was foreseeable to him that the conspirators would distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the Maryland State Police, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Delaware State Police and the Pennsylvania State Police for their work in the investigation and thanked the DEA in New York, New Jersey and Detroit for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan C. Mathias, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Pasadena Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Raymond Martin Shamer, III, age 21, of Pasadena, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography. Shamer admitted that he also distributed child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.
According to his guilty plea, from at least July 7, 2019 through June 24, 2020, Shamer used online accounts to communicate with others about child pornography, to distribute child pornography, and to collect child pornography. Many of the files Shamer collected documented adults sexually abusing of infants and toddlers while they are bound and subjected to other violent conduct.
Shamer admitted that he used a secure communication application to upload images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that he shared links to those images with a group of users with whom he engaged in group chat conversations.
On June 24, 2020, a search warrant was executed at Shamer’s residence and investigators seized Shamer’s cell phones and computer. A subsequent forensic examination of the devices revealed a total of more than 1,000 images of child pornography on Shamer’s devices.
As detailed in his plea agreement, upon his release from prison, Shamer will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
Shamer and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Shamer will be sentenced to at least three years in federal prison, followed by at least 20 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 29, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Setting a House on Fire While Three People Were InsideRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Luther Moody Trent, age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for malicious destruction of property by fire. The Court has also ordered Trent to pay $612,700.20 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Niles R. Ford of the Baltimore City Fire Department.
“Justice has been served — our community and the victims here finally got some accountability” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron.
According to his guilty plea, on May 21, 2021, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Trent poured gasoline along the exterior of a Baltimore residence and then set the gasoline on fire while Victim 1, Victim 2, and Victim 3 were inside. The fire caused significant damage to the residence and the adjoining property, however, all three victims were alerted and escaped without injury. Firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the blaze.
Victim 1 was in a prior volatile relationship with Trent which resulted in the police being called on at least one occasion, as well as an order of protection being issued in favor of Victim 1. Examination of Victim 1’s cell phone revealed that Trent had sent threatening text messages to Victim 1.
After further investigation, a Baltimore City police detective located a video of a prior incident with Trent and Victim 1 on March 23, 2021. After reviewing the video, the BPD detective recognized Trent and recalled that he was at the scene of the arson. At that time, Trent identified himself as “Trey Johnson” and claimed to be inquiring about his “cousin” that he said lived in the residence. According to the detective, Trent seemed to be acting nervous and drove away from the scene in a black two-door sedan. Victim 1 confirmed that Trent drove a black two-door sedan at the time.
As stated in his guilty plea, Trent was interviewed by a local news station about the arson in which he claimed to have set Victim 1’s residence on fire because he was upset that he could not see Victim 1. Further, Trent compared his actions to Romeo and Juliet and stated that “if I can’t have her, nobody can, or at least no one in Baltimore.”
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, Maryland State Fire Marshals, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City Fire Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Special Deputy United States Marshal Facing Federal Charges for Money Laundering Related to a Romance Scam Involving More Than 20 VictimsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Isidore Iwuagwu, age 35, of Upper Malboro, Maryland, with the federal charge of conspiring to commit money laundering related to numerous online romance scams.
Iwuagwu will have his initial appearance today beginning at 2 p.m., in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG); and Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tira Hayward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division (USPIS).
“If you find yourself in an online relationship and you’re asked for a bunch of money, it’s probably fraud not love,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “We’re prosecuting elder fraud, including romance scams, to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Iwuagwu is a Special Deputy United States Marshal and Department of Justice contractor providing security for critical Department of Justice facilities.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, between October 2015 and July 2021, Iwuagwu participated in a romance scam in which individuals contacted victims on social media platforms and dating sites, engaged in online relationships with the victims, then convinced victims to send large sums of money claiming the funds were needed for purported personal hardships or shipping costs for various imports. Many victims reported sending funds at the request of individuals claiming to be deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces who asked for money for various personal hardships. The alleged scam involved more than 20 victims, many of whom are senior citizens. The victims linked to Iwuagwu reported losing a combined $1.9 million to the scheme.
For example, the affidavit details an account of a victim who was approached on a social media platform by an individual who claimed to be a Major General in the U.S. Army. Eventually, the self-proclaimed Major General asked Victim F to help him with financial expenses as he transitioned out of the military. Victim F believed the individual was returning to the United States to be with her. At the Major General’s request, Victim F sent more than $300,000 to Iwuagwu who Victim F was told was the Major General’s attorney.
In a different case, another victim was contacted by an individual claiming to be a Spanish doctor living in California and who was leaving on a ship to provide medical treatment to individuals in other countries. The individual claimed to not have access to their bank account and asked the victim to send them $1,120, which the victim did. Following this, the victim wired funds to bank accounts controlled by Iwuagwu and also sent money to Iwuagwu through the mail. In total, the victim estimated sending $51,880 to Iwuagwu. When the victim began to express doubts about the funds she was sending, the individual sent the victim a photograph of Iwuagwu’s Department of Justice contractor credentials to ease her concerns.
As stated in the criminal complaint, law enforcement reviewed 30 accounts controlled by Iwuagwu between 2013 and 2021. During this time, Iwuagwu allegedly received approximately $1.65 million in wire transfers from 119 individuals and approximately $1.138 million in other deposits, including money orders, personal checks, cashier’s checks and cash. Allegedly, Iwuagwu routinely withdrew the criminal proceeds through structured cash withdrawals or wire transfers to foreign banks. Specifically, Iwuagwu is alleged to have wired more than $1.5 million from his accounts, including $200,000 to a Nigerian company, and withdrew approximately $511,900 through ATM and other cash withdrawals.
If convicted, Iwuagwu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), or here, for elders who have been financially exploited to report their incident, and be connected with additional resources and information. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DOJ-OIG and USPIS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Jennifer L. Wine, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Foreign National Faces Federal Charges for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering and Aggravated Identity Theft Related to a Business Email Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Njuh Valentine Fombe, a/k/a “Valentine”, age 36, formerly of Beltsville, Maryland, had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on August 8, 2022, after being a fugitive for almost three years until his arrest on August 6, 2022. A federal grand jury indicted Fombe on September 23, 2019, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, aggravated identity theft. At his initial appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan ordered that Fombe remains detained pending trial.
The arrest and indictment were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department.
According to the three-count indictment, from at least September 2016 to August 2018, Fombe conspired with others to commit wire fraud by conducting business email compromise schemes (“BEC schemes”) in which the defendants gained unauthorized access to email accounts, personal identifying information, and bank accounts by sending false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts. Fombe and his co-conspirators then allegedly used the illegally obtained personal information to obtain counterfeit checks in the name and information of the victims’ bank accounts. Victims of the alleged BEC scheme span across five states including California, Tennessee, Michigan, Hawaii, and Illinois. Fombe and his co-conspirators also allegedly registered fraudulent shell entities to facilitate the scheme. The indictment further alleges that members of the conspiracy managed drop accounts held in fraudulent shell entities' names, as well as their names and aliases to direct and receive proceeds of the BEC and check schemes.
If convicted, Fombe faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and a mandatory two years in federal prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Hayes, and Christopher Sarma, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Annapolis Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl, Heroin, PCP, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Khayr Basimibnbrown, a/k/a “Keith Brown,” and “Shitty,” age 42, of Annapolis, Maryland, yesterday to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Basimibnbrown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, PCP, and cocaine.
The guilty plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Turner of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
According to Basimibnbrown’s guilty plea, law enforcement observed the defendants participate or conduct drug transactions on multiple instances. For example, Basimibnbrown participated in the sale of 600.9 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture in an Annapolis, Maryland hotel parking lot. After the transaction, law enforcement observed Basimibnbrown enter and exit several vehicles in an effort to avoid law enforcement detection.
As stated in his guilty plea, on January 13, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at eight residences in Annapolis, Maryland, including Basimibnbrown’s residence, a home that belonged to his grandmother, where officers located 470 grams of PCP, 55.5 grams of crack cocaine, 6.2 grams of heroin, and 71 grams of cocaine. At the home of Basimibnbrown’s cousin, which Basimibnbrown frequently visited, law enforcement seized 145.05 grams of cocaine, 67.19 grams of PCP, and 59.56 grams of a cutting agent, all found on the top shelf of a child’s bedroom closet. From the eight residences searched, law enforcement seized a total of $32,695 in cash, constituting drug proceeds.
Basimibnbrown admitted that he conspired to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, as well as heroin, PCP, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Further, Basimibnbrown knew that he was on federal supervised release at the time he was committing these crimes.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended FBI, DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and LaRai Everett, who prosecuted the case. Mr. Barron also thanked Paralegals Kristy Penny, Damon Gasque, and Alisha Swiger for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland Casino and Hotel Kidnapping Defendant is Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Anthony Erik Hebron, a/k/a “Pain”, age 29, of Washington, D.C., to 14 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Turner of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, in February 2021, Hebron, and co-defendants Darius Young, a/k/a “Mup”, age 30, Christopher Young, age 27, Lamar Perkins, age 28, and Tray Sherman, age 27, all of D.C., worked together to kidnap a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel.
Hebron and Sherman met Victim A at the casino and hotel, where they made the false promise that they would get women for Victim A if Victim A accompanied them to Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 7:30 a.m., Victim A agreed to travel to Southeast Washington, D.C. in Sherman’s car with Hebron.
At 8:13 a.m., Young called Mup to report that Hebron and Sherman had “snatched” Victim A. Soon after Sherman, Hebron, and Victim A arrived in Southeast D.C., Mup and Young entered Sherman’s vehicle with Victim A inside. Hebron then pointed a gun at Victim A while his co-conspirators took Victim A’s personal items including Victim A’s wallet, cell phone, hotel room key, and a watch valued at $500.
Hebron, Mup, Young, and Sherman then demanded the code to Victim A’s hotel safe. When Victim A refused, Hebron struck Victim A in the forehead with the gun. In response, Victim A told the co-conspirators the code to the hotel safe. Victim A was then forced out of the car by Hebron. Soon after, Mup and Young exited the vehicle with Victim A and forced the victim into a boiler room within a D.C. apartment building while Hebron and Sherman drove back to the hotel and casino to burglarize Victim A’s hotel room.
Inside the boiler room, Mup and Young repeatedly assaulted Victim A, threatened his life, demanded Victim A’s PIN number to his ATM card, and demanded information about the items located in his hotel room.
Simultaneously, Hebron and Sherman accessed Victim A’s hotel room, where they stole Victim A’s property, including a gaming system, $1,500 in casino chips, and approximately $6,000 in cash.
After Victim A was released by the conspiracy members, law enforcement saw Victim A near the apartment building. Victim A sustained several injuries, including a bloody wound on his forehead, a broken nose, and cuts on his mouth and eye.
Co-defendants Perkins, Young, Sherman, and Mup pleaded guilty to federal charges relating to the kidnapping earlier this year. Mup was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison. Young was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison. Perkins was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. Sherman is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2022 to at least 96 months.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Washington, and the FBI Baltimore Field Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also praised the Prince George’s County Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared C. Engelking, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Western Maryland Physician and Pain Management Practice Group Agree to Pay $980,000 to Settle Federal False Claims Act Allegations of Billing for Medically Unnecessary Urine Drug TestsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Melvin Gonzaga, M.D., his son Rommel Gonzaga, and their practice group Gonzaga Interventional Pain Management (“GIPM”) have agreed to pay the United States $980,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the United States for urine drug tests (“UDT”) that were medically unnecessary.
The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Paul A. Palumbo, of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG).
“We are committed to ensuring that patients depending on government-funded insurance are not misled by doctors seeking to line their own pockets by performing medically unnecessary tests or treatments,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron.
“Providers who perform medically unnecessary procedures damage the trust of physician patient relationships and exploit taxpayer-funded programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the health of patients and the integrity of federal health care programs serving them.”
“We are committed to holding unscrupulous Railroad Medicare providers accountable and are proud to be part of this collaborative effort,” said Railroad Retirement Board Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Paul A. Palumbo (RRB-OIG). “We would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication and excellent work in this case.”
Dr. Gonzaga is a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist who owns and operates a pain management clinic, GIPM, located in LaVale, Maryland. Rommel Gonzaga is the chief executive officer of GIPM. From January 1, 2016 through March 31, 2019, GIPM billed the Medicare Program, the Medicaid Program, and the Railroad Retirement Board (“RRB”) for a large number of UDTs. GIPM tested its patients using two types of UDTs: presumptive and definitive. A presumptive UDT is an initial test to detect the presence or absence of a substance or class of substances in the body. A definitive UDT is a more advanced test that can identify individual drugs, distinguish between structural isomers, and report the results of drugs present in concentrations of nanograms per milliliter.
This settlement resolves allegations that the UDTs that GIPM billed to the government were not ordered based on an individualized determination of medical necessity for each patient. Instead, GIPM used blanket orders that tested all patients for the same 22+ drug classes. GIPM patients were required to provide a UDT sample upon entry into the clinic and before being seen by a provider and discussing the results from any prior UDT the patient received. Often, UDTs showing unexpected positive or negative results were ignored, or not checked at all, while GIPM providers continued to prescribe the patients opioids and other controlled substances despite obvious warning signs that the patients were abusing drugs.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by Dr. Gonzaga, Rommel Gonzaga, or GIPM, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
The case arose from an initiative launched by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland which involves the use of specialized resources and personnel to review Medicare billing data. The review of that data has enabled the United States Attorney’s Office to identify areas of concern where it appears that billing irregularities may have taken place. Partnering with the affected agencies, the United States Attorney’s Office has developed the ability to investigate these billing irregularities to determine whether the matter is appropriate for enforcement under the False Claims Act.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS-OIG and the RRB-OIG for their work in this investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields and former Assistant United States Attorney Vince Vaccarella, currently a Trial Attorney in the Justice Department’s Civil Frauds Section, who handled this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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18th Street Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Conspiracy Leading to the Death of a 19-Year-Old WomanRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Jordan Moreno, a/k/a “Joker”, age 23, a Honduran national recently of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal kidnapping charges related to the death of Victim 1, a 19-year old woman. Moreno had previously pleaded guilty in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County to First Degree Murder in Victim 1’s death.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
According to his guilty plea, beginning in October 2019, Moreno and other associates of the Tiny Locos Surenos (“TLS”) clique of the 18th Street gang conspired to kidnap and murder Victim 1 because Moreno and other co-conspirators believed she was associating with members of MS-13. MS-13 is a transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador.
In preparation for the murder, Moreno devised a plan to murder Victim 1, recruited other 18th Street gang members to assist, and selected a wooded area near Hyattstown in Montgomery County, Maryland in which to kill Victim 1. Additionally, Moreno contacted a TLS leader for authorization to kill Victim 1. Moreno and his co-conspirators planned and executed Victim 1’s murder to increase their status within the 18th Street gang.
To lure Victim 1 to her death, one of Moreno’s co-conspirators communicated with the woman on a social media platform in October and November 2019 under the pretext that he wanted to socialize with her. Eventually, Victim 1 and the co-conspirator arranged to meet on the evening of November 21, 2019. Moreno and three co-conspirators then traveled together to pick up Victim 1 in Washington, D.C before traveling to Maryland. Once they arrived at the wooded area near Hyattstown, a juvenile co-conspirator and Moreno, in turn, used a single pistol to shoot Victim 1 in the face and head, killing her. Following the murder, Moreno directed another co-conspirator to hide the firearm.
Moreno faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for conspiracy to kidnap. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for October 28, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI, and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked the Maryland State Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam K. Ake and Trial Attorney Danbee C. Kim of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Who Made Threats Against Dr. Anthony Fauci and Other Federal Officials Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr., age 57, most recently of Snowshoe, West Virginia to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making threats against a federal official, specifically for sending emails threatening harm to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Connally further admitted threatening Dr. Francis Collins, the former Director of the NIH, Dr. Rachel Levine, currently the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a Massachusetts public health official and a religious leader.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank, Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal official’s life,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “Threats like these will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentencing shows that individuals threatening violence against federal officials and others will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The public, including public servants, deserve the utmost safety and the assurance that they can perform their duties without interference. Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring those who threaten violence to justice.”
According to Connally’s plea agreement, from December 28, 2020, to July 25, 2021, Connally used an anonymous email account from a provider of secure, encrypted email services based in Switzerland, to send a series of emails to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”) and the Chief Medical Advisor to President of the United States, threatening to harm and/or kill Dr. Fauci and members of his family. One of the emails threatened that Dr. Fauci and his family would be “dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire.” On April 24, 2021, alone, Connally sent seven threatening emails starting at 10:05 p.m.
As detailed in Connally’s plea agreement, also on April 24, 2021, beginning at 9:34 p.m., Connally sent Dr. Francis Collins, the then-Director of the NIH, a series of four emails threatening Dr. Collins and his family with physical assault and death if Dr. Collins did not stop speaking about the need for “mandatory” COVID-19 vaccinations.
As stated in his plea agreement, Connally admitted that he sent the threats to Drs. Fauci and Collins with the intent to intimidate or interfere with the performance of their official duties and with the intent to retaliate against Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins for performing their official duties, including discussing COVID-19 and its testing and prevention.
Connally also admitted sending emails threatening harm to three other individuals. Specifically, on November 24, 2020, Connally sent a series of six threatening emails to Dr. Rachel Levine, then Secretary of Health for the State of Pennsylvania, at Dr. Levine’s email account at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The subject lines and body of the emails threatened Dr. Levine with physical violence and death. Similarly, on August 31, 2020, Connally sent an email threatening physical violence and death for a public health official in Massachusetts. Finally, on April 21, 2021, Connally sent a series of four threatening emails to four individuals who work for a religious institution in Newark, New Jersey. The four emails threatened physical violence and death to a religious leader at the institution.
Investigation revealed that the anonymous encrypted email account was associated with Connally. On July 27, 2021, law enforcement arrested Connally in Snowshoe, West Virginia, and executed a search warrant at his residence as well as on his vehicle, seizing five laptops and two cellular telephones which belonged to Connally.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS OIG for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Jessica C. Collins, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Hospital Employee Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Exploitative Images of an Unconscious Victim PatientRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Donald Benson, age 42, of Nottingham, Maryland to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Benson must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on September 18, 2016, while working at a Maryland hospital as a patient sitter, Benson sexually assaulted a 15-year-old female (Victim 1) while she was unconscious. Additionally, Benson took 13 pictures of the sexual assault on Victim 1 and emailed those pictures to his personal email account. Benson used Victim 1’s birthdate as the subject of the email which was also visible on Victim 1’s hospital band in the pictures that Benson produced.
As stated in is plea agreement, in December 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report regarding child pornography activity on Benson’s email account. Between August 2015 to December 2019, Benson uploaded 337 files of possible child pornography.
During the investigation into Benson’s criminal conduct, investigators determined that several of the images Benson had emailed himself depicted images of minors being sexually assaulted including the images that Benson captured of Victim 1 while she as in an unconscious state.
On February 6, 2020, investigators executed search warrants at Benson’s residence and on his electronic devices including two cell phones, a CD labeled “Donny An”, and his email accounts. As a result of the executed search warrants, investigators located several images and files of child pornography and a CD that depicted a naked prepubescent female with her legs spread and genitals exposed. This CD contained images of child pornography from 1999 to 2013.
In an interview with law enforcement, Benson informed investigators that he took pictures of Victim 1 while working in an official capacity and while Victim 1 was unconscious. He also informed law enforcement that he took the exploitive pictures of Victim 1 when her father stepped out of the room to take a phone call.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Paul Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Washington, D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Maryland for Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – James Albert Borum, age 19, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on July 29, 2022, to federal charges of carjacking and to brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
According to his guilty plea, in June 2021, Borum and his accomplices committed a series of carjackings in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. At the time, Borum was on pre-trial supervision related to charges in Washington, D.C. and was wearing an ankle monitor. According to the plea agreement, Borum and an accomplice participated in four carjackings and an attempted carjacking. Borum admitted that a firearm was brandished in three of the carjackings.
As detailed in the plea agreement, on June 4, 2021, Victim A was beaten and carjacked by Borum and an accomplice, who also stole the victim’s cell phone. Victim A’s wallet, which contained several items, including a bank card, was inside the vehicle at the time of the carjacking. Law enforcement recovered Victim A’s bank card and a social security card in the name of Victim A’s spouse from Borum’s bedroom during a search on July 1, 2021.
On June 10, 2021, Borum and his accomplice committed another carjacking in Silver Spring, Maryland. After Victim B had parked his car, he began walking into a nearby apartment courtyard. Borum and his accomplice followed Victim B and approached Victim B in the courtyard. Borum and the accomplice pointed a handgun at Victim B’s forehead and stated, “I’ll kill you. Give me the keys.” Victim B gave Borum and the accomplice his keys and the carjackers drove away in Victim B’s car. A global positioning device in Victim B’s vehicle placed it near Borum’s home most of the time when the vehicle was not in use following the carjacking.
According to the plea agreement, on June 18, 2021, Borum and an accomplice attempted to carjack Victim C in a parking garage in the 8700 block of Cameron Street in Silver Spring. Borum and his accomplice demanded Victim C’s keys, but she refused to give them up. Borum and the accomplice grabbed for Victim C’s purse and a struggle ensued. Neither Borum nor his accomplice were able to obtain Victim C’s keys, and both men fled as another vehicle pulled into the parking garage.
Surveillance footage obtained from the Rhode Island Avenue, Silver Spring, and Wheaton Metro stations both before and after the attempted carjacking shows Borum and his accomplice wearing clothing that matched the clothing worn by the carjackers. The footage also shows Borum wearing an ankle monitor and a distinctive white sweatshirt. The sweatshirt was later recovered from Borum’s residence.
As detailed in the plea agreement, on June 18, 2021, Borum and his accomplice carjacked Victim D, who was sitting in his car in the parking lot in the 3500 block of East West Highway in Hyattsville, Maryland. Victim D’s doors were unlocked and the windows were down. Borum and the accomplice opened the driver’s side door, pointed a gun at Victim D’s head, and told him to get out of the car. Borum and the accomplice pulled Victim D out of the vehicle, pushed him to the ground, then got into Victim D’s vehicle and drove away. Law enforcement tracked and recovered the vehicle later that evening in the 1200 block of Douglas Street, N.E. in Washington, D.C. The key to Victim D’s car was found in Borum’s residence.
Finally, on June 23, 2021, Victim E was carjacked by Borum and an accomplice carjacked Victim E as Victim E was entering his car in a parking garage in the 8700 block of Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland. Borum and his accomplice approached Victim E from behind, held a black handgun at the left side of Victim E’s head, and repeated, “Give me the keys!” Victim E handed the carjackers his keys and wallet. Borum and the accomplice then fled in Victim E’s vehicle. Victim E’s vehicle was located by law enforcement five days later, parked on the same block as Borum’s residence. Borum’s fingerprints were identified on the car.
Borum and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Borum will be sentenced to between 90 months and 169 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for November 22, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared C. Engelking and Assistant United States Attorney Dana J. Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.# # #
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to a Federal Drug Charge and to Illegal Possession of a Firearm in a School ZoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Vashawn Watkins, age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possession of a firearm in a school zone.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from October 2020 through March 1, 2021, Watkins was engaged in drug trafficking involving large amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances. Watkins and his associates operated a stash house in the unit block of Clovelly Street in Pikesville, Maryland, where they processed fentanyl and other drugs, mixed the drugs with cutting agents, and packaged the drugs for re-sale. Watkins and his associates then drove the packaged drug products to drug shops operated by their drug trafficking organization, specifically drug shops along Stricker Street, School Street, and Gilmor Street in Baltimore. Watkins further admitted that he sometimes oversaw the drug trafficking operations at the Stricker Street drug shop.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on February 11, 2021, while Watkins was overseeing operations at the Stricker Street drug shop, law enforcement officers saw Watkins place a firearm inside a vehicle parked in the 1500 block of North Stricker Street. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and recovered a .45-caliber firearm along with Watkins’ State-issued identification card. Watkins admitted that he knowingly possessed this firearm within 1,000 feet of a public elementary school.
On March 1, 2021, Watkins was seen leaving a residence in the 1500 block of Stricker Street and taking possession of approximately one kilogram of fentanyl from an associate who had brought the drugs from the Pikesville stash house. Watkins took the fentanyl into the residence. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for the residence, recovering the drugs, which were in close proximity to Watkins. Law enforcement also recovered two 9mm handguns from the residence. A search warrant was subsequently executed at the Pikesville stash house and law enforcement recovered 6.8 kilograms of fentanyl, along with cutting agents and other drug paraphernalia.
Watkins and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Watkins will be sentenced to between eight and ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for November 9, 2022 at 2:15 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Four Defendants Facing Federal Charges for Mail Theft and Possession of United States Postal Service KeysRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four defendants with theft of mail matter and the unlawful possession of postal service keys. The indictment was returned on July 21, 2022 and unsealed today upon the defendant’s arrests. Charged in the indictment are:
Eyalan Owona, age 21, of Upper Malboro, Maryland;
Ibrahim Kourouma, age 22, of Glenarden, Maryland
Ali Dickerson, age 20, of Hyattsville, Maryland; and
Benjamin Washington, age 22, of Owings Mills, Maryland
Owona, Dickerson, and Washington will have their appearances today beginning at 1:30 p.m., in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan. Co-defendant Kourouma remains a fugitive.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tira Hayward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.
According to the two-count indictment, on May 25, 2022, the defendants allegedly unlawfully possessed proprietary United States Postal Service keys with the intent to use, sell, and dispose of the keys. On the same day, the defendants allegedly stole mail matter from a United States Postal Service depository for mail located on Stanford Street in Bethesda, Maryland. The mail that was stolen in the theft included the mail of Victim 1 who had a recipient address located in Silver Spring, Maryland.
As stated in the detention memo filed on behalf of the government, the defendants’ arrests occurred as part of a larger law enforcement investigation into a series of violent armed robberies of United States Postal Service (“USPS”) Letter Carriers. During these robberies Letter Carriers appear to have been targeted for proprietary keys that are used to open USPS mail collection boxes. According to the detention memo, at least 13 robberies involving USPS Letter Carriers have taken place in the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area between May 23, 2022, and July 7, 2022.
If convicted on the current charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison possession of United States Postal Service keys and 5 years in federal prison for the theft of mail matter. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
If you have any information regarding a United States Postal Service letter carrier robbery or would like to report mail theft or other crimes committed through or towards the United States Postal Service, please contact the United States Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or https://www.uspis.gov/report. The United States Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of any other individuals involved in United States Postal Service letter carrier robberies.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the USPIS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County Police Department and the United States Park Police for their assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam K. Ake, and Darren Gardner, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Sex Trafficker Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Recruiting a 14-Year-Old to Engage in Commercial SexRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Kyle David Robinson, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland to 126 months in federal prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
“Robinson manipulated a 14-year-old minor victim, sexually abused her, and advertised her for commercial sex dates for his financial benefit. In coordination with our law enforcement partners, our office continues to combat human trafficking through law enforcement training, persistent prosecution, and awareness,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “As tomorrow is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I encourage Marylanders to learn about the common signs of human trafficking and report suspected human trafficking cases to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1(888) 373-7888”.
According to his plea agreement, Robinson knowingly recruited, enticed, transported, and advertised a 14-year-old female (Minor Victim 1) to engage in commercial sex acts for his own financial benefit. Robinson admitted that he was aware that Minor Victim 1 was 14-years old prior to advertising her for commercial sex.
In May 2021, Robinson approached Minor Victim 1 in his vehicle while Minor Victim 1 was sitting on the steps of near a group home where she resided. Robinson told Minor Victim 1 that he was a pimp and referred to himself as “Youngblood”. Despite Minor Victim 1 informing Robinson that she was a minor, Robinson asked for Minor Victim 1’s phone number and sent her a text message. The following day, Robinson picked up Minor Victim 1 from the group home and brought her to his residence.
As detailed in his plea, in May and June 2021, Robinson transported Minor Victim 1 to his residence on multiple occasions. On at least one occasion, Robinson engaged in unprotected sex with Minor Victim 1. After one interaction in which Robinson had intercourse with Minor Victim 1, Robinson told Minor Victim 1 that she had to “break herself” to him, took $50 from Minor Victim 1, and told Minor Victim 1 that she should call him “daddy”.
Robinson advised Minor Victim 1 to download a social media application for the purpose of communicating with potential commercial sex customers. Robinson then scripted responses to potential customers on Minor Victim 1’s behalf. Additionally, Robinson sent verbally hostile messages to Minor Victim 1 and instructed her to always keep her phone with her.
On June 4, 2021, in a text message with Minor Victim 1, Robinson informed Minor Victim 1 that he had to physically assault Victim 2, a 19-year-old female, for having a boyfriend. Robinson arranged for Victim 2 to reside at his residence and for Victim 2 to go on commercial sex dates. Like Minor Victim 1, Robinson had unprotected sex with Victim 2, and required Victim 2 to pay him money to associate with him.
As stated in his plea agreement, after law enforcement received information that Robinson offered young females for commercial sex, investigators arranged for an undercover agent to arrange for commercial sex. In a conversation with the undercover agent, Robinson told the undercover agent that he had young girls and that he had two teenagers available for an hour at the rate of $1,000. The undercover agent offered to pay $500 for half an hour with a tentative date and Robinson agreed. Later in the conversation, Robinson told the undercover agent that he had only one female available because of a conflicting school schedule.
On June 7, 2021, Robinson called the undercover agent to arrange for two victims, including Minor Victim 1, to have commercial sex with the agent at a hotel. Surveillance cameras captured Robinson and Minor Victim 1 as they entered the hotel for the commercial sex date. Within the hotel room, the undercover agent offered $750 to have sex with Minor Victim 1. Robinson then accepted the money for the sex date. Shortly after, law enforcement entered the room and apprehended Robinson and secured Minor Victim 1.
This case was investigated by law enforcement agencies that are members of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.mdhumantrafficking.org/.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the HSI, the Howard County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Colleen E. McGuinn, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, information on the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, and resources available to report human trafficking, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/human-trafficking.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining over $250,000 in Covid-19 Cares-Act Funding and Defrauding over $1 Million Dollars from BusinessesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Keon Ball, age 45, of Baltimore, Maryland to 66 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in relation to multiple identity theft schemes and fraud schemes—including schemes conducted while on probation after a past state fraud conviction and while on pre-trial release in connection with state fraud charges. The Court has ordered Ball to pay at least $715,504 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, from May 2018 to June 2020, Ball and a co-conspirator incurred charges of over $1,000,000 on fraudulently established credit lines, using the identities of at least 10 victims in connection with the schemes. For example, on August 25, 2018, Ball submitted a false and fraudulent application for a credit line account from a financial institution using the name, birth date, and social security number of Victim 1. After the credit application was approved, Ball and his co-conspirator incurred $105,442.59 in purchases from Company 1 (a home improvement store) under the identity of Victim 1. Ball and his co-conspirator committed the same criminal conduct in several instances, incurring charges of over $150,000 in connection with lines of credit opened using various other victims’ names—none of which was repaid. Ball and his co-conspirator also repeatedly passed fraudulent checks to Company 1 purporting to pay the balances they incurred. Further, as part of their scheme to defraud, Ball and his co-conspirator obtained two vehicles valued at over $60,000 and multiple pieces of heavy construction equipment valued at over $300,000 using the identity information of Victim 2.
As stated in his plea agreement, on February 5, 2019, law enforcement executed a search and seizure warrant on Ball’s luxury high rise in Baltimore where law enforcement seized multiple counterfeit identification documents including three fraudulent licenses, a card reader, re-encoder, blank white plastic card stock, hologram overlays, and a firearm which Ball was prohibited from possessing. Investigators also discovered that Ball leased the apartment using a counterfeit identification document and the identifying information of another identity theft victim. Law enforcement would go on to recover multiple pieces of the fraudulently obtained heavy equipment. Ball was subsequently arrested and charged on a state level in connection with the fraudulent credit line scheme then was released on conditions.
Despite his pending state charges, Ball was not deterred and his fraudulent activity continued. In June and July 2020, Ball submitted fraudulent CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program loan applications (PPP loans) and obtained $256,664 in government-backed PPP funds for purported businesses that did not exist in any legitimate capacity. Included with each application was a document purporting to be a 2019 IRS Form W-3 Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements which was in fact not legitimate and contained false information concerning purported wages paid and purported number of employees of each business. Each application also falsely affirmed that Ball was not on probation in light of a past conviction at the time of each application. The PPP funds were then deposited in a bank account that Ball had opened using the identity information of another victim. Ball also started the PPP loan application process for two additional fraudulent PPP loans from Bank 1 in the amounts of $113,258 and $231,078.000 for purported businesses he ran. These loans, however, ultimately did not close. In total, Ball caused a loss of $750,000, intended to cause a loss of over $1,450,000, and used the identifying information of more than 10 victims in connection with his schemes.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from its 22 member Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the USSS and the BCPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. For more information on identity theft and fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Baltimore County Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Kilogram of Heroin and over Five Kilograms of FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Rajeim Ali Bradshaw, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 136 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and heroin. As part of the sentence the Court took into account that Bradshaw admitted that he possessed two firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on June 20, 2019, Baltimore County Police officers executed a search warrant at Bradshaw’s home and recovered 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl—enough to kill 2,275,000 people, as well as a kilogram of heroin. Law enforcement also located drug manufacturing, packaging, and distribution paraphernalia, including respirator mask, which are used to cut and package fentanyl. A DNA sample from one of the respirator masks found in Bradshaw’s home matched Bradshaw’s DNA profile. Further, Bradshaw’s cellphones were found to contain a large number of coded, drug-related messages. For instance, Bradshaw indicated to others that he had heroin and fentanyl to sell by sending messages telling them that the “grill” or “restaurant” was open.
Bradshaw admitted that the .40-caliber pistol and a rifle found in Bradshaw’s bedroom and ammunition seized from him during the investigation were in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Bradshaw also admitted that the $48,000 in cash found in his bedroom during the search was drug proceeds. As part of his plea agreement, Bradshaw must forfeit the firearms, ammunition, and the cash seized during the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is also part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through relationships forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and James T. Wallner, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Police Detective Sentenced to Federal Prison for Criminal Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Robert Hankard, age 46, of Baltimore, Maryland to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for criminal civil rights violations and obstruction of justice including providing a BB gun that he knew would be planted on a suspect, falsely testifying to a federal grand jury about his role in the BB gun planting, falsifying an application for a search warrant and an arrest report in a second incident where drugs were planted on a suspect and falsifying an application for a search warrant and subsequent police report related to the search of an apartment.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Marylanders deserve the right to honest and fair criminal proceedings, including law enforcement officials that always serve with integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to actively prosecute individuals who violate those positions of trust.”
According to the facts proven at trial, Hankard joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) in 2007 and was promoted to detective on March 20, 2014. In 2014 and 2015, Hankard served on a Special Enforcement Section (SES) unit assigned to the BPD’s Western District. On the evening of March 26, 2014, Hankard, who was not on duty that day, received a call from his partner, who advised him that Sergeant Wayne Jenkins had been “hemmed up” in something and asked Hankard if he had any “toys” or “replicas.” Hankard understood that his partner was asking for a BB gun or air soft gun so that it could be planted on a suspect Hankard advised that he did have a BB gun. Hankard’s partner came to Hankard’s house and Hankard provided him with the BB gun, which was subsequently planted at the scene of the arrest of D.S., whom Jenkins had run over after chasing D.S. No guns or drugs were recovered from D.S. at the time of his arrest, but drugs were recovered from D.S. at the hospital, where he had been taken in the custody of the Baltimore Police officers. D.S. was charged with possession, use, and discharge of a gas or pellet gun, for the BB gun that was planted at the scene of D.S.’s arrest, and a number of drug offenses. D.S. was detained on those charges until at least April 2, 2014, and the charges were dismissed on January 16, 2015. Further, the evidence showed that on February 13, 2019, Hankard falsely testified before a federal grand jury by stating that he had not provided the BB gun to his partner on March 26, 2014.
The trial evidence showed that on March 2, 2015, Hankard and other officers arrested I.R. in the 5100 block of Falls Road in Baltimore City. Hankard and other officers took I.R.’s keys and went to Apartment A at 15 Cross Keys Road, which I.R. had been seen leaving earlier that day. I.C. lived in Apartment A with her daughter. Hankard used one of the keys that had been taken from I.R. to open the door to Apartment A and Hankard and other officers entered the apartment, which was not occupied at that time. Once inside, Hankard searched a bag that he found inside a closet, which contained gel caps of heroin, two digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia Hankard had not obtained a search warrant prior to entering the apartment or searching the bag. Hankard then left the apartment and returned to BPD to prepare a search warrant for Apartment A. Several BPD officers remained inside Apartment A and one of those officers called I.C. and asked her to return, which she voluntarily did. I.C. then waited inside the apartment with the officers.
On the evening of March 2, 2015, Hankard appeared before a judge in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and swore out the search warrant that he had prepared after entering Apartment A, in which Hankard allegedly falsely claimed that the “exterior” of Apartment A was secured, not disclosing that he and other detectives had entered Apartment A prior to obtaining a search warrant. Nor did Hankard disclose that he had opened a bag containing gel caps with heroin, scales, and other paraphernalia prior to preparing a search warrant. After obtaining the warrant, Hankard returned to the apartment where the other officers were waiting with I.C. During the execution of the search warrant, the bag that Hankard had previously searched was seized along with its contents and I.C. was arrested. I.R. was ultimately charged with drug offenses related to their seizure. Following the execution of the search warrant, the evidence showed that Hankard authored official BPD reports which contained similar false statements.
Witnesses testified that on September 24, 2015, Hankard arrested D.B., a target in a drug investigation, as he sat in his pick-up truck in a motel parking lot. According to trial testimony, after removing D.B. from the vehicle, Hankard and other officers searched the vehicle, but no drugs were found. Other officers on the scene then went into the room where D.B. had been staying and found a woman, B.J., a large quantity of heroin that had not yet been packaged for distribution, and a small quantity of cocaine that had already been packaged for distribution. The officers had not obtained a search warrant before entering the room. After learning that no drugs had been found in the truck, another officer, with Hankard’s permission, planted some of the cocaine found in the motel room in D.B.’s truck, in order to justify the arrest of D.B. and B.J. and the entry into the motel room.
According to the evidence, Hankard subsequently wrote a search warrant for the motel room, which contained several false statements, including that his partner had “observed in plain view, a clear tied bag, that contained small zip lock bags (with red dice logo) of suspected cocaine (after opening the clear bag, it revealed 10 ziplock bags total)” in D.B.’s truck; that D.B. was seen throwing the package of suspected cocaine to the floor of the vehicle; that after making sure the motel room card key worked, detectives had secured the room pending a search warrant; and that Hankard “believes there is addition suspected controlled dangerous substances (CDS)” in the motel room. As detailed in trial testimony, after the search warrant was obtained and executed at the motel room, Hankard prepared a false incident report, which was approved by his partner as the “officer-in-charge” at the time of the arrests, even though the SES unit’s Sergeant was on the scene at the time.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Christopher M. Rigali, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report civil rights violations, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.
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Former Private School Employee Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jay Gordon, age 55, of Crofton, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of child pornography. Gordon was identified as a suspect in the trafficking of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), also called child pornography, during a nationwide investigation involving the receipt and distribution of CSAM via Dark Web sites and forum.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.
According to his guilty plea, during the investigation, Gordon’s Internet Protocol (IP) address was found to access Dark Web sites. A search warrant was executed at Gordon’s residence and law enforcement seized numerous computer devices that Gordon admitted belonged to him. Preliminary forensic analysis showed multiple images of CSAM. Initially, Gordon declined to specify where he worked in Washington, DC, but the investigators determined that he worked in the IT department of a private school.
As detailed in his plea agreement, a subsequent forensic examination of some of the seized devices showed thousands of videos and still images of child pornography. Some of Gordon’s devices were secured in a manner that precluded forensic analysis. The CSAM found on the devices was arranged in well- organized folders and reflected years of activity. Gordon also used an application that facilitated anonymous web browsing. Some of the images in Gordon’s collection were of prepubescent minors. Forensic examination of computers that Gordon used at his work location indicated that he also accessed Dark Web sites relating to CSAM on those devices, which were also connected to digital media that showed connection to computer devices seized from Gordon’s home.
Gordon faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by up to lifetime supervised release for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Upon his release from prison, Gordon will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI in Baltimore and in Boston, Massachusetts for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.# # #
Baltimore Robber Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Billy Wesson, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Wesson also admitted to participating in a series of armed robberies of convenience stores.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.According to his guilty plea, between August 4, 2020 and August 7, 2020, Wesson and a co-conspirator committed three armed robberies of convenience stores. In the first robbery on August 4, the store clerk began to run to the rear of the store when she saw the robbers enter. Wesson chased after the employee, caught up with her and walked her back to the cash register, which she opened at gunpoint. In the second robbery on August 6, Wesson approached a store employee from behind and placed the gun to the back of the employee’s head, telling her to “go to the register and open it.” Wesson walked the employee to the register area and again ordered her to open the register, which she did. In the third robbery on August 7, which was committed less than an hour after the second robbery, Wesson pointed a gun at a store employee immediately upon entering the store. Wesson ordered the employee to open the register, which he did, but the employee could only open the first cash drawer and not the second drawer. As in the two previous robberies, Wesson took the cash from the drawer and fled the store.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on the evening of August 8, 2020, at approximately 10:53 PM, four Baltimore Police Department officers were conducting routine patrol in an unmarked vehicle on 5100 block of Midwood Avenue in the Winston-Govans neighborhood in Northwest Baltimore. There was a party in the area and individuals were in the street and on the sidewalk. The officers saw an individual later, identified as Wesson, wearing a satchel across the right side of his body and conducting a “security check,” indicating that Wesson was armed.
The officers stopped their car and began to get out to approach Wesson. Wesson immediately fled, followed by the four officers. As he ran from the officers, Wesson threw his satchel on the sidewalk not far from one of the homes on Midwood Avenue, where it was almost immediately recovered by law enforcement. The satchel was searched and was found to contain a loaded firearm that matched the gun used in connection with the robberies. The satchel also contained a medicine bottle containing 7 blue baggies of a white rock substance (confirmed by lab results to be cocaine), and a black drawstring bag containing the following: (1) a plastic bag containing a white rock substance (confirmed to be cocaine); (2) 55 gel capsules of white powder (later confirmed not to be drugs); (3) 3 green Ziploc baggies of white rock substance (confirmed to be cocaine); (4) 3 pink jugs of white rock substance (confirmed to be cocaine). The cocaine—which amounted to less than 50 grams total—was packaged for street-level distribution.
On Wesson’s person, law enforcement recovered $279 in cash—proceeds from his drug trafficking—and suspected marijuana. Wesson was arrested. Wesson admitted that he possessed the firearm in connection with and in furtherance of his illegal business selling cocaine and the he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Wesson and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Wesson will be sentenced to between seven years and eleven years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Colleen McGuinn, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin today sentenced Alexander Juarez-Sanchez, a/k/a Jose Manuel Flores, age 37, a citizen of Mexico most recently residing in Indianapolis, Indiana, to 210 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically fentanyl and heroin, and for illegally re-entering the United States after removal. Juarez-Sanchez was convicted of those charges on May 31, 2022.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Field Office Director Lyle Boelens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Washington Division.
According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, on August 5, 2020, Juarez-Sanchez and a co-conspirator were arrested near Hagerstown, Maryland, by officers of the Maryland State Police (MSP) following a traffic stop for following another vehicle too closely on I-81. The driver, who was driving a vehicle with expired Indiana license plates registered to another car, was not able to provide any identification, could not identify the passenger (Juarez-Sanchez), and fumbled through questions about where they were going. A K-9 unit was subsequently called, and after the dog alerted for drugs, a search of the vehicle yielded approximately $47,000 in cash, just under two kilograms of fentanyl and one kilogram of heroin, and other indicators of drug smuggling.
Juarez-Sanchez and the driver initially provided false names, however, their fingerprints and photographs matched those taken when they had previously been in United States Border Patrol or ICE custody. Evidence taken from the two men’s cell phones showed that, before their arrest, they had traveled directly from Burbank, California, where Juarez-Sanchez had obtained seven kilograms of drugs, four kilograms of which he had sold to a buyer in Kentucky for $44,000 the day before his arrest in Maryland. Phone evidence also revealed that the men had conducted a similar trip to California in early July 2020 and transported an unknown quantity of drugs for sale to a buyer in a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The driver entered a guilty plea in the case and is due to be sentenced in October 2022.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Maryland State Police, ICE ERO, and DEA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam K. Ake and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy L. Schwartz, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Admits Using Female Aliases on Social Media and Messaging Applications to Entice Boys to Send Him Sexually Explicit Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Matthew K. Walsh, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a minor in order to produce child pornography. Specifically, Walsh admitted that he created fictitious online profiles purporting to be a minor female to contact and induce minor males between the ages of 12 and 17 to send sexually explicit images and videos the individual they believed to be a minor female, but was, in fact, Walsh.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, from at least 2016 through 2021, Walsh created fictitious profiles on several online platforms posing as a minor female to make contact with minor males between the ages of twelve and seventeen to induce them to produce sexually explicit images and videos to send to the purported minor female. Once Walsh obtained the sexually explicit images and videos, he extorted the minor males into producing more sexually explicit images and videos at his instruction and threatened that if they failed to do so, Walsh would send the previously provided images and videos to the minor victims’ friends, family, and classmates. Walsh directed the minor males to send him the images and videos he directed them to produce, and that the images and videos needed to include their face.
In some of the communications, by text, email, and video, the minor victims are crying and begging Walsh not to send the images and videos to their families and classmates, to leave them alone, and not to make them do more, but Walsh persisted with his threats and demands. Walsh admitted that he harassed some of the victims for years and obtained hundreds of files depicting sexually explicit conduct from some of the victims. In total, Walsh obtained approximately 2000 images and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct of the various minor males.
As detailed in the plea agreement, once Walsh received the sexually explicit files from the victims, he saved them into folders of fake names or a variation of the victim’s real name in a cloud storage account. Walsh also uploaded the minor males’ files to various Twitter accounts and sold the sexually explicit files of the minors to others, obtaining approximately $8000 from the sale of the files. Specifically, Walsh communicated with at least 50 different Twitter users interested in purchasing either individual files of child sex abuse material (CSAM), or Walsh’s “collections” of CSAM. The “collections” contained over 100 different victims’ files. In several messages, the Twitter users were aware that some of the individuals in the sexually explicit files were as young as 14-years-old. Several Twitter users exchanged “tips” with Walsh on how to evade law enforcement and discussed methods for enticing and extorting victims’ nude images and videos. Walsh was also a member of online groups which included other offenders who would post, sell, and trade CSAM.
During the investigation, federal search warrants were executed on 17 Google accounts, 22 Twitter accounts, 4 Facebook accounts, 7 Instagram accounts, 6 Snap accounts, 3 Dropbox accounts, 3 TextNow accounts, a Kik account, an Apple account, and an Oath/Yahoo! account, all created and utilized by Walsh. To date over 40 minor males have been positively identified as victims of Walsh’s conduct. At least 30 victims’ pictures and videos were sold and/or distributed to others by Walsh.
Walsh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. As required by his plea agreement, Walsh will make full restitution to all minor victims of his offenses as to all counts charged, whether or not he has entered a guilty plea to those counts. As a consequence of Walsh’s conviction, upon his release from prison, Walsh will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Noblesville, Indiana Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Four Maryland Residents Facing Federal Indictment for CARES Act COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud Scheme with More Than $3 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four Maryland residents with federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges related to a CARES Act unemployment insurance fraud scheme with more than $3 million in losses. The indictment was returned on July 13, 2022, and unsealed today upon the arrests of the defendants. Charged in the indictment are:
Tyshawna Davis, age 38, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland;
Tiia Woods, age 44, of Cockeysville, Maryland;
Donna Jones, age 55, of Hanover, Maryland; and
Devante Smith, age 27, of Baltimore.Davis, Jones, and Smith had initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner. They were released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services. Woods is detained in the Middle District of Florida pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 22, 2022.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the 14-count indictment, from June 2020 through May 2021, the defendants used the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits. The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance benefits for workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed states to give an additional $600 per week to individuals collecting regular unemployment insurance compensation during certain months in 2020.
The indictment alleges that the defendants obtained the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of victims using false pretenses, then used the PII to submit and certify fraudulent Maryland unemployment insurance (UI) benefit applications in the victims’ names. For example, the indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy a Maryland UI application was submitted in the name of Davis’s deceased ex-husband. The defendants allegedly caused the UI benefits to be loaded onto debit cards which were mailed to the addresses of the defendants, rather than the victims. The indictment alleges that the defendants used the fraudulently obtained debit cards to make cash withdrawals and other transactions throughout Maryland. The defendants allegedly used the cash for their own benefit and for the benefit of others who were also not entitled to the money, including by purchasing luxury vehicles. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of two 2021 Mercedes-Benz automobiles and any other proceeds of the scheme.
The indictment alleges that as a result of the scheme, at least 160 fraudulent UI claims were submitted in Maryland, with a loss of more than $3 million. The indictment details 13 specific wire transfers involving fraudulent UI benefits obtained in the names of eight separate victims.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and for each count of wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended DOL-OIG and the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary H. Ray and Christine Goo, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Conspirator in Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy Convicted after Eight-Day TrialRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury late yesterday convicted Jose David Navarro Cervellon, age 41, of Norcross, Georgia, on federal charges related to a murder-for-hire.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tira Hayward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his eight-day trial and to court documents, Navarro was an associate of Miguel Angel Ayala Rivera, who was the leader of the Pinos Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13. In November 2016, co-defendant Miguel Antonio Renderos was looking for someone to murder Victim 1 in exchange for $10,000. Navarro introduced Renderos to Ayala Rivera, who agreed to commit the murder.
The evidence presented at trial proved that Renderos wanted Victim 1 to be killed because in 2012, after Renderos allowed the victim to move into the basement of Renderos’s home, Victim 1 began to have a romantic relationship with Renderos’s wife. With Navarro serving as the middleman between Renderos and Ayala Rivera, the defendants exchanged phone calls to arrange the murder.
As detailed at trial and in court documents, between November 1 and November 30, 2016, Navarro paid for a hotel room for Ayala Rivera and a co-conspirator at a hotel in College Park. During that time, Ayala Rivera, Navarro and the co-conspirator conducted surveillance of Victim 1 in and around Victim 1’s residence. On November 30, 2016, Navarro drove Ayala Rivera and the co-conspirator to Victim 1’s residence, where Ayala Rivera shot and killed Victim 1. After the murder, Navarro left the area with Ayala Rivera and the co-conspirator and took Ayala Rivera to collect payment from Renderos for the murder of Victim 1.
Navarro faces a mandatory sentence of life prison for the murder-for-hire conspiracy and for the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire; and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and up to life in prison for murder resulting from the use, carrying, brandishing and discharging of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has not yet scheduled sentencing for Navarro.
Co-defendants Miguel Angel Ayala Rivera, age 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland, and Miguel A. Renderos, age 47, of Hyattsville, Maryland, each pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder-for-hire and are scheduled to be sentenced on August 5, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. and September 6, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., respectively. In a related case, Luis Cruz Hernandez, age 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the murder-for-hire and was sentenced to 51 years in federal prison
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County Police Department and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Leah B. Grossi, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Brother of Baltimore Business Owner Admits to Falsely Claiming His Brother’s Bank Balance and Activity as His Own in Order to Obtain a Federal Housing Administration LoanRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Calvin Abramowitz, age 48, of Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud. As part of his guilty plea, Abramowitz has been ordered to pay $209,036.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.
According to his guilty plea, Calvin Abramowitz and his brother, Philip Abramowitz, age 40, of Pikesville, Maryland conspired to defraud at least one financial institution by fraudulently obtaining Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and property under false pretenses. Specifically, Philip Abramowitz used his company 163 N. Potomac St., LLC., to facilitate the fraudulent sales of his Potomac Street, Baltimore, Maryland properties.
In May 2016, Philip Abramowitz decided to sell one of the Potomac Street properties (Property 1) to his brother, Calvin Abramowitz for $300,000 using an FHA-insured loan. The FHA is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders. To qualify for the FHA-insured loans, the buyer must use the residence as their primary residence, disclose any familial or business relationship between the seller and buyer, and disclose the source of the money the buyer intends to use for the down payment and closing costs.
As stated in his guilty plea, Calvin Abramowitz applied for and received a $294,566 FHA-insured loan with a mortgage company (Mortgage Company 1) by falsely representing Philip Abramowitz’s bank account records as his own. The defendants also concealed their familial relation from Mortgage Company 1 by submitting false company filings during the loan application process, having Philip Abramowitz’s property manager (Property Manager 1) pose as the sole seller and manager of 163 N. Potomac St., LLC and arranging Property Manager 1 to sign the FHA-loan contact as the official seller of the property. Philip Abramowitz’s ownership of 163 N, Potomac St., LLC. or involvement in the sale was never disclosed.
Further, to facilitate the loan underwriting process, Philip Abramowitz gave Calvin Abramowitz $10,500 to pay for the closing costs for Property 1 as Calvin Abramowitz did not have the financial means to make the purchase. Based on the fraudulent financial information presented during the loan application process, Mortgage Company 1 loaned Calvin Abramowitz $294,566 for the purchase of Property 1. The majority of the loan proceeds were subsequently deposited into Philip Abramowitz’s bank account. Ultimately, Calvin Abramowitz never used Property 1 as a primary residence and rented the property to tenants before ceasing mortgage payments and causing the property to fall into foreclosure.
Philip Abramowitz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in May 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 9, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
Calvin Abramowitz faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for December 6, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HUD-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl and Other Narcotics to Customers Across Four StatesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Devin Cunningham, age 27, of Baltimore, to 87 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Cunningham engaged in a years’ long conspiracy to sell and distribute narcotics including fentanyl, heroin, and other controlled substances in Baltimore. From January 2017 to December 2020, scores of customers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia traveled to the Forest Park area of Baltimore and purchased between a half of a gram and several grams of fentanyl or heroin and other controlled substances from Cunningham and his associates.
As part of their investigation, law enforcement conducted numerous controlled narcotics purchases from Cunningham and his co-conspirators. In four of the controlled purchases, Cunningham either distributed or participated in the distribution of narcotics, including fentanyl, to a confidential informant. For example, on July 24, 2018, Cunningham and an accomplice sold less than two grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant for $200.
As stated in his plea agreement, Cunningham continued to sell heroin and fentanyl until his arrest in December 2020. During his arrest, agents seized a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, four cell phones, and approximately several thousand dollars cash. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant on the vehicle that Cunningham operated and recovered several items including drug packaging materials, labeling materials, digital scales, approximately 68 grams of fentanyl, approximately 41 grams of a heroin/tramadol mixture, and approximately 383 grams of marijuana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, DEA, and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked the Montgomery County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Rigali, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Joined by State and Local Agencies, to Host One-Stop Reentry Resource Fair at the War Memorial in Baltimore Tomorrow, July 20, 2022Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Tomorrow, July 20th, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), will sponsor a one-stop reentry resource fair that will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the War Memorial, 101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD. More than 40 organizations, including at least 20 employers, will be on-site offering assistance and resources to returning citizens and justice-involved persons, including in the areas of employment, job training, educational opportunities, health services, transitional housing, and legal assistance, among other areas of support and assistance.
This reentry resource and job fair is a component of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction strategy. In addition to the office’s enforcement efforts to remove violent criminals with guns from our communities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated a number of outreach, intervention and prevention efforts to support and invest in communities plagued by violence, such as this reentry resource fair.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Sending Threatening Communications to Black Maryland Woman and Her FamilyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Michael Marotta, age 26, of Sewell, New Jersey to three years of probation with a 30-day term of community confinement, preceded by an intensive in-patient drug treatment program for making threatening interstate communications. Marotta admitted that he used an anonymizing text message service to threaten physical harm to a Black woman and her family in Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Hate-fueled racially motivated violence must not be tolerated and this office will aggressively prosecute those who stoke fear and hate in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will protect and defend the civil rights of all individuals who are harassed on the basis of race.”
"Hate crimes are a high priority for the FBI and FBI Baltimore works to reduce this targeted prejudice through coordination with our state and local law enforcement partners” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore field office. “The violence driven by bias against a person’s race has a devastating effect on our communities and those who engage in such a manner will endure consequences.”
According to Marotta’s plea agreement, on April 14, 2020, Marotta used an anonymizing mobile phone application, to send a threatening message to a Black Maryland woman. In the message, Marotta used racial epithets to describe the Maryland woman and her family, and he threatened to come to their home and do physical harm. As detailed in the plea agreement, Marotta wrote, among other things, that “I know where you live now, I’m coming to rape your family” and “eat my bullets.” As detailed in his plea agreement, Marotta claims he does not know the recipient-victim of the message, nor does the recipient-victim know Marotta.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its Civil Rights Unit, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.
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Final Cherry Hill Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Including Murdering an Individual Believed to be a Rival Gang MemberRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Travis Alewine, a/k/a “Sticks,” age 30, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his membership in the “Hillside” gang, operating in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“Travis Alewine and his fellow gang members have terrorized the Cherry Hill community for years,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement and community partners to remove violent actors, like Alewine, from the street and make our communities safer.”
“The Hillside gang terrorized Cherry Hill for years,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “The gang members pushed drugs into the community, threatened violence constantly, and even took the lives of others. ATF is proud to work alongside our partners in this case whose goal is the same as ours—to continue taking offenders like these off the street and create a safer Baltimore.”
According to his guilty plea, Alewine was a member of “Hillside” a group which operated in the 600 block of Cherry Hill Road and other locations throughout Cherry Hill and in west and southwest Baltimore. Members of Hillside distributed powder and crack cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana, and used the proceeds of their narcotics sales to purchase firearms, to enrich themselves, and to further the activities of the organization, including narcotics trafficking. Hillside members operated stash houses in Cherry Hill to cut and package narcotics for distribution and committed acts of violence, including robberies, homicides, and non-fatal shootings.
As stated in Alewine’s plea agreement, Hillside members and associates have been in a long-running dispute with persons not part of the gang, including Up Da Hill (“UDH”), the Lakebrook Circle Boys, and others. Members and associates of Hillside have engaged in acts of violence, including murder, directed at members of these rival organizations, or persons who impeded on Hillside’s territory. Alewine knew members of Hillside sold narcotics and committed violent acts against rival gangs or others who impeded on Hillside’s territory. It was reasonably foreseeable to Alewine that Hillside was responsible for the distribution of between one and three kilograms of heroin; between 280 grams and 840 grams of crack cocaine; between five and 15 kilograms of cocaine; as well as marijuana and oxycodone.
As part of Alewine’s participation in the Hillside enterprise, Alewine and three other members of Hillside discharged a .45-caliber firearm, shooting and killing Anthony Cureton, whom they mistakenly believed was a member of UDH and attempted to murder another individual nearby; Alewine possessed firearms, including a loaded .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a loaded .44-caliber revolver; and he possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, as well as participated in the preparation of narcotics for sale.
Alewine and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Alewine will be sentenced to between 180 and 253 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, has scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2022, at 3:00 p.m.
All 21 defendants charged in this case, including Alewine, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Eighteen defendants have been sentenced to between 10 and 30 years in federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon K. Moore, who are prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Barron also recognized Paralegal Specialist Andrew Murray and Victim Witness Specialist Shari Heise Forcina for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Serial Identity Theft Scammer Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Jason Evans, age 48, of Millsboro, Delaware, to six years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release. The Court also ordered Evans to pay a total of $124,837.79 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in January 2018, Evans was on supervised release from a prior federal fraud and identity theft conviction. Despite this, from June 2019 to August 2019, Evans used the identities of multiple victims to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions in the form of credit card accounts and cash advances.
For example, Evans submitted a fraudulent credit card application to a financial institution (financial institution 1) by using the name and personal identifying information of Victim 1. Financial institution 1 subsequently approved the fraudulent application and established a credit card account in Victim 1’s name and mailed the card to an address controlled by Evans. Additionally, in June 2019, Evans used a counterfeit Pennsylvania driver’s license in the name of Victim 1 to obtain a cash advance of $14,400 from financial institution 1.
In July 2019, Evans used a counterfeit license with the identifying information of Victim 1 and his picture to purchase nine smartphones from an Annapolis, Maryland smartphone store. Evans charged $12, 114.74 using a credit card in Victim 1’s name and identity. In total, Evans attempted to obtain at least $65,000 under Victim 1’s and other victims’ identities.
As stated in his guilty plea, while Evans was on pretrial release, Evans resumed his criminal conduct with an entirely new scheme. From January 2021 to August 2021, Evans used counterfeit cards from two financial institutions to purchase gift cards and other items from grocery stores in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. As a result of this scheme, Evans obtained $59, 837.79 in gift cards. He was arrested again in July 2021 for this criminal conduct.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the Secret Service, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamera Fine and Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. To report fraud, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Metropolitan Transition Center Detainee Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charges Relating to a Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Christopher Mann, age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to racketeering conspiracy in relation to a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Robert Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
According to his guilty plea, from June 2020 to November 2020, while Mann was a detainee at the Metropolitan Transition Center, he and other employees, detainees, and associates of MTC conspired to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug distribution and bribery. Additionally, while Mann was a detainee, he engaged in a romantic relationship with a correctional officer (Co-conspirator 1).
Specifically, Mann, and at least three other conspirators, including outside facilitator, Cania Jefferson, age 35, and two correctional officers (Co-conspirator 1 and Co-conspirator 2) worked together to smuggle contraband into MTC in exchange for bribe payments. At Mann’s direction, Co-conspirator 1 sent $1,000 bribe payments to Co-conspirator 2 on multiple occasions. In exchange for these bribe payments, Co-conspirator 2 smuggled contraband into MTC and delivered it to Mann. For example, in July 2020, after receiving a bribe payment from Mann, Co-conspirator 2 smuggled two cell phones, suboxone, and K2 into MTC but was apprehended by law enforcement on their way to MTC.
As stated in his guilty plea, in September 2020, law enforcement intercepted a series of phone calls in which Co-conspirator 1 and Mann devised a scheme to spray liquid K2 onto a piece of paper, and to smuggle the paper into MTC through the United States mail service. At Mann’s direction, Co-conspirator 1 sent the piece of paper to another detainee. The mailing was seized by jail administrators, tested by a chemist, and found to have been soaked in synthetic marijuana.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Mann faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2022, at 2 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Justice Department Launch Investigation of Maryland Department of State Police Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that the Justice Department has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigation will assess whether MDSP has engaged in racially discriminatory hiring and promotion practices.
“This office strives to protect the civil rights of all Marylanders, including the rights of our sworn law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “This investigation also furthers our mission to restore trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve by ensuring fair employment practices by police departments.”
“Discrimination has no place in any workplace, and especially in law enforcement agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation will determine whether the Maryland Department of State Police has created racially discriminatory barriers for Black people seeking job opportunities and promotions and, if so, identify the reforms necessary to ensure equal employment opportunities. All communities deserve law enforcement agencies that are built upon principles of fairness and equity.”
The employment discrimination investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion. Under Title VII, the Justice Department has the authority to initiate investigations against state and local government employers where it has reason to believe that a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination exists. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The Governor and Maryland State Police Superintendent have been informed and pledged cooperation with the investigation.
This matter is being investigated jointly by attorneys from the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department at 1-800-556-1950 (option 9), or via email at [email protected].
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report civil rights violations and to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.# # #
Justice Department Launches Investigation of Maryland Department of State Police Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Read the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigation will assess whether MDSP has engaged in racially discriminatory hiring and promotion practices.
“Discrimination has no place in any workplace, and especially in law enforcement agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation will determine whether the Maryland Department of State Police has created racially discriminatory barriers for Black people seeking job opportunities and promotions and, if so, identify the reforms necessary to ensure equal employment opportunities. All communities deserve law enforcement agencies that are built upon principles of fairness and equity.”
“This office strives to protect the civil rights of all Marylanders, including the rights of our sworn law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “This investigation also furthers our mission to restore trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve by ensuring fair employment practices by police departments.”
The employment discrimination investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Under Title VII, the Justice Department has the authority to initiate investigations against state and local government employers where it has reason to believe that a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination exists. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The Governor and Maryland State Police Superintendent have been informed and pledged cooperation with the investigation.
This matter is being investigated jointly by attorneys from the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department at 1-800-556-1950 (option 9), or via email at [email protected].
Addressing discriminatory employment practices of state and local government employers through enforcement of the nation’s civil rights laws is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. The department has conducted numerous pattern or practice investigations of law enforcement agencies, fire departments, city, county and state governments under Title VII. Where violations have been found, the resulting settlements have led to important remedies. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Aberdeen, Maryland Man Who Engaged in Sexual Acts with a Minor Victim Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Anthony Gonzalez, age 40, of Aberdeen, Maryland to 13 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor. Judge Chasanow also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Gonzalez must continue to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Director Darrell R. Reider of the Swatara Township, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, between 2017 and 2019, Gonzalez coerced three minor females to engage in sexual activity. Specifically, in June 2018, Gonzalez made contact with a minor female victim (Victim 1) on a social media application. Although Victim 1’s profile stated that she was 18 years old, Victim 1 informed Gonzalez that her actual age was 16 years old. During their communication, Gonzalez referred to Victim 1 as his girlfriend, discussed getting married to her, and initiated sexual conversations.
In one instance, Gonzalez asked Victim 1 to sneak out of her hotel room that she was sharing with her father to meet Gonzalez. Specifically, on June 27, 2018, Gonzalez traveled from his Bel Air, Maryland residence to meet Victim 1 at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hotel. There, Gonzalez and Victim 1 engaged in sexually explicit activity twice. In one sexual encounter, Gonzalez recorded the sexual acts on his cell phone. Additionally, Gonzalez brought Victim 1 a cell phone with the ability to take pictures and videos as her cell phone could not. Following their meeting, Gonzalez asked Victim 1 “Do you always delete our messages from your phone baby?”.
Between 2017 and 2018, Gonzalez met Victim 2, when she was 13 years old. Gonzalez initiated a romantic online relationship with Victim 2. During their conversations, Gonzalez frequently held sexual conversations with Victim 2, convinced Victim 2 to send sexual images, and discussed meeting with Victim 2 in person. When Victim 2 declined and blocked Gonzalez multiple times, a mutual friend encouraged her to communicate with him.
Gonzalez met Victim 3 in 2018 when she was 15 years old. Gonzalez told Victim 3 that they were “boyfriend and girlfriend” and convinced her to send him sexually explicit images at his request. Victim 3 genuinely believed that she had to do what Gonzalez requested because she was his “girlfriend.” In total, Victim 3 sent explicit images over 500 times at the defendant’s request.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on January 24, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Gonzalez’s Aberdeen, Maryland residence. As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement seized several devices including two tablets, three cell phones, and a SIM card. In an interview with law enforcement, Gonzalez admitted to engaging in sex acts with Victim 1 and saved the recordings to an internet storage system. He also admitted to law enforcement that he knew Victim 2 was a minor during their conversations and had approximately four sexually explicit images of her.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police Department, and the Swatara Township Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Hyattsville Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in a Cares-Act and Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme Involving over 600 Victims and Caused a Loss of at Least $2.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Sylvester Atekwane, age 32, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to a CARES-Act unemployment insurance fraud scheme. As part of his guilty plea, Atekwane will be required to pay at least $250,000 in restitution.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tira Hayward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Andrea Peacock, U.S. Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General.
“Some of the most vulnerable in our community trusted and relied on Atekwane and he abused them as they suffered through the pandemic – he will now be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron.
“Mr. Atekwane abused his position of trust as a caregiver for elderly people during a national health emergency,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of HSI Baltimore. “HSI is proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners to put an end to Mr. Atekwane’s exploitation of hundreds of victims. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the residents of Maryland from schemes directed at some of our most vulnerable population.”
“Sylvester Atekwane illegally enriched himself as part of a fraud scheme that diverted vital taxpayer resources away from those in need of unemployment insurance benefits during the pandemic. Atekwane and his coconspirators victimized over 600 individuals,” stated Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General. “Protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program remains one of our highest priorities, and we will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to safeguard unemployment benefits for those in need of assistance during the unprecedented challenges brought about by the pandemic.”
According to his guilty plea, from February 2020 to February 2021, Atekwane and others agreed to collect the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of victims to impersonate victims and submit fraudulent unemployment claims in those victims’ names. In at least one instance, Atekwane used his position as a caregiver to unlawfully access victims’ personally identifiable information to obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
As part of the scheme to defraud, conspiracy members received the unemployment benefits by directing the benefits to addresses that conspiracy members could access. Specifically, Atekwane notified co-conspirators once unemployment benefits were received at his address or at nearby apartments. Atekwane and others then collected the unemployment insurance prepaid debit cards, activated the debit cards, and withdrew cash from ATMs using the fraudulently obtained debit cards.
For example, in July 2020, Atekwane used an ATM in Seat Pleasant, Maryland to withdraw $1,000 in Maryland unemployment insurance benefits issued in the name of Victim 1. Victim 1 is a Washington, D.C. resident who is unable to handle their finances and lives in a group home. Atekwane used his position as a caregiver to unlawfully access and use Victim 1’s personally identifiable information to file for unemployment insurance benefits. Additionally, in October 2020, Atekwane sent the personally identifiable information of another victim (Victim 2). The information sent by Atekwane was later used to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits in Victim 2’s name.
Throughout the scheme, at least $150,000 in fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits from 61 victims were sent directly to Atekwane’s address or to nearby apartments. As a result of the scheme, Atekwane personally obtained at least $6,000 in fraud proceeds. In total, the entire scheme involved at least $2.7 million and over 600 individual victims.
Atekwane faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, DOL-OIG, and the U.S. Department of Treasury for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary H. Ray and Sean R. Delaney, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. To report fraud, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Nigerian National Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for an Elder Fraud Scheme and Unrelated Cares Act Covid-19 Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Oluwaseyi Akinyemi, a/k/a “Paddy Linkin”, a/k/a “Joseph Kadin”, age 35, of Hyattsville, Maryland, yesterday to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for two counts of mail fraud relating to a social media advanced fee fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. Judge Chuang also ordered Akinyemi to pay $486,119.07 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Akinyemi committed elder fraud and CARES Act COVID-19 fraud, which are both priorities for this Office,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “Akinyemi not only took advantage of a nursing care patient, a national health crisis, and an employment crisis, but he also caused financial harm to at least 13 elderly victims.”
According to his guilty plea, from July 10, 2018 to April 29, 2019, Akinyemi and at least one co-conspirator engaged in a social media based elder fraud scheme. Members of the conspiracy targeted elderly victims on social media platforms, representing themselves as agents of both real and fictitious government agencies and offered victims non-existent financial rewards if the victims first sent cash, money orders, or gift cards to cover associated “taxes and fees.” Conspirators even impersonated social media accounts of the victim’s friends to vouch for their fraudulent financial scheme. Believing that they would receive a financial reward, the victims sent cash, money orders, gift cards, and other valuable items through the mail to Akinyemi as well as other members of the conspiracy in order to obtain a financial reward. Akinyemi, who lived in Landover, Maryland at the time, received packages under the aliases of Paddy Linkin,” “Flex,” “Joseph Kadin,” “Anna Marcos,” and other aliases. After receiving the fraudulently obtained funds, Akinyemi kept a portion of the funds and provided the rest of the fraudulently obtained cash to co-conspirators in Nigeria. Akinyemi admitted that this advance fee fraud scheme defrauded 13 victims from around the United States, ranging in age from 47 to 78 years old, of a total of $478,145.07.
For example, Victim 1, who was 78 years old and lived in Texas, received an application via social media to apply to a purported federal government grant program. The application was accompanied by a message from a person whom Victim 1 believed was a friend, vouching for the program. Victim 1 was told by members of the conspiracy that he had been approved for $100,000 in grant funds but would need to pay taxes before he could receive the grant funds. As instructed by members of the conspiracy, Victim 1 sent multiple packages of money, including to Akinyemi. To induce Victim 1 to continue to send money, members of the conspiracy sent Victim 1 electronic “certificates,” including a “Certificate of Completion” bearing the Internal Revenue Service seal, stating that it was from the “Federal and State Tax Institutes.” Victim 1 also received a certificate with a U.S. flag on it with the words “Federal Grants” next to it which included Victim 1’s full name and the text: “Federal Government Grants for the sum of $5,000,000.” After receiving these certificates, Victim 1 continued to send money to Akinyemi and other members of the conspiracy. In total, Victim 1 sent between approximately $70,000 to $80,000 to Akinyemi.
Victim 2, who was 71 years old and lived in Indiana, received a message from someone they believed to be a high school friend regarding a “Strengthening Community Fund,” but was, in fact, a member of the conspiracy posing as the victim’s high school friend. The conspiracy member told Victim 2 that they received money from the fund in the recent past and that there were different amounts for which a person could apply. The member of the conspiracy then provided Victim 2 with the contact information for a fictitious agent representing the “Fund.”
After Victim 2 contacted and sought information regarding the Fund, a member of the conspiracy masquerading as an agent asked Victim 2 if they were ready to apply. When Victim 2 communicated their desire to do so, the member of the conspiracy sought biographical information from Victim 2, including their monthly income. Once Victim 2 provided this information, the member of the conspiracy informed Victim 2 that they had been “approved.” Victim 2 applied for $80,000, which Victim 2 believed would cost $800 in fees. Victim 2 sent a total of approximately $50,000 in fictitious fees and taxes in order to obtain money from the fictitious fund.
During an interview with law enforcement on April 25, 2019, Akinyemi confirmed that he had received packages from victims throughout the country, detailed the scheme to defraud, and informed investigators that individuals in Nigeria were responsible for soliciting the victims to send money to him. Further, Akinyemi stated that he received approximately $80,000 in the mail in the year prior to his interview. A subsequent review of Akinyemi’s phone revealed, among other things, photos of tracking numbers and dollar amounts, a receipt for a money order, and conversations with conspirators discussing the percentage of the proceeds Akinyemi would take for his participation in the conspiracy. At least five victims suffered a substantial financial hardship as a result of the money that was fraudulently obtained by Akinyemi and his co-conspirators during the execution of the scheme.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in December 2020, Akinyemi and other co-conspirators also illegally obtained unemployment and CARES Act COVID-19 related benefits by filing fraudulent unemployment claims in the names of living and deceased victims from Maryland and Arizona. Akinyemi and his co-conspirators used the mailing address of his Landover residence, as well as the home address of a Washington D.C. client to whom Akinyemi provided at-home nursing care services to receive the fraudulent unemployment insurance debit cards in the mail. A total of nine unemployment insurance claims were filed using the address of Akinyemi’s D.C. nursing care client. As stated in his plea agreement, 10 CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) claims were filed with the state of Maryland using Akinyemi’s Landover residence as the mailing address, with an intended loss of more than $170,000.
In total, Akinyemi and his co-conspirators used the identities of 19 real individuals to file fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance and PUA claims, causing an actual loss of more than $7,000, and an intended loss of $250,000 in state and federal benefits.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from its 22 member Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the DOL-OIG, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Fraudster Resentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing the Identities of Hundreds of Victims to Fraudulently Obtain More Than $2.2 Million in Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Toyosi Alatishe, a/k/a Felix Victor Johnson, age 51, of Columbia, Maryland, to 126 months in federal prison, for conspiracy to commit credit/debit card fraud, wire fraud, and for aggravated identity theft, in connection with two separate schemes from 2012-2015 to obtain fraudulent tax refunds. Judge Blake also required Alatishe to serve a period of supervised release following his release from prison and pay restitution in the amount of $2,287,959.67. A federal jury convicted Alatishe on all 16 counts charged in the indictment on January 24, 2019.
The Court had previously sentenced Alatishe in 2019, and re-sentenced him yesterday after he appealed his conviction and sentence to the U.S. Court of Appeals For The Fourth Circuit, which remanded the case for a new sentencing. At the resentencing, Judge Blake only reduced Alatishe’s 2019 sentence by six months, based on the harsher conditions of confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and rejected Alatishe’s request for a time-served sentence.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tira Hayward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at Alatishe’s six-day trial, in the first scheme, which occurred from 2012 to 2013, Alatishe misused his position as a caretaker for residents of a group home for individuals suffering from severe mental and physical disabilities, by using their personal information to file fraudulent tax returns with the IRS and the State of Maryland. Alatishe also obtained access to the personal identifying information of other mentally disabled Maryland victims, who lived at group homes run by a company where Alatishe’s ex-wife worked, as well as eight other victim taxpayers from across the United States. Alatishe filed the fraudulent tax returns through an online tax filing company and had the tax refunds deposited into bank accounts he controlled, including an account opened using a fraudulent Nigerian passport in the name of Felix Victor Johnson. The fraudulent tax returns contained false information concerning the taxpayers, including their marital status, spouses, dependents, employers, wages, withholdings, tax due and owing, and refund amounts. This resulted in Alatishe receiving fraudulently obtained tax refunds of more than $30,000 in March and April 2013, which the IRS direct deposited into the Felix Victor Johnson bank account.
In the second scheme, a conspirator in Florida used the identifying information of a Florida accountant to fraudulently purchase debit cards from First View Financial, purportedly so that customers of the accountant could have their tax refunds transferred directly from the IRS to the cards. The co-conspirator asked First View to mail 2,000 prepaid debit cards to him at an address in Tampa, Florida, which was actually the address of Regus Management Group, LLC, a company that provided virtual office services to businesses. Still posing as the accountant, the co-conspirator contracted with Regus for mail forwarding. Specifically, the evidence proved that all mail received by Regus in the victim accountant’s name was forwarded to Alatishe’s address in Columbia, Maryland. Trial evidence showed that during January and February 2015, First View sent out the debit cards in five different shipments, which Regus then forwarded to Alatishe’s address.
Further, the government presented evidence proving that in 2015, the personal identifying information of more than 300 individuals from across the United States was used without their permission and knowledge to file false tax returns with the IRS in order to obtain refunds. More than 300 of the First View debit cards were activated and loaded with IRS tax refund money from the fraudulently filed tax returns. The total value of the IRS funds loaded onto the cards was more than $2.2 million. During February and March 2015, Alatishe and his co-conspirator withdrew more than $1 million through ATM and point-of-sale transactions, including the purchase of $40,000 in money orders.
Further, between March 6 and March 15, 2015, Alatishe was captured on security video repeatedly using ATMs at a specific financial institution in Columbia, Maryland. As detailed in the trial testimony, withdrawals occurred in short periods of time with many different cards from First View, in approximate withdrawal amounts of $300. The large number of transactions and high dollar value resulted in the ATMs running out of money. The financial institution conducted an investigation and notified law enforcement and First View, resulting in First View and other financial institutions freezing the remaining funds on the First View debit cards on about March 17, 2015.
According to trial testimony, a federal search warrant was executed at Alatishe’s residence in June 2016. Law enforcement recovered electronic evidence, including evidence as to Alatishe’s involvement in both fraudulent tax refund schemes. Agents also seized physical evidence, including numerous handwritten lists containing the personal identifying information of identity theft victims. Some of these handwritten documents were identified by Alatishe as his handwriting and the information on the handwritten sheets matched even more extensive lists of personal identifying information from his computer. In 2013, Alatishe had been the subject of an investigation and search warrant by the Howard County Police Department, which led to the seizure of important evidence used during the federal trial of the two schemes.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the IRS-CI, DCIS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Howard County Police Department for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana J. Brusca, who prosecuted the case and handled the appeal and Paralegal Joanna B.N. Huber, who assisted with the prosecution.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community and to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former Baltimore Police Sergeant Sentenced to Almost Two Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Deprive Civil Rights for Assisting a Member of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force by Planting a Gun at the Scene of an ArrestRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced former Baltimore Police Sergeant Keith Allen Gladstone, age 53, of New Park, Pennsylvania, to 21 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to deprive civil rights, in connection with planting evidence at a crime scene. As part of his plea, Gladstone also admitted that he told a witness to lie about the event if questioned by law enforcement.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
Keith Allen Gladstone joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) as an officer on November 20, 1992, and was promoted to Sergeant on December 16, 2011. Gladstone retired from the BPD on December 25, 2012, but was subsequently reinstated as a Sergeant on December 9, 2013. In March 2014, Gladstone was the officer-in-charge of a Special Enforcement Section (SES) unit assigned to BPD’s Western District. Gladstone retired from the BPD for a second time on May 1, 2017.
On the evening of March 26, 2014, Gladstone, who was on duty, was having dinner with Detective Carmine Vignola when he received a call on his cell phone from Wayne Jenkins, another sergeant in the BPD, who was in a panic because he had just run over an arrestee, D.S., in the front yard of a home in Northeast Baltimore. Gladstone obtained a BB gun from another BPD Officer, Detective Robert Hankard, then drove with Vignola to the site of D.S.’s arrest on Anntana Avenue and Belair Road in Northeast Baltimore City. Gladstone admitted that he dropped the BB gun near a pickup truck where D.S. had laid injured on the ground although by the time Gladstone arrived D.S. had been taken to the hospital. Gladstone told Jenkins, “it’s over by the truck,” or words to that effect. The BB gun was then seen by another BPD officer and ultimately recovered by the BPD’s crime lab unit. Based on a false statement of probable cause written by Jenkins in another officer’s name, D.S. was subsequently charged in Maryland state court with possession, use, and discharge of a gas or pellet gun, for the BB gun that Gladstone planted at the scene of D.S.’s arrest, and a number of drug offenses. D.S. was detained on those charges and related charges for 10 months. On January 16, 2015, the charges were disposed of by nolle prosequi, which is a form of dismissal.
As a result of his actions, Gladstone conspired to deprive D.S. of his liberty without the due process of law.
After Jenkins and six other officers who had been members of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force were arrested on federal racketeering charges, Gladstone and Vignola arranged to meet in person. Gladstone arranged for the meeting to take place in a swimming pool, to ensure that Vignola was not wearing a recording device. Gladstone admitted that during the meeting, he told Vignola that if questioned by federal law enforcement about the events on March 26, 2014, Vignola should tell federal investigators that Gladstone and Vignola were at the crime scene for “scene security,” which Vignola knew was not true. Gladstone also told Vignola to tell law enforcement that Gladstone had gotten the BB gun from his trunk, which was also not true, since Gladstone and Vignola had obtained the gun from Hankard.United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community and to report civil rights complaints, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md or https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.
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Baltimore Police Officer Facing Federal Charges for Drug Conspiracy and Distribution Charges and for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed against Steven Umberto Angelini, age 41, of Middle River, Maryland, on charges related to a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and oxycodone in the Baltimore area. Angelini has been a member of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) since May 2006. He was assigned to the Administrative Duties Division in 2022 and was suspended without pay today.
Angelini was arrested today and had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. U.S. Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite ordered that Angelini be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 14, 2022.
The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, from at least January 2022, Angelini has conspired with members of the Infamous Ryders Motorcycle Club, including Co-Conspirator 1, who is the President of the Club in Maryland, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and oxycodone. Specifically, the affidavit alleges that on January 6, 2022, Angelini reached out to Co-Conspirator 1 by text message and offered to sell him oxycodone pills. According to the affidavit, during the exchange, Angelini mentioned that he was trying to get cocaine and stated that his former supplier, a drug dealer working for Co-Conspirator 1, had been murdered. As detailed in the affidavit, the two ultimately agreed that Co-Conspirator 1 would provide Angelini with $100 and cocaine in exchange for the oxycodone.
The affidavit alleges that during the conversation, Angelini twice offered to exchange information on the supplier’s homicide for narcotics. Co-Conspirator 1 asked Angelini to obtain sensitive information pertaining to the homicide. The next day, Angelini allegedly sent Co-Conspirator 1 law enforcement information related to the investigation of the supplier’s murder. As detailed in the affidavit, over the next several days, Angelini continued to update Co-Conspirator 1 on the investigation and to purchase narcotics. According to the affidavit, Angelini told the Co-Conspirator that he had obtained the information requested by the Co-Conspirator, but despite several attempts, was not successful in transferring the additional law enforcement information.
According to the affidavit, Angelini did not communicate with Co-Conspirator 1 again until April 8, 2022, when Angelini offered to sell Co-Conspirator 1 a privately made firearm, also known as a “ghost gun,” in exchange for cash and narcotics. Angelini also offered to provide ammunition, including hollow point ammunition. As detailed in the affidavit, at Co-Conspirator 1’s direction, Angelini delivered the firearm to another conspirator later that day and received cash and drugs from that conspirator.
Later that month, Angelini allegedly provided additional oxycodone to Co-Conspirator 1. As detailed in the affidavit, on April 26, Angelini texted Co-Conspirator 1 that he was at a gun shop and stated that he wanted to purchase cocaine from Co-Conspirator 1. Angelini then offered to purchase ammunition and firearms accessories for Co-Conspirator 1 in exchange for cocaine. According to the affidavit, Angelini purchased a magazine for the privately made firearm he sold to Co-Conspirator 1, as well as ammunition, including hollow-point ammunition, which he provided to Co-Conspirator 1 later that night in exchange for cocaine.
The affidavit further alleges that on May 4, 2022, after visiting a Rosedale, Maryland pain clinic and filling a prescription for oxycodone pills, Angelini called Co-Conspirator 1 and notified him that he had the pills available for sale. They negotiated that Co-Conspirator 1 would give Angelini cash and cocaine in exchange for the oxycodone.
If convicted, Angelini faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and for distribution of oxycodone; and a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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