District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – Xavier Lee, a/k/a “X,” age 41, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of sex trafficking of a minor. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Matthew J. Donnelly of the Elkton Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.

According to his plea agreement, for the past decade Lee has operated an illicit prostitution business for financial gain, including operating the website, www.wehavefuntimes.com, where Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sexual acts with paying customers. That website was seized by the FBI, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Maryland State Police.  For a time, Lee also operated a different website, where he offered a subscription pornographic service to paying customers.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Lee admitted that he had sexual contact with Minor Victim 5, beginning when Minor Victim 5 was 14 years old.  Lee recorded his sexual contact with Minor Victim 5 when Minor Victim 5 was 15 and 16 years old.  Investigators recovered eight separate videos from Lee’s electronic devices, each of which had been recorded by Lee and each of which documented the sexual abuse of Minor Victim 5, depicting Minor Victim 5 engaged in sexual acts with Lee or with another adult man. Lee admitted that he was aware of Minor Victim 5’s true age.

For approximately the past five years, Lee’s prostitution business was run almost exclusively out of a hotel located in Elkton, Maryland.  Not only did Lee primarily use the same hotel in Elkton to prostitute women, Lee always used the same room to prostitute women.  Lee ran his prostitution business according to a set pattern and protocol.  Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sex acts with paying customers.  The “profiles” of the females whom Lee was prostituting included photographs, descriptions, and fictitious names.  The website also listed the cost of prostitution appointments, described services that were available, and allowed customers to post comments. 

According to the plea agreement, a typical day proceeded as follows:  Lee arrived at the hotel in Elkton at around 11:00 a.m. with a group of women in his car whom he would prostitute that day, rented his usual room, and if he had sufficient business, additional room(s) from the hotel staff.  Lee remained on the premises of the hotel throughout the day, met with customers in the room as they arrived and collected the money due from the customer, then sat in his car in the parking lot.  After the last customer, Lee and the women left, typically by 6:00 p.m.  Lee often transported the women whom he prostituted to the hotel in Elkton, including transporting them across state lines to work for his prostitution business. 

Finally, Lee admitted that in 2013, including in or about April 2013, Lee also had Minor Victim 4, who was sixteen to seventeen years old, do prostitution dates at Lee’s direction.  These prostitution dates were arranged through Lee’s website.  Lee was aware of Minor Victim 4’s true age during the time because Minor Victim 4 advised Lee of her true age. 

Lee faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Lee on April 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.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.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Elkton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., Adam K. Ake, and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting the case

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury in Maryland has returned a superseding indictment charging six foreign nationals and a bank employee for a bank fraud scheme in which the defendants and their co-conspirators obtained or attempted to obtain more than $700,000.  The defendants, Diape Seck, age 27, of Rockville, Maryland; Nicolae Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida; Mateus Vaduva a/k/a “Romi”, age 28; Marius Vaduva, age 26; Marian Unguru, age 36; Daniel Velcu, age 43; and Vali Unguru, age 18, all of Baltimore, Maryland are charged with a federal bank fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.  The superseding indictment was returned on February 17, 2021 and was unsealed in part at Diape Seck’s initial appearance on February 22, 2021.

The superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

According to the superseding indictment and other court documents, from June 2018 to January 2021, conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions.  The conspirators stole checks from the incoming and outgoing mail of churches and other religious institutions, then deposited the stolen checks into the fraudulently opened bank accounts.  The conspirators then allegedly withdrew the funds and spent the fraudulently obtained proceeds.

Specifically, the superseding indictment alleges that Diape Seck, an employee of one of the victim financial institutions, facilitated the opening of multiple bank accounts at that institution for the co-conspirators.  Mateus Vaduva, Marius Vaduva, Nicolae Gindac, Marian Unguru, Daniel Velcu, Vali Unguru and their co-conspirators allegedly used foreign identity documents, often but not universally Romanian, in both their true identities as well as suspected fictitious identities, to fraudulently open bank accounts at victim financial institutions.  The co-conspirators then fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks by depositing the stolen checks into the victim bank accounts, often by way of automated teller machine (ATM) transactions.   After depositing the stolen checks into the bank accounts, the conspirators allegedly made cash withdrawals from ATMs and purchases using debit cards associated with the bank accounts.  

According to court documents, an investigation by the victim bank where Diape Seck worked revealed that Seck allegedly violated numerous bank policies in opening approximately 412 checking accounts in a one-year period from approximately January 2, 2019 through January 3, 2020, relying predominantly on Romanian passports and driver's license information.  Checks payable to and written from churches and other religious institutions from around the country were allegedly deposited into many of the 412 checking accounts which were not opened in the names of the churches.  Law enforcement determined that the church checks were stolen. 

For example, the indictment alleges that:  on October 24, 2019, Diape Seck opened, and aided and abetted the opening of, five fraudulent bank accounts in the names of “E.V.,” “L.U.,” “R.P.,” “G.B.,” and “F.P.”; on October 25, 2019, Mateus Vaduva opened a fraudulent bank account in the name of “W.H.”; on November 12, 2019, Marius Vaduva opened three fraudulent bank accounts in the names of “P.P.,” “M.C.,” and “N.V.”; on January 21, 2020, Daniel Velcu negotiated a stolen check into a victim bank account using an ATM in Glen Burnie, Maryland; on April 12, 2020, Nicolae Gindac negotiated two checks that had been stolen from churches in Ellicott City and La Plata, Maryland into a fraudulently opened bank account in the name of “D.B.”, using an ATM in Davie, Florida; on April 15, 2020, Marian Unguru negotiated three stolen checks and withdrew $500 in cash from a fraudulently opened bank account in Glen Burnie, Maryland; and on July 13, 2020, Vali Unguru negotiated a stolen check into a fraudulently opened bank account using an ATM in Baltimore, Maryland.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and 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.  Diape Seck had his initial appearance on February 22, 2021, and was ordered to be released pending trial.  Marian Unguru, Daniel Velcu, and Vali Unguru previously had initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.  Marian Unguru and Daniel Velcu were ordered to be detained pending trial and Vali Unguru was released pending trial.  The remaining defendants are each expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, but no dates have been scheduled.

A superseding indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by superseding indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Kamal Dorchy, age 46, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson.

According to Dorchy’s plea agreement, from September 2016 to July 2017, Dorchy conspired with others to commit sex trafficking.  Dorchy posted prostitution advertisements on Internet websites.  Dorchy also recruited sex workers for his prostitution business through advertisements on Internet websites for massage work or prostitution.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on July 27, 2017 a Howard County Police Department detective met with an adult sex worker (Victim 1) at a hotel in Laurel, Maryland.  Victim 1 advised the detective about Dorchy’s conduct.  The victim also told the detective she went by a name in prostitution ads that Dorchy had given her.

Further, Dorchy agrees that he met a 17-year-old minor at a strip club in July of 2017 and recruited the minor victim to work for him.  Dorchy claims that he was not aware of her true age at the time, and believed she was 18 years of age due to her employment at the strip club.  The minor victim informed law enforcement that she told Dorchy her true age before she was trafficked.  Dorchy arranged prostitution dates for the minor victim by posting ads on Internet websites, including for dates in Maryland.  When Dorchy could not be there for the minor victim’s prostitution dates, he employed his cousin to act as “security.”  The minor victim was 17 years old during the entire time that she was trafficked.

A third sex trafficking victim, an adult female, advised law enforcement that she met Dorchy in 2016 during a job interview for a massage business at a hotel in Baltimore, Maryland,  where she was told that she would be walking clients to appointments.  The victim advised that later, she did prostitution dates at Dorchy’s direction at the massage business.

As part of his plea agreement, Dorchy 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).

Dorchy and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dorchy will be sentenced to between six years and 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell has scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2021, at 10:00 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.mdhumantrafficking.org/.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised HSI, the Howard County, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County Police Departments, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ayn B. Ducao, Adam K. Ake, and Jeffrey J. Izant, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Joseph Speed, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Speed pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Speed admitted that between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl were reasonably foreseeable to him and in furtherance of the conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose. 

This case is part of an initiative implemented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to combat the growing fentanyl overdose crisis in Maryland.  Under this initiative, every arrest involving distribution of fentanyl made by law enforcement in Baltimore is reviewed jointly by the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether the case will be handled in the state or federal system.  The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, will allow the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of fentanyl. 

The guilty plea and sentencing were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “Joseph Speed was an armed narcotics dealer operating in Baltimore.  He sold fentanyl to people in our community and he carried firearms to further his drug business.  Speed will now serve more than seven years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Armed drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution.”   

According to his guilty plea, Speed was part of a drug organization that sold fentanyl in the Baltimore area.  On May 20, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Speed’s apartment in Baltimore and recovered approximately 458 grams of fentanyl, a 9mm handgun, $666 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, including cutting agents and gel capsules.  Speed admitted that he used these items to facilitate his drug trafficking, including preparing drugs for resale to customers of the drug organization.

On July 23, 2019, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on Speed’s vehicle in Baltimore County.  A subsequent search of Speed and his vehicle recovered another 9mm handgun, numerous fentanyl gel caps, and $5,345 in cash.

Finally, on May 15, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Speed’s apartment in Pikesville, Maryland, and recovered a third firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, as well as a small amount of suspected fentanyl.  

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Issah Mohammed, a/k/a Yissa and Ali, age 33, a citizen of Ghana previously residing in Laurel, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud in connection with a fraud scheme in which Mohammed and his co-conspirators impersonated individual victims to remove funds from the victims’ investment accounts and for conspiracy to transport stolen motor vehicles to Africa.  Judge Russell also ordered Mohammed to pay $697,982.30 restitution.  The sentence was imposed on February 19, 2021.

Mohammed was a fugitive after he cut off his ankle monitor on February 21, 2018, and absconded, assuming the identity of another person.  On January 4, 2021, Mohammed was arrested in Sacramento, California driving a black Porsche SUV.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations - Baltimore; Acting Director Keith Fleming of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least January 31, 2013, through May 12, 2014, Mohammed was part of a conspiracy that acquired stolen vehicles, some of which were stolen from other states and transported to Maryland, and then shipped the stolen vehicles to Africa for sale. Members of the conspiracy in the United States would hire others to steal vehicles – with the keys – so that the vehicles could be more easily sold.  Mohammed and other members of the conspiracy: purchased the stolen vehicles from the thieves or an intermediary; arranged to store the vehicles at parking lots and other locations, known as “cooling spots”; loaded the vehicles into a shipping container; and transported the containers to a port, including the Port of Baltimore, for export to destinations including Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana.

In order to ship vehicles overseas, shipping companies are required to have valid titles for the vehicles.  As part of the scheme, Mohammed and other members of conspiracy used fraudulent title information in an effort to conceal the fact that the cars they sought to ship had been stolen.  Mohammed and other conspirators acquired false Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and replaced the true VINs on the stolen vehicles, and they also registered businesses with the state of Maryland, and then used these businesses to create registration paperwork for the vehicles, including false bills of sale utilizing the false VINs.  In that manner, the conspirators were able to acquire or forge title(s), registration(s), and proof(s) of insurance for the vehicles to fill out the necessary paperwork so they could ship the cars overseas.  The loss for the cars, both recovered and not recovered, was over $200,000.

As detailed in his plea agreement and other court documents, from March through November 2014, Mohammed, co-defendant Mohammed Kwaning, and other conspirators participated in a bank and wire fraud scheme in which they acquired account information of individual victims, including from investment account management firms and impersonated the victims to steal money from their accounts.  

Issah Mohammed recruited individuals, including Mark Dennis, Charles Mensah, and others, who registered corporate shell entities with the state of Maryland.  The recruits set up bank accounts at multiple banking institutions in the names of these shell entities. Kwaning then either directed that the funds from the compromised accounts be wired into the bank accounts opened in the names of the shell entities or provided altered or fabricated checks from the compromised accounts to Issah Mohammed.  Mohammed then provided the checks to Mark Dennis, Charles Mensah, and the other recruits to be deposited into the shell entities’ bank accounts.  Mohammed and the recruits then withdrew or transferred the funds from the business accounts they maintained to receive the victims’ funds to other accounts the conspirators controlled before the bank discovered that the funds were from compromised accounts.

Some of the victim accounts were compromised by individuals who called investment firms pretending to be the actual account holders and were able to reset the password for the investment accounts.  Individuals also hacked the e-mails of victims and, posing as the account holders, requested funds be wired from their retirement accounts to the bank accounts of the shell corporations controlled by the conspirators.  The attempted loss during the nine months of the scheme was over $1.3 million, and the conspirators were able to withdraw over $229,000 of the stolen funds, which they then split amongst themselves.

Mohammed “Kofi” Kwaning, age 40, of Laurel, Maryland, Mark Dennis, age 33, also of Laurel, Maryland, and Charles Mensah, age 35, of the Bronx, New York, were all convicted at trial and sentenced to 121 months, 27 months and 30 months in federal prison, respectively, each followed by five years of supervised release. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI Baltimore, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Baltimore County and Prince George’s County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted this case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Thomas Parker III, a/k/a “June,” age 52, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.  Eight co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy.  

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.

According to his guilty plea, from September 2017 to July 2018, Parker and his co-conspirators distributed heroin, fentanyl, and powder and crack cocaine to drug users and distributors in the Maryland and D.C. area.  Specifically, Parker supplied heroin and cocaine to co-defendants Arsenio Cleckley (a major narcotics trafficker in Maryland and Washington, D.C), and Diamante Hailey. 

 As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 9, 2018, Parker and Cleckley spoke over the phone, and Parker told Cleckley that he was serving time in a halfway house, but that a co-conspirator could supply drugs to Cleckley until Parker was released.  Shortly thereafter, the co-conspirator sold heroin to Cleckley.  Cleckley later complained to Parker that the heroin he got from the co-conspirator was diluted too much.  On March 12, 2018, Parker arranged to supply Cleckley with 28 grams of heroin and 31 grams of cocaine.  The next day, Cleckley told Parker he wanted to purchase “28 plus 10,” which meant he wanted 28 grams of heroin for himself and 10 grams of heroin for one of his associates.  During the conversation, Cleckley again complained about the quality of the heroin he had previously obtained from the co-conspirator.  Later on March 13, 2018, Cleckley called Hailey and told him that he had obtained 10 grams of heroin on Hailey’s behalf from Parker.

Parker admitted that on March 15, 2018, he distributed 28 grams of heroin to Cleckley in exchange for $1,800.  Cleckley then contacted Hailey to let him know that Cleckley was going to direct heroin users to Hailey’s location so that the users could purchase heroin from Hailey.  Later the same day, Cleckley told Hailey that Cleckley intended to purchase an additional 28 to 30 grams of heroin from Parker that Cleckley could split with Hailey.

Between March 20 and May 25, 2018, Parker and Cleckley continued to negotiate drug transactions, including a conversation where Cleckley asked Parker to lower the price he was charging for a gram of heroin, and conversations in which Parker advised Cleckley that Hailey and Cleckly owed him money.  During one such call on May 25, 2018, Cleckley told Parker that he recently “fell in a hole” when one of Cleckley’s distributors, James Belt, was arrested with 32.5 grams of crack cocaine on May 18, 2018, in Accokeek, Maryland.

Parker and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Parker will be sentenced to between 78 and 120 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2021 at 12 p.m. 

Co-defendants Arsenio Cleckley, a/k/a Bund, age 31 of Accokeek, Maryland; Diamante Lacelle Hailey, a/k/a Tay, age 27 of Clinton, Maryland; James Belt, a/k/a JB, age 32, of Lanham, Maryland; Alphonso Leroy Anthony Black, a/k/a Kobe, age 24 of Temple Hills, Maryland; Terri Bordeaux, a/k/a CeCe and Auntie, age 49, of Washington, D.C.; Christina Marshall, a/k/a Chrissy, age 31, of Accokeek; Devin Simmons, age 42, of Marbury, Maryland; and William Stewart, a/k/a Lil’ Will, age 23, also of Marbury, all previously pleaded guilty.  Simmons, Belt, and Hailey were sentenced to five years in federal prison, 54 months in federal prison, and time served—approximately 22 months, respectively, each followed by three years of supervised release.  The remaining defendants are awaiting sentencing. 

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.    

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Prince George County Police Department, the DEA, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Erin B. Pulice and Jennifer L. Wine, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Virginia-based Information Innovators, Inc. (Triple-I) has agreed to pay the United States $6.05 million to resolve allegations that a predecessor company, Creative Computing Solutions, Inc. (CCSi), violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications. 

The settlement was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

“Defense contractors are required to bill for costs actually incurred, and to be truthful in the claims they submit to federal agencies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring integrity and compliance with federal agency standards.”

“Contractors that knowingly overcharge the government will be held accountable,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will ensure that that those who do business with the government, and seek taxpayer funds, do so fairly and in accordance with their contractual commitments.”

“DHS OIG remains committed to protecting government programs, and American taxpayers who contribute to them, from fraudsters,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to root out these unlawful contracting fraud schemes.”

Triple-I, which provides information technology (IT) services and solutions to federal agencies, acquired Maryland-based CCSi in 2015. CCSi formerly provided IT services to DHS pursuant to an Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions Contract (EAGLE Contract). The settlement resolves allegations that, from October 2007 to April 2014, CCSi knowingly submitted claims for payment to DHS for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications.  CCSi allegedly violated the terms of the EAGLE Contract by using under-qualified personnel who were billed to DHS at higher rates reserved for more qualified employees.    

The claim resolved by this settlement is an allegation.  The settlement is not an admission of liability by CCSi, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded. 

The settlement was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch - Fraud Section, and the DHS Office of Inspector General, Major Frauds and Corruption Unit.  Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton commended the DHS Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields and Trial Attorney Jake M. Shields of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Fraud Section, who handled this case.

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Virginia-based Information Innovators Inc. (Triple-I) has agreed to pay the United States $6.05 million to resolve allegations that a predecessor company, Creative Computing Solutions Inc. (CCSi), violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications. 

Triple-I, which provides IT services and solutions to federal agencies, acquired Maryland-based CCSi in 2015. CCSi formerly provided IT services to DHS pursuant to an Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions Contract (EAGLE Contract). The settlement resolves allegations that, from October 2007 to April 2014, CCSi knowingly submitted claims for payment to DHS for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications. CCSi allegedly violated the terms of the EAGLE Contract by using under-qualified personnel who were billed to DHS at higher rates reserved for more qualified employees.  

“Contractors that knowingly overcharge the government will be held accountable,” said Acting Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will ensure that that those who do business with the government, and seek taxpayer funds, do so fairly and in accordance with their contractual commitments.”

“Defense contractors are required to bill for costs actually incurred, and to be truthful in the claims they submit to federal agencies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner for the District of Maryland. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring integrity and compliance with federal agency standards.”

“DHS OIG remains committed to protecting government programs, and American taxpayers who contribute to them, from fraudsters,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to root out these unlawful contracting fraud schemes.”

The settlement was a result of a joint investigation by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General’s Major Frauds and Corruption Unit. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Andrew Joseph Trimmer, a/k/a D and Smoke, age 32, and Alicia Marie Walls, a/k/a Porsha and Alicia Porsha, age 28, both of Bowie, Maryland, on federal charges related to a fentanyl distribution conspiracy.  The superseding indictment adds Walls as a defendant and adds three counts, including conspiracy and two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury.  The superseding indictment also includes the two counts from the original indictment charging Trimmer with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and with assault on a federal officer.  The superseding indictment was returned on February 17, 2021.

The superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

“Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can kill you.  Our law enforcement team in Maryland is working together to build cases and prosecute those who peddle this deadly drug,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Enhanced federal penalties for drug dealers whose distribution results in an overdose increases their odds of federal prosecution and lengthy sentences in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.”

According to the five-count superseding indictment, from May 2018 through September 25, 2020, Trimmer and Walls conspired to distribute fentanyl.  According to court documents, Trimmer and Walls, who were romantically involved and had a child together, were the subjects of an investigation into narcotics trafficking activity.  The investigation revealed that Trimmer and Walls had been living with their child in a rental home in Bowie, Maryland, but had moved on September 15, 2020.  In August 2020, Walls allegedly posted two videos on her YouTube channel discussing her narcotics use and the activities of her drug-dealer boyfriend, whom law enforcement believed to be Trimmer.  Walls stated that she and “her man” lived in fear of police detecting their whereabouts and drug customers finding their location.  As a result, Walls and Trimmer would use hotels as temporary residences and frequently moved between hotels while storing and distributing narcotics in order to avoid detection.

The superseding indictment alleges that on May 28, 2018, Trimmer distributed fentanyl to an individual, causing serious bodily injury to that person.  On September 25, 2020, law enforcement located Trimmer living in a hotel in the area of the Bowie Towne Center.  As detailed in court documents, law enforcement found Trimmer sitting in his vehicle outside the hotel.  As soon as investigators identified themselves as police officers, Trimmer fled.  The superseding indictment alleges that when law enforcement caught and attempted to arrest Trimmer, he assaulted a federal law enforcement officer.  As detailed in court documents, during the physical altercation, another officer deployed his Taser, but Trimmer continued to fight.  Trimmer was able to get to his feet and run to a nearby fast-food restaurant, where he was apprehended by a third law enforcement officer.  Court documents allege that Trimmer continued to resist arrest and physically assaulted the third officer during the arrest.  Further, the superseding indictment alleges that Trimmer possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute the drug.  Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that, in October 2020, Walls distributed fentanyl, resulting in serious bodily injury to a victim.

If convicted, Trimmer and Walls each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy; a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for each count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury.  Trimmer also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and eight years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer.  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.  Trimmer and Walls are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, although no date has been scheduled.  Trimmer and Walls remain detained on a related federal criminal complaint.

A superseding indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by superseding indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Crofton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County Division for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A U.S. Citizen arrived in the United States today after being ordered detained and removed from Bahrain to the United States for the alleged murder of his mother, a Department of Defense civilian employee working in Bahrain.

The federal charge was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Oakes of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Middle East Field Office.

Giovonni Pope, 27, was charged with murder by way of criminal complaint in the District of Maryland Tuesday. U.S. military authorities in Bahrain arrested Pope yesterday and his initial appearance was held via VTC, at which time he was ordered detained and removed to the United States pursuant to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. 

According to the complaint, on Jan. 31, Pope stabbed his mother repeatedly, causing her death. In the hours that followed, Pope purchased a plane ticket back to the United States and attempted to clean the residence and dispose of evidence of the crime.

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 Robert K. Hur and Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L McQuaid commended the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance. Mr. Hur and Mr. McQuaid thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorneys Brian Morgan and James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, who are prosecuting the case. 

# # #

A U.S. citizen arrived in the United States today after being ordered detained and removed from Bahrain to the United States for the alleged murder of his mother, a Department of Defense civilian employee working in Bahrain.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Oakes of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Middle East Field Office made the announcement.

Giovonni Pope, 27, was charged with murder by way of criminal complaint in the District of Maryland Tuesday. U.S. military authorities in Bahrain arrested Pope and his initial appearance was held via video teleconference, at which time he was ordered detained and removed to the United States pursuant to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. 

According to the complaint, on Jan. 31, Pope stabbed his mother, causing her death. In the hours that followed, Pope purchased a plane ticket back to the United States and attempted to clean the residence and dispose of evidence of the crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Brian Morgan and James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham of the District of Maryland. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging three men on the federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to allegedly sell purported COVID-19 vaccines.  The criminal complaint was filed on February 9, 2021 and was unsealed today upon the defendants’ arrests.  Charged in the criminal complaint are:          

Olakitan Oluwalade (“Olaki”), age 22, of Windsor Mill, Maryland; Olaki’s cousin, Odunayo Baba Oluwalade (“Baba”), age 25, of Windsor Mill; and
Kelly Lamont Williams, age 22, of Owings Mills, Maryland.

The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “My office and the entire law enforcement community are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who are preying on citizens during this unprecedented public health crisis.  We will also continue our outreach efforts to make the public aware of scams and frauds.  I urge citizens to remain vigilant and if you see something that doesn’t seem right, please report it.  Don’t become a victim.”

“As the public seeks vaccines to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19, fraudsters are waiting to take advantage of their desperation. We want to remind the public to exercise extreme caution online, especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and protective equipment,” said Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of HSI Baltimore. “HSI, with our local and federal partners, is working tirelessly around the country to get fraudulent websites off the internet and counterfeit personal protective equipment and medications off the streets to protect the public from these dangerous scams.”

“It remains a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect all Americans from individuals who take advantage of people during this public health emergency. We continue to work in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in the COVID-19 Anti-Fraud Task Force to bring those who exploit people during this pandemic to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“The FDA, along with its law enforcement partners across the country, continues its critical work of protecting American consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic by monitoring the U.S. marketplace for fraudulent COVID-19 products,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We remain committed to bringing to justice those individuals and companies that seek to profit from this public health emergency.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on January 11, 2021, the HSI Intellectual Property Rights Center and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center became aware of a fraudulent replication of the website of Company 1, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on drug discovery, drug development, and vaccine technologies, including a vaccine for COVID-19.  On December 18, 2020, the FDA issued an emergency-use authorization for Company 1’s COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the United States.  Company 1’s public website, www.modernatx.com, provides information to the public on the products the company has developed, or is in the process of developing, including those focusing on combating the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As detailed in the complaint affidavit, the home page of the fraudulent replication of Company 1’s website, named “Modernatx.shop” (the “Fake Domain”) appeared visually similar to Company 1’s real website and displayed the name and trademarked logos for Company 1, and the logo, markings, colors and texts on the Fake Domain were visually similar to that of Company 1’s actual home page.  The source code of the Fake Domain indicated that the creator of the site used a website tool to copy Company 1’s actual website in order to create the Fake Domain.

However, the affidavit alleges that the Fake Domain (unlike Company 1’s home page) had the text: “YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BUY A COVID-19 VACCINE AHEAD OF TIME,” with a link to “Contact us.” On January 11, 2021, at approximately 3:58 p.m., an HSI Special Agent, in an undercover capacity (“UC”), contacted a number listed on the Fake Domain, which investigators determined was linked to an account on an encrypted messaging application which also allows voice-over-Internet calls and video chats.  The number replied approximately two hours later requesting an e-mail address to contact the UC, which the UC provided. The affidavit alleges that approximately four minutes later the UC received an e-mail from [email protected], an e-mail address which appears on the Fake Domain, purporting to welcome the UC to Company 1 and providing a brief description of Company 1 and the storage requirements of Company 1’s vaccine.

According to the affidavit, after several additional e-mails, the UC received information regarding payment, delivery, and purchase for alleged Company 1 vaccines from a Google e-mail address.  The UC was sent a purported invoice for 200 doses of Company 1’s vaccine at $30.00 per dose, for a total of $6,000, with payment terms listed as 50% up front and 50% upon delivery.  The UC was allegedly instructed to send payment to a Navy Federal Credit Union account in the name of Kelly Lamont Williams.  The UC transferred a portion of the funds to Williams’s account as directed.

On January 15, 2021, the government seized the Fake Domain and HSI agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home. Law enforcement subsequently executed search warrants at Olaki’s and Baba’s homes.  As a result of these searches, investigators recovered a number of communications between Baba, Olaki, and Williams discussing the fraud scheme.  After the search at Williams’s residence, but before the searches at Olaki’s and Baba’s homes, investigators used Williams’s phone to send Baba a message: “Yo where u want me send the bread?” (referring to the cash investigators had sent to Williams’s bank account for the purchase of alleged vaccines as directed).  Baba allegedly replied, “Yea send me some thru zelle and some through cash app.”  Both Zelle & Cash App are online payment platforms.  The affidavit alleges that Baba provided his Cash App User ID name, and investigators made a cash transfer of the funds to Baba’s Cash App account per his request.  

As detailed in the affidavit, Olaki allegedly referred Williams to Baba as someone who could assist with the fraud.  Williams allegedly agreed to allow the conspirators to use his bank account to deposit the fraud payments in exchange for a cut of the fraud proceeds.  Olaki allegedly was also supposed to receive a part of the fraud proceeds.  Several of the recovered communications also indicated that Olaki allegedly applied for, and received a fraudulent COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan funded by the federal government in the summer of 2020.  

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit 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.  The defendants will have an initial appearance on February 12, 2021, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

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.

Federal law enforcement agencies are united in our efforts to fight against COVID-19 fraud.  HSI has identified tips to recognize and report COVID-19 fraud.  If you believe you are a victim of a fraud or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you may also call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or go to justice.gov/coronavirus.   

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S. J. Zelinsky and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Lachann Alexis Green, age 36, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the federal charge of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud her employer, causing a loss to the business of at least $285,703.09.   

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to her guilty plea, from October 2017 through December 2018, Green was the general manager of Rhode Island Row, an apartment complex in Washington, D.C. that was managed by Business 1, her employer.  As General Manager of the apartment complex, Green was the senior employee of Business 1 on site at Rhode Island Row and was responsible for all expenses and staffing needs for the apartment complex.  During her time as General Manager, Green used her position to defraud Business 1 in at least four different ways.    

First, in October 2017, Green registered a fraudulent shell business, “Executive Property Staffing” (“EPS”), with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (“SDAT”).  Green admitted that she created dozens of fraudulent EPS invoices for staffing, cleaning, and maintenance work at Rhode Island Row that had not been done by EPS.  Green personally approved and submitted the fraudulent invoices to her employer.  The money that Business 1 paid on the invoices was generally sent to a bank account opened in EPS’s name but which was controlled by Green.  Over the course of the scheme, Green submitted and Business 1 paid $231,802 in fraudulent EPS invoices.   

As detailed in her plea agreement, although Green had acknowledged and agreed to Business 1’s policy against self-dealing and conflicts of interest as part of her employment, Green took steps to conceal her ownership of EPS and did not disclose her association with EPS to her employer.  For example, Green e-mailed a forged W-9 form to get EPS set up in Business 1’s vendor payment system, which she signed using a relative’s name.  In addition, Green created an e-mail account purporting to belong to “Michelle Cross” in EPS management.  Green used that e-mail address to send e-mails to her Business 1 work account, then forwarded these fake e-mails to others in Business 1 to make it look like she maintained an arms-length relationship with EPS. On at least two occasions, Green used these fake e-mails to suggest that EPS was getting annoyed at how long it was taking for Business 1 to pay EPS for the fraudulent invoices Green had submitted.

Second, Green leased two Rhode Island Row apartments to her relatives under false names and at favorable terms not generally available to others.  By the time her fraud was discovered, the two relatives had both failed to pay rent for months, costing Business 1 a total of $39,524 in uncollected rent.

In addition, Green contracted with a business owned and operated by a personal associate (“Individual 1”) to turn over apartments at Rhode Island Row.  Between October 2017 and October 2018, Green submitted to her employer approximately $190,000 in invoices for Individual 1’s company for apartment cleaning, painting, and turn-over for new tenants.   Green admitted that she never disclosed her relationship to Individual 1 and Individual 1’s company to Business 1.

Finally, Green also admitted that she submitted fraudulent invoices to her employer for expenses that she falsely claimed she had paid out-of-pocket on Business 1’s behalf.  Generally, these invoices falsely claimed that Green had arranged and paid for catering services for events at Rhode Island Row.  For example, in October 2018, Green submitted an invoice in the name of a caterer for expenses incurred for Rhode Island Row’s Halloween party.  In fact, Green never ordered any catering for the 2018 Halloween party.  Instead, a relative provided pizza for the event and Green pocketed the $1,500 she falsely invoiced to Business 1.  In total, Green submitted and Business 1 paid reimbursement for at least $14,377.09 in fraudulently submitted expenses.

Green used the money she fraudulently obtained from Business 1 to support a luxurious lifestyle, including to help purchase an Audi, to buy season tickets to the Washington Wizards professional basketball team, and to finance a luxury vacation to Cancun with Individual 1.

As part of her plea agreement, Green will be required to forfeit the amount she fraudulently obtained as a result of the scheme, which is at least $246,179.09.  Green also has agreed to the entry of a restitution order for the full amount of the loss to Business 1, which is at least $285,703.09.

Green faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Green on May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Dana J. Brusca and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig G. Fansler, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced former Baltimore Police detective Ivo Louvado, age 47, of Bel Air, Maryland, to 14 months in federal prison, followed by three  years of supervised release, for making false statements to federal agents in connection with a scheme to sell three kilograms of cocaine seized during a Baltimore Police Department investigation.  In addition, Judge Blake ordered Louvado to perform 100 hours of community service.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Louvado joined the Baltimore Police Department on November 21, 1999, and was promoted to Detective in 2008.  In February 2009, one of Louvado’s co-workers advised that they had received information from a confidential informant about a large-scale narcotics trafficker operating out of a residence in the 1400 block of Ellamont Street in Baltimore.  On February 19, 2009, Louvado and other members of his squad were conducting surveillance in the 1400 block of Ellamont Street, targeting an individual, T.M.  In February 2009, Louvado served on a squad with Victor Rivera, W.J., C.J., P.G., and K.G., that was supervised by W.K. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, other officers participating in the law enforcement action followed a car from that residence.  Those officers claimed to have recovered trash that contained cocaine residue that had been thrown from the car they had followed.  Louvado and other officers then entered the residence that the man was allegedly observed leaving.  Louvado and other officers remained in the house until two members of the squad obtained a search warrant from a Baltimore City District Court judge.   Louvado ultimately participated in the search of the residence, specifically, taking photographs of items that BPD seized.  At some point, Louvado was alerted to the presence of a jacket hanging behind a door that contained a large amount of cash in it, which Louvado photographed. 

While in the house, officers found car keys and a BPD officer activated the remote alarm on one of the keys.  Officers heard the alarm sound in a pickup truck that was parked nearby.  Louvado and other officers went to the pickup and opened an opaque cover that was over the back of the pickup truck. Under construction debris, a significant quantity of cocaine was found.  Louvado and other officers waited with the cocaine until a SWAT team arrived.  The SWAT team was called to provide protection during the transportation of the cocaine to BPD headquarters because it was such a large quantity.  In order to transport the cocaine from the scene to BPD headquarters, it was loaded into a BPD surveillance van driven by K.G.  After the cocaine was loaded into the surveillance van, Louvado followed the SWAT team to BPD headquarters to maintain chain-of-custody over the cocaine.  Forty-one kilograms of cocaine was turned into the BPD’s Evidence Control Unit on February 20, 2009.  Later that day, federal drug charges were filed against T.M.

Louvado admitted that he, Rivera, and K.G. later discovered three additional kilograms of cocaine in the surveillance van that had been used to transport the cocaine to BPD.  These kilograms of cocaine had come from the seizure from T.M.’s pickup truck on February 19 and 20, 2009, but had not been turned in to the BPD on February 20, 2009.  Louvado, Rivera, and K.G. agreed that rather than turn this cocaine into BPD, they would sell it and split the proceeds.  According to the plea agreement, a confidential informant of Rivera’s, who was a drug trafficker, purchased the cocaine, which the trafficker then sold in Baltimore.  Rivera received the proceeds of the sale from his source and shared them with Louvado and K.G.  Louvado acknowledged that he received $10,000 in drug proceeds from the sale of the three kilograms of cocaine.

On March 1, 2017, seven members of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force were arrested on federal racketeering charges, including W.J.  Following the filing of charges, the FBI continued to investigate misconduct by members of the BPD.  On May 30, 2018, Louvado agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with an FBI special agent and an FBI task force officer, who questioned him about the seizure of cocaine on February 19 and 20, 2009.  In that interview, Louvado knowingly falsified, concealed, and covered up material facts, namely, that he and the two other officers had split the proceeds from the sale of the three kilograms of cocaine that had been seized by BPD that day.  As a former federal task force officer himself, Louvado knew that it was a crime to provide false information during interviews with federal law enforcement.  Louvado also knew that the FBI was investigating police corruption and was questioning him about the seizures that day in order to determine if police misconduct had occurred. 

Former Baltimore Police officer Victor Rivera, age 48, of Nottingham, Maryland, pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents and was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - Roy Edward Gibbs, age 65, of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of possession of child pornography.  In July 2006, Gibbs was convicted in Montgomery County Circuit Court on four counts involving the sexual abuse of two prepubescent girls.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith.

According to his plea agreement, after serving his sentence for the sexual abuse convictions, Gibbs begin downloading and distributing images and videos of child pornography using peer-to-peer file-sharing software.  Between August 2019 and November 2019, Gibbs repeatedly distributed child pornography to undercover law enforcement officers over the file-sharing network.  For example, in August 2019, a detective from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office determined that a device using an IP address associated with Gibbs's residence made 19 different files containing child pornography available for download.  The detective was also able to establish a direct connection to Gibbs's tablet IP address and download seven packages of files containing child pornography, including prepubescent minor girls.  Between November 4 and November 14, 2019, an FBI Special Agent in Dallas also downloaded a number of images depicting child pornography made available by Gibbs on the same file-sharing network.

As detailed in the plea agreement, on November 15, 2019, law enforcement agents executed a series of federal search warrants on Gibbs's residence and vehicles.  Forensic examination of several electronic devices, including Gibbs’s tablet and its 32 MicroSD card, revealed at least 568 images of child pornography.  Additionally, at least 45 images examined during the forensic review were identical to images downloaded by investigators over the file-sharing network after making direct connections to Gibbs's tablet.  The forensic review of Gibbs’s tablet also revealed data shredding/deletion applications used by Gibbs to attempt to hide evidence of his distribution and possession of child pornography.

As part of his plea agreement, Gibbs will be required to continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and the laws of the state of residence. 

Gibbs faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has not yet scheduled sentencing.

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 Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce R. King, Chief Counsel of the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office cross-designated to handle this case, who are prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been unsealed charging Blaine Kenneth Kluge, age 25, of Forest Hill, Maryland, for illegal possession of an unregistered firearm, specifically, a silencer.  The complaint was filed January 28, 2021 and unsealed on February 3, 2021 upon the arrest of the defendant.

The federal charge was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Charles Moore of the Bel Air Police Department.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, on October 30, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Kluge’s residence for evidence related to the burglary and desecration of a church in Bel Air, Maryland.  During the search of the home, law enforcement recovered from Kluge’s bedroom a suspected homemade silencer; a replica Nazi knife with a swastika on it; a replica German military helmet bearing Nazi symbols; a ballistic vest with rifle plates, and two loaded magazines of .223-caliber ammunition stored inside the vest; and over 2,500 rounds of varying caliber ammunition.

As detailed in the affidavit, the silencer was found on top of a locked stand-up gun safe in Kluge’s bedroom.  The ballistic vest and two loaded magazines were found inside the safe, but no guns were found in the safe.  Additional investigation found that the silencer was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record database, as required.  The silencer was determined to have been constructed by an individual rather than purchased through legal channels.

If convicted, Kluge faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of an unregistered firearm, specifically a silencer.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  At yesterday’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Kluge be released pending trial.

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. 

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.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Bel Air Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles D. Austin and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney Robert K. Hur announced today that he will resign his position as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Maryland. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is one of the country’s largest and busiest, serving a population of more than six million. Mr. Hur will return to private law practice. Jonathan F. Lenzner, who has served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney during Mr. Hur’s tenure, will become the Acting U.S. Attorney upon his departure.

Mr. Hur took office on April 9, 2018. He tendered his resignation to the President and the Acting Attorney General today, and will conclude his service as United States Attorney on February 15, 2021.

“I thank President Trump for appointing me as United States Attorney; Senators Cardin and Van Hollen for their support; Attorneys General Sessions and Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein for leading the Department of Justice during my service; and my law enforcement partners here in Maryland, including State’s Attorneys, police chiefs and sheriffs, and federal agency heads. I will always be grateful to have served as U.S. Attorney and helped further the Office’s proud legacy of pursuing justice with integrity, and without fear or favor,” said U.S. Attorney Hur.

“Credit for the Office’s accomplishments belongs to our talented team of dedicated professionals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our brave law enforcement partners.  I’m humbled by the bravery, creativity, and resilience that my colleagues have shown every day during my three years as U.S. Attorney. Together, we’ve worked tirelessly to bring criminals to justice, protect and provide recourse to victims and witnesses, and defend our nation against adversaries both foreign and domestic. We protected our traditions of integrity and continued our commitment to justice in the face of daunting challenges, including the longest federal government shutdown ever, tragic acts of violent extremism, and a frightening pandemic. For an attorney—especially a first-generation American like myself—representing the United States is a weighty privilege and a dream job. I have been blessed to do so.”

Under Mr. Hur’s leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office (the “Office”) has brought sophisticated and impactful cases, hired dozens of attorneys from diverse backgrounds to bring the Office to its maximum staffing level, increased diversity within the Office’s supervisory ranks, enhanced its technology and physical space, improved internal processes, and strengthened relationships with critical law enforcement and regulatory partners at the local, state, and federal levels.  A summary of the Office’s achievements during Mr. Hur’s tenure follows:

Public Corruption

U.S. Attorney Hur continued the Office’s focus on public corruption, which erodes the public’s trust in its elected officials and government. During the past three years, the Office has brought and resolved charges for corruption and/or fraud against dozens of elected officials, public office holders, and public employees. Examples include:

• Former Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh,
• Former Baltimore City Police Commissioner Darryl DeSousa,
• Former Maryland Delegate Cheryl Glenn,
• Former Maryland Delegate Tawanna Gaines,
• Former Maryland State Senator Nathaniel Oaks,
• Members of the Baltimore City Police Department in connection with the Gun Trace Task Force investigation, and
• Correctional officers at numerous state correctional facilities, including Eastern Correctional Institution, Jessup Correctional Institution, Maryland Correctional Institute Jessup, and Chesapeake Detention Facility.

National Security and Cybercrime

On the national security front, under Mr. Hur’s leadership, the Office protected Marylanders from significant terrorist threats, both international and domestic. The Office successfully prosecuted Christopher Hasson, a former Coast Guard officer who amassed an arsenal of weapons in preparation for violence inspired by extremist, white-supremacist views. The Office also charged Rondell Henry with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), in connection with his plans to drive a motor vehicle into crowds and inflict mass civilian casualties at National Harbor. Prosecutors in the Office also charged members of The Base, a racially motivated violent extremist group, who attended military-style training camps and planned to engage in subversive and criminal activity. Importantly, these terrorist plots were disrupted, and the individuals arrested, before any inflicting any harm or loss of life on our communities.

The Office also helped safeguard sensitive, classified information through the successful prosecution of two of the most significant breach cases in history: Harold Martin, a former National Security Agency (“NSA”) contractor who stole and retained classified material over two decades and stored it in his home and car, and Nghia Hoang Pho, a former NSA employee who removed and kept at his home massive troves of highly classified national defense information.

In recognition of the seriousness and volume of national security threats in Maryland, including cyber intrusions such as malware and ransomware, Mr. Hur created the Office’s first National Security and Cybercrime Section; doubled the number of prosecutors assigned to national security and cybercrime matters; designated the Office’s first Cybercrime Counsel to deepen expertise in and lead efforts against all manner of cyber threats; and designated prosecutors throughout the Office to become experts in such sub-fields as narcotics trafficking on the dark web and cryptocurrency.

Violent Crime and Gangs

The Office continued its commitment to reduce violent crime throughout Maryland. Together with local, state, and federal partners, the Office pursued a comprehensive strategy of violence reduction that includes proactive investigations targeting the most violent groups and clearing multiple homicides using federal racketeering statutes; federal gun prosecutions targeting repeat violent offenders; and focused deterrence programs using outreach and prisoner re-entry programs to prevent violent crime and defuse conflict before it happens.

The Office continued to secure important convictions of gang members responsible for gun violence and shooting homicides in Baltimore. These included Montana Barronette, who was sentenced to life in federal prison for participating in at least six murders and his leadership of Trained To Go, one of Baltimore’s most violent gangs; and Terrell Plummer, a member of the violent Old York Money Gang who shot and killed three-year-old McKenzie Elliott as she stood on her front porch during a gang dispute.

Under U.S. Attorney Hur’s leadership, the Office launched several initiatives aimed at curbing the historically high levels of gun violence driven by drug-trafficking organizations in Baltimore City. The Office and local, state, and federal law enforcement partners launched the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force, aimed at disrupting and dismantling the most violent gangs and their financial infrastructure in the Baltimore metropolitan area.  All Strike Force investigators work in one shared location, which is a key part of the Strike Force concept that has proven successful in other cities.

U.S. Attorney Hur also partnered with Governor Larry Hogan, Attorney General Brian Frosh, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to apply state funds to hire state prosecutors, who were then detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute federal firearms cases in federal court. In this way, stakeholders at all levels teamed with Baltimore Police Department officers and federal agents to ensure that armed felons with significant violent criminal histories are removed from our neighborhoods, then prosecuted and sentenced in federal court.

During Mr. Hur’s tenure, the Department of Justice directed millions of dollars in grant funds to the Baltimore Police Department and to violence-reduction efforts in Baltimore. The Justice Department selected Baltimore to participate in the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) program, a three-year engagement that seeks to leverage department assets in support of a local jurisdiction’s commitment to drive down violent crime. Through this program, local, state, and federal officials in Baltimore work collaboratively to provide training and technical assistance in areas such as crime analytics, emerging technology, and community engagement.

Under U.S. Attorney Hur’s leadership, the Office continued its decades-long focus on the fight against transnational gang La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13.  Having developed nationally recognized expertise in prosecuting MS-13 members with federal racketeering statutes, Maryland AUSAs indicted dozens of defendants during the last three years from the Fultons, Parkview, Langley Park, Sailors, and Los Ghettos Criminales cliques for violence committed in Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Frederick, and Prince George’s counties in Maryland as well as in Virginia. The Office also strengthened its ties with investigators and prosecutors in El Salvador, in order to coordinate enforcement actions, share evidence and intelligence, and fight the gang on both sides of the Atlantic.  U.S. Attorney Hur traveled to El Salvador to meet with counterparts and to build valuable relationships with Salvadoran law enforcement.          

Fraud

The Office successfully prosecuted complex fraud matters during Mr. Hur’s tenure, obtaining justice on behalf of financial fraud victims and preventing others from being victimized. The Office strengthened its partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission, together bringing to justice the perpetrators of two massive Ponzi schemes:  Kevin Merrill and his co-conspirators were convicted of running a $550 million investment fraud scheme—one of the largest ever charged in Maryland—that defrauded investors of their life savings across the country; Merrill was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. Former financial advisor and radio personality Dawn Bennett was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for her conviction on 17 federal charges relating to her own $20 million Ponzi scheme.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted fraudsters to take advantage of new opportunities to deceive members of the public, and the Office acted quickly to disrupt fraud schemes before losses mounted. In particular, the Office seized two domain names purporting to be websites of biotechnology companies developing treatments for COVID-19. These websites used similar names, trademarked logos, and graphics of actual companies to create fraudulent websites in order to obtain personal information of victims. Also, under U.S. Attorney Hur’s leadership, the Office entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Special Inspector General Brian D. Miller of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR), regarding the investigation and prosecution of fraud relating to CARES Act funding. The MOU allows the U.S. Attorney’s Office and SIGPR to enhance their cooperative efforts in investigating and prosecuting matters involving loans, loan guarantees and other investments made by the Secretary of the Treasury under the CARES Act.

U.S. Attorney Hur prioritized the development and strengthening of working relationships with Inspectors General throughout the Executive Branch, many of which investigate and refer fraud matters impacting Maryland. Mr. Hur also led the Office to join the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), which works nationwide to combat collusion, antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes, which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding.

U.S. Attorney Hur and the Office also prioritized fraud schemes targeting elderly and vulnerable victims. The Office successfully prosecuted numerous defendants who used all manner of schemes to defraud the elderly, including obtaining and using fraudulent credit cards and falsely stating that a relative, typically a grandchild, needed money for bail, legal fees, or other expenses.  During the COVID pandemic, Mr. Hur personally tried the first in-person federal jury trial in the Washington, D.C. area; the defendant was convicted of laundering the proceeds of a romance fraud scheme that used dating websites to target vulnerable and elderly victims and defraud them of millions of dollars.

Opioid Crisis

In response to Maryland’s crisis in opioid overdoses, U.S. Attorney Hur spearheaded the launch of the Office’s Synthetic Opioid Surge initiative (“S.O.S”).  Pursuant to this initiative, every arrest in Baltimore City for fentanyl distribution is reviewed jointly by the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland to determine whether the case will be prosecuted in the state or federal system. Thanks to this partnership, S.O.S. prosecutions have resulted in significant federal sentences for armed, repeat offenders responsible for the distribution of substantial quantities of deadly fentanyl. The Office has also worked with State’s Attorneys throughout Maryland to target for federal prosecution narcotics traffickers who sell drugs that result in fatal overdoses, securing stiff federal sentences that disrupt the supply of fentanyl.           

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President Trump nominated Mr. Hur to be United States Attorney on November 1, 2017, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously on March 22, 2018.  Mr. Hur took office on April 9, 2018.

As United States Attorney, he served as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys (“AGAC”), which provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the United States Attorneys.

Before serving as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hur served as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.  In that position, Mr. Hur was a member of the Department’s senior leadership team and the top aide to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, assisting him with oversight of all components of the Department.

Mr. Hur served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maryland from 2007 to 2014, where he prosecuted gang violence, firearms offenses, and narcotics trafficking, as well as white-collar offenses including financial institutions fraud, public corruption, mortgage fraud, tax offenses, computer network intrusions, and intellectual property theft.  He received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for superior performance and excellence as a lawyer.

Before serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hur served as Special Assistant and later Counsel to Christopher Wray, then-Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division, where he handled counterterrorism, corporate fraud, and appellate matters.

In addition to his service with the Department of Justice, Mr. Hur was a litigation partner with a law firm in Washington, D.C., where he represented companies and individuals facing criminal and regulatory enforcement actions before the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal agencies, as well as related civil litigation.

Mr. Hur began his legal career as a law clerk for William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States, and Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He received his A.B. degree, magna cum laude with highest honors, from Harvard College. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the Stanford Law Review.

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Upon United States Attorney Hur’s departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act until a replacement is named.

Mr. Lenzner first joined the United States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2010. He previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2010. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Maryland until 2013, departing for a position in the private sector. Upon returning to the Office as United States Attorney, Mr. Hur appointed Mr. Lenzner his First Assistant U.S. Attorney.

“Throughout my tenure, Jon has been my principal partner and advisor, and much of the Office’s recent innovation and success are attributable to him,” Hur said. “I have utmost confidence in him. The Office and its legacy are in supremely talented and experienced hands.”

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Cortez Weaver, a/k/a Corty and Tez, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, resulting in the death of Maurice Finney.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Disputes between rival drug gangs lead to many shootings and murders in Baltimore City,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Drug traffickers must know that gun crime will lead to federal time, which has no parole—ever.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove those who would commit violence from our community.”

“Turf war gang violence is a serious threat to our communities and we are using the power of partnerships to combat and thwart that threat,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The lengthy federal sentence Cortez Weaver received today sends a strong message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate illegal guns, drugs and violence on our streets.”

According to Weaver’s guilty plea, Weaver was a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed heroin and crack cocaine in the Abington Avenue area of Baltimore.  Beginning in approximately mid-July 2017, the Abington Avenue DTO became involved in a dispute with a rival DTO over who could sell drugs at a gas station at the intersection of Baltimore Street and Hilton Avenue.  As a result of the dispute, on July 14, 2017, a member of the rival DTO shot and killed a member of the Abington Avenue DTO.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on July 17, 2017, Weaver and another member of the Abington Avenue DTO went to the gas station to retaliate against members of the rival DTO.  There, they encountered Maurice Finney, a/k/a Mitch.  Weaver murdered Finney, shooting him in the head at close range with a .40-caliber handgun.  Weaver also attempted to murder Victim 2, chasing him across Hilton Avenue while firing multiple shots at him.  Meanwhile, Weaver’s co-conspirator attempted to murder Victim 3, shooting him multiple times with a 9mm handgun and causing life-threatening injuries.  The shootings were captured on surveillance cameras at the gas station.  Afterward, Weaver sent his co-conspirator a text message directing him to burn the clothes he had been wearing during the incident.

In November 2018, a confidential informant (CI) met with Weaver and recorded the conversation.  During their recorded conversation, Weaver confessed that he had killed Maurice Finney and described the murder using specific details that were consistent with the surveillance footage and other physical evidence recovered during the investigation.  For instance, Weaver explained that he wore a “scully cap” and “skipped down on” the victim (which was corroborated by the surveillance footage), and that he shot the victim “one time” using a “40” (which was corroborated by the physical evidence from the scene).

During the same recorded conversation, the CI told Weaver about a potential robbery of a drug stash house.  Weaver agreed to carry out the robbery, stating that he had been committing other such robberies with another member of the Abington Avenue DTO.  Weaver showed the CI a .45-caliber firearm and talked about owning other firearms, including a “357” and a “40.”  Unbeknownst to Weaver, the robbery opportunity was a fiction and the drug stash house did not exist. 

In January 2019, Weaver was introduced to an undercover Baltimore Police Officer (the UC) posing as a drug dealer who wanted to rob his source of supply of three kilograms of heroin.  During the meeting, which was recorded, Weaver confirmed his desire to commit the robbery, and described another drug robbery he had committed in the recent past.  Weaver also stated that he intended to kill the individuals who were guarding the stash location.  Weaver told the UC, “Nobody coming out of there alive . . . All I gotta do is get in and waste ‘em.”  Weaver had two additional meetings with the UC to discuss the robbery logistics, including how to break down and distribute the heroin they planned to steal.  Weaver brought co-conspirators to both of these meetings, and they also agreed to assist with the robbery. 

On March 7, 2019, Weaver and three co-conspirators met the UC to commit the robbery.  Weaver and the co-conspirators were arrested.  Law enforcement searched Weaver and his vehicle, recovering a loaded .357 revolver, 11 pink-top vials of suspected cocaine, a mask, and gloves.  From the co-conspirators and their vehicle law enforcement recovered two masks, a 9mm handgun loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, including a round in the chamber, and two pairs of gloves.

Weaver admitted that from at least July 2017 through March 7, 2019, he conspired to distribute heroin and crack cocaine in Baltimore, and that it was foreseeable to Weaver that the members of the conspiracy would distribute between three and eight kilograms of heroin.

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 is also 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 Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Peter J. Martinez, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland - January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  As a founding member of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office pledges to continue to combat human trafficking by working with our partners to investigate and prosecute traffickers and rescue victims.  The Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaborative effort of trafficking survivors, social workers, community organizers, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and citizen volunteers dedicated to eradicating human trafficking and providing support, treatment, and resources for human trafficking survivors.   Our communities, including the vulnerable victims who are the targets of traffickers, benefit greatly from awareness of the types of human trafficking; indicators of human trafficking; and resources available to survivors of human trafficking.

Human trafficking is defined as using force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or engage in commercial sex acts.  Often, traffickers make false promises of a job or pose as benefactors to lure their victims and force them into human trafficking.  Although human trafficking is usually associated with commercial sex, labor trafficking is just as prominent.  Forced labor is a category of human trafficking in which individuals are coerced into legitimate and illegitimate industries, including domestic service, massage parlors, agriculture, restaurants, hotels, and manufacturing sweatshops.  According to the U.S. State Department, human trafficking is now the second highest grossing criminal enterprise, with more than $150.2 billion per year earned from the use of forced labor.

Human trafficking has many faces.  Victims can be of any age, race, gender, nationality, and come from any socioeconomic group.  Human traffickers often target the most vulnerable, including individuals who suffer from disenfranchisement, social exclusion, or economic vulnerability (including individuals who have a history of domestic violence, substance abuse, reside in an unstable living situation, and youths in foster care or the juvenile justice system).  Foreign-born individuals face unique challenges, such as language barriers and economic instability, leaving them at the mercy of their traffickers. 

Maryland is not exempt from the horrors of human trafficking.  The close proximity between areas of affluence and poverty, a substantial immigrant population, and other factors create favorable conditions for human traffickers (and their customers) to exploit the vulnerable—including children, recent immigrants, the drug-addicted, and those facing housing instability.  Maryland’s central location on the Eastern Seaboard makes it both a pass-through state and a destination for human traffickers.  The Interstate 95 corridor’s numerous hotels, rest stops, truck stops, and bus stations are prime locations for traffickers to exploit their victims.  According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 187 instances of human trafficking in Maryland were reported to the Hotline through 2019, the most recent year with statistics.  [https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/Maryland]  Hotline calls from 130 victims and survivors reported a connection to Maryland. 

An effective way to combat human trafficking is to connect with fellow community members and look for key signals and indicators.  Common indicators that a person could be a victim of human trafficking include (but are not limited to) a disconnection from social groups, dangerous or unsuitable living conditions, bruises in various stages of healing, and apparent coaching on what to say in response to questions.  Other ways to combat human trafficking are by attacking the conditions that lead to trafficking, such as poverty, addiction, and homelessness; educating yourself and others on trafficking indicators; and reporting suspicious activity to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1(888)-373-7888.  You can also Text “HELP” or “INFO” to 233733.  Visit the Department of Homeland Security and Investigation’s Blue Campaign for more indicators of human trafficking.  For more information on human trafficking in Maryland, please visit the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force’s website.

Federal Prosecution of Human Trafficking Cases – Examples in 2020

United States v. Sirron Little:  On September 30, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a four-count superseding indictment charging Sirron Little, age 29, of Washington, D.C., with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor and related charges. The superseding indictment alleges, among other things, that Little used violence and threats of violence to coerce the victim to engage in prostitution in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  If convicted, Little faces up to life in prison for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor; a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison for sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, and coercion; a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  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 v. Kenneth Hart:  Kenneth Wayne Hart, a/k/a Redds, Wayne Hawkins, Hawk, Big Daddy, Billy Reds, and Bill Red Hart, age 59, of Beltsville, Maryland, was sentenced on October 7, 2020 to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics; a sex trafficking conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; and witness tampering.  Hart was convicted of those charges on March 12, 2020, after a seven-day jury trial.  According to the evidence presented at trial, from December 2016 to April 2017, Hart and a co-conspirator ran a prostitution business. Hart recruited women to work in the prostitution business and supplied the victims with heroin and crack cocaine on a daily basis.  Hart threatened to withhold—and did withhold—the narcotics if the victims displayed any sign of disobedience or tried to leave the locations where the commercial sex acts occurred. In order to maintain control over the women he recruited to prostitute, Hart demanded that the women surrender to him their personal belongings, including identification cards, credit cards, cash, clothing, and cellular phones, and confiscated their earnings from the commercial sex acts.  As detailed in trial testimony, Hart installed a padlock on the bedroom door of a condominium Hart used for the prostitution business, and locked the victims in the room for hours or days at a time, using a daily combination of heroin and crack cocaine to control and coerce the victims.  Hart also used physical force, threatened physical force, and verbally abused the victims to force them to engage in prostitution against their will.  Even if the door to the bedroom was left open, the victims feared leaving the room and the condominium because they believed that Hart would find them no matter where they went, and that Hart would punish them for trying to leave him.

United States v. Aaron Crawford:  On November 2, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a four-count superseding indictment charging Aaron Crawford, age 35, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, with coercion and enticement of a minor, production of child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.  The superseding indictment alleges that Crawford trafficked two different minor victims in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  If convicted, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment for coercion and enticement of a minor and for sex trafficking of a minor; a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; and a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography. 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 v. Dominique Bell:  On November 18, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Dominique Bell, age 29, of Washington, D.C., with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and with coercion and enticement.  If convicted, Bell faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for coercion and enticement.  The alleged conduct occurred in Prince George’s County.  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 v. Ryan Odell Oliver:  Ryan Odell Oliver, a/k/a Dre, Fame, and Foreign, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, was indicted on December 2, 2020, on federal charges for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking; conspiracy related to interstate prostitution and interstate transportation for prostitution; enticement to travel interstate for the purposes of prostitution; and possession of ammunition by a felon. According to the 10-count indictment, from at least July 2018 through January 2019, Oliver and a co-conspirator recruited, transported, maintained, and trafficked two adult women, Victim 1 and Victim 2, using threats, force, and coercion to cause those victims to engage in commercial sex acts.  Oliver and the co-conspirator (who died in March 2019) allegedly received money and other things of value by having the women engage in commercial sex acts.  From January 2018 through August 2018, the indictment alleges that Oliver also caused Victim 3 to engage in commercial sex acts, for which Oliver received money and other things of value.  At some point during the conspiracy Oliver allegedly physically assaulted all three of the victims, including forced sexual intercourse or other sex acts, striking them with his hands, choking them, and displaying a firearm to them.  The indictment further alleges that Oliver illegally possessed 59 cartridges of 9mm and 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, which Oliver knew he was prohibited from possessing due to a previous felony conviction.  If convicted, Oliver faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison for each count of sex trafficking; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiracy related to interstate prostitution.  He also faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each count of two counts of interstate transportation for prostitution, for each of two counts of enticement to travel interstate for the purposes of prostitution, and for being a felon in possession of ammunition.  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 v. Robert Diienno:  Robert Carl Diienno, age 32, formerly of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced on December 8, 2020, to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for enticing three victims to travel in interstate commerce for the purposes of prostitution.  According to his plea agreement, from at least November 2016 through June 2017, Diienno acted as a pimp for Victim 1, and at other times for Victims 2 and 3, who were all adult women.  During that time, Diienno persuaded, enticed, induced, and coerced the victims to engage in a prostitution enterprise that included travel along the Southeastern Seaboard.  Diienno and the victims resided at a residence in Laurel, which was used as a group home and the base of the enterprise.  “Meeting minutes” recovered from the house identify the location as “Duh ho house,” and include attendance at the meeting; a report on potential new recruits; and the “Comptroller’s Report” showing the amount earned by each of the victims related to their prostitution activities.  Law enforcement also recovered documents titled, “ho Training Manual,” “ho Rules,” and “Pimp/ho Contract.”  The documents stated requirements that a “ho” submits to the control of the “Pimp,” including accepting any punishment the Pimp decides to inflict, with certain limitations, such as punishment must not incur permanent bodily harm, and must stop immediately if blood is drawn, among others.  On June 1, 2017, Laurel Police Department was called to the residence for a disturbance at that location.  Victim 1 and Victim 3 were found hiding in a nearby treeline and reported that Diienno had assaulted Victim 1 when she refused to walk the streets.  Diienno was arrested.  During the subsequent investigation, two firearms belonging to Diienno were recovered from the Laurel residence. 

Federal Grant Funding

On August 4, 2020, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur announced that Maryland received $999,990 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.  The grant, awarded to the Salvation Army and the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors, will provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grant will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. The Salvation Army and the University of Maryland SAFE Center were among 73 organizations nationwide receiving more than $35 million in OVC grants to support housing services for human trafficking survivors.

On October 7, 2020, U.S. Attorney Hur announced $1,047,593 in Department of Justice grants to Howard County to assist human trafficking victims in Maryland.  Howard County received the funds to support their collaborative task force to end human trafficking and to provide services to victims of this terrible crime.

Training

In 2020, despite COVID-19 concerns forcing the cancellation of the Human Trafficking Investigators Seminar, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners conducted seven training events for law enforcement and other professionals fighting human trafficking, training a total of 429 individuals. 

So far in 2021, during Human Trafficking Awareness Month the U.S. Attorney’s Office is conducting the annual Maryland Human Trafficking Professionals Seminar (MHTPS) virtually, providing training to 123 individuals, including victim advocates, mental health professionals, local, state, and federal law enforcement, and prosecutors, with additional MHTPS events scheduled in the upcoming months.

 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has deployed many resources in the fight against human trafficking and we will continue to make the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases a priority.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced former Baltimore Police Officer Victor Rivera, age 48, of Nottingham, Maryland, to 14 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer in connection with a scheme to sell three kilograms of cocaine seized during a Baltimore Police Department investigation.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

Victor Rivera joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) on July 11, 1994 and November 21, 1999, respectively.  In February 2009, Rivera served on a squad with Ivo Louvado, W.J., C.J., P.G., and K.G., that was supervised by W.K. 

According to his plea agreement, prior to February 19, 2009, W.J. and C.J. told Rivera they had received information from a confidential informant about a large-scale narcotics trafficker operating out of a residence on the 1400 block of Ellamont Street, in Baltimore, Maryland.  On February 19, 2009, Rivera, Louvado, and other members of the squad were conducting surveillance at the residence of the alleged narcotics trafficker, T.M.  Rivera and another member of his squad, W.K., followed a car from that residence to a nearby school where Rivera saw the driver throw something into a trash container.  Once the driver left, Rivera and W.K. recovered the trash and found it to be empty kilogram drug wrappers.  During this time other officers claimed to have followed a second individual who left the residence and threw trash from the car window, which was found to contain cocaine residue.  Rivera and other officers remained at the house until W.J. and C.J. obtained a search warrant from a Baltimore City District Court judge. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, Rivera ultimately participated in the search of the residence.  While no drugs were found in the house, officers found car keys, including a key that had the ability to activate an alarm in a vehicle remotely.  A BPD officer activated the alarm and officers heard the alarm sound in a pickup truck that was parked nearby.  Louvado and other officers went to the pickup, where they found a significant quantity of cocaine under an opaque cover that was over the back of the pickup truck.  Rivera learned that drugs were found in the truck.  Louvado and other officers waited with the cocaine until a SWAT team arrived to provide protection during the transportation of the cocaine to BPD headquarters because it was such a large quantity.  In order to transport the cocaine from the scene to BPD headquarters, it was loaded into a BPD surveillance van driven by K.G.  After the cocaine was loaded into the surveillance van, Louvado and other officers followed the SWAT team to BPD headquarters to maintain chain-of-custody over the cocaine.  Forty-one kilograms of cocaine were turned in to the BPD’s Evidence Control Unit on February 20, 2009.  Later that day, a criminal complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland charging T.M. with possessing with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine.

Rivera, Louvado, and K.G., later discovered three additional kilograms of cocaine in the surveillance van that had been used to transport the cocaine to BPD.  These kilograms of cocaine had come from the seizure from T.M.’s pickup truck on February 19 and 20, 2009, but had not been turned in to the BPD on February 20, 2009.  Rather than turn this cocaine in to BPD, Rivera, Louvado, and K.G. agreed to sell the cocaine and split the proceeds from its sale. 

Rivera sold the cocaine to a confidential informant of his, who trafficked in cocaine.  The source sold the cocaine in Baltimore City.  Rivera received the proceeds of the sale from his source and then shared them with Louvado and K.G.  Ultimately, Rivera received $20,000 in drug proceeds from the sale of the cocaine seized from T.M.’s pickup truck that had not been turned in to BPD.

On March 1, 2017, seven members of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force were arrested on federal racketeering charges, including W.J.  Following the filing of charges, the FBI continued to investigate misconduct by members of the BPD. On November 1, 2019, Rivera agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with FBI task force officers (“TFOs”).  Rivera was told it was a crime to lie to the FBI TFOs interviewing him and he acknowledged he understood.  In that interview, Rivera made a number of false statements and material omissions.  An example being, the FBI TFO asking, “Did you ever hear of anybody taking any drugs or any money or anything like that from the incident?” to which Rivera replied, “No sir. No.”

Former Baltimore Police detective Ivo Louvado, age 47, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty on November 6, 2020, to making false statements to federal agents.  No sentencing date has been set for Louvado.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – John Michael Raley, age 51, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 21, 2021, to possession of child pornography and to violating his supervised release for a previous federal conviction for distribution and possession of child pornography. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, in 2012 Raley was convicted in U.S. District Court in Maryland of one count each of distribution and possession of child pornography.  Raley was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.  Raley was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on February 15, 2019.

On March 27, 2019, during the administration of a court-ordered polygraph, Raley admitted that after he was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, he obtained his personal effects from another individual to whom he had entrusted the effects during his imprisonment.  Raley admitted that among the effects was a secure digital memory card (SD card).  Raley had purchased an SD card adapter to plug into his television in order to allow him to view the contents of the SD card on the television at his home in Maryland.  Raley admitted that the SD card contained images and videos of child pornography, which Raley had viewed three to four times since his release from prison. 

Raley then spoke with his U.S. Probation Officer by telephone in the presence of the polygraph examiner and admitted the same conduct.  The Officer advised Raley to go to his home, where the Probation officer met him and confiscated the SD card.  A federal search warrant was obtained for the card and a forensic examination was performed by an FBI examiner.  The memory card contained thousands of images of child pornography, including boys under the age of 12 and depictions of sadistic conduct and violence. 

Raley and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Raley will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for March 24, 2021 at 10:00 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 Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Maryland for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Duane Burton, age 44, of Baltimore, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for three bank robberies committed in Maryland and Delaware, as well as for violating his supervised release for two previous federal bank robbery convictions. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Colonel Melissa Zebley, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police. 

According to Burton’s plea agreement, between December 2018 and February 2019, he robbed one bank in Delaware and two banks in Maryland.  At the time of the robberies, Burton was on supervised release for two previous bank robbery convictions. Burton admitted that he robbed a bank in Newark, Delaware, on December 26, 2018; a bank in in Elkridge, Maryland on February 8, 2019; and a bank in Baltimore on February 14, 2019.

As detailed in his plea agreement, in each robbery Burton approached the teller and announced the robbery, demanding money and “no dye packs.”  The victim tellers each complied with Burton’s demands and Burton stole a total of more than $7,000.  In the Baltimore robbery, the victim teller included a GPS tracker in the cash, which Burton located and discarded before he fled the bank.

On February 27, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Burton’s residence and recovered shoes that matched the shoes worn by the robber in the surveillance video from the February robberies.  Burton was arrested.                  

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI, the Howard County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Delaware State Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed in Maryland charging Cody Wolf Gideon Mohr, age 27, of Columbia, Maryland, on the federal charges of making Internet threats to destroy a building by use of explosive.  The criminal complaint was signed on January 20, 2021, and Mohr was arrested late that day. 

The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Inspector General J. Russell George of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We take threats to bomb a federal building and injure federal employees seriously.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will use all the tools at our disposal to identify and prosecute those who make such threats.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on January 19, 2021 the TIGTA Criminal Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division conducted a routine review of publicly accessible social media accounts to identify and prevent threats to the Internal Revenue Service.  The review resulted in the identification of tweets from “@BonaFried” in which the user threatened the IRS and federal employees, including political officials and law enforcement officers.

As detailed in the affidavit, a tweet dated January 15, 2021 stated, “I am going to explode the IRS headquarters with a bomb.”  Additional tweets on or around the same date made reference to the original tweet and allegedly confirmed the user’s intent to bomb the IRS, but said that “I am simply announcing my intentions to give employees a fair shot at escaping alive.”  The user posted other tweets since January 15, 2021, allegedly making additional threats including that he was “laser focused on thinking about ways to kill [Speaker of the House] Nancy Pelosi,” “[it would be cool to] drive 80 mph into a million people,” and that “…if a cop pulls you over for something minor like speeding or a busted tail light, you can just threaten his life and he’ll let you go with no trouble.”  The user also allegedly discussed how easy it was to build a semi-automatic rifle, and discussed obtaining firearms.

Further investigation identified the user of the account as Mohr and that the IP addresses used during recent logins to the account were located in the area in or around Columbia, Maryland.

If convicted, Mohr faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for making Internet threats to destroy a federal building by use of explosive.  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 initial appearance for Mohr is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Friday, January 22, 2021, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

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 Robert K. Hur commended TIGTA for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and P. Michael Cunningham, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Cheikh Ahmet Tidiane Cisse, age 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of theft of government property and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme in which Cisse filed fraudulent claims for Social Security benefits using fictitious identities and the identities of actual individuals, and attempted to collected over $236,000.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.

“SSA possesses sensitive and personal information for almost every person in this country, and SSA employees have a fundamental duty to protect that information,” said Inspector General Ennis.  “We take any violation of the public trust very seriously, and we will continue to work with SSA to identify and root out suspected employee fraud. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of this investigation, which resulted in today’s plea.”

Cisse was employed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as a Claims Specialist in SSA’s Office of International Operations.  Cisse admitted that between July 2018 and March 2019, he filed fictitious claims for benefits using stolen identities and identity documents he obtained through the course of his employment with SSA in order to steal or attempt to steal over $236,000 from SSA.

According to his plea agreement, as part of his job, Cisse was responsible for reviewing the identity documents of social security claimants living abroad, such as passports, marriage certificates, and identity cards.  Cisse then created new, fictitious identities in SSA's database, often using information from the foreign identity documents he reviewed, which were issued social security numbers (SSNs).  Cisse used the fictitious identities to file fraudulent claims for social security divorced spouse survivor's benefits against actual deceased individuals, directing the benefits payments to debit cards or bank accounts he opened in the names of the fictitious identities using the identity documents he obtained through his employment.  Cisse sometimes provided his home address for that of the fictitious claimants, but also provided an address in Quebec, Canada, that corresponded to a mail forwarding service to which he subscribed, making it appear as if the fictitious claimants lived abroad.  Through this mail forwarding service, Cisse received mail associated with the scheme, including genuine social security cards in the names of the fictitious identities and benefits payments.

As detailed in the plea agreement, in one instance, when SSA stopped payment on the $10,734 back payment for one of the fraudulent claims due to suspected fraud, Cisse contacted SSA’s payment center and falsely relayed that the purported beneficiary had called inquiring about the whereabouts of the payment, causing the SSA payment center to issue the back payment by direct deposit.  Cisse received a total of approximately $25,916 as a result of this fraudulent claim, which he spent through cash withdrawals and retail purchases.

In total, Cisse submitted at least nine fraudulent claims in stolen and fictitious identities, causing SSA to pay approximately $87,000 in fraudulent claims through direct deposit, issue approximately $46,000 in checks that were never negotiated, and authorize approximately $103,000 in claims that SSA halted before payments were issued.  Cisse personally received and spent $82,047 as a result of the scheme.

As part of his plea agreement, Cisse will be required to pay restitution of $83,247 and forfeit $30,000 seized from Cisse’s home and pay a money judgment in the amount of $51,107.

Cisse faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property; and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the SSA Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

January 14, 2021                                                                              

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              Contact MARCIA MURPHY

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                         at (410) 209-4854

Baltimore, Maryland – Brian Thomas Twilley, age 57, of Greenbackville, Virginia, formerly of Salisbury, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to making a false statement on a loan or credit application.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Manchak of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG).

From 2011 through 2015, Brian Twilley served as a member of the Board of Directors for Hebron Savings Bank, located in Wicomico County, Maryland.  Twilley also owned a commercial printing business in Wicomico County and was a member of the faculty for the Economics and Finance Department at Salisbury University.

According to his guilty plea, from April 2010 through March 2017, Twilley provided false personal financial statements to Hebron that omitted from his net worth a $200,000 Home Equity Line of Credit (“HELOC”) due to Bank 2 that should have been paid off and closed with the proceeds of a separate HELOC that Twilley had obtained from Hebron.  Twilley also provided false personal financial statements to Bank 3.

As detailed in his plea agreement, in August 2006 Hebron issued Twilley a $350,000 HELOC for the purpose of paying off and closing his $200,000 HELOC at Bank 2.  As part of Hebron’s approval of the HELOC it required that Bank 2 release their lien on Twilley’s personal residence so that Hebron could secure a first-position lien on this collateral.  On August 28, 2006, Twilley signed a letter addressed to Bank 2 directing them to accept the payoff of the loan, close the HELOC account, and forward the release documents to Hebron.  The payoff was funded with a Teller’s Check issued by Hebron in the amount of $200,392.04, but the letter directing Bank 2 to close the loan was never delivered and the HELOC account at Bank 2 remained open.  Twilley admitted that he continued to make withdrawals of the available funds in Bank 2’s HELOC and by 2010 had withdrawn the full $200,000 available.

As a member of Hebron’s Board of Directors and as a condition of his ongoing loan relationship with Hebron, which included the $350,000 HELOC and multiple commercial loans, Twilley was required to provide Hebron with an annual personal net worth statement.  Twilley admitted that from 2010 through 2014 he provided Hebron with his personal financial statement, but failed to disclose the continued existence of the HELOC with Bank 2, which Hebron believed had been closed since 2006.

Further, in December 2014, as part of a request to renew a $100,000 commercial line of credit for his company with Bank 3, Twilley submitted a personal financial statement to Bank 3 that failed to disclose the existence of the HELOC with Bank 2 and the associated debt.  When Twilley was questioned by a representative of Bank 3 as to why his credit report reflected a $200,000 HELOC due to Bank 2 that was not listed on his net worth statement, Twilley falsely advised that the HELOC at Bank 2 had been closed when he opened the HELOC at Hebron.  The Bank 3 representative informed Twilley that Hebron may want to contact Bank 2 to have them close out the HELOC because Hebron’s secured position in the collateral might be behind Bank 2 if the lien was not released.

Twilley left his position as a member of Hebron’s Board of Directors in 2015.  By 2017 Twilley was having difficulty servicing his debts and Hebron attempted to restructure his loan payments.  As part of the negotiations, on March 17, 2017, Twilley again sent a personal financial statement to Hebron that failed to disclose the existence of his debt due on the HELOC with Bank 2, which then had a balance of approximately $176,000, thereby underreporting Twilley’s outstanding obligations.  When a representative subsequently suggested that the collateral for the Hebron HELOC be sold, they learned that Bank 2 still held a first-position lien on the property because the HELOC with Bank 2 had never been closed.  In July 2018 Twilley declared bankruptcy and Hebron restructured all of Twilley’s personal and commercial debts.  In November 2018, the collateral for the HELOC was sold and $163,081.88 of the proceeds was disbursed to Bank 2 as a lien holder in first position, depriving Hebron of the proceeds of the sale.

As part of his plea agreement, Twilley will be required to pay restitution of $163,081.88, the full amount of the victim’s loss.

Twilley faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for making a false statement on a loan or credit application.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties and are determined by a federal district court judge after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.   U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not yet scheduled a sentencing date for Twilley.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FHFA OIG and FDIC OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Douglas Randall Phillips, age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 151 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for federal charges of bank robbery and violation of his federal supervised release from a prior bank robbery conviction.  Judge Messitte also ordered Phillips to pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s loss.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department. 

According to his plea agreement, on December 13, 2019, Phillips entered a bank located in the 11000 block of York Road in Hunt Valley, Maryland and approached a teller.  Phillips handed the teller a note which read, “This is a robbery, I have a gun and will begin shooting unless you give me all loose 100’s, 50’s + 20’s immediately.”  Phillips obtained more than $700 from the teller and fled the branch on foot.  After this incident, the bank circulated an internal alert amongst its employees, which included an image of Phillips from the bank’s surveillance camera footage from December 13, 2019.

On December 18, 2019, Phillips entered a different branch of the same bank in Baltimore, Maryland to make a withdrawal from his own account.  The bank employees at this branch recognized Phillips from the internal bank alert and called police.  Phillips was arrested and the clothes he was wearing at the time of his arrest were the same clothes worn by the robber in the surveillance footage from the December 13, 2019 robbery.  Prior to the robbery, Phillips had been employed at a company located in Hunt Valley, close to the bank branch that he robbed.

At the time that Phillips committed the December 13, 2019, bank robbery Phillips knew he was on supervised release for a previous federal bank robbery conviction.  Committing the December 13th robbery violated the conditions of his supervised release.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ayn B. Ducao, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Ever Ramiro Torres Enriquez, age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland, yesterday to 84 months and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a Takoma Park, Maryland, jewelry store on February 16, 2019, and for brandishing a gun during the robbery.  Judge Grimm also ordered Torres to pay restitution of $174,967, which is the full amount of the victim’s loss.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on February 16, 2019, Torres entered the jewelry store and pretended to be looking for jewelry for his girlfriend.  Moments later, Torres’s co-conspirator, Douglas Amilcar-Vasquez entered the store brandishing a handgun demanding cash and jewelry.  At the same time, Torres pulled out a black rifle, which had been hidden under his clothes and, pointing the rifle at his victims, demanded money and jewelry.  At one point during the robbery, Amilcar-Vasquez forcibly removed a necklace from around one customer’s neck.  Torres and Amilcar-Vasquez stole $7,900 in cash and over 400 pieces of jewelry valued at $167,067.11.  The defendants left the store and forcibly carjacked two male victims in a nearby vehicle and fled the scene.  The stolen vehicle was later recovered.

Neither defendant wore gloves during the robbery.  Amilcar-Vasquez’s left palm print was lifted from one of the jewelry store’s glass counters and DNA found on gloves recovered from the carjacked vehicle matched DNA from Torres.

Following the robbery, Torres used an identification card with his personal information to pawn several pieces of the stolen jewelry, receiving a total of $630.  Torres was arrested on June 14, 2019.

Amilcar-Vasquez, age 35, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges.  Judge Grimm scheduled the sentencing for March 16, 2021, at 1:00 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.  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.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Katrin Verclas, age 52, a native and citizen of Germany residing in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Maryland to federal charges of obstruction of a federal audit and causing a financial institution to fail to file a suspicious activity report (SAR), related to more than $1.2 million in U.S. State Department grant funds awarded to a corporation that Verclas controlled. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Diana Shaw, Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State.

According to the plea agreement, on December 17, 2009, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (“DRL”) publicized a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) that solicited grant proposals under the title “Promoting Freedom of Expression and the Free Flow of Information through Technology and Access.”  The submission deadline for grant proposals was January 22, 2010.+

As detailed in the plea agreement, Verclas, who was residing in Amherst, Massachusetts at the time, had worked for non-profit organizations in the field of social activism through the use of technology since about 1996.  In preparation for a response to the DRL RFP, on January 15, 2010, Verclas converted a project known as MobileActive into a Delaware corporation, and on January 22, 2010, electronically submitted a grant proposal to DRL on behalf of MobileActive.  On September 20, 2010, MobileActive was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State in the amount of approximately $1,411,000, to develop and promote: a Mobile Security Toolkit of needed and missing software applications for secure mobile communication; and tactical resources that would allow human rights organizations and activists in specific geographic regions to easily assess and mitigate risks associated with their mobile communications.  The performance period of the grant was September 20, 2010 through about September 30, 2012. 

In order to request the grant funds, MobileActive, through Verclas, established an account with Payment Management System (“PMS”), a federal grants management database located in Bethesda, Maryland.  Between October 26, 2010 and July 26, 2012, Verclas submitted 11 payment requests on behalf of MobileActive, causing the U.S. Department of State to release $1.222 million to MobileActive’s business bank account, which Verclas controlled. 

MobileActive, through Verclas, failed to comply with a number of requirements under the grant.  In November 2012, the State Department began performing an audit and quality assurance inspection with regard to the grant award.  Between November 2012 and February 2014, the State Department made several requests, including through letters mailed and hand-delivered to Verclas, to provide documents and information, including a final financial report and inventory report, among other things.  Verclas admitted that she intentionally ignored the State Department’s repeated requests because she knew that she did not have the requisite reports, documents, and other items. 

In addition, Verclas admitted that between November 2010 and October 2012, she failed to disclose to the bank that many of the transactions involving the MobileActive business account were for Verclas’ own personal gain rather than legitimate business purposes.  Verclas knew that, had the bank been aware of the true nature of these transactions, it would have been required to file a SAR.  Through her deception, Verclas willfully caused the bank to fail to file a SAR.

Verclas and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Verclas will be sentenced to 364 days in federal prison on each count, to be served consecutively, provided that a related civil complaint filed against MobileActive is also settled.  Under the MobileActive agreement, the corporation will be required to pay $500,000 to the United States within five days of the Court accepting the consent judgment, or the Court accepting Verclas’ plea agreement and imposing the agreed-upon sentence, whichever is later.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General, for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney David I. Salem, who is prosecuting the case, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office, who provided substantial assistance.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Moses Lewis, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, resulting in the death of the victim.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working together to target leaders and key members of violent gangs operating in Baltimore City,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We will not tolerate armed drug traffickers peddling death through drugs and gun violence in our neighborhoods.  Moses Lewis now faces at least 20 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Please put down the gun.  You’ll save a life, maybe even your own.”

According to his guilty plea, from at least November 2018 through February 22, 2019, Lewis was part of a conspiracy that regularly sold marijuana in the area of Wylie Avenue and Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore.  Lewis and others who participated in the conspiracy sold marijuana in street-level quantities to customers.  Lewis and the other members of the conspiracy had social and/or family ties in the area.  Individuals who were not from the area were not permitted to sell marijuana in the area.  Members of the conspiracy frequently carried firearms to protect themselves from others who may want to rob them of drugs or their drug proceeds.

As detailed in the plea agreement, on February 22, 2019, Lewis and other co-conspirators were standing in the area of Wylie Avenue and Park Heights Avenue and selling marijuana.  Lewis and “Co-conspirator 1” were each armed with handguns.  While Lewis was standing outside, his attention was drawn to a vehicle that was repeatedly driving around the area.  Co-conspirator 1 recognized the driver of the vehicle, “RH,” as a drug trafficker from the area who was not a member of the marijuana conspiracy and noticed that RH was accompanied by several unknown persons.  Based on RH’s erratic driving behavior and his presence in the area with no discernable purpose, Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 suspected that RH and his associates were intending to rob them of drugs and drug proceeds, and/or to physically harm them.

RH returned to the area, parking the vehicle he was operating outside a store where Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 regularly sold marijuana.  When RH stepped out of the vehicle, Lewis called RH over to speak to him.  Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 saw that RH was armed with a firearm and Co-conspirator 1 attempted to disarm RH, ultimately disarming him after a brief struggle.          

During the struggle, “AS” and Deondre Johnson, the two occupants of RH’s vehicle, got out of the vehicle and began running away.  RH broke away from Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 and ran away with AS and Johnson, with Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 in pursuit.  Both Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 repeatedly fired their handguns at RH, AS, and Johnson.  Johnson was struck several times by the gunfire and died.  Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 fled from the scene, but witnesses identified Lewis and Co-conspirator 1 and their roles in the killing of Johnson.  

Lewis and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Lewis will be sentenced to at least 20 years, but no more than 25 years, in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell has scheduled sentencing for March 25, 2021, at 10:00 a.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.  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 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 Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Della Betta and Michael Goldsticker, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, MD – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Sidhartha Kumar Mathur, age 34, of West Friendship, Maryland, for making threats against a member of Congress from Maryland.  The complaint was filed on December 21, 2020, and unsealed today upon Mathur’s arrest.

The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Chief Steven A. Sund of the U.S. Capitol Police

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on December 10, 2020, a threatening voicemail message was left at the Maryland District Office of a member of the House of Representatives stating “I am going to kill you if you mess with my vote…” and similar threatening statements.  The investigation revealed that the call came from a cellular telephone number used by Mathur and the account’s billing address was Mather’s residence in West Friendship, in the name of a relative.

On the same date, a message was submitted through the Representative’s website conveying similar threatening statements.  The threatening message provided the contact information, including the name and address, of Person A, a neighbor and former classmate of Mathur’s.  As detailed in the affidavit, investigators learned that the e-mail account provided along with the message was connected to Mather and the IP address from which the threats were submitted was associated with an account at Mathur’s residence belonging to Mathur’s relative. 

Law enforcement executed search warrants today at Mathur’s residence and also seized Mathur’s phone, computer, and other electronic media.

If convicted, Mathur faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for making threats against a federal official.  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.  At Mathur’s initial appearance today, U.S. Magistrate Judge DiGirolamo ordered that Mathur be released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services on specific conditions, including that he not have any contact with the victim.

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 Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Capitol Police for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Desmond Babloo Singh, age 19, of New York, New York, on the federal charges of cyberstalking, causing intentional damage to a protected computer, aggravated identity theft, e-mailing a hoax bomb threat, and murder for hire.  The complaint was filed on December 14, 2020, and was unsealed upon Singh’s arrest today.  Singh is expected to have an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert 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, in February 2020, Singh sent the victim, Jane Doe, an Instagram story, professing his love for her.  Jane Doe was a former classmate of Singh’s older sister.  Jane Doe rejected Singh’s romantic advances and told him that she was not interested in a relationship with him.  Jane Doe, who resides in Maryland when she is not attending college, asked Singh to not contact her any further.

As detailed in the affidavit, from approximately April 18, 2020, through November 24, 2020, Singh allegedly used more than 100 different social media, electronic communication, and phone accounts to send Jane Doe harassing and unsolicited messages.  The messages included express and implied threats of death and bodily injury, sexualized violence, and racial slurs.  Singh allegedly accessed several of Jane Doe’s electronic accounts without authorization, changing her passwords to lock her out of her accounts and posting offensive images and statements to her accounts without authorization.  Singh allegedly obtained personal images that had been privately stored in Jane Doe’s Snapchat account, which he later posted on social media accounts used to harass Jane Doe, and sent via text message to Jane Doe and her family members.

According to the affidavit, Singh publicly posted Jane Doe’s personal information on several occasions and encouraged others to harass the victim.  Singh also allegedly posted the personal information of Jane Doe’s family members.  Singh allegedly sent harassing messages and posted messages attacking an ex-boyfriend of Jane Doe, who Singh viewed as a romantic rival.  In addition, Singh allegedly “swatted” Jane Doe, causing a police response to her Baltimore County residence in response to an e-mailed bomb threat.  Further, the affidavit alleges that Singh solicited others online to rape, murder, and decapitate Jane Doe in exchange for Bitcoin.

If convicted, Singh faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for cyberstalking; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for causing intentional damage to a protected computer; a mandatory two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft; a maximum of five years in federal prison for e-mailing a hoax bomb threat; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for murder for hire.  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.  Singh is expected to have an initial appearance later today in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses. Singh will have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at a later date

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 Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked HSI New York and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Christopher M. Rigali, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland - Daniyelle Barnes, age 27, of Randallstown Maryland, pleaded guilty on December 21, 2020, to federal charges of mail theft by an employee.   Barnes was employed by the United States Post Office (USPS) as a Letter Carrier at the Randallstown Post Office.  Barnes admitted stealing mail, including credit cards contained within mail pieces.  

The guilty plea was announced by the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Imari R. Niles of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the plea agreement, in July 2019, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) officers recovered more than 12 genuine credit cards from a suspect during a traffic stop.  The 12 credit cards were embossed with the names of Randallstown residents who resided along Barnes’s mail route.   On July 25, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at an apartment located in Owings Mills, Maryland that was not associated with Barnes and recovered counterfeit identification documents, at least 12 additional stolen credit/debit cards issued to individuals not residing at the residence, mail and financial correspondence addressed to real persons not residing at the residence, and several cell phones and other electronic devices.  Six of the credit/debit cards were in the names of the Randallstown residents on Barnes’s mail delivery route and came from stolen mail.

On December 18, 2019, law enforcement conducted an operation to investigate whether Barnes was stealing mail from her mail route by having two sealed, identifiable mail pieces from a bank, which contained credit cards issued to fictitious persons, placed among the mail that Barnes was supposed to deliver that day.   These identifiable mail pieces featured addresses that were outside of Barnes’s route, and if Barnes followed proper protocols, would not be taken on her route.  Instead, during law enforcement surveillance of Barnes, she was seen handling the “bait” mail pieces, feeling for a potential credit or debit card inside the envelope, and then placing the two identifiable mail pieces inside her letter carrier case.   Later, law enforcement saw Barnes rubber-band together approximately 10 mail pieces, including the two pieces of bait mail.  Barnes concealed this bundle in the back of a letter tray that contained mail pieces for her route, left the Post Office building and placed items into her assigned work vehicle.  Barnes briefly stopped by her personal vehicle before returning to her work vehicle and heading out on her mail route.   When Barnes returned to the Post Office at about 4:00 p.m., law enforcement officials saw her unload a number of items, including bags, into the front passenger seat of her personal vehicle.  Barnes then went back into the building and sorted a number of mail pieces.  Barnes did not place the two identifiable mail pieces into the proper area for missent letters.

Law enforcement interviewed Barnes after advising her of her rights.  Barnes admitted to stealing mail and giving it to another person, whose full identity she claimed not to know.  She stated that she provided credit/debit card mail pieces to this person at least 10 to 12 times beginning in June 2019.   Barnes consented to a search of her personal vehicle and law enforcement discovered numerous pieces of unopened, undelivered mail, including the two identifiable bait mail pieces and other mail addressed to real persons residing in Randallstown.  

Law enforcement obtained records from financial institutions corresponding to the credit cards recovered during the investigation that were issued to persons on Barnes’s mail route.  Those records indicated a total loss amount of $4,198.74 and a further attempted loss amount of $2,292.11 associated with those accounts.  As part of her plea agreement, Barnes will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the actual loss, which the parties agree is at least $4,198.74.

Barnes faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for mail theft by a USPS employee.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for February 25, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the USPS Office of Inspector General and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr. and Tamera L. Fine, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Shannon Dorrell Marshall, a/k/a Cake, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 165 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for two counts of distribution of controlled substances, specifically a fentanyl analogue and heroin.  A victim died as a result of Marshall’s drug distribution.  Fentanyl analogues are chemical compounds designed to have effects similar to fentanyl and can be just as deadly.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Henry Trabert of the Aberdeen Police Department; Chief Charles Moore of the Bel Air Police Department; Chief Teresa Walter of the Havre de Grace Police Department; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger.

According to Marshall’s guilty plea, on May 11, 2017, Harford County Sheriff’s Office detectives went to a home in Abingdon, Maryland, where a victim had been reported dead.  An autopsy determined that the victim died of 4-Fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl and carfentanil intoxication.  Detectives seized the victim’s phone and recovered messages from the victim arranging to purchase drugs from an individual known as “Cake,” which is Marshall’s alias, and learned that Marshall was the source of the drugs sold to the victim.  Further review of the phone revealed that the victim had been purchasing gel caps of heroin from “Cake” since October 2016.

As detailed in the plea agreement, on June 15, 2017, detectives conducted surveillance of Marshall and observed him engage in a hand-to-hand drug transaction.  When detectives exited their vehicles to approach Marshall, he fled.  Detectives were able to stop the person who had just purchased drugs from Marshall.  The drugs were determined to be three gel caps of heroin and crack cocaine.  On June 21, 2017, Harford County Task Force detectives executed a search warrant at Marshall’s residence and seized a bag containing 2.8 grams of cocaine.  Marshall was arrested and agreed to waive his rights and speak to detectives, subsequently admitting to selling drugs to the overdose victim, as well as to the individual detectives stopped on June 15, 2017.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the other members of Harford County Narcotics Task Force, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano and Kim Y. Oldham, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Ronald S. Repass, age 57, of Poolesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of making false statements or fraud to obtain federal employees’ disability compensation.  Repass admitted that he falsely claimed that he was unable to work, even though he had worked at various jobs between June 2016 and February 2019, for which he was paid.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Imari R. Niles of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Derek Pickle, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (OIG).

As stated in the indictment, the Department of Labor’s Office of Worker’s Compensation Programs (“OWCP”) administered major disability compensation programs which provided wage loss benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and other benefits for federal government employees who became disabled during the performance of their duties.

According to the indictment, beginning in October 1989, Repass was employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the Poolesville Post Office in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Repass was a rural carrier on December 5, 2014, when he filed a workers’ compensation claim after he fell and hurt his right shoulder.  OWCP granted his claim on February 11, 2015, for a “right rotator cuff tear” based on a finding that Repass was not able to perform any of the routine duties of his job.  Repass began receiving benefits of approximately $3,227 per month on February 22, 2015.

The Department of Labor required disabled employees to annually sign and complete a form certifying that they had not worked for the past 15 months.  The disabled employees were also required to immediately report any improvement in their medical condition or any part-time or full-time employment.  In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Repass signed and submitted the form stating that he had not worked for any employer, nor was he self-employed or involved in a business enterprise, despite that fact that during those years Repass worked part-time as a snow plow driver, as a service advisor at an automotive repair shop, as a field supervisor for a home improvement company, as a plumber, and he installed window blinds and mowed lawns, all in exchange for compensation.

As a result of his false representations, the government contends that Repass received as much as $62,690.44 in Worker’s Compensation payments that he was not entitled to receive.

Repass faces a maximum sentence of five years for false statements or fraud to obtain federal employees’ compensation.  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.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Postal Service OIG and U.S. Department of Labor OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollis R. Weisman, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Anthony Michael Mileo, age 54, of Huntingtown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of possession of child pornography.  At the time of his indictment in January 2020, Mileo was a Corporal with the Maryland National Capital Park Police Department and was a K9 handler.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey.

According to his plea agreement, on August 7, 2019, the Maryland State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit received a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the possession of child sexual abuse material.  The cybertip indicated that video files documenting child sexual abuse were uploaded to a document storage application account.  The document storage application provided the contents of the account to investigators.  The content included over a dozen video files depicting child sexual abuse and provided the IP address associated with the transfer of videos depicting child sexual abuse to the account on July 1, 2019.

As detailed in the plea agreement, investigators learned that the e-mail address was associated with Mileo and the IP addresses were associated with an Internet Service Provider account located at Mileo’s address in Calvert County, Maryland.  On September 5, 2019, MSP obtained a search warrant for the contents of the e-mail account which revealed approximately 71 video files depicting child sexual abuse, including prepubescent minors and images depicting children in bondage being sexually abused.  The video files included a series of known victims of child abuse identified through NCMEC.  The e-mail account also contained non-contraband material, including employment information associated with Mileo.

On November 7, 2019, members of the MSP and HSI executed a search warrant at Mileo’s residence and recovered three cellular telephones.  Mileo admitted during the plea hearing today that the files he uploaded depicting the sexual abuse of children could be accessed from any device with an Internet connection, including the cellular telephones recovered by investigators.  For example, Mileo uploaded the document storage application onto his personal iPhone, which allowed him to access the images of child sexual abuse he had previously uploaded to the application.

Mileo previously faced related charges in Calvert County, but those charges were dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.

Mileo and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Mileo will be sentenced to between 48 months and 78 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for February 17, 2021, at 10:00 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 Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore and the Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of the State’s Attorney for Calvert County for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Arthur Morgan, age 67, of Lorton, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to a federal wire fraud charge, in connection with federal contracts to provide helmets, body armor, and other items to military and other federal entities.  Morgan also pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a charge which was originally brought in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, but was transferred to Maryland.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia G. Zachary Terwilliger; Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Radwick of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Ashan Benedict of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Alison F. Zavada, Naval Criminal Investigative Service; and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Michael Ryan of the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General.

According to his plea agreement, Morgan was the Chief Executive Officer of Surveillance Equipment Group Inc. (SEG) and its relevant division, SEG Armor, both of which Morgan managed from Lorton, Virginia.  The GSA enters into government-wide contracts with commercial firms to provide supplies and services that are available for use by federal agencies worldwide.  All GSA contracts are subject to the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), which requires that all products listed on GSA contracts must be manufactured or “substantially transformed” in a “designated country.”  China is not a designated country under the TAA.  Contractors were not allowed, under these GSA contracts, to supply products that did not comply with the TAA.  Any such products would have been disqualified from eligibility under the contract.  Further, a contractor’s failure to certify that its products complied with the TAA would have disqualified the contractor from eligibility for the contract.  A contractor who falsely certified that a product was TAA compliant could not lawfully seek payment from the United States for that product.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Morgan falsely certified that the ballistic vests, helmets, riot gear, and other items he offered for sale under his federal contract were from designated countries, specifically, Hong Kong and the United States.  While representing that none of SEG’s products offered to federal agencies under the relevant contract were manufactured in China, Morgan knowingly provided products that Morgan knew had been manufactured in China, in violation of the TAA and the contract.  SEG received multiple federal government orders under the contract between 2003 and 2019.  Between September 15, 2014 and August 29, 2019, approximately six federal government agencies placed at least 11 orders for ballistic and other law enforcement/security equipment from SEG—which SEG sourced from China in violation of the TAA, as part of the scheme to defraud— totaling approximately $658,866.92. 

For example, the U.S. Navy placed an order with SEG for helmets, and Morgan had a series of e-mail communications with Navy contracting personnel in Indian Head, Maryland, including concerning SEG’s inability to meet the agreed-upon delivery schedule.  In his e-mails, Morgan falsely advised the Navy contracting personnel that SEG had a factory in southern Virginia, that the helmets for the order “were in production” there, and that the delays were due to a backorder of materials needed for the helmets.  To the contrary, the helmets that Morgan provided under the U.S. Navy order originated from China before Morgan sent them to the Navy, in violation of the TAA and the contract.  Specifically, Morgan admitted that these products were manufactured by Chinese Company 1, from which Morgan knowingly ordered them.

On February 16, 2016, and March 10, 2016, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service paid SEG $127,069.60 and $191,990.28, respectively, for the U.S. Navy order.  For all of the orders, federal government agencies paid SEG at least approximately $488,976.92.

On December 17, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at Morgan’s residence in Lorton; at the Louisa, Virginia property that his wife owned and which Morgan had claimed housed SEG’s manufacturing operation; at one of Morgan’s storage units in Mineral, Virginia; and at a rental warehousing location in Springfield, Virginia.  Law enforcement recovered: a 12-gauge shotgun; a 9mm semi-automatic firearm with two magazines; a .380-caliber semi-automatic firearm with two magazines; a .38-caliber five-shot revolver, with two speed loaders; 315 rounds of various caliber ammunition; a 30-round 9mm extended magazine; four ballistic vests; five ballistic plates; three black ballistic helmets; one “SEG Armor” ballistic vest manufactured in China; and personal use marijuana with accompanying paraphernalia.  At the time that Morgan possessed the firearms, ammunition, and body armor, he had been convicted of at least one crime of violence, specifically, second-degree murder, assault with the intent to murder, rape or rob, and use of a handgun in a crime of violence, in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland on June 1, 1982. As a result of this conviction, Morgan was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition, or body armor.

Morgan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  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.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the GSA OIG, the State Department OIG, the ATF, the NCIS, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their work in this investigation and prosecution, and recognized the Army Major Procurement Fraud Unit, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – David Robinson, age 51, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on December 17, 2020, to a federal charge of murder for hire.  Robinson, formerly a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated the Frankford Family Pharmacy, pleaded guilty on October 10, 2018, to a federal drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.  Robinson admitted that he ordered a “hit” on the person he believed had cooperated with law enforcement that led to his indictment on those charges.  Robinson’s pharmacist license was suspended on August 7, 2017.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“We have zero tolerance for any effort to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Those who attempt to tamper with or retaliate against a federal witness will be brought to justice.”

According to Robinson’s plea agreement, from January 2016 to July 2016, law enforcement used a confidential source, CS-1, to make several controlled purchases of oxycodone and alprazolam from Robinson at his pharmacy located in the 5400 block of Sinclair Lane in Baltimore.  On June 22, 2017, a federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Robinson for a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam.  Robinson was arrested on June 27, 2017 and was released from custody on June 29, 2017, under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services. On October 10, 2018, Robinson pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam.  Robinson was continued on conditions of release until his sentencing, scheduled for February 15, 2019.

On October 27, 2018, the Baltimore City’s Citi-Watch camera system captured a drug transaction, which led to the arrest of an individual, CS-2.  A search of CS-2’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of two shoeboxes containing a total of 35 stock pharmacy bottles of the prescription medications promethazine and clonidine. 

CS-2 had obtained the prescription medications from David Robinson.  CS-2 had known Robinson for approximately three years, and had previously purchased oxycodone, Xanax, clonidine, and promethazine from Robinson at the Frankford Family Pharmacy.  After the search warrant was executed at Robinson’s pharmacy on June 27, 2017, Robinson began providing CS-2 with case lots of boxes of medications in exchange for cash and no prescription was required.  Robinson continued to sell promethazine and clonidine and six months after the raid, Robinson was still ordering pills from his vendors.  

As detailed in his plea agreement, following his arrest in 2017, Robinson told CS-2 about an individual that Robinson believed had cooperated with law enforcement and led to his arrest (i.e., CS-1).  CS-2 and Robinson had a discussion about CS-1 being killed.  After some time, the two agreed to have CS-1 killed.  Robinson provided CS-2 with some information about CS-1.  CS-2 told Robinson that he/she knew someone that could do a “hit” on CS-1.  CS-2 told Robinson that the fee would be $5,000 up front and $5,000 when CS-l was killed.  

Robinson admitted that from December 13, 2018 through February 7, 2019, CS-2 made three controlled purchases of drugs from Robinson, at the direction of law enforcement, using cash provided by DEA agents.  CS-2 purchased a total of 118 stock pharmacy bottles of clonidine, each containing 100 tablets; and 24 stock pharmacy bottles of 50 mg promethazine tablets, with each bottle containing 100 tablets.  Robinson did not request, nor did CS-2 provide, a prescription for any of the drugs.

During a controlled purchase on January 24, 2019, CS-2 and Robinson discussed the murder of CS-1 (which was audio-recorded).  During this conversation, they discussed a $5,000 fee that had already been paid to the hitman, and that an associate of the hitman had information about the location of CS-1.  The associate wanted an additional $3,000 to be paid to him/her in order to provide CS-1’s location to the hitman.  Robinson was upset over this additional fee required to identify the location and accomplish the murder of CS-1 and did not agree to pay the additional fee.  On February 4, 2019, CS-2 sent a text message (using his cell phone) to Robinson (at his cell phone) advising that he had provided the additional $3,000 in order to obtain CS-1’s address. 

On February 14, 2019, CS-2 called Robinson and told Robinson that the murder was done and that the hitman would want his money.  CS-2 then met with Robinson, who provided CS-2 with $2,000.  CS-2 put the cash in his pocket and Robinson asked CS-2 for proof that the murder had been completed.  CS-2 showed Robinson several fake photos in which it appeared that CS-l had been bound with zip ties, shot several times, and killed.  After the meeting, law enforcement arrested Robinson and CS-2.

Robinson and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Robinson will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, consecutive to any sentence imposed in the drug conspiracy case.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for both of Robinson’s cases on March 4, 2021, at 10:00 a.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.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Samika N. Boyd, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Tony Solomon, age 54, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, related to his participation in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and/or fentanyl in the Monument Street area of East Baltimore.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander also sentenced co-defendant, Cheyenne Ellison, age 39, also of Baltimore, yesterday to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the conspiracy.

The guilty plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“The Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is a critical part of our strategy to make Baltimore safer by identifying and focusing on those groups responsible for the most violent crime in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “The Monument Street area is one of the first areas the Strike Force has targeted and we anticipate that Strike Force cases will make these neighborhoods safer for the law-abiding citizens that live there.”

According to their guilty pleas, in July of 2018, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Strike Force Group 1 began an investigation of the Monument Street corridor in East Baltimore, which is known to support a high volume of street-level drug distribution and acts of violence associated with the drug trafficking.  During the investigation, law enforcement identified multiple street-level drug trafficking “shops,” with the two most prominent located in the 400 block of North Montford Avenue at Jefferson Street (“the Montford DTO”) and in the 2400 block of East Monument Street at Port Street (the “Out the Mud,” or “OTM DTO”). 

As detailed in their plea agreements, investigators identified Solomon as a source of supply in the conspiracy and law enforcement identified Ellison as a middleman, who coordinated controlled substances for members of the conspiracy.  Law enforcement overheard the defendants discussing the distribution of drugs, including cocaine and crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, among others.

Solomon admitted that he maintained at least two stash locations used for storing, cutting, and packaging controlled dangerous substances with other members of the conspiracy, located in the 1600 block of North Spring Street and the 3200 block of Bright Street, both in Baltimore. Solomon conspired with coconspirators to use the North Spring Street location to meet with drug customers for the purposes of collecting money and providing controlled substances to them.

In January 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at both stash locations, and at a residence associated with Solomon, recovering a total of approximately 200 grams of crack, 5 grams of cocaine and 147 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture; drug paraphernalia, including a small hydraulic press, small and large kilo presses, digital scales, gel caps, and packaging materials; more than $41,000 in cash, believed to be drug proceeds; and a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with eight .45-caliber cartridges, which Solomon admitted he possessed in connection to his drug trafficking activities.  Solomon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as a result of a previous felony conviction.  Additionally, law enforcement seized 1,400 grams cocaine/crack cocaine during the execution of a warrant at Egan Davis’s residence.  Based on intercepted communications, investigators believe that a portion of the cocaine/crack cocaine seized during the execution of the warrant was coordinated by Ellison with other co-conspirators.  Ellison and Solomon, admitted that they possessed the cocaine with the intent to distribute it for sale.  Solomon also admitted possessing the heroin/fentanyl mixture with the intent to distribute it.

Throughout the course of his involvement, it was reasonably foreseeable to Solomon, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he or other members of the conspiracy would distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as quantities of cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy.  It was reasonably foreseeable to Ellison, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he or other members of the conspiracy would distribute at least 500 grams but less than two kilograms of cocaine, as well as quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

Solomon and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Solomon will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.  Judge Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Solomon on February 23, 2021. 

Of the 25 defendants indicted in this case, 12—including Ellison, Solomon, and Egan Davis—have pleaded guilty.  Last week, co-defendant Amin Boyd, age 42, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to seven years in prison.  The remaining defendants have trial dates in January or May 2021.

This case was investigated as part of the Baltimore Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force, an initiative designed to combat violent crime in Baltimore.  The mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the most violent gangs and drug trafficking organizations, and their financial infrastructure, in the Baltimore metropolitan area.  In addition to the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, members of the Strike Force include the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA, the Maryland State Police, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the Maryland National Guard, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and James T. Wallner, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized “mordernatx.com” and “regeneronmedicals.com,” which purported to be the websites of actual biotechnology companies developing treatments for the COVID-19 virus, but instead appears to have been used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites, in order to use the information for nefarious purposes, including fraud, phishing attacks, and/or deployment of malware.  Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message that the site has been seized by the federal government and be redirected to another site for additional information.

The seizure of the domain names was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations - Baltimore.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice the criminals that try to take advantage of this global pandemic to line their pockets at the expense of the most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “I urge citizens to remain vigilant.  Don’t provide personal information or click on websites or links contained in unsolicited e-mails.  Don’t become a victim.”

“These individuals took advantage of fear during the global pandemic and attempted to steal personal information for nefarious purposes,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge John Eisert. “From the cyber realm to counterfeit medication to financial crime, Homeland Security Investigations is committed to detecting, investigating, and disrupting all types of fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

According to the affidavits filed in support of these seizures, these investigations began in early December 2020, after corporate security for one of the companies located the spoof website and contacted HSI’s Intellectual Property Rights Center (“IPRC”) and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center (“C3”).  The other website was identified during an ongoing HSI C3 operation targeting malicious websites.  The cases were referred to HSI Baltimore for investigation. 

Specifically, on December 10, 2020, the Global Head of Corporate Security for a biotechnology company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which has developed a COVID-19 vaccine that is awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), contacted HSI IPRC and C3 by e-mail to report that the company’s Cybersecurity Team had detected the domain name mordernatx.com, a fraudulent replication of the company’s website.  A review of that website’s online content displayed the name and trademarked logos for the biotechnology company.  As detailed in the affidavit, the logos, markings, colors, and text of the mordernatx.com webpage showed no substantive differences from the genuine company website’s landing page, other than the fact that the fraudulent website had a slight misspelling of the company’s name.  However, individuals who clicked on the “Contact Us” tab, were redirected to an entry form requesting information such as name, company/institution, title, phone, e-mail, and comments/questions.  Additional investigation revealed that the mordernatx.com domain name was registered on about December 8, 2020, through a company headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with no personal information for the registrar listed.

The second domain name seized, regeneronmedicals.com, was identified on December 9, 2020, during an ongoing HSI C3 investigation targeting malicious websites.  Investigators found that the subject domain name contained the name and trademarked logos of, and was visually similar to, the webpage of a biotechnology company headquartered in Westchester County, New York, which was granted an emergency use authorization by the FDA for an antibody cocktail used to treat COVID-19 in high-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.  Further investigation revealed that the subject domain name contained two e-mail addresses and a telephone number not found on the official company website.  The phone number appeared to be a Voice over IP (VOIP) number.  In addition, the “Contact Us” page on the regeneronmedicals.com site directed “Healthcare professionals, patients or caregivers requesting specific product information, reporting an adverse event or reporting a product complaint” to contact the “Medical Department” at the VOIP number.  The same “Contact Us” tab also provided a link to submit medical inquiries which directed users to a page that was different from the corresponding page on the authentic website.  Investigators also found that the subject domain name was registered on December 6, 2020, and lists the registrant as an individual residing in Onitsha Anambra, Nigeria.

By seizing these sites, the government has prevented third parties from acquiring the names and using them to commit additional crimes, as well as prevented third parties from continuing to access the sites in their present form.

Federal law enforcement agencies are united in our efforts to fight against COVID-19 fraud.  HSI has identified tips to recognize and report COVID-19 fraud.  If you believe you are a victim of a fraud or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you may also call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or for more information e-mail justice.gov/coronavirus.    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI for its work in these investigations.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Delaney, Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, and Thomas M. Sullivan, who are handling these cases.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day today sentenced Gerald F. Luchansky, age 82, of Annapolis, Maryland, to four months of home detention as part of one year of probation and ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine, after Luchansky pleaded guilty to receipt of unauthorized compensation by a government employee.  Luchansky, a former employee of the National Archives and Records Administration, admitted that he accepted compensation from two different companies for work that he was supposed to provide to members of the public for free. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and and Jason Metrick, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Gerald Luchansky was an Archives Specialist with NARA from 1979, until his retirement in 2017, after receiving a lifetime achievement award for his work. 

According to his guilty plea, one of Luchansky’s job responsibilities was to pull archival aerial photographs of Allied bombing runs in World War II, digitize them, and make them available to researchers.  Starting in 2008, and without the knowledge or approval of NARA, Luchansky was hired and paid by a German company to do this very same work while he was employed at NARA.  Luchansky would scan NARA’s archival aerial photographs and provide them to the German company on thumb drives or CDs.  The Germany company paid Luchansky for the photographs, even though Luchansky was being paid by NARA to provide those same photographs to members of the public for free.

As detailed in his plea agreement, between 2004 and 2017, and without the knowledge or approval of NARA, Luchansky was paid $27,510 by a second company—this one in Maryland—to research NARA cartographic holdings and obtain rolls of NARA’s aerial film.  Luchansky provided the Maryland company with invoices for his work, even though as a NARA employee he was supposed to provide those services to the public for free.  Luchansky admitted that he deposited the payments from the Maryland company into his bank account.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the NARA Office of Inspector General for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and Thomas M. Sullivan, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against attorney Kenneth Wendell Ravenell, age 60, of Monkton, Maryland, on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and narcotics conspiracy.  The superseding indictment also adds two new defendants, attorney Joshua Reinhardt Treem, age 73, of Columbia, and Sean Francis Gordon, age 45, of Crownsville, a private investigator who worked for both Ravenell and Treem.  The superseding indictment charges Treem and Gordon, along with Ravenell, with a conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, specifically, to create false records and documents and to obstruct an official proceeding in order to protect members of the conspiracy who were under investigation by federal law enforcement and federal grand juries sitting in Baltimore, including Ravenell himself.  Ravenell, Treem, and Gordon are also charged with one count of falsification of documents, and obstructing an official proceeding; Ravenell and Treem are charged with two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation; and Gordon is charged with one count of falsification of records in a federal investigation.  The superseding indictment was returned late on December 17, 2020.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office.

“Attorneys are officers of the Court,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “They are not above the law.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will investigate and prosecute attorneys who violate the trust placed in them by breaking the law and obstructing justice.” 

Ravenell and Treem practiced law at the same law firm in the 1990s and early 2000s.  On January 21, 2016, Treem began representing Ravenell in connection with a federal grand jury investigation into Ravenell.  Gordon had been previously hired by Ravenell in connection with Ravenell’s representation of a drug trafficker.  Later, Gordon was retained to work with Treem and Ravenell in connection with the investigation of Ravenell.  Treem continued to represent Ravenell until June 18, 2019.

The seven-count superseding indictment re-alleges the charges previously filed against Ravenell—specifically, that he violated the legitimate and lawful purpose of the law firm where he worked in order to enrich himself and Individual 1 by receiving payments from a drug trafficker client and his associates in exchange for laundering drug proceeds, obstructing justice to protect the client and his associates, and instructing the client and his associates how to evade law enforcement and continue their drug trafficking; that Ravenell allegedly knowingly protected and assisted co-conspirators in their drug trafficking by coaching co-conspirators about law enforcement techniques so that they could evade these techniques when they trafficked in narcotics; that Ravenell allegedly used the law firm’s bank accounts to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars and protect the drug trafficking organization; and that Ravenell allegedly used the law firm’s bank accounts to receive drug payments and make payments to attorneys retained to represent other members of the conspiracy, concealing and misrepresenting the source of the funds to those attorneys.  Ravenell also allegedly received substantial cash payments derived from drug sales as compensation for laundering money and for protection he provided to his co-conspirators.  The superseding indictment also re-alleges that Ravenell participated in a conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana.

The superseding indictment adds four new counts alleging that from May 5, 2013 through December 11, 2018, Ravenell, Treem, and Gordon conspired to conceal, cover up, falsify, and make false entries in a record or document to impede, obstruct, or influence federal investigations into Ravenell and one of his clients and knowingly and corruptly impede official proceedings, specifically a grand jury investigation and federal criminal prosecution of one of Ravenell’s clients and a federal grand jury investigation and potential federal criminal prosecution of Ravenell himself.  Specifically, the superseding indictment alleges that Ravenell obtained access to incarcerated individuals, whom he did not represent, and dispatched private investigators, including Gordon, to interview incarcerated individuals and civilian witnesses, so that Ravenell and others at his direction could attempt to improperly influence their testimony, attempt to cause them to execute false affidavits and witness statements which Ravenell knew to be false, and attempt to cause witnesses to withhold testimony from official proceedings.

As alleged in the superseding indictment, Treem and Gordon, at Ravenell’s direction, met with a former client of Ravenell’s, who they knew was a potential witness in a federal criminal investigation of Ravenell by the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal grand jury sitting in Baltimore and a potential criminal prosecution of Ravenell.  At the meeting, Treem and Gordon allegedly presented the witness with a document, prepared by Ravenell, containing false statements exculpating Ravenell.  Despite the fact that the witness told Treem and Gordon that these statements were false, the superseding indictment alleges that Treem and Gordon urged the witness to sign the document. 

The superseding indictment alleges that Ravenell, Treem, and Gordon prepared false documents, including an affidavit on behalf of Gordon that had, as an exhibit, the document containing false exculpatory statements that Treem and Gordon had urged the witness to sign, and a letter to a United States District Judge signed by Treem, relating to their interview of the witness.  These documents could be used to undermine the witness’ credibility and to provide evidence of a prior consistent statement by Gordon or Treem if either one of them were to testify.  The superseding indictment alleges that the letter was sent to the Judge with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence a federal investigation and prosecution of Ravenell.  Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that the false affidavit prepared by Treem with Ravenell’s assistance, and which Gordon executed, was also an attempt to thwart the investigation and prosecution of Ravenell.

If convicted, Ravenell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy; a maximum of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy; and a maximum of life in prison for the narcotics conspiracy.  If convicted, Ravenell, Treem, and Gordon face a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of falsification of records in a federal investigation; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of obstructing an official proceeding.  The case will be handled by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, who has been assigned to preside over this case in the District of Maryland.

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 Robert K. Hur commended the IRS-CI, the DEA, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department, the Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department, and the Arizona Financial Crimes Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Matthew J. Maddox, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Edward Omar Johnson, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to committing five bank robberies and two attempted bank robberies in Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania, between February 27, 2019 and March 19, 2019. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Muldrow of the York City (Pennsylvania) Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, between from February 27, 2019 and March 19, 2019, Johnson robbed five banks and attempted to rob two others.  During each robbery, Johnson presented the victim teller with a demand note stating that he had a firearm.  Four of the robberies and the two attempted robberies took place in Baltimore.  One robbery was committed in York, Pennsylvania.

Specifically, on February 27 and March 12, Johnson robbed a bank in the 400 block of West Baltimore Street in Baltimore.  On March 4 and March 5, Johnson unsuccessfully attempted to rob banks in the 300 block of West Baltimore Street and the 2100 block of Eastern Avenue, both in Baltimore.  On March 5, Johnson robbed a bank located in the 2000 block of East Monument Street in Baltimore.  On March 12, Johnson robbed a second bank located in the 1100 block of North Charles Street in Baltimore.  Finally, on March 19, Johnson robbed a bank in the unit block of West Market Street in York, Pennsylvania, throwing the demand note at the teller, then reaching into the victim teller’s cash drawer, stealing $30 in cash.  In that robbery, Johnson also inadvertently took a GPS tracker hidden in bait money, which he threw in a nearby dumpster.

On March 14, 2020, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force issued a media release of the robbery surveillance images captured during the robberies in Maryland.  The Baltimore Police Department subsequently received an anonymous tip that the robber was Johnson.  Law enforcement obtained prior photos of Johnson which matched the physical appearance of the suspect in the bank robberies.  On March 22, 2019, the York City Police Department located and arrested Johnson in York, Pennsylvania.  A search of Johnson recovered a bank robbery demand note, the language of which was consistent with the language in the notes used in previous robberies.  Johnson waived his rights and during an interview with law enforcement admitted committing the robberies and identified himself in surveillance photos from the robberies.  Later investigation revealed the existence of Johnson’s latent fingerprints on the demand notes he left behind after the attempted bank robbery and successful bank robbery on March 5, 2019, and the two March 12, 2019 bank robberies.

Johnson and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Johnson will be sentenced to 141 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the York City Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Donnell Duane Berry, age 44, of Forestville, Maryland, to 151 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a 2019 bank robbery.  Berry committed this crime while on supervised release for a previous federal conviction.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on September 4, 2019, Berry and two other individuals committed the robbery of a bank in Lanham, Maryland.  Berry, who had previously committed a robbery at this same location, wrote the demand note and provided it to his co-defendant, who entered the bank and provided the demand note to the teller, while Berry and the third individual waited in the getaway car.  In fear for her life, the victim teller gave the co-defendant over $4,000 in cash along with a GPS tracker.  The co-defendant took the cash and fled the bank, getting into the waiting getaway car.

As detailed in the plea agreement, a short time later police located the getaway car, which was disabled in an intersection approximately five miles from the bank.  Berry and the other robbers attempted to run away from police but were all subsequently apprehended.  Officers recovered the following items from a bin underneath the deck of a house near the intersection: the hat worn by the co-defendant during the robbery; the co-defendant’s wallet; and $3,050 in cash, which still had the bank’s GPS tracker in it.  Near the wood line several yards east of the intersection officers also recovered a black and gray backpack containing Berry’s identification and credit cards.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Dwight Draughon, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Jermol McCoy, age 37, of Catonsville, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP); Secretary Robert L. Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

According to his guilty plea, from at least 2018 through 2019, McCoy conspired with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in and around Baltimore.  During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted phone calls and text messages in which McCoy made plans to distribute drugs, spoke about the hierarchy of the drug trafficking organization, and discussed methods to avoid detection by law enforcement.

On November 21, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McCoy’s apartment in Catonsville, which he used to manufacture and distribute controlled substances.  Law enforcement recovered 4.9 grams of fentanyl in a plastic bag behind the microwave, cutting agent, and drug paraphernalia, including a kilogram press, digital scales, three boxes of plastic baggies, and cellular phones.  In addition, law enforcement recovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol concealed in a bag in the bedroom.  McCoy is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as a result of a previous felony conviction.

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 Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, MSP, DPSCS and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Thomas Corey Crosby, age 51, of Woodlawn, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from at least May 2020 through August 2020, Crosby participated in a conspiracy to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.    

Beginning in May 2020, investigators began wiretapping a cell phone known to be used by a co-conspirator, which revealed that the co-conspirator was operating an open-air drug market (commonly called a “drug shop”) that sold cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, in Northwest Baltimore City in the area of Palmer and Spaulding Avenues and that the co-conspirator was communicating with Crosby regarding the drug business.  Investigators also obtained authorization to intercept a phone used by Crosby.  Investigation revealed that Crosby and the co-conspirator communicated approximately every 7 to 14 days concerning the sale of narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.  Crosby and the co-conspirator spoke in code during these calls, but it was clear that they were discussing the distribution of narcotics.  After these conversations, Crosby and his co-conspirator would meet at a gas station, located at the intersection of Druid Park Avenue and Liberty Heights in Baltimore, where Crosby supplied the co-conspirator with drugs.  Investigators conducted surveillance on several of these meetings and obtained video surveillance from the gas station.

On August 9, 2020, law enforcement executed a vehicle stop on the co-conspirator’s vehicle after Crosby had met the co-conspirator at the gas station, where Crosby was seen placing an item in the center console area of the vehicle.  During a search of the vehicle, investigators recovered over 100 grams of fentanyl from a bag inside the center console of the vehicle.  After this traffic stop, the co-conspirator immediately called Crosby and the pair then met at the same gas station.  After this additional meeting, Crosby disposed of his cell phone, which investigators had obtained authorization to intercept and track.  Crosby distributed the 100 grams of fentanyl to the co-conspirator.

On August 14, 2020, investigators executed a series of search warrants at locations related to the investigation, including a residence in the 2500 block of Park Heights Terrace in Baltimore, a location used by Crosby to manufacture and store drugs.  Inside the residence, investigators recovered fentanyl, as well as drug paraphernalia and packaging material including: sifters, razor blades, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and cutting agents.  Investigators also executed a search warrant at Crosby’s residence, where they recovered $134,499 in cash, which Crosby admitted constituted proceeds from his drug trafficking activities.

Crosby admitted that he distributed over 160 grams of fentanyl during his participation in the conspiracy,

As part of his plea agreement, Crosby will forfeit $134,499 in cash, which was seized on August 14, 2020.  Additionally, Crosby acknowledges that he was previously convicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

Crosby and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Crosby will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for February 11, 2021 at 10:00 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 Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Ronald Clarence Kearney, age 32, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on December 10, 2020, to a federal charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Director Donald W. Washington of the U.S. Marshals Service.

According to his guilty plea, on November 27, 2019, deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) went to Kearney’s residence in Washington, D.C. to arrest Kearney on an outstanding warrant.  Kearney fled, getting into a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria parked in the parking lot at his residence, and drove away.  USMS deputies followed Kearney with emergency equipment activated.  Kearney drove onto the Suitland Parkway and crossed into Maryland, ultimately crashing the car into a concrete column supporting the Naylor Road Metrorail Bridge.  Although the vehicle was stuck, Kearney continued to attempt to move the vehicle forward and backwards and nearly struck a USMS deputy who had left his vehicle after the crash.  Fearing that Kearney would hit him the USMS deputy fired his service weapon, striking Kearney’s car.

Realizing that his efforts to dislodge the vehicle were unsuccessful, Kearney fled on foot and was apprehended by USMS deputies in a nearby creek bed.  Kearney told the arresting law enforcement officers that he had a firearm in his car.  USMS deputies searched the Crown Victoria and recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.  The Crown Victoria had been stolen in Prince George’s County three days earlier.  Kearney had been convicted previously in the District of Columbia Superior Court of robbery with a deadly weapon and in Prince George’s County, Maryland Circuit Court of carjacking and robbery, all of which were felonies.  Kearney knew that as a result of these felony convictions he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition

Kearney faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for April 22, 2021 at 12:00 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.  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 is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.        

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Marshals Service for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman, who is prosecuting this case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Adetubokun Adesioye age 45, formerly of Bladensburg, Maryland, to 153 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy.  Adesioye pleaded guilty to those federal charges in Maryland, which were part of two separate cases, on March 31, 2001, then fled the United States to Nigeria prior to sentencing.  Adesioye was a fugitive for 14 years before being arrested in 2019, as he arrived at JFK Airport in New York, New York. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. 

According to his plea agreement, from approximately March to June 2000, Adesioye conspired with four bank tellers to defraud financial institutions.  Specifically, co-conspirator Dawn Hall provided information to Adesioye about various bank accounts, then arranged for other tellers to issue fraudulent bank checks from accounts of unsuspecting victims and give the checks to Adesioye and his accomplices.  Co-conspirators then forged signature on and deposited the fraudulent checks at financial institutions.  After depositing the checks, co-conspirators withdrew, and attempted to withdraw funds from the accounts.  The total face value of the fraudulent checks was $194,209.67.  Adesioye provided payment to Hall for her participation in the scheme and Hall passed on payments to the other teller co-conspirators.  Upon learning that one of the tellers had been arrested, Adesioye advised the teller to tear up the fraudulent checks and to tell law enforcement she did not know the person who asked her to get the checks.

As further detailed in his plea agreement, in a separate bank fraud in approximately October 1999, Adesioye also personally obtained counterfeit checks drawn on financial institutions with forged signatures, then arranged for the checks to be deposited into the bank accounts of others who agreed to allow Adesioye to use their bank accounts.  After the counterfeit checks were deposited, Adesioye arranged to withdraw the funds.  The total face value of these checks was $170,250.

Adesioye committed both the bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy offenses while on supervised release for earlier convictions for bank fraud and assault on a federal officer in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Adesioye admitted that he fled to Nigeria prior to sentencing, where he remained a fugitive for more than 14 years.  On October 23, 2019, Adesioye was arrested at JFK Airport and stated to officers that he was aware of his outstanding arrest warrant.  Adesioye has been detained since his arrest in October 2019.                   

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Wine, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced David Gollahon, age 59, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 13 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the federal charges of armed bank robbery and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

According the his plea agreement, on January 23, 2019 and February 1, 2019, David Gollahon and his co-defendant, Richard Tingler, committed two armed bank robberies in Baltimore, with co-defendant Richard Adams serving as the getaway driver in each robbery.  During each of the robberies, Gollahon and Tingler brandished firearms and threatened victim bank employees.  

Specifically, on January 23, 2019, Adams drove Gollahon and Tingler in a gray Hyundai Accent car that he had rented two weeks earlier, to a bank located in the 3600 block of Boston Street in Baltimore.  Gollahon carried a loaded black .380-caliber firearm and Tingler carried a loaded black .45-caliber firearm and both men wore ski masks to disguise their identities.  Tingler also carried a black leather duffel bag.

After entering the bank, Tingler approached the victim teller, pointed his firearm at her and demanded $100 dollar bills and “loose bills” from the bottom drawer of the till.  Meanwhile, Gollahon held the other bank employees and customers at gunpoint in the lobby area of the bank.  He told the bank employees and customers, “don’t move.”  Tingler took more than $7,000 in cash from the victim teller.  Tingler and Gollahon then ran away, accidentally dropping $5,584 in cash as they ran through a parking lot.  They then got into the waiting gray Hyundai Accent car driven by Adams, and drove away

On February 1, 2019, Adams drove Tingler and Gollahon in a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo, which was registered to Adams, to a bank located in the 2900 block of O’Donnell Street in Baltimore.  Tingler and Gollahon each had the same firearm they had used in connection with the January 23, 2019 bank robbery, and their faces were covered.  After entering the bank, Tingler and Gollahon approached the teller window.  Tingler pointed his firearm at the teller and demanded $100 bills.  The victim teller handed over cash from the till, but Tingler continued to demand more money.  At the same time, Gollahon approached the teller line with his firearm pointed in the direction of the tellers and bank customers.  In response to the demands for more cash, the victim teller and a co-worker went to the bank’s vault and removed more cash, which they provided to Tingler and Gollahon, along with a GPS tracker, which was activated. 

Tingler and Gollahon then fled the bank and got into the 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by Adams, who was waiting for them.  Adams drove the Monte Carlo away from the bank.  Law enforcement received GPS information concerning the location of the GPS tracker taken from the bank, which they relayed to Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

BPD officers stopped the vehicle and, when the vehicle was stopped, the GPS tracker became stationary.  Adams, Tingler, and Gollahon were ordered out of the vehicle and arrested.  At the time of his arrest, Gollahon had the same firearm he used during the robbery on his person.  All were transported to the BPD Citywide Robbery Office. 

Law enforcement searched Adams’ 2006 Monte Carlo car and located in the vehicles’ front floor board was a blue backpack containing the cash taken in the robbery, the GPS tracker, and the .45-caliber firearm carried by Tingler during both bank robberies. 

Later that day, law enforcement searched Adams’ residence in Essex, Maryland and seized Gollahon’s gray hooded sweatshirt and the black leather duffel bag carried by Tingler during the January 23, 2019 robbery. 

Richard Tingler, age 56, of Baltimore and Richard Adams, age 60, of Essex, Maryland both pleaded guilty to their roles in the bank robberies.  Adams was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison on November 12, 2020.  Tingler is expected to be sentenced to up to 18 years in federal prison as his sentencing on January 19, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Chasanow.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced a member of the racially motivated violent extremist group “The Base” William Garfield Bilbrough IV, age 20, of Denton, Maryland, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Bilbrough pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport an alien and to transporting the alien, specifically, a fellow member of The Base.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

“Preserving our nation’s security against terrorist threats continues to be the Justice Department’s top priority.  Lives were saved due to the skill and dedication of law enforcement in this case.  William Bilbrough and his cohorts intended to inflict violence on the basis of their racist and hateful beliefs.  As long as violent extremists take steps to harm innocent people, we will continue to use all of the tools we have to prevent and deter them,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.

“Today's admission of guilt shows how far Mr. Bilbrough was willing to go to support extremist activity,” said Jennifer C. Boone Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “This investigation and the guilty plea underscores the continuing threat we face from domestic extremist groups. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain fully prepared to take actions necessary to safeguard our communities.”

According to his plea agreement, Bilbrough was a member of The Base, a racially motivated violent extremist group.  Since 2018, The Base has built a coalition of white supremacist members within the United States and abroad through, among other things, online chat rooms, in-person meetings, propaganda, and military-style training.  Bilbrough participated in a regional training camp conducted by members of The Base in Georgia from August 2 through August 4, 2019, including participating in tactical training and firearms drills.  Later that month, Bilbrough attended another Base training camp in a different state.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 30, 2019, Bilbrough and a co-conspirator traveled in the co-conspirator’s truck from Maryland to southern Michigan to pick up a member of The Base who had fled from Winnipeg, Canada and illegally entered the United States.  Bilbrough admitted that he knew the person they were picking up had entered the United States illegally and that they were picking him up in order to transport him to the East Coast where he could safely reside and continue his participation in The Base.  Bilbrough and his co-conspirator remained in Michigan for approximately two hours, after which all three men headed back east.  Bilbrough drove at least part of the time and was dropped off at his house in Maryland on the evening of August 31, 2019.  Bilbrough brought back a few souvenirs, including a flag for The Base and a book widely distributed in white nationalist circles.

Bilbrough acknowledged that on about October 30, 2019, Bilbrough’s co-conspirator picked him up at his Maryland residence and the two drove to Georgia to attend a training camp at the property of another member of The Base.  The illegal alien whom they had picked up in August was already residing at the Georgia property and also attended the training camp.  While in Georgia, on November 2, 2019, Bilbrough and his co-conspirator purchased approximately 1,550 rounds of 5.56 ammunition for $558.54.  Later that day, Bilbrough, his co-conspirator, and the illegal alien traveled from Georgia to Maryland, with Bilbrough driving at least part of the way.

As detailed in the plea agreement, as of November 2019, Bilbrough’s co-conspirator and the illegal alien lived at a residence in Delaware.  Bilbrough visited the Delaware residence on at least one occasion.  On December 21, 2019, Bilbrough arrived at the Delaware residence and handled an assault rifle that the illegal alien had constructed with the co-conspirator’s assistance and encouragement.  Bilbrough and the two men discussed an upcoming rally in Virginia, activities of The Base, and other members of the organization.  Bilbrough also discussed with them the manufacture of DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a controlled substance, and attempted to actually manufacture DMT.  Bilbrough stated that he may try to sell DMT to the people to whom he delivers pizza and stated that he knew DMT was illegal and that it was a felony to have DMT.

Bilbrough admitted that he knew the illegal alien had entered the United States to engage in subversive activity or other serious criminal activity, and had never disavowed that purpose while Bilbrough transported and otherwise interacted with the illegal alien.

Federal charges in Maryland and Delaware remain pending against two other alleged members of The Base, Brian Mark Lemley, age 34, of Elkton, Maryland, and Newark, Delaware; and Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews, age 28, most recently of Newark, Delaware.  Both defendants have motions pending and no trial date has been set.  The defendants remain detained.

United States Attorneys Robert K. Hur and David C. Weiss commended the FBI Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and ATF for their work in the investigation, and thanked U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland State Police, and the Delaware State Police for their assistance.  Mr. Hur and Mr. Weiss thanked their offices’ national security prosecutors, who are handling the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Robert Carl Diienno, age 32, formerly of Laurel, Maryland, to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for enticing three victims to travel in interstate commerce for the purposes of prostitution.  Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Diienno 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 Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least November 2016 through June 2017, Diienno acted as a pimp for Victim 1, and at other times for Victims 2 and 3, who were all adult women.  During that time, Diienno persuaded, enticed, induced, and coerced the victims to engage in a prostitution enterprise that included travel between Maryland and Washington, D.C., Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina in order to service “dates” in acts of prostitution.  The victims provided any money earned from the commercial sex to Diienno, including transferring payments electronically through Internet-based payment services, such as PayPal and Venmo.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Diienno and the victims resided at a residence in Laurel, which was used as a group home and the base of the enterprise.  “Meeting minutes” recovered from the house identify the location as “Duh ho house.”  Some of the meeting minutes are signed by one of the victims and include attendance at the meeting; a report on potential new recruits; and the “Comptroller’s Report” showing the amount earned by each of the victims related to their prostitution activities.  In the residence and on Diienno’s laptop law enforcement recovered documents titled, “ho Training Manual,” “ho Rules,” and “Pimp/ho Contract.”  The documents stated requirements that a “ho” submits to the control of the “Pimp,” including accepting any punishment the Pimp decides to inflict, with certain limitations, such as punishment must not incur permanent bodily harm, and must stop immediately if blood is drawn, among others.

A text exchange in late May 2017, between Diienno and Victim 3 demonstrated how Diienno coerced the victims.  When Diienno persuaded Victim 3 to “walk the streets” in Washington, D.C., Victim 3 claimed to be ill.  Diienno told Victim 3, “I care about seeing you become a strong ho and a strong person in general…Taking you home is what would show that I don’t care.  That would mean I don’t give a f*** about your development as a person.”

On June 1, 2017, Laurel Police Department was called to the residence for a disturbance at that location.  Victim 1 and Victim 3 were found hiding in a nearby treeline and reported that Diienno had assaulted Victim 1 when she refused to walk the streets.  Diienno was arrested.

During the subsequent investigation, two firearms belonging to Diienno were recovered from the Laurel residence.  At least one victim recalled seeing Diienno handle a firearm and was intimidated by that behavior.

This case was investigated by law enforcement agencies that are members of the Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force, part 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 Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.

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