District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Antoine Coles, age 33, of Baltimore, yesterday to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Coles pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. 

The guilty plea and sentence were 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 Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department. 

According to Coles’ plea agreement, on September 25, 2019, Baltimore Police officers on patrol in the 2100 block of West Lexington Street in Southwest Baltimore approached a group of men who were running a power line out of a vacant home.  Coles was sitting on a stoop nearby holding a marijuana blunt.  When an officer approached him to conduct a pat down, Coles stood up, clenched his right hand in a fist around his cell phone, and punched the officer in his jaw.

As detailed in his plea agreement, immediately after striking the officer, Coles ran away, dropping a spare magazine as he fled.  Coles was quickly apprehended by other officers.  While attempting to arrest Coles, detectives recovered a handgun from Coles’ waistband, loaded with 12 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, including a round in the chamber.  A search of Coles after his arrest recovered 11 blue-top vials, each containing cocaine.  Coles admitted that he intended to distribute the cocaine.                  

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Goldsticker, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Sarah Geddes Holmes, age 65, of Clinton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charges of embezzlement from a labor organization and bank fraud.  Holmes, who was the Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local Lodge 24, admitted that she embezzled $294,585.18 from the union. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and District Director Mark Wheeler of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor - Management Standards.

Between May 2015 and June 2018, Local 24 represented approximately 423 members, who worked for 10 different employers at Andrews Air Force Base.  Local 24 members paid monthly dues that were intended to fund legitimate union purposes, including bargaining with employers, litigating grievances, and providing any administrative support that Local 24 required to conduct its business.

According to her guilty plea, from May 2015 through June 2018, while Holmes was the Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local Lodge 24 (“Local 24”), she embezzled union funds by writing checks to herself, altering checks and entries in Local 24’s accounting software, and forging signatures.  One hundred thirty-eight checks were signed only by Holmes, in violation of Local 24’s bylaws, which require that funds disbursed from the union’s account via check be countersigned by the President of Local 24.  Holmes forged the second signature on 22 checks; and altered information in Local 24’s accounting software to fraudulently obtain 33 checks.  Additional, in order to fraudulently deposit the Local 24 checks, Holmes altered the check numbers on 14 checks, as well as altered the dates on four of those 14 checks and altered the amount on one of those 14 checks.  Finally, Holmes deposited one check twice—the second deposit being fraudulent.  In total, Holmes deposited 160 fraudulent checks, totaling $294,585.18.  Holmes deposited the checks into her personal checking account—primarily using a mobile application on her cellular phone.

Holmes used the fraudulently obtained union funds at casinos and to make personal purchases, including food, household goods, beauty supplies, online gaming, and other gambling-related charges. On 17 occasions, Holmes deposited fraudulent Local 24 checks, totaling $39,894.79 on the same day that her player card was used at Maryland Live! Casino.

As detailed in her plea agreement, in order to conceal her embezzlement, Holmes altered Local 24’s accounting software.  In some instances, Holmes to made it appear as though the checks Holmes wrote to herself were authorized for a legitimate union purpose.  In other instances, Holmes changed the amounts listed for some checks and/or changed the name of the payee or the memo attached to that check.  The false records in Local 24’s accounting software resulted in false reports that were filed by the union with the Department of Labor and signed by Holmes as Secretary-Treasurer.  On two occasions, on December 4, 2017, and April 23, 2018, Holmes returned a total of $30,000 to Local 24’s bank account.  However, Holmes continued embezzling union funds by writing checks to herself during and after she made these deposits.

As part of her plea agreement, Holmes will be required to forfeit and pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s losses, which is at least $264,585.18.

Holmes faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for embezzlement from a labor organization and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor - Management Standards for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Erin B. Pulice, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Jacob Leister, age 29, of Glenville, Pennsylvania, to 51 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Leister pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and Alprazolam.  Chief Judge Bredar also ordered Leister to forfeit $15,400 in the form of a money judgment, which represents the net proceeds of his sale of drugs to an undercover officer.

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; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Anne Arundel County Interim Police Chief William Lowry.

According to his guilty plea, from December 2018 through September 2019, Leister sold purported prescription pills to an undercover law enforcement officer on several occasions.  As a result of these sales, Leister distributed at least 56 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and 708 pills containing Alprazolam.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on three occasions between December 18, 2018 and February 7, 2019, Leister sold the undercover officer a total of 600 pills purported to be Alprazolam.  In fact the pills were found to contain flubromazolam, a substance similar to Alprazolam, but that is not a controlled substance.  Between May 13, 2019 and July 25, 2019, Leister sold the undercover officer 499 pills purported to be Oxycodone, which in fact contained fentanyl.  During that same timeframe, Leister sold the undercover officer 308 Alprazolam pills—that actually contained Alprazolam.  On September 9, 2019, Leister sold the undercover officer 400 suspected Alprazolam pills for $800.  The undercover officer paid Leister a total of $15, 400 for all of the pills.

On November 21, 2019, Leister sold the undercover officer a large quantity of suspected Alprazolam pills, and was then arrested by investigators.  A search warrant was executed at Leister’s residence that same day.  Law enforcement recovered a number of computers.  Subsequent searches of the computers revealed information and photographs about bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and cryptocurrency exchanges; information about dark web marketplaces, where individuals can purchase drugs, among other things.  Law enforcement also recovered a pump action tactical-style shotgun, two rifles, and another hunting-style shotgun, in addition to ammunition and magazines for the firearms.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Justin Antoine, a/k/a Justo, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Southwest Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to the federal charges of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and to discharging a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  In addition to the murder, Antoine admitted to being part of a shoot-out where a bystander was shot.

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; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Federal, state, and local law enforcement are working together to target members of violent drug gangs operating in Baltimore City,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Justin Antoine’s activities demonstrate how this drug trafficking organization brought danger to our community through the deadly combination of guns and drugs.  Now Justin Antoine likely faces at least 20 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”  

“Today’s guilty plea represents how law enforcement agencies are working together in the state of Maryland to target and dismantle violent street gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone.  “The citizens of Maryland have the FBI’s commitment that we will work with our local, state and federal partners to attack these dealers and remove violent criminals from their neighborhoods.” 

According to his plea agreement, from at least April 2018 through January 2019, Antoine participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around the Edmondson Village neighborhood of southwest Baltimore.  The DTO sold heroin and crack cocaine on a daily basis in street-level quantities.  Antoine regularly sold heroin and crack cocaine, which he obtained from other members of the DTO.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on several occasions in early 2018, individuals in the Edmondson Village robbed Antoine, stealing drugs, drug proceeds, and a cell phone that Antoine used to communicate with drug customers. 

Antoine admits that on May 8, 2018, he sought out victim “J.D.” because Antoine believed J.D. was one of the participants in these robberies.  Antoine was armed with a loaded pistol and went to the Mary Rodham Recreation Center.  Once at the location, Antoine walked up to J.D. and shot him two times in the head, killing J.D.  Antoine acknowledged that this was an intentional killing and occurred during and in relation to his drug trafficking activities.  Following the murder of J.D., Antoine continued to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.  In November 2018, Antoine was standing on the block where he frequently distributed drugs when a vehicle operated by friends of J.D. arrived.  At least one occupant of that vehicle fired a gun at Antoine.  Antoine was armed with a handgun and shot back at the vehicle.  During this exchange of gunfire, a bystander was struck by gunfire.

Law enforcement arrested Antoine on January 10, 2019, as he was traveling to work.  Investigators seized a loaded firearm and heroin from Antoine.  Antoine admits that he possessed the heroin with the intent to distribute the drugs.

Antoine and the government have agreed that, if the court accepts the plea, Antoine will be sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Antoine on March 18, 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 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 FBI, the ATF, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Michael Goldsticker, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Maryland lawyer Jeremy Schulman, age 45, of Bethesda, Maryland, on federal charges for wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracies, and three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of bank fraud, and four counts of money laundering, in connection with his alleged participation in a scheme to defraud financial institutions of more than $12.5 million that was held on behalf of the Somali government.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

 The 11-count indictment alleges that from 2009 to 2014, Schulman conspired with others to fraudulently obtain control of financial assets held on behalf of the Somali Government around the world and enrich himself and his co-conspirators by taking a portion of those assets in fees and expenses.  To effectuate this scheme, Schulman and others allegedly created false documents regarding Schulman’s authority to recover assets on behalf of the Somali government.  Schulman presented these allegedly false documents to a federally insured bank and other institutions.  In addition to using forged and fraudulent documents, Schulman also allegedly made material misrepresentations and concealed material information from these banks and institutions regarding his authority to act on behalf of the Somali government.

As a result of this scheme, Schulman, his co-conspirators, and the law firm where Schulman was a shareholder ultimately obtained control of approximately $12.5 million of frozen Somali funds.  Schulman caused his law firm to improperly retain more than $3.3 million of the Somali funds while remitting the rest to the Somali government.  Schulman received hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional compensation from his law firm based on the revenue from the scheme, and allegedly engaged in further fraud and money laundering to cause a portion of the funds retained by his law firm to be wired to accounts for the benefit of his co-conspirators. 

If convicted, Schulman faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud.  Schulman also faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy and for each count of money laundering.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Schulman is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, on Monday, December 7, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If you believe you are a victim of this offense, please call (888) 549-3945 or visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/victim-witness-program.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney David Salem and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Trial Attorneys Jason Manning and Amy Markopoulos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, who are prosecuting the case.

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UPDATE: On Aug. 30, 2024, the court granted the United States' motion to dismiss the charges announced in the press release below.

A Maryland lawyer was charged in an 11-count indictment for his alleged role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain control of more than $12.5 million that was held by financial institutions on behalf of the Somali government, to improperly take part of those funds for fees and expenses, and to launder a portion of those funds to accounts for the benefit of his co-conspirators.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly Jackson of the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

Jeremy Schulman, 47, of Bethesda, Maryland, was charged in an indictment filed in the District of Maryland with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud; three counts of wire fraud; one count of mail fraud; one count of bank fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and four counts of money laundering. 

The indictment alleges that from 2009 to 2014, Schulman conspired with others to fraudulently obtain control of financial assets held on behalf of the Somali government around the world and enrich himself and his co-conspirators by taking a portion of those assets in fees and expenses. 

To effectuate this scheme, Schulman and others allegedly created false documents regarding Schulman’s authority to recover assets on behalf of the Somali government.  Schulman presented these allegedly false documents to a federally insured bank and other institutions.  In addition to using forged and fraudulent documents, Schulman also allegedly made material misrepresentations and concealed material information from these banks and institutions regarding his authority to act on behalf of the Somali government. 

As a result of this scheme, Schulman, his co-conspirators, and the law firm where Schulman was a shareholder ultimately obtained control of approximately $12.5 million of frozen Somali funds.  Schulman caused his law firm to improperly retain more than $3.3 million of the Somali funds while remitting the rest to the Somali government.  Schulman received hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional compensation from his law firm based on the revenue from the scheme, and allegedly engaged in further fraud and money laundering to cause a portion of the funds retained by his law firm to be wired to accounts for the benefit of his co-conspirators.  

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If you believe you are a victim of this offense, please visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/victim-witness-program or call (888) 549-3945.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Washington D.C. Field Office.  Trial Attorneys Jason Manning and Amy Markopoulos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner and Senior Litigation Counsel David Salem of the the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance in this matter.

The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters.  Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

Baltimore – A federal grand jury today returned a third superseding indictment charging eight defendants with federal charges related to a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically fentanyl and/or heroin in Washington County, Maryland.  The third superseding indictment adds two additional defendants.  The third superseding indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to distribute enough fentanyl to kill at least 600,000 people, and possessed firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.  The following defendants are charged in the third superseding indictment:

Christopher Scott Benton, a/k/a Brisco, age 30, of Hagerstown, Maryland; Jarvis Antonio Coleman-Fuller, age 32, of Hagerstown; Sirage Ekwan Carter Delaney, a/k/a Drama, age 41, of Hagerstown; Eric Tyrell Johnson, a/k/a E, age 36, of Owings Mills, Maryland; Michael Eugene Lyles, a/k/a Big Mike, age 45, of Frederick, Maryland; Jeroam Edwin Nelson, Jr., a/k/a Boob, age 30, of Hagerstown; Thamar J. Smith, a/k/a SK and Skoal, age 46, of Hagerstown; and
Philander Alexander Spruill, a/k/a Buddha, age 28, of Hagerstown.           

The third superseding indictment 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; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore; Chief Paul “Joey” Kifer of the Hagerstown Police Department; and Washington County State’s Attorney Charles P. Strong, Jr..

According to the 14-count indictment, beginning in about April 2019 and continuing to about September 2019, the defendants conspired to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl in the Washington County area.  During the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized narcotics, including at least 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, four firearms and ammunition, and at least $16,223 in cash.  All of the defendants are charged with being members of the conspiracy.  Smith, Johnson, Spruill, Nelson, and Coleman-Fuller are charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and/or heroin; Johnson, Spruill, Nelson, and Coleman-Fuller are charged with being felons in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition; Spruill and Coleman-Fuller are charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and Coleman-Fuller is charged with possession of body armor by a violent felon.

If convicted, Benton, Nelson, and Spruill face a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for the drug charges; Coleman-Fuller, Delaney, Johnson, Lyles, and Smith all face a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in federal prison and up to 40 years in prison for the drug charges; Coleman-Fuller, Nelson, and Spruill each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for being felons in possession of firearms and/or ammunition; Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Coleman-Fuller and Spruill face a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence, and up to life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Coleman-Fuller also faces a maximum of three years in federal prison for possession of body armor by a violent felon.  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. 

No initial appearance has been scheduled for Delaney and Lyles. 

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. 

Edward Melvin Ware, a/k/a Eddie, age 33, of Edgewater, Maryland and his twin brother, Tyler Lee Ware, a/k/a Bugsy, age 33, of Hagerstown, who were charged in the second superseding indictment, have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Edward Ware pleaded guilty today and his brother pleaded guilty on October 28, 2020.

According to their plea agreements, from at least April 2019 through November 2019, the Wares were members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in Hagerstown and elsewhere, distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl and heroin, which DTO members acquired from sources of supply in Baltimore, New York City, and Mexico.  DTO members, including Tyler Ware, also possessed firearms and ammunition in furtherance of their drug trafficking activity.

In June 2019, the Washington County Narcotics Task Force learned that the Wares were two of the primary retail distributors of narcotics for the DTO and were being supplied by at least three different wholesalers associated with the DTO.  Law enforcement officers witnessed Tyler Ware and Edward Ware engaging in drug-related transactions with two of their wholesale suppliers and overheard numerous conversations with DTO members during which they discussed suppliers, types, amounts, and prices of narcotics; the locations, size, and pace of narcotics transactions; and the storage and disposition of narcotics, proceeds, and distribution paraphernalia.

As detailed in his plea agreement, between June 13 and June 23, 2019, Eddie Ware was overheard discussing plans to sell at least 23 grams of fentanyl and discussing at least $7,475 in narcotics proceeds.  During the same time frame, Tyler Ware was overheard discussing plans to sell at least 55 grams of fentanyl and at least $3,925 in narcotics proceeds.  It was reasonably foreseeable to the Wares that the conspiracy would involve—during this 10-day period alone—at least 94 grams of fentanyl.

The Wares face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy.  U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for Edward on March 9, 2021 and for Tyler on February 16, 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 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.    

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, HSI, the Washington County Narcotics Task Force, and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Christina A. Hoffman, who are prosecuting this case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Howard Ware, age 42, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a fraud scheme to steal more than $233,000 from his employer and another business. 

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, Ware admitted that between March 18, 2018 and July 20, 2018, he stole over $233,040 from his employer and from a trucking business by submitting more than 2,118 fraudulent invoices for services that were not actually performed.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Ware was an employee of Business 1, an environmental services company that operated a facility in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to treat contaminated material.  As part of his job, Ware was supposed to coordinate the hauling of materials to and from the facility with trucking companies, including Business 2, a trucking company based in Charlotte Hall, Maryland.  Business 1 frequently hired Business 2 to haul material between the Upper Marlboro treatment facility and another facility that it operated.  Business 2 would hire subcontractors to haul material on Business 2’s behalf.

In early 2018, Business 1 had an exceptionally large amount of material that needed to get moved from Facility 1.  Ware coordinated with Business 2 to purportedly provide trucks to assist Business 2 with the additional hauling, working as subcontractors for Business 2 in order to help Business 2 haul Business 1’s material.  In fact, Ware did not have a trucking business and never intended to provide any trucks or hauling services to Business 2.  Ware simply offered his services as a way to embezzle funds from Business 1, because he intended to bill Business 2 for services that Ware never provided.

Business 1 was not aware of Ware’s arrangement with Business 2.  Neither Business 1 nor Business 2 were able to monitor whether Ware actually performed any of the hauling services, since Ware alone was coordinating the trucks going and coming to the Upper Marlboro facility.  Between at least March 18, 2018 and July 20, 2018, Ware invoiced Business 2 more than 2,000 times for services that were never performed.  Business 2, in turn, invoiced Business 1.  Business 1 paid Business 2, and Business 2 paid Ware, depositing $233,040 in bank accounts that Ware controlled.  Ware then used the money to pay his personal expenses.

As part of his plea agreement, Ware will be required to forfeit and to pay restitution in the amount of $233,040.

Ware faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for 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.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for February 26, 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. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, who is prosecuting the federal case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Ryan Odell Oliver, a/k/a Dre, Fame, and Foreign, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, 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.  

The indictment 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); Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

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 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.

The indictment alleges that Oliver and the co-conspirator took sexually explicit photographs of the victims which they used in online advertising websites, and listed a telephone number where the victims could be reached for a “date” or a commercial sex act.  Oliver and others used a cellular phone to field responses to the online advertisements.  At some point during the conspiracy Oliver physically assaulted the victims, including forced sexual intercourse or other sex acts, striking them with his hands, choking them, and displaying a firearm to them.  Oliver also allegedly burned Victim 1 with lit cigarettes.  Oliver and his co-conspirator transported the women from Maryland to other states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, and South Carolina, where they were directed to meet with sex customers for prostitution.  On at least one occasion the conspirators used a ride-sharing application to transport Victim 2.

According to the indictment, Oliver and others used various means to coerce the victims’ continued participation in the prostitution enterprise, including establishing “rules” governing the behavior of the victims.  As to Victim 1, Oliver also established a “quota” for profit from the prostitution dates that Victim 1 had to attain, withheld food from Victim 1, and required Victim 1 to obtain a tattoo bearing Oliver’s aliases “Fame” and “Foreign.”  Oliver also allegedly assaulted others in front of Victim 2 and gave unknown controlled substances to Victim 2.

The indictment also charges Oliver with sex trafficking Victim 3 and alleges that Oliver assaulted or threatened to physically assault Victim 3 to coerce her continued participation in the prostitution enterprise, including forced sexual intercourse or sexual acts, striking Victim 3 with his hands, throwing objects at her, displaying a firearm to Victim 3, and giving controlled substances to Victim 3.  Oliver also allegedly transported Victim 3 to Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere to engage in prostitution. 

Finally, the indictment alleges that Oliver illegally possessed 54 9mm cartridges and five 7.62 x 39mm cartridges, which Oliver knew he was prohibited from possessing due to a previous felony conviction.

Oliver’s co-conspirator died in Ohio in March 2019.

If convicted, Oliver faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison for each count of sex trafficking; a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiracy related to interstate prostitution; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each count of two counts of interstate transportation for prostitution and for each of two counts of enticement to travel interstate for the purposes of prostitution; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of 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.  Oliver is currently serving a state sentence for rape and will have an initial appearance on the federal charges at a later date.

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. 

This case was investigated by law enforcement agencies that are members of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders.  Members include federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members.  For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form.  Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation and thanked the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department and the Lexington, Kentucky Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Hur 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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Baltimore, Maryland – Nicholas Milano White, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charges of conspiracy to steal mail, emergency benefits fraud, and aggravated identity theft. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

“It is crucial that funds available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act go to those who have been hardest hit by this global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “My office and the entire law enforcement community are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who are stealing taxpayer funds and preying on citizens during this unprecedented public health crisis to personally benefit by stealing victims’ money and personal identifying information.”

According to his guilty plea, between October 2019 and June 2020, White conspired to and engaged in various fraud schemes, theft of mail, counterfeiting of U.S. currency, production and possession of false identification documents and credit profiles, unemployment insurance fraud, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

White admits that on October 11, 2019, he submitted a fraudulent application for financing to purchase a 2016 Maserati Ghibli vehicle.  The credit application listed a false social security number for White and false employment and income information for White and his co-applicant.  White also arranged to have fake paystubs created for attachment to the credit application as verification of his income.  As a result, White secured financing of $30,227 to purchase the vehicle.

As detailed in his plea agreement, in February and March 2020, White devised schemes to defraud banks and to steal money from individuals by negotiating checks stolen from the United States mail.  White and his co-conspirators, at White’s direction, stole mail from collection boxes in the Baltimore area.  White then altered the stolen checks and deposited them into bank accounts he controlled and that had been opened for that purpose.  On March 8, 2020, law enforcement was able to monitor the movements of White and his co-conspirators through a GPS tracking device installed in a parcel stolen from the collection box at the Rosedale Post Office in Baltimore County.  The conspirators’ movements were tracked to several other post offices and collection boxes in Baltimore County where they continued to steal mail.  When Baltimore County Police officers approached, the conspirators fled in a white sedan registered to one of White’s co-conspirators.  Officers located the van in a residential area of Pikesville, Maryland.  The vehicle was unoccupied and gloves, trash bags, and approximately 358 pieces of unprocessed U.S. mail were on the ground outside the vehicle.  Law enforcement found and arrested White at a nearby location with a co-conspirator and seized cell phones and USB storage devices from White.  White was released from custody following his arrest.  There were at least 136 postal customers whose mail was stolen.  Approximately 48 victims reported that their stolen mail contained bank checks or other financial instruments totaling $48,938 in value.

A search warrant was subsequently executed on the cell phones and other electronic media seized from White.  The cell phones contained text messages about White creating fake credit profiles and false identification documents for himself and others, and conducting fraudulent bank transactions, as well as the personal identifying information (PII) of identity theft victims.  White’s phones also contained credit card “dumps,” lists of sensitive information pertaining to at least 1,100 credit cards issued to other persons that could be used to create counterfeit copies of the cards.  White had downloaded these lists from websites that illegally marketed and distributed them.  White’s cell phones also revealed Internet searches for business and personal check refills, a credit card dump website and a personal data broker website, and photos of numerous stolen checks, among other things.  Law enforcement also recovered text messages in which White negotiated prices for the purchase of multiple firearms.  A search of White’s USB devices recovered images of U.S. currency in various denominations, which White admitted were used and/or intended to produce counterfeit U.S. currency.  In at least one exchange of text messages, White attempted to sell $5,000 of counterfeit currency to another person, at one point claiming that he had purchased firearms with counterfeit currency.

Following White’s release from custody in March 2020, he continued to engage in fraud by submitting a false claim for Florida state unemployment benefits through the Internet in the name of a real person, using the victim’s personal information, but providing a false mailing address in Baltimore.  As a result of this false application, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) issued at least two checks payable to the victim totaling $875 and mailed them to the Baltimore address.  The victim, a resident of Florida was later contacted by Florida DEO and confirmed that the claim had been submitted without her knowledge or permission.

In addition, on a date no earlier than May 1, 2020, White unlawfully acquired an Economic Impact Payment (EIP) check issued by the U.S. Treasury and authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The EIP check, in the amount of $2,900, was intended for the benefit of M.H. and M.I., a married couple residing in Maryland.  The EIP check had been placed in the mail and addressed to the former home address of the couple in Baltimore.  On June 23, 2020, White fraudulently negotiated the stolen check by endorsing it with the forged signature of M.H. and depositing it into a bank account fraudulently opened on June 14, 2020, in M.H.’s name and using his social security number and date of birth. 

On June 24, 2020, law enforcement executed search warrants at White’s residence and at another address used by White, and conducted a consent search of a storage unit used by White, all in Baltimore.  Law enforcement recovered the following items:  the stolen EIP check issued to M.H. and M.I.; two fake driver’s licenses listing M.H.’s name and former address, but each displaying a different person’s face; two debit cards issued in the name of M.H.; stolen mail pieces and sensitive financial documents belonging to multiple victims; several blank checks issued for a trust account; numerous fake photo identification cards; counterfeit U.S. currency; fraudulently altered money orders; credit and debit cards displaying different names, at least one of which was determined to be counterfeit; equipment used to print counterfeit currency, create counterfeit credit cards, and fabricate false identification cards, as well as check stock intended to fabricate blank checks and money orders; a .45-caliber pistol; a 9mm pistol with a 50-round-capacity magazine; two .223 caliber high-capacity magazines; and several rounds of ammunition.

Two cell phones and a desktop computer were seized and subsequently searched pursuant to federal search warrants.  One of the phones was found to contain notes listing individuals’ names and identifying information, including M.H., as well as a U.S. Postal Inspector who was involved in the investigation of White’s mail thefts and arrest on March 8, 2020.  Information stored on White’s desktop computer revealed a search of the Postal Inspector’s name on a personal data broker website on March 14, 2020, following White’s release from custody.

As part of his plea agreement, White will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties have stipulated is no more than $50,000.  In addition, White will forfeit his interest in the following items seized during searches in March and June 2020: firearms, ammunition, and firearms magazines; laptop and desktop computers; cell phones; electronic storage devices; blank plastic cards with magnetic strips and/or chips; blank checks and check stock; printers; embossing machines; and magnetic stripe reader/writers or encoders.          

White and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, White will be sentenced to between five and eight years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. 

Charges remain pending against two co-conspirators, Dominic Jerry Robinson, age 26, of Baltimore, and Cedric Jonathan McNeal-Parker, age 29, of Randallstown, Maryland.  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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting the federal case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Correctional Officer Janel Griffin, age 41, of Baltimore, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a federal racketeering charge related to her participation in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the Maryland Correctional Institute Jessup (MCIJ), including narcotics, unauthorized flash drives, tobacco, and cell phones. 

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 Secretary Robert L. Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

“This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate employees in positions of trust violating their oaths.  Janel Griffin will now serve more than two years in federal prison—where there is no parole, ever.  Federal, state, and local officials will continue to work together to root out corrupt employees and others who undermine the administration of justice at our prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.

According to court documents, MCIJ was a medium-security prison in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, that housed approximately 1,100 male inmates, with 262 custody staff or Correctional Officers (COs) and 52 non-custody staff, including case management, medical, and administrative staff.

According to her plea agreement, Griffin smuggled contraband into MCIJ for at least inmate Corey Alston, including narcotics and tobacco.  At Alston’s direction, Griffin met with co-conspirator facilitators, including Tyirisha Johnson, to receive contraband as well as bribe payments.  Recorded jail calls between Alston and others confirm that between April 16 and August 14, 2017, Griffin met with Johnson or facilitator Ashley Alston on at least six occasions to obtain contraband and at least $2,800 in bribe payments.  Griffin smuggled the contraband, including Suboxone and Percocet, into MCIJ. 

Inmate Corey Alston previously pleaded guilty, admitting that he was a leader in the racketeering conspiracy.  As detailed in the plea agreement, Alston conspired with four outside facilitators—Tryishia  Johnson, Jamia Lawson, his sister, Ashley Alston, and his father, Aldon Alston—who obtained and packaged contraband, met with the correctional officers and employees to provide contraband and bribe payments, and managed the proceeds of illegal contraband sales for Alston.  According to his plea agreement, Griffin and another MCIJ employee brought the contraband into the prison for Alston, in exchange for bribe payments, and Alston conspired with another inmate, Schvel Mack, to sell the contraband to other inmates.  Alston was overheard by law enforcement on a series of recorded calls arranging for contraband to be smuggled into MCIJ and arranging payment for the contraband and for bribes.

In addition to Janel Griffin and Corey Alston, 12 other defendants—six outside facilitators, three prison employees, and three inmates—have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy, including Schvel Mack, Tyrishia Johnson, Jamia Lawson, Ashley Alston, and Aldon Alston.  Twelve defendants are awaiting sentencing and five defendants are pending trial.

This case arose from the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force, coordinated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and comprised of local, state, and federal stakeholders that meet regularly to share information and generate recommendations to reform prison procedures and attack the gang problem that has plagued Maryland in recent years.  The work of the Task Force previously resulted in the federal convictions of 77 defendants, including 16 correctional officers, at the Eastern Correctional Institution, and 40 defendants, including 24 correctional officers, at the Baltimore City Detention Center.  DPSCS staff initiated the MCIJ investigation and have been full partners in this investigation. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Perry and Sean R. Delaney, who are prosecuting this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – On November 24, 2020, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Lovell Patterson, age 40, of Baltimore, to 123 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Patterson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and with violating his supervised release from a previous federal felony drug conviction by committing these crimes. 

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.

“Lovell Patterson admitted that he sold fentanyl—an especially deadly drug, of which just two milligrams can kill you,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “But the organization he worked with also had guns to facilitate their drug dealing.  The primary focus of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force will continue to be violent DTOs, who bring misery to our streets both through the deadly drugs they import and sell, and through the guns that they wield.”  

According to Patterson’s plea agreement, from at least November 2019 through April 16, 2020, Patterson participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around the 1800 block of Penrose Avenue in West Baltimore.  The DTO sold fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine on a daily basis in street-level quantities.  During the time of the conspiracy, law enforcement overheard calls between Patterson and other DTO members, conducted surveillance on the DTO, purchased narcotics from DTO members—including Patterson—and executed multiple search warrants at locations used by the DTO to store and process narcotics.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Patterson obtained drugs from suppliers and had a co-conspirator combine drugs with adulterants and package the drugs.  Between February 4 and April 1, 2020, Patterson also personally sold fentanyl, fentanyl/heroin gel caps, and cocaine to an undercover officer.  For example, on March 2, 2020, Patterson sold an undercover officer six grams of fentanyl and 100 gel caps of a heroin-fentanyl mixture for $1,100.  During the conversation Patterson told the undercover officer that he was boss, but let another conspirator run the block.  Patterson and the undercover officer also discussed future purchases of drugs. 

On April 16, 2020, law enforcement executed search warrants at three houses used by the DTO to process narcotics.  During the searches, law enforcement recovered:  a loaded 9mm handgun and a fully loaded revolver; a total of $5,701 in cash; 332 grams of fentanyl; hundreds of gel caps; cutting agents; and drug paraphernalia, including gloves, sifters, and scales.

Patterson admitted that he supervised five or more members of the DTO and that he distributed, or knew the members of the conspiracy distributed or possessed with intent to distribute, at least 400 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine.

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks.  These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime.  The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey N. McCulley and Clinton J. Fuchs, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Fletcher M. Dorsett, Jr., age 52, pleaded guilty today to bank robbery, in connection with nine bank robberies and attempted robberies committed while on escape status from a halfway house and after his release, while he was on supervised release for a previous federal bank robbery conviction. 

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; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, Dorsett was previously convicted of federal bank robbery charges and sentenced to 96 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  In May of 2019, Dorsett was placed at a halfway house to serve the final portion of his sentence, in an effort to segue from the Bureau of Prisons to life in the community.  On July 25, 2019, Dorsett did not return to the halfway house and was placed in escape status.  Dorsett was subsequently arrested on a warrant relating to that escape on August 9, 2019, and held at Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia until he was released on September 24, 2019.Dorsett admitted that he robbed a bank in Baltimore on July 29, 2019, while he was on escape status.  After his arrest and release on September 24, 2019, Dorsett continued to rob banks in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, and Washington, D.C., and attempted to rob two other banks.  In all of these bank robberies, Dorsett used a note that threatened that he had a gun, and stole a total of more than $14,000. 

Specifically, on July 29, 2019, while on escape status, Dorsett robbed a bank in the 5000 block of Sinclair Lane in Baltimore.  Between September 26 and October 28, 2019, Dorsett robbed a bank in the unit block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW in Washington, D.C.; banks on North Calvert Street and West Baltimore Street in Baltimore; a bank on Bay Bridge Road in Annapolis; and banks on Campbell Boulevard and Honeygo Boulevard in Nottingham, Maryland.  On September 25 and 26, 2019, Dorsett attempted to rob a bank in the 9300 block of Lanham Severn Road in Lanham, Maryland and a bank in the 400 block of North Capitol Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C.  As Dorsett left the bank on Honeygo Boulevard in Nottingham on October 28, 2019, an off-duty police officer who happened to be in the bank pursued and detained him until on-duty Baltimore County Police Officers arrived and arrested him.

Dorsett agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to robbing the nine above-referenced banks in Maryland and Washington, DC.  Dorsett also identified himself in various bank surveillance images captured during the robberies.

Dorsett and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dorsett will be sentenced to 150 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for January 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, and the Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Annapolis, Prince George’s County and Metropolitan Police Departments for their work in the investigation and thanked the State’s Attorneys for Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, and Anne Arundel County, and the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who is prosecuting the federal case in Maryland.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland -- U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Saleem Abdul Muhammad, age 55, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for bank robbery.

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 Muhammad’s guilty plea and court documents, on July 15, 2019, Muhammad entered a bank in Oxon Hill, Maryland, approached the teller’s window, and stated “Give me my money.”  The victim teller advised Muhammad that he needed to provide his identification and debit card to withdraw money.  Muhammad became agitated and stated, “Give me the money, this is a robbery, I will shoot everyone out here.”  Fearing for her safety, the victim complied and provided Muhammad with $202 in cash with a GPS tracking device hidden inside.  Muhammad fled on foot. The GPS tracker led officers to a fast food restaurant located in the same shopping center as the bank.  The officers apprehended Muhammad and, after a review of surveillance footage showing Muhammad throwing something in the trash, recovered the GPS tracking device from the trash can. The $202 in cash was found on Muhammad’s person.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in these investigations.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Morgan and Burden Walker, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Trinesse Butts, age 37, of Parkville, Maryland, to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI).  The conspiracy included former correctional officers, inmates, and outside “facilitators,” like Butts, who paid bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison.  The sentence was imposed on November 23, 2020.

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 Secretary Robert Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

JCI was a maximum-security prison that housed approximately 1,800 male inmates, with approximately 423 Correctional Officers (COs).

According to her plea agreement, from at least 2017 until her arrest earlier this year, Trinesse Butts was romantically involved with a JCI inmate.  While her boyfriend was an inmate, Butts conspired with JCI COs, inmates, and other outside facilitators to smuggle contraband into JCI, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones, in order to enrich themselves and protect and expand their criminal operation.  According to the plea agreement and other court documents, COs accepted or agreed to accept payments from facilitators and/or inmates or engaged in sexual relations with inmates in exchange for smuggling contraband into JCI.  Inmates acted as both wholesalers and retailers of contraband and in the process made profits that far exceeded the profits that could be made by selling similar drugs on the street.  For example, conspirator inmates could purchase Suboxone strips for approximately $3 each and sell them inside JCI for approximately $50 each, or for a profit of more than 1,000 percent. 

As detailed in her plea agreement, Butts conspired with a JCI CO, her inmate boyfriend, and others to smuggle controlled substances, including Suboxone and K2, into JCI, then distribute the contraband to other inmates.  As part of the conspiracy, Butts made bribe payments to the CO and others.  In addition, Butts managed financial accounts used to collect the profits from the smuggling operation.  For example, Butts’ inmate boyfriend would routinely provide her with his customers’ reloadable prepaid debit card account numbers and instruct Butts to load their payments into accounts that Butts managed.

Three other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.  Eleven co-defendants are still facing charges. 

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.

The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, whose staff initiated the JCI investigation and have been full partners in this investigation. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Burden H. Walker and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting the case.

                                    # # #            

Baltimore, Maryland – Larry Michael Brown, age 62, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to three counts of using a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking conspiracy.  Three co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans.

According to his guilty plea, in November 2018, Brown was identified as a heroin supplier to Watson Patrick Bruce, a/k/a “Tree,” whom the DEA had been investigating for dealing large quantities of narcotics in Anne Arundel and Calvert counties.  During the course of the investigation, law enforcement overheard phone conversations between Brown and Bruce discussing the quality of narcotics supplied by Brown to Bruce.

For example, on February 27, 2019, Brown contacted Bruce to check on the quality of two batches of narcotics that Brown had provided to Bruce the previous day.  On March 1, 2019, Bruce contacted Brown to express his preference for a particular batch, based on customer feedback, which Brown and Bruce called interchangeably “classic” or “old school.”  Brown agreed to sell Bruce his preferred batch of narcotics in whatever amount he requested.  On March 12, 2019, Brown again reached out to Bruce to discuss the quality of drugs he’d provided to Bruce two days prior.

On March 15, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Brown’s residence and seized a digital scale with heroin residue.  Brown also consented to a search of his vehicle, where investigators found an additional scale with heroin residue.

Bruce, age 36, of Millersville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine, and related charges.  Bruce admitted that he committed these crimes while on supervised release for a previous federal felony drug conviction.  On March 15, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bruce’s residence and seized approximately 78 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl and 69 grams of fentanyl.  If the Court accepts his plea, Bruce is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for the drug case, and a consecutive year in prison for violating his federal supervised release.

Co-defendants Lawrence Michael Branch, age 34, of Odenton, Maryland, and Todd Rayshard Thomas, a/k/a “Little Man,” age 36, of Annapolis, Maryland, were identified during the investigation as assisting Bruce with the distribution of narcotics.  Thomas, who was on probation at the time for a previous state narcotics conviction, also assisted in collecting the proceeds of the drug dealing.  On March 15, 2019, Thomas dumped heroin down the bathroom toilet and sink as investigators executed a search warrant at his residence.  Meanwhile, Branch, fleeing in a vehicle from law enforcement, tossed small baggies containing heroin and fentanyl out of the window and dumped heroin and fentanyl out of the window.  Both pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy.  Branch was sentenced to five years in federal prison.  If the Court accepts his plea, Thomas is expected to be sentenced to seven years in federal prison.

Brown faces a maximum sentence of four years in federal prison for each of the three counts.  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 Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for Bruce and Brown on January 21, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.  Judge Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for Thomas on February 18, 2021, at 11:30 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 the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel and Prince George’s County Police Departments for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samika N. Boyd and Joseph R. Baldwin, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, returned an indictment today charging Temple Hills tax return preparer Anita Fortune, age 56, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and thirty-nine counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to the indictment, Anita Fortune used multiple names for her tax preparation business, including Tax Terminatorz, Inc.  For the tax years 2012 to 2018, Fortune, along with two co-conspirators, allegedly added fictitious or inflated itemized deductions and business losses to clients’ electronically filed federal income tax returns.  The indictment further alleges that although the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) revoked Fortune’s e-file privileges, Fortune continued to prepare tax returns for her clients by filing the returns using her co-conspirators’ business and personal identifiers.  Fortune allegedly provided money and office space in exchange for the use of her co-conspirators’ information.

If convicted, Fortune faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy count and 3 years for each false return count.  Fortune also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Attorney Hur and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended IRS-Criminal Investigation for its work in the investigation, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi and Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, returned an indictment today charging an Upper Marlboro tax return preparer with conspiracy to defraud the United States and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur.

According to the indictment, Anita Fortune provided tax preparation services under multiple business names, including Tax Terminatorz Inc. Fortune allegedly prepared and filed returns using co-conspirators’ electronic filing identification numbers and identifiers. In addition, Fortune allegedly provided money and office space in exchange for her co-conspirators’ electronic filing credentials. For the tax years 2012 to 2018, Fortune, along with her two co-conspirators, allegedly added fictitious or inflated itemized deductions and business losses to clients’ returns, which fraudulently reduced their tax liabilities and increased their refunds.

If convicted, Fortune faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and three years for each false return count. Fortune also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hur commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Lucian Bernard Jackson, age 53, of Greenbelt, Maryland, yesterday to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Judge Hazel also ordered Jackson to forfeit the $81,957 in cash, two firearms and ammunition seized from his residence during a search of his residence.  This case was the result of investigative efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

The sentence 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 Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Attorney General of Virginia Mark R. Herring.

“Drug traffickers must know that using a gun will lead to federal time, which has no parole—ever,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Lucian Jackson will now serve 10 years in federal prison.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove those who would deal drugs and commit violence from our community.”

According to his guilty plea, from June 2017 to September 2019, Jackson was a supplier of cocaine in and around the Maryland region, redistributing cocaine to local dealers.  For example, from October 2017 to September 2019, Jackson distributed approximately 500 grams of cocaine per week to a co-conspirator, with the transactions generally occurring at Jackson’s residence.  The co-conspirator then redistributed the cocaine to 30 or more customers.  The hierarchal distribution continued with the customers redistributing the cocaine around the region, including in the Eastern District of Virginia and in the District of Maryland.  In addition, Jackson occasionally purchased cocaine from other suppliers through the co-conspirator.  During one month, Jackson, through the co-conspirator, purchased approximately four kilograms of cocaine from another supplier.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jackson’s residence in Greenbelt, Maryland, on September 26, 2019, and recovered: $81,957 in cash; more than 700 grams of cocaine; a .45-caliber pistol and 54 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition; a 9mm pistol and 114 rounds of 9mm ammunition; and an additional $400 in cash recovered from Jackson’s person.  Jackson admitted that the cash from the residence and Jackson’s person were proceeds from his cocaine distribution.  Further, Jackson admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of a previous felony conviction.

Jackson was personally involved in the distribution of, or it was reasonably foreseeable to Jackson that his co-conspirators distributed, in furtherance of the conspiracy, at least 50 kilograms but less than 150 kilograms, of cocaine.

As agreed upon in Jackson’s plea agreement, now that Jackson has been sentenced, related charges filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia will be dismissed.

United States Attorneys Robert K. Hur and G. Zachary Terwilliger commended the ATF, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the Maryland investigation and thanked the DEA, the FBI Washington Field Office, the Arlington County Police Department, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the Alexandria Police Department for their work in the Virginia investigation.  Mr. Hur and Mr. Terwilliger thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden Walker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karolina Klyuchnikova, who prosecuted the Maryland and Virginia cases, respectively.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Charles Victor Kopfstein-Penk, age 75, of Bethesda, Maryland, to 54 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography.  As part of his plea agreement, Kopfstein-Penk was ordered to pay $144,000 in restitution to 35 victims.  Kopfstein-Penk, a music teacher who gave lessons out of his home, pleaded guilty to the federal charge on February 10, 2020. 

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) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

According to his plea agreement, on March 5, 2019, Maryland State Police were conducting an investigation on an online peer-to-peer network for individuals sharing and downloading child pornography.  An IP address associated with Kopfstein-Penk’s residence was requesting blocks of suspected child pornography files. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, on May 21, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Kopfstein-Penk’s residence.  Kopfstein-Penk was present and agreed to speak to officers at the scene.  Kopfstein-Penk admitted to using file-sharing software for approximately 10 years to download child pornography from the Internet and stated that he had been collecting child pornography files for over 20 years.  An on-scene preview of a computer located in Kopfstein-Penk’s office revealed over 400,000 files of suspected child pornography.  Kopfstein-Penk directed law enforcement to five external hard drives that he also used to store child pornography.  A subsequent forensic analysis of the computer and external storage media revealed that Kopfstein-Penk possessed over 1,126,000 images and over 6,800 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and some material involving the portrayal of sadistic or masochistic conduct against children. 

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, the Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev Raghavan and Timothy Hagan, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Davon Owens, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2020, to possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.  Owens was a member of the Gregory Butler Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) which distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.   

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; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from at least November 2018 through April 3, 2019, Owens participated in the DTO, taking custody of narcotics that he would then store in his house in Baltimore.  When the DTO needed to re-supply street-level drug distributors, Owens would provide the narcotics to a supervisor in the DTO.

As detailed in his plea agreement, law enforcement intercepted communications where Owens discussed the storage and movement of large quantities of heroin.  On April 3, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Owens’ residence in the 700 block of Denison Street in Baltimore, and recovered a duffle bag containing over one kilogram of heroin, and a loaded 9mm pistol.  Owens admitted that he possessed the heroin with the intent to distribute and that he possessed the firearm during and in relation to the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Owens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.  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 Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2021, at 2:00 p.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 FBI, the DEA, the Montgomery County and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the City of Rockville Police Department; the Baltimore County, Howard County, and Montgomery County Police Departments; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Maryland State Police; the West Virginia State Police; the Virginia State Police; the Warren County (VA) Sheriff’s Department; the Winchester (VA) and Front Royal (VA) Police Departments; and the Frederick County and Howard County State’s Attorney’s Offices.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Michael Goldsticker, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment late yesterday charging James Dale Reed, age 42, of Frederick, Maryland, on the federal charge of threats to a major candidate for President or Vice President—specifically, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris.  Reed is currently in state custody and a federal warrant has been lodged as a detainer to ensure his appearance in U.S. District Court at a future date.  A federal criminal complaint for the same charge was filed against Reed on October 21, 2020.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.

“We take these types of threats extremely seriously.  The right to vote and peacefully support the candidate of your choice are bedrocks of our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Alleged conduct like this that threatens major candidates and fellow citizens only undermines our democracy and the principles upon which America was founded.  We will hold accountable those who seek to intimidate, harass or dissuade Americans from exercising their right to vote.”

According to the single-count indictment and court documents, on October 4, 2020, a letter threatening candidates for President and Vice President—specifically, former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris—with physical harm and execution, was left on the doorstep of a resident in Frederick in the early hours of the morning.  The resident had several signs in the yard supporting the candidates threatened in the letter.  The likeness of the subject delivering the letter was captured by a door camera. 

 If convicted, Reed faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. 

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 U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the Frederick Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Joan C. Mathias, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – David Annor, age 27, and Lesley Annor, age 22, both of Gaithersburg, Maryland, were arrested on November 16, 2020, on the federal charge of money laundering, in connection with an alleged romance scheme in which the participants in the scheme induce their victims, often people who are elderly and isolated, to send money to other co-conspirators based on romantic assertions and other misrepresentations, including promises to travel to the United States to unite with the victims.  The Annors allegedly received and laundered the payments from the victims. 

The federal charge was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew S. Miller of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “The criminal complaint charges that these defendants were part of a conspiracy that stole from many vulnerable and elderly victims from around the world, defrauding them through lies and laundering the funds internationally.  The deceit used to steal from these victims was heartless.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who prey upon the elderly. We will continue our outreach efforts to make the public aware of scams and frauds targeting elderly victims and encourage anyone who believes they may be a victim to contact the Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the Annors are part of a romance scheme in which their co-conspirators find their victims online, typically through social media or dating websites, and communicate with the victims using e-mail, cell phones and online applications.  The complaint alleges that since April 2017, the brothers and another co-conspirator have received and laundered over $5 million from approximately 200 romance fraud victims throughout the United States and overseas.  The age range of the known victims is from 38 to 83 years old.

Specifically, the affidavit alleges that David registered a business entity in the State of Maryland called Ravid Enterprise LLC, a shell company through which the conspirators laundered the proceeds of the fraud scheme.  According to the articles of organization, Ravid Enterprise is “a car sale business where buyers come in to get cars which are from the auction.” David is listed as the resident agent for the company and his Gaithersburg residence—which is an apartment—is the registered address of the company.  Bank records show that between at least May 2017 and September 2020, David and Lesley Annor opened or maintained bank accounts at 10 different financial institutions, including accounts opened in the name of Ravid Enterprise, for the purpose of receiving payments from victims of the romance scheme.

As detailed in the criminal complaint, the Annors’ co-conspirators made contact with the victims and after convincing the victims that they were in a romantic relationship, requested money from the victims for various purposes, often assuring the victims that they would be repaid.  The co-conspirators provided the victims with details on where to send the payments, which were accounts controlled by the Annors or another co-conspirator, or their mailing address, where victims would mail cashier’s checks.  The eight victims described in the criminal complaint each allegedly lost between $17,500 and $201,000.

The criminal complaint alleges that after receiving the victim payments, the Annors sent a portion of the money to other co-conspirators, often located in Ghana, and kept at least 10 percent of the victim payments for themselves.  The Annors also allegedly laundered the victim payments by sending each other wires, checks, and possibly cash.

If convicted, David and Lesley Annor each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for money laundering.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  David and Lesley Annor had initial appearances and detention hearings in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt and U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day ordered that they both be detained 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. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Leah B. Grossi, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging four Baltimore men on the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and a fifth man with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The superseding indictment, which was returned on November 18, 2020, adds three new defendants and nine new counts.  Charged in the indictment are:

                        Ronald Alexander, age 50;                         Mark Brinkley, age 51;                         Thomas Corey Crosby, age 51;                         Joseph McClean, age 49; and
                        Mark McCoy, age 53.

The indictment 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 the 10-count indictment, from at least May 2020 through August 14, 2020, Alexander, Brinkley, Crosby, and McClean conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine.  According to court documents, Alexander participated in the conspiracy while he was employed by the Safe Streets program in Baltimore City.  McClean allegedly distributed controlled substances, including fentanyl and heroin on five occasions between July 1 and July 30, 2020.  Brinkley allegedly possessed with the intent to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin, 40 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine.  Finally, on August 14, 2020, McCoy allegedly possessed a .40-caliber pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, specifically, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.  As stated in the superseding indictment, McCoy had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

If convicted, as a result of previous federal felony convictions, Alexander and Crosby face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the drug conspiracy.  Brinkley and McClean each face a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison for the conspiracy.  McClean also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of five counts of distribution of controlled substances.  Brinkley and McCoy face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and McCoy also faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Finally, as a result of a previous federal conviction on the same charge, McCoy faces a mandatory 25 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and up to life in prison, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties and 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 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore has not yet been scheduled.  Alexander and Crosby remain detained.  Brinkley and McCoy are in state custody on related charges.

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. 

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.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Henry Lee Kenner II, age 43, of Alexandria, Virginia, to 150 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for kidnapping and witness tampering. 

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 Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to Kenner’s plea agreement, on June 8, 2019, Kenner, dressed in black, drove from Virginia to the home of the victim in Prince Frederick, Maryland, and asked to speak with the victim.  An argument ensued and Kenner struck the victim with his fist and cut her hand with a knife, then forcibly removed the victim from her home, without her consent.  Kenner continued to assault the victim as he took her to his car and put her in the passenger seat.  A witness who saw some of these events stated that Kenner threatened to kill the victim if she opened the door when Kenner was walking around the car to the driver’s seat.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Kenner drove the vehicle from Calvert County through Charles and Prince George’s County, and continued to assault and yell at the victim.  At one point, a Trooper from the Maryland State Police called Kenner on his cellular phone and asked that he return with the victim to her residence.  Kenner indicated that he would do so, but instead continued across the state line, into Virginia.  Kenner then pulled over and disposed of the knife.  Eventually, Kenner dropped the victim off at a hospital where she was treated for her injuries.  Kenner ultimately turned himself in to the Maryland State Police.

In October 2019, Kenner was charged federally in Maryland for kidnapping.  In December 2019, while in federal custody awaiting trial, Kenner attempted to persuade an individual, in exchange for money, to arrange for the killing of the victim so that she would be unable to testify against him.  Kenner provided the victim’s personal identifying information to the individual so that it could be used to locate and kill the victim.  The individual did not execute the plan and no money changed hands.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation and thanked the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Morgan, Jr. and Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Steven Jerome, age 33, of Leonardtown, Maryland, today to 150 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the federal charge of distribution of fentanyl.  Jerome acknowledged that his distribution of fentanyl resulted in the death of two victims.    

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron; and Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Steven Jerome knew that the fentanyl he was distributing killed someone and still went on to distribute fentanyl to his own mother, killing her, too.  He’s now sentenced to 12½ years in federal prison.  Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in deadly fentanyl increases their odds of prosecution in federal court, where there are no suspended sentences and no parole—ever.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop the tragic deaths resulting from opioid overdoses.”

According to his plea agreement, Jerome and his co-defendant, Rodney Coby, distributed fentanyl to an individual on September 6, 2017, resulting in the death of the victim.  Specifically, on September 6, 2017, Victim 1 drove Jerome from the St. Clement Shores neighborhood of St. Mary’s County, Maryland, to Waldorf, Maryland, where Jerome met with a physician to obtain prescriptions for Xanax and Adderall.  Victim 1 then drove Jerome to a nearby pharmacy where Jerome filled the Xanax prescription, then to a pre-arranged meeting location in Waldorf where Coby distributed fentanyl to Jerome.  Jerome then distributed a portion of that fentanyl to Victim 1.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Victim 1 then used the fentanyl and immediately showed signs of an overdose.  Jerome did not call first responders or seek medical attention for Victim 1 because he had an unrelated arrest warrant pending against him.  Instead, Jerome drove Victim 1 back to St. Clement Shores, parked the car, and walked to his mother’s house, which was nearby.  Jerome’s mother then called first responders, who were unable to resuscitate Victim 1.  The medical examiner later determined that Victim 1 died of fentanyl intoxication.

On March 26, 2018, Jerome’s mother texted him to order a “cap,” which is a gel capsule filled with an opioid such as fentanyl.  On March 27, 2018, Jerome sold a gel capsule that contained fentanyl to his mother.  On March 30, 2018, Jerome’s mother used the contents of the gel capsule that he distributed and died from a fentanyl overdose.  Next to her body, investigators found a used syringe and the gel capsule that Jerome distributed.  The contents of the gel capsule tested positive for fentanyl, and the medical examiner concluded that Jerome’s mother died of fentanyl intoxication.

Jerome subsequently admitted to one of his associates that he worked with Coby to distribute narcotics.  

Rodney Mondell Coby, a/k/a “Cuz,” age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland, was convicted on February 28, 2020, after a seven-day trial for the federal charges of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  Coby faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.  Coby also faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  Judge Hazel has not yet scheduled a sentencing date for Coby.  Coby has been in custody since his arrest on April 13, 2018.  

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 St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Erin Pulice, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

November 17, 2020                                                                          

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           Contact MARCIA MURPHY

www.justice.gov/usao/md                                                     at (410) 209-4885      

Illegal Alien Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Re-Entering the United States After Being Deported

Previously Convicted in Federal Court of Sex Trafficking Offense; It Was the Fourth Time She Entered the United States Illegally

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte today sentenced Iris Martinez-Napper, age 47, a Guatemalan national residing in Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.  Martinez-Napper was previously convicted in federal court of conspiracy to transport individuals interstate to engage in prostitution and had previously been deported twice—once in 2010 and then again in 2012. 

The sentence 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 (HSI) Baltimore. 

According to her plea agreement, Martinez-Napper first illegally entered the United States in or around 1999.  On April 30, 2009, she was sentenced in Maryland to 32 months in federal prison for conspiracy to travel to transport at least 100 women from New York and New Jersey to Maryland for the purpose of employing them in prostitution.  She was removed from the United States on July 29, 2010.  Less than four months later, Martinez-Napper illegally re-entered the United States near Naco, Arizona.  On September 19, 2011, she was sentenced in Arizona to 11 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry and on February 9, 2012, was removed from the United States for a second time.  At some time after that, Martinez-Napper again illegally re-entered the United States and was found in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  Martinez-Napper admitted that she has never sought, nor obtained, the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the United States.                  

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised HSI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Cephus Albert Powell, age 54, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  

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; 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.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “All too often, guns and drugs go hand in hand—and both are killers, especially fentanyl.  We are committed to getting both off of our streets and to reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods.  If you use a gun, you could face federal time, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

“Guns and drugs take far too many lives in our communities, and Cephus Powell was contributing to the devastating impact of both in Baltimore City,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal drug operations.”

According to his guilty plea, in April 2019, law enforcement officers were investigating drug trafficking activity in the 1400 block of Mosher Street and installed a covert camera to monitor the area.  Between April 23 and April 29, 2019, law enforcement observed Powell conduct suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions in this area.  Powell followed the same basic pattern each day:  He arrived to the location in the morning using a ride service, then placed a white bag inside the first-floor window of a vacant rowhouse at 1417 W. Mosher Street.  Powell conducted what investigators believed were hand-to-hand drug transactions using a large white Styrofoam cup to store the suspected narcotics.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on April 30, 2019, law enforcement officers were watching the covert camera and saw Powell engage in what they believed to be a hand-to-hand drug transaction.  At approximately 7:20 a.m., moments after they observed the suspected drug transaction, law enforcement officers located and detained Powell, retrieving his Styrofoam cup, which he had placed in a nearby trash can.  Inside the cup, investigators seized 23 red and clear gelcaps, each containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; 20 clear top vials each containing crack cocaine; and 13 green top vials containing cocaine.  Powell also had $2,161 in cash on his person.  Investigators then looked inside the window of the vacant rowhouse at 1417 W. Mosher Street and retrieved a white bag.  Inside the bag was a .40-caliber handgun, loaded with seven live rounds; 230 red and white gelcaps containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; two knotted plastic bags each containing crack cocaine; 46 clear top vials each containing crack cocaine; 20 green top vials each containing cocaine; and a digital scale.

Subsequent DNA analysis conducted pursuant to a federal search warrant confirmed that the handgun contained Powell’s DNA.  A review of the video footage from the covert camera revealed that at approximately 6:45 a.m. Powell had opened the front window at 1417 W. Mosher Street and placed a white bag inside.

In total, law enforcement recovered approximately 96 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; 20 grams of crack cocaine; and three grams of cocaine.  Powell admitted that he possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them.  Powell further admitted that he had a previous felony conviction which he knew prohibited him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Powell and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Powell will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for January 14, 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 Strike Force Group, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the DEA, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury in Maryland has indicted Brian Anthony Gilbert, age 33, of District Heights, Maryland, on the federal charges of production, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The indictment was returned on November 2, 2020 and Gilbert had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt today.  At today’s initial appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day ordered that Gilbert be detained pending trial. 

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy.

According to the nine-count indictment, between December 28, 2018, and September 10, 2020, Gilbert sexually exploited minor Victim 1, and between January 3, 2019, and September 10, 2020, Gilbert sexually exploited minor Victim 2, in order to produce visual depictions of the children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  On August 26, 2020 and August 29, 2020, Gilbert allegedly distributed visual depictions documenting the sexual abuse of children.  Finally, as alleged in the indictment, on September 11, 2020, Gilbert possessed visual depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including a prepubescent minor and a minor under 12 years of age.

If convicted, Gilbert faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the six counts of production of child pornography; a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of distribution of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor under 12 years of age.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

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 and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt commended the FBI, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Boaz Salmon Bratton-Bey, age 37, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty late yesterday to federal bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges, as well as to committing those crimes while on supervised release for a previous federal conviction for a similar scheme.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.

According to his guilty plea, Bratton-Bey and his co-conspirators committed numerous acts of bank fraud using the stolen personal identifying information (“PII”) of individual victims, without the victims’ knowledge or permission.

Specifically, on June 5, 2019, Bratton-Bey and his co-conspirators executed an “instant credit” scheme in which a co-conspirator, Terrell Meadows, used a fictitious driver’s license bearing the image of Meadows and the personal information of an individual victim to obtain a store credit card at a home improvement store.  The credit application contained the name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and other personally identifying information (PII) of a real person who did not consent to the use of his PII.  The credit application was approved and a credit card with a $12,000 line of credit was issued in temporary form instantaneously.  Transaction records indicate that on June 5 and June 6, 2019, the account was used to make a total of four purchases at four different store locations.  The purchases totaled $5,988.14.  Bratton-Bey and Meadows used a U-Haul truck to load and carry away the fraudulently obtained goods.  That U-Haul truck bore an equipment number on its front bumper, which was captured by store surveillance cameras. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, approximately one month later a U-Haul representative contacted Baltimore County Police to report that the U-Haul truck was stolen because Bratton-Bey had stopped paying for the truck and had not returned it.  The truck was located and Baltimore County Police officers conducted a traffic stop, briefing detaining the driver, who was Bratton-Bey.  From Bratton-Bey’s pocket, officers retrieved at least 14 credit cards, which featured at least 14 different names of real persons on them.  Bratton-Bey’s own name was not on any of these credit cards, though officers were able to identify Bratton-Bey using his real identification, which he produced for them. 

Following the seizure of those credit cards, investigators obtained bank records from financial institutions which showed that these cards had been used to commit fraudulent transactions, totaling at least $6,822.03 in actual fraud and at least $1,046.85 in attempted fraud.  Additionally, these bank records and surveillance images showed that Bratton-Bey had used at least three of these cards personally for ATM withdrawals.  Investigators obtained records from U-Haul regarding the rental of the truck.  These records showed that Bratton-Bey had rented the truck using his real name, address, and telephone number.  However, Bratton-Bey had paid for the rental of the U-Haul truck using fraudulent credit cards issued to real persons.  Bratton-Bey paid a total of $4,039.91 to rent the U-Haul truck through fraudulent transfers and attempted to pay an additional $743.94 using fraudulently obtained funds from one of the credit cards issued in another real person’s name.  The total loss amount from the U-Haul rental and the cards recovered from Bratton-Bey following the traffic stop was $12,652.73. 

On July 25, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Bratton-Bey’s apartment. Law enforcement located counterfeit identification documents bearing photographs of Bratton-Bey and other individuals, credit/debit cards issued to individuals or entities other than Bratton-Bey, mail and financial correspondence addressed to individuals other than Bratton-Bey, and several cell phones and other electronic devices.  Investigators recovered at least 12 credit/debit cards issued to individuals other than Bratton-Bey.  Investigators also found Bratton-Bey’s real driver’s license, along with a fictitious driver’s license that included Bratton-Bey’s picture and his alias, “Boa Salmon” and a fictitious social security card for the “Boa Salmon” alias.  The items recovered from Bratton-Bey’s apartment also included four other counterfeit identifications in the form of fictitious driver’s licenses bearing the PII of real victims, including counterfeit driver’s licenses for Pennsylvania and New York, in addition to Maryland.  The total loss amount from the accounts related to the cards recovered from Bratton-Bey’s apartment was $40,222.30. 

Bratton-Bey was previously convicted in U.S. District Court in Maryland for bank fraud conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  For that case, he was sentenced to 102 months in federal prison in July 2012. 

Bratton-Bey faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud conspiracy; and a mandatory two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for aggravated identity theft.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for Bratton-Bey on March 5, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.

Terrell Meadows, age 32, of Rosedale, Maryland, pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy for his role in the scheme on November 5, 2020.  Judge Russell has scheduled sentencing for Meadows on March 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Renaldo Solomon Hayes, age 28, of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, to 81 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  Judge Hazel also entered an order requiring Hayes to forfeit $1,468 in apparent drug proceeds, the .357-caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition seized at the time of his arrest, as well as the Cadillac sedan which he was driving at the time of his arrest.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Ashan Benedict of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Chief Jarod J. Towers of the Cheverly Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on the evening of March 7, 2018, a Cheverly Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of the black Cadillac sedan owned and being driven by Renaldo Hayes.  While talking to Hayes, the officer noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.  After Hayes was directed to get out of the car and the officer smelled burnt marijuana coming from Hayes, the officer searched Hayes and recovered two large folds of cash from his front left pants pocket.  A search of the vehicle recovered approximately 54 grams of marijuana, in two plastic bags, hidden in a makeshift secret compartment under his vehicle’s rear seat.  Two officers then attempted to arrest Hayes, but Hayes tried to run away, tensing, flailing, and pushing the officers to resist until the officers had to use their Tasers.  Once Hayes was under control, the search of the vehicle resumed and officers recovered a loaded .357-caliber semi-automatic pistol, with a round in the chamber and a full 10-round magazine. Hayes also had two cell phones in the vehicle.  Law enforcement located text messages on the phones referring to Hayes’ distribution of marijuana, including a planned sale that evening.  The cash recovered from Hayes’ pocket totaled $1,468.

Hayes admitted that he possessed the firearm and ammunition in connection with his drug trafficking.  Hayes was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition based on his prior felony convictions, including two separate convictions for attempted second-degree murder.  Hayes was also on parole from a prior conviction at the time of this conduct.

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 praised the ATF and the Cheverly Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Marvin Windell Gray, a/k/a Marv, age 45, of Waldorf, Maryland to 66 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on the federal charges of: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl; and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in connection with a drug distribution organization operating in Prince George’s and Charles Counties in Maryland, that sold fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron; Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution. We’re also targeting drug dealers who use guns and increase the risk of gun violence in Maryland.  Working together with our local, state, and federal partners, we are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in Maryland.”

According to his plea agreement, between August 2018 and August 2019, Gray conspired with Anthony Kenneth Dotson, Jr., James Harvey, Marcellus Woodland, and Tiara Mackall to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Maryland and elsewhere.  Gray and Dotson were drug distributors who operated in Charles County, Maryland, and sold drugs to users and street-level drug dealers.  Harvey, Woodland, and Mackall were “runners,” subordinate drug distributors who sold drugs on behalf of Gray and Dotson.   

The plea agreement details numerous drug transactions between Gray, Dotson, and their suppliers, runners, and customers, using coded language, including controlled purchases of drugs made at the direction of law enforcement.  For example, between January and May 2019, several individuals made controlled purchases of fentanyl and heroin from Gray and Dotson, at the direction of law enforcement.  As detailed in the plea agreement, on July 9, 2019, Gray and Dotson discussed strategies for selling drugs over the phone. During that conversation, Gray told Dotson, “I’m a bag up most of them all in balls. I got like, I got like 70 of good,” meaning that he had 70 grams of high-quality controlled substances and intended to package the drugs into eight balls, or 3.5-gram quantities.  Five days later, Gray told Dotson over the phone that he received an order for “14 grams . . . of down,” meaning 14 grams of fentanyl.  The next month, on August 4, 2019, Dotson texted Gray a photograph depicting 13.99 grams of fentanyl on a digital scale, then asked Gray to delete the text message.

On August 15, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at nine different locations, including Gray’s residence.  From Gray’s residence, law enforcement seized: a .40-caliber pistol; a .45-caliber pistol; a .380-caliber pistol; a 9mm-caliber pistol; 35 rounds of various caliber ammunition; $1,800 in cash, which was the proceeds from Gray’s drug distribution; and several small bags of crack cocaine.  A search of Gray’s truck recovered three 9mm magazines and 29 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one .45 magazine and nine rounds of .45-caliber ammunition, 92 rounds of .357-caliber ammunition, and six rounds of .380-caliber ammunition. Gray knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. 

Gray admitted that he possessed the firearms and ammunition to facilitate his distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances, and that he purchased his truck with drug proceeds and used the truck to commit or facilitate his drug distribution.  As agreed upon in his plea, Gray will forfeit the firearms, ammunition, and his 2007 Ford F-150 truck, as well as the $1,800 in cash.

Anthony Kenneth Dotson, Jr., a/k/a Streetz, Ghost, and Rico, age 34, of Clinton, Maryland; James Anthony Harvey, Jr., a/k/a Fat Bread, and Patches, age 48, of King George, Virginia; Marcellus Jerome Woodland, a/k/a Cellus, age 30, of Waldorf; and Tiara Mackall, a/k/a Tee, age 27, of Waldorf have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug distribution organization.  Judge Hazel has scheduled sentencing for Dotson on December 15, 2020.  Harvey was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and Woodland and Mackall were sentenced to time served.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Erin Pulice, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Richard Adams, age 60, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 90 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with armed bank robberies committed in Baltimore on January 23 and February 1, 2019.  

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.

According to Adams’ guilty plea, he served as the getaway driver in connection with two armed bank robberies committed by his two co-defendants, Richard Tingler and David Gollahon.  On January 23, 2019, Adams drove Tingler and Gollahon to a bank in the 3600 block of Boston Street in Baltimore, in a car he had rented two weeks earlier.  The robbers were each armed and wore masks and gloves when they entered the bank.  The robbers told everyone to put their hands up.  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 customers and other bank employees at gunpoint in the lobby area of the bank.  The victim teller handed over the cash and the robbers ran away.  As they ran through a parking lot adjacent to the bank, they accidentally dropped more than $5,000 in cash.  They then got into the gray car driven by Adams, who had been waiting for them, and Adams drove them away from the area. 

On February 1, 2019, Adams drove his co-defendants to a bank located in the 2900 block of O’Donnell Street in Baltimore, in a 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo that was registered to Adams.  Tingler and Gollahon entered the bank armed with the same firearms they had used in the previous robbery and again wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities.  The robbers pointed their firearms at the tellers and demanded money.  After the tellers handed over cash from the till, the robbers demanded more cash.  The tellers provided the robbers with cash from the bank’s vault and included a GPS tracker, which was activated.  The robbers fled the bank and got into Adams’ car and Adams drove them away from the bank. 

Baltimore Police Department (BPD) units responding to the robbery were provided with the GPS tracking information and located the vehicle with Adams and his co-defendants inside.  All three were arrested.  At the time of their arrests, Gollahon had the gun used in the robbery on his person.  A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered the second firearm used by Tingler in both robberies, and a blue backpack containing the cash stolen during the robbery and the GPS tracking device.  Later that day, a search was executed at Adams’ residence which recovered clothing and a leather duffel bag used during the first robbery.

Adams’ co-defendants, Richard Tingler, age 56, and David Gollahon, age 59, both of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the federal charges of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  If the court accepts their guilty pleas, Gollahon is expected to be sentenced to between 12 and 15 years in federal prison and Tingler is expected to be sentenced to up to 18 years in federal prison.  Judge Chasanow has scheduled Gollahon’s sentencing for December 10, 2020, and set Tingler’s sentencing for January 19, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.  All three defendants remain detained.

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 Baltimore 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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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell today sentenced Anthony Eugene Wiggins, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 21 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a string of robberies, and for violating his supervised release from a previous federal conviction.  Wiggins committed five bank robberies and five armed robberies at liquor stores, between September 24, 2018 and November 15, 2018, as well as an attempted robbery on November 15, 2018, all while on supervised release for a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.    

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; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Charles Moore of the Bel Air Police Department.

“Anthony Wiggins was a walking crime spree, endangering the lives of employees and customers at the banks and liquor stores that he robbed,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “As a convicted felon, Wiggins should not have been able to purchase a gun, but he was able to obtain a gun that had been assembled from firearm parts kits.  So-called ‘ghost guns’ circumvent the laws designed to prevent felons from possessing firearms because they have no serial numbers and do not require background checks.  We will continue working with our partners to keep guns out of the hands of people who cannot possess them lawfully.”

“Anthony Wiggins committed 10 armed robberies in less than 60 days,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “As a convicted felon, he should have never been in possession of a gun, but because ‘ghost guns’ have become so easy to obtain, the lives of customers and employees were put in danger. We hope today’s sentence sends a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to bring these offenders to justice.”

According to his plea agreement, between September 24 and October 18, 2018, Wiggins committed robberies at five separate Maryland banks, including two banks in Baltimore, and one each in White Marsh, Bel Air, and Arbutus.  Wiggins was on federal supervised release at the time of the robberies, having previously been convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, between November 2 and November 15, 2018, Wiggins committed five armed robberies at four liquor stores in Dundalk, Middle River, and Baltimore, Maryland.  Wiggins admitted that he discharged a firearm in two of those robberies, specifically, a robbery in Dundalk on November 2, 2018 and a robbery in Baltimore on November 13, 2018, and brandished a firearm in the other three robberies.  Wiggins also attempted to rob a fifth liquor store, located in Dundalk, on November 15, 2018.  In nearly all of the robberies, Wiggins threatened victim employees with physical violence and, during one robbery, fought with and assaulted a store customer and a victim employee.

As stated in the plea agreement and other court documents, the gun discharged by Wiggins in two of the robberies was an untraceable “ghost gun,” which was assembled from a firearm parts kit and did not have a serial number.  These kits can be purchased from various kit manufacturers or secondary retailers, including Internet websites.  Crucially, convicted felons, who are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of their convictions, can order such firearm kits and assemble an untraceable working gun in the privacy of their homes in as little as one hour with minimal effort.

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, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Bel Air Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Mary W. Setzer, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Calvin Claxton, a/k/a Cal, age 41, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to his participation in a drug distribution conspiracy operating in the Edmondson Village neighborhood in southwest Baltimore.  The drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) of which Claxton was a member sold heroin and cocaine on a daily basis in street-level quantities.

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; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from at least September 2018 through June 2019, Claxton participated in a DTO and conspired to distribute heroin, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine to drug users and redistributors in and around the Edmondson Village neighborhood of southwest Baltimore.  During the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that Claxton engaged in communications regarding the DTO’s distribution of narcotics, the whereabouts of co-conspirators, the presence of law enforcement, and the availability of narcotics.  The investigation also revealed that Claxton owned and maintained a stash house in Baltimore, where the DTO stored and processed heroin and crack cocaine.

On April 10, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash house and recovered over 200 grams of crack cocaine, which Claxton admitted that he intended to distribute.  Claxton agreed that over the course of the conspiracy he distributed over 280 grams of crack cocaine.

Claxton and the government have agreed that 150 months in prison is the appropriate sentence in this case.  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 Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for February 18, 2021, at 3:30 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, the ATF, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Michael Goldsticker, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Cecil Bank, Mary Beyer Halsey, age 59, of Rising Sun, Maryland, to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  Halsey pleaded guilty on July 31, 2020, to the federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, receipt of a bribe by a bank official, and false statement in bank records, in connection with the straw purchase of a home in Rising Sun, Maryland, upon which Cecil Bank had foreclosed.  Judge Chasanow also ordered Halsey to forfeit her interest in the home in Rising Sun and to pay restitution in the amount of $145,000.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Mark P. Higgins of Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC/OIG), New York Region; Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA/OIG).

“Mary Beyer Halsey will now serve time in federal prison after she used her position as President and CEO of Cecil Bank for her personal benefit, causing a loss to the bank, which had already received federal taxpayer funds as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Corrupt bank officials undermine the public’s trust in our financial system.”

“The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) is committed to investigating allegations of fraud committed by officers of financial institutions which are members of the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) because their crimes strike at the heart of the FHLBank System,” said Mark Higgins, Special Agent in Charge of the FHFA-OIG’s Mid-Atlantic Region. “We are proud to have partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and our law enforcement partners on this case.”

“Today the former CEO of Cecil Bank was sentenced to prison, becoming the 78th banker sentenced to prison resulting from a SIGTARP investigation,” said Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero. “Treasury wrote off $11 million from its TARP investment in Cecil Bank.  We commend U.S. Attorney Hur and his team of prosecutors in standing with SIGTARP to combat fraud that hurt banks during critical times.” 

Cecil Bank, located in Elkton, Maryland, had received $11,560,000 in federal taxpayer funds in 2008, under the Capital Purchase Program, as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.  On April 20, 2011, Cecil Bank initiated the foreclosure of a single-family house located at 127 Ebenezer Church Road in Rising Sun. 

According to her plea agreement, from 2012 to 2013, Halsey conspired with Daniel Whitehurst, an employee of a real estate development company that did business in Maryland, to defraud Cecil Bank and another bank to purchase a home through false pretenses, representations and promises.  Specifically, on March 28, 2012, Halsey and Whitehurst met at a restaurant in Cecil County.  Whitehurst asked Halsey if she could help him and a business partner get a $500,000 line of credit from Cecil Bank.  Halsey agreed to help Whitehurst to obtain a line of credit from Cecil Bank, in exchange for Whitehurst agreeing to serve as the straw purchaser of 127 Ebenezer on behalf of Halsey.  Halsey suggested that she increase the line of credit for Whitehurst to $650,000 to include the funds needed to buy the house.  Whitehurst agreed to Halsey’s request to secretly buy 127 Ebenezer on Halsey’s behalf.  On May 9, 2012, Halsey participated in a loan committee meeting at Cecil Bank that considered and approved a $650,000 line for credit for Whitehurst and a $500,000 line of credit for his business partner. 

Halsey admitted that at her request, on May 14, 2012, Whitehurst visited 127 Ebenezer and provided Halsey with an estimate of the costs to update the house.  Whitehurst determined that beyond replacing the kitchen subflooring at a cost of about $1,000, there were no significant repairs needed.  Whitehurst provided a letter of intent to purchase the home from the bank for $150,000 for Halsey to review.  Halsey suggested lowering the price to $145,000 to allow room to increase the offer later.  Halsey knew that an exterior-only appraisal of the property ordered by Cecil Bank on November 9, 2011, showed a market value of $263,000.  A full appraisal on September 10, 2012, reflected a market value of $295,000.  To support the below-market price that Halsey wanted to pay, Whitehurst included in the letter of intent a list of lower-priced home sales in the same area that were not comparable to 127 Ebenezer and therefore was not reflective of the property’s actual market value.

As detailed in the plea agreement, on May 23, 2012, Whitehurst e-mailed Cecil Bank his offer to purchase 127 Ebenezer for $145,000.  On the same day, during a meeting of the Cecil Bank Board of Directors, Halsey advised the Board that Whitehurst had made a purchase offer of $140,000 for 127 Ebenezer, $5,000 less the actual offer.  To support the below-market price of $140,000, Halsey falsely characterized the property as having “structural deficiencies [that] will require significant repairs.”  Halsey did not disclose her personal interest in the property, nor Whitehurst’s role as her nominee to acquire the property on her behalf.  The Board authorized Halsey to “negotiate the best price.”  Thereafter, Whitehurst submitted a contract for him to purchase 127 Ebenezer from Cecil Bank for $150,000, which Halsey signed on August 17, 2012 on behalf of Cecil Bank.

According to the plea agreement, subsequent to authorizing the sale of 127 Ebenezer, Halsey told Whitehurst that he should not use his line of credit from Cecil Bank to purchase the house, but should instead get the funds from a different source.  Whitehurst applied for and obtained a $100,000 loan from another bank to purchase 127 Ebenezer, fraudulently claiming that he was purchasing the property for himself and that the down payment was from an investment account.  On October 31, 2012, prior to 127 Ebenezer going to settlement, Halsey wired $75,000 to Whitehurst’s bank account to cover the cost of the down payment as well as closing costs and upgrades to the property that Halsey directed Whitehurst to arrange.  To conceal the true purpose of the wired funds, Whitehurst sent Halsey a fictitious real estate contract purporting to show that the $75,000 was the down payment for a different property that Whitehurst owned in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

On November 21, 2012, the settlement of 127 Ebenezer was held with Halsey representing Cecil Bank as the seller, and Whitehurst as the purported purchaser, selling the property to Whitehurst for $150,000.  Both signed the HUD-1 form which falsely represented that Whitehurst had paid approximately $52,566 at settlement, when in fact, the down payment and all related closing costs were paid from the $75,000 Halsey had wired to Whitehurst’s bank account beforehand.  From October 31, 2012 through March 29, 2013, Halsey transferred an additional $60,000 to Whitehurst to cover the cost the upgrades to the house that they had previously discussed, as well as to reimburse Whitehurst for mortgage payments he made on the property.  Halsey and Whitehurst also made plans to transfer title of the property to Halsey by selling the house to her at a price that would minimize the tax consequences of the sale for Whitehurst.

 In December 2012, in response to a question from a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond inquiring about the sale of the property to Whitehurst, Halsey falsely stated that she was “not totally familiar with [that] property” and that the bank had difficulty marketing the property and had not listed it with a realtor because of “issues with the county over the bonds outstanding.”

In April 2013, federal agents began interviewing employees and other borrowers about banking irregularities at Cecil Bank.  Title to 127 Ebenezer was never transferred to Halsey.  Halsey never told the bank that she was the true purchaser of 127 Ebenezer, nor did the bank know that Halsey and Whitehurst had orchestrated the sale of the foreclosed property at the fraudulent price of $150,000, instead of the appraised pre-renovation price of $295,000.

As a result of Halsey’s misrepresentations and omissions, the bank lost approximately $145,000.

Daniel Whitehurst, age 36, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty under seal to the federal charge of mail fraud on April 6, 2018.  Whitehurst faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  Judge Chasanow has not scheduled a date for Whitehurst’s sentencing.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FHFA-OIG, Mid-Atlantic Region; FDIC/OIG; SIGTARP; and SBA/OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Ivo Louvado, age 47, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to making false statements to federal agents.  

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, 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.

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 another member of Louvado’s squad, 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, K.G., and V.R. (another member of the squad) later discovered three kilograms of cocaine in the surveillance van that had been used to transport the 41 kilograms that were turned into BPD.  The three kilograms were part of the seizure from T.M.’s pick-up truck but had not been turned into BPD.  Louvado, K.G., and V.R. 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 V.R.’s who was a drug trafficker purchased the cocaine, which the trafficker then sold in Baltimore.  V.R. 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 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. 

Louvado faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for making false statements to federal agents.  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 Catherine C. Blake has not yet scheduled sentencing.

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 is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted three foreign nationals residing in Baltimore County for a bank fraud scheme in which the defendants and their co-conspirators obtained or attempted to obtain more than $3.5 million.  The defendants, Damilola Lawal, a/k/a DML, D Baba, and Dami, age 31, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, Idowu Ademola Raji, a/k/a ID, King Soso, and James, age 39, of Pikesville, Maryland; and Akolade Ojo, a/k/a Kola and Boogz, age 30, of Owings Mills, Maryland are charged with a federal wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  The indictment was returned on October 26, 2020, and was unsealed at their initial appearances late on November 4, 2020.

The indictment 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; and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Guard of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.

According to the 12-count indictment, from August 2018 and continuing until October 26, 2020, the defendants conspired with Adewumi Abioye, Hameed Adesokan, Lukman Salam, and another person to defraud victim businesses and victim financial institutions.  Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators used false, forged, and counterfeited passports and other identification documents that contained the facial images of co-conspirators but not their real names.  They used the forged documents to create limited liability companies, and to open fraudulent bank accounts, often where the only authorized signatory was an alias or stolen identity used by the defendants and their co-conspirators.  The defendants and their co-conspirators used a messaging app to communicate the timing of financial transactions, including directing members of the conspiracy regarding the deposit, withdrawal, transfer, and conversion of fraudulently obtained funds.

For example, as detailed in the indictment, on September 17, 2019, a co-conspirator sent a victim a fraudulent e-mail purporting to be from the victim’s attorney, advising the victim to send a $65,000 wire transfer to an account controlled by Salam as part of a real estate purchase.  Lawal used the messaging app to send photographs and messages to Salam to show that the victim was making the wire transfer and listed a reference number.  Once the funds had arrived in the account, Lawal instructed Salam to obtain a cashier’s check and make cash withdrawals so Salam could pay some of the cash to Lawal.  Similarly, the indictment alleges that between October 5, 2018 and October 9, 2018, Salam engaged in numerous financial transactions at Raji’s direction, after a co-conspirator fraudulently obtained $390,000 from a victim business by sending the victim business e-mails purporting to come from an employee of one of the victim business’ service providers and requesting that payment be wired to an account in the name of Salam’s alias, Matthew John.  Salam then allegedly purchased checks, made cash withdrawals, and engaged in ATM and point of sale transactions using a debit card, in order to obtain access to the fraudulently obtained funds and to conceal their further use.

According to the indictment, on June 11, 2019, Lawal alerted Abioye that fraud proceeds from another victim business were being sent to a bank account that Abioye had opened using a fraudulent passport in the name of Andrew Ali.  The account was registered to Geotric Global LLC, and listed Andrew Ali as the only signatory.  That same day, the victim business sent a $339,680.63 ACH transfer to the account, believing it was paying a legitimate services vendor after receiving fraudulent e-mails purporting to be from the vendor, and providing payment instructions.  On December 30, 2019, Ojo received a $33,729 cashier’s check purchased by a co-conspirator using part of the $66,278.81 fraudulently obtained from a victim business.  Ojo provided the check to Salam for deposit.  Between December 2019 and January 2019, Salam engaged in multiple withdrawals from the account where the fraudulent funds were deposited and provided Ojo with a portion of the proceeds from the fraud of the victim business.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and for each count of wire fraud.  Lawal also faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for passport fraud; and Raji faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed for aggravated identity theft.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman ordered that that all three defendants be detained pending a detention hearing.  Detention hearings for Ojo and Lawal are scheduled for November 13, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively, and a detention hearing for Raji is scheduled for November 18, 2020 at 11:30 a.m.

In a separate federal case in Maryland, Nigerian nationals Abioye, age 33, of Baltimore, and Salam, age 36, of New Jersey and Delaware, have pleaded guilty to related federal charges are awaiting sentencing.  Adesokan, age 33, also of New Jersey and Delaware, is scheduled to go to trial, although no date has been set.

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 HSI and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Andrew Joseph Trimmer, a/k/a D and Smoke, age 31, of Bowie, Maryland, on the federal charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and for assault on a federal officer.  The indictment was returned on November 4, 2020.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the two-count indictment, on September 25, 2020, Trimmer possessed a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, with the intent to distribute that substance.  According to court documents, Trimmer was the subject of an investigation into narcotics sales in Southern Maryland.  The investigation revealed that Trimmer had been living in a rental home in Bowie, Maryland, but had moved on September 15, 2020.  Trimmer was subsequently located 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.  A law enforcement officer grabbed Trimmer, but Trimmer assaulted the officer.  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.

If convicted, Trimmer faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and 20 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 is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, although no date has been scheduled.  Trimmer is detained on an unrelated state charge.

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 DEA and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Crofton Police Department and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced MS-13 associate Luis Cruz Rodriguez, age 23, of Frederick, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Cruz Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.  The guilty plea was entered on November 3, 2020, and Chief Judge Bredar imposed the sentence immediately following the plea.

The guilty plea and 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; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Acting Chief Dwight Sommers of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief William Lowry of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  Cruz Rodriguez admitted that from at least January 2017, he was an associate of the Fulton clique of MS-13 and agreed with members of MS-13 to conduct and participate in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, including conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, and drug distribution.

At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons.  To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence.  MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations and reputation including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.”

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members.  Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to a promotion to a leadership position.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. 

According to his plea agreement, in April 2017, Cruz Rodriguez conspired with MS-13 gang members to murder Victim 14.  According to court documents, the MS-13 members believed Victim 14 was a member of a rival gang.  Cruz Rodriguez was present when gang members were talking about how to kill Victim 14, and who would participate in the murder.  On the day of the murder, Cruz Rodriguez drove other gang members to a secluded area of Frederick, Maryland, where the MS-13 members were going to kill Victim 14.  Cruz Rodriguez was aware that he was transporting gang members so that they could participate in a murder.  At the spot in Frederick, MS-13 gang members murdered Victim 14, dismembered him, and buried his body.  After the murder, Cruz Rodriguez (who was not present during the murder) traveled back to the site of the murder and picked up gang members who had participated in the murder. 

In July 2017, investigators recovered Victim 14’s body from a clandestine grave in Frederick, Maryland.  The body had suffered from sharp force traumas and had been severed into seven pieces and decapitated.         

The murder of Victim 14 was intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13 and to allow Cruz Rodriguez and other MS-13 members and associates to maintain or increase their status within the gang.    

A total of 30 defendants have been charged in this case with participating in a racketeering conspiracy and/or other crimes related to their association with MS-13.  A total of 20 defendants, including Cruz Rodriguez, have pleaded guilty to crimes related to their participation in MS-13 gang activities.

Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement.  The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know.  You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick City Police Department; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and recognized the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Catherine K. Dick, and Matthew DellaBetta, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – David Green, age 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal mail fraud conspiracy charge, in connection with a scheme in which he defrauded more than 28 elderly victims of more than $939,000.  

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.

“Schemes where fraudsters falsely claim that a family member needs money to pay legal or other expenses—sometimes pretending to be the victim’s relative to convince them to send cash—prey on vulnerable and elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who perpetrate these heartless schemes that target elderly victims.  I encourage anyone who believes they may be a victim of financial fraud to contact the Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).”

According to Green’s plea agreement, from about September 2018 through at least December 2019, he was part of a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims by persuading them to send thousands of dollars in cash to members of the conspiracy by falsely stating that the money would be used to help the victims’ relatives pay legal or other expenses in connection with crimes and other incidents that had not occurred or that the money would be sent to particular individuals at their addresses, rather than to members of the conspiracy falsely claiming to reside at those addresses.  Green’s co-conspirators telephoned elderly victims throughout the United States, posing as a police officer, lawyer, or other individual, falsely telling the victim that a relative, typically the victim’s grandchild, had been incarcerated in connection with a car accident or traffic stop involving a crime, and needed money—often tens of thousands of dollars—for bail, legal fees, and other expenses. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, during the telephone calls, the co-conspirators directed victims to send cash to a particular address via an overnight delivery service.  The co-conspirators allegedly even posed as the victims’ relatives to further induce them to send the cash.  Once the victims did send money, the co-conspirators called the victims asking for more cash, regularly obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims.  To prevent the victims from sharing the information with anyone, the co-conspirators allegedly told the victims that a “gag order” had been placed on the case requiring secrecy, or that the situation was embarrassing for the grandchild and they didn’t want anyone else to know about it.

Green admitted that, in order to conceal the crime, he and other co-conspirators identified residential locations across the country where the cash should be sent, including in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida.  Green and his co-conspirators identified locations that were either vacant or for sale, so that no one would be at those locations at the time of the deliveries, then retrieved the packages of cash when they were delivered.  Green and other co-conspirators recruited and instructed additional people to assist in retrieving packages of cash from specified locations.

For example, in January 2019 Green and another co-conspirator flew from Florida to the Maryland area, for the purpose of retrieving packages containing fraud proceeds. 

On January 7, 2019, Victim #4, 91 years old from Bainbridge Island, Washington, received a phone call from a co-conspirator who told the victim that his grandson was a passenger in a vehicle stopped with large amounts of cocaine and was being held on federal drug charges.  The individual directed Victim #4 to send $13,000 cash for bail to an address in Baltimore, Maryland.  On January 8, 2019, Green sent text messages to another co-conspirator with information about the package from Victim #4, including the tracking number.  He further directed the other co-conspirator that the package required a signature upon delivery.  The other co-conspirator collected the package, and falsely stated that he was the intended recipient.  At the further direction of a co-conspirator, Victim #4 sent an additional $9,000 for the purported purpose of retaining an attorney.

Also in January 2019, Victim #5, an 89 year old from Westland, Michigan, was contacted by an individual representing himself to be “Officer Booth.”  This individual told Victim #5 that her grandson had been in a car accident and that drugs were found in the trunk.  At the direction of the caller, on January 14, 2019, Victim #5 sent $8,000 in cash to an address in Baltimore via FedEx.  In total, Victim #5 lost $30,000 to the scam.

In January 2019, Victim #6, an 89 year old from Fort Pierce, Florida, received a phone call from someone purporting to be Victim #6’s niece.  Victim #6 was told that his niece had been in a car accident.  At the instruction of the caller, Victim #6 sent $8,000 in cash to an address in Baltimore via UPS.  On January 18, 2019, Green retrieved this package along with another co-conspirator.  In total, Victim #6 lost $17,500 to the scam.

On March 26, 2019, Green was arrested by New Castle County Police in Delaware while trying to retrieve a package sent from another victim to a location in Newark, Delaware.

As a result of the execution of the scheme to defraud, between September 2018 and March 2019, Green and his co-conspirators caused at least 28 different victims to send a total of at least $939,300,   resulting in substantial financial hardship to between five and 24 of the victims.    

Green faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for mail fraud conspiracy.  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 L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.

Co-defendant McArnold Charlemagne, age 33, of Miramar, Florida, pleaded guilty to the same charge on October 30, 2020, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.

The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Matthew J. Maddox, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Devan Mack, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  

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; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of criminals, like Devan Mack, and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods.  Mack now faces 15 years of federal time, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

“Criminals like Devan Mack are contributing to the violent crime on the streets of Baltimore by selling illegal guns,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We are determined to work with our law enforcement partners to target repeat offenders and those illegally in possession of firearms in order to better protect our communities.”

According to his guilty plea, on November 29, 2018, a Baltimore Police Department undercover officer conducted a controlled purchase of two firearms from Mack in the 2900 block of Gwynns Falls Avenue.  The controlled purchase was audio and video recorded.  The first firearm was a 9mm-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.  The second firearm was also a 9mm-caliber semi-automatic pistol, which had been reported stolen.  The undercover officer paid Mack $700 for each firearm.  As the transaction was being completed, Mack advised that he had other firearms as well as an additional magazine for sale.

Mack was aware that he had a prior felony conviction and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.  Mack had three previous convictions for serious drug offenses and was therefore an Armed Career Criminal subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case 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 FBI, the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, who is prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Jimmy Danh, age 60, formerly of Rosedale, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to failure to pay over employment taxes.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, from 2007 to 2017, Danh and co-conspirator Darasomalee Thach operated a series of companies that supplied temporary staffing to businesses in Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Although Danh and Thach were responsible for payment of employment taxes to the IRS, they purposely failed to withhold and pay over employment taxes in order to maximize their personal profit.

As detailed in the plea agreement, beginning in 2007, Danh and Thach incorporated a company, Team Work, Inc., to operate a labor-leasing business to secure day-labor contracts, and agreed to evade employment taxes in order to maximize profits.  From October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2015, Team Work, Inc. paid wages totaling approximately $1,611,894.04 to its workers.  Danh and Thach did not maintain business records relating to the operation of Team Work, including employees, payroll, and tax withholdings.  Clients paid Team Work lump sum payments for all of the hours that employees worked, with the agreement that Team Work was responsible for paying its employees and for all employment-related withholdings.

Danh admitted that for tax years 2011 to 2015, he and Thach failed to consistently file an Employer’s Quarterly Federal Income Tax Return, and failed to report to IRS all wages paid to Team Work employees, resulting in underreporting the employee share of the Social Security and Medicare taxes in the amount of $113,144.19, and the withholding taxes in the amount of approximately $252,827.81. 

From about October 31, 2015 to October 31, 2017, Danh conducted his business via a Maryland corporation, JD Team Work, Inc., and undertook the same scheme.  During this time, Danh willfully failed to file Employer’s Quarterly Federal Income Tax Returns, and to withhold Social Security, Medicare, and employment taxes.  During this time, the total amount of taxes Danh failed to pay was $183,758.23.

Danh admitted that the total amount of taxes he failed to pay from 2007 to the present was $549,730.23.  As stated in his plea agreement, as a special condition of his supervised release, Danh will be required to execute a Closing Agreement with the IRS in order to resolve tax liabilities for tax years 2007 through 2017.

“Jimmy Danh’s insatiable greed for money placed his workers at risk of losing future Social Security and Medicare benefits,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso. “His criminal conduct also resulted in a loss of revenue to the United States Government. His guilty plea today should serve as a stark warning that IRS Criminal Investigation will vigorously pursue anyone who seeks to profit at the expense of their workers and honest taxpayers.” 

Darasomalee Thach previously pleaded guilty to related charges in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg and is awaiting sentencing.

Danh faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the two counts.  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 L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for February 23, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – McArnold Charlemagne, age 33, of Miramar, Florida, pleaded guilty today to a federal mail fraud conspiracy charge, in connection with a scheme in which he defrauded more than 65 elderly victims of more than $1.5 million.  

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.

“This defendant was part of a heartless scheme to prey on elderly victims by falsely claiming that a family member needed money to pay legal or other expenses—sometimes pretending to be the victim’s relative to convince them to send cash to the conspirators,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who perpetrate these despicable schemes targeting elderly victims.  I encourage anyone who believes they may be a victim of financial fraud to contact the Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).”

“McArnold Charlemagne was a member of a criminal conspiracy that took advantage of the emotions and bank accounts of dozens of senior citizens,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Criminals who prey on, and steal from, seniors should know that their actions carry real consequences, both for their victims and for themselves. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to find fraudsters and hold them accountable for their crimes.”

According to Charlemagne’s plea agreement, from about January 2018 through at least December 2019, he was part of a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims by persuading them to send thousands of dollars in cash to members of the conspiracy by falsely stating that the money would be used to help the victims’ relatives pay legal or other expenses in connection with crimes and other incidents that had not occurred or that the money would be sent to particular individuals at their addresses, rather than to members of the conspiracy falsely claiming to reside at those addresses.  Charlemagne’s co-conspirators telephoned elderly victims throughout the United States, posing as a police officer, lawyer, or other individual, falsely telling the victim that a relative, typically the victim’s grandchild, had been incarcerated in connection with a car accident or traffic stop involving a crime, and needed money—often tens of thousands of dollars—for bail, legal fees, and other expenses. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, during the telephone calls, the co-conspirators directed victims to send cash to a particular address via an overnight delivery service.  The co-conspirators allegedly even posed as the victims’ relatives to further induce them to send the cash.  Once the victims did send money, the co-conspirators called the victims asking for more cash, regularly obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims.  To prevent the victims from sharing the information with anyone, the co-conspirators allegedly told the victims that a “gag order” had been placed on the case requiring secrecy, or that the situation was embarrassing for the grandchild and they didn’t want anyone else to know about it.

Charlemagne admitted that, in order to conceal the crime, he and other co-conspirators identified residential locations across the country where the cash should be sent, including in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida.  Charlemagne and his co-conspirators identified locations that were either vacant or for sale, so that no one would be at those locations at the time of the deliveries, then retrieved the packages of cash when they were delivered.  Charlemagne and other co-conspirators recruited and instructed additional people to assist in retrieving packages of cash from specified locations.

For example, Charlemagne flew from Miami, Florida to Washington, D.C. on May 28, 2018, for the purpose of retrieving packages containing fraud proceeds, renting a place to stay in the Baltimore area. 

On May 30, 2018, Victim #1, 75 years old from Temperance, Michigan, received a phone call from someone pretending to be her grandson’s lawyer.  Victim #1 sent two packages totaling $38,000 to addresses in Baltimore.  On June 1, 2018, Charlemagne picked up the second package sent by Victim #1, then traveled to an address on North Payson Street in Baltimore, to pick up an additional package, sent from Victim #2, 78 years old from Salem, Oregon.

Victim #2 was contacted by phone by an individual purporting to be an attorney who told Victim #2 that Victim #2’s granddaughter was a passenger in a car driven by a man that was involved in a car crash and was jailed.  The caller told Victim #2 that bail money was needed immediately to secure the release of Victim #2’s granddaughter.  The caller warned Victim #2 not to contact anyone due to a “72 hour gag order.”  Victim #2 was instructed to overnight mail $10,000 in cash to “John Miller,” who was described as an officer of the court, to an address on North Payson Street in Baltimore.  Victim #2 did as instructed.  The next day, the caller contacted Victim #2 again and stated that, because marijuana and a gun had been found in the car, an additional $10,000 was required.  Victim #2 complied.  Victim #2 was contacted again and told to send $20,000 for the victim’s medical bills, and Victim #2 complied.  While authorities were not able to recover the first two packages sent by Victim #2, the third mailing containing $20,000 was intercepted by Baltimore Police and returned to Victim #2.  Nonetheless, Charlemagne waited at North Payson Street for approximately 30 minutes on the morning of June 1, 2018, before catching a ride to a different address.

On June 6, 2018, Victim #3, an 83-year-old individual from Framingham, Massachusetts, received a phone call from a man who stated Victim #3’s son had caused a car crash by texting and driving and was being arrested. Victim #3 was told to send $8,000 to an address on Whittier Avenue in Baltimore in order to bail Victim #3’s son out.  On June 7, 2018, Victim #3 did as instructed and sent the money via FedEx.  Later that evening, Victim #3 realized the scam and called the police.  The authorities were able to contact FedEx and located the package, which had already arrived in Maryland.  The package was returned to Victim #3.

Charlemagne, who was still in the Baltimore area picking up packages containing fraud proceeds, learned that the package had been returned to the sender.  Charlemagne contacted another co-conspirator and requested the co-conspirator travel from Miami to Massachusetts in order to wait in front of Victim #3’s house, pretend to be Victim #3, and take the package.  Charlemagne texted the co-conspirator the address, a screenshot from Google Maps of where the co-conspirator should park, and a copy of the FedEx tracking number.  Charlemagne told the co-conspirator that the co-conspirator needed to fly out that night to arrive in the morning, or that it would be too late.   On June 8, 2018, the co-conspirator was caught outside the residence of Victim #3 in Framingham, Massachusetts, and arrested.

As a result of the execution of the scheme to defraud, Charlemagne and others caused at least 65 different victims to send a total of at least $1.5 million.        

Charlemagne faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for mail fraud conspiracy.  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 L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.

The Department of Justice has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Matthew J. Maddox, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Bilal Mohammad Siddiqui, age 23, of Catonsville, Maryland, to 24 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for the federal charges of sexual exploitation of children and cyberstalking.

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 Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

“The facts of this case are disturbing and demonstrate how a sexual predator uses the Internet to victimize innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Our community is safer now that Bilal Siddiqui will serve 24 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  I hope all parents will discuss this case with their children so that they will think twice before communicating with a stranger through the Internet.  Law enforcement will continue to work to identify and prosecute those who would harm our children.”

“Bilal Siddiqui exploited and humiliated numerous children, some even as young as eight years old,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “With nothing more than a computer and a few keystrokes, modern predators, like Siddiqui, have a limitless number of victims at their fingertips. We remain vigilant in continuing efforts to identify and hold accountable these offenders, but we also need the community to discuss the reality of online predators with children and report any suspected offenses to law enforcement.”

According to his guilty plea, between April 2017 and August 2018, Siddiqui used the Internet-based communication services LiveMe, Snapchat, Kik, and FaceTime to coerce at least six minor females, ages 8 to 14, into creating and sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.  Siddiqui also attempted to sexually extort one of those victims, a sixth-grader.  When she refused to produce additional sexually explicit videos of herself, he sent images and videos that she had previously shared with him to her sixth-grade classmates and friends.

Prior to September 2017, Siddiqui created a fake account on LiveMe, a mobile application that allowed users to stream live video over the Internet and simultaneously chat with viewers, using an anonymous username and a photograph of a young boy as his profile picture, so that other users would not realize he was an adult male.  One of the users misled by Siddiqui was Jane Doe 1, an 8-year-old girl.

On September 28, 2017, Jane Doe 1 was using LiveMe to broadcast a video of herself exercising in her pajamas.  Siddiqui was among several LiveMe users watching the broadcast.  When a number of those viewers asked Jane Doe 1 to show them her underwear, she refused, and eventually terminated the broadcast.  Not long after, however, Jane Doe 1 began streaming a new LiveMe broadcast, and a number of viewers from her earlier broadcast—including Siddiqui—followed her to the new broadcast.  During the new broadcast, Jane Doe 1 told her viewers that she was 13 years old.  Again, they enticed her to undress and expose herself.  While she initially refused their requests, Jane Doe 1 eventually did give in to the requests of Siddiqui and other viewers, undressing and exposing her genitals to the camera.

Toward the end of Jane Doe 1’s broadcast, Siddiqui persuaded her to end her live stream and to contact him privately.  They communicated via FaceTime, and during these video chats, Jane Doe 1 again told Siddiqui that she was 13 years old.  He nonetheless instructed her to remove her shirt, pants, and underwear, then instructed Jane Doe 1 to use a marker to write his first name on her skin next to her genitalia.  He also instructed her to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself via text message.  She complied with his instruction and sent Siddiqui at least one picture of herself.

Viewers of Jane Doe 1’s LiveMe broadcast reported the sexually explicit requests and conduct described above to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Law enforcement identified Siddiqui as the person who persuaded Jane Doe 1 to chat privately and obtained a search warrant for his residence.  On September 5, 2018, officers executed the search warrant and located the cellphone that Siddiqui used to communicate with Jane Doe 1.

Siddiqui was present during the search, waived his Miranda rights, and voluntarily agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement.  He admitted that the phone was his, that it was passcode-protected, that he had used LiveMe on the phone, and that he created the fake LiveMe profile using a photograph of a former classmate to disguise his identity.  He admitted that he used his fake LiveMe account to communicate with Jane Doe 1, and later admitted—after initially denying—that he communicated privately with Jane Doe 1 through FaceTime, including instructing her to send him sexually explicit images of herself via text message, and that he believed Jane Doe 1 was 13 years old.

While Siddiqui was being interviewed, law enforcement conducted an on-scene forensic review of the phone and discovered evidence that he had also sexually exploited Jane Doe 2, a 9-year-old female.  Siddiqui told law enforcement that he began communicating with Jane Doe 2 in August 2018 using Snapchat, and continued to do so as recently as September 3, 2018—two days before the execution of the search warrant.  Siddiqui also admitted that he created videos of Jane Doe 2, and estimated that there were 10 videos of Jane Doe 2 engaging in sexually explicit conduct saved on his phone.  Siddiqui advised that he captured the videos by using his phone’s screen recording function, and that he believed Jane Doe 2 was 11 or 12 years old.

During the interview Siddiqui advised law enforcement that he had engaged in similar conduct with between 10 and 50 girls using mobile applications.  Siddiqui stated that he caused minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct on video and that he derived sexual gratification from it.

Following Siddiqui’s interview, law enforcement obtained records associated with online accounts controlled and used by Siddiqui.  Those records showed that Siddiqui had coerced Jane Doe 4, an 11-year-old sixth-grader, into producing and sending him a nude image and nude videos of herself.  Siddiqui began communicating with Jane Doe 4 on September 15, 2017, and told her that he was 15 years old and lived in her town.  Within days, he had convinced Jane Doe 4 that they were in a relationship, and she revealed the name of the middle school that she was attending.

On October 4, 2017, Siddiqui began demanding that Jane Doe 4 send him sexually explicit images, and threatened to send one of the videos of Jane Doe 4 to her classmates, friends, and family if she did not produce and send further videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Siddiqui specifically told Jane Doe 4, “Don’t play games with me .... I’ll expose u [right now] and ruin your life.”  Jane Doe 4 begged him not to follow through on his threats and sent him additional explicit videos.  After she sent the videos, Siddiqui told Jane Doe 4 that it was “too late” because he had already sent them to her friends.

On October 7, 2017, Jane Doe 4 tried to end her relationship with Siddiqui through a conversation on Snapchat.  Siddiqui reacted by demanding that she immediately produce videos of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  After she refused, Siddiqui sent one sexually explicit image and two sexually explicit videos of Jane Doe 4 to two unidentified Snapchat users.  On October 12, 2017, a classmate of Jane Doe 4 alerted her middle school guidance counselor that images of Jane Doe 4 were being circulated.  School administrators conducted a brief investigation to ensure the images had been deleted but did not contact law enforcement.

Electronic evidence further revealed that, between April 2017 and September 2018, Siddiqui used Snapchat and Kik to entice three additional minors, an 11-year-old, a 12-year-old, and a 14-year-old, to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos.  In each instance, he lied about his real age to persuade these minors to send him such materials.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Shon Brian Beck, age 56, of Eldersburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of production and receipt of child pornography. 

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; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to his guilty plea, in September 2001, Beck and his family traveled to Bethany Beach, Delaware, where they shared a condominium with two other families, including the victim’s family.  Jane Doe, the victim, was six years old at the time.  Beck admitted that he sneaked into the victim’s room and used a digital camera to produce eleven sexually explicit images of the victim.

As detailed in the plea agreement, in 2018, another victim reported that Beck had sexually abused her.  The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at Beck’s residence on March 22, 2019.  Law enforcement seized Beck’s computer equipment and digital cameras.  Beck’s digital devices were forensically examined.  Investigators found the eleven sexually explicit images of Jane Doe, as well as more than 450 images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of minor victims, including prepubescent minors, many of which Beck had downloaded from the Internet. 

Beck and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Beck will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for January 28, 2021, at 3:00 p.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 Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation and thanked the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Wayne Deo Ramsaran, age 46, of Jessup, Maryland, to time served of 29 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for managing a drug-involved premises.  Ramsaran must also forfeit all rights and interests to the condominium.

The sentence 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 Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to Ramsaran’s plea agreement, from October 2016 through at least February 2018, Ramsaran owned a condominium in the 11000 block of Cherry Hill Road in Beltsville, Maryland.  Ramsaran did not reside at the residence but rented rooms and charged daily and/or monthly rent to other individuals, including Kenneth Wayne Hart, whom Ramsaran knew manufactured and sold narcotics at the location.  The narcotics trafficking funded and fueled Hart’s sex trafficking operations within the drug-involved premises and at other locations in Maryland and elsewhere.

Ramsaran admitted that during this time, he visited the drug-involved premises several times a week, and sometimes daily, to obtain rent from tenants either in cash or quantities of narcotics—usually crack cocaine.  Ramsaran also visited the drug-involved premises to use narcotics—at first heroin and then later crack cocaine—with other residents.  When he went inside the drug-involved premises, Ramsaran admitted that he knew that the tenants used, sold, and manufactured narcotics, including powder and crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and prescription pills, in his condominium.  Narcotics customers visited the premises every day, at all hours of the day.

Search warrants executed by law enforcement on April 21, 2017 and February 28, 2018, revealed and confirmed the ongoing manufacturing, storing, distribution, and use of controlled substances at the drug-involved premises, with law enforcement recovering quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, Xanax, amphetamine, and drug paraphernalia, including two water bongs, digital scales, cellular telephones, crack pipes and stems, and hypodermic needles.

It was foreseeable to Ramsaran that the tenants of the drug-involved premises distributed at least 525 grams of cocaine and 700 grams of heroin to their customers.

On October 7, 2020, 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 to 25 years in federal prison 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.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Brian Lockett, age 48, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the federal charges of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 100 grams of more of heroin, and to possession of a stolen firearm.  Fentanyl analogues are chemical compounds designed to have effects similar to fentanyl and can be just as deadly.  Lockett was charged in federal court as part of a federal-state initiative announced in December 2018 to combat the fentanyl crisis in Maryland.

Under this new initiative, titled the “Synthetic Opioid Surge,” or “SOS” for short, 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute more cases involving fentanyl as a result of this new program.  The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, is necessary to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of 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, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Marilyn Mosby.

“Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl—which is 50 to100 times stronger than morphine—can kill you,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “State and federal law enforcement and prosecutors in Baltimore City are working together to arrest and prosecute those who peddle deadly fentanyl on our streets and bring gun violence to our neighborhoods.  Armed drug dealers who sell fentanyl, like Mr. Lockett, face federal time, where there are no suspended sentences and no parole—ever.  We will continue to get guns off of our streets and reduce the supply of fentanyl and related substances that are causing so many tragic overdoses.”

According to his guilty plea, on May 24, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lockett’s residence in the 1500 block of East Preston Street.  Some of the agents knocked on the front door to announce their entry to execute the warrant.  As they did so, Lockett and another individual were caught going out the rear door of the home in an attempt to get away.

From Lockett’s basement bedroom, law enforcement recovered approximately 1,644 gelcaps, which laboratory analysis found contained acetylfentanyl, fentanyl, or heroin, as well as smaller quantities of small ziplocks containing suspected cocaine.  From under the mattress, agents recovered a 9mm handgun and a magazine for that weapon, loaded with 15 9mm cartridges.  Also in the basement were bottles labeled as quinine and several bags of white and brown powdered substances, believed to be drugs and drug cutting agents.  One of the bags was found to contain approximately 182.52 grams of a mixture of acetylfentanyl, fentanyl, and heroin.  Agents also recovered cash, a cellular phone, and other supplies used in the packaging for drugs for street-level sale.  The gun recovered from Lockett’s bedroom was found to be stolen.

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 DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Hann, a cross-designated Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Jordan K. Milleson, age 21, of Timonium, Maryland, and Kyell A. Bryan, age 19, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, on the federal charges of Wire Fraud, Unauthorized Access to Protected Computers in Furtherance of Fraud, Intentional Damage to Protected Computers, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Wire Fraud Conspiracy, in connection with their unauthorized takeovers of victims’ wireless phone and other electronic accounts and to steal digital currency and valuable social media accounts.  The superseding indictment was returned on September 9, 2020, and was unsealed today at Bryan’s initial appearance.  Milleson was arrested on July 29, 2020, and was ordered to be detained pending trial.

The superseding indictment 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; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the 15-count superseding indictment, from September 23, 2017, through January 27, 2020, Milleson registered fraudulent Internet domains, sent “phishing” e-mails, and took over wireless phone numbers in order to steal digital currency and valuable social media accounts.  On June 25 and 26, 2019, Milleson and Bryan conspired to execute a scheme to take over individuals’ electronic accounts and steal digital currency for their own financial gain. 

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Milleson was a computer “hacker” who accessed computers, computer networks, and electronic accounts without authorization in order to perpetrate the alleged fraud schemes, and that Bryan participated in some of the unauthorized takeovers of wireless telephone, electronic, and financial accounts that were part of the fraud schemes.

As detailed in the superseding indictment, Milleson allegedly set up Internet domains and fraudulent websites, designed to appear to be legitimate websites belonging to wireless providers, but which were intended to steal account credentials and enabled Milleson, Bryan, and others to access unsuspecting victims’ electronic accounts without authorization.  Milleson used techniques such as phishing and vishing to deceive victims into visiting the fraudulent websites and providing their credentials to access their electronic accounts.  Victims of phishing attacks were generally contacted by e-mail, phone, or text message by persons purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce victims to reveal confidential information.  Vishing is “voice phishing” where imposters use Internet phone services to trick victims into turning over critical financial or personal information over the phone. 

The superseding indictment alleges that Milleson, Bryan, and others used electronic account credentials stolen from employees and affiliates of wireless providers to access those companies’ computer networks without authorization.  After obtaining access to these networks, the defendants allegedly took over individual victims’ wireless accounts through “SIM swapping,” whereby customers’ mobile numbers, which are linked to unique subscriber identity modules (“SIM”), were instead linked to a SIM installed in a device controlled by the defendants or their co-conspirators.  Once the defendants gained control over the victims’ mobile phone numbers, they were often able to also gain unauthorized access to victims’ other electronic accounts, including e-mail, social media, and cryptocurrency accounts.  The defendants would frequently change the passwords to keep the victims from accessing their own accounts.

As a result of these criminal activities, Milleson allegedly took over the social media accounts of two victims, one of whom had thousands of followers and had monetized their account through sponsored links, product placements, and product reviews.  The superseding indictment alleges that Milleson and Bryan, after conducting a successful SIM swap, were also able to steal more than $16,000 from the digital currency account of another victim after obtaining unauthorized access to that victim’s user accounts.

As detailed in the superseding indictment, on June 26, 2019, Bryan anonymously called the Baltimore County Police Department and falsely reported that he, purporting to be a resident of the Milleson family residence, had shot his father at the residence.  During the call, Bryan, posing as the purported shooter, threatened to shoot himself and to shoot at police officers if they attempted to confront him.  This call was a “swatting” attack, a criminal harassment tactic in which a person places a false call to authorities that will trigger a police or special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team response—thereby causing a life-threatening situation.  The superseding indictment alleges that Bryan perpetrated the swatting attack in retaliation for Milleson failing to share the proceeds of the digital currency theft.

If convicted, the defendants faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy; a maximum of 5 years in federal prison for each count of unauthorized access of a protected computer in furtherance of fraud; and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each count of aggravated identity theft.  Milleson also faces a maximum of 10 in federal prison for each count of intentional damage to a protected computer.  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 today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Bryan be detained pending trial.

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 HSI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Manhattan, New York, District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Christopher M. Rigali, who are prosecuting the case.

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The former president of Transport Logistics International Inc. (TLI), a Maryland-based transportation company that provides services for the transportation of nuclear materials to customers in the United States and abroad, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a scheme to bribe a Russian official in exchange for obtaining contracts for the company.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland, Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG) made the announcement.

On Nov. 22, 2019, after a three-week trial, Mark T. Lambert, 57, was convicted of four counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), two counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and commit wire fraud.  Lambert was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the District of Maryland.  In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Chuang ordered Lambert to pay a $20,000 fine.  Lambert must report to the U.S. Marshals Service by Feb. 15, 2021, to begin serving his prison sentence. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, Lambert participated in a scheme to bribe Vadim Mikerin, a Russian official at JSC Techsnabexport (TENEX), a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) and the sole supplier and exporter of Russian Federation uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear power companies worldwide.  Mikerin was later president of TENEX’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, TENAM Corporation.  Lambert and other members of the conspiracy used code words like “lucky figures,” “LF,” “lucky numbers,” and “cake” to describe the bribes, and they communicated with Mikerin about the scheme at his alias e-mail account where Mikerin used the name “Marvin Jodel.”  

The trial evidence demonstrated that, for approximately seven years, in order to secure contracts with TENEX, Lambert conspired with others at TLI to make over $1.5 million in corrupt and fraudulent bribe payments to Mikerin through offshore shell companies Mikerin directed them to pay.  To conceal the bribe payments, Lambert and his co-conspirators caused fake invoices to be prepared, purportedly from TENEX to TLI, that described services that were never provided.  Lambert and others then used the fake invoices to justify and conceal the bribes they caused to be transmitted by wire to shell company bank accounts in Latvia, Cyprus, and Switzerland. 

Two other defendants have pleaded guilty in this matter.  On June 17, 2015, Daren Condrey, Lambert’s former co-president, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and commit wire fraud.  He is awaiting sentencing.  On Aug. 31, 2015, Russian national Vadim Mikerin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.  He was sentenced to 48 months in prison.  On March 12, 2018, TLI entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice in connection with the bribery scheme.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and DOE-OIG.  Assistant Chief Vanessa A. Sisti and Trial Attorney Derek J. Ettinger of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David I. Salem of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.