District of Maryland
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Ghanian Fraudster Sentenced to over 10 Years for a $1.4 Million Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland –U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Mohammed “Kofi” Kwaning, age 37, of Laurel, Maryland late on September 4, 2018, to 121 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, as well as bank and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was imposed in connection with a fraud scheme in which Kwaning and his co-conspirators attempted to steal nearly $1.4 million in funds from the personal, retirement, and business accounts of various victims. Kwaning is a lawful permanent resident of the United States and a citizen of Ghana. A federal jury convicted Kwaning and two co-defendants on November 2, 2017.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to evidence at presented at his 10-day trial, in 2014, Mohammed Kwaning and other conspirators acquired account information of individual victims, including from investment account management firms, as well as forged checks containing bank account information of both individual and corporate victims from across the United States.
Co-conspirator Issah Mohammed then recruited individuals, including Mark Dennis, Charles Mensah, and others, who registered corporate shell entities with the state of Maryland. The recruits then set up bank accounts at multiple banking institutions in the names of these shell entities. Mohammed Kwaning then either directed that the funds from the compromised accounts be wired into the bank accounts opened in the names of the shell entities or provided altered or fabricated checks from compromised accounts to Issah Mohammed. Mohammed then provided the checks to Mark Dennis, Charles Mensah, and the other recruits to be deposited into the shell entities’ bank accounts. The recruits would then attempt to withdraw the stolen funds before the banks discovered that the source of the funds were compromised accounts.
Some of the accounts were compromised by individuals who called investment firms pretending to be the actual account holders, and then eventually providing enough correct answers in order to reset the password for the account. Individuals also hacked the e-mails of victims and, posing as the account holders, requested funds be wired from their retirement accounts to the bank accounts of the shell corporations controlled by the conspirators. The attempted loss during the nine months of the scheme was over $1.3 million, and the conspirators were able to withdraw over $229,000 of stolen funds, which they then split amongst themselves.
Mark Dennis, age 30, of Laurel, Maryland, and Charles Mensah, age 32, of the Bronx, New York, were also convicted at trial and sentenced to 27 months and 30 months in prison, respectively, each followed by five years of supervised release. Issah Mohammed, age 31, of Laurel, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted this case.
Executive of $50 Million Mail Fraud Scheme Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Eric Epstein, age 58, of Pompano Beach, Florida (previously of Owings Mills, Maryland) today to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, and sentenced co-conspirator Andrew Stafford, age 58, of Bel Air, Maryland, to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, each followed by three years of supervised release. Epstein, Stafford, and their co-conspirators admitted perpetrating a nationwide fraudulent telemarketing scheme designed to ship unwanted and vastly over-priced light bulbs and cleaning supplies to thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations. Epstein and Stafford were leaders in the scheme in which they and their co-conspirators obtained more than $50 million.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Division; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division.
“Eric Epstein and his co-conspirators preyed on churches, schools, homeless shelters, and businesses to steal more than $50 million through a sophisticated scheme that involved sham sales of light bulbs and cleaning supplies,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Not only did he not pay taxes on much of the money, but Epstein used the ill-gotten gains to fund a lavish lifestyle including luxury vehicles, a million-dollar home, and extravagant jewelry. Federal agents and prosecutors will pursue perpetrators of such fraud schemes to recover money stolen from the victims and from the United States Treasury.”
“Eric Epstein’s conspiracy was a scheme motivated by pure greed. Through false and fraudulent business practices, Epstein not only personally enriched himself, but cheated several businesses out of more than $50 million in the process, ” said Kelly R. Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation, in partnership with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate corporate fraud and hold corporations and their executives accountable when failing to comply with the law.”
According to Epstein’s and Stafford’s plea agreements and other court documents, in 2003, Epstein co-founded a Maryland-based telemarketing business, Midway Industries, LLC and Johnson Distributing, LLC and incorporated them in Maryland, each with the stated purpose to engage in the retail sale of light bulbs and cleaning supplies, among other activities. Between July 22, 2008 and April 18, 2014, Epstein and Brian Wallen incorporated additional shell entities, in Maryland and Florida. Midway, Johnson Distributing, and the shell entities will be collectively referred to here as “Midway.”
Epstein, Stafford, and other co-conspirators obtained tens of millions of dollars from thousands of victim businesses by deceiving the businesses into paying exorbitant prices for light bulbs and cleaning supplies, as well as paying for products that the businesses never ordered. Victims of the scam included global conglomerates, small family-run businesses, government agencies, churches, schools, homeless shelters, and other non-profits.
In 2012, Epstein sold a majority financial interest in Midway to Brian Wallen for $15 million, but he retained an ownership stake, received a regular paycheck, and continued to advise and supervise Midway employees, along with Brian Wallen and Andrew Stafford.
Specifically, from 2003 through 2014, Midway employees would cold-call businesses making false representations, including that the business had an existing business relationship with Midway. During these cold-calls, the conspirators sought to obtain the personal information of an “authorized representative” for the business, which the Midway collections department could use later to justify an order. The conspirators concealed Midway’s true locations in Reisterstown, Maryland and in Florida, as well as the price of the products and the quantity of any shipment. Often the conspirators would tell the victim businesses that Midway would send a “half box” of light bulbs. In fact, the “half box” was a deceptive technique used to understate the volume and price of shipments, and disguise unwanted future shipments. As long as the victims continued paying the Midway invoices, in subsequent calls Epstein, Wallen, Stafford, and the conspirators misrepresented that the balance of the victim’s order, or their “regular seasonal order” had recently been shipped, despite no order having been made by the victim business, and no actual shipment having yet been sent.
When the authorized representative at a business could not be reached, Epstein, Wallen, Stafford, and the conspirators would simply send the product and an inflated invoice to the victim, without the victim placing an order. The conspirators referred to this practice as “just ship.” If the authorized representative had quit, been fired, or even passed away, the conspirators sent a product and inflated invoice to the victim business knowing that the victim would be unable to dispute the validity of the order. This practice was referred to by the Midway conspirators as a “down the road.” The Midway conspirators regularly sought the approval of Epstein, Wallen and Stafford, as their supervisors, to engage in the practices of “just ship,” or “down the road.”
Epstein, Wallen, Stafford, and the conspirators ordered the light bulbs and cleaning supplies from a company located in New Jersey (supplier). They instructed the supplier to ship the products to the victim without an invoice, and to send the invoices directly to Midway. Epstein, Wallen, Stafford, and the conspirators then sent inflated invoices to the billing departments of the victims, that were regularly 900% greater than the prices Midway paid for the supplies, and sometimes greater than 8,000% above the supplier’s prices. When victims did not remit payment, the collections department at Midway repeatedly called the victims in order to force them to pay the inflated invoices. If the victim threatened to contact law enforcement or the Better Business Bureau, Epstein, Wallen, Stafford and the conspirators offered to revise the invoice to a discounted rate, or take back a product for either a “re-stocking fee” or “at cost,” which was still substantially greater than the cost of the products purchased from the supplier.
As a result of the fraud scheme, Midway sent fraudulent invoices to victim companies for more than $100 million and received more than $50 million in payments on those invoices.
Further, Epstein admitted that he caused victims’ checks payable to Midway corporate entities to be cashed at money remitters, while Epstein personally kept and used the money. Epstein and others at Midway also used Midway credit cards for lavish personal expenditures, such as luxury furniture and vehicles.
Co-conspirators Robert Chesser, age 46, of Dundalk, Maryland; Brandon Johnston, age 38, of Catonsville, Maryland; Alan Landsman, age 36, of York, Pennsylvania; Steven Phillips, age 64, of Pikesville, Maryland; Brandon Riggs, age 34, of Baltimore; and Thomas Wishon, age 54, of Cockeysville, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with their roles in the scheme, and were sentenced to between 30 months and 72 months in prison.
Charges against Brian Wallen were dismissed after his death.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur thanked the FBI, the IRS, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work on the investigation. Mr. Hur commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Harry M. Gruber, who prosecuted the case.
Former Prince George’s County State Delegate Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Accepting Bribes and for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland –U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced former Maryland State Delegate Michael Lynn Vaughn, age 60, of Bowie, Maryland, today to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a bribery conspiracy in connection with a scheme in which he accepted bribes in exchange for influencing the performance of his official duties. A federal jury convicted Vaughn of conspiracy and four counts of bribery on March 1, 2018. At today’s sentencing hearing, the government also presented evidence, which Vaughn did not dispute, that Vaughn stole campaign funds from early 2005 through 2016, totaling over $100,000.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“We expect our elected officials to place the interests of the citizens above their own,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “When they violate the trust placed in them and break the law, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will bring them to justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at his two-week trial, Vaughn was a Maryland State Delegate from January 2003 until January 2017, representing District 24, which covered portions of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and was the Deputy Majority Whip and a member of the Economic Matters Committee.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from January 2015 through April 2016, Vaughn conspired with former Prince George’s County Liquor Board member and later, Chief Liquor Inspector, David Dae Sok Son, liquor store owners Young Jung Paig, Shin Ja Lee, and others in order to enrich himself personally, in exchange for Vaughn performing and agreeing to perform favorable official action.
Specifically, the evidence showed that Vaughn took $19,000 in cash bribe payments from Paig, Lee, and others, in exchange for influencing and voting for the 2015 Sunday Sales Bill, which established up to 100 Sunday liquor sales permits in Prince George’s County for holders of Class A licenses and Class B licenses with an off-sale privilege; and the related 2016 Additional Sunday Permits Bill, both of which became Maryland law. Vaughn voted in favor of the bills, which benefitted Paig and Lee’s liquor stores, in the Prince George’s County Delegation meetings, in the Economic Matters Committee, and in the Maryland House of Delegates.
Also according to court documents and information presented at today’s sentencing hearing, from early 2005 through 2016, Vaughn diverted money donated to his campaign finance committee, Friends of Michael Vaughn (FOMV), for his personal use, totaling over $100,000. A candidate, such as Vaughn, is prohibited from personally making disbursements from a political committee established to promote his candidacy. According to the information presented at the sentencing hearing, the government’s sentencing memo, and other court documents, Vaughn withdrew campaign funds from the FOMV account to use for personal expenses, including electronically transferring money from the FOMV campaign account directly to Vaughn’s personal bank account, making payments to his personal credit card account, and making payments of his personal income tax to the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, during an interview on April 12, 2016, Vaughn admitted to stealing funds from his campaign account and spending them on a number of things, including his personal mortgage, his son’s school tuition, and credit card bills. As part of the wire fraud conduct, Vaughn received campaign contributions, deposited them into the FOMV account, and then converted them to his personal use without identifying the contributions on campaign finance reports made to the Maryland State Board of Elections. In order to conceal the scheme from FOMV and the FOMV campaign contributors, Vaughn caused the filing of fraudulent campaign finance reports with the Maryland State Board of Elections. For example, as of January 14, 2015, the campaign finance report filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections showed a balance in the FOMV account of $64,462.44. The expenditures identified in the report did not include substantial cash withdrawals made by Vaughn, and the account actual balance on that date, according to bank statements, was only $1,654.36.
United States Attorney Robert Hur commended the FBI, IRS-CI, and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Windom, who prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Corey Hammond, age 30, of Houston, Texas, today to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. Hammond was convicted on March 8, 2018, after a four-day trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Baltimore District Office; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
Evidence at trial established that the defendant was part of a conspiracy to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine. The drugs were transported from Houston, Texas to Baltimore, Maryland by vehicles equipped with hidden compartments, or “traps.”
According to testimony at trial, law enforcement intercepted phone calls and text messages in which Hammond discussed drug transactions. Intercepted calls and text messages played at trial established that Hammond communicated in code with his co-conspirators discussing the amounts and payment for cocaine. One text message in particular indicated payment in the amount of $256,000 for 8 kilograms. Hammond took the stand at trial and falsely testified that he was selling car parts. Evidence at trial established the quantity of cocaine as being between 15-50 kilograms.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Hann, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Baltimore County Man Who Enticed Children to Send Him Sexually Explicit Videos of Themselves Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Greenbelt, Maryland – Keith Edward Taylor, age 33, of Kingsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to Taylor’s plea agreement, in 2017, Taylor used an instant-messaging software application to communicate with minors throughout the United States and internationally. Specifically, Taylor admitted that he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with at least five minor male victims, ranging from 12 to 15 years old, and residing in various states, including Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa, Michigan, and Colorado. During the course of his conversations with the boys, Taylor typically portrayed himself as a woman. Taylor repeatedly requested that the boys send sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Taylor sent some of the boys sexually explicit photos of women, falsely claiming that they were photos of himself.
Taylor further admitted using the messaging app to distribute and trade child pornography with adults. For example, during December 2017, Taylor traded child pornography with a user who sent Taylor a live photo of a child that the user claimed was his own stepchild. Taylor repeatedly requested sexually explicit photos of the child and discussed the other user engaging in sex acts with the child. Taylor also maintained digital collections of child pornography in multiple cloud storage accounts and electronic devices.
As part of his plea agreement, Taylor must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Taylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2018 at 3 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 HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Federal Indictment Charges Two Southern Maryland Men with Three Counts of Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment charging Rodney Mondell Coby, a/k/a “Cuz,” age 29, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Steven Jerome, of Leonardtown, Maryland, with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Coby is also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Coby was initially indicted on the drug distribution and gun charges on May 21, 2018. The superseding indictment added Jerome as a new defendant and three counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Hoernke 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, “We are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths in Maryland. We’re particularly targeting those who sell fentanyl, the drug that is killing the most of our citizens. Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution.”
The six-count superseding indictment alleges that Coby and Jerome distributed fentanyl to an individual on September 6, 2017, resulting in death. Further, the indictment charges Coby and Jerome individually with distributing fentanyl on November 29, 2017 and March 27, 2018, respectively, resulting in death. Coby is also charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegally possessing five semi-automatic pistols and 159 rounds of various types of ammunition.
If convicted, Coby and Jerome face a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison for each of two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Coby also faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison 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. Coby has been in custody since his arrest on April 13, 2018. Jerome is also detained on unrelated state charges. The defendants are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, but 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 the DEA and the St. Mary’s 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 the case.
Correctional Officer Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for A Racketeering Conspiracy at Eastern Correctional InstitutionRead the Press Release
Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Correctional Officer Rachelle Hankerson, age 28, of Salisbury, Maryland, on August 24, 2018, to 52 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy operating at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland, and for deprivation of rights under color of law for participating in the stabbing of an inmate.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Secretary Stephen T. Moyer of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
“As demonstrated by today’s sentence, public servants who violate their duty for personal gain will be held accountable. We will continue to work closely with state officials to root out and prosecute correctional officers who bring cell phones, drugs and other contraband into correctional facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.
According to court documents, the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) is the largest state prison in Maryland, operating since 1987 near Westover, in Somerset County, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. During the conspiracy, Hankerson was a Correctional Officer (CO) at ECI.
Hankerson admitted that she accepted payments from facilitators and inmates to smuggle contraband into ECI, including narcotics, cell phones and tobacco. Hankerson charged at least $500 per package of contraband she smuggled into ECI. Hankerson also admitted that she approached a co-defendant who was a member of the Bloods gang at ECI for whom she smuggled contraband, and asked the inmate to confront inmate D.S., with whom Hankerson had had a verbal dispute. Hankerson twice allowed her co-defendant onto the tier where D.S. was housed. The second time that the co-defendant entered D.S.’s cell he violently attacked D.S., stabbing him multiple times. Another inmate told Hankerson about the violent confrontation, but rather than notifying prison authorities, Hankerson left the area. She later told an inmate to provide a false story to prison authorities that Hankerson had not been on the tier when the attack occurred. Law enforcement intercepted multiple calls in which Hankerson and others working with her discussed contraband, arranging meetings with correctional officers, and payment for contraband.
Of the 80 defendants charged in this case, 77 have been convicted, including 16 of the 18 correctional officers charged. All the defendants who have been sentenced to date have been ordered to serve a term of imprisonment, ranging from a year and a day in prison to 65 months in prison.
The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to Secretary Moyer, whose staff initiated the ECI investigation and who has made the full resources of the DPSCS available to assist the three-year investigation. U.S. Attorney Hur also commended the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force which has brought together federal, state and local agencies in meetings to generate reforms in prison procedures and facilitate joint investigations of prison corruption and prison gangs. Mr. Hur thanked the members of the Maryland Prison Task Force and the other agencies who assisted in this investigation and prosecution.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise, Robert R. Harding, and Daniel C. Gardner, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Devin Braxton, age 28, of Baltimore, to five years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for assaulting a federal officer.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
“Law enforcement officers—including members of ATF and the Baltimore Police Department—routinely put their lives on the line for the sake of public safety,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Those who assault these brave men and woman will be held accountable.”
“ATF Special Agents and Task Force Officers risk their safety and lives every day investigating violent offenders, including those who push drugs onto Baltimore’s streets. We do this to protect the community, and remove criminals and violence from their neighborhoods,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “Devin Braxton and Earl Williams showed no regard for human life when they violently beat our Task Force Officer, a member of our ATF family. We are immensely grateful that this TFO has made a full recovery and that these men are being held responsible for their crime.”
According to Braxton’s plea agreement, on January 18, 2017, an ATF Task Force Officer (TFO) was working undercover in an investigation of a drug dealer in Baltimore.
While wearing an audio recording device, the TFO met the target drug dealer in front of a carryout store in the 1800 block of North Gay Street in Baltimore, where the drug dealer gave the TFO packaged crack cocaine in exchange for cash. While the TFO was engaged in the transaction, Braxton’s co-defendant, Earl Williams, approached the TFO and poked his finger into the TFO’s hand that was holding the crack cocaine. The TFO attempted to excuse Williams, who persisted in his confrontation and began threatening the TFO. Braxton and Williams then blocked the exit to the business. The TFO attempted to push Williams into the corner of the store, but, as the TFO struggled with Williams, Braxton began striking the TFO. Williams then wrestled the TFO to the ground, where Braxton and Williams punched and kicked the TFO, causing serious injuries. Hearing the commotion over the TFO’s audio recording device, ATF agents rapidly responded to the scene. Before agents could arrive, Braxton and Williams left the store. As they fled, Williams took the TFO’s cell phone and Braxton took the TFO’s service weapon.
ATF agents apprehended Braxton and Williams a short time later. They also recovered the TFO’s phone and service weapon. The TFO was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Earl Williams, age 30, of Baltimore, also pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer. If the Court accepts the plea, Williams will be sentenced to 66 months in prison, at his sentencing before Judge Bennett on September 12, 2018 at 3:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, who is prosecuting the case.
Towson Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Distributing Oxycodone in Exchange for Sexual FavorsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A licensed pharmacist, Richard Daniel Hiller, age 64, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, and to distributing oxycodone
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“Abuse of oxycodone and other pharmaceutical drugs is one of our most significant drug enforcement challenges. Those who divert pharmaceutical drugs for illegal purposes further the tragic cycle of addiction and the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.
According to his plea agreement, Hiller was a licensed pharmacist working at a pharmacy in Towson, Maryland. Hiller admitted that he filled fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone for several women in return for sexual favors. On numerous occasions between January 2014 and February 2017, Hiller directed two of the women to come to the pharmacy where he worked prior to the opening of the pharmacy. Hiller would make them engage in sexual intercourse or perform other sexual acts in the rear area of the pharmacy prior to filling their fake prescriptions for oxycodone.
Beginning in 2014, Hiller also distributed oxycodone to a third woman. In return for distributing oxycodone to her, often without any valid prescription, Hiller would ask the woman to send him nude photos and sexual videos of herself, and allow him to grope and kiss her. This woman would sometimes use different names to simultaneously obtain oxycodone prescriptions from two doctors. Hiller would fill both prescriptions knowing they had been fraudulently obtained. When the woman rejected one of Hiller’s advances, he called the woman’s doctors to notify them that she was fraudulently obtaining prescriptions from both of them.
Hiller filled these prescriptions knowing they were fraudulent and outside the usual course of professional practice. Hiller would permit the women to fill additional prescriptions for oxycodone before the previous 30-day window had expired. In an effort to hide the conspiracy, some of the fraudulent prescriptions listed fake names and names of family members. The women were addicted to oxycodone and would resell many of the pills they obtained from Hiller to maintain their addiction. Over the course of the conspiracy, Hiller distributed approximately 20,500 15 milligram oxycodone pills.
Hiller faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for distributing oxycodone. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Hiller on November 15, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in these investigations. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who is prosecuting the case.
Army Captain Indicted on Charges of Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity and Transferring Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Kevin J. Gorbsky, age 32, of Bowie, Maryland, on five counts of enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. The indictment was returned on August 23, 2018, and unsealed today.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commanding General David P. Glaser of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.
According to the six-count indictment, Gorbsky was a Captain in the United States Army, stationed in Kuwait and in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, where he was assigned to work at a secure facility. Gorbsky created and used e-mail accounts “Justin Smelder” and “John Bbeez,” and a social media account, “johnbeez66.” Beginning in October 2015 and continuing through at least January 8, 2018, Gorbsky used those accounts to engage in online chat with hundreds of other users, many of whom identified themselves as minors between 12 and 17 years old. Gorbsky told many of the individuals he chatted with that he was 19 years old, when in fact, he was between 28 and 31 years old. Gorbsky’s chats with the users were sexually explicit. Gorbsky repeatedly persuaded, enticed, and coerced the other users to send him sexually explicit images and to engage in sexually explicit video chat with him. Gorbsky sent many of the users sexually explicit images and videos of himself. On numerous occasions, Gorbsky accessed his accounts and engaged in sexually explicit chats using the unclassified computer system at his workplace.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that from September 22, 2017 through January 3, 2018, Gorbsky engaged in sexually explicit communications with a girl who said she was 12 years old, including during times the girl stated she was in school. Gorbsky repeatedly asked the girl for sexually explicit images and to engage in sexually explicit video chat with him. On October 26, 2017, Gorbsky e-mailed a sexually explicit video of himself to the girl. The indictment alleges that Gorbsky also engaged in sexually explicit chat with four other girls who stated in their chats that they were ages 13, 17, 17, and 15, respectively. Gorbsky repeatedly asked the girls to send him sexually explicit images of themselves and to engage in sexually explicit video chat with him. Gorbsky also e-mailed sexually explicit videos of himself to one of the girls who said she was 17 years old.
If convicted, Gorbsky faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for each count of enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for transfer of obscene material to a minor. Gorbsky is scheduled to have an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson on August 27, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.
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 commended the FBI and Army CID for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Derek E. Hines, who are prosecuting the federal case.
Drunk Driver Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland –Dontaze Purnell Drake, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty today to involuntary manslaughter. Drake admitted that he caused a fatal collision on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on September 24, 2017, in which he was speeding, his blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit in Maryland, and he was driving on a suspended license.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Chief Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police.
According to his plea agreement, at approximately 3:00 a.m. on September 24, 2017, Drake caused a fatal collision on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Drake was traveling southbound at approximately 33 miles per hour over the posted speed limit when he attempted to pass a vehicle traveling in the right lane. Drake struck the rear of an SUV traveling in the right lane. As a result of the collision, one of the four passengers in the SUV was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the crash caused by Drake.
Drake’s blood-alcohol level was .12%, which is above the legal limit in Maryland, and he also had .03 mg/L of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, in his system at the time. In addition, a search of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration database revealed that Drake’s license had been suspended.
Drake faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, which U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled for November 8, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chimaobim Nwachukwu, who prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – James Atkinson, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to an armed robbery.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on February 23, 2018, Atkinson went to a Baltimore car rental agency and requested that the security deposit for a vehicle “his wife” had recently rented be returned to him. In reality, “his wife” was a drug customer of Atkinson’s, whom Atkinson would direct to rent cars on his behalf in return for drugs and/or cash. The rental agency employee checked the company’s records and discovered that the rental car had been returned with multiple bullet holes in the car door. The employee advised that the security deposit would not be returned until the repairs had been paid for. Atkinson then asked if there were any vehicles available to rent, but there were no vehicles available. The employee asked Atkinson to leave because he was closing up for the night.
Atkinson pointed a revolver at the employee and demanded money. Atkinson stole $405 from the employee’s desk drawer, and the victim’s phone and wallet, which contained $207. Atkinson then demanded a car and the victim advised that there were keys to a car in the back room. Atkinson went back and took the keys to a black Hyundai Elantra, then produced a stun gun and began to shock the victim on the arm while he was kneeling on the floor. Atkinson ordered the victim into an adjacent room. The victim walked into the room, then ran up the stairs. Atkinson left the office and departed in the Elantra.
The victim ran downstairs, called 911, and began cancelling the credit cards that were in his stolen wallet. Investigation determined that Atkinson attempted to make two unauthorized purchases using a credit and debit card stolen from the victim. One of the attempts was on the website of a large retailer and included Atkinson’s name, address, and telephone number.
Atkinson and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Atkinson will be sentenced to 12 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for November 28, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Burden H. Walker and James G. Warwick, who are prosecuting the case.
Serial Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ronald L. Coleman, age 70, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2018, to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Coleman has four previous federal convictions—one for mail fraud and three for access device fraud and related crimes.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 23, 2015 to May 7, 2017, Coleman used the personal identifying information of more than 10 victims to request that financial institutions send replacement credit and debit cards, and to apply for new credit cards. Coleman had the cards sent to addresses in Baltimore where he lived or had access. Most of the requests were made by phone and some of those requests were recorded. When calling financial institutions, Coleman pretended to be the account holder and used the name, birthdate, social security number, address and telephone number of the true account holder, which Coleman had fraudulently obtained and was not authorized to use. Coleman also admitted that he made some requests online through the Internet. Using the victims’ identifying information, Coleman successfully obtained and sought to obtain more than two dozen credit cards from financial institutions and other entities.
In addition, in February 2015, Coleman fraudulently obtained a vehicle loan totaling approximately $22,132, which he used to purchase a Mercedes Benz SL. On the loan documents, Coleman falsely represented that he had resided at an address in Baltimore for 15 years, and had been employed for eight years at a graphics company in “sales.” In fact, in February 2015 Coleman was completing his sentence for a federal fraud conviction for which he had been incarcerated since December 2011. Coleman subsequently defaulted on the loan, causing the loan company a loss of approximately $9,600.
Coleman’s fraudulent activities resulted in an actual loss of at least $11,076.34, and an intended loss of more than $39,000.
Coleman and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Coleman will be sentenced to between five and 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Coleman on January 30, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Tamera L. Fine, who are prosecuting the case.
Silver Spring Felon Convicted of FirebombingRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Darius Eric Wilder, age 41, of Silver Spring, Maryland, on August 16, 2018, on charges related to the firebombing of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Baltimore Field Division; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department, and Fire Chief Scott Goldstein of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.
According to the information presented at Wilder’s four-day trial, on April 15, 2017, at approximately 9:22 p.m. the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service responded to a fire on the balcony of an apartment in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which they located and extinguished. Investigators from the Montgomery County Office of Fire and Explosives Investigation conducted an investigation and located two incendiary bombs, commonly known as Molotov cocktails. One of the Molotov cocktails was on the balcony of the apartment, and damaged the wooden decking and children’s bikes. The second Molotov cocktail was on the ground below. The liquids within the bottles as well as wick material found in the debris field were submitted to the ATF Forensic Science Laboratory, which later confirmed the presence of gasoline. The ATF National Laboratory Center also conducted DNA analysis of the bottles and found that Wilder was a possible contributor to the DNA profile found on one of the Molotov cocktails.
According to trial testimony, the individual who leased the apartment had recently attempted to end a relationship with Wilder, but Wilder continued to contact the woman. The evidence showed that on April 15, 2017, Wilder had texted and called the woman repeatedly, with the last text occurring at 9:13 p.m. Cell location data established that Wilder’s cell phone was located in the area of the apartment complex at around the time of the fire.
Witnesses testified that on April 18, 2017, law enforcement attempted to stop Wilder’s vehicle, but Wilder rammed a police vehicle and ran away. Montgomery County Police officers pursued and arrested Wilder.
Wilder had a previous felony conviction and was therefore prohibited from possessing destructive devices.
Wilder faces a maximum of 10 in prison for being a felon in possession of a destructive device; a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for arson affecting interstate commerce; and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison for use and carry of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence and possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing on December 6, 2018 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Sykes and Nicolas Mitchell, who prosecuted the case.
Pasadena Bank Robber Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Steven Murn, age 50, of Pasadena, Maryland, today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for armed bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. Judge Russell also ordered Murn to pay restitution of $1,210.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.
According to information presented to the court at his plea and sentencing hearings, on August 19, 2016, Murn attempted to rob a bank in the 3200 block of Pasadena, Maryland. Murn entered the bank wearing a wig and a baseball cap and carrying a bag. He went to the check-writing station in the lobby, then to a teller station. The teller asked Murn to remove his hat and he complied. Murn then placed his bag on the teller counter and said “C’mon!” The teller said, “No.” Murn grabbed the bag, left the bank, and ran away.
On August 29, 2016, Murn robbed a bank in the 8100 block of Jumpers Hole Road in Pasadena. Murn entered the bank wearing an orange safety vest over a tee shirt and a hard hat with a towel draped beneath it, and carrying a bag. After writing a note on a deposit slip that read, “Bomb all money now please,” Murn gave the teller the note, placed a fake bomb on the counter in front of a teller station, and demanded money. The teller opened the cash drawer and Murn reached over the counter and removed bundles of cash. Murn then left the bank and drove away in his car, which was parked nearby. He was arrested the next day in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the Court, Murn assaulted a Pennsylvania State Trooper at the time of his arrest in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and threatened to kill the officers. Murn was later taken to the hospital, complaining of chest pain, where on September 3, 2016, he attempted to disarm an officer by grabbing his pistol and holster from the officer’s duty belt. The officer struggled with Murn to recover the weapon. On that same date, while being transported to the Franklin County Jail, Murn kicked out a window of the van, shattering the glass, and attempted to wriggle out of the van through the window. Murn was placed back in the van and transported to jail.
Judge Russell ordered that Murn’s federal sentence run concurrent to the remaining sentence Murn is serving in Pennsylvania for attempted escape, disarming an officer, and making threats to the police.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Pennsylvania State Police for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Demetrius William Harris, a/k/a “Demetrius Diggs,” age 34, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty on August 15, 2018, to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Diggs had five previous convictions for drug distribution or violent crimes.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, at 11 p.m. on September 11, 2017, Baltimore Police officers in an unmarked vehicle saw Diggs driving a car with temporary Texas tags traveling at an extremely high rate of speed. The officers activated their vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop but Diggs sped away in an attempt to flee from police. Officers followed, but terminated their pursuit after Diggs drove his car across the median into a lane of oncoming traffic. Shortly thereafter, Diggs crashed his car head-on into another vehicle, then attempted to back up. Diggs’s car became stuck when he reversed it onto a grassy median between the lanes of traffic. As officers arrived on the scene, a man exited from the passenger side of Diggs’s car and ran away. Officers removed Diggs from the driver’s seat and took him into custody. Officers recovered two cell phones from Diggs. A search of Diggs’s vehicle recovered a black hat, black ski mask, and black trench coat on the floor next to the front passenger seat; two additional cell phones from the center console, as well as two clear plastic sandwich bags that held 49 clear gel capsules containing heroin. On the grass just outside the passenger side of Diggs’s vehicle, officers found two loaded firearms: a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun. The pistol had been reported stolen from a home in Fayetteville, North Carolina on June 27, 2017.
According to court documents, the man who fled from Diggs’s car was located by police in a nearby neighborhood and subsequently identified as Percy Eugene Johnson, age 29, of Baltimore. Johnson pleaded guilty on July 24, 2018 to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled Johnson’s sentencing on October 23, 2018, at 3:00 p.m.
Diggs and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Diggs will be sentenced to between eight and 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for November 26, 2018 at 3:00 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Patricia C. McLane, who are prosecuting the case.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Travis Wilmoth, age 31, of Fayetteville, North Carolina pleaded guilty today to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Wilmoth admitted that he traveled from North Carolina to Maryland to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a 15-year-old girl.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, on March 2, 2018, the FBI received a telephone call from the mother of a 15-year-old minor female who had recently discovered that Wilmoth had been using social media to chat online with her daughter since November 2017, and those conversations had become sexual in February 2018. With the permission of the girl and her mother, FBI agents took control of the girl’s account and communicated with Wilmoth posing as the minor female. During the ensuing chats, Wilmoth repeatedly asked the girl to take “naughty” pictures and send them to him. On March 14, 2108, Wilmoth discussed traveling to Maryland to visit the girl and engaging in sexual acts with her. Between March 7 and April 11, 2018, Wilmoth sent the girl sexually explicit images and videos of himself. On May 11, 2018, Wilmoth drove from North Carolina to Maryland to meet with the girl with the intent to engage in sexual activity. The FBI agent posing as the girl had provided Wilmoth with an address in an apartment complex in Baltimore County, Maryland. Wilmoth arrived at that location with condoms he had previously purchased and was arrested as he approached the front door.
As part of his plea agreement, Wilmoth must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Wilmoth and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Wilmoth will be sentenced to nine years in prison followed by 25 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for December 7, 2018 at 12:00 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 for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson, who is prosecuting the federal case.
President of Baltimore Tax Preparation Business Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Assisting in the Filing of False Tax Returns and for Failing to File Corporate Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Tynisha Martin Kadiri, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, on August 13, 2018, to four years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for assisting in the filing of false income tax returns and for failing to file corporate tax returns. Judge Bredar also ordered Kadiri to pay restitution of $90,895. A federal jury convicted Kadiri on April 16, 2018.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Evidence presented at the six-day trial showed that Kadiri, who owned three tax preparation businesses in west Baltimore, filed false and fraudulent tax returns for her client-taxpayers. These false returns included business receipts that the taxpayers did not receive, business losses that the taxpayers did not incur, and false or fictitious businesses. As a result of these false statements, Kadiri’s clients received larger refunds than those to which they were entitled. In addition, evidence presented at trial proved that Kadiri did not file federal corporate income tax returns for her businesses for tax years 2014 and 2015.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Maddox, who prosecuted the case.
Dark Web Vendor Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, and BuprenorphineRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On August 13, 2018, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Cory Nicholas Skinner, age 33, of Pikesville, Maryland, to seven years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams of more of heroin as well as quantities of cocaine and buprenorphine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; and Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division.
According to his plea agreement, while investigating the death of a University of Arkansas police officer, a detective with the Conway (Arkansas) Police Department found an opened Priority Mail package shipped from Baltimore, Maryland, under the decedent’s head (the “Arkansas package”).
During the investigation of the Arkansas package, Postal Inspectors identified two other Priority Mail packages purchased in the same transaction and destined for addresses in North Carolina (the “North Carolina package”) and Arizona (the “Arizona package”), that were related to the Arkansas package. The recipient of the North Carolina package told investigators that he used Bitcoin to purchase heroin from DoggFood, an online vendor on the dark web. The North Carolina package contained approximately 2.8 grams of heroin, and the Arizona package contained approximately four buprenorphine units. Fingerprints found on both packages belonged to Skinner.
During their surveillance of Skinner between September 2017 and January 2018, Postal Inspectors intercepted over 20 packages containing a total of approximately 47.5 grams of heroin and 81 buprenorphine units that Skinner sent through the United States mail. Additionally, Postal Inspectors discovered that Skinner did not act alone to distribute controlled substances through the mail. Instead, Skinner used individuals that he knew were unusually vulnerable due to a physical or mental condition to drop off packages containing heroin and cocaine at Baltimore post offices in July 2017 and August 2017, respectively.
By January 2018, Skinner had sold approximately 290.5 grams of heroin, 97.5 grams of cocaine, and 216 units of buprenorphine as the dark web vendor DoggFood.
When officers searched Skinner’s residence, they found the laptop he used to run the dark web vendor DoggFood, printed labels, approximately $6,600 in cash, plastic baggies, a digital scale, heat and bag sealers, a large amount of Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipping supplies, $23.75 in postal stamps, a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm, and 12 rounds of Luger 9mm ammunition.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, which led the investigation, and the Postal Inspectors in other field divisions that provided assistance—including the Charlotte, San Francisco, Seattle, and Phoenix Divisions, as well as the Fort Worth Division - Little Rock Domicile, and the National Headquarters Cyber Crimes Unit—for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur recognized the Conway (Arkansas) Police Department; the Brunswick County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office; the Baltimore County Police Department; the Maryland State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Baltimore and Raleigh Field Offices for their contributions in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland MS-13 Member Ordered to Serve Two Consecutive Life Sentences for Federal Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, and Other Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Raul Ernesto Landaverde-Giron, a/k/a “Humilde,” a/k/a “Decente,” age 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland, today to two consecutive sentences of life in prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his gang activity as a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and other violent crimes, namely murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and murder resulting from the use, carrying, and discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence. A federal jury convicted Landaverde-Giron of those charges on March 14, 2018, after a three-week trial.
The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Captain Amal Awad, Interim Chief of the Hyattsville City Police Department; Chief Edward Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Evidence presented at trial showed that branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County, Maryland. Landaverde-Giron was a member of the MS-13 Normandie Locos Salvatrucha Clique.
According to evidence presented at the trial, from at least 2012 through at least 2016, MS-13 members planned and committed numerous crimes, including murders and attempted murders in Prince George’s County and Frederick County. Gang members also extorted owners of illegal businesses, among other crimes. Witnesses testified that MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Serious violations of MS-13 rules, such as cooperating with law enforcement, could result in the issuance of a “greenlight,” or order to be killed. Participation in violent acts directed at rival gangs, or as directed by gang leadership, increased the respect accorded to that member.
Trial evidence showed that on November 30, 2013, Landaverde-Giron, along with two other Normandie Clique members, murdered an individual in Frederick, Maryland, who had fled El Salvador to escape a greenlight imposed by MS-13 members in El Salvador. After a co-conspirator recognized the victim in Frederick, Normandie Clique members called an MS-13 leader in prison in El Salvador to confirm that the greenlight was still in effect. A co-conspirator then lured the victim to a wooded area in Frederick, where he shot the victim in the head and Landaverde-Giron and another co-conspirator stabbed the victim in the face and neck. Landaverde-Giron was promoted within the Normandie Clique for his participation in this murder.
Landaverde-Giron pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the U.S. after having been deported, and was sentenced to six months in prison. Landaverde-Giron has been detained since his arrest.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore, Frederick Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Hyattsville City Police Department, and Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsay Eyler Kaplan and William D. Moomau, and Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori with the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland MS-13 Member Ordered to Serve Two Consecutive Life Sentences for Federal Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, and Other Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
Raul Ernesto Landaverde-Giron, aka “Humilde,” and “Decente,” 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte to two consecutive sentences of life in prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his gang activity as a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and other violent crimes, namely murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; using, carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and murder resulting from the use, carrying and discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence. A federal jury convicted Landaverde-Giron of those charges on March 14, after a three-week trial.
The conviction was announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur for the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Captain Amal Awad, Interim Chief of the Hyattsville City Police Department; Chief Edward Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Evidence presented at trial showed that branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Frederick County, Maryland. Landaverde-Giron was a member of the MS-13 Normandie Locos Salvatrucha Clique.
According to evidence presented at the trial, from at least 2012 through at least 2016, MS-13 members planned and committed numerous crimes, including murders and attempted murders in Prince George’s County and Frederick County. Gang members also extorted owners of illegal businesses, among other crimes. Witnesses testified that MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. Serious violations of MS-13 rules, such as cooperating with law enforcement, could result in the issuance of a “greenlight,” or order to be killed. Participation in violent acts directed at rival gangs, or as directed by gang leadership, increased the respect accorded to that member.
Trial evidence showed that on Nov. 30, 2013, Landaverde-Giron, along with two other Normandie Clique members, murdered an individual in Frederick, Maryland, who had fled El Salvador to escape a greenlight imposed by MS-13 members in El Salvador. After a co-conspirator recognized the victim in Frederick, Normandie Clique members called an MS-13 leader in prison in El Salvador to confirm the greenlight was still in effect. A co-conspirator then lured the victim to a wooded area in Frederick, where he shot the victim in the head and Landaverde-Giron and another co-conspirator stabbed the victim in the face and neck. Landaverde-Giron was promoted within the Normandie Clique for his participation in this murder.
Landaverde-Giron pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after having been deported, and was sentenced to six months in prison. Landaverde-Giron has been detained since his arrest.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The investigation was conducted by HSI Baltimore, Frederick Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Hyattsville City Police Department, and Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan of the District of Maryland.
Lanham Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Demetrius Darrius Rasberry, age 36, of Lanham, Maryland, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the robbery of a convenience store and for using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during the robbery. Rasberry also committed two other armed robberies in Prince George’s County. Judge Chuang ordered that Rasberry pay restitution in the full amount of the loss.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on April 7, 2017, Rasberry entered a convenience store in Lanham, Maryland, pointed a semiautomatic handgun at an employee and demanded that the employee open the cash drawer. Rasberry then went behind the counter, ordered the employee to the ground and stole $148.42. After putting the money into a bag, Rasberry jumped over the counter and exited the store. As he was leaving, Rasberry turned and fired two shots into the store, then ran away.
According to Rasberry’s plea and other court documents, on April 8, 2017, Rasberry and co-conspirator Jose Orlando Johnson robbed two liquor stores in Forestville and Camp Springs, Maryland, respectively. In each robbery, Johnson drove to the location and waited outside while Rasberry entered the store and robbed the employee at gunpoint. At the first liquor store, Rasberry stole $500 and two bottles of Hennessy cognac. Rasberry then exited the store and got into the car driven by Johnson and the two drove away from the area. In the second liquor store robbery, Johnson waited in the car at a gas station nearby while Rasberry entered the store and robbed the store employee at gunpoint. At the second liquor store Rasberry stole approximately $1,080 and a bottle of Hennessy cognac packaged in a black and gold box. Rasberry ran out of the store in the direction of the gas station where Johnson was waiting. An officer who was in the area saw Rasberry fleeing toward the gas station.
Shortly after the robbery, officers canvassing the area located the car and could see two men in the front seats. As they approached, Rasberry got out of the front passenger seat and attempted to run away. Rasberry was quickly apprehended near the vehicle and arrested. Johnson was located in the driver seat and his 5-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son were also present in the vehicle.
Rasberry and Johnson were taken in custody. Officers searched Rasberry and Johnson and recovered $993.81 from Rasberry and $954 from Johnson. From the vehicle, officers recovered: a loaded black and silver Ruger P89 9mmx19 semiautomatic handgun, with one unfired cartridge in the chamber, and eight cartridges in the magazine (front passenger floorboard); a Hennessy cognac decorative box with bottle inside (front passenger floorboard); and two unopened bottles of Hennessy cognac.
Analysis performed by the Prince George’s County Firearms Examination Unit revealed that the shell casings recovered from the scene of the robbery at the convenience store were fired from the Ruger handgun recovered from the vehicle.
Johnson, age 26, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the liquor store robbery and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2018.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Eyler Kaplan and Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the case.
Army Sergeant Convicted After Federal Trial of Domestic Violence Resulting in the Murder of his WifeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Army Sergeant Maliek Kearney, age 37, of San Antonio, Texas, for interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in the death of Karlyn Ramirez, and for using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commanding General David P. Glaser of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.
According to the evidence presented at Kearney’s 11-day trial, Kearney was married to Karlyn Ramirez, an active-duty soldier of the United States Army assigned to Fort Meade, Maryland, and they had a four-month-old daughter together. Ramirez was found shot to death in her off-post residence on the morning of August 25, 2015. The baby had been placed in her arms. Based on the evidence, the likely time of death was estimated to be the late evening hours of August 24, 2015.
Witnesses testified that at the time of Ramirez’s death, the couple had recently separated and Ramirez had obtained a protective order through the Army prohibiting all contact between her and Kearney.
Kearney was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The evidence presented at trial showed that on August 24, 2015, Kearney finished work in the early afternoon and traveled from South Carolina to Severn, Maryland. Witnesses testified that Kearney entered Ramirez’s townhouse using his key and brandished a Taurus .357 caliber revolver. According to trial testimony, Ramirez attempted to calm her husband but she reiterated that she did not want to see him again. Kearney then shot Ramirez three times, killing her. According to the evidence presented, Kearney then took off her pants and pulled down her underwear in an attempt to make it look like a sexual assault. He also placed their four-month-old daughter in Ramirez’s arms.
Kearney’s girlfriend, Delores Delgado, testified at trial that she provided the firearm that killed Ramirez and allowed Kearney to drive her car from South Carolina to Maryland to commit the murder. The evidence showed that Delgado also purchased large gas cans for Kearney to take with him, so that he would not have to stop for gas and risk being seen. According to witness testimony, during the murder, Kearney’s girlfriend, who lived in Florida at the time, stayed at Kearney’s apartment in South Carolina with his phone and vehicle so that it would appear that he was in South Carolina at the time of the murder. After the murder, Delgado and a third party went to a waterway in Florida and disposed of the firearm, shell casings, Kearney’s clothing worn during the murder, and the key he used to enter the townhouse. Delgado also dismantled the revolver and took steps to obliterate the serial number. The firearm was subsequently recovered by law enforcement divers and forensic testing determined that it was indeed the gun used by Kearney to shoot Karlyn Ramirez to death.
Dolores Delgado, age 33, of San Antonio, Texas, previously pled guilty in federal court for interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death, in connection with the death of Karlyn Ramirez. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for Delgado on September 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Kearney faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Judge Russell scheduled sentencing for Kearney on November 16, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. Kearney remains 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Baltimore, Army CID, and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and FBI San Antonio for their assistance. Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Kenneth S. Clark, who are prosecuting the case.
Landover Man Sentenced to over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Charges Related to the Firebombing of His Girlfriend’s ApartmentRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Richard Butler III, age 36, of Landover, Maryland today to 243 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of an explosive; malicious use of explosive materials; and transportation of explosive materials with intent to kill, injure, or intimidate, in connection with the attempted firebombing of his girlfriend’s apartment.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief Benjamin M. Barksdale; and Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on March 4, 2016, at 3:25 a.m., the Prince George’s County Fire Department (PGFD) were called to an apartment complex in Landover, Maryland for an automated general fire alarm, and located the remnants of a fire in the master bedroom of apartment 102. The fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system prior to the arrival of the PGFD. Firefighters discovered that the master bedroom window had been broken and requested fire investigators from the Prince George’s County Fire Investigations Division to examine the apartment.
Fire investigators located a concrete brick inside the master bedroom on the floor between the bed and window and near the brick, an improvised incendiary device—specifically, a clear plastic water bottle containing an unknown liquid, and a paper towel protruding from the mouth of the bottle. A similar plastic bottle was found melted to the top of the burned bed. Outside, investigators located a blue plastic one-quart motor oil container. The ATF Forensic Science Laboratory examined the plastic bottles, which revealed the presence of gasoline.
At the time of the incident, two adults and three minors were in the apartment, which was leased by Butler’s girlfriend. She was not in the apartment at that time of the fire because she was at the Prince George’s County Police Department in connection with a complaint of sexual abuse involving Butler and her minor daughter. Butler’s girlfriend reported that she had last seen Butler at 11:28 p.m. and he was a wearing a black coat, blue jeans, and red, white, and blue sneakers.
Investigators reviewed surveillance videos from a nearby gas station which showed an individual wearing the clothing described by Butler’s girlfriend who pumped gas into three containers—two of which appeared to be clear plastic water bottles, and the third, a blue container which he retrieved from a trash can located next to the pump. The individual then entered the restroom and exited with paper towels in his hand, got a white plastic bag from the cashier and placed the containers in the plastic bag and walked away. During an interview with investigators on March 7, 2016, Butler’s girlfriend was shown a screen-capture from the gas station’s surveillance footage of the individual standing near the gas pumps, which she identified as Butler.
A subsequent review of the ATF National Firearms Registrations and Transfer Records determined that there were no destructive devices legally registered to Butler. In addition, Butler was prohibited from possessing destructive devices due to a previous felony conviction.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Sykes, who prosecuted the case.
Bail Bondsman that Assisted Former Baltimore Police Department Sergeant to Sell Drugs and Rob Citizens Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Donald Stepp, age 51, of Middle River, Maryland, today to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and other controlled dangerous substances. Stepp obtained the drugs from former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, and from robberies in which he participated with Jenkins and other BPD officers.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Stepp operated Double D Bail Bonds and was an associate of former BPD Sergeant Wayne Jenkins. From 2015-2017, Stepp obtained significant quantities of narcotics from Jenkins and robbed citizens of their property, including drugs, cash, and watches.
To facilitate the robberies and drug trafficking, Jenkins brought Stepp to search locations in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and falsely represented to other law enforcement agencies that Stepp was an officer with BPD. Jenkins would travel to Stepp’s residence after he had robbed citizens and Stepp would store the stolen drugs in his tool shed. Stepp then sold the stolen drugs and returned hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash proceeds to BPD officers. Jenkins took a portion of the proceeds from the drug sales and paid other officers in the BPD who participated in the robberies with Jenkins and Stepp.
On December 14, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stepp’s residence and recovered approximately 423 grams of crack cocaine, 262 grams of cocaine, 14 grams of heroin, 28 grams of MDMA, digital scales, packaging material, a large sum of cash, and several high-value watches.
On June 7, 2018, Wayne Jenkins was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy; racketeering; robbery; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation; and deprivation of rights under color of law.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Former Frederick Business Owner Convicted in Federal Court for over $49 Million Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury has convicted Mark Ian Gaver, age 56, of Bonita Springs, Florida and previously of Middletown, Maryland of eight counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering arising from a scheme in which he obtained over $49 million in bank financing for his company Gaver Technologies, Inc. (GTI) using false and fraudulent financial statements, balance sheets, and certifications of outstanding accounts receivable. Gaver has been in custody since his arrest on November 15, 2017, when he entered the United States from Canada.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Mark Higgins, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Northeast Region.
According to the evidence presented at his 7-day trial, in 1998 Gaver formed GTI, an information technology company based in Frederick, Maryland. Between November 2008 and December 2016, Gaver submitted materially false financial documents to a federally insured bank, including fraudulent audit reports and contract status reports, in order to establish and to obtain successive increases in the line of credit from the lender for GTI. Based upon the false documentation submitted by Gaver, the lender ultimately extended $50 million in financing to GTI. The evidence showed that Gaver diverted a large portion of these fraudulently obtained funds to his own personal use.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the bank initially approved an $18.5 million line of credit for GTI in August 2009, when it took over the line of credit from another bank that had previously extended a $16.5 million line of credit to GTI. This line of credit was subsequently increased eight separate times between March 2010 and March 2016, growing from $18.5 million to a total of $50 million. On an ongoing monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, and in connection with each request by Gaver for an increase in GTI’s credit line, the bank required GTI to submit specific documentation disclosing the company’s financial performance and condition. The required documentation included audited annual financial statements, quarterly balance sheets, monthly borrowing base certificates, and monthly accounts receivable aging reports. The monthly borrowing base certificates required Gaver to certify the amount of GTI’s outstanding accounts receivable, and were used by the bank to establish a maximum borrowing amount for GTI. Under the terms of GTI’s line of credit agreement with the lender, GTI was only allowed to borrow up to 75% to 80% of the total amount of GTI’s outstanding accounts receivable, and the funds loaned by the bank were only to be used by GTI for business purposes.
According to testimony at trial, between August 2009 and December 2016, Gaver also submitted Quarterly Contract Status Reports to the bank, which falsely represented that GTI had secured contracts with federal government agencies, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or that overstated the amount of GTI’s ongoing contracts with federal government agencies.
The evidence showed that some of the funds obtained from the lender were used by Gaver to cover regular business expenses and thereby keep GTI open, but Gaver also diverted half of the post-2009 loan proceeds – approximately $15 million – to his own personal use. For example, Gaver used loan proceeds to pay $779,000 for the rental of private planes that he used for non-business purposes, as well as to pay for personal pleasure trips to the Bahamas, France, Germany, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. Gaver also used the funds to purchase vacation homes, including a 4,000 square foot condominium with a view of the Gulf of Mexico in Bonita Springs, Florida, that cost $2.275 million. Gaver also used loan proceeds to purchase a 2012 Maserati Gran Turismo; a 2011 Mercedes Benz SL Roadster; and a private membership at an exclusive golf club located in Naples, Florida that cost $285,000.
Gaver faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for each of the eight bank fraud counts, as well as 10 years in prison for each of the two money laundering charges. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Gaver on November 1, 2018 at 10 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert Hur commended the FBI and the FHFA-OIG for their work on the investigation. Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jefferson M. Gray and Jeffrey J. Izant, who are prosecuting the case.
Montgomery County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Frank A. Dunn, Jr., age 60, of Burtonsville and Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Stephen Niemczak, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the statement of facts that is part of Dunn’s plea agreement, on May 31, 2017, law enforcement executed search warrants at Dunn’s residences in Burtonsville and Silver Spring and recovered more than 14,000 images and 285 videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images and videos included approximately 1,123 files involving minors identified as victims of child pornography by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, files depicting the abuse of infants and toddlers, and files depicting sadomasochism or violence against children.
Dunn also admitted that he distributed child pornography over the Internet from his Burtonsville residence using peer-to-peer file sharing software. Between April 2016 and August 2016, an undercover law enforcement officer downloaded approximately 500 images and 15 videos that Dunn made available for sharing over the Internet.
As part of his plea agreement, Dunn must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Dunn and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dunn will be sentenced to between four and nine years in prison. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for November 14, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the HHS-OIG and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Joseph Baldwin, who are prosecuting the federal case.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of A Machine GunRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – William Perkins, age 36, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to the illegal possession of a machine gun with an obliterated serial number.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to Perkins’ plea agreement, on October 21, 2016, a Baltimore Police officer was conducting surveillance in the 1400 block of Mosher Street in Baltimore, when he saw Perkins. The officer saw that Perkins had a bulge in his clothing, consistent with the size of a firearm. When a marked BPD vehicle drove by the location, Perkins went into a city-owned, unoccupied home on Mosher Street. As BPD officers approached the building, they saw Perkins lean out a window and could see that Perkins had a pistol tucked into his pants. Officers entered the house and Perkins retreated to a bedroom in the back of the house, where an officer saw Perkins reach out the window. Perkins was arrested and officers recovered a pistol hidden in the back bedroom.
On October 27, 2016, Perkins placed a on call on a recorded line from jail and told the individual he was speaking with to return to the home and retrieve a firearm hidden outside the back bedroom window. BPD officers went to the home and retrieved a machine gun with an obliterated serial number from the roof area above the back bedroom window, where Perkins had described hiding the gun.
Perkins and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Perkins will be sentenced to 90 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for October 23, 2018.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta, who is prosecuting the case.
Baltimore Man Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Abuse on an AirplaneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Deo Mugabe, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, with fourth-degree sexual abuse on an aircraft, abusive sexual contact, and simple assault. The indictment was returned on July 3, 2018, and unsealed on July 25, 2018, upon the arrest of the defendant.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the three-count indictment, on May 29, 2018, Mugabe was seated next to the victim on a flight from Houston, Texas, to Baltimore. Mugabe and the victim were strangers. The indictment alleges that Mugabe engaged in sexual contact with the victim during the flight, knowing that the victim was incapable of declining participation or communicating unwillingness to engage in that sexual contact.
If convicted, Mugabe faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for fourth-degree sexual abuse on an aircraft, a maximum of three years in prison for abusive sexual contact, and a maximum of one year in prison for simple assault. An initial appearance was held in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on July 25, 2018. Mugabe was released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.
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 FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ayn B. Ducao, who is prosecuting the case.
Waldorf Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Unregistered Machine Guns, Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifles and Destructive Devices, and for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Caleb Andrew Bailey, age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 200 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for illegal possession of unregistered machine guns, unregistered short-barreled rifles, and unregistered destructive devices, and for possession of child pornography. Judge Grimm also ordered that Bailey must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.
According to Bailey’s plea agreement, on May 5, 2016, law enforcement executed federal search warrants at adjoining properties in Waldorf, Maryland associated with Bailey. At Bailey’s residence, law enforcement located, among other items, an underground bunker containing machine guns, machine gun manufacturing parts and devices, other firearms, explosives, unregistered short-barreled rifles and destructive devices; covert recording devices; and child pornography on electronic devices seized inside and outside the residence. One electronic device was located within the underground bunker. Other electronic media were removed from Bailey’s bedroom at his residence, and from the woods where they had been hidden by a minor victim at the direction of Bailey. At his parents’ residence, in Bailey’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered an electronic device that contained Internet searches indicative of child pornography.
During the execution of the search warrant at Bailey’s residence on May 5, 2016, a 17-year-old minor was present. The minor admitted that Bailey had instructed the minor to remove a laptop, a camera, and an external hard drive from Bailey’s residence and cover them with leaves by a footbridge in the woods behind the residence. Law enforcement recovered these items.
On May 17, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted a forensic analysis of Bailey’s electronic devices. The forensic analysis revealed that Bailey used hidden cameras to surreptitiously record videos of minor males. In total, Bailey recorded over 100 videos of the victims between March 2014 and January 2016. The forensic analysis revealed that, in addition to the child pornography that Bailey produced, Bailey possessed other images and videos of child pornography on various electronic devices, including a hard drive located within his bunker, that do not appear to have been produced by him. These images and videos included depictions of prepubescent minors and depictions of sadistic or masochistic conduct involving minors (bondage). Bailey’s collection of child pornography included more than 280 images and 54 videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was also 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 ATF Baltimore, HSI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes, Kristi N. O’Malley, and Thomas P. Windom, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Laurel, Maryland man pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography today, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland.
Charles Bertsch, 59, a security guard at a local university, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Paul W. Grimm for the District of Maryland who will sentence him on Jan. 31, 2019.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, FBI Task force agents in Maryland began an investigation into Bertsch after various law enforcement agencies downloaded child pornography via a peer-to-peer network from IP addresses which led back to the defendant. In an interview with law enforcement, Bertsch acknowledged that by connecting his computer and downloading such images, he was simultaneously enabling others to download child pornography from his hard drive. A forensic examination of Bertsch’s electronic devices, seized pursuant to a search warrant, revealed over 100,000 image files and over 2,000 video files of child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Baltimore Field Office with assistance from the Baltimore County Police Department, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and Worcester County Sheriff's Office. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin of the District of Maryland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Laurel Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Charles Bertsch, age 59, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore; and Worcester County Sheriff Reggie T. Mason, Sr.
According Bertsch’s plea agreement, FBI Task Force agents in Maryland began an investigation into Bertsch after various law enforcement agencies downloaded child pornography via a file-sharing network from IP addresses which led back to Bertsch. In an interview with law enforcement, Bertsch acknowledged that by connecting his computer and downloading such images, he was simultaneously enabling others to download child pornography from his hard drive. A forensic examination of Bertsch’s electronic devices, seized pursuant to a search warrant, revealed over 100,000 image files and over 2,000 video files of child pornography.
As part of his plea agreement, Bertsch must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Bertsch faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by up to lifetime of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2019, at 1:00 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, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and the Worcester County Sheriff's Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur and Mr. Benczkowski thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), who are prosecuting the federal case.
Baltimore Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for A Drug Conspiracy, and for Shooting and Killing Another Drug DealerRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Aaron Daniels, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 40 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a heroin distribution conspiracy and for discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, resulting in death.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, and other court documents, from at least March 2017, Daniels conspired with Gregory Whisonant, Nathaniel Hillard, and others to distribute heroin in the Shipley Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. During the course of the conspiracy, law enforcement obtained wiretaps of the defendants’ cell phones, which confirmed that Daniels sold heroin under the direction of Hillard, who managed the day-to-day business for the organization, which was led by Whisonant. In addition, Daniels often sold heroin with Donya Rigby, who sometimes acted as a “lookout” for the organization, letting the street dealers know when police were around.
On March 5, 2017, Baltimore Police officers watched Daniels engage in a series of hand-to-hand drug transactions and arrested him. In the moments before his arrest, intercepted calls between Daniels and Rigby indicated that Rigby failed to inform Daniels that police were in the area. In an intercepted call between Daniels and Hillard, Daniels told Hillard that Rigby would be fired. Daniels secured bail and was released on March 6, 2017. From March 6 through March 17, 2017, law enforcement intercepted several calls between Daniels and others complaining about Rigby and accusing him of stealing $800 of drug proceeds.
On March 17, 2017, investigators intercepted a call between Daniels and Hillard which captured the murder of Rigby. During the call, Daniels explained his location to Hillard. At the time, Hillard was in the area of 2600 Fairmount Avenue in Baltimore City, acting as a lookout for Daniels. Hillard told Daniels to wait in a nearby alleyway. As Rigby approached the area, Hillard alerted Daniels to Rigby’s presence and provided instructions and logistical and motivational support for the murder. The thirteen-minute conversation captured the sound of Daniels firing two shots at Rigby and fleeing the location. Rigby, who can be heard screaming in pain in the background of the call, ultimately succumbed to the gunshot wounds. As Daniels ran from the scene, he complained to Hillard that his gun had jammed. The next morning, Daniels, over his intercepted phone, bragged about his exploits and indicated that he believe that his murder of Rigby would elevate his position within the drug trafficking organization.
As a result of the murder, Daniels and Hillard were quickly arrested on state drug charges. On March 20, 2017, search warrants were also executed at locations associated with the drug trafficking organization. At the stash house on Kinsey Avenue, agents recovered 100 vials of heroin packaged for street-level distribution. At Whisonant’s residence on Timbercross Lane, law enforcement recovered 350 grams of heroin, a digital scale, $10,234 in cash, and a stolen and loaded 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. Whisonant admitted that he possessed the gun to protect himself, his drug proceeds, and in furtherance of his drug trafficking. On jail calls made by Daniels, he instructed his girlfriend to discard a box of ammunition, which agents recovered from the trash outside the apartment building where Daniels lived with his girlfriend.
Nathaniel Hillard, age 40, and Gregory Whisonant, age 39, both of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy. Hillard also pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, resulting in death, for his participation in Donya Rigby’s murder. Whisonant also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge Hollander sentenced Hillard to 35 years in prison on May 21, 2018, and sentenced Whisonant to 30 years in prison on July 19, 2018.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James T. Wallner and Zachary Stendig, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Three Drug Dealers Plead Guilty to Participating in A Drug Conspiracy Right Before Jury SelectionRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Baltimore, Maryland – Deandre Smith, age 28, Karron Wheeler, age 35, and Brandon Kellum, age 25, all of Baltimore, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, to a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of heroin and fentanyl, just before jury selection for their trial.
The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to Smith’s plea agreement, from at least July 2015 through April 28, 2016, Smith managed a large drug trafficking organization that supplied heroin and fentanyl to distributors in Baltimore, including Wheeler and Kellum. Smith also managed a drug trafficking operation that operated in and around Pedestal Gardens, an apartment complex located in the 300 block of McMechan Street in Baltimore.
Smith, Jamal Carter, and Dymir Rhodes maintained a “stash” house in Catonsville, Maryland, to store drugs and drug proceeds, and to process, and package drugs for distribution. Once packaged for distribution, Smith, Carter, and Rhodes supplied large quantities of heroin and/or fentanyl to several drug shops in Baltimore, including shops operated by Wheeler and Kellum. At Pedastal Gardens, Smith’s operation distributed “packs” of heroin and/or fentanyl and each “pack” typically contained between 25 and 50 gel capsules of the drugs, totaling approximately 2.5 to 5 grams.
As detailed in Smith’s plea agreement, a co-conspirator killed two individuals on August 10, 2016 and October 7, 2015, respectively, to further the Pedastal Gardens drug organization’s drug trafficking activities. The organization believed one of the individuals was distributing drugs in their territory, and the other individual was robbing drug dealers in the area and disrupting the organization’s drug trafficking.
On April 28, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the stash house in Catonsville. At the time of the search warrant, officers located Smith, Carter, and another conspirator inside the residence. During the search, officers discovered approximately 1,186 grams of fentanyl, 575 grams of heroin, and nine grams of cocaine, all of which was being packaged for distribution. Officers also discovered approximately two kilograms of Phenacetin, a substance commonly used to “cut” drugs, as well as approximately $15,465 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Smith also had approximately $2,000 cash in his pocket.
According to Wheeler’s plea agreement, between at least March 2015 and August 26, 2016, Wheeler managed a drug organization that operated in several locations in Baltimore, including Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street in West Baltimore. During the course of the conspiracy, Wheeler employed or directed more than five individuals. Wheeler admitted that, at his direction, the organization kept a firearm in close proximity to the drug shop for protection and to facilitate the drug operation.
According to Kellum’s plea agreement, from at least November 2015 until Febrary 18, 2016, he participated in the drug conspiracy. On February 18, 2016, law enforcement was conducting surveillance at a shopping center in Catonsville and saw Kellum and a co-conspirator arrive, followed shortly thereafter by Carter. Carter and Kellum met outside their vehicles, then after a brief conversation Carter got into Kellum’s vehicle and placed several plastic baggies containing fentanyl in the vehicle and received payment for the drugs. Carter and Kellum left the area and law enforcement followed Kellum’s vehicle to the 3400 block of Edmondson Avenue, where officers initiated a traffic stop. Law enforcement recovered 135 grams of fentanyl, which Kellum had given to his co-conspirator and which, Kellum admitted, they had intended to distribute to their customers.
Smith and Wheeler each admitted that during their participation in the conspiracy they and his co-conspirators distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin.
Smith and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Smith will be sentenced to 25 years in prison. No sentencing date for Smith has been set.
Wheeler and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Wheeler will be sentenced to between 10 and 13 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for September 12, 2018.
Kellum and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Kellum will be sentenced to between five and seven years in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2018.
Jamal Carter, age 24, and Dymir Rhodes, age 32, both of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy, and were sentenced to 11 years and 10 years in prison, respectively.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner and Christopher J. Romano, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Baltimore Heroin Dealer Linked to 27 Overdoses-9 of Them Fatal-Pleads Guilty to A Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Karon Elijah Peoples, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a heroin distribution conspiracy. Peoples admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy, he was responsible for distributing, or facilitating the distribution, of between nine and 10 kilograms of heroin. In addition, Peoples admitted that nine fatal overdose victims and 18 overdose survivors had contacted Peoples’ phones prior to their overdose—either by phone call or text message—in order to arrange for the purchase of heroin.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler and the other members of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force--Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly, Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, Chief Henry Trabert of the Aberdeen Police Department, Chief Charles Moore of the Bel Air Police, and Chief Teresa Walter of the Havre de Grace Police Department; and Director Tom Carr of the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
According to Peoples’ plea agreement, during the fall of 2017, law enforcement began conducting an investigation of Peoples after learning that he was supplying significant quantities of heroin to customers throughout Maryland who traveled to Baltimore City to obtain the heroin. As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases and undercover purchases of heroin from Peoples.
On December 7, 2017, search warrants were executed at Peoples’ residence, at a stash location on West Lexington Street in Baltimore, and on his vehicle. Law enforcement recovered 900 grams of heroin, $405,156 in cash stored in a blue checkered Louis Vuitton bag, a Rolex watch, a money counter, and digital scales and other drug paraphernalia from the stash location. Law enforcement also recovered 68 grams of heroin from the vehicle.
On December 7, 2017, and on January 9, 2018, when Peoples was arrested as the result of a federal arrest warrant, law enforcement seized a total of 49 cellular phones from Peoples and the search locations. A court-authorized search of the phones revealed hundreds of text messages between Peoples, his co-conspirator, and his customers arranging for the acquisition, purchase, and sale of heroin. The text messages also established that Peoples was part of the conspiracy from no later than May 2015 until his arrest in January 2018.
The Harford County Narcotics Task Force and DEA coordinated with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies through the assistance of the HIDTA Investigative Support Center to collect information about customers of Peoples who were heroin overdose victims. After running searches for the 49 cellular telephones possessed by Peoples, law enforcement found links between cases involving a total of 27 overdose victims—nine who died as a result of the overdose and 18 who survived. The victims, who resided in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, had contacted Peoples’ drug phones prior to their overdoses in order to arrange for the purchase of heroin.
Peoples faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin; and a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2018, at 3:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department and the Harford County States Attorney’s Office, and the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Seema Mittal, who are prosecuting the case.
Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Christopher Harris Speights, age 35, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, today to 35 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for production of child pornography, and production and attempted production of child pornography.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; and Acting Worcester County State’s Attorney William H. McDermott.
According to his plea agreement, on December 13, 2016, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit received a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and began an investigation into the production and possession of images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors associated with a specific IP address. Further investigation revealed that the sexually exploitive images were associated with Speights’ residence. On April 20, 2017, Maryland State Police (MSP) troopers and Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at Speights' residence.
During the execution of the search warrants at his home, Speights confirmed to law enforcement that he was a permanent substitute teacher, working full-time, at Bradbury Heights Elementary school, located in Capitol Heights, Prince George's County, Maryland. Speights also confirmed that he coached boys youth basketball with a traveling team.
Speights admitted to possessing child pornography on the iPad recovered from his residence, and to surreptitiously filming some of the minors he coached while the minors were staying in North Carolina for a basketball team trip in March 2016. Speights placed his backpack in the hotel room's bathroom, with his iPad video recording from a hole in the exterior mesh pocket of the backpack.
Speights also produced images documenting himself sexually exploiting three minor males. Speights produced two of the images on June 21, 2015, in Ocean City Maryland, which resulted in a state charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the Circuit Court of Worcester County. Speights produced another image on August 3, 2015, at his residence, and produced an additional image on December 14, 2015, while he was chaperoning a Bradbury Heights fifth grade class trip. Those images resulted in two charges of sexual abuse of a minor being filed against Speights in the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County. Judge Grimm ordered that Speights’ federal sentence will be served concurrent to any sentence imposed in his pending cases in Prince George’s and Worcester Counties.
MSP conducted a digital forensic analysis of the media and devices recovered from Speights’ home. Law enforcement determined that Speights adopted the online identities of fictitious minors, then solicited minor males and females online to produce images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and transmit those images via social media. According to the plea agreement, Speights (using the assumed online identity of a minor) threatened minor boys on more than one occasion that if they did not comply with his demands to create and send images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, he would tell "Coach Speights" about the inappropriate online conversations. As a result of the investigation, law enforcement was able to positively identify over 20 minors from whom Speights requested images of sexually explicit conduct.
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 Maryland State Police, HSI Baltimore, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, and the Worcester and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Hagan and Lindsay Kaplan, who prosecuted the federal case.
Former Maryland State Senator Nathaniel Oaks Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced former Maryland State Senator Nathaniel Thomas Oaks, age 71, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for one count of wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud. Judge Bennett also ordered that Oaks pay a fine of $30,000 and perform 80 hours of community service.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Our democratic system relies on the integrity of our elected officials. Today’s sentence and our prosecution of former Maryland Senator Nathaniel Oaks demonstrate that we will hold accountable those elected officials who use their offices to enrich themselves, rather than serve the interests of their constituents.”
According to the plea agreement, Oaks was a Maryland State Delegate representing District 41 (Baltimore City) from 1994 until being appointed to the Maryland Senate in February 2017, representing the same District.
According to the statement of facts in support of the plea agreement, on September 21, 2015, a cooperating individual introduced Oaks to an FBI confidential human source, “Mike Henley,” who portrayed himself as an out-of-town businessperson interested in obtaining contracts in the City of Baltimore. The meeting took place at a restaurant in Pikesville, Maryland, and was consensually recorded by Henley. During the meeting, Oaks offered to assist Henley with business development in Maryland.
During the months following the September 21, 2015 meeting between Henley and Oaks, Henley consensually recorded numerous telephone and in-person conversations with Oaks during which they discussed possible development and business-related opportunities that may be available to Henley in Maryland. One such opportunity was a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) project (the Project) that Henley told Oaks that he was interested in developing in the City. Oaks told Henley that he wanted to help with the HUD project.
According to the plea agreement, between the months of April 2016 and July 2016, Oaks issued two letters on his official House of Delegates letterhead which contained materially false and fraudulent representations to a person whom he believed to be a HUD official in order to assist Henley in obtaining federal grant funds from HUD. Henley paid Oaks $10,300 for his assistance.
According to the statement of facts in support of the plea agreement, on September 22, 2016, Henley paid Oaks $5,000 in exchange for Oaks’ agreement to file a bond bill request with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS) seeking $250,000 in state funds for the Project. Oaks filed the bill request with DLS later that day. On November 21, 2016, Oaks forwarded an e-mail to Henley that had been sent to him by DLS. The e-mail attached the draft of the bill to establish a $250,000 bond to be used for the Project.
All the money paid to Oaks by Henley was supplied by the FBI and the meetings were recorded using audio/video recording equipment.
On or about January 9, 2017, Oaks confessed to two FBI agents that he had accepted the first two payments from Henley in exchange for issuing two letters to HUD on his official House of Delegates letterhead and that he knew the letters contained materially false statements in an effort to assist Henley with his housing project. Oaks further confessed to the agents that he had accepted the third payment from Henley in exchange for filing a request for DLS to draft the Bond Bill Legislation.
Oaks agreed to cooperate with the FBI in an investigation of Person #1 for possible violations of federal criminal laws. As part of that cooperation, and at the direction of the FBI, Oaks covertly recorded his telephone conversations and in-person meetings with Person #1 beginning on January 9, 2017 and continuing until March 30, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, on or about March 17, 2017, without recording or disclosing the existence of the conversation to the FBI, Oaks approached Person #1 at a bar in Annapolis and told him “what we talked about, just say no.” On March 30, 2017, Oaks again approached Person #1 in the hallway of a State government building in Annapolis and said “I’m going to ask you for something, just say no.” These statements were intended to dissuade Person #1 from engaging in the activity that Oaks and Person #1 had discussed in a recorded conversation earlier that day, which was the subject of the criminal investigation.
As a result of Oaks’ deliberate and intentional conduct in tipping off Person #1, the covert investigation of Person #1 and possibly other politicians was no longer viable.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Phencyclidine (PCP) ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – United States District Judge Theodore Chuang sentenced Mitchell Felix Brooks, a/k/a “Speedy,” age 47, of Temple Hills, Maryland, to 129 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture of phencyclidine (“PCP”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County Sheriff Melvin C. High; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Brooks was a member of a PCP trafficking conspiracy, which, according to his plea agreement, operated in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Brooks maintained a stash house in Temple Hills, Maryland, where he stored, mixed, and packaged PCP belonging to him and co-conspirator Alexander Patton. Brooks also distributed PCP directly to customers, including co-conspirators Jermaine Washington, Reginald Duckett, and Gilbert Davis.
During a search warrant executed at Brooks’s residence in December 2016, agents seized more than 250 grams of PCP in multiple bottles. Many previously used empty bottles were seized, as were many smaller one-ounce bottle used for distribution. At least 1 kilogram of PCP mixture was reasonably foreseeable to Brooks as a member of the conspiracy.
Other members of the conspiracy who have been sentenced include: Alexander Patton, age 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison; Glenn Wright, age 48, of Washington, D.C., who was sentenced to eight years in prison; Reginald Duckett, age 49, of Washington, D.C., who was sentenced to seven years in prison; Antonio Blackmon, age 42, of Temple Hills, Maryland, who was sentenced to 42 months in prison; and Jermaine Washington, age 44, of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, who was sentenced to 37 months in prison.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI’s Cross Border Task Force, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and Gregory Bernstein, who are prosecuting the case.
Randallstown Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Anthony Renard Wynn, age 48, of Randallstown, Maryland, today to 13 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow Jones of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to Wynn’s plea agreement, in connection with an investigation into drug trafficking and the laundering of drug proceeds through Maryland-based casinos, HSI investigators discovered that Wynn had placed into, and cashed out, in excess of one million dollars at those casinos from 2016 to 2017, although he only reported earnings of $30,000 in 2016.
HSI investigators were able to identify the places where Wynn received, transported, and stored drugs and other contraband. Specifically, Wynn received packages containing drugs from an animal hospital in Pikesville, Maryland and transported the drugs to the Southeast region of Washington, D.C. Wynn stored the drugs and/or other contraband in a storage unit in Windsor Mill, his home in Randallstown, and in a Pikesville barbershop. Wynn also shipped several packages to a co-conspirator in California, including one which contained $244,040 in drug proceeds.
On June 9, 2017, an HSI investigator observed Wynn talking on a cell phone while driving and informed a Baltimore County patrol officer who conducted a traffic stop of Wynn’s vehicle. During that traffic stop, a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer conducted a canine scan of Wynn’s vehicle and recovered a one-kilogram heroin brick and $11,620 in cash that was separated into rubber-banded bundles. After he was arrested, law enforcement searched Wynn and recovered a digital scale and two $500 casino chips.
HSI investigators obtained search warrants for Wynn’s residence, the storage unit, and the barbershop. Investigators recovered approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl, 3 kilograms of heroin, and an electronic money counter from the storage unit. Gift cards totaling $5,575, $16,602 in cash bundled in small denominations, and an “owe sheet” were among the items that the HSI investigators recovered from Wynn’s residence. Investigators recovered $951 in cash and a digital scale from the barbershop.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Baltimore County Police Department. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samika N. Boyd and Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Baltimore Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Thomas Merrick, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 138 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Baltimore District Office; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Merrick’s plea agreement, during 2016 and 2017, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) conducted an investigation of drug-trafficking in the Baltimore area and elsewhere. Merrick was identified as a member of a drug distribution conspiracy whose members purchased narcotics from suppliers in Mexico, arranged for the importation of the narcotics into the United States, and distributed the narcotics in the Baltimore area. Merrick was captured on wiretaps during which he and his accomplices were overheard by law enforcement planning and discussing drug transactions over cellular phones, including text messages and voice calls. Law enforcement also conducted physical surveillance of Merrick and his co-conspirators’ activities and made drug seizures from various locations used by the conspirators.
For example, during early 2017, investigators conducted a court-authorized wiretap on a cellular phone used by a member of the conspiracy. The co-conspirator acquired heroin and fentanyl from suppliers. On multiple occasions, investigators overheard the co-conspirator planning to receive narcotics. The co-conspirator would then make arrangements with his accomplices, including Merrick, to receive the narcotics and to distribute the narcotics to customers.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Hanlon, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Baltimore BGF Gang Member Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to His Gang ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Joseph Laurence Bonds, a/k/a/ Joe, a/k/a Yo Gotti, age 36, to 90 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang’s Greenmount Avenue Regime.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to Bonds’ plea agreement, he was a member of an organization known as the BGF Greenmount Avenue Regime, a violent set, or “bubble,” of BGF. During the early years in which it operated, the gang called itself the Young Guerilla Family, or YGF, and consisted mostly of younger people who lived in the 2200, 2300, and 2400 blocks of Barclay Street and Guilford Avenue. YGF members sold drugs throughout the Greenmount Avenue corridor and committed murders, shootings, and armed robberies. In about mid-2007, YGF members took the BGF oath and became the BGF Greenmount Avenue Regime.
Bonds admitted that the BGF Greenmount Avenue Regime continued to sell drugs and commit violent acts, including murders, shootings, and robberies, and by mid-2013 controlled the roughly rectangular area bordered by Greenmount Avenue to the east; Guilford Avenue to the west; 25th Street to the north; and Federal Street to the south, as well as certain offshoots east of Greenmount Avenue, including Mund Park and Cokesbury Avenue.
Bonds admitted that between 2005 and 2016, he conspired with members of the BGF Greenmount Avenue Regime to distribute crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana in furtherance of the gang. According to his plea agreement, on June 6, 2008, Bonds and another BGF member possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and had $390 in cash. Bonds further admitted that on July 20, 2005, another member of the gang used a .32-caliber revolver belonging to Bonds to murder someone. Bonds later took the revolver back. On October 23, 2013, Bonds possessed a loaded .357 revolver. Bonds knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as a result of previous felony convictions.
Eight co-defendants, also members of the BGF gang, have previously pleaded guilty or were found to be guilty after trial of racketeering and drug trafficking laws. Seven of them have been sentenced, including the leader of the gang, Gerald Thomas Johnson, a/k/a “Geezy,” age 35; and Kenneth Jones, a/k/a “K-Slay”, and “Slay,” age 30, who were each sentenced to life 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Christina Hoffman, who prosecuted the case.
Lutherville Man who Illegally Distributed “Bath Salts” Obtained from China Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Carlo D’Addario, age 48, of Lutherville, Maryland today to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances--specifically, “bath salts” chemically manufactured in China.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Baltimore District Office; and Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, at least between 2014 and 2016, D’Addario corresponded via e-mail with sources of supply in China to obtain “bath salts,” which are substances that are chemically manufactured to mimic, and create a “high” similar to MDMA (ecstasy) and methamphetamine. Specifically, D’Addario illegally imported alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (“a-PVP”), which became a controlled dangerous substance in March 2014, and 4-Chloro-alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone Hydrochloride (“4C-a-PVP”) and 1-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one (“TH-PVP”), both of which were manufactured to mimic the effects of controlled dangerous substances. D’Addario created and used fake e-mail addresses to mask his identity when corresponding with his Chinese suppliers. In his e-mails, D’Addario specifically requested a-PVP or substances that would have an equivalent effect, including TH-PVP. Between 2014 and 2016, D’Addario, either personally or through co-conspirators, sent more than $53,000 through Western Union and other wire services to his Chinese sources of supply for the purchase of “bath salts,” including a-PVP, TH-PVP, and other similar substances. After making these payments, the Chinese suppliers would send the bath salts to D’Addario, who would then in turn distribute them to his downstream customers. In a few instances, D’Addario received other unknown substitute substances and observed that the product sent from China had severe adverse effects on his customers, including vomiting and prolonged loss of consciousness.
On October 6, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at D’Addario’s residence. Law enforcement recovered: parcel boxes sent to D’Addario’s residence from China; approximately 659 grams 4C-a-PVP; drug paraphernalia, including packaging materials and digital scales; and $4,709.82.
At the time of this offense, D’Addario was on supervised release for a previous federal drug trafficking conviction. Judge Bennett ordered that today’s sentence be served concurrent to the one year in prison that D’Addario was ordered to serve for violating his supervised release in that case.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA in Baltimore and Gulfport, Louisiana, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Burden C. Walker, who prosecuted the case.
BGF Member Pleads Guilty to a Drug Conspiracy and to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Garrion McCellan, age 30, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to a drug conspiracy and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime causing death, in connection with his participation in a drug trafficking organization that operated in the 300 block of McMechan Avenue in Baltimore. McCellan was an active member of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang during his participation 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 Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 2016 through April 28, 2016, MCellan conspired with others, including Jamal Carter and Dymir Rhodes, to distribute heroin and fentanyl in and around Pedestal Gardens, an apartment complex located in the 300 block of McMechan Street in Baltimore. Carter, Rhodes, and others maintained a “stash” house in Catonsville, Maryland to store drugs and drug proceeds, and to process and package drugs for distribution. Rhodes supplied McCellan with “packs” of heroin and/or fentanyl, which McCellan redistributed to drug users at Pedestal Gardens. Each “pack” typically contained between 25 and 50 gel capsules of the drugs, totaling approximately 2.5 to 5 grams. McCellan and other co-conspirators routinely distributed 40 to 50 packs of heroin and fentanyl in one day.
McCellan admitted that sometime before August 10, 2015, the alleged leader of the drug conspiracy ordered McCellan to kill a drug dealer who was encroaching on their organization’s drug territory. On August 10, 2015, McCellan, Rhodes, and another conspirator went to the 1700 block of McCullough Street where they located the drug dealer outside a corner store. McCellan shot the drug dealer several times, killing him. Another person was found shot in the corner store, but survived.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on October 7, 2015, McCellan shot another individual at the direction of the leader of the drug organization, because that person was disrupting the organization’s drug operation by robbing drug dealers in the area. On October 7, 2015, McCellan and Carter contacted the individual using the ruse that they wanted help to rob other drug dealers. McCellan and Carter arranged to meet the victim in the 1400 block of Druid Hill Avenue. While the victim was putting on gloves in preparation for the purported robbery, McCellan shot the victim multiple times at close range, killing him.
McCellan admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy he and his co-conspirators distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin.
McCellan and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement McCellan will be sentenced to between 300 and 360 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2018 at 9:15 a.m.
Jamal Carter, age 24, and Dymir Rhodes, age 32, both of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy, and were sentenced to 11 years and 10 years in prison, respectively.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner and Christopher J. Romano, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Reisterstown Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges of Traveling Overseas to Have Sex with a Minor and to Producing Child Pornography with the Intent to Transport it to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Martin Hall, age 56, of Reisterstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to traveling from the United States to the Philippines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and to producing child pornography with the intent to transport it to the United States.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Hall traveled to the Philippines for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with minor females. Hall’s conduct included engaging in sexual acts with minors, producing images of the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and transporting the images back to Maryland. Hall began traveling to the Philippines in 2006 to engage in sexually explicit conduct with Jane Doe 3, a sixteen-year-old girl. During Hall’s travels to the Philippines, he admitted that he also produced images of Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, beginning when each girl was as young as 12 years old.
Specifically, as detailed in his plea agreement, from April through August 2016, Hall traveled to the Philippines to have sex with Jane Doe 1, who was then 14 years old, and produced images documenting his sexual abuse of the girl. Hall transported these images back to the United States. Additionally, Hall used sophisticated computer programs to download and store thousands of images and videos of child pornography on various digital devices in his residence, including the images of Jane Doe 1. Hall used encryption software on all of his digital devices to prevent others from accessing his files.
After observing Hall request child pornography using a file sharing program, investigators from the Baltimore County Police Department searched Hall’s residence on September 7, 2016, pursuant to a search warrant. Investigators seized Hall’s computer equipment and digital camera. At the time of the execution of the warrant, Hall’s laptop and external hard drive were turned on and in an unencrypted state. During an on-scene forensic examination of the laptop and connected external hard drive, investigators discovered approximately 8,000 images relating to child exploitation. The device became encrypted during the forensic examination, but not before investigators had copied more than 4,600 image files, most of which are child pornography. The copied images included the series of sexually explicit images of Jane Doe 1 taken by Hall between April and August 2016.
As part of his plea agreement, Hall must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Hall and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Hall will be sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, and will be required to pay restitution to victims totaling $125,000. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for October 12, 2018 at 2:00 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 and Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan commended the FBI, HSI-Baltimore, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur and Mr. Cronan thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow and Trial Attorney Kaylynn Shoop of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
Middle River Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Lindell Robinson, age 46, of Middle River, Maryland, today to 13 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Judge Russell also ordered that Robinson must forfeit his vehicle and $16,000 in cash recovered during the investigation.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Washington Field Division; and Colonel Woodrow Jones, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
According to Robinson’s plea agreement, on February 6, 2018, co-defendant Stanley Rodgers took delivery of a bag containing 10 kilograms of heroin from two unidentified males in Howard County, Maryland. Rodgers returned to his residence and awaited the arrival of Robinson. A short time later, Robinson arrived at Rodgers’ residence, took the 10 kilograms of heroin, and drove to downtown Baltimore, where he was arrested by DEA agents. The 10 kilograms of heroin, which had a wholesale value of approximately $700,000, was recovered from Robinson’s vehicle.
On June 25, 2018, Judge Russell sentenced Rodgers, age 60, of Baltimore, Maryland to 14 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the DEA and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and David Metcalf, who prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to the Philippines to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Reisterstown, Maryland man pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, for traveling from the United States to the Philippines and engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and to producing child pornography with the intent to transport the child pornography to the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
Martin Hall, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of traveling in foreign commerce from the United States to the Philippines between April 2016 and August 2016 to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under the age of 18 and one count of producing child pornography with the intent to transport the child pornography to the United States between July 2016 and August 2016. Hall pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander of the District of Maryland who will sentence him on Oct. 12 at 2:00pm EDT.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Hall traveled to the Philippines for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity with minor females. Hall’s conduct included engaging in sexual acts with minors, producing images of the minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and transporting the images back to Maryland. Additionally, Hall used sophisticated computer programs to download and store thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by HSI Baltimore, the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kaylynn Shoop of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Budlow of the District of Maryland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Ocean City Bank Robber Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Brandishing a Gun During the 2016 RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Tyrone D. Pierce, age 60, of Ocean City, Maryland today to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, specifically, a bank robbery.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Ross C. Buzzuro of the Ocean City Police Department; and Interim Worcester County State’s Attorney William H. “Bill” McDermott.
According to his plea agreement, on August 24, 2016, Pierce, who was then employed at a motel in Ocean City, Maryland, robbed a bank in the 12000 block of Coastal Highway, in Ocean City. Specifically, Pierce parked a vehicle in a commercial parking lot near the bank. Pierce, who was clearly wearing a fake beard, was seen by motorists and pedestrians as he walked a circuitous route to the entrance of the bank. After entering the bank, Pierce pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at one of the tellers, threatening to shoot the teller if she did not comply with Pierce’s demands for money. Pierce also said there was a bomb near the drive-thru window, although no device was found. Pierce took cash and left the bank, inadvertently leaving a glove on the teller counter that he removed during the robbery.
Crime scene investigators recovered the glove and were able to obtain a DNA specimen. In January 2017, DNA analysis of the specimen was matched to Pierce, who has a 1999 conviction for bank robbery in Salisbury, Maryland, and had previously submitted a DNA sample.
As part of Pierce’s sentence, Judge Blake ordered that Pierce pay restitution of $9,169.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI, the Ocean City Police Department, and the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.
Laurel Felon Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Dealing and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced James E. Goldsberry, age 35, of Laurel, Maryland today to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. A federal jury convicted Goldsberry of those charges on March 15, 2018.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Gary L. Gardner of the Howard County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his four day trial, on September 20, 2016 Howard County Police officers conducted a search of Goldsberry’s residence, where he lived with his girlfriend and three children, locating Goldsberry in his bed. Officers recovered $893 cash in rolled up bills located along the front railing of the bed. On the bed’s left railing, immediately next to where Goldsberry had been found, was his cell phone. Near the phone, also on the left bedrail, was a sandwich bag containing 10 clear ziploc baggies of heroin and three small ziploc baggies of cocaine. On the floor, near the top of the left hand side of the bed, police found a 9mm caliber pistol, with the frame of the gun on the floor and the grip positioned up towards the ceiling. The gun was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.
Witnesses testified that more guns and drugs were found in the master bedroom closet, including: a 10mm pistol; two extra barrels; two extended magazines, one loaded with 13 rounds of hollowpoint ammunition; and a.38-caliber revolver. A black plastic bag which contained 100 small baggies of cocaine, 25 more baggies of heroin, and a larger sandwich bag filled with heroin was found on a shelf in the closet. The packaging of the cocaine and heroin found in the closet matched that of the baggies found on the bedrail next to Goldsberry. Additional drug paraphernalia was found in other areas of the residence, including a digital scale and hundreds of unused baggies.
According to the trial evidence, police downloaded text messages to and from Goldsberry’s phone that were indicative of drug trafficking and used coded language commonly used by drug traffickers and their customers. For example, Goldsberry sent three text messages to three different customers advertising that he had obtained some high-quality drugs, or “got some good,” as he put it.
Officers recovered a total of approximately 11.29 grams of heroin and 16.85 grams of cocaine, mostly in the bedroom, with a street value of approximately $1,500 to $2,000. In addition, officers recovered three firearms from the bedroom. Goldsberry had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the ATF and Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Burden H. Walker and Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison after Pleading Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Antoine Benjamin, age 26, of Baltimore, today to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The sentence and guilty plea were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle, of the Baltimore Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby; and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh.
According to his plea agreement, on October 23, 2016, a Baltimore Police officer in the 2700 block of Edmondson Avenue saw Benjamin engaging in behavior which made the officer believe he might be engaged in criminal activity. The officer approached Benjamin, who ran away. The officer, assisted by other Baltimore Police officers, pursued Benjamin for several blocks. During the pursuit, the officers saw Benjamin reaching into the front of his pants, as if to retrieve an item. Benjamin ran through a back alley and turned back toward Edmondson Avenue, where he was eventually apprehended by officers. Benjamin was detained on the ground and during a pat down, an officer felt what he believed to be a handgun. The officer recovered a semi-automatic .380-caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number, and seven rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
Benjamin had several previous felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Joan C. Mathias, who prosecuted the case.
United States Reaches $1.53 Million Dollar Settlement with Defense Contractor to Resolve Contract ClaimRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – CACI Technologies, LLC has agreed to pay the United States $1,531,928.77 to settle an allegation that it breached its contract with the National Security Agency (NSA), a component of the Department of Defense, by billing and accepting payment from the NSA for work performed by certain CACI employees who did not meet the required qualifications.
The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Assistant Inspector for Investigations G. Shawn Tate, NSA Office of the Inspector General.
CACI Technologies, LLC (“CACI”), located in Chantilly, Virginia, is an information technology company that develops, integrates, and maintains technological solutions across a range of markets, including intelligence systems, communication, cyber-security, logistics and material readiness, and other services for government and commercial customers. In September 2007, CACI was awarded an NSA contract. As part of the contract, NSA required that CACI provide the resources and services of skilled professional and technical personnel necessary to meet the responsibilities specified in, or required by, Delivery Orders and/or Technical Task Orders issued under the contract. The contract and Delivery Orders referenced and attached labor categories that prescribed the type of experience and educational qualifications needed for classes of personnel billed under the particular labor category.
The United States alleged that between January 1, 2010 and June 30, 2014, certain CACI employees who provided services under the Delivery Orders issued under the Contract did not meet all the qualifications described in the labor categories corresponding to the rates billed to and paid by the NSA for those CACI employees. According to the civil settlement agreement, the settlement resolves these allegations.
As part of the settlement, CACI has already paid NSA $739,037.37, and agrees to pay an additional $792,891.40 within 30 days.
The claim resolved by this settlement is an allegation. The settlement is not an admission of liability by CACI, which cooperated in the investigation and took remedial action in the wake of the investigation, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and NSA Office of the Inspector General for their work in this civil investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields, who handled this case.