District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Marvin Benjamin Martin, 32, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 140 months in prison in connection with a scheme to distribute dipentylone, an illegal psychostimulant known as “boot,” which was imported from China, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Martin pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell on July 11, 2025, one business day before the scheduled jury trial, to attempted possession with intent to distribute N,N Dimethylpentylone hydrochloride. In addition to the prison term, Judge Howell ordered Martin to serve three years of supervised release.

Joining in the announcement were Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

According to court documents, in early 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA) was conducting an ongoing investigation into illegal shipments of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals originating in China.

In February 2024, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a package at the International Mail Facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).The package, addressed to “Martin Hall” on 58th Street SE. had been mailed from China, and contained 10 kilos of boot.

HSI agents swapped out the boot in the package for sham materials and added a GPS tracking device.

On March 7, 2024, HIDTA, comprised of HSI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and officers from various other agencies, delivered the package to the front steps of the residence on 58th Street around 11:27 a.m. The officers watched as Martin retrieved the package, took it back to his vehicle, and drove off.

About an hour later, Martin discarded the empty package while keeping what he believed to be real drugs. At 12:37 p.m., investigators found Martin driving in a nearby residential neighborhood in Maryland and attempted to detain him. Martin sped off and crashed into a minivan and fence before evading officers.

Agents subsequently found Martin at a home in Lanham, Maryland, and attempted to block him in with their vehicles. Martin accelerated his car towards the agents, striking the front side of an agent’s vehicle at high speed. About two hours later, agents again found Martin at the Lanham residence, this time in his undamaged car, a Mercedes sedan. Officers positioned their vehicles to block the street and Martin again drove his car towards the agents at a high speed. He swerved onto a sidewalk and hit a tree while accelerating past agents’ vehicles, once again evading capture.

On April 10, 2024, Martin was arrested in Annapolis, Maryland. From his multiple phones, agents recovered evidence showing that he had been selling boot and other narcotics, for years leading up to his arrest. The investigation also showed that Martin paid about $40,000 to $50,000 for the box of 10 kilograms of boot and would sell it for anywhere between $125 to $200 an ounce. From his phones, agents also found DOJ press release links of other boot trafficking convictions that Martin shared with other individuals, showing knowledge of his criminal conduct.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Traffiking Area group (HIDTA), the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Annapolis Police Department.

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking section (VCNT) of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia.

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WASHINGTON – Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 27, a previously deported Mexican national, pleaded guilty on October 17 in U.S. District Court for his role in a multinational drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl-laced pills across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Rodriguez-Gonzalez, aka “Alacran,” of Rosarito, Mexico, pleaded guilty to a criminal Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony.

            U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2026. Rodriguez-Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.

            Rodriguez-Gonzalez was one of 24 co-defendants arrested during 2023 in the District, Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.

            Joining in the announcement of the plea were Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division

            According to court documents, during the conspiracy Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a Mexico-based supplier to Los Angeles-area drug distributers of large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. He utilized social media platforms, most commonly Instagram, to facilitate the importation of thousands of counterfeit “M-30” pills per shipment.   

            Rodriguez-Gonzalez had previously been deported to Mexico from the United States following a conviction in Utah for distributing methamphetamine. On October 4, 2019, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On June 13, 2021, he was released and deported to Mexico.

            From December 2021, Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a member of the conspiracy that eventually distributed an estimated 36 kilograms of illegal fentanyl in the U.S.

            He remained a member of the conspiracy until April 3, 2024, when he was arrested after illegally re-entering the United States.

            The illegal fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills that Rodriguez-Gonzalez sold to multiple LA-based traffickers were resold to redistributors in Washington, D.C., area and elsewhere. Communications evidence, as well as physical seizures, indicate that he facilitated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of the counterfeit pills.

            The impetus for the investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death resulting case, law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.

            The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland. 

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) Section.

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DEFENDANT

AGE

LOCATION

CHARGES/SENTENCE

Hector David Valdez,

aka “Curl”

27

Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;

conspiracy to commit international money laundering.

Craig Eastman

21

21

21

Bell Gardens,

California

28

Bell Gardens,

California

27

Bell Gardens,

California

35

Marvin Anthony Bussie,

aka “Money Marr”

22

29

27

35

Andre Malik Edmond,

aka “Draco”

23

Treyveon James Johnson,

aka “Treyski”

21

Karon Olufemi Blalock,

aka “Fat Bags”

30

Ronte Ricardo Greene,

aka “Cardiddy”

29

39

Darius Quincy Hodges,

aka “Brick”

34

Lamin Sesay,

aka “Rock Star”

28

26

Glendale,

California

Omar Arana,

aka “Frogs”

27

Cudahy,

California

27

San Diego,

California

31

Long Beach,

California

31

27

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Robert Calvin Corbin III, 45, a previously convicted felon residing in the District, was sentenced on October 9 in U.S. District Court to 66 months in prison in connection with illegal possession of a Glock 9 mm pistol that had been modified with a “giggle switch” to fire as a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Corbin pleaded guilty July 1, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 66-month prison sentence, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Corbin to serve three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on March 21, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were called to the 100 block of Q Street NW to investigate a report of a large group of individuals gambling with guns present.

As the officers arrived at the scene, Corbin allegedly was smoking marijuana and drinking tequila from a red plastic cup. An officer stopped Corbin for public consumption of marijuana and possession of an open container of alcohol. As the officer conducted a pat down, the officer felt a hard object in Corbin’s waistband and asked what the object was. Corbin responded, “nothing,” then allegedly attempted to shove the officer’s hands away. The officer and Corbin struggled. Police eventually cuffed Corbin.

Officers recovered from Corbin’s waistband a Glock 19 equipped with a laser sight. The pistol was loaded with one bullet in the chamber and an additional 19 rounds in a large-capacity magazine. The firearm had been modified with a “giggle switch,” a small device which converts a traditional handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. Officers also recovered from Corbin’s bag a second large-capacity magazine with an additional 17 rounds of ammunition.

Corbin was prohibited from possessing a gun due to over twenty-five years of criminal history, including two prior convictions for illegal possession of a firearm.

The Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Faneisha Scott, 39, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced October 24, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court, to forty-one years in prison for the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

          Scott was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on June 11, 2025 of first-degree cruelty to children, first-degree felony murder with aggravating circumstances, and second-degree cruelty to children for the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, in March 2017. 

           According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on March 21, 2017, Scott’s friend, who is the child’s godmother, went over to the defendant’s home in the 5400 block of C Street, SE. While there, the friend’s eight-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm. The defendant then found Rhythm in her playpen, unresponsive, and cold. The defendant went out and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and followed the defendant back to the apartment and observed Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child’s body was cold, stiff, and her eyes were fixed. While on the phone with 911, the mail carrier followed the operator’s instructions when two other individuals entered the residence to administer CPR – one was an experienced former firefighter and knew that the child was dead immediately upon seeing her. First responders were surprised to learn that the defendant claimed to have no contact with the child since 9:00 a.m. that morning. The child was pronounced dead. 

           On March 22, 2017, the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Rhythm’s remains and ruled on February 5, 2018 that the manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The blunt force injuries included: (1) contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso, and extremities; (2) subdural hemorrhage; (3) cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia; (4) retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage; and (5) 23 bilateral rib fractures (there was evidence of both healing and new rib fractures).

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

          In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Andrea Antonelli. 

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Darnell Earl Christian, 34, a felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 32 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded Glock 45 pistol as he attempted to distribute marijuana in the Kingman Park neighborhood of Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Christian pleaded guilty on June 3 to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and to unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana. In addition to the 32-month prison term, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Christian to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents on March 26, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were patrolling in the Kingman Park neighborhood when they spotted Christian on the 1800 block of Benning Road NE. Christian was crouching between cars. taking marijuana out of a large plastic bag and placing it onto a digital scale.

            An officer approached Christian. Christian tried to flee with a large bag of marijuana in hand. A second officer intercepted and detained Christian, and observed a pistol in the defendant’s waistband. Christian struggled with the officers as they cuffed him.

            Following Christian’s arrest, officers recovered 429 grams marijuana, a digital scale, and a baggie containing 14 grams of a white rock-like substance that tested positive for cocaine.

            Officers also recovered a Glock model 45, 9mm handgun with one round of ammunition chambered and 16 additional rounds in an extended magazine.

            Christian previously was convicted in District of Columbia Superior Court of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, sentenced to 16 months incarceration, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.

            This case was investigated by the MPD with valuable help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Wynn for the District of Columbia. 

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Tyrone Spencer, 44, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the afternoon of September 1, 2025, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Spencer made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Eric Glover earlier today, where Judge Glover found probable cause that Spencer committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), and ordered that Spencer be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing on November 19, 2025, before Judge Rainey Brandt.

            According to court documents, on September 1, 2025, Spencer approached the victim, Francois Adkins, in broad daylight at the Brentwood Recreation Center and opened fire. Spencer continued to shoot as the victim attempted to crawl away. Adkins died as a result of the injuries.

            On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at approximately 6:20 p.m., members of the Fifth District Crime Suppression Team (CST) were engaged in the “Make DC Safe and Beautiful Taskforce” Operations. MPD Officers were part of a federal task force which included HSI, ATF, FBI, DEA, Secret Service Police, and United States Park Police. The Taskforce was actively patrolling PSA 504 when they observed Spencer loitering with other individuals. Upon observing officers, Spencer dropped a white hand rolled cigarette. After smelling odor consistent with marijuana, Taskforce officers stopped Spencer and identified him for smoking marijuana in public. Their active police efforts led to Spencer’s active arrest warrant for murder being confirmed and Spencer’s arrest. 

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Galloway.

            These charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON – Matthew Green, 31, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 7 in U.S. District Court to 100 months in prison in connection with his possession of a Glock 19 pistol as he was distributing narcotics in and around the 2900 block of Knox Place SE in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Green pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025, to a two-count Information charging him with possession with the intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine base, and marijuana, and to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the 100-month prison sentence, the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly ordered Green to serve three years of supervised release.

            Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.

            According to court documents, in the Summer of 2024, FBI agents initiated a long-term investigation of a drug trafficking conspiracy centered around the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE.[1] Law enforcement had identified an alleged fentanyl and PCP trafficker with a stash house in the 2900 block of Knox Place. Over the course of their investigation into the trafficker’s narcotics suppliers, investigating agents determined that Green was a supplier of the trafficker’s PCP.

            On October 3, 2024, an undercover officer met the trafficker outside a Knox Place apartment building. The trafficker subsequently waved to Green, who stepped into the building and then returned with several vials of PCP. As Green attempted to hand off the PCP to the trafficker, he instead asked Green to “give it to my man, cus,” referring to the undercover officer.

            In the morning of December 16, 2024, a caller to 911 reported seeing a man pointing a gun at cars near the 2800 block of Gainesville Street SE, approximately a half-mile from the 2900 block of Knox Place. Responding MPD officers saw Green, who matched the caller’s description, and stopped him. From Green’s front jacket pocket, officers recovered a loaded Glock 19, Gen 5 pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

            In Green’s backpack, officers recovered an array of distribution-level quantities of narcotics that included 48 grams of crack cocaine, more than 62 grams of PCP that was packaged in 122 vials, 366 grams of marijuana, and a 20-ounce plastic bottle of pink liquid suspected to be “lean,” a cocktail of prescription cough syrup and soda.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, with assistance from the DEA Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, John Crabb, Jr., and John Parron, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi, of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Offenses and Federal Major Crimes Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

[1] Eight members of this drug trafficking conspiracy, including Green’s PCP redistributor, have since been indicted in U.S. v. Hancock, et al., Case No. 25-cr-241 (TJK). 

WASHINGTON – Maurice Felder, 54, of Washington, D.C., was convicted of charges stemming from a stabbing on November 10, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           Felder was convicted of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a prohibited weapon. The verdict was returned on October 15, 2025, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Felder faces a maximum of 30 years in prison for the crimes. The Honorable Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for December 12, 2025.

           According to the government’s evidence and testimony presented at trial, at about 1:00 a.m., on November 10, 2024, the victim and his friends were walking near the intersection of 7th St N.W. and T St N.W. The victim and his friends were visiting Washington, D.C. for a weekend from Pennsylvania. The defendant followed the victim and his group down the sidewalk and began verbally arguing with the group. The victim got in between Felder and other members of his friend group, telling the defendant to leave. The defendant asked the victim, “do you want to die,” pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in his chest. The victim sustained a stab wound two centimeters from his heart and required urgent medical care.

            Felder was apprehended shortly thereafter, approximately one block from the location of incident. At the time of arrest, defendant matched the provided lookout for the stabbing suspect. A knife was recovered from the defendant’s pants pocket. Felder has been in custody since his arrest.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valerie Tsesarenko and Randle Wilson. 

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Tywan Morris, 30, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty November 12, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of second-degree murder while armed for the October 17, 2021, murder of 27-year-old Danielle Stuckey in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding Morris guilty of charges including second-degree murder while armed. Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2026.

            According to the government’s evidence, at 5:03 p.m., on Sunday, October 17, 2021, Danielle Stuckey and her 12-year-old child walked through the BP gas station at 2801 Alabama Avenue, Southeast to a nearby bus stop. A short time later, Morris pulled into the gas station with his girlfriend and child and parked at the first pump. While Morris was pumping gas, the victim approached him, and a brief argument ensued between the victim, Morris, and Morris’s girlfriend. Despite the victim walking back to the bus stop, Morris retrieved a knife with brass knuckles attached. Initially, Morris gave the knife to his girlfriend who attempted to stab the victim. Morris then retrieved the knife and charged at the victim. The victim attempted to back away, but Morris pursued her. He tripped her to the ground and kicked her in the head. While the victim was on the ground, Morris stabbed her in the left thigh transecting her femoral artery and vein and killing her. Morris then fled the scene with his girlfriend. That same day, law enforcement identified Morris as the killer and arrested him.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Ariel Dean and Daniel Bromwich who prosecuted the case.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Franklin Jovany Torres, 42, a convicted sex offender serving time in federal prison, was sentenced November 5 to an additional 16 months for vowing revenge and mailing death threats to the mother of a teenage boy who he had sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Torres pleaded guilty August 27 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of mailing threatening communications. The 16-months will be served consecutively to the earlier imposed 21-year prison term. Torres will be deported to El Salvador at the completion of the sentences.

            Joining in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.

            According to the plea agreement, on Mar. 11, 2015, following a jury trial, Torres was convicted in the District of producing child pornography, distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and first degree sexual abuse of a minor. For those crimes he was sentenced to 252 months in prison.

            On July 2, 2015, Torres mailed a handwritten letter from a Federal Corrections Institute in South Carolina to the Northwest Washington D.C. home of the minor victim’s mother.

            The letter, written in Spanish, threatened, “I’m going to get out one day, and when that day comes is when you are going to shed tears of blood because that day I’m going to get rid of your whole family – cousins, nephews and nieces, granmother, children – even the dog at your home I’ll get rid of.”

            The boy victim’s parents had allowed Torres to stay in their apartment after Torres lost his job and needed a place to stay. After Torres had lived with the family for several months, the victim’s mother discovered a naked photo of a male child with his face obscured on the defendant’s Facebook page. The boy in the photo turned out to be the victim. The photo was taken by Torres during an incident in which Torres had sexually abused the boy.

            The mother and her son reported the sexual abuse to the police several months later, after Torres moved out of their apartment.

            This case was investigated by FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Angelo Mark, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced Oct. 1, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 91 months in federal prison for his role a prolific drug delivery service that he operated with his brother in the metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Mark pleaded guilty June 18, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute a detectable amount of fentanyl, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Mark to serve three years of supervised release.

            Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            According to court documents, between Jan. 10, 2024, and March 13, 2024, undercover agents with the DEA made six controlled purchases of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and suspected MDMA from Angelo Mark’s co-conspirator and brother, Jevaughn Mark.

            On Mar. 22, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at the homes of Angelo Mark and co-defendant Jevaughn Mark who lived across the street from each other on the 2300 block of Chester Street SE. From Angelo Marks residence, law enforcement recovered four handguns, three assault style rifles with their serial numbers removed, and 954 rounds of ammunition.

            In addition to the seven firearms recovered in Angelo Mark’s home, law enforcement seized 11.5 grams of cocaine, four digital scales, bulk drug-packaging materials, and $50,663 in cash.

            On March 14, 2025, co-defendant Jevaughn Mark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. As part of his plea agreement, Jevaughn Mark accepted responsibility for causing the drug-related deaths of Brandon Román and Robert Barletta. On June 26, 2025, the Court sentenced Jevaughn Mark to 180 months in prison.

            This case was investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Dan Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) section.

Law enforcement recovered three assault-style rifles, two pistols, and 954 rounds of ammunition from Angelo Mark’s home on the 2300 block of Chester Street SE, on Mar. 22, 2024.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Three members of a violent multi-state robbery crew were found guilty October 28 by a federal jury in connection with the robberies of 12 pharmacies and cell phone stores in the District, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

The jury deliberated for three days following a six-week trial.

Ashley Gause, 32, aka “Cray,” of the District, was found guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances from the pharmacy robberies, and nine counts of Hobbs Act Robbery.

D’Marrell Mitchel, 35, of the District, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and nine counts of Hobbs Act Robbery.

Terrance Barnham, 35, of the District, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and one count of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

Judge Amy B. Jackson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 4, 2026 for Gause; Feb. 6, 2026 for Mitchell; and Feb. 3, 2026 for Branham. Each count of Hobbs Act robbery carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; carrying a firearm during a crime of violence carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. A U.S. District court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors

Joining in the announcement of the verdicts were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

According to court documents, from May 9, 2020, through May 26, 2021, Gause and her co-conspirators targeted pharmacies and cellular retail stores in the mid-Atlantic region, seeking to rob the businesses of prescription drugs and iPhones that they could then resell in the District.

Multiple co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to their roles in a number of robberies.

Co-defendant Floyd Neal, 31, of the District, pleaded guilty to his role in the April 1, 2021, robbery of a pharmacy in Manassas and was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to 157 months in prison.

Ashawntea Henderson, 32, of the District, pleaded guilty to interference of interstate commerce by robbery for his role in the May 9, 2020 robbery of a pharmacy in Neptune, New Jersey, and was sentenced on Feb. 18, 2025, to 57 months in prison.

Glenn Dolford, 32, of the District, pleaded guilty to two counts of interference of interstate commerce by robbery for his roles in the June 8, 2020, robbery of a pharmacy in Nottingham, Maryland, and the June 9, 2020, robbery of a phone store in College Park, Maryland. Dolford, who also is serving a 22-year sentence for murder, was sentenced July 18, 2025, to an additional 42 months for his roles in the robberies.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Henrico County Police Division, Laurel Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Neptune Township N.J. Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Department. 

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Gold, Cameron Tepfer, Sarah Martin, and Mark Levy with assistance from paralegal specialist Jenna Lee.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Richard Dyson, 57, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty to the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Donnella Bryan, 63, whose body was found in a Hechinger Mall dumpster in Northeast D.C. back in April of 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Dyson pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Dyson is facing up to 24 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2025, before the Honorable Michael Ryan.

            According to the government’s evidence, on or about April 15, 2025, at the Press House Apartments in Northeast D.C., Dyson murdered the victim by striking her in the head and suffocating her with a sock. Dyson then purchased a large container from Home Depot, and with the help of a now-deceased accomplice, disposed of the victim’s body in that container by sliding it into a dumpster at Hechinger Mall.  The decedent’s body was discovered on April 19, 2025, one day before Easter Sunday.

            Dyson was arrested on June 11, 2025, and has been in custody ever since.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Diamond T. Ransome, 34, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty October 21, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court to one felony count of fraud in the first degree for obtaining more than $26,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

           The Honorable Carmen McLean accepted Ransome’s plea and scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2026.

            According to court documents, Ransome admitted that in 2020, she submitted applications to two SBA small-business loan programs while working in a full-time civilian position at the Metropolitan Police Department. Her first application, submitted on July 3, 2020, sought a loan from the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was intended to provide emergency financial relief to small businesses suffering economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

            In her EIDL application, Ransome falsely claimed that she operated a hair and nail salon, even though she had no registered business at that time and provided only limited beauty services to a few acquaintances. Through her fraudulent application, Ransome secured a $1,000 cash advance and a $6,500 business loan from the SBA. She admitted that she did not intend to repay more than $5,600 still owed on that loan.

            Her second application, submitted on July 24, 2020, sought a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), another SBA pandemic relief program administered through private lenders. In that application, Ransome falsely stated that she was a “Lash Extensionist” and attached a falsified tax document listing her gross business income for the previous year as more than $117,000.

            Based on those misrepresentations, the SBA issued Ransome a $20,833 PPP loan. In August 2021, she applied for and received forgiveness of that loan, falsely asserting that she used the proceeds for eligible business expenses. As a result, the SBA reimbursed Ransome’s private lender the full PPP loan amount plus interest.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

            WASHINGTON—Dana Garnett, 61, a former contract specialist for the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was sentenced November 12 to 24 months of imprisonment for her role in a bribery and wire fraud conspiracy that illegally steered lucrative DCPS business to local vendors, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Earlier this year, on June 23, 2025, Garnett was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud charges, arising from her role in a bribery and kickback scheme she perpetrated at DCPS. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Amit P. Mehta ordered Garnett to serve three years of supervised release.

            Joining in the announcement were Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            According to court documents, Garnett and her co-conspirators defrauded DCPS by falsifying purchase orders and authorizing payments for inflated quantities of goods that were never delivered. In return for approving these fraudulent overpayments, Garnett received kickbacks from local vendors.

            In September 2025, a federal jury found one of those vendors, Yelake Meseretu, guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud arising out of the same criminal scheme. In addition to Meseretu’s conviction, three of Garnett’s co-conspirators—Patricia Bailey, Donald McWhirter, and Duane King—pleaded guilty earlier this year and face sentencing in February 2026.

            According to court documents, over the course of at least five years, Garnett, of Hyattsville, Maryland, accepted illegal payments from several vendors who supplied goods to DCPS. In exchange, Garnett steered business to the vendors. Some of the payments were generated from falsified orders that listed inflated amounts of goods that were never delivered.

            Garnett and her co-conspirator Patricia Bailey, a fellow DCPS employee, coordinated with the vendors to deliver fewer goods than were billed. Based on false certifications made by or with the knowledge of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the purchase orders as if they had been fulfilled in full. The vendors paid cash to Garnett and her co-conspirator in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area, including parking lots of restaurants in strip malls.               

            This case was investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and John Borchert of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.

Garnett and Meseretu: 24cr281

Bailey: 23cr336

King: 23cr319

McWhirter: 24cr280

WASHINGTON – Jairo Aldres Alzate Milan, 36, a former intelligence officer in the Colombian National Army, was sentenced October 8, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 65 months in prison in connection with a scheme to export 9.85 kilograms of cocaine from South America to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Milan, aka "Llorente" and “Andres Millan,” pleaded guilty on May 13 to an Information charging him with unlawful distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. In addition to the 65-month prison sentence, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Milan to serve four years of supervised release.

            Joining in the sentencing announcement was Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.

            According to plea agreement, on Jan. 29, 2019, Milan met with an individual to build a drug trafficking relationship. Milan discussed specifics with this individual who asked, “You know that cargo is going to the United States. All of it, yes?” Milan answered, “Yes.” The two also confirmed a price that included the added cost with transporting the “cargo” to the United States. The cargo was to be cocaine.

            On Feb. 2, 2019, Milan met again with the same individual. Milan and the individual discussed further details about the logistics of and the eventual transportation costs of shipping the cocaine to the United States, including details of cargo planes being used for the transportation. The individual explained that a plane in Santa Marta, Colombia, would be used to transport the cocaine first to Guatemala and then on to the United States. The individual further explained that he would need the details of the weight beforehand to ensure customs manifest forms would match.

            On Mar. 5, 2019, Milan met with the same individual in Cali, Colombia. The interaction was recorded on audio and video. Milan told the individual that “had the 10,” referring to 10 kilograms of cocaine. Milan  confirmed he understood that “this one is going to New York.”

            Milan provided ten bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 9.85 kilos. In exchange, Milan received 45 million Colombian Pesos valued at about $13,000 USD.

            The Drug Enforcement Administration Mid-Atlantic Laboratory tested nine of the 10 bricks and confirmed in all nine units the presence of cocaine.

            Milan was arrested in Colombia on May 22, 2021. He was extradited to the United States on Sept.12, 2024.

            In his plea, Milan admitted that he was responsible for distributing 9.85 kgs of cocaine and intended that amount to be imported into the United States.

            This case was investigated by the by the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Peter Roman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Joshua Calvin Allen, 35, a five-time felon residing the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on October 15 to 36 months in prison for illegally carrying a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

Allen pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Allen to serve three years of supervised release.

Allen, who is also awaiting trial in a 2021 homicide, has been jailed at the Central Detention Facility since Nov. 2021 for violating the terms of a previous supervised release for prisoner escape and assault with intent to commit robbery while armed.

On Nov. 9, 2021, a D.C. Superior Court Judge signed a warrant for Allen’s arrest in the June 2021 slaying of 28-year-old Delonte Johnson.

On Nov. 10, 2021, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located Allen using information obtained from his GPS ankle monitor, which he was wearing as a condition of his supervised release resulting from a previous conviction of illegal possession of a firearm.

The Task Force apprehended Allen as he was sitting in the driver’s seat of  a white Ford Explorer near a Southeast apartment complex. During a pat down, a Task Force officer discovered a Glock 23 pistol with an extended magazine that Allen had secreted between two pairs of compression shorts.

This case is Allen’s sixth felony conviction and his second conviction for possessing a firearm in the District of Columbia. His previous convictions in the District of Columbia also include assault to commit robbery while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and inmate in possession of a weapon. He was also convicted in Maryland for armed carjacking.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago.

25cr139

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON– Cedric Carr, 34, a previous convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 33 months, on October 7, 2025, for his unlawful possession of a semiautomatic pistol while drinking in public and on supervised release for another felony firearms offense, announced U.S Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

           On Feb. 20, 2025, Carr pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 33-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Contreras ordered Carr to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2024, about 8:30 a.m., Carr was drinking from an open bottle of red wine outside of the entrance to the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. Two Metropolitan Police officers saw the wine bottle, approached Carr, and asked for identification. Officers took the bottle. Carr handed them a bank card, then turned his back to the officers. As Carr reached for his waistband, one of the officers grabbed Carr’s right hand, felt a hard object, and saw the handgrip of a pistol tucked in Carr’s waistband.

            Officers cuffed Carr and recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 40, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. The gun had been reported stolen by the Atlanta Police Department.

            At the time of this offense, Carr was on supervised release for a 2018 conviction for using a firearm during a crime of violence. Carr was sentenced to 84 months in that case.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Michael L. Barclay.

Carr’s Smith and Wesson M&P 40, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol.

Police Body-Worn-Camera photo of Cedric Carr holding a wine bottle at the entrance to the Gallery Place - Chinatown Metro station on Oct. 27, 2024.

In a body-worn-camera photo, Cedric Carr turns away from a police officer and reaches for a Smith & Wesson pistol tucked in his waistband on Oct. 27, 2024, at the Gallery Place-Chinatown.

24cr497

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON -   Demontra Harris , 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 24, 2025, to 24 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a .40 caliber pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition that police discovered after he had abandoned a vehicle following a car crash, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            On April 15, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 24-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Harris to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on March 1, 2024, at 10 p.m., officers were responding to an unrelated case when they saw a black Toyota RAV-4 run a red light. A nearby detective in another car witnessed the RAV-4 lose control and crash on the 1800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Harris, who was the sole occupant, abandoned the disabled vehicle.

            At the scene of the crash, officers immediately spotted a Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine that had been left on the driver’s seat and a nearly empty open bottle of tequila. During a search of the vehicle officers found one shoe on the driver side. Officers also found a D.C. Driver’s License, a D.C. identification card, and a rental agreement that all had the name “Demontra Harris” on them.

            Soon after the accident, an officer saw a man nearby wearing one shoe. The shoe matched the other half of the pair found in the crashed vehicle.

            Police placed Harris under arrest and learned Harris had prior felony convictions for weapons counts. As a previously convicted felon, Harris is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Schneider and Rachel Craft.

24cr180

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

            WASHINGTON –Trevon Timothy Vines, 33, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Vines pleaded guilty June 6, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 15-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Vines to serve three years of supervised release.

            This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, about 12:45 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers were on the 1800 block of 7th Street NW when they observed a white Chevrolet make a U-turn over double yellow lines. Moments later, officers stopped the vehicle.

            As officers approached the driver, they spotted an open bottle of tequila inside the car and noted the scent of alcohol. Officers ordered all the occupants out of the car include Vines, who was sitting in the front passenger’s seat holding a clear plastic cup containing yellow liquid.

            While attempting to place Vines in handcuffs, an officer recovered a loaded Glock 43 9mm pistol from Vine’s front left pocket. Officers ran the serial number of the firearm and learned it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.

            Vines was previously convicted in 2016 of attempted robbery in DC Superior Court. He was convicted again in 2017 of armed robbery in Superior Court for which he was sentenced to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.

25cr091

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Michael Mason, 21, was sentenced October 31, 2025, to 28 years and eight months in prison in connection with the shooting death of Brea Moon in April 2020 in Southeast Washington and the shooting death of Antwuan Roach in May 2020 in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Mason pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder while armed on October 31, 2025.

            With respect to the April 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, Mason was riding in a stolen white vehicle that pulled into the BP gas station located at 4101 Alabama Avenue SE shortly before 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2020.  Minutes later, a gray sedan pulled into that same gas station with the victim, Brea Moon, in the front passenger seat. When the gray sedan left the gas station, the white vehicle followed.  Shortly thereafter, the white vehicle pulled up beside the gray sedan and the defendant fired multiple gunshots at the gray sedan, including one that struck the victim and killed her.

            With respect to the May 2020 homicide, according to the government’s evidence, on May 22, 2020, defendant Mason learned of Mr. Roach’s location and tracked him to the unit block of Anacostia Road NE shortly before 5:00 p.m. After locating Mr. Roach, the defendant’s vehicle pulled into an alley behind the 3800 block of East Capitol Street NE. As Mr. Roach stepped into the alley, the defendant fired at him and killed him.  

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Julia Cosans, Sarah Folse, Yasmin Emrani, and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

            WASHINGTON – Kylee Palmer, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on November 7, 2025, to 336 months in prison for the 2020 murder of Barron Goodwin in Washington, D.C., announced  U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Palmer was found guilty by a jury on September 11, 2024, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, felony destruction of property, and tampering with evidence.

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 11, 2020, Palmer got into an argument with an ex-girlfriend and stole her cell phone. After exchanging calls with the ex-girlfriend’s brother in the early hours of February 12, 2020, at approximately 11:01 a.m., Palmer drove a stolen black Nissan Altima, with another individual inside, past 843 51st Street Southeast, where they fired six bullets into the ex-girlfriend’s family home. One of those shots broke through a living room window and struck Barron Goodwin, a 60-year-old innocent bystander, in the head as he slept on a couch in the living room. About an hour later, after Palmer fled the scene, he burned the vehicle used in the shooting in an alley near the 800 block of Chesapeake Street Southeast.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity, Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, and Victim/Witness Coordinators Maenylie Watson and Katina Adams-Washington.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Christopher Carson, Lisa Lindhorst, and Julia Cosans, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

            WASHINGTON – Charles Hilton, 40, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 24, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 25 years in federal prison in connection with producing child pornography and sexually abusing a young girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Hilton pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, before Judge Ana C. Reyes to a criminal Information charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a child and one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child with aggravating cirmcumstances.

            In addition to the prison term, Judge Reyes ordered Hilton to serve 15 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

            Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            On November 21, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received three separate tips regarding possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). The reports referenced more than 1,000 files of child pornography stored on a server connected with accounts linked to Hilton. About 20 of the CSAM files appeared to have been homemade. The tipster provided Hilton’s name, phone number, email address and mailing address to the NCMEC.

            On Nov. 26, 2024, law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Hilton, as well as a warrant to search his residence in Northeast. Officers recovered numerous digital devices from the residence.

            In an interview with investigators, Hilton initially claimed his accounts had been hacked.  Investigators confronted Hilton with a specific video showing the sexual abuse of a minor victim. Hilton then admitted to having made it.

            Investigators recovered text messages from Hilton’s devices. The texts indicated that Hilton blackmailed the minor victim. In them, Hilton coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity by  threatening to share embarrassing information about her. Hilton eventually produced photos and videos of himself sexual abusing the minor victim.

            This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Kelley and Jocelyn Bond.

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

24cr554

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Charles Hilton, 40, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 7, 2025,  in U.S. District Court to 25 years in federal prison in connection with producing child pornography and sexually abusing a young girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Hilton pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, before Judge Ana C. Reyes to a criminal Information charging him with one count of coercion and enticement of a child and one count of first degree sexual abuse of a child with aggravating cirmcumstances.

            In addition to the prison term, Judge Reyes ordered Hilton to serve 15 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

            Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            On November 21, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received three separate tips regarding possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). The reports referenced more than 1,000 files of child pornography stored on a server connected with accounts linked to Hilton. About 20 of the CSAM files appeared to have been homemade. The tipster provided Hilton’s name, phone number, email address and mailing address to the NCMEC.

            On Nov. 26, 2024, law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Hilton, as well as a warrant to search his residence in Northeast. Officers recovered numerous digital devices from the residence.

            In an interview with investigators, Hilton initially claimed his accounts had been hacked.  Investigators confronted Hilton with a specific video showing the sexual abuse of a minor victim. Hilton then admitted to having made it.

            Investigators recovered text messages from Hilton’s devices. The texts indicated that Hilton blackmailed the minor victim. In them, Hilton coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity by  threatening to share embarrassing information about her. Hilton eventually produced photos and videos of himself sexual abusing the minor victim.

            This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Kelley and Jocelyn Bond.

            This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

24cr554

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Terry Thompson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 24 years of incarceration on October 31, 2025, for shooting a disabled elderly man in a 7-Eleven parking lot in Southwest Washington D.C. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Thompson pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed on April 4, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. On October 31, the Honorable Rainey Brandt sentenced Thompson to 24 years for murdering the victim, Christopher Callahan, 64.

            According to court documents, at 4:15 p.m., on May 15, 2023, the defendant emerged from a group of a men hanging out in the 7-Eleven parking lot, located at 3900 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Southwest. Thompson approached Mr. Callahan, who was sitting on his walker next to his car. The defendant had a rifle concealed in a duffle bag, and he began pointing it in Mr. Callahan’s face. Mr. Callahan feebly rose from his walker and attempted to swat the rifle away. The defendant then stepped back and fired a single round into Mr. Callahan’s neck, killing him instantly. Thompson then slowly walked off as onlookers stood by in shock. As people started to disperse from the area, the defendant walked back over to Mr. Callahan’s lifeless body, pointed the rifle at him, but then slowly walked off again without pulling the trigger a second time.

            The next day, the defendant was arrested in the same location wearing the same shoes that still had the victim’s blood on them.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Hall, supported by Paralegal Specialist Lisa Speight, and Victim Assistant Latrice Washington-Williams. 

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – A 23-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced October 24, 2025, to a 17-year prison term for sexually abusing his grandmother, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon 17-year prison term. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. The Court ordered a lifetime period of supervised release to follow his prison term, and the man will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. 

           According to the government’s evidence, on November 28, 2023, the defendant entered the victim’s bedroom, carrying a knife. The defendant dragged the victim to his bedroom, where he held her against her will for several hours. During that time, he subjected her to numerous acts of physical and sexual abuse.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Houck, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Mark Thomas Moore 34, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty on November 6 following a bench trial in U.S. District Court in connection with the three armed robberies, including a U.S. Post Office, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           Judge Amit P. Mehta found Moore guilty of two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery) and one count of armed postal robbery. Each count of Hobbs Act robbery carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Armed postal robbery carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. 

           Judge Mehta scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2026.

           According to the government’s evidence, Moore committed three armed robberies over a 30 day period in October and November 2022. Specifically, Moore entered a McDonalds, a 7-Eleven, and a U.S. Post Office while masked and armed with an imitation firearm. Each time, Moore held store employees at gunpoint and demanded money from the cash register. Store employees testified at trial that they feared for their lives—each believing that Moore possessed an actual firearm and was prepared to shoot them.

           Moore was arrested on Nov. 28, 2022, following a robbery of a CVS store in Arlington, Virginia. When Moore was arrested, he possessed clothing and items that tied him to earlier robberies. A subsequent residential search recovered additional distinct clothing worn by Moore during the robberies. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service also determined that Moore left a fingerprint inside the cash register drawer during the postal robbery.      

           This case was  investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington County Police Department.

           The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caelainn Carney, Jared English, and Jason B.A. McCullough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin. The case was investigated and indicted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney.

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WASHINGTON – Damon McQuarters, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced October 24, 2025, to 22 years in prison for the August 2024 shooting murder of Michael Simpson, on the sidewalk in front of a gas station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            On May 30, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In sentencing McQuarters, the Honorable Danya Dayson accepted the agreed-to sentencing range of 21 to 25 years and sentenced the defendant to 22 years of in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. 

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:35 p.m., on August 24, 2024, McQuarters approached Mr. Simpson, who was sitting in a tree box in front of the Citgo gas station, located at 3820 Minnesota Ave. NE, Washington, socializing with friends. McQuarters retrieved a handgun from his shorts pocket and shot Mr. Simpson a single time in the head. The defendant placed the handgun back into his front right shorts pocket and walked away. Mr. Simpson was transported from the scene of the shooting to an area hospital where he died the following day. 

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kelly Blakeney, and Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams.

           Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – Vankese Russell, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for his illegal possession of a pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Russell pleaded guilty on July 21 before Judge Carl J. Nichols to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Russell to serve three years of supervised release. 

            The prosecution was part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            Joining in the annoucement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to court documents, on Jan. 28, 2025, about 6:37 p.m., MPD officers were patrolling Chinatown on foot when they observed a cloud of smoke coming from behind a bus stop on the 600 block of H Street NW. They smelled burning marijuana and walked toward the bus stop, where numerous pedestrians were present.

            The officers observed Russell holding a hand-rolled cigarette. As the officers approached, Russell attempted to extinguish the cigarette and dropped it to the ground. Officers cuffed Russell and told him he was under arrest. The officers searched Russell and recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson SW40VE from his waistband.

            Russell previously pleaded guilty in 2017 to first degree attempted child sex abuse in D.C. Superior Court, was sentenced to four years in prison, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.

            This case was investigated by the MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Tobacco, Washington Field Division. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Daron Keith Brown, 30, a previously convicted felon who resides in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison in connection with his possession of a loaded semiautomatic pistol that had been modified to fire as a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Brown pleaded guilty on March 25 before  Judge Dabney L. Friedrich.to being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the 46-month prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Brown to serve three years of supervised release.

            Joining in the announcement of the sentencing was ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to court documents, on Jan. 10, 2024, members of the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were on patrol on the 700 block of Florida Ave. NW when they saw a silver VW stopped on a crosswalk and impeding traffic. Officers attempted a vehicle stop, but the VW fled. The VW subsequently was seen on the 900 block of R Street, NW. Officers again attempted a traffic stop, however, this time the driver, later identified as Robert Williams, exited the car and fled on foot. As officers followed Williams, another officer stayed with the VW and ordered the front seat passenger, Daron Brown, to get out of the car.

            As the officer approached, he spotted a gun on the front driver’s seat. Brown exited the vehicle and had a blue coat in his lap. As Brown was pulled out of the vehicle he put the coat back onto the seat. Once outside the vehicle Brown attempted to run but was eventually restrained. Another investigator searched the vehicle and located a second gun, a Glock 21, .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm with a converter switch, under the blue coat on the front passenger seat where Brown had been sitting.

The Glock was found under a blue coat where Brown had been sitting.

            Brown was on supervised release for a 2021 firearms offense in 2021. Brown pleaded guilty in July 2022 and served 36-months. He also has previous convictions for assault with a dangerous weapon offense committed while on release and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the ATF. It  was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Shehzad Akhtar and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Haley Pennington.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

             WASHINGTON – Raymond Davon Benson, 32, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today, October 31, in U.S. District Court to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a 9mm firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

             Benson pleaded guilty July 1, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to an indictment charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 37-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Benson to serve three years of supervised release.

             According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, about 1:45 a.m., Metropolitan Police officers were on patrol in the U Street Corridor when they spotted Benson holding a red Solo cup in his hand. As officers parked and exited their cruiser, Benson noticed their approach and tossed the cup to the ground. He walked away and then took headlong flight.

             Benson ran into the alleys off the 200 block of Vermont Ave, NW. While running, he withdrew a large firearm from his waistband and threw it over a fence in the 900 block of U Street, NW. Police eventually caught and detained him.

             Investigators recovered Benson’s Cobray M-11 9mm pistol and 28 rounds of ammunition. Benson was previously convicted in Superior Court for a 2016 charge of Aggravated Assault and Carrying a Pistol Without a License. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison and, as a convicted felon, forbidden from possessing firearms.

             This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Strong. 

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Timothy Martin, 55, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to two years of supervised release for his role in the April 27, 2023, defacement of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen, at the National Gallery of Art, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            A jury found Martin guilty on Apr. 7, 2025, of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit.

            In addition to the two months of supervised release, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Martin to serve 150 hours of community service that must include 20 hours of cleaning graffiti. He must also stay out of Washington, D.C. and not visit any museum. Judge Berman Jackson also ordered Martin to pay $4,062. in restitution.

            According to evidence introduced in court, Martin and co-defendant Johanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, NY, smeared paint on the case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen, a sculpture which has drawn visitors for years to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Following the attack, a group called Declare Emergency claimed credit. 

            Martin and Smith agreed, along with other co-conspirators, to enter the National Gallery of Art for the purpose of injuring the exhibit and entered the museum armed with water bottles filled with paint. Martin and Smith handed their phones to other co-conspirators and waited until patrons cleared the area in front of the Little Dancer. The pair proceeded to smear paint on the case and base of the exhibit, at times smacking the case with force. Prior to the attack, members of the conspiracy had alerted the Washington Post. Two reporters from the Post recorded and photographed the offense, as did additional members of the conspiracy

            Smith and Martin caused over $4,000 in damage, including material and labor costs, and the exhibit was removed from public display for 10 days so that it could be repaired. 

            Smith pleaded guilty December 15, 2023, to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. She was sentenced to 60 days in prison, followed by 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and $4,062 in restitution. 

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.   

WASHINGTON – Kevin Bing, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the burglary of a 7-Eleven store in March 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. 

           Bing pleaded guilty on August 12, 2025, to one count of second-degree burglary. On October 15, 2025, the Honorable Judge Jennifer Di Toro sentenced Bing to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

           According to the government’s evidence, with which the defendant agreed, on March 19, 2025, Bing and three unidentified accomplices went to a closed 7-Eleven store in the 5200 block of 3rd Street Northeast and used a prybar to force open the front door. They then brought a hydraulic prying tool into the store and used it to force open an ATM machine, from which they stole U.S. currency. The perpetrators also stole a cell phone from one of the store’s employees before fleeing the store.

           Bing was arrested on March 20, 2025 and has been in custody since.

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S Attorney Michael Roberts, who prosecuted the case. 

Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, together with major federal law enforcement and interagency partners, announced the creation of the first District of Columbia Scam Center Strike Force to secure America against Southeast Asian cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams.  

            Joining in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Department of Justice, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Gregory A. Heeb, and Assistant Director Kyo Dolan of the United States Secret Service, Office of Field Operations.

            Chinese transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are using cryptocurrency investment scams and a variety of confidence scams to steal the life savings of everyday Americans. Often using U.S. social media networks or text messages to U.S.-based cell phones, the scammers first gain the trust of their targeted victims. Over time, the scammers convince their victims to invest in real cryptocurrency, only to then trick their victims to transfer those funds into fake cryptocurrency investment websites and applications. Many of those websites are hosted by companies in the United States, but once funds are transferred, the cryptocurrency is quickly laundered into other accounts outside of U.S. jurisdiction.

            These schemes, which fraudsters refer to as “pig butchering” because they are “fattening” up their victims, are often run out of scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Workers in the compounds often are victims of human trafficking, held against their will, abused, and guarded by armed groups as they are instructed to target Americans. In some of the Southeast Asian countries where these compounds operate, scam-generated revenue is so massive that it amounts to nearly half of the country’s GDP. Recent reporting estimates that this scam industry defrauds Americans of nearly $10 billion per year.

“Scam centers are creating a generational wealth transfer from Main Street America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime. As the prosecuting office in the nation’s capital, my office has the authority to charge foreign defendants and seize foreign property,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “President Trump wants the United States to be the global center of the world’s cryptocurrency industry. So it is absolutely crucial that Americans understand the safe use of this commodity. We will expose and prosecute the criminals who would abuse their trust so that all Americans can feel secure in their investments.”

            U.S. Attorney Pirro specifically called on U.S. corporations to partner in the initiative. “Working together in public-private partnership, we must secure the U.S. infrastructure, which is being used as an instrument to defraud Americans in these scams.”

            "The FBI is committed to the important work of the Scam Center Strike Force," said FBI Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Director, Gregory Heeb. "The lasting impact from the highly sophisticated, transnational financial crimes emanating from scam centers can be devastating to victims and their families. It is the FBI's job to stop these criminals, and with the help of our partners around the globe, we will do just that."

            “Since 2019, the U.S. Secret Service has seen a major uptick in cryptocurrency investment scams,” said Assistant Director Kyo Dolan of the United States Secret Service. The organizations behind these scams leverage an ‘ecosystem of criminality,’ often weaving an intricate web of illicit activities together to perpetrate their schemes. In fiscal year 2025 alone, the U.S. Secret Service has responded to approximately 3,000 victims who contacted us regarding cryptocurrency investment schemes.”

            The new Scam Center Strike Force combines the power, reach, and resources of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service to crackdown and disrupt these schemes. The Scam Center Strike Force is also seeking to use all government tools available, partnering with the State Department, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the Department of Commerce.

            The Scam Center Strike Force is investigating the worst scam compounds located in Southeast Asia. Strike Force teams focus on identifying and pursuing key leaders—including Chinese organized crime affiliates operating in Cambodia, Laos, and Burma—to bring them to justice.

            The Strike Force also is working to seize and disable the U.S.-based facilities and infrastructure that provide the manner and means to execute these scams, which includes U.S. internet service provider and social media accounts scammers use to prey on Americans. The Strike Force will collaborate with U.S. companies to sever access to the scam centers, and prevent U.S. infrastructure from being weaponized against American citizens.

            As announced today, the Strike Force is already up and running.

                    The Strike Force Crypto Seizure team has seized and forfeited $401,657,274.33 in crypto currency from these schemes, and announced today the filing of forfeiture proceedings for $80 million in stolen funds. The Crypto Seizure team is focused on recovering stolen funds and returning them to victims.

                    The Strike Force Burma team conducted operations against two scam centers located in Burma. At the Tai Chang scam compound, the team seized websites used to victimize Americans. At another Burmese scam center, the team is seeking warrants to seize satellite terminals used to connect the facilities to the internet and enable fraud and money laundering. Today, the Treasury Department designated the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), and other entities related to these scam compounds, as specially-designated nationals (SDN). Established by the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control, the SDN list contains the names of individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists, narcotics traffickers, and transnational criminal organizations, whose assets are blocked and with whom U.S. persons are generally prohibited from conducting business. 

                    A Strike Force Regional team investigated a network of Bali scam centers. The suspects, directed by Cambodia-based facilitators, targeted more than 150 U.S.-based victims. Information the Strike Force provided to local police was critical and essential to the prosecution of 38 Indonesian nationals.

                   The Strike Force also deployed FBI agents to Bangkok to embed with the Royal Thai Police War Room Task Force to combat scam compounds, such as KK Park in Burma.

            The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, the Strike Force will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing into the pockets of international and domestic criminals, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims.

            The Scam Center Strike Force is a collaboration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; DOJ’s Criminal Division, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Fraud Section, and Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is also collaborating on the initiative.  

            Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Kevin Rosenberg represent the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia on the Strike Force.  Today’s cryptocurrency seizures were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock and Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor and Stefanie Schwartz of DOJ’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, with the FBI San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Nashville, and Honolulu Field Offices, and the U.S. Secret Service San Francisco and Memphis Field Offices. Today’s seizures related to Tai Chang were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman and Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor with the FBI San Diego Field Office, and additional Burma seizures were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Datta, and the FBI Washington Field Office. 

            If you have been defrauded out of your money by a Southeast Asian Scam Center scheme, please contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

WASHINGTON — Yana Leonova, 33, a Belorusian citizen most recently residing in Russia, was extradited from France yesterday on an indictment charging her with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, to commit smuggling, to commit money laundering, and to defraud the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

            Leonova, aka “Yana Liavonava,” made her initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the Counterintelligence Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the Kansas City, Mo., Field Office and Jonathan Carson of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement (BIS/OEE).

           The indictment alleges that following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in May 2022, Leonova – using co-conspirators located in the United States – procured and illicitly exported from the United States to Russia numerous avionics and other aircraft equipment. The exported items were for use on private aircraft operated by Leonova’s former employer a company identified on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.

            As part of the conspiracy, Leonova and her co-conspirators purchased the aircraft components from U.S.-based distributors. Using companies located in Armenia, the Maldives, and elsewhere, they then transshipped the components to Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

            “This defendant tried to circumvent U.S. law to enrich herself by procuring and illicitly exporting, from the United States to Russia, avionics, and other prohibited equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “She used intermediary countries in an effort to block the identity of the final recipient in Russia where licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce were needed.”

            “The FBI’s investigation revealed that Yana Leonova allegedly conspired to evade U.S. export laws by selling sensitive aircraft equipment to Russia,” said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI has made it a top priority to keep U.S. technology from making its way into our adversaries’ hands, and we ask all our private sector partners to remember the critical role they play in safeguarding our national security by reporting violations. And to anyone considering helping a hostile nation-state obtain export-controlled technology, let today’s charges serve as a warning to you: the FBI and our partners will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

          “The Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement remains steadfast in protecting U.S. national security and ensuring the integrity of our export control system,” said BIS-OEE Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson. “Working closely with our law enforcement and international partners, we will continue to uncover and disrupt illicit procurement networks wherever they operate.”

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of work for the FBI and underscores our commitment to identifying those who allegedly violate national export laws,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the Kansas City Field Office. “We’re thankful to the team of investigators, the Department of Justice, the United States Marshals Service, and our French allies for their help in the extradition of Leonova, who will now face these charges in a U.S. court."

           As alleged, Leonova and her co-conspirators repeatedly concealed and misstated the true end users and end destinations of the aircraft components ordered by Leonova by submitting false information on documents. She caused the items to be transshipped to Russia through intermediary destinations and caused payments in U.S. dollars to be transmitted from foreign bank accounts to bank accounts in the United States.

           This case is being investigated by FBI Kansas City and BIS/OEE Atlanta and New York. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and John W. Borchert of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Sean R. Heiden and Kara Podraza of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. 

           Significant assistance on the extradition was provided by French authorities and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs. The Department expresses deep appreciation for the support of our French allies. 

           An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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WASHINGTON – Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, William Johnson Lee, and Mussay Rezene, all of Washington, D.C., and Toyia Johnson, of Rockville, MD, were sentenced Thursday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on 27 felony charges arising from the September 4, 2021 Labor Day weekend murders of three people in front of 633 Longfellow Street, NW, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            On October 30, 2025, three of the defendants were sentenced to more than 100 years of incarceration for their participation in the conspiracy and their role as shooters: Dubose was sentenced to 123 years of incarceration; Queen was sentenced to 120 years of incarceration, and Johnson Lee was sentenced to 105 years of incarceration. Thompson was sentenced to 35 years for his participation in the conspiracy and driving the co-defendants to and from the shooting scene. Finally, Rezene was sentenced to three years of incarceration for his convictions for accessory after the fact to first degree murder while armed and tampering with physical evidence, and Johnson was sentenced to 24 months of incarceration, execution of sentenced suspended as to all, for her convictions for accessory after the fact, to assault with a dangerous weapon and tampering with physical evidence.

            On July 3, 2025, a jury found Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee and Thompson guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, three counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Johnson guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill while armed. The jury found defendant Rezene guilty of tampering with physical evidence and being an accessory after the fact to first degree murder while armed.

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7:33 p.m., on September 4, 2021, Thompson drove Dubose, Queen and Johnson Lee, to the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW. Those three men got out of the vehicle, crept to the corner of Longfellow and 7th Streets, NW, and began indiscriminately shooting into a neighborhood gathering. The three shooters ran back to the waiting vehicle Thompson was driving and fled the scene.

            Three victims, Ms. Donetta Dyson, 31, Mr. Keenan Braxton, 24, and Mr. Johnny Joyner, 37, were killed and another three victims sustained non-lethal gunshot wounds from the shooting.

            Shortly after the homicide, an associate of Dubose, Toyia Johnson, who rented the vehicle Thompson was driving at the time of the incident, began placing multiple 911 calls in which she falsely reported the suspect vehicle stolen. Shortly after midnight on September 6, 2021, Dubose and Rezene drove to the 4500 block of Eads Street, NE and set fire to the vehicle. The evidence established that triple homicide was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred an hour prior in the 800 block of Oglethorpe Street, NE.

            Joining in the announcement is Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Naqwan Antonio Lucas, 18, of the District of Columbia, has been charged in a 16-count indictment for the June 30 murder of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym and charged in a second indictment for the July 4 murder of 17-year-old Zoey Kelley, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Lucas, aka “Qwan,” appeared before Judge Dana Dayson this afternoon in D.C. Superior Court for his arraignment on both indictments. Lucas pleaded not guilty and Judge Dayson held Lucas until a status hearing with his co-defendants scheduled for November 7.

            Joining in the announcement were Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division.

            “These were predictable homicides based upon the behavior of these individuals and the records that everyone knew about, yet the D.C. Council is interested in protecting not the victims but the criminals under the guise of protecting the innocence of youth,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “It’s time for them to start protecting the citizens of the District.”

            Lucas was arrested last night in Montgomery Village, Maryland, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, MPD, and U.S. Marshals.

            On June 30, Tarpinian, a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, was an innocent bystander when three armed suspects exited a stolen vehicle and began firing shots at two young men near the intersection of 7th and M Street NW. Tarpinian, of Granby, Massachusetts, was shot four times and died the next day. Five other people also were assaulted or injured.

            Kelvin Thomas, Jr., 17, and Naqwan Lucas’ brother Jailen Lucas, 17, were arrested September 5 and charged as adults on counts of first-degree murder while armed in connection with Tarpinian’s slaying.

            On July 4, MPD officers were flagged down about 5:20 p.m. on the 1700 block of Benning Road NE. The officers followed two witnesses into an apartment and found Zoey Kelley, 17, dead of a gunshot wound to the head inside of a storage container wrapped in bedding in the bedroom closet.

            Last week, the MPD and FBI announced a $75,000 reward for information leading to Lucas’ arrest.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service with valuable assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office.

            It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin M. DeRiso and Anthony Cocuzza.

            An indictment is merely an allegation where citizens of the District of Columbia have determined based upon probable cause that an individual should be charged with the crimes contained within the indictment.  The charged individual is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a criminal court of law.

2025 CF1 14017 – Eric

2025 CF1 14016 - Zoey

WASHINGTON — Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in connection with selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Williams pleaded to two counts of theft of trade secrets. The material, stolen over a three-year period from the U.S. defense contractor where he worked, was comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies. Williams sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker that publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government.

            Each of the charges carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.

            Joining in the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alexander Arnett of the Baltimore Field Office.

            "America's national security is NOT FOR SALE, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens. said Attorney General Bondi. “Thank you to all the attorneys who worked so hard to secure this guilty plea”

            “We continue to vigorously investigate those who betray our national security by selling valuable U.S. trade secrets to international cyber brokers who support foreign cyber actors,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “These international cyber brokers are the next wave of international arms dealers and we continue to be vigilant about their activities. The conduct here caused over $35 million of loss to a company in the District of Columbia and allowed non-allied foreign cyber actors to obtain sophisticated cyber exploits that were likely used against numerous unsuspecting victims.”

            “Williams betrayed the United States and his employer by first stealing and then selling intelligence-related software to a foreign broker that touted its ties to Russia and other foreign governments,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. “His conduct was deliberate and deceitful, imperiling our national security for the sake of personal gain. Today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to ensuring that insiders who abuse their positions of trust face serious consequences.”

            “Today’s guilty plea is the result of an extensive investigation by the FBI Baltimore Field Office in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Arnett of the Baltimore Field Office. “Peter Williams betrayed the United States and our allies by selling trade secrets. The harm caused by his crimes cannot be undone. The FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who threatens U.S. national security.”

            According to the facts admitted in connection with the guilty plea, from approximately 2022 through 2025, Williams improperly used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets.

            Williams resold those components in exchange for the promise of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. To effectuate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. He used the proceeds to buy himself high-value items.

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Baltimore Field Office.

            The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Jason McCullough for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

            Substantial assistance was also provided by interim U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon prior to his current appointment.

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Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today in connection with selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, the Justice Department announced today.

Williams pleaded to two counts of theft of trade secrets. The material, stolen over a three-year period from the U.S. defense contractor where he worked, was comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies. Williams sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker that publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government.

Each of the charges carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense.

“America's national security is NOT FOR SALE, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thank you to all the attorneys who worked so hard to secure this guilty plea.”

“Williams betrayed the United States and his employer by first stealing and then selling intelligence-related software to a foreign broker that touted its ties to Russia and other foreign governments,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His conduct was deliberate and deceitful, imperiling our national security for the sake of personal gain. Today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to ensuring that insiders who abuse their positions of trust face serious consequences.”

“We continue to vigorously investigate those who betray our national security by selling valuable U.S. trade secrets to international cyber brokers who support foreign cyber actors,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These international cyber brokers are the next wave of international arms dealers and we continue to be vigilant about their activities. The conduct here caused over $35 million of loss to a company in the District of Columbia and allowed non-allied foreign cyber actors to obtain sophisticated cyber exploits that were likely used against numerous unsuspecting victims.”

“Williams placed greed over freedom and democracy by stealing and reselling $35 million of cyber trade secrets from a U.S. cleared defense contractor to a Russian Government supplier,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “By doing so, he gave Russian cyber actors an advantage in their massive campaign to victimize U.S. citizens and businesses. This plea sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will defend the homeland and bring to justice anyone who helps our adversaries jeopardize U.S. national security."

According to the facts admitted in connection with the guilty plea, from approximately 2022 through 2025, Williams improperly used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets.

Williams resold those components in exchange for the promise of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. To effectuate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. He used the proceeds to buy himself high-value items.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Baltimore Field Office.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Jason McCullough for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Substantial assistance was also provided by interim U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon prior to his current appointment.

WASHINGTON – Laurence Cotton-Powell, 19, of the District, and Anthony Taylor, 18, of Temple Hills, Maryland, have been charged in Superior Court  for their roles in the August 3 attempted carjacking, robbery, and beating of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer. Cotton-Powell made his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Friday, October 17, and Taylor made his initial apperance in D.C. Superior Court on Saturday, October 18, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           Both men also are charged in connection with a separate attack and robbery of a male victim at a gas station that immediately preceded the attack on the DOGE staffer.

           Cotton-Powell was arrested on October 16; Taylor was arrested on October 17. Both are charged with attempted unarmed carjacking, two counts of robbery, and two counts of assault with intent to commit robbery.

           Joining in the announcement were Commander Don Snider of the United States Marshals Service and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           “We are leaving no stone unturned to bring to justice criminals who perpetrate random, unprovoked, and brutal attacks on people who are unlucky enough to be in their path,” U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This is about the safety of individuals in this community – make no mistake, the rights of victims are paramount, and we will pursue justice, swiftly and vigorously on their behalf.”

           According to court documents, Cotton-Powell and Taylor were members of a large group that approached a male victim and his friends outside of a Sunoco gas station on the 1400 block of U Street at about 2:53 a.m. The group began to assault the victim and his friends. Cotton-Powell allegedly stomped on the victim’s head, and Taylor participated in the assault. The victim briefly escaped, but group members followed and knocked him to the ground and continued their attack. They robbed the victim of his watch and one of his shoes. Several of the victim’s friends also were assaulted by the group.

           After the assaults and robbery, surveillance footage showed the group walking towards the 1400 block of Swann Street, NW.

           Less than ten minutes later, about 3 a.m., the group encountered the DOGE employee on Swann Street, NW as he walked a woman to her car. The DOGE employee pushed the woman into her car to protect her from the group. The group allegedly attacked the DOGE employee, punching him and hitting him repeatedly. Members of the group demanded the car, banged on it, and pulled on the car doors. The woman had locked the doors, so they were unable to gain entry.

           An MPD officer on patrol pulled into the block and witnessed the group as it assaulted the DOGE employee. When the group spotted the officer, they immediately fled. Police stopped and arrested two 15-year-old juveniles.

           Following his arrest on Thursday, October 16, Cotton-Powell was interviewed by Metropolitan Police Officers and admitted to assaulting the victim at the gas station. He also admitted to kicking and punching another victim later that night, which law enforcement tied to the assault on the DOGE employee.

           Following his arrest on Friday, October 17, Taylor was interviewed by police, and also admitted to taking part in both offenses. He admitted that he was the person who approached the DOGE staffer and demanded the keys to the car and admitted to punching and kicking the DOGE staffer, and he also admitted to taking part in the earlier assault of the victim at the gas station. 

           This case is being investigated by the MPD and the United States Marshals Service. 

WASHINGTON –  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, in partnership with the United States Marshals Service, has launched a city-wide operation to ensure that sex offenders who live in the District remain compliant with the law, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Director Gadyaces S. Serralta of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).

Federal agents have conducted compliance checks on 883 sex offenders and identified, arrested, and prosecuted 25 sex offenders for failing to register. Nine of the 25 are “Class A” offenders who were convicted of either extremely serious sexual assaults or having victimized multiple individuals.

“This effort is an essential part of ensuring public safety in D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The sex offender registry is a vital tool that protects communities, ensures accountability and prevents further victimization. Once convicted, sex offenders who fail to register or fail to update their information, put vulnerable populations at risk. My office, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, will continue to root out, arrest, and prosecute all sex offenders who fail to register in the District.”

The Supreme Court recognized decades ago that the “risk of recidivism posed by sex offenders is frightening and high.”  Smith v.  Doe, 538 U.S. 84, 103 (2003).

The United States Marshals Service and The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) have been aggressively pursuing non-compliant offenders since August 24. The offenders are now being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence and the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Sections.

The operation identifies the sex offenders in the District who are required to register with CSOSA, uncovers and investigates offenders who are out of compliance, and arrests and aggressively prosecutes absconders.

The operation is a high-priority project. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has devoted substantial prosecutorial resources to the operation, USMS has committed 28 Deputy U.S. Marshals from across the country, and CSOSA has likewise participated fully.

As of October 15, the operation has:

• Obtained 30 Superior Court Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) arrest warrants (27 misdemeanor warrants and 3 felony warrants)
• Arrested and charged 24 sex offenders for SORA violations (22 on misdemeanor charges and 2 on felony charges)
• Indicted one sex offender for a felony violation of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA)
• Conducted compliance checks on 883 D.C. sex offenders
• Brought on 28 Deputy U.S. Marshals from across the nation to support the compliance check operation and subsequent investigations
• Forged a collaboration with CSOSA and the USMS on compliance check efforts and committed 16 Community Supervision Officers and 2 Sex Offender Registry Specialists to the effort; and
• Dedicated two supervisors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a senior warrant reviewer, and numerous Superior Court and Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorney’s to power this operation.

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WASHINGTON – Davon Sargent, 30, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 14 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Sargent pleaded guilty June 18, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 14 month prison sentence, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Sargent to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on Sept. 17, 2024, Metropolitan Police officers were on patrol on the 1400 block of H Street when they observed a black Chevrolet Cruise. The vehicle was traveling with its trunk open and failed to stop for a red light.

            The officers pulled over the car in a parking lot on the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue NE. Sargent was the sole occupant of the vehicle. An officer approached the driver's side and observed Sargent leaning forward with his right arm between his thighs as if concealing something. Suspecting the Sargent was armed, the officer asked Sargent to step out of the car.

            Sargent got out. Then he immediately attempted to push past the officers in an attempt to escape. As Sargent struggled flee, one of the officers felt a hard object at Sargent’s waistband which the officer recognized to be a handgun. Officers subdued Sargent and recovered a black 9mm Glock 26 pistol from under Sargent’s clothing. The weapon was loaded with one round in the chamber and 15 rounds of ammunition in its magazine

            Sargent previously had pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license and therefore could not lawfully possess firearm.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.

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WASHINGTON – Bence Horvath, 47, a dual citizen of Hungary and Spain who resided in the United Arab Emirates, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 31 months in prison in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Horvath pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Horvath to serve three of supervised release and to pay a fine of $5,000. Horvath will be subject to deportation on completion of his sentence.

            According to court documents, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over several months Horvath worked to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.

            As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But Horvath was not successful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment and prevented the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.

            This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided valuable assistance.

            The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

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WASHINGTON – Dewayne Keith Miles, 29, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36-months in prison in connection with firing a gun in the air 13 times in a residential neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Miles pleaded guilty June 30 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 36-month prison term, Judge John D. Bates ordered Miles to serve 3 years of supervised release.

            This prosecution comes under the auspices of Make D.C. Safe Again, a program that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

            According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, about 3:30 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were investigating a robbery on the 4400 block of E Street, SE.

            Officers heard several gunshots and looked for their origin. On the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE, officers saw Miles holding a pistol above his head and firing the gun into the air.

            Miles fled into a nearby building. At the same time, officers found 13 cartridge casings on the street. A short distance from casings by a curb, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson, SD9 pistol. A records check determined the handgun had been reported stolen.

            Miles ultimately surrendered and police transported him to the Sixth District. In a search at the cell block, police discovered Miles had a live round of 9mm ammunition in his pocked, consistant with the ammo found at the scene of the shooting.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole. 

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WASHINGTON – Robert Jameson, 60, of the District, was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court, to seven years in prison for the armed robbery of a liquor store on Minnesota Avenue in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           Jameson pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025 to one count of armed robbery. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Jameson to seven years to be followed by five years of supervised release.

           According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 6 p.m., on Feb. 16, 2025, Jameson walked into O’Connor’s Liquors, located in the 2900 block of Minnesota Avenue, Southeast, brandished a firearm at the store manager and took a box of Fireball shots (a whiskey liqueur) and several lottery tickets. The defendant attempted to take the cash register but was unsuccessful. He fled the store on foot.

           Officers located Jameson later that evening still wearing the same distinctive clothing captured on the store’s CCTV cameras. A search of Jameson’s home yielded dozens of the Fireball shots and an imitation firearm.  

           Jameson was arrested on February 16, 2025 and has been in custody since. Jameson had previously been convicted multiple times of robbery in Maryland.  

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Ronnell Offutt, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed (one of which included a minor-victim enhancement) in a rush-hour shooting that took place at a crowded bus stop at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave and Minnesota Ave, Southeast, on February 4, 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Offutt also was found guilty of four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict was returned on September 26, 2025, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for December 12, 2025.

            “This is yet another case of uncontrolled violence on the streets of DC,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “My office will continue to fight to prosecute and convict those who think vigilante justice is the answer to their personal disputes.”

            According to the government’s evidence, on February 4, 2019, at about 4:15 p.m., the defendant was brutally assaulted at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Minnesota Avenues—beaten, with his hair ripped out and his car windows shattered. He argued with some of his assailants, and an off-duty MPD commander saw the tail end of the incident. Offutt refused to make a report and made clear to the MPD commander that he wanted nothing to do with the police. He left, and cell location data indicated he returned home.

            Approximately one hour later, that same cell location data showed that Offutt returned to the area of Pennsylvania and Minnesota Avenues. Video footage showed him returning to the very same streetcorner—this time, with a gun. Offutt shot eight times into the rush-hour crowd standing near a bus stop, seeking revenge on those who had assaulted him. In his barrage of gunfire, a 5-year-old girl was shot in the arm, an adult male was shot through the chest, another adult male was shot twice – once in the arm and once in the buttocks, and another adult male was shot in the thigh. Miraculously, no one died. Each of the victims was transported to area hospitals and fully recovered, though each would carry scars for the rest of their lives.

            Offutt fled the scene, but the MPD commander had taken his picture and a picture of his license plate an hour earlier. Ballistics evidence showed that a firearm later recovered in Maryland was the firearm used in the shooting, and DNA evidence linked that firearm to Offutt. Additionally, eyewitnesses and video footage made clear to the jury that Offutt was the shooter. One local man who heard the first shots looked out his office window, saw the shooting happen, and took pictures of the shooter—those pictures showed Offutt wearing the same hat and shoes as he had been wearing an hour before, as captured in the photograph taken by the MPD commander.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Comber and Michael Roberts. 

WASHINGTON – Dawayne Joseph Spriggs, 35, of Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for obstruction of justice and subornation of perjury, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Spriggs pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, to obstruction of justice in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Jason Park also ordered that Spriggs serve a five-year term of supervised release after released from prison.

            On September 13, 2023, a District of Columbia Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Spriggs in a 2014 cold case sexual assault. On October 11, 2023, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment, adding the charge of obstructing justice.

            “Neither time nor pressure nor obstruction will prevent this office from identifying and convicting the guilty,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “This defendant pressured many witnesses to give false testimony and lie to cover up his violent crimes, which corrupts the principles of truth-seeking upon which our system of justice is based—it didn’t work.”

            On May 18, 2023, the defendant was arrested for sexually assaulting a stranger on July 6, 2014. In 2016, a database reported a match between the DNA profile obtained from the victim’s rape kit and another sexual assault offense that had been reported in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2013, but the assailant’s remained unknown. In 2023, detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit obtained a lead as to the assailant’s identity that led them to lawfully collect DNA samples from defendant Spriggs. These DNA samples were tested by both law enforcement entities and resulted in a match to both rape kits. The defendant was arrested on the D.C. sexual assault charges in May 2023 and indicted in September of 2023.

            While awaiting trial in the District of Columbia, the defendant engaged in a months-long scheme to obstruct justice and evade responsibility for the underlying assault. Over hundreds of recorded phone calls and texts from the D.C. Jail, he pressured his then-girlfriend to tamper with evidence and urged associates to lie for him. The defendant bullied his girlfriend into obtaining photographs of the victim from her Instagram and other social media and provided them to his associates so they could falsely identify her. Over numerous months, the defendant solicited others to provide invented witness statements to his investigator, the grand jury, and the Court regarding events they did not witness. The defendant’s plan was for his investigator to bring these false statements to the government, causing the government to dismiss the case. The defendant attempted to cover up his corrupt actions and instructed his associates to clear their phones of his incriminating texts and emails. He pressured a close family member to commit perjury in the grand jury to undermine the government’s case. For her role in the scheme, the defendant’s then-girlfriend also pleaded guilty to attempted obstruction of justice and has been sentenced.

            This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to collaborate with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.

            Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Richard Holmes, 35, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the early morning hours of August 26, 2025, in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

           Holmes made his initial appearance on September 24, 2025, before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann who found probable cause that Holmes committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed (felony murder) and ordered that he be held without bond pending a detention hearing scheduled for October 8, 2025.

           According to court documents, Holmes, shot and killed the victim, 31-year-old Franck Foute Mohdjiom, during an attempted robbery before fleeing the scene. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fugitive Unit assumed custody of Holmes while he was held at the D.C. Jail on an unrelated matter on September 23, 2025. 

           Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Carson.

            These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON – Stefon Freshley, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to smuggle a knife, dangerous drugs including fentanyl, and cell phones into the Central Detention Facility (CDF) of the Department of Corrections while he was awaiting trial for his role in the shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Freshley pleaded guilty June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. In addition to the 36-month prison sentence, Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Freshley to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, in March 2019, Freshley was awaiting trial in two separate assault with intent to kill cases. He was being held in the maximum security units of the CDF where he was housed with other detainees from the Clay Terrace neighborhood that included co-defendants Marcel Vines and Darius Robertson.

            The Clay Terrace detainees recruited a correctional officer to smuggle contraband into the jail. One of the smuggled containers was intercepted by DOC investigators and included a switchblade, an iPhone, an iPhone charger, eyeglasses, bundles of marijuana and tobacco, rolling papers, gambling dice, three sheets of paper that had been impregnated with a synthetic cannabinoid, and cigarettes. The correctional officer was put on administrative leave.

            Freshley and the other Clay Terrace inmates recruited a new officer to smuggle goods into the CDF. Prior to a July 2024 smuggling incident, Freshley coordinated the delivery of two unlocked phones into the CDF. One of the phones was used in an apparent attempt to intimidate witnesses in Vines’ murder trial. The post sparked increased courthouse security measures for Vines’ trial.

            On July 25, 2024, the Department of Corrections conducted two searches of the Clay Terrace inmate units for contraband. DOC staff found, among other things, 269 blue pills which tested positive for fentanyl; 60 cigarettes soaked in an unknown liquid, 255 suboxone strips, seven pieces of paper soaked in an unknown liquid substance, three cellphones; and cigarettes.

            On Aug. 30, 2024, Freshley was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the drive-by shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father. Freshley was a passenger in a vehicle with two associates on Dec. 28, 2018, when one of the associates fired about 30 rounds into a moving SUV. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. Freshley and his associates fled the scene.

            The sentence handed down today by Judge Kelly will be served consecutive with the previous 90-month sentence.

            This case was investigated by the DOC Office of Investigative Services, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Sarah Santiago.

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WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia announced on September 23, 2025, that it has reached civil settlement agreements with six different non-profit organizations to resolve allegations that the organizations violated the False Claims Act when they applied for and received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES Act”) was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in potentially forgivable loans to small businesses and other entities struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the pandemic, but the Act also contained important limitations on loan eligibility. For example, the CARES Act permitted certain nonprofit organizations to obtain PPP loans, but organizations organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code were never eligible for such loans. Similarly, Congress prohibited from “second draw” PPP loans those entities primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including those entities organized for research or for engaging in public policy advocacy or political strategy or publicly referring to themselves as “think tanks.” The non-profit organizations that entered settled agreements with our Office were alleged to have falsely certified their eligibility for the PPP loans. 

            “You don’t steal money from the federal government, especially when that money should be going to more deserving individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            “The favorable settlements are the product of enhanced efforts by the Small Business Administration’s Office of General Counsel, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other Federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and recover monies improperly obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.

            Our Office has entered into settlement agreements with the following organizations.

            Armenian National Committee of America Inc. (the “Committee”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that represents the views of Armenian-Americans on various public policy matters. In April 2020, the Committee applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $92,340.91, and the Committee later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. The Committee has agreed to pay $184,681.82 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a PPP loan for which it was not eligible.

            Center for Immigration Studies (the “Center”) is a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that describes itself as a think tank devoted to the research of U.S. immigration policy. In April 2021, the Center applied for a “second draw” PPP loan in the amount of $366,160 and subsequently received forgiveness of that loan. The Center has agreed to pay $401,299.15 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a PPP loan for which it was not eligible.

            Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired, Inc. (“DACOR”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization of foreign affairs professionals that describes itself as fostering a public understanding of international affairs and diplomacy. In April 2020, DACOR applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $203,032, and the organization later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. DACOR has agreed to pay $355,306. to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining this loan for which it was not eligible.

            National Organization for Women (“NOW”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that calls itself the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States. In April 2020, NOW applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $90,339, and the organization later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. NOW has agreed to pay $180,678 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining this loan for which it was not eligible.

            National Women’s Political Caucus Inc. (“NWPC”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that represents itself as dedicated to recruiting and supporting women candidates for elected and appointed office. NWPC applied for two PPP loans, one for $9,582 in April 2020, and one for $7,895 around January 2021. NWPC subsequently applied for and received forgiveness of those loans.  NWPC has agreed to pay $34,954 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining loans for which it was not eligible.

            Third Way is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that calls itself a national think tank and advocacy organization for certain public policies. In April 2020, Third Way applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $974,771, and the organization later sought and received forgiveness of that loan.  Third Way has agreed to pay $1,949,542 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining this loan for which it was not eligible.

            The civil settlements resulted from investigations by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy C. Hurley. The United States Attorney further wishes to commend Attorney Caitlin J. Kelly of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for her assistance in the investigations.  

            Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

            The claims resolved by the civil settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.