District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Tommy Whack, 35, of Maryland, was indicted last week on robbery and murder charges stemming from the April 1, 2024 slaying of 53-year-old Fasil Teklemariam.

            Whack was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of robbery and first-degree murder while armed – felony murder. Whack was arraigned on June 27, 2025 before the Honorable Neal Kravitz.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of April 1, 2024, Fasil Teklemariam was home in his apartment located at 1360 Peabody Street NW. After Whack  gained entry into the building and Mr. Teklemariam’s apartment unit, Whack and the co-conspirator bludgeoned the victim to death, smashing glass bottles on his head and stabbing him in multiple places on his body with a knife. Whack and his co-conspirators robbed Mr. Teklemariam of his phone, personal papers, and other belongings inside the apartment. The victim’s body was found four days later by the apartment management staff.     

            Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, William Johnson Lee, and Mussay Rezene, all of Washington, D.C., and Toyia Johnson, of Rockville, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on all charges for the September 4, 2021 Labor Day weekend murders of 31-year-old Donetta Dyson, 24 year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner in front of 633 Longfellow Street, NW.

            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.

            “This senseless violence will not be tolerated in this city,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “These thugs put innocent bystanders in harm’s way, proving their total inhumanity. Today’s verdict upholds the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to stop these horrific crimes and we look forward to taking these criminals out of society for a significant amount of time.”

            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. The three victims, Ms. Dyson, Mr. Braxton and Mr. Joyner, 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 the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            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. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Christopher Green, 39, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to a total of 35 ½ years in prison for conspiracy in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) kidnapping, first degree murder while armed (with aggravating circumstances), attempted robbery while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and firearms offenses, in connection with a series of violent crimes he committed in early 2017.  The prosecution had asked the judge to impose a sentence of 60 years.

           In addition to the 426-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered that the defendant also serve five years of supervised release.

          The sentencing today follows a 12-day re-trial, earlier this year, in which a federal jury found Green, aka “Twin,” guilty of RICO conspiracy and VICAR kidnapping.

          At his initial trial in 2021, Green was found guilty of the murder, assault and attempted robbery offenses. However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the RICO conspiracy and VICAR charges, which led to the recent trial and convictions.

           Green was sentenced today with respect to the charges he was convicted of in both trials.

         According to the government’s evidence, Green was a core member of a criminal organization that operated in the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Maryland, and elsewhere, primarily making money through a series of armed robberies. Green’s actions in Southeast Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2017, led to the death of 25-year-old Zaan Scott. Mr. Scott, a swim coach at the Eastern Market pool, was on his way home when Green attempted to rob him at gunpoint. Mr. Scott died on May 17, 2017, of a blood clot that the medical examiner determined was a result of the shooting. Green was also found guilty at the initial trial of firing gunshots at another victim on February 23, 2017.

           In the recent re-trial, the evidence established that Green and a co-conspirator committed a series of violent acts and were working as an “enterprise” to enrich themselves. The VICAR kidnapping conviction in the re-trial involved an incident on April 8, 2017, in which Green and a co-conspirator confronted a young man at gunpoint as the man was getting out of his car in a convenience store parking lot. Green ordered the victim back into the car and robbed him of his ATM card. He then forced the victim to drive to a nearby apartment complex, where he forced him to take off his clothes, and then robbed him of his sneakers and other belongings.

           Joining in the announcement were Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar R. Mohanty of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman of the Superior Court Division Homicide Section.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced today that her office filed a complaint against 40,353 USDT.ETH cryptocurrency stolen in the commission of a  Business Email Compromise Scheme.

            According to the complaint, one or more perpetrators impersonated the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, fraudulently stole $250,300 worth of crypocurrency from an intended donor, and then laundered the funds through other wallets. The FBI was able to trace and recover $40,300 from this transaction. The complaint seeks recovery of these funds to compensate the victim.

            “All donors should double and triple check that they are sending cryptocurrency to their intended recipient. It can be extremely difficult for law enforcmeent to recoup lost funds due to the extremely complex nature of the blockchain,” said U.S. Attoney Pirro. “Nevertheless, my office and our law enforcement partners stand ready to go toe-to-toe with criminals and make victims whole.”

            “Impersonation scams take many forms and cost Americans billions in losses each year,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, of the FBI Washington Field Office, which is investigating the case. “To avoid becoming a victim, carefully review email addresses, website URLs, and spelling in any messages you receive. Scammers often use subtle differences to deceive you and gain your trust. Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets to people you do not know personally or have only interacted with online or over the phone. Report suspected scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.”

            According to the complaint, on Dec. 24, 2024, the victims received an email from someone purporting to be Steve Witkoff, Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. Legitimate emails from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee are @t47inaugural.com;  the email received by victim was from @t47lnaugural.com with the lowercase “I” was replaced by a lowercase “L.” Depending on the font, the lowercase “L” can look like the uppercase “I.”

            The imposter Steve Witkoff, a scammer located in Nigeria, instructed the victims to deposit funds into a cryptocurrency wallet ending in 58c52. On Dec. 26, 2024, the victim sent 250,300 USDT.ETH to the crypto wallet believing the funds were going to the Inaugural Committee. Within two hours after receiving the funds from the victim, the funds moved from the 58c52 cryptowallet to other cryptocurrency addresses. Through blockchain analysis, the FBI identified and recovered 40,300 USDT.ETH, which is the property subject to forfeiture in this civil action.

            Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including business email compromise, cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams, and “pig butchering” fraud scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov. For more information on business email compromise schemes, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/business-email-compromise.

            The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.

            FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office joined in the announcement. This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office- Criminal and Cyber Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock, Jr.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced today that Robert Sheffield, 34, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy that staged a multi-state string of violent gun-point robberies of South Asian jewelry stores. The robberies netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for a 15-member crew, allegedly led by Trevor Wright, aka rapper “Taliban Glizzy.”

            Sheffield, aka “Da Real Lifaa,” pleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery), and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. In addition to the nine-year prison term, Judge Cooper ordered Sheffield to serve five years of supervised release.

            Before they were apprehended, the co-conspirators robbed at least 11 jewelry stores, terrorized multiple victims and left behind a wake of destruction and financial loss.

            In his plea agreement, Sheffield admitted to his involvement in the Nov. 10, 2023 armed robbery of $1 million in cash and gold from the Baral Jewelers in Harrisburg, Pa., and his role as the gunman during the April 28, 2023 armed robbery of Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Va., during which the store owner fired gunshots at the intruders, who returned gunfire.

            In addition to the 108-month prison term, Judge Cooper ordered Sheffield to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, over the course of 18 months, Sheffield and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023 after several of the co-conspirators had been charged and arrested.

            On Nov. 10, 2022, at around 6:30 p.m., Sheffield and several co-conspirators traveled from the District to Baral Jewelers in Harrisburg in two vehicles. After arriving, at least two co-conspirators remained in the vehicles to act as “getaway” drivers, while several others, including Sheffield, rushed into the store. Two armed co-conspirators remained in the front of Baral, a grocery area, subduing the employees and customers there as four others, including the Sheffield, ran to the rear where the gold jewelry was housed.

            As employees and customers in the front of the store cowered in terror, covering their faces or ears, a gunman held the store owner at gunpoint and took about $600 from the cash register. Meanwhile, one of the four suspects in the rear of the store used a gun to coerce an employee to the ground as Sheffield and others smashed the glass display cases and shoveled gold jewelry into large bags.

            A week later, a co-defendant posted an image on social media of Sheffield fanning a stack of cash. On Nov. 30, 2022, the same co-defendant posted an Instagram story of Sheffield purchasing a Rolex watch with cash at a jewelry store in Prince George’s Mall. In the Instagram video, Sheffield counts out multiple $100 bills before the camera pans over to the Rolex he is purchasing and shows a certificate showing an appraisal value for the watch of $11,500.

            On April 28, 2023, Sheffield and at least five co-conspirators drove from the District to Yasini Jewelers in Falls Church, Virginia, which had been a prior target of this conspiracy in January 2022, resulting in the theft of $300,000 to $400,000 in gold jewelry. At 8 p.m., a co-defendant smashed Yasini’s storefront window with a sledgehammer. Immediately, five masked suspects ran into the store through the broken window. Among them was Sheffield, who was armed with a loaded Glock 23, 40 caliber pistol.

            The Yasini store owner retrieved his own firearm and fired once. The co-conspirators fled the store before taking any jewelry. Sheffield fired two shots at the owner before running back to the getaway vehicle.

            On August 30, 2023, law enforcement arrested Sheffield and other codefendants and searched their residences. During a search, law enforcement recovered the firearm Sheffield had discharged in Yasini and further recovered 21 live rounds of 9mm ammunition from Sheffield’s home.

            Sheffield previously served five years in prison for an armed robbery involving use of a firearm.

            This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI Newark and Washington Field Offices, and U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall.

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WASHINGTON – Benjamin Hernandez Torres was convicted yesterday of five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse, each with aggravating circumstances, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The verdict, which took place on July 1, 2025, was returned by the jury after a multi-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2025.

            According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between 2010 and 2014, the defendant, who was the victim’s mother’s then boyfriend, raped the victim multiple times when she was between 5 and 8 years old. She disclosed around 10 years later when she saw a photo of the defendant back at her house years later.

            Torres faces a maximum statutory sentence of life without the possibility of release on the first-degree child sexual abuse counts and fifteen years on each of the second-degree child sexual abuse counts. If he were to be released, Torres would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.

            This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raha Mokhtari and Sarah Roessler.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Curtis Lear, 30, of the District of Columbia, appeared at a hearing today in U.S. District Court after being federally charged last week with allegedly driving an SUV recklessly at a high speed on the National Mall as hundreds of visitors were present. The joy ride caused over $9,000 in damage to the lawn, as hundreds of visitors were present.

            Lear was charged by complaint on June 25, 2025, with Destruction Of Government Property, Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Vehicle), and Reckless Driving.

            Chief Jessica Taylor of the U.S. Park Police joined in the announcement.

            According to the charging documents, on June 21 at 8:45 p.m., a black Jeep Patriot with D.C. license plates drove onto the National Mall near 7th Street, SW, between Jefferson and Madison Drives. The Jeep raced at high speeds on the National Mall, making sharp turns on the grass and accelerating uncontrollably, according to witnesses. At the time, hundreds of pedestrians occupied the National Mall and surrounding areas.

            During the incident, a U.S. Capitol Police officer approached the vehicle on foot. The driver rolled down a window and stated, “It's just a joke.” Officers attempted a traffic stop but the suspect vehicle fled. Investigators ran the Jeep’s license plate number through a law enforcement database and learned the SUV was registered to Lear.

            At approximately 3 a.m. the following morning, officers located the Jeep and conducted a traffic stop. Lear was behind the wheel.

            This case is being investigated by U.S. Park Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Michael Lee.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announces that James E. Coleman, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for trafficking a 14-year-old victim from Virginia in 2020 for commercial sex with strangers, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Coleman pleaded guilty on May 17, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, to production of child pornography, and to first-degree child sexual abuse. In addition to the 360-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Coleman to serve 15 years of supervised release, to register as a sex offender and to pay $25,000 in restitution to the victim.

            According to court documents, Coleman worked with a co-conspirator with the goal of trafficking the victim for commercial sex and knew that the victim was a minor. Beginning on June 30, 2020, Coleman took sexually explicit photographs and videos of the victim to market her on websites advertising commercial sex services.

            Coleman gave the victim directions regarding how much to charge for sexual services, with specific monetary amounts for increments of time she spent with the commercial sex customers. Coleman then pocketed the payments for sexual services the victim provided. He told the victim to tell commercial sex clients she was 21 years old, if she was asked.

            Coleman also used his cell phone to record a video of himself engaging in sex acts with the victim.

            In July of 2020 Coleman ordered the victim to give him money. When she refused, he beat her with a broomstick, assaulted her with a knife, cut off her clothing, and left her nude in the hallway of his building.

            Coleman was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Oct. 22, 2020, and has been held without bond since.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Angela Buckner.

            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.

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           WASHINGTON – Erik Schleehauf, 43, of Washington, D.C., was indicted in Superior Court on felony charges for the assault of a police officer while armed, assault with a deadly weapon, and assault with significant bodily injury for the April 15, 2025, attack of a Metro Transit Police Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD).

           Schleehauf was indicted by the grand jury on June 25, 2025. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on July 22, 2025.

           According to government’s evidence, at around 2:26 p.m., on April 15, 2025, at the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station, an MTPD Sergeant observed Schleehauf evade his fare by over the fare machine and jumping over the glass gates on his way out of the Metro Transit System. The MTPD Sergeant followed the defendant as he tried to leave the station using the escalator.  After Schleehauf refused to provide his identification and insisted on leaving without paying, The MTPD Sergeant deployed OC spray. Schleehauf pulled out a sharpened, pointed tool and began to stab the MTPD Sergeant in the face, causing puncture wounds. The MTPD Sergeant suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

           This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department.

           This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck.

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

WASHINGTON – Tyjuan McNeal, 28, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for participating in the December 2023 burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            McNeal pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. In addition to the 84-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered McNeal to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to the court documents, on December 13, 2023, McNeal and at least four co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C. to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee in Glen Burnie, Maryland. McNeal was wearing an ankle monitor that he had wrapped in aluminum foil.

            At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks and fled with at least 34 of the firearms. They later used social media to advertise the sale of the stolen guns.

            McNeal was arrested on March 22, 2024, with a Glock 29 pistol and has been detained since.

            Co-defendant Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, was sentenced to 84 months in prison. Vincent Lee Alston, aka “Vedo,” 23, was sentenced to 84 months. Niquan “Stickz” Odum, 23, was sentenced to 48 months. Sentencing is pending for Cy'juan Hemsley, 20, who pleaded to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms.           

            This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.

WASHINGTON – Robert Varez Williams, 28, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months in federal prison for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a loaded Glock 23, a semiautomatic pistol fitted with an extended capacity magazine, while he was on supervised release for a prior violent firearm offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Williams pleaded guilty March 25 before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich to being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the 48-month prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 10, 2024, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery Suppression Unit were on patrol when they spotted Williams driving erratically in a silver Volkswagen. Williams fled as the officers attempted a traffic stop. A short while later the officers located the VW on the 900 block of R Street, NW. Williams jumped out of the car and sprinted away on foot. An officer caught Williams in an alley off R Street.

            Another officer who remained with the car, saw a gun on the front driver’s seat where Williams had been sitting. Police later identified the firearm as a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. An additional officer pulled a passenger from the car as another conducted a search of the vehicle. That officer found a second Glock pistol outfitted with a machine gun conversion device, under a coat on the front passenger seat, 44 pills that tested positive for MDMA, suspected PCP in a vial, additional rounds of ammunition, and a bottle of alcohol on the car’s center consol.

            At the time he was arrested in this case, Williams was on supervised release in the District for attempted assault with a deadly weapon and an unlawful possession of a firearm.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Haley M. Pennington of the District of Columbia.

Investigators recovered a Glock 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 21 rounds, from Williams’ car.

An officer found a second Glock pistol outfitted with a machine gun conversion in Williams’ Volkswagen under a coat.

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            WASHINGTON—Kelvin Powell, 63, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was found guilty on all counts by a D.C. Superior Court jury today in connection with the sexual abuse of a 17-year-old minor who was in the custody of the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            The jury deliberated for one day following an eight-day trial, and found Powell guilty of sixteen counts, that is, committing four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a ward, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, four counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a ward, and four counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor.  D.C. Superior Court Associate Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for September 5, 2025.

            According to evidence presented over the course of the trial, Powell served as a Youth Development Representative (YDR) at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)’s Youth Services Center (YSC).  DYRS is the District of Columbia government agency responsible for the supervision, custody, and care of young people detained while pending charges for a delinquent act.  As a YDR, Powell was responsible for the care, custody, and control of the juvenile residents being detained at YSC.

            “The Defendant used his position of authority to repeatedly sexually abuse a minor who was in his care and more than four decades younger than him,” said United States Attorney Pirro.  “The power imbalance allowed him to repeatedly victimize a young girl who was under his protection. These crimes were reprehensible.  As shown here, prosecutors in my office and our partners at the FBI and MPD will go to every length to uncover such acts, prove them in court, and hold the offenders accountable.”

            “Powell used his position of trust to prey upon a minor who counted on him for care and protection," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen of the FBI's Washington Field Office. "Today’s verdict is the next step in bringing the full measure of justice to those who would abuse their authority to harm vulnerable children.”

            Between December 2021 through February 2022, Powell used his position and his authority to repeatedly sexually abuse a then-seventeen-year-old minor ward residing at YSC. During that time, Powell repeatedly isolated the minor in areas of YSC that were not covered by video surveillance cameras. In those areas, Powell repeatedly sexually abused the minor by committing sexual acts and sexual contacts to her. In an incident captured by surveillance cameras, Powell sexually abused the minor by groping her clothed buttocks in a hallway at YSC.

            Powell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years for first degree sexual abuse of a minor, seven and ½ years for second degree sexual abuse of a minor, 10 years for first degree sexual abuse of a ward, and five years for second degree sexual abuse of a ward.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Visser, Jessica Wash, and Niki Holmes. Former Assistant United States Attorneys Risa Berkower and Cara Gardner provided critical assistance. 

WASHINGTON – Ronald Aiken, 48, of the District of Columbia, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, on a federal firearms charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative.

            The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Aiken is charged federally with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

            According to court documents, on June 10, 2025, members of the MPD’s Fifth District Crime Suppression Team were on patrol following two shootings in the area. As officers drove on the 1700 block of D Street NE, they observed a gray Audi sedan without a front registration plate driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Officers stopped the Audi on the 1700 block of Gales Street NE, and approached the driver, later identified as Ronald Aiken.

            Through the window, officers observed an open can of beer in an unzipped backpack on the rear passenger seat. Officers searched the backpack and discovered a live round of ammunition. During a further search of the vehicle, officers discovered a firearm wedged behind the rear driver-side seat. Officers identified the firearm as a black Taurus G3 9x19 pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and three additional rounds in the magazine.

            Aiken is prohibited from possession a firearm and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2024 Arlington County, Virginia Circuit Court conviction for the possession/transport of a firearm by a convicted felon.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Sussler and Brendan Horan are prosecuting the case.

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

WASHINGTON – Freddie Lee Hall, Jr., 57, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in prison in connection with distributing crack cocaine while in possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Hall pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge McFadden ordered Hall to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, Hall was recorded on surveillance cameras 13 times in 2024 as he sold distribution quantities of cocaine base – in amounts ranging from 13.5 grams to 106 grams, for a total over three-quarters of a kilogram – to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division.

            ATF agents arrested Hall on Aug. 22, 2024, in Northwest Washington. The same day, agents executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence in District Heights, Maryland.  ATF special agents recovered seven firearms in total: a Ruger LC pistol concealed on a basement air duct; a Panzer BP12 shotgun, stashed behind a bedroom door; and five additional firearms in a gun safe that included a privately made firearm, aka a “ghost gun,” a loaded Ruger P89 pistol, a loaded Taurus GX4 pistol with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger P95 pistol, and a loaded American Tactical AR pistol with obliterated serial number. They also seized 1,400 rounds of ammunition from 17 firearms magazines.

            During the search ATF agents observed what appeared to be freshly manufactured crack cocaine drying on paper towels in a basement bedroom. They additionally recovered a large quantity of marijuana, 547 grams of powder cocaine, 72.86 grams of cocaine base, two pounds of suspected magic mushrooms, assorted drug paraphernalia and manufacturing devices, and more than $61,763 in cash.

            This case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the ATF Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Fire-EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.

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WASHINGTON – Today, United States Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the criminal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia against defendants in multiple cases in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, an initiative aimed at alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other health care programs that receive federal tax dollars.

            The larger, nationwide Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

            “Health care fraud costs this country billions of taxpayer dollars every year,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This office fights rigorously, every day to uncover the fraud and abuse that steal precious resources from programs like these. To the thieves who are engaging in these fraud schemes: you think you’ve discovered how to walk away with free money; but we will find you and you will walk away with a new label - ‘convicted felon’.”  

            “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

            Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

            Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

            "Defrauding the American health care system is not a victimless crime," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office. "It raises health insurance premiums, exposes patients to unnecessary medical procedures, and can lead to identity theft. Every dollar stolen is one fewer that's available to pay for needed care. The FBI will continue our relentless pursuit of those committing health care fraud and hold them accountable for their crimes."

            “The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

            The following individuals were charged in the District of Columbia:

            Amstrong Chapajong, of Cheverly, Maryland, is charged with one count of health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that allegedly defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program. As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time. Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services. In total, Medicaid paid $461,369 for Chapajong’s shifts with overlapping hours.

            Michelle Shropshire, of Maryland, and Harlisha Jones, of Maryland and Washington, DC, both employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) were charged by indictment with health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy charges for allegedly using Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist. The indictment alleges that as part of the scheme defendants created fraudulent medical paperwork, including medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, and forged doctors’ signatures on those forms. Then, after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a portion of the claim proceeds. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire.

            Similarly, in addition to Jones, Shropshire is alleged to have assisted a number of other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC, which paid at least $362,035 in benefits based upon the false claims. Of those other WMATA employees, the following have been charged by information and have pled guilty to charges involving the scheme and paying kickbacks to Shropshire: Sharon Washington of Virginia, and Selethia Blake, Brady Turner, Lushawn Foreman, and Margot Jackson, all of Maryland.

            These cases, in particular, were investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Shropshire case was also investigated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General. U.S. v Chapajong was also investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (DC-OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

            In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces includes U.S. Attorneys Offices from around the nation; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department of Justice website.

            A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

WASHINGTON – Amstrong Chapajong, 38, of Cheverly, Maryland, has been charged in an information with health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.

            The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (DC-OIG).

            As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time.

            Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services.

            In total, Chapajong billed and was paid $461,369 by Medicaid for his shifts with overlapping hours.

            This case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the HHS-OIG, and DC-OIG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.

WASHINGTON – Lamont Langston, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 138 months in federal prison for supplying and coordinating the distribution of more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers while also possessing at least two firearms—a Glock with a machine gun conversion switch and an AK-style Draco semiautomatic pistol. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

           Langston pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024, before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to one count of possession with intent to distribute one kilo of phencyclidine (PCP) and to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 138-month prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Langston to serve five years of supervised release. 

           According to court documents, Langston procured PCP for the conspiracy from at least November through late February 2024. On nine occasions, Langston’s co-conspirator, Jamar Bennett, sold wholesale quantities of the PCP to two undercover officers in water or juice bottles.

           Langston often stored the PCP at the home of co-conspirator Kelvin Sanker Jr., 42, who was later sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025, to 65 months in prison for his role in the trafficking ring. Co-conspirator Bennett, 45, was sentenced on Jan. 15, 2025, to 121 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Co-conspirator Norman Morris, 44, was convicted on June 4, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute PCP, following a jury trial. Morris will be sentenced on October 24, 2025.

           In addition to being the source of supply, Langston acted as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of others in the conspiracy. He admitted that he directed others in the preparation, storage, collection, and distribution of PCP.

           On February 25, 2024, Langston met with a co-conspirator on the 300 block of 57th St. NE. As an MPD police cruiser came down the street, Langston turned, ran, and discarded a loaded Glock Model 22C .40 caliber handgun with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine. Langston was apprehended about 30 minutes later, after an extensive search involving a K9 unit and a police helicopter. Police recovered a loaded AK-style Century Arms Micro Draco pistol with a 30-round extended magazine, $9,868 in cash; and an 8-ounce water bottle containing PCP. Less than 48 hours after his arrest, Langston began making calls from the jail to his co-conspirators to protect and further the conspiracy.

           Langston was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 2016 Superior Court conviction, and three-year prison sentence, for assault with a dangerous weapon.

           This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L.D. Stempel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman.

Security video still of Langston holding a can of starter fluid, as he let himself into a stash house for the conspiracy.

WASHINGTON – Tanade Warsame, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total of 66 months in prison for a knife attack during a fight in May 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Warsame was found guilty in September 2024, after a jury trial in Superior Court. The jury found him guilty of one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, an offense he committed while on release in another matter. Warsame also pleaded guilty to one count of contempt. On June 27, 2025, Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe sentenced Warsame to 48 months for assault with significant bodily injury while armed, 12 months for committing that offense while on release, and 180 days for contempt. In addition to the prison term, Judge Pipe ordered Warsame to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on May 4, 2024, Warsame and the victim agreed to a fist fight over a hat. During the fight, Warsame produced a knife in his hand and made multiple striking and slicing motions toward the victim. The victim was stabbed three times. Notably, prior to this incident, Warsame had been ordered to stay away from Chinatown in a previous case.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Dohemann and former Assistant United States Attorney Katelyn Benton.  

WASHINGTON – Matthew Norman Ballek, 32, of Saskatchewan, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison in connection with distributing child pornography to an undercover law enforcement agent in January 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Ballek pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2024, in the District of Columbia to a criminal information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. The Honorable Reggie B. Walton ordered Ballek to serve six years of supervised release on completion of his prison term, and to register as a sex offender for a period of 15 years. He also may be subject to deportation proceedings and other adverse immigration consequences.

            According to court documents, in January 2024, a member of the FBI–MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online dating application in an undercover capacity. The application is sometimes used by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Ballek contacted the undercover agent and, believing he was communicating with a pedophile, expressed an interest in child pornography. Ballek sent the undercover agent three video files via an encrypted messaging application. Those video files depicted adult men raping a toddler and prepubescent boys. Ballek was arrested in the District of Columbia on February 7, 2024. The FBI seized and forensically examined Ballek’s phone, which contained 10 unique videos and at least 21 unique still images of child pornography.

            Ballek was arrested February 7, 2024.

            This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.            

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.  

            The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Shinskie.

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WASHINGTON — Davon Cunningham, 35, Roosevelt Richardson, 49, and Arnez Mack, 22, -- all of the District of Columbia -- were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 126 months, 66 months, and a year-and-a-day in prison, respectively, for their roles in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that operated an open-air drug market in the Trinidad neighborhood in Northeast. The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            In addition to the prison terms, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered the men to serve periods of supervised release.

            Judge Boasberg sentenced Cunningham to 126 months, Richardson to 66 months, and Mack to one year and a day just now.

            According to court documents, during the course of the conspiracy, the organization sold approximately 468 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on and around the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE.

            Law enforcement captured images of Cunningham, Richardson, Mack, and several others conducting hand-to-hand narcotics transactions on an almost daily basis. From June 2023 through March 2024, law enforcement made

            From June 2023 through March 2024, the CIs and UCs made dozens of controlled purchases of narcotics from members of the group.

            Cunningham, aka “Tank” or “Kevin,” sold 520 grams of fentanyl, 56 grams of cocaine, and 66 grams of cocaine base to law enforcement and also sold a firearm to an undercover officer. His illegal conduct spanned several months from October 2023 through February 2024.

            Richardson directly sold law enforcement agents fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base on ten occasions between October 2023 through February 2024. During a search of the group’s stash house on the 1100 block of 11th Street, NE, police recovered several firearms. DNA testing linked Richardson to two of them, a revolver and a black 9mm, Intratec pistol.

            Mack admitted that he was a member of the group and that he agreed to distribute narcotics with them. On Dec. 20, 2023, an MPD officer approached Mack in the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE, and asked him if he had any weapons. Mack responded by lifting his jacket to expose his waist band and a .45 caliber Glock handgun protruding from the jacket. Following a search, officers also recovered eight grams of cocaine base from Mack.

            This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

            The Trinidad trafficking investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Daniel Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Christina Taylor and Gaelin Bernstein.

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WASHINGTON – Derkwon Johnson, 26, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 57 months in prison in connection with being a felon in possession of a loaded Glock 23 equipped with a machine gun conversion device, while he was on probation for two armed robberies, an assault, and other crimes.  The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Johnson pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court papers, in December 2023, MPD investigators were alerted to Johnson’s posts on Instagram depicting large clear plastic bags of a green leafy substance, a firearm, and ammunition. On Jan. 4, 2024, Officers with the Sixth District Crime Suppression Team executed a residential search warrant on Johnson’s home on the 3600 block of Minnesota Ave. SE.

            Officers entered Johnson’s apartment shortly after 6 a.m. to find six occupants – Johnson, Johnson’ half-sister, and her four small children – in a bed in a second bedroom. In the first bedroom, which was not occupied as police entered, officers recovered a .40 caliber Glock 23 pistol from the top of a piece of bedside furniture. The pistol, loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition, was equipped with a machine gun conversion device.

            Police also recovered a loaded ammunition magazine, a firearm laser attachment, addition ammunition, a bag containing 335 grams of a green leafy substance, a pill bottle containing 40 white pills stamped RP/10 325 (oxycodone), a scale, and $4,704 in cash.

            Investigators searched Johnson’s Instagram account and discovered multiple chats, videos, and messages advertising or arranging for the sale of pills and marijuana between Oct. 4, 2023, and Jan. 4, 2024.

            At the time of the January 4 arrest, Johnson was on probation for 2018 convictions in D.C. Superior Court for conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, possession with intent to distribute (PCP), and assault with a dangerous weapon.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.

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WASHINGTON – Vincent Lee Alston, 23, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for his role in the December 2023 burglary of a Maryland pawn shop that netted dozens of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Alston, aka “Vedo,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on March 6 to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered three years of supervised release.

            According to the court documents, on Dec. 13, 2023, Odumn and four co-conspirators drove in two vehicles – one a stolen Hyundai – from the District to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

            At the pawn shop, co-defendant Niquan Odumn used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks. They fled with at least 34 firearms.

            About a half hour after the burglary, the red Hyundai crashed on I-295 southbound at Kenilworth Avenue, NE. After the accident, surveillance footage showed Alston and two of his co-defendants abandoning the vehicle. MPD arrived at the scene and recovered eight firearms from the car.

            Investigators also recovered Alston’s damaged iPhone on the Hyundai’s driver’s seat floorboard. On it, an open GPS route displayed on the screen with a visible destination address of Alston’s residence.

            Alston was arrested at his apartment complex on Dec. 15, 2023, and was found with a Smith & Wesson, M&P 9 mm stolen during the pawn shop burglary. To date, law enforcement has recovered close to half of the stolen firearms.

            Alston is the third defendant to be sentenced in the pawn shop job.

            Niquan “Stickz” Odumn, 23, of the District, was sentenced June 23 to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms.  Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, of the District, was sentenced June 20 to 84 months in prison for his role in the burglary and for his subsequent attempt to sell several of the stolen guns.

            Co-defendant Tyjuan McNeal, 27, is scheduled to be sentenced July 1 for conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Cy'juan Hemsley pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms. Hemsley’s sentencing is pending.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.     

Alston’s iPhone, recovered by police from a crashed getaway car, included texts planning the pawn shop burglary.

Image of Alston captured by a surveillance camera inside the pawn shop.

Firearms recovered from the stolen Hyundai. 

Additional firearms recovered from the abandoned getaway vehicle.

WASHINGTON – Javon Roach, 20, of the District of Columbia., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 228 months in federal prison for his role in a series of violent armed carjackings and armed robberies that targeted 17 victims, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

The spree culminated in a high-speed chase, an assault on a police officer, and his arrest in Fairfax County on March 30, 2023. Roach pleaded guilty two years later, on March 6, 2025, to three counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Roach to serve five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, Roach admitted to committing six armed carjackings and five armed robberies between March 6 and March 28, 2023. In addition to the 19-year prison sentence, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Roach to serve five years of supervised release.

On Feb. 7, 2023, about 9 p.m., Roach carjacked a male victim (V-1), who was putting air in his car tires on the 300 block of G Street SW. Roach hit V-1 seven times in the head, pulled V-1 away from his vehicle, and got into the driver’s side of the vehicle. Roach was joined by two co-conspirators and the three of them fled in the stolen car.

On March 6, 2023, at 9:20 p.m., Roach and co-defendant Andre Rushing carjacked a victim (V-2) who was approaching a pizza restaurant on the 1500 block of Maryland Avenue. Rushing pointed a handgun at V-2 and demanded the victim’s keys and phone. Roach stood to the side pointing a loaded long-style gun at V-2. Roach and Rushing fled in V-2’s vehicle, which was recovered the next week.

On March 11, 2023, at 1:20 a.m., Roach and a co-conspirator approached a male (V-3) who was pumping gas on the 800 block of Bladensburg Road, NE and carjacked V-3’s vehicle. About 30-minutes, Roach carjacked another vehicle on the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. He approached a male (V-4), pointed a gun at him, and demanded his keys. When V-4 stated that his keys were in his car, Roach took V-4’s iPhone and wallet, and drove off with V-4’s BMW 535i sedan. Later that morning Roach posted an Instagram Story depicting a BMW key attached to a belt loop, with an overlay of a song entitled “Jacking.” Shortly thereafter, Roach took photos of himself holding apparent firearms and wearing clothing consistent with that captured by surveillance cameras.

On March 16, 2023, at 3:05 p.m., Roach and Rushing robbed a delivery driver (V-5) of food, cash, and a phone on the 3900 block of Benning Road NE.

On March 17, 2023, at 9:34 a.m., Roach and Rushing beat and robbed three men (V-6, V-7, V-8) at gunpoint on the 300 block of Anacostia Road. At 11:35 p.m. the same day, Roach committed another armed carjacking on the 3800 block Minnesota Avenue NE where one victim (V-9) was standing at an ATM and another (V-10) sat in the targeted vehicle. When V-9’s vehicle was recovered on March 24, 2023, a .40 caliber spent shell casing was found near the windshield, which was linked to a March 20, 2023, shooting on the 300 block of 34th Street SE.

On March 25, 2023, at 11:25 a.m., Roach robbed a male (V-11) at a gas station at gunpoint on the 3800 block of Minnesota Ave. NE. Roach and a co-conspirator fled in a silver Hyundai previously stolen on March 21, 2023. Immediately after the armed robbery, at 11:30 a.m., Roach and his co-conspirator carjacked a Toyota Camry on the 3900 block of Benning Road NE, from a male victim (V-12).

The following evening, on March 26, 2023, at 7:48 p.m., Roach and Rushing robbed another male (V-13) and carjacked the victims Chevrolet Impala on the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue NE.

In the following days, Roach robbed V-14 at a construction site at 49th Street and Central Avenue NE, and then robbed at gunpoint three construction workers (V-15, V-16, V-17) on the 300 block of K Street SW. About 90 minutes later, Roach and a co-defendant went live on Instagram holding significant amounts of cash.

On March 29, 2023, Roach, Rushing and two other coconspirators carjacked an Audi Q5. The next day, at 2:15 p.m., Fairfax County Police located the Audi in a parking garage of Tyson’s Mall and set up surveillance. At 3:15 p.m., Roach and Rushing fled in the carjacked Audi onto Leesburg Pike where it got stuck in traffic. Roach, who was driving, tried to escape by crashing the vehicle into several other cars. Roach then threw the carjacked Audi in reverse and struck a Fairfax County police vehicle before officers surrounded and stopped the Audi. Roach fled on foot. He was caught in a nearby parking lot. During a search, police recovered a loaded handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device from his pant leg.

For his actions during the arrest, Roach subsequently pleaded guilty in Fairfax County to possession of a machine gun and assault on a police officer.

Rushing, whose sentencing is pending, pleaded guilty in District Court in Washington D.C. on March 17 to carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  A second co-defendant, Dominic Armstrong, whose sentencing is also pending, pleaded guilty in District Court in Washington D.C. on April 10 to carjacking, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, the Fairfax County Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.

WASHINGTON – Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, made his first appearance today in U.S. District Court for allegedly possessing child pornography. LeGro, a journalist at the Washington Post and resident of the District of Columbia, was arrested yesterday and taken into custody following a search of his home.

            The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Pirro thanks FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department for their ongoing efforts in this investigation.

            On June 26, 2025, FBI agents executed a search warrant at LeGro’s residence and seized several electronic devices. A review of LeGro’s work laptop revealed a folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material.

            During the execution of the search warrant agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive in the hallway outside the room where LeGro’s work laptop was found.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

            This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Janani Iyengar for the District of Columbia.

            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.

            Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

25mj112

WASHINGTON -- Ndubuisi Joseph Okafor, M.D., 65, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 18 years in prison for illegally distributing prescriptions for narcotics in exchange for cash from his Northwest Washington D.C. medical clinic. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            A jury found Okafor guilty on Mar. 21, 2025, of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (outside the course of professional practice), maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 22 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances (oxycodone and promethazine with codeine).

            In addition to the 18-year prison term, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ordered Okafor to serve three years of supervised release to pay a special assessment, and to forfeit $213,173.97.

           According to court documents and evidence at trial, between May 2021 and April of 2023, Okafor was the sole practitioner and owner of Okafor Medical Associates, an internal medicine clinic in Northwest, Washington, D.C. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the HHS-OIG, and FBI began investigating Okafor for illegal distribution of controlled substances after it received information from law enforcement agencies nationwide regarding prescriptions from Okafor being connected to local drug trafficking networks.

            Between Feb. 18, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022, the FBI sent confidential sources and undercover agents into Okafor’s medical practice for walk-in appointments. Each individual was prescribed opioids by Okafor after minimal examination. Further investigation revealed that Okafor was operating a nationwide drug distribution scheme, whereby he would prescribe opioids to numerous individuals using false identities, whom Okafor knew to be diverting the medication.

            Okafor’s conduct spanned at least 45 states and resulted in hundreds of thousands of units of oxycodone and promethazine with codeine liquid prescribed nationwide. Okafor was convicted of distribution of opioids to undercover sources, numerous uncharged co-conspirators, and to a civilian patient J.V. Okafor was also convicted of conspiracy and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Evidence at trial further established that, after Okafor was notified by the D.C. Board of Health that J.V.’s family member filed a complaint against him, he created backdated medical records for J.V. to justify his prescribing.

            The investigation also resulted in the suspension of Okafor’s DEA registration number in September 2023 as he was deemed to be a threat to public health and safety.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledge the Apex, North Carolina Police Department, the Warsaw, New York, Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and the Noble County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office for their efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation and trial.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado and paralegals Rebecca Walton, Dillon Clark, and Matthew McClarnon of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. The team also extends its deep appreciation to Michael Goodrich, Lead Travel Analyst of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. 

23cr116

WASHINGTON –  Jamiek Bassil, 32, and Charles Manson, 34, of the District of Columbia, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison and 175 months, respectively, for their roles in the violent 21st and Vietnam drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs in Northeast Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and, in Manson’s case, for a March 2024 shooting near 19th and I Streets NE. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Bassil, aka “Onion,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Bassil to serve five years of supervised release.

            Manson, aka “Cheese,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to multiple counts: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 170-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Manson to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, Bassil and Manson were members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled an open-air drug market and distributed narcotics in the area of the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

            Bassil repeatedly sold significant quantities of fentanyl – as much as roughly 80 grams at a time -- to undercover law enforcement between January and March 2024.

            Manson sold narcotics directly to customers and was captured on surveillance video engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions. During the conspiracy, Manson also participated in multiple controlled drug sales to law enforcement.

            In a March 7, 2024, Manson was the gunman in a shooting. Manson was with several co-conspirators adjacent to an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street that was the base of the conspiracy’s operations. A person walked by with their dog. Members of the crew had a verbal altercation with the dogwalker. Manson then went into the crew’s stash house in the apartment building. A crew member handed Manson a ski mask. Manson exited the apartment building wearing the mask and armed with a gun. Manson fired several rounds in the direction of the dogwalker. Neither the dogwalker nor the dog were hit.

            On May 15, 2024, investigators arrested Manson at his residence on the 1900 block of I Street, NE. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 17 pistol loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also recovered a handgun magazine, a box of ammunition, about 50 grams of fentanyl analogue, about 13.88 grams of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

            This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

            This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel of the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.

24cr226

            WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did.

            The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, FBI Assistant Director in Chief Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Smith with the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.

            Between October 2021 and May 2025, Baker worked as a management and program analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to court documents, from October 2021 through July 2024, Baker held multiple full-time government contractor positions to perform human resources services for other federal agencies but did not seek approval from HUD to engage in this outside employment. Through this years-long scheme, Baker billed the government more than 24 hours in a single day between her employment with the federal government and contractors. The estimated loss to the government was $225,866.

            Between September 2021 through April 2023, Contractor-A employed Baker to perform full-time work as a human resources assistant for AmeriCorps. From May 16, 2022, until Dec. 2, 2022, Contractor-B employed Baker to work full-time as a human resources specialist for the National Institutes of Health.

           Because of her scheme, Baker willfully caused the contractors to submit false claims to the U.S. Government for hours that she did not actually work. In addition, Baker submitted timesheets to HUD certifying that she worked hours for the government agency that she never actually did. For example, in June 2022, Baker certified through timesheets to HUD, Contractor-A, and Contractor-B, that she worked 26 hours per day on 13 workdays out of a total of 21 workdays that month.   

           Since Baker teleworked in all three positions, she was able to conceal her employment with HUD and the two contractors from each other.

           U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2025.

           This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for the following agencies:  AmeriCorps; Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Energy; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Department of Homeland Security; the General Services Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Treasury (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration), the Department of Defense (Defense Criminal Investigate Service), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, along with the FBI Washington Field Office.

           The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kondi Kleinman. 

25cr172

WASHINGTON – Jevaughn Mark, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in federal prison for running a prolific drug delivery service in the metropolitan area and included the December 2023 sale of fentanyl he sold as “ketamine” that resulted in the deaths of two men, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Mark, aka “Ledo,” pleaded guilty March 14, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and to felon in possession of a firearm. As part of the plea agreement, Mark accepted responsibility for causing the deaths of Brandon Román and Robert Barletta. In addition to the 15-year prison sentence, Judge Chutkan ordered Mark to serve five years of supervised release.

            “This defendant peddled poisonous drugs, marketed as ketamine but containing fentanyl, to unsuspecting people and, when challenged by multiple customers, he disregarded the alarms they sounded and continued to sell the same product,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This blatant disregard for human life – in the name of profit – is unconscionable. This office is here to protect every member of our community. If you are a danger to the public and selling fentanyl, we will take every legal measure to neutralize the threat.”

            “The drug market is characterized by the illegal availability of polydrug mixtures, many of which have lethal amounts of fentanyl. Criminals like Jevaughn Mark pose a deadly threat by selling drugs with fentanyl, which users unknowingly consume, often leading to their deaths,” commented DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian. “Illegal drug distribution affects the very foundations of our families and communities, so every time we take criminals like Mark off the streets, lives are saved. I want to express my gratitude to the DEA teams, USAO-DC litigators, and our local and state partners for their hard work in investigating, arresting, and confiscating illegal drugs from this individual who was involved in violent activities.”

            According to court documents, from at least January 2021, until the time of their arrests in March 2024, Mark along with his brother, Angelo, sold dangerous drugs throughout the metropolitan area – often hand delivering the narcotics himself – for at least three years. He developed a “menu” of drugs that he texted to his clients. On the menu, Mark listed “raw pure” cocaine and regular cocaine. Mark added “ketamine” to the menu in November 2023.

            On Dec. 26, 2023, Mark sold 3.5 grams of “raw” cocaine and three grams of “ketamine” to Brandon Román. Recovered text messages indicate it was the first time Mark made a sale of “ketamine” to Román. However, the “ketamine” Mark sold to his client contained no actual ketamine; instead, it consisted of fentanyl, xylazine, and caffeine. Román and his friend, Robert Barletta, were found unresponsive the next day.

            The DEA tested the leftover “ketamine” found at the scene and confirmed it to be fentanyl, xylazine, and caffeine. Investigators recovered text messages that led them directly to Mark. Between Jan 10, 2024, and Mar. 13, 2024, undercover officers from MPD and DEA made six controlled purchases of approximately 127 grams of fentanyl and 18 grams of cocaine Each time the undercover officer asked to purchase ketamine. Each time Mark provided fentanyl.

            After obtaining an indictment in March 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mark’s primary residence and recovered one unloaded handgun, one loaded handgun that was reported stolen out of Virginia, cocaine, fentanyl, other drugs, and $38,914 in cash. 

            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.

24cr143

WASHINGTON – Kyree Young, 17, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed – felony murder, that occurred on the morning of May 7, 2025, in Northwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

            Young made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Hildum today, where Judge Hildum found probable cause that Young committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed – felony murder and ordered that Young be held without bond pending trial. The United States is still investigating Young’s accomplices. 

            According to court documents, Young followed the victim from an ATM and struck him with a vehicle, robbed him, and tried to access his financial accounts at the same ATM he had been using earlier. The victim died at the scene.  Police later recovered the vehicle and gathered other evidence that led to Young’s identification.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter.

            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 –Ronald Stevenson Richardson, 29, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Richardson is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

            According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, members of the Seventh District Special Missions Unit (SMU) were patrolling the area of 1509 W Street SE in Washington, D.C., in the Anacostia neighborhood. While on patrol, police observed allegedly Richardson standing at a bus stop with an open container of alcohol at the intersection of 16th Street SE and W Street SE.

            Richardson was subsequently arrested for possession of an open container of alcohol. During a search incident to the arrest, officers allegedly discovered a firearm in Richardson's undergarments, beneath his waistband. The firearm was identified as a Glock 42, chambered in .380 auto, loaded with one round in the chamber and four additional rounds in its six-round capacity magazine.

            Richardson is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a prior conviction in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license outside home/business, establishing him as a felon in possession.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott is prosecuting this case.

            The "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative is a public safety effort 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.

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

WASHINGTON – Ian Andre Zephyrin, 45, of the District of Columbia, has been charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and assault on a police officer while armed following an incident that occurred on June 24, 2025, during which Zephyrin allegedly assaulted a police officer with a knife. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Zephyrin was presented today before Superior Court Judge Robert Hildum, who ordered Zephyrin held without bond until a July 7, 2025 preliminary hearing before Judge Rainey Brandt.

            According to court documents, on June 24, 2025, at approximately 8:31 a.m., MPD officers responded to a call regarding a theft in progress at a CVS in Northwest. A CVS employee reported that defendant Ian Zephyrin had allegedly filled a reusable bag with unpaid merchandise and walked past all points of sale, last seen heading northbound towards V Street NW. The CVS employee also reported that Zephyrin allegedly attempted to grab her phone as she was trying to call the police.

            MPD officers later located Zephyrin in the 600 block of Florida Avenue NW. When approached by officers, Zephyrin fled, dropping the allegedly stolen merchandise. Officers pursued Zephyrin and attempted to apprehend him. However, during the apprehension, Zephyrin allegedly pulled out a knife with a black handle and silver blade and swung it multiple times at the MPD officer, striking the officer in the head and causing the officer to bleed profusely. Zephyrin was then apprehended and placed under arrest.

            Court documents say that the injured MPD officer sustained severe injuries to the head, including a three-inch laceration that required 30 stitches.  

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Scholz is prosecuting this case.

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

WASHINGTON — Dana Garnett, 61, a former contract specialist for the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was found guilty today by a federal jury for her role in a  conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud that illegally steered lucrative DCPS business to local vendors while also agreeing to defraud DCPS by accepting significantly fewer quantities of supplies than had been ordered by DCPS. In exchange, the local vendors paid kickbacks and bribes to Garnett for years. Garnett faces 15 years in prison as a result of the conviction.

            The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

            According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, during the course of at least five years, Garnett, of Hyattsville, Maryland, accepted 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 awarded to the vendors that had been paid in full by DCPS.

            Garnett and a DCPS co-conspirator who had pleaded guilty before trial coordinated with the vendors to deliver a lesser amount of goods than were listed on the orders. Based on false certifications made by or with the knowledge of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the orders as if the orders had been fulfilled in full. The vendors then provided cash to Garnett and her co-conspirator in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area, including in the parking lots of restaurants in strip malls. Evidence presented at trial showed that Garnett used the payments for gambling expenses and a major household appliance.

            Three related defendants have accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty to their roles in the bribery conspiracy.

            Patricia Bailey, a former administrative officer for DCPS’s Cardozo Education Campus, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2023, to one count of bribery for her participation in the scheme.

            Duane King, the owner of DCPS vendor American Business Supplies, pleaded to one count of bribery on Sept. 27, 2023. King additionally pleaded guilty to his role in a similar scheme in which King made bribe payments to District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Services Department (DC FEMS) employees Charity Keys and Louis Mitchell in return for the award of business by DC FEMS to King’s company and for the authorization of payments to King’s company for goods that were not actually delivered.

            Donald McWhirter, the owner of DCPS vendor General Business Supplies Unlimited, also pleaded guilty to one count of bribery on July 18, 2024.

            Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.    

            Yelake Meseretu, 41, owner of U.S. Office Solutions, a supplier of goods to DCPS, is charged as a co-defendant with bribery and wire fraud in exchange for having Garnett direct business to Meseretu’s company. Meseretu’s trial is pending.

            This case was investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. It is being 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 – Niquan Odumn, 23, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months in federal prison for his role in the December 2023 burglary of a Maryland pawn shop that netted dozens of firearms.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department

            Odumn, aka “Stickz,” pleaded guilty on March 6 to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms. In addition to the sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered three years of supervised release.

            According to the court documents, on Dec. 13, 2023, Odumn and at least four co-conspirators drove in two vehicles from the District to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

            At the pawn shop, Odumn used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks. They fled with at least 34 firearms.

            Odumn was arrested on March 25, 2024, and has been detained since.

            Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced June 20 to 84 months in prison for his role in the burglary and for his subsequent attempt to sell several of the stolen guns.

            Co-defendant Tyjuan McNeal, 27, is scheduled to be sentenced July 1 for conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Vincent Lee Alston, 23, pleaded guilty March 6, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. And co-defendant Cy'juan Hemsley, who pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.     

23cr452 

WASHINGTON – Erick Alvarenga, 19, and Malik Kearney, 20, both of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to carjacking and firearms offenses stemming from two separate carjackings in December 2024 and January 2025, in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Both defendants pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to two counts of carjacking and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 29, 2025. 

            According to the proffer of facts, on December 28, 2024, around 4:45 a.m., the first victim was in a Jeep SUV that was parked in the 6100 block of Eastern Avenue, Northeast, when the defendants approached, one of whom was armed with a black handgun. Alvarenga and Kearney told the victim to get out of the car and give them the keys. The victim complied with the demand and exited the vehicle. The defendants then drove away from the scene. 

            The second offense occurred days later, on January 3, 2025, around 3:00 p.m. when the second victim was at a gas station in the 4200 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, Northeast. As the victim finished putting gas in his Dodge sedan, Alvarenga used the Jeep which had been stolen on December 28, 2024, to block in the second victim’s car. Kearney then approached the second victim with a handgun. The victim was ordered out of his car. Kearney got behind the wheel of the Dodge, and both vehicles fled in the same direction.

            Alvarenga and Kearney were arrested around 9:00 p.m. after the second victim’s Dodge had been seen traveling on the interstate before coming to a stop in the 6400 block of Eastern Avenue. Both defendants fled into the basement of a nearby home where they were detained by the police. Officers recovered two firearms from the location where the defendants were detained. One of the weapons had the serial number removed and the other was a PMF ghost gun.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Amanda Hoover. 

WASHINGTON – Francisco Roche, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 110 months in prison for trafficking distribution-level quantities of liquid PCP  – packaged in baby bottles – in the District’s Petworth neighborhood. Roche also was sentenced for possessing a loaded firearm in public, despite being on probation for four separate felony convictions.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Roche, aka “Roach,” pleaded guilty on Feb. 14, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (PCP) and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Roche to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, Roche and a co-conspirator made several PCP sales to confidential police informants and others.

            On Dec. 4, 2023, Roche sold about eight ounces of liquid PCP, packaged in a baby bottle, to an informant. On Dec. 13, 2023, Roche sold an informant about five ounces of PCP, packaged again in a baby bottle, four zips of a powder containing fentanyl, and a twist bag of crack cocaine.

            On Dec. 22, 2023, law enforcement arrested Roche at his residence Northwest and executed a search warrant. Officer found drugs and a bag containing numerous liquid drippers—a tool that may be used to transfer liquids such as PCP from one container to another, a juice bottle containing two ounces of liquid PCP, and a pack of cigarettes.

            In addition to the PCP distribution conspiracy, on Dec. 7, 2023, MPD officers on patrol near 12th Street NW and H Street NW observed a black handgun located in the center cupholder of a parked car. A short time later, Roche and another person began to enter the car before being stopped by police. The officers recovered a black Ruger LC9 pistol, loaded with eight rounds of ammunition.

            Roche was arrested on Dec. 22, 2023, and was detained at the Department of Corrections Central Detention Center. Despite his incarceration, he actively coordinated with his co-conspirator to continue to distribute PCP.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the DEA Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany V. Wynn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Strong.  

WASHINGTON – Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., 39, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 75 months in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy which distributed hundreds of thousands of lethal fentanyl-laced pills from Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including Washington D.C. Allen was one of 24 co-defendants arrested over the course of 2023 in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.

            The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Allen, aka “21,” pleaded guilty on December 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl. In addition to the 75-month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Allen to serve five years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, Allen entered into the conspiracy after he was introduced to a Los Angeles-based drug trafficker, co-defendant Hector David Valdez, who was a distributor of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Allen was introduced to Valdez by D.C.-based fentanyl traffickers who were co-conspirators of Allen.

            Allen’s role was to travel to Southern California in order to facilitate the sale of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from the wholesaler to D.C.-based fentanyl redistributors. Allen most frequently brokered the purchase of the pills in person, taking approximately 65 flights from the DMV to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Allen used his commissions from the sales he brokered to fund a lavish lifestyle and routinely boasted of his spending habits and wealth on social media.

            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.

            This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

           The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’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 Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Division.

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

26

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

conspiracy to commit international money laundering.

WASHINGTON – Keyon Slaughter, 28, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the December 2022 murder of Dana Bailey, Jr., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Slaughter pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed. His guilty plea, which is contingent on the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon 16-year prison sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release.  The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2025.

            According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on December 5, 2022, at approximately 10:15 a.m., Slaughter entered Apartment 3 at 3224 E Street Southeast, Washington, D.C., the residence of Dana Bailey, Jr. Once inside the apartment, Slaughter confronted Mr. Bailey and shot him once in the chest with a .40 caliber handgun, causing his death. Slaughter then fled the apartment and soon thereafter fled the District of Columbia to North Carolina.

            At the time of the murder, Slaughter was engaged in a relationship with the wife of Mr. Bailey, who was indicted with Slaughter and pleaded guilty to obstructing justice. At the time of the offense, Slaughter was on supervised probation for a 2019 conviction for armed robbery in Charles County, Maryland. Slaughter was arrested in this case in July 2023 and has been detained since.

            This case was investigated by members of MPD’s Homicide Branch.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones.

WASHINGTON – Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for his role in the December 2023 burglary of a Maryland pawn shop that netted dozens of firearms and for his subsequent attempt to sell several of the stolen guns.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.   

            Anderson, aka “Peezy,” pleaded guilty on March 4, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. In addition to the prison term, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Anderson to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to the court documents, on Dec. 13, 2023, Anderson and at least four co-conspirators drove in two vehicles from the District to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

            At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks. They fled with at least 34 guns. Two days after the burglary, on December 15, 2023, Anderson was arrested with two of the stolen firearms. He has been detained ever since.

            Co-defendant Tyjuan McNeal, 27, is scheduled to be sentenced July 1 for conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Vincent Lee Alston, 23, and Niquan Odum, 23, pleaded guilty March 6, 2025. Alston, aka “Vedo,” pleaded to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Cy'juan Hemsley, who pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, and Odumn, aka “Stickz,” pleaded to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms.

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.

The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

The complaint alleges that the cryptocurrency addresses that held the over $225.3 million in cryptocurrency were part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network that executed hundreds of thousands of transactions and was used to disperse proceeds of cryptocurrency investment fraud across many cryptocurrency addresses and accounts on the blockchain to conceal the source of the illegally obtained funds. 

“Today’s civil forfeiture complaint is the latest action taken by the Department to protect the American public from fraudsters specializing in cryptocurrency-based scams, and it will not be the last,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year, and undermine faith in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our investigators and prosecutors are relentlessly pursuing these scammers and their ill-gotten gains, and we will relentlessly pursue recovery of victim funds.”

“Under my leadership, with the support of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is taking a leading role in the fight against crypto-confidence scams, partnering with law enforcement throughout the country to seize and forfeit stolen funds and rip them from the hands of foreign criminals, all with the eye toward making victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia.

"The forfeiture of these illicit funds is a powerful tool in the FBI’s toolbox to stop the fraudsters who are operating online from stealing from the American people," said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division. "The FBI will not standby while these criminals target unsuspecting victims who believe they are making legitimate investments. The hard work of the FBI and our partners continues as we work with victims and potential victims across the country to put an end to these scams and warn others about their devastating effects."

“This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service (USSS) history,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the USSS San Francisco Field Office. “These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims. The USSS, FBI, and our private partners worked diligently to trace these illicit transactions, identify victims and seize these funds so that they can eventually be returned to their rightful owners.”

As part of the investigation of the laundering network, over 400 suspected victims are believed to have lost funds after being duped into believing that they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments. The complaint recounts millions of dollars in victim losses. According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone. The USSS San Francisco Field Office and FBI San Francisco Field Offices investigated the case. The Department of Justice thanks Tether for its proactive assistance in this investigation.

Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and Ethan Cantor of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Rick Blaylock Jr. for the District of Columbia are handling the matter.

Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

WASHINGTON - Jason Hanif Rehman, 40, of Rockville, Md., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 168 months federal in prison in connection with coercing a minor victim to send him sexually explicit images of herself over the internet.  

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Rehman pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2024, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. In addition to the 14-year prison term, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Rehman to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

            According to court documents, in October and November of 2018, Rehman communicated with a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat. Rehman directed her to produce and send him child sexual abuse material. He also sent her explicit photographs of himself. Over the course of five weeks, Rehman continued to coerce the victim into sending him child sexual abuse material and, on at least two separate dates, traveled from Maryland and Washington, D.C. to Virginia where he had sex with her.

            A fellow student notified school officials of the minor victim’s communication with an adult male. Investigators identified the male as Rehman. Subsequently, other minors at the school  disclosed that Rehman had sent them similarly sexually explicit messages and requests over Snapchat. When investigators located Rehman, he admitted that he had used his Snapchat account to contact the victim and knew she was 15 years old. He also admitted to convincing her to send him explicit photos and admitted to having sexual intercourse with her.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with the Fairfax County Police Department. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell for the District of Columbia. and Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

            This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

23cr64

Jason Hanif Rehman, 40, of Rockville, MD, was sentenced today to 14 years in prison on one count of coercion and enticement after he used the Snapchat application to coerce a minor victim into sending him sexually explicit images of herself over the internet.   

Rehman previously pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 21, 2024 in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia.

According to court documents, in October and November of 2018, Rehman communicated with a 15-year-old victim on Snapchat. In Snapchat messages, Rehman directed the victim to produce and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and sent her explicit photographs of himself. This conduct continued over the course of five weeks, during which Rehman coerced the victim into sending him CSAM and, on at least two separate occasions, traveled from Maryland and Washington, D.C. to Virginia to engage in sexual intercourse with her.

Law enforcement was notified by a student from the victim’s school about the minor victim’s communication with an adult male whom they subsequently identified as Rehman. During the course of the investigation, other minors disclosed being contacted by Rehman over Snapchat. Rehman was located and admitted to contacting the victim through Snapchat, convincing her to send him explicit photos, and having sexual intercourse with her.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

The Metropolitan Police Department-Federal Bureau of Investigation (MPD-FBI) Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department.

Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as cryptocurrency confidence scams.

            The civil action was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the San Francisco Field Office, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the San Francisco Field Office.

            The complaint alleges that the cryptocurrency addresses that held the over $225.3 million in cryptocurrency were part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network that executed hundreds of thousands of transactions and was used to conceal the nature, source, control, and ownership of proceeds derived from cryptocurrency investment fraud. The scam operators dispersed proceeds across an extensive group of cryptocurrency addresses and accounts on the blockchain to conceal the source of the illicitly obtained funds.

            As part of the investigation of the laundering network, dozens of victims across the country were confirmed to have lost funds through the belief that they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments, with more than 400 suspected victims around the world. The complaint discussed millions of dollars in victim losses.

            “Under my leadership, with the support of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia is taking a leading role in the fight against crypto-confidence scams, partnering with law enforcement throughout the country to seize and forfeit stolen funds and rip them from the hands of foreign criminals, all with the eye toward making victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.

            “Today’s civil forfeiture complaint is the latest action taken by the Department to protect the American public from fraudsters specializing in cryptocurrency-based scams, and it will not be the last,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year, and undermine faith in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our investigators and prosecutors are relentlessly pursuing these scammers and their ill-gotten gains, and we will relentlessly pursue recovery of victim funds.”

            “This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service history,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the U.S. Secret Service’s San Francisco Field Office. “These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims. The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and our private partners worked diligently to trace these illicit transactions, identify victims and seize these funds so that they can eventually be returned to their rightful owners.”

            “Cryptocurrency investment schemes can have devastating and long-lasting consequences for victims, far beyond just financial losses,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the San Francisco Field Office. “In this case, hundreds of victims lost millions of dollars to an elaborate scheme, and I commend the work of the FBI San Francisco investigative team and the United States Secret Service, San Francisco Office who worked tirelessly to return stolen assets to the victims. The FBI continues to aggressively pursue the criminals behind these heartless frauds, working alongside our federal partners and the private sector to disrupt malicious networks and recover funds for those targeted.”  

            According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone.

            This investigation is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service San Francisco Field Office and the FBI San Francisco Field Office. The Department of Justice thanks Tether for its proactive assistance in this investigation.

            This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Rick Blaylock, Jr., of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and Ethan Cantor of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).

            Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

Bence Horvath, 47, a Spanish national living in the United Arab Emirates, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license.

Horvath pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30.

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 the next several months, Horvath continued his efforts 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 he was not successful, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment, preventing the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.

Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

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.

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 are prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – Joshua Eduardo Hurtado, 25, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in federal prison for being a felon in unlawful possession of a pistol and ammunition while on supervised release following a previous federal firearms conviction.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge William McCool of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Hurtado, aka “Migo,” pleaded guilty on October 10, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 27-month prison term, Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Hurtado to serve three years of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on November 6, 2022, about 2:40 a.m., MPD officers responded to the intersection of 1700 Rhode Island Avenue and Saint Matthews Court NW, to assist United States Secret Service officers with a firearm recovery.

            The Secret Service officers spotted a black firearm with an extended magazine in plain view, sticking out of the rear pocket of the front passenger seat in a parked and unoccupied Chevrolet Suburban.

            About 30 minutes later, officers made contact with the driver of the Suburban. The driver stated that he was a rideshare operator and that the items were left in the SUV by a passenger he knew only as “Migo.” The driver consented to a search of the Suburban. Officers recovered two firearms from the pocket behind the front passenger seat – a Glock 23, .40 caliber pistol loaded with 22-rounds; and a Glock 19 pistol loaded with 17-rounds. Migo was identified as Joshua Hurtado. An FBI forensics DNA test linked the Glock 23 to Hurtado.

            At the time of the offense, Hurtado knew he previously had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for possession of two firearms in his apartment in Woodbridge, Virginia.

            That previous conviction stemmed from an incident in November 2020. Alexandria Police Department officers found the victim of a homicide inside a vehicle registered to the Hurtado’s father. The decedent’s cellphone contained conversations indicating that Hurtado was involved in narcotics trafficking. On December 8, 2020, the police executed a warrant at an apartment that Hurtado had apparently rented under a stolen identity, in which he resided alone.

            Alexandria police seized a pill bottle containing 42 morphine pills; about 1,500 light blue pills that appeared packaged for distribution but were later determined to contain no controlled substances; and two loaded firearms: a loaded Glock 26, 9-mm pistol with an extended magazine; and a loaded Aero Precision X15 AR-type pistol.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jared English with significant assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney.

23cr0373

WASHINGTON – Jarrett Robert Lewis, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for his role in an embezzlement scheme that bilked a District non-profit advocacy organization of nearly $320,000.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office.

            Lewis pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, to one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release, to pay restitution of $318,000, and to reimburse the victim organization’s attorney fees of $53,335.

            Lewis was employed by the victim agency between June 2021 and October 2022. According to the statement of facts, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. Lewis was one of three employees at Victim 1 with access to the non-profit’s bank account. It was part of Lewis’s duties to pay bills on behalf of the organization. Lewis was also provided with a VISA card for an account belonging to Victim 1 and was authorized to use the VISA card to incur expenses on behalf of Victim 1 for goods and services related to its operations.

            On 32 occasions, Lewis took advantage of his position by accessing Victim 1’s account and causing funds to be transferred to his personal account and for his own personal benefit. Lewis also used the non-profit’s VISA to book and pay for personal travel for himself, his family, and friends.

            Lewis was arrested on September 5, 2024.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott with the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – Kevon Holston, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for robberies he committed on two separate dates at 7-Eleven stores in Northwest, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Holston pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, to one count each of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and robbery. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Holston to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. 

            According to the government’s evidence, at approximately, 11:27 p.m., on November 27, 2024, Holston entered a 7-­Eleven store located in the 1600 block of 7th Street, Northwest, and pointed a gun at a store employee and demanded money. The victim complied and gave the defendant $200 in cash. Holston took the money and fled the store.

            On December 28, 2024, at approximately 8:05 p.m., Holston entered a different 7-Eleven store located in the 500 block of K Street, Northwest. The defendant brandished a gun and told the victim, “give me all you got.” The victim did not have the PIN to the cash register and called over another employee to assist with opening it. The second victim opened the register and handed $5 in cash to the defendant. Holston took the money and fled the store.

            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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi, who prosecuted the case.

           WASHINGTON – Michelle Shropshire, 54, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Harlisha Jones, 49, of Clinton, Maryland, and Washington, DC, were arrested this morning on health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy charges filed in U.S. District Court. 

           The arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Inspector General Michelle Zamarin of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General.

           Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearance today in the District Court for the District of Columbia.

           According to the indictment, from June 2021 through January 2024, Shropshire and Jones, both Train Operators employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), conspired to use Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist.  

           Court documents allege that the defendants used the information of real doctors to create fraudulent medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, including forged doctors’ signatures, that were submitted to AFLAC in support of the insurance claims. Then, shortly after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a percentage of the total claim payment. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire.

           The indictment further alleges that in addition to Jones, Shropshire assisted numerous other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC.  As a result of that scheme, AFLAC paid at least $362,035.14 in phony insurance benefits to Shropshire, Jones, and other WMATA employees.  

           Those employees included Sharon Washington, 53, of Woodbridge, VA, Selethia Blake, 53, of Waldorf, MD, Brady Turner, 56, of Clinton, MD, Lushawn Foreman, 51, of Upper Marlboro, MD, and Margot Jackson, 52, of Hughesville, MD, among others.  

           Washington, Blake, Turner, Foreman, and Jackson have each admitted to their involvement in Shropshire’s scheme, including paying kickbacks to Shropshire using a portion of the claim payments they received, and have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Each is currently awaiting sentencing.

           If convicted, Shropshire and Jones each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the charged offenses, with an additional mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the offense of aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

           These cases are being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the WMATA Office of Inspector General. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Diane Lucas.

           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 – Rashad King, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in Superior Court to eight and a half years in prison for assaulting a man at the Navy Yard Metro station in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            King pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, just before midnight on July 20, 2024, King approached the victim at the Navy Yard Metro Station and, unprovoked, started to punch him until he fell to the ground. The defendant then stomped on the victim’s head over twenty times. As the victim lay unconscious, King took the victim’s bag and fled the scene. An off-duty FBI Special Agent saw the encounter, followed the defendant, and observed him enter a Metro Bus. The agent flagged down an officer and pointed out the defendant.

            King was arrested and has been in custody since. At the time he was arrested, the defendant had the victim’s bag, which contained the victim’s license.

            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 for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Albi and Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case. 

            WASHINGTON –Adam Ahmed, 38, of Chantilly, Virginia, was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of kidnapping and strangulation related to an incident that began in Manassas, Virginia, on May 10, 2024, and ended in northeast Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The verdict was returned on June 12th and included two counts of making threats and one count of misdemeanor assault. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2025.

            According to the government’s evidence, on May 9, 2024, Ahmed was arrested in Virginia on multiple warrants for protective order violations and assault charges against his ex-girlfriend. The next day, on May 10, 2024, the victim got into Ahmed’s car outside her home in Manassas, Virginia, believing that they would sit in her building parking lot and talk about their relationship. Instead, the defendant took off, driving erratically. Ahmed told the victim that they were both “going to die tonight,” and that if she was going to charge him with abduction, he was going to do it. The defendant drove onto I-66 and took the victim into the District, where he repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her.

            After several hours of terrorizing the victim, Ahmed told her that he was going to drive her somewhere no one would find her. When he stopped the car, he climbed over her and strangled her with both hands until she couldn’t breathe. While strangling her, he bit her, putting his whole mouth over hers. He started driving again, eventually stopping at a Shell gas station on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue. At one point, Ahmed walked away from the car, and the victim tried to escape. Surveillance footage shows the defendant rushing at the victim, picking her up, and struggling with her to force her back in the car. A passerby on the street saw the defendant hitting the victim and turned into the gas station parking lot, rescuing the victim and calling 911. 

            During the course of trial two expert witnesses spoke about the unique dangers inherit in strangulation, and violence in intimate partner violence relationships, respectively. Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence, as a major strangulation study in San Diego, found surviving domestic violence “victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.” The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section has charged over 110 acts of felony strangulation since the D.C. Council created it as a criminal offense under D.C. Code 22-404.04, which went into effect in July of 2023.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives at the Metropolitan Police Department. They also credited Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trisha Jhunjhnuwala and Amanda Swanson, of the Sexual Offense and Domestic Violence section for successfully prosecuting the case.

            WASHINGTON – Marquise Jones, 26, of the District of Columbia, was arrested Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder while armed with a knife, for the jailhouse death of 29-year-old Carlos Shelley on May 12, 2025. The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Jones was presented today before Superior Court Judge Robert Hildum, who ordered Jones held without bond until a July 2, 2025 preliminary hearing before Judge Todd Edelman. 

            On Monday, May 12, 2025, at approximately 2:30 p.m., First District officers responded to the Central Detention Facility in the 1900 block of D Street, Southeast, for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male, unconscious and not breathing, suffering from life-threatening stab wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, the victim was pronounced deceased.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly K. Smith.

            A criminal charge is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.