District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – Garrick Powell, 32, of Baltimore, has pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a machine gun in federal court. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) – Baltimore Field Division, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, on April 19, 2023, law enforcement found Powell in possession of a machine gun.  BPD officers from the Eastern District Baltimore Community Intelligence Center — who were surveilling the 500 block of North Patterson Park Avenue — spotted Powell displaying the characteristics of an armed person.

An officer observed Powell enter a vehicle and drive away from the block. Officers then conducted a traffic stop, searched Powell’s vehicle, and recovered a loaded Poly80 9mm handgun with an extended magazine.  The Poly80 firearm is frequently referred to as a “ghost gun” because there is no serial number on the firearm.  Additionally, the Poly80 had a conversion device attached to the weapon which converted the semi-automatic weapon into an automatic Poly80, making it a machine gun. Officers also recovered a second extended magazine and 63 rounds of 9mm ammunition from Powell’s vehicle.

Sentencing is set for July 16, at 10 a.m. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Stanton Lawyer who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn. 

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Ryan E. Dales, 36, of Baltimore, to 26 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Dales, a previously convicted felon, was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

“Mr. Dales’s criminal activity was callous, dangerous, and with complete disregard for his victims,” Hayes said. “Thanks to our federal, local, and state law-enforcement partners, we’re showing Mr. Dales and others that engaging in criminal activity comes with a price. We’re serious about holding those accountable who commit illegal acts and terrorize our community with fentanyl, firearms, and fraud.  Fortunately, Mr. Dales will have plenty of time to think about his actions while in prison.” 

“This sentence of 26 years reflects the seriousness of Dales’ actions which include drug and weapon offenses as well as identity theft and fraud schemes. As a repeat offender, Dales knew the consequences of his wrongdoing yet chose to continue dealing drugs and committing crimes,” DelBagno said. “The FBI has no tolerance for repeat offenders who threaten the safety and security of our communities.”

“Ryan Dales engaged in a multi-faceted pandemic-relief fraud scheme that included filing fraudulent UI claims with the Maryland Department of Labor. Dales stole benefits intended for unemployed American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Springer said. “The significant prison sentence imposed today is the direct result of outstanding collaboration with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the FBI in ensuring the integrity of these critical benefit programs. This is particularly true when it involves firearms and drug trafficking as well as other violent crimes in our communities.”

On December 9, 2024, a federal jury found Dales guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Additionally, Dales faced a second trial on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, but on January 10, 2025, Dales pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on January 20, 2023, authorities arrested Dales pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, and law enforcement executed a federal search warrant the same day at Dales’s residence. Dales resided in a luxury apartment building in Locust Point.  During the search, law enforcement located and seized, among other things, various items used in connection Dales’s illegal business selling drugs, including two loaded firearms, specifically, a stolen Smith & Wesson firearm, and one which was a privately made “ghost gun” Polymer80 9mm firearm with no serial number, and a box containing 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition, including hollow point ammunition. In addition, law enforcement seized numerous packages of controlled dangerous substances, including hundreds of grams of fentanyl packaged for street level distribution, multiple digital scales, sifters, a heat sealer, a bag containing 10,000 empty capsules meant to package drugs, other drug packing materials, various cutting agents, a respirator, and six cell phones.

Later, Dales voluntarily waived his Miranda rights and admitted to living in his apartment alone and that the firearms seized in his apartment were his.  He also told law enforcement that he was a “very resourceful person,” referring to his livelihood as a drug dealer.  Dales’ DNA was later determined to be present on both firearms and their magazines.

Law enforcement’s later review of Dales’s cell phones revealed the existence of numerous Telegram chats where he negotiated purchasing drugs and cutting agents from multiple people, including mass producers of fentanyl in China.  Investigators further found evidence that about a month before the execution of the search warrant, Dales traveled to Boston with a firearm (identical in appearance to the ghost gun found in his apartment) and a bag full of cash to purchase drugs. Dales’s device search history included searches for where fentanyl is produced in China, how to dye powders, and how many bullets a Smith and Wesson M&P 9c firearm — the same type seized from his apartment — can hold.  

After his conviction at trial on the drug and firearms offenses, Dales pled guilty to a fraud scheme in which he used victims’ identities to obtain various high-end lawnmowers on credit and received fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.  From December 2020 through September 2022 — while serving a federal sentence for bank-fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft — and living in a halfway house while on federal supervised release in the District of Maryland, Dales engaged in various fraudulent schemes. Dales attempted to defraud the State of Maryland, Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), the Small Business Administration, and various businesses and financial institutions to obtain more than $25,000 in unlawful COVID-19 benefits funds though the submission of fraudulent claims for UI benefits; more than $95,000 worth of high-end riding lawn mowers on credit using the stolen personal identifiable information (PII) of seven victims information —such as names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and addresses of real persons — and attempting to fraudulently obtain an $8,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL).

During the execution of the residential search warrant, law enforcement seized various items used in connection with Dales’s fraud and identity theft schemes, including multiple computers, an embosser and ID card printer, laminate sheets with security holograms, gift cards in various denominations, a card printer and card reader, bulk packages of shrink-wrapped white PVC cards; and multiple fraudulent and fabricated South Carolina driver’s licenses made by Dales containing PII of various victims, but which displayed Dales’s photograph.

Dales used the fabricated driver’s licenses in connection with the fraudulent purchases of riding mowers and other impermissible uses.  He also obtained the identity theft victims’ PII on the dark web. The total amount obtained by Dales from the UI fraud scheme, as well as the fraudulent purchase of the lawnmowers on credit was $121,242.51.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and DOL-OIG for their work in connection with the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Reema Sood, who prosecuted the federal case.  She also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach

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Baltimore, Maryland – Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, aka “Mike Khatiwala,” 43, of Voorhees, New Jersey, Rajendra G. Parikh, 64, of Monroe, New Jersey, and Jennifer H. Watkins, 48, of Marlton, New Jersey, pled guilty in federal court for their roles in a multi-million-dollar bank fraud conspiracy.  According to their plea agreements, Khatiwala, Parikh, Watkins, and their co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $35 million in Small Business Administration (SBA) loans from financial institutions that they used to purchase hotels.  

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty pleas with Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region.

Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to the factual stipulations in the guilty pleas, Khatiwala was the owner and managing member of Delaware Hotel Group LLC (DHG), and an operator of GMK Consulting LLC (GMK) and KPG Hotel Mgmt. LLC (KPG). These LLCs were hotel management and loan brokerage companies located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.  Watkins served as a project coordinator for DHG and managing member of Forza Consulting LLC (Forza), a hotel consulting and loan brokerage company located in Marlton, New Jersey.  Parkih was an owner of KPG.  Co-defendant Rebecca Marie Cohn a/k/a Rebecca Marie Stanton, 38, was a settlement and title processor for Residential Title & Escrow Company, a real estate title company located in Owings Mills, Maryland, that offered escrow and loan-settlement services. 

The guilty pleas outline how from August 2018 through February 2020, Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins conspired to obtain loan proceeds to buy and sell hotels in connection with a hotel flipping scheme. “Flipping” is a real estate investment strategy that involves purchasing property to hold for a short period before selling it to make a quick profit.  During the SBA-loan application process, the co-conspirators made and caused others to make material misrepresentations and omissions to financial institutions regarding the sellers’ identity, familial relationships between parties, and the nature and amount of the equity injected by the borrowers.  The defendants sought loans through the SBA’s Section 7(a) Program, which guaranteed and insured approximately 75-85 percent of these loans, and required that the small business owner/borrower invest a certain amount of their own money into the business to qualify for the loan.

In their guilty pleas, Khatiwala and Parikh admitted that they acted as managers or supervisors in connection with the scheme.  Additionally, Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins admitted that they created shell companies using co-conspirators as straw owners of the entities.  These straw owners had no actual ownership interest in the entities as Khatiwala and Parikh were the true owners.  The straw owners signed purchase contracts, operating agreements, and related documents to buy hotel properties in the name of the shell companies.

Co-conspirators then created a second company to purchase the hotels from the shell companies at substantially higher prices.  After the co-conspirators formed the companies to control both sides of the flip transaction, they solicited banks for small-business loans to finance the buying company’s purchase of the hotel from the straw companies.  The co-conspirators helped the buying companies qualify for the loans by falsely representing investors’ equity injections to the banks, among other material false statements, misrepresentations, and omissions.  The financial institutions extending the loans relied on the false statements and misrepresentations.

Khatiwala, Parikh, and Watkins are each facing a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.   

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FHFA-OIG and FDIC-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Evelyn L. Cusson, and Ari D. Evans, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Zharde Todman.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Tianna Cosby, aka “Mendoza,” 24, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 114 months in federal prison. In October 2024, Cosby pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentencing with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) – Mid Atlantic Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the guilty plea, beginning in March 2021, and continuing through at least August 2021, Cosby conspired with Marche Sisco, 26, of Suitland, Maryland; Tommi Cosby, 21, of District Heights, Maryland; Biniah Carter, 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; and Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 22, of Bowie, Maryland, in a wide-ranging fraud conspiracy. Co-conspirators defrauded financial institutions by stealing checkds from the mail, altering and falsifying those checks, and then depositing the altered checks with financial institutions.  

The conspiracy victimized more than 900 individuals, stealing more than 700 checks, totaling a face value of more than $5 million. Tianna Cosby, the leader of the conspiracy, acquired checks by stealing them from USPS collection boxes or receiving them from Sisco, who stole checks from the Washington Network Distribution Center (NDC), located in Capitol Heights, Maryland.  The NDC was a USPS facility responsible for sorting and distributing mail from across the United States. 

After the checks were procured, Tianna Cosby, Tommi Cosby, Sisco, Carter, and Adeduwon recruited and caused the recruitment of account mules; collected banking information and the account mules’ identification; transferred and exchanged the banking information and the account mules’ identification; and used, transferred, and possessed the identity theft victims’ identification. 

The co-conspirators also altered personal and business checks to reflect payments to account mules; deposited altered and fraudulent checks into bank accounts belonging to account mules; and obtained proceeds from altered and fraudulent checks by engaging in various monetary transactions to withdraw the proceeds, including through ATM cash withdrawals and peer-to-peer financial transfers. 

Tianna Cosby then laundered the fraud proceeds by having them sent to intermediary bank accounts that the co-conspirators controlled, allowing her to conceal the nature, source, and destination of the fraud proceeds. The lead conspirator then had the money transferred to business accounts she controlled, including a Bank of America account in the name of “Santos Detailing,” and a Bank of America account in the name of “Spectrum Dynamics.” Both Santos Detailing and Spectrum Dynamics were shell companies that Tianna Cosby opened for the purpose of laundering fraud proceeds. 

On January 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Tianna Cosby’s residence in Woodbridge, Virginia. Inside the residence, authorities recovered 27 designer handbags and 14 pieces of jewelry, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and a wristwatch. The jewelry and the designer handbags were purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme. 

The jewelry and designer handbags were subsequently professionally appraised and had a combined fair-market value of approximately $137,555, consisting of approximately $113,065 in designer handbags and approximately $24,490 in jewelry. 

Additionally, law enforcement located a BMW i8, which Tianna Cosby had purchased for $114,296.02.  Inside the BMW i8, law enforcement recovered a Louis Vuitton bag containing 151 checks stolen from the mail, totaling approximately $610,788.08. The checks belonged to victims from across the country. 

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPIS, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Prince George’s Police Department Strategic Investigations Division – Financial Crimes Unit for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi, Ranganath Manthripragada, Elizabeth G. Wright, and John D’Amico, who prosecuted the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber, who supported the case.

If you have questions about this case, contact the Mega Victim Case Assistance Program (MCAP) toll free 1-(844) 527-5299 (Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm Eastern), or send an email to USAEO.MCAP@usdoj.gov. 

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud. 

Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Nicholas John Roske, 29, of Simi Valley, California, pled guilty to attempting to kill a United States Supreme Court Justice.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Attorney General Pamela Bondi; FBI Director Kash Patel; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland; Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Deputy Chief of Police Stephanie N. Whitam, Supreme Court of the United States Police Department.

“This calculated attempt on the life of a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice was a heinous attack on the Court itself,” Bondi said. “Anyone who thinks they can use violence or intimidation to influence our courts will be met with the full force of the law and face up to life in prison.”

“The attempted assassination of a United States Supreme Court Justice is an extreme, brazen act, one that we — along with our federal, local, and state law-enforcement partners — will not tolerate,” Hayes said. “It’s through these partnerships that we’re able to hold criminals accountable and uphold the rule of law.  We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who are involved in planning and executing acts of violence against others.”

“Nicholas Roske sought to commit a despicable, premeditated attack on a Supreme Court Justice and today is another step toward accountability,” Patel said. “No violent attacks can be tolerated, whether those targeted are public officials or private citizens – and the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and bring to justice all those who engage in such plots.”

“After a thorough investigation, Nicholas Roske is being held accountable for plotting, planning, and taking steps to assassinate a United States Supreme Court Justice. This guilty plea makes clear that those actions have serious consequences,” DelBagno said. “The FBI’s partnerships with the Montgomery County Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Supreme Court of the United States Police Department were critical in bringing Roske to justice. We will not stop our pursuit of extremists who advocate violence and threaten others.”

As part of his guilty plea, Roske admitted that on June 7, 2022, he flew from Los Angeles International Airport to Dulles International Airport with a firearm and ammunition in his checked baggage. He then took a taxi from the airport to Montgomery County, Maryland, with the intent to kill the Supreme Court Justice.

According to the criminal complaint and the Government’s factual allegations, on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., two Deputy U.S. Marshals, protecting the residence of a Supreme Court Justice, observed Roske arrive in and get out of a taxi in front of the residence.  Roske wore black clothing and had a backpack and suitcase.  Upon observing Roske, the two Deputy U.S. Marshals started to get out of their vehicles as the defendant proceeded to walk down the street.

Shortly after, Roske told a Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center call taker that he was having homicidal and suicidal thoughts, had a gun in his suitcase, and flew from California to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice. 

Montgomery County Police Department officers responded to the location and took Roske into custody.  A search of Roske’s suitcase and backpack revealed a firearm; black tactical chest rig and tactical knife; two magazines, each containing 10 rounds of ammunition; 17 additional rounds of ammunition; pepper spray; zip ties; a hammer; screwdrivers; nail punch; crowbar; pistol light; duct tape; hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles; and lock-pick tools, along with other items.

Law enforcement transported Roske to a Montgomery County Police Department station where he was read his Miranda rights. Roske then stated that he was upset about a recently leaked Supreme Court draft decision on abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The defendant also admitted that he came from California with the intent to use the firearm and burglary tools and to kill the Supreme Court Justice.

Roske faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.  U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Friday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, MCPD, and the Supreme Court of the United States Police Department for their work and cooperation in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Coreen Mao who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its efforts to fight violent crime and protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr.

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Nicholas John Roske, 29, of Simi Valley, California, pleaded guilty today to attempting to kill a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

“This calculated attempt on the life of a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice was a heinous attack on the Court itself,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Anyone who thinks they can use violence or intimidation to influence our courts will be met with the full force of the law and face up to life in prison.”

“Nicholas Roske sought to commit a despicable, premeditated attack on a Supreme Court Justice and today is another step toward accountability,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “No violent attacks can be tolerated, whether those targeted are public officials or private citizens – and the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and bring to justice all those who engage in such plots.”

“The attempted assassination of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice is an extreme, brazen act, one that we — along with our federal, local, and state law-enforcement partners — will not tolerate,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “It’s through these partnerships that we’re able to hold criminals accountable and uphold the rule of law. We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who are involved in planning and executing acts of violence against others.”

As part of his guilty plea, Roske admitted that on June 7, 2022, he flew from Los Angeles International Airport to Dulles International Airport with a firearm and ammunition in his checked baggage. He then took a taxi from the airport to Montgomery County, Maryland, with the intent to kill the Supreme Court Justice.

According to the criminal complaint and the Government’s factual allegations, on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., two Deputy U.S. Marshals, protecting the residence of a Supreme Court Justice, observed Roske arrive in and get out of a taxi in front of the residence. Roske wore black clothing and had a backpack and suitcase. Upon observing Roske, the two Deputy U.S. Marshals started to get out of their vehicles as the defendant proceeded to walk down the street.

Shortly after, Roske told a Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center call taker that he was having homicidal and suicidal thoughts, had a gun in his suitcase, and flew from California to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice.

Montgomery County Police Department officers responded to the location and took Roske into custody. A search of Roske’s suitcase and backpack revealed a firearm; black tactical chest rig and tactical knife; two magazines, each containing 10 rounds of ammunition; 17 additional rounds of ammunition; pepper spray; zip ties; a hammer; screwdrivers; a nail punch; a crowbar; a pistol light; duct tape; hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles; and lock-pick tools, along with other items.

Law enforcement transported Roske to a Montgomery County Police Department station where he was read his Miranda rights. Roske then stated that he was upset about a recently leaked Supreme Court draft decision on abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The defendant also admitted that he came from California with the intent to use the firearm and burglary tools and to kill the Supreme Court Justice.

Roske faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Oct. 3. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, MCPD, and Police Department for the U.S. Supreme Court for their work and cooperation in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Coreen Mao for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury has found Rodney Gaines, 35, of Westminster, Maryland, guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base and to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MDSP); Sheriff James T. DeWees, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Thomas Ledwell, Westminster Police Department.

During the two-and-a-half-week trial, the Government presented evidence of Gaines’s cocaine and crack-cocaine distribution activities in Westminster, Maryland.   Investigative methods included wiretaps, initially approved in state court and later federal court, in which law enforcement recorded and monitored Gaines’s phone conversations and text messages. 

Wiretapped calls revealed Gaines arranging sales of cocaine to various customers.  During the conversations, the cocaine was referred to in coded phrases such as “powder,” “8-balls,” “balls,” and the “sister,” among other terms.  Law enforcement also seized quantities of cocaine from Gaines’s customers after sales were conducted. 

The wiretaps also showed that Gaines sold cocaine in conspiracy with numerous accomplices, including people who he directed to deliver cocaine to customers; prepared the crack cocaine by “cooking” powder cocaine into crack; and hid drugs at various locations including burying the drugs in wooded areas around Westminster.  Near the end of the investigation, law enforcement recovered more than $250,000 in cash in apparent drug proceeds from a storage unit that was acquired by another member of the conspiracy.  The jury found that the conspiracy involved 280 grams or more of cocaine base.

Evidence at trial also proved that Gaines’s activities and the activities of his conspiracy involved firearms.  During late January 2022, the wiretap showed that Gaines attempted to acquire two firearms — a 9mm handgun and a 40-caliber handgun — from an accomplice.  However, law enforcement intercepted the firearms, along with ammunition and ammunition clips, from the accomplice before the guns found their way to Gaines.   

Gaines is facing up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years for the narcotics conspiracy offense.  The other counts are each punishable by up to 20 years.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MDSP, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Westminster Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai N. Everett and Michael C. Hanlon who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Michael Cooley, Jr., aka “Micheal Cooley Jr.,” “5Micmusik,” and “Michael White,” 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 87 months in federal prison. In January 2025, Cooley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor and California Employment Development Department.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentencing with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to the guilty plea, from at least June 2020 through March 2021, Cooley conspired with Isiah Lewis, 35, of Prince George’s County, and Alonzo Brown, 27, of Virginia, to devise and execute a scheme to defraud individuals and multiple state workforce agencies, including in Maryland and California, of more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, successfully obtaining more than $300,000.  The scheme was sophisticated and used personal identifiable information — such as name, date of birth, and social security number — from more than 60 individuals to file online UI applications in Maryland and California, using anonymous email addresses to obscure their identities and avoid detection.  

At sentencing, Judge Griggsby found that Cooley held a managerial role in the conspiracy. Additionally, Judge Griggsby ordered Cooley to pay restitution of $310,428.08 to the victims and to forfeit all money, property, and/or assets derived from the scheme, including a money judgment of $310,428.08. 

This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, a Strike Force that is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bijon A. Mostoufi, who prosecuted the federal case, and Joanna B.N. Huber, who supported the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Wayne I. Kacher, Jr., 52, of Harford County, Maryland, to 20 months in federal prison for conspiracy, honest services wire fraud, and federal program bribery.  A federal jury found Kacher guilty on May 21, 2024, after a seven-day trial.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) – Mid-Atlantic Field Office.

As detailed in trial testimony, the Maryland Broadband Cooperative, Incorporated (MdBC) was a not-for-profit corporation whose purpose was to work with internet-service providers to offer broadband internet service to underserved and unserved areas in Maryland.  Public and private entities could join the cooperative and gain access to the broadband infrastructure that MdBC installed for a fee.  William Patrick Mitchell served as president and chief executive officer of MdBC, which was located in Salisbury, Maryland.

Kacher was the president and owner of Bel Air Underground, Inc. (BAU), a company that was principally located in Baltimore County, Maryland.  BAU frequently acted as a subcontractor on projects for MdBC.  From 2014 to 2018, MdBC paid BAU more than $11 million for broadband network-related work.  Approximately $7.9 million of the $11 million was for work installing and improving a fiber-optic broadband connection from NASA Wallops Island to Patuxent River Naval Air Station in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, to enhance the communications capacity between those locations.

The trial evidence showed that from at least 2014 to 2018, Kacher provided Mitchell with financial benefits, including cash payments, and payments for an all-terrain vehicle and a John Deere Gator owned by Mitchell.  Kacher also paid for renovations and improvements to Mitchell’s residence, including for the construction of a pole building on Mitchell’s property.  The defendant gave these items to Mitchell in exchange for the work that MdBC was subcontracting to BAU.

On October 7, 2024, Judge Gallagher sentenced Mitchell to one year and one day for his role in the scheme.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and DCIS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Christine Goo who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Idrissa Bagayoko, 59, of New York, New York, to one year of supervised release with three months of home confinement and restitution in the amount of $5,640, for illegally transporting and selling an unregistered toxic pesticide, SNIPER DDVP.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; and Chief Carolyn Rogers, Elkton Police Department (EPD).

In November 2024, after a four-day trial, a federal jury found Bagayoko guilty of recklessly transporting a dangerous probable carcinogen, the unregistered pesticide known as SNIPER DDVP, without proper documentation and knowingly selling SNIPER DDVP in Maryland.  Bagayoko was convicted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Hazardous Material Transportation Act.

According to evidence presented at trial, on September 29, 2021, Bagayoko drove from New York to Maryland and sold two boxes of the unregistered pesticide SNIPER DDVP to an individual.  He was later stopped by police in Elkton, Maryland, with 18 additional boxes of SNIPER DDVP.  Bagayoko, who owns and operates Maliba Trading LLC, procured a total of 1,920 bottles of SNIPER DDVP and drove from New York to Maryland to sell the illegal pesticide.

Laboratory testing revealed Bagayoko was transporting SNIPER DDVP containing the chemical dichlorvos, which has been classified by the federal government as a probable human carcinogen.  The defendant transported more than 330 pounds of dichlorvos, without requisite shipping papers, which are required to alert first responders that they are dealing with a toxic chemical compound and probable carcinogen, in the event of an accident.  He subsequently sold two boxes of this unregistered pesticide to a distributor in Takoma Park, Maryland.

“Illegally transporting and selling an illegal pesticide that is a known probable carcinogen puts public health at serious risk,” Hayes said.  “The District of Maryland is committed to rooting out criminal actors that brazenly violate federal transportation and environmental laws while simultaneously putting Maryland’s first responders and residents in harm’s way.”

“The defendant illegally distributed, sold and transported a toxic pesticide across state lines and lied to local police, claiming he was only transporting tea,” Landsman said.  “Today’s sentencing reflects the dangerous nature of illegal pesticides being transported and sold in the United States and the serious consequences that flagrant offenders face for this egregious conduct.”

“Recklessly transporting hazardous materials without proper documentation as required by federal regulations is illegal and poses a danger to the traveling public,” Thompson said. “Together with our federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to pursue individuals and companies that circumvent laws designed to safely move goods and products throughout the United States.”

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the EPA, DOT-OIG, and EPD for their help with the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kertisha Dixon and David Lastra who prosecuted the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.

Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Mountee Brown, 27, a former bank teller from Clinton, Maryland, pled guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to steal funds from bank customers.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region.

According to his guilty plea, Brown worked as a bank teller with Bank A, located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. In his role, he had access to the bank accounts of five victims, four of whom were over the age of 80. Between October and November 2022, Brown and his co-conspirators devised a scheme to use his position as a bank teller to make at least 26 unauthorized cash withdrawals involving the victims’ accounts.

The co-conspirators began carrying out the scheme on October 21, 2022, when Co-conspirator #1 entered Bank A and approached Brown at his designated teller station. Brown knew that Co-conspirator #1 was not Victim #1. But Brown and Co-conspirator #1 conducted a $10,000 cash withdrawal from Victim #1’s account without Victim #1’s knowledge or consent. Brown conducted the cash withdrawal by falsely documenting that he verified the customer, the customer was a “known client,” and that the customer was known by Brown’s supervisor. Co-conspirator #1 falsely signed the withdrawal ticket as Victim #1.

Then on October 22, 2022, Brown and Co-conspirator #1 conducted two additional unauthorized withdrawal transactions from Victim #1’s account totaling $20,000. The same day, Brown deposited approximately $4,300 in cash in an account at another financial institution.

On October 25, 2022, Co-conspirator #2 entered Bank A and approached Brown at his designated teller station. Brown knew that Co-conspirator #2 was not Victim #2. However, Brown and Co-conspirator #2 conducted a $10,000 cash withdrawal from Victim #2’s account without Victim #2’s knowledge or consent. Brown conducted the cash withdrawal by falsely documenting that he verified the customer, the customer was a “known client,” and the customer was known by Brown’s supervisor. Co-conspirator #2 falsely signed the withdrawal ticket as Victim #2.

On the same day, Co-conspirator #2 re-entered Bank A and approached Brown at his designated teller station. Brown and Co-conspirator #2 conducted a $10,000 cash withdrawal from Victim #3’s account, without Victim #3’s knowledge or consent. Brown conducted the cash withdrawal by falsely stating he verified the customer, the customer was a “known client,” and the customer was known by Brown’s supervisor. Co-conspirator #2 falsely signed the withdrawal ticket as Victim #3.

Between October 22, 2022, and December 6, 2022, Brown made cash deposits of approximately $30,200 into his personal account at another financial institution. As a result of his participation in the fraud, Brown and other co-conspirators obtained, directly or indirectly, an amount up to approximately $255,000.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FDIC-OIG for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Mervyn Fombe Abiko, 35, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, pled guilty to federal charges in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in unemployment benefits. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Karl Mastantuno, U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General (OIG).

According to his guilty plea, from February 2020 through February 2021, Abiko and co-defendants Martin Tabe and Gladstone Njokem, along with others, conspired to impersonate victims to obtain money by submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) benefits claims.  Abiko and his co-conspirators collected the personally identifiable information (PII), without the victims’ knowledge or consent, and shared the PII amongst themselves and with others to facilitate fraudulent activities. The co-conspirators then used the victims’ PII to submit fraudulent applications for UI benefits in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Authorities traced at least $1,313,325 in UI benefits to Abiko’s conspiracy in which co-conspirators fraudulently applied for UI benefits using the names and PII of more than 183 victims. Law enforcement connected the dots of the scheme based on common IP addresses, mailing addresses and/or email addresses used for the fraudulent UI claims.

Co-defendants Martin Tabe, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, and Sylvester Atekwane, 34, of Hyattsville, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud scheme. 

Additionally, co-defendant Gladstone Njokem, 37, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pled guilty and was sentenced by the Honorable Richard D. Bennett on October 13, 2023, to 54 months in connection with the conspiracy.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.  The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.  For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPIS, DOL-OIG, HSI, and Treasury-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Additionally, Ms. Hayes recognized the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Maryland Department of Labor for their assistance.  She also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 43, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty to committing an armed robbery while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department; Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department. 

According to his guilty plea, Harris and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of two businesses in Prince George’s County, one business in Charles County, and one business in Montgomery County.  On March 23, and March 28, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed two convenience stores in Prince George’s County and stole cash from the registers and several packs of cigarettes.  Harris brandished a pistol-grip shotgun during both robberies.

Then on April 5, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Charles County and stole cash from the registers and the wallet and phone of a store employee.  Harris also brandished a pistol-grip shotgun and held the store employee at gunpoint while pinning a customer into a wall corner with his forearm.

On April 6, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Montgomery County, stealing cash from the register and a store employee’s purse and phone.  Harris also brandished the same pistol-grip shotgun used in the earlier robberies.

Then on April 12, 2023, a Prince George’s County Police Department officer observed the getaway vehicle used by Harris and his co-conspirators in two of the robberies, resulting in a traffic stop.  The occupants of the vehicle fled and escaped.  Law enforcement recovered several items from the vehicle and submitted the items for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing.  A subsequent DNA report revealed a high stringency match between Harris and a DNA sample from a bottle recovered from the vehicle.

On November 9, 2023, Charles County Sherriff’s Office detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for Harris’s storage unit.  Detectives accessed the storage unit and identified the clothing items Harris wore and the same pistol-grip shotgun he used during the robberies.

Harris and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, he faces 13 to 17 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled the sentencing for Friday, July 18, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Stephen L. Snyder, 77, of Baltimore, Maryland, to three years of probation with six months of home confinement, for one count of attempted extortion and seven counts of the Travel Act. A federal jury found Snyder guilty back on November 22, 2024, after a nine-day trial.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

According to the evidence at trial, Snyder, a plaintiffs medical malpractice attorney in the Baltimore area, represented two medical malpractice claimants who allegedly experienced injury following organ transplants at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). From January 2018 through September 2018, Snyder attempted to extort the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) by threatening to “destroy” the UMMC transplant department unless UMMS paid him $25 million personally and separate from any settlement with his client.

Specifically, Snyder threatened to launch a public-relations campaign that would falsely accuse UMMC of tricking unsophisticated patients into accepting diseased organs. He claimed that he would run a front-page ad in The Baltimore Sun, hold a press conference, and create an internet advertisement directing anyone searching for the UMMC transplant program to his law firm’s website. Snyder also threatened to create commercials conveying his false message and accusing UMMC of putting “profits over safety.” Snyder played these commercials during meetings with attorneys representing UMMS. Snyder claimed that the parties could enter into a sham consulting agreement that would provide cover for the $25 million payment.

Snyder made his extortionate demands and threats over a series of meetings and phone calls with attorneys for UMMS in 2018. One of those meetings, which occurred on August 23, 2018, was recorded by Federal law enforcement using hidden video cameras.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Evelyn L. Cusson who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Adanegbe Gift Osenmwenkhae (Gift), 39, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pled guilty to serving as manager and supervisor of a large, multi-member, money laundering conspiracy. The group laundered more than $20 million in fraudulent proceeds.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge George Golliday, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Ken DeChellis, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Cyber Field Office (DCIS).

According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2021, and continuing into February 2024, Gift conspired with Yahya Sowe, aka “Cash,” Gedeon Agbeyome, Victor Killen, Areal Harris, Bright Boateng, Faizou Gnora, Emily Gil Arias, Fatoumata Boiro, Lawrence Ogunsanwo, Lakeisha Parker, Martin Ogisi, Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, Kevin Colon, Lorena Perez Herrera, and others to launder proceeds of a large-scale wire fraud. The co-conspirators engaged in various financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the wire-fraud proceeds, while carrying out the wire-fraud schemes. 

Gift supervised and exercised significant managerial control over the money laundering conspiracy and facilitated the laundering of more than $20 million in stolen proceeds from at least 15 different victims.  Victims included government agencies, organizations, and companies, including an environmental trust, urban redevelopment program, medical center, transportation and logistics company, school district, college, and county government, among others.  

According to the plea agreement, Gift used and controlled several different encrypted electronic communication accounts to supervise and manage the money laundering conspiracy. As supervisor, Gift directed and worked with members of the conspiracy to create limited liability companies to serve as shell entities; open bank accounts and/or cause bank accounts to be opened in the name of their shell entity; and receive and launder fraud proceeds. Additionally, Gift helped coordinate the flow of fraudulent proceeds through various bank accounts and determine how to split funds between each member of the conspiracy as payment for their role in the conspiracy.

Gift is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2025, at 10 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HSI led Document and Benefit Fraud/Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force, IRS-CI, EPA-OIG, and DCIS for their work in the investigation and recognized the Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County Police Departments for their assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Bijon A. Mostoufi, and Jared M. Beim, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for her assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Robert Jackson, 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

On January 26, 2024, while observing a Citi Watch Camera, a Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) detective observed a hand-to-hand gun exchange, on Milton Avenue. The detective witnessed Jackson and co-defendant, Derek Harvey, walking southbound on North Milton Avenue in Baltimore City. 

Jackson reached into the hoodie he wore and pulled out a tan handgun and handed it to Harvey who then placed the gun in his waistband. Baltimore City detectives arrested both men shortly after observing the weapon exchange, seizing the firearm and ammunition. Both men were prohibited from possessing the weapon and ammunition because of prior convictions.

Harvey has previously pled guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2025.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their help with the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who prosecuted the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Sarah Maud Jess, 61, of Capitol Heights, Maryland. Jess is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, and reentry of an alien removed after conviction for an aggravated felony.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Police Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD).

According to the indictment, Jess engaged in a conspiracy to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl between November 2023 and October 2024. She also distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl on specific dates in June and September 2024.  Additionally, Jess is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 2, 2024; illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition on the same date; and as an alien who was previously removed from the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony.  Jess was found in the United States without receiving permission to reapply for admission into the country as required by law.

If convicted, Jess faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years for the drug charges; up to 15 years for the firearm charge; and up to 20 years for the aggravated illegal reentry charge.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, DEA, FBI, MCPD, and PGCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Nicholas Potter who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore,Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Querida Moran, age 53, of Owings Mills, to 135 months’ imprisonment in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.  Moran pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute two kilograms of fentanyl and over 50 kilograms of cocaine recovered from a storage unit and from her purse in August 2023.  Moran was on federal supervised release at the time.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) Washington Division.

According to the guilty plea, in 2023, the DEA identified Moran as a source of supply for numerous drug traffickers in the Baltimore region.  During the investigation, agents watched Moran conduct numerous drug transactions.  For example, on July 26, 2023, Moran drove her SUV to a restaurant parking lot in Arundel Mills, Maryland.  While in the parking lot, a Subaru arrived and parked.  Moran walked over to the Subaru, gave the driver a bag, and returned to her SUV.  Both vehicles drove away in different directions.  Agents followed the Subaru and initiated a traffic stop.  A probable cause search followed, and they recovered 100 grams of fentanyl from the driver.

A week later, on August 1, 2023, agents were monitoring the GPS tracking device on Moran’s SUV as she drove to a Travel Plaza and parked near the area where tractor trailers park.  From there, Moran drove directly to a storage center.  Agents watched the video footage from the storage center and saw Moran transport two large duffle bags and a cardboard box to her storage unit.     

The next day, Moran returned to her storage unit and left with a black suitcase.  After leaving the storage unit, agents watched Moran conduct multiple drug transactions.  In response, they obtained search warrants, which included Moran’s storage unit and her residence.

On August 3, 2023, agents searched Moran’s storage unit and recovered fifty kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of fentanyl.  After the search, Moran was arrested at a separate location from the storage unit.  Agents searched Moran’s purse and recovered two additional kilograms of cocaine.  A forensic analysis of the drugs recovered confirmed two kilograms of fentanyl and fifty kilograms of cocaine was in Moran’s storage unit and two kilograms of cocaine was in her purse.  On the same date, agents searched Moran’s residence, located in Owings Mills, Maryland.  Agents seized approximately $56,000 in U.S. currency from the apartment. The seized currency constituted proceeds of Moran’s drug trafficking activity or was used, or intended to be used, to facilitate Moran’s drug offense.   

This case 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.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Calvin C. Miner, who is prosecuting the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal grand jury indicted Beautiful Life Allah, aka Tezelle Miller, aka Tezell Miller, 65, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, charging him with passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements, and false representation of a social security number. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with David M. Richeson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office, and Colleen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.

According to the indictment, Allah used someone else’s social security number to submit a passport application; submitted a fraudulent custody order to apply for a passport for his minor child; and made false statements on passport applications from August 2022 through February 2023. 

If convicted, Allah faces up to 10 years for passport fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, up to five years for false statements, and up to five years for false representation of a social security number. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  

A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DSS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Baltimore, Maryland – David Godin, 34, aka “James St Patrick,” aka “David Wetty,” aka “Vic Pro,” of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Godin attempted to defraud MD-DOL and CA-EDD of more than $2.3 million in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 through November 2023, Godin engaged in a sophisticated scheme to defraud the MD-DOL and CA-EDD by using the personal identifiable information of identity theft victims, anonymous email addresses, virtual private networks, and proxy servers.  This enabled Godin to file numerous fraudulent UI claims with multiple states from a single location; aggregate UI information in discrete accounts; and avoid fraud safeguards put in place by state insurance programs.

Godin submitted and caused the submission of at least 140 fraudulent UI claims to MD-DOL, CA-EDD, and other state workforce agencies, resulting in approximately $2,364,226 in UI benefits. He obtained $1,087,345.66 through the fraud scheme. As part of the plea agreement, Godin is required to pay restitution of $1,087,345.66. Additionally, Godin must forfeit money, property, and/or assets that he obtained through the scheme, including a money judgment of at least $1,087,345.66.

Godin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud scheme and a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison for using the personal identifiable information of identity theft victims during and in relation to the fraudulent activities.   A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for June 30, at 10 a.m.   

This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, a Strike Force that is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Joanna B.N. Huber, who is supporting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Steven Christopher Kelban, age 50, of Catonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.  Kelban was identified as a suspect in the trafficking of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also called child pornography, during Baltimore County Police Department’s online investigation of the BitTorrent network.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes, along with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

According to his guilty plea, Kelban has two prior convictions for child pornography.  In 2015, Kelban was convicted of possession of obscene matter of persons under 17 in Shelby County, Alabama, and in 2016, he was convicted of distribution of child pornography in Baltimore County, Maryland. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, on November 20, 2023, Kelban was released from imprisonment in Alabama and returned to Maryland.  He registered as a sex offender in Maryland on November 21, 2023, listing an address in Baltimore County, Maryland. 

On November 28, 2023, the Baltimore County Police Department conducted an online investigation of the BitTorrent network to find offenders sharing child pornography.  His IP address was associated with a torrent that contained over 2000 files, including at least one file of suspected child pornography. Between 12:33 am and 1:38 am on November 28, 2023, investigators directly connected to the device and downloaded the torrent, and therefore each file was downloaded directly from the IP address.  The IP address for the device was connected to Kelban’s residence in Baltimore County, the same address that Kelban used when he registered as a sex offender a week prior.

Kelban faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025, at 11 a.m.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended FBI and the BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood, who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Brendyn Andrew, 33, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, charging him with aggravated identity theft, supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits fraud, social security number misuse, and theft of government property.  The defendant will have an initial appearance today at 4:30 p.m., in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG) Northeast Region. In Maryland, SNAP benefit funds originate from the United States Department of Agriculture and are administered by way of the Maryland Department of Human Services – Family Investment Administration.

According to the indictment, Andrew misused the social security numbers of two different individuals to apply for and use SNAP benefits in Maryland from February through June 2021.

If convicted, Andrew faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years imprisonment for aggravated identity theft and up to ten years in prison for theft of government property.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the United States Department of Agriculture for their work in the investigation and she thanked the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department for its investigative assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. 

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Delroy James Scott, 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 32 years in federal prison, followed by 50 years of supervised release, for the coercion and enticement of a minor and sexually exploiting six minors.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; Chief Charles H. Hinnant, Cumberland Police Department; and Allegany County State’s Attorney James Elliott.

According to his guilty plea, between November 2021 and May 2022, Scott exploited six minor females between the ages of 9 and 14. Scott, who used an alias and pretended to be 16, utilized mobile phones and online applications to meet and communicate with the minor victims.  He then persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the minor victims to meet him to engage in sex acts and/or to produce sexually explicit images and videos. Scott also had victims send him explicit images and videos and threatened to expose some of the victims to coerce them to produce explicit videos and engage in additional sex acts.

Scott traveled to the apartment of Minor Victim 1, age 9, on two separate occasions and coerced the victim to engage in sex acts. He pressured Minor Victim 2, age 11, to send explicit videos and images, and then threatened to expose her to her parents if she didn’t meet Scott in person to engage in sex acts.  Scott convinced Minor Victim 3, age 13, to provide the address to her Alleghany County residence where he climbed into her bedroom window and sexually assaulted her.

The defendant traveled to the middle school of Minor Victim 4, age 12, on three separate mornings, and coerced the victim to engage in sex acts by threatening to expose her with videos he claimed he made of them.  He coerced Minor Victim 5, age 10, to produce and send him explicit videos and then coerced her to send additional explicit videos by threatening to tell her mother.

Scott recorded he and Minor Victim 6, age 15, engaging in sexually explicit conduct on multiple occasions.  Additionally, according to facts presented at sentencing, between 2017 and 2022, Scott engaged in similar unlawful conduct with multiple minor victims between the ages of 12 and 16.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.  Learn more about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office, Cumberland Police Department, and Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who prosecuted the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictments of five individuals on charges related to illegal aliens in possession of firearms and ammunition and firearms trafficking.

Vielman Cabrera Arevalo, 20, of Guatemala; Erick Lozano Colindrez, 23, of Honduras; and Ludwin Fuentes Lopez, 22, of El Salvador, were indicted on Alien in Possession of a Firearm and/or Ammunition charges. Lester Araely Ramos Perez, 28, and Milton Leon-Morales, 27 — both from Guatemala — are charged with Firearms Trafficking and Aliens in Possession of a Firearm offenses.

The indictments announced today are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

U.S. Attorney Hayes made the announcement with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Baltimore Field Division (ATF); Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCoPD); and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department (FPD).

According to the indictments, Ramos Perez, Leon-Morales, Arevalo, Lopez, and Colindrez are all illegal aliens unlawfully in the United States.  Ramos Perez and Leon-Morales are charged with conspiring with others to ship, transport, cause to be transported, and otherwise dispose of more than 35 firearms on January 22, 2025.  They are also charged with dealing firearms without a license, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possessing firearms as illegal aliens unlawfully in the United States.

Law enforcement found Arevalo in possession of two rounds of CBC 9mm Luger ammunition on December 14, 2023.  Similarly, authorities found Lopez in possession of a black Polymer 80 firearm and ammunition on July 20, 2024.   On November 15, 2024, authorities found Colindrez in possession of a Johnson Arms & Cycle Works .32 caliber revolver and one black 9mm polymer pistol along with approximately 23 rounds of ammunition. As a result, each of these defendants is charged in separate indictments for Alien in Possession of a Firearm and/or Ammunition.

Upon a conviction, Ramos Perez and Leon-Morales face up to 15 years in prison on firearms trafficking charges, five years on dealing firearms without a license, 15 years in prison on the alien in possession charges, and 20 years on drug conspiracy charges. If Arevalo, Colindrez, and/or Lopez are convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.

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

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI Baltimore; the FBI; ATF; DPSCS; BCoPD; and FPD for their work in connection with these investigations.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Kenneth Clark, Chief, Violent and Organized Crime, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Beim, Kim Hagan, and Jamie O’Donohue, who are prosecuting the federal cases.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has charged Manuel Erazo Alvarado, a/k/a “Castigo,” 46, and Erick Guillen Pleitez, a/k/a “Kilo,” both of Annapolis, Maryland, with Murder in Aid of Racketeering.  The indictment was returned on February 13, 2025.  Erazo Alvarado made his initial appearance yesterday in the United States District Court in Baltimore, Maryland and Guillen Pleitez made his initial appearance on March 6, 2025 in the same courthouse.

According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland and throughout the United States.

It is alleged that in 2017, the defendants were members or associates of MS-13 in Maryland.  During that time, the defendants engaged in narcotics distribution, collected extortion payments, or “rent,” and engaged in acts of violence.  On or about August 29, 2017, the defendants participated in the murder of an individual to maintain and increase their positions in the gang.  If convicted, the defendants face either a mandatory life sentence or death. 

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent of the Maryland State Police made the announcement today.

The FBI, HSI and Anne Arundel County Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) are investigating the case.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and James Hammond, along with Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Amanda Kotula of the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jerod Adam Taylor, age 39, of Lexington Park, Maryland, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The indictment was returned on February 27, 2025. The defendant had an initial appearance on March 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms and was ordered detained.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives- Baltimore Field Division (ATF).

According to the indictment, law enforcement executed a search of Taylor’s home on November 7, 2024, and recovered a firearm, including a Vulcan Arms Model AK47 7.62 caliber rifle. Taylor knew that he had a previous felony conviction which prohibited him from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Ms. Hayes commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaShanta Harris and Chris Sarma, who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Andra Shirone Thompson, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to a year and a day for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Thompson pled guilty to conspiring to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loan programs and his role in a years-long scheme to defraud commercial equipment financing companies. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised released and ordered to forfeit $847,280, and pay $813,363.01 in restitution to the victims of his schemes.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Supervisory Official Matthew Galeotti, Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office; Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Thompson admitted to participating in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of companies he controlled. The companies included Alpha Bravo Tango LLC., Senergy Consulting Group Inc., and Novus Ordo Seclorum LLC. Through the scheme, Thompson fraudulently obtained $716,375. He spent a portion of the proceeds on vehicles, including a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador, and on renovating a home in North Carolina.

Thompson also joined a conspiracy to defraud equipment financing companies by submitting fraudulent invoices that falsely showed the sale of substantial quantities of computer servers and related equipment. Thompson and his co-conspirators caused borrowers to submit fraudulent invoices to lenders to support their loan applications to purchase items. After approval, lenders deposited loan proceeds into accounts controlled by Thompson and his co-conspirators. The lenders were unaware that the sales on the invoices never occurred. Thompson and his co-conspirators typically “kicked back” a portion of the proceeds to the borrower who submitted the application and kept the rest for themselves. Thompson personally participated in three executions of this scheme, causing approximately $813,362 in fraudulently induced lending.

Additionally, the co-conspirators caused more than $60 million of fraudulently induced lending across more than 350 separate loans through this scheme. Thompson’s principal co-conspirator, Craig David Davis, 49, of Venice, California, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced earlier this month to 93 months incarceration.

Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses, through the PPP, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA).  The SBA also offered an EIDL and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations.

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI, FDIC-OIG, SBA-OIG, and the FBI who investigated the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wenner, along with Trial Attorney David A. Peters from the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Devante Smith, 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with his role in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme. Through the conspiracy, victims lost at least $298,685. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office.

According to the guilty plea, beginning in June of 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Smith engaged in a conspiracy to defraud and obtain money under fraudulent pretenses in connection with an unemployment insurance scheme.  Smith obtained personal identifiable information of identity victims to fraudulently file claims for unemployment insurance with the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL).

Smith and his co-conspirators used the unemployment insurance benefits, which were designated to assist persons who were unemployed or underemployed due to the COVID-19 national emergency, for their own personal use. Additionally, Smith sent co-defendant Tiia Woods, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, text messages containing private information belonging to the identity victims such as identification cards and social security cards to use in support of the fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized increased unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits.  UI benefits have historically been a state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible workers.  The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide UI benefits for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including self-employed workers or independent contractors, who would not normally be eligible for UI benefits. 

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI, along with Bank of America – Detection and Complex Investigations Fraud Rings and Analytics, for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Lombardo Cusson and Harry M. Gruber who prosecuted the federal case

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Ryan Christopher Hall, 50, of Woodstock, Maryland, charging him with Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.  Hall is a former domestic violence detective who served 27 years with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven N. Shoemaker, Jr.; Sheriff James T. DeWees, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; and Sheriff Jeff Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the 10-count indictment, from May 2017 thru October 2024, Hall sexually abused two minor children. Authorities discovered that Hall installed cameras to produce child sexual abuse material and possessed child sexual abuse material.

If convicted, Hall faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hall’s initial appearance in federal court is set for Wednesday, March 19, before Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. 

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.  Learn more about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse; explain how to report online enticement and victimization; and offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters.  Learn more about Know2Protect at www.dhs.gov/know2protect.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit, and Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Unit for their combined effort and work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – After a one-week trial, a federal jury found Nichelle Henson, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of making false statements and for bank fraud in connection with fraudulent applications Henson filed to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the names of multiple purported businesses that she had previously incorporated in the state of Maryland.  

The trial conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Brian D. Miller, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR).

According to the evidence presented at trial, Henson incorporated several businesses with the State of Maryland, including Crowns Construction, LLC; Nichelle Henson Campaign, LLC; One Stop for Services, LLC; Your Friendly Tax Preparation Services, LLC; Women Entrepreneurs Can Succeed, LLC, and Peace of Mind Services, Inc.  The Defendant opened bank accounts in the names of some of her businesses and obtained Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the businesses.

In 2020 and 2021, she submitted six fraudulent EIDL applications to the SBA for her various businesses that contained false information concerning each business’s gross receipts, costs of goods sold, and number of employees.  At the time of the submissions, none of the businesses were operating, and none of the businesses had any employees.  As a result of the applications, Henson received $18,000 in United States Treasury funds from the SBA.  

Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA).  The SBA also offered an EIDL and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations.  An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000.

During this same period, Henson submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications to three SBA-approved lenders for her various purported businesses.  Each of these applications contained false information about each business’s number of employees and average monthly payroll, and each was supported by purported IRS tax forms listing employees and wages that were, in fact, never filed with the IRS. 

Between April 30, 2020 and June 29, 2020, Henson submitted six PPP applications for her various businesses.  One of these businesses was called Nichelle Henson Campaign (the “Campaign”), an entity that was meant to fund Henson’s run for Baltimore City Council.  However, at the time of the submission of the application for the Campaign on May 10, 2020, Henson had withdrawn her candidacy – approximately six months earlier, on November 19, 2019.

Another entity was called Crowns Construction, a purported construction business located in Baltimore City.  This business did not exist in any capacity, and the address used on the PPP loan application was nothing more than a vacant lot.  In support of the application for this business, Henson included a fabricated Baltimore Gas & Electric that purported to be for Crowns Construction but was in fact a bill belonging to a neighbor of Henson’s that she had scanned and then doctored using a PDF editing tool.  

Henson ultimately obtained $998,590 as a result of these six fraudulent applications. On January 19, 2021, Henson submitted six more fraudulent PPP loan applications—this time to M&T Bank—for each of her six purported businesses.  Each of these applications contained lies about the existence of each business, the number of their employees, and payroll paid.  And each application was supported by fabricated tax documents never filed with the IRS.  M&T funded five of the six loans, transferring $676,250 in PPP funds to Henson. Shortly thereafter Henson went to an M&T branch in Baltimore and withdrew $5,000 cash from each of her five M&T accounts where the PPP funds flowed.  M&T thereafter froze Henson’s accounts and notified law enforcement about the suspected fraud.

Henson used the EIDL and PPP loan funds to support businesses other than the borrowers, such as Wyse Rides, a used car business Henson attempted to open in Dundalk, Maryland.  The business never opened. Henson used the PPP funds she received in multiple ways impermissible under the PPP, including for cosmetic surgery, for extensive renovations to her home and a family member’s home, to pay a year’s rent for her personal home, to pay a year’s rent for a new business venture, and to fund other new business ventures, including a used car dealership—which never opened—and to create a cryptocurrency called Subina Coin and, relatedly, to fund an entity called the “Adageyhdi Indian Nation.”

In total, Henson obtained $1,694,451 in connection with her scheme to defraud.  

Henson faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of Bank Fraud, and a maximum possible sentence of 5 years in prison for each count of False Statements.  U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for August 5, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.  She will be required to pay restitution to the SBA and the victim financial institutions.  

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

United States Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, which conducted the investigation on behalf of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Riley and Joseph Wenner, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Julie Jarman. 

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Daniel Valentin-Morales, 35, of Frederick, Maryland, to 13 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for one count of coercion and enticement. Judge Bredar also ordered that Valentin-Morales must register as a sex offender in places where he resides and is employed, upon his release from prison, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department.

According to the plea agreement, Valentin-Morales used the social media application Snapchat to induce a minor victim to send several videos of her performing sex acts. Valentin-Morales then distributed the videos and additional child sexual abuse material videos to others. The investigation revealed that Valentin-Morales was a substitute teacher in Frederick County, Maryland.

In August 2020, and again in March 2021, investigators executed search warrants on Snapchat for records and the contents of Valentin-Morales’ account. Investigators learned that Valentin-Morales’ Snapchat account contained more than 200 files of suspected child sexual abuse material.

Additionally, investigators uncovered hundreds of chat messages expressing a sexual interest in minors, including with his own students. Valentin-Morales further communicated with minors to entice them to perform sexual acts and/or send him sexually explicit material that he distributed to users.

During a subsequent search warrant executed at Valentin-Morales’ home, law enforcement located multiple electronic devices.  During law enforcement’s review of a device, they found files containing child sexual abuse material, including images depicting a minor victim.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.  Learn more about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin who prosecuted the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury has convicted a Maryland woman for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and related charges for wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Maureen Wilson, 77, of Owings Mills, conspired with her husband James Wilson to defraud insurance companies by obtaining more than 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. Wilson also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that she used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies. 

After obtaining the policies, Maureen and James Wilson used forged signatures to make themselves, and other nominees they controlled, the owners and beneficiaries of the life insurance policies.  Maureen Wilson also impersonated other people when speaking with the life insurance companies.

Maureen Wilson and her husband concealed the fraud by transferring the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts.  She also filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively she made from her fraud.

She was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of money laundering and two counts of filing a false return.  Maureen Wilson was acquitted of one count of mail fraud.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 20. Maureen Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering; and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C. Field Office.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys (District of Maryland) Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay, and Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley, Justice Department Tax Division, are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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A federal jury convicted a Maryland woman yesterday for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and related charges for wire fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired with her husband James Wilson to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. Wilson also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that she used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.

To conceal the fraud, Wilson and her husband transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. Wilson filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively she made from her fraud.

Wilson was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of money laundering and two counts of filing a false return. She was acquitted of one count of mail fraud.

Maureen Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering; and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

Greenbelt, Maryland – On March 7, 2025 U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Jesus Manuel, age 44, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 58 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The sentence was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives- Baltimore Field Division (ATF).

According to the plea agreement, on October 28, 2023, at approximately 10:30 p.m., a Riverdale Park Police officer arrived at a restaurant in Riverdale Park, Maryland to begin work at his secondary employment position as a security guard.

Upon the officer’s arrival, a restaurant employee informed the officer that the defendant had attempted to enter the restaurant earlier in the evening wearing a fanny pack around his body that may have contained a firearm. The employee detailed the defendant’s physical description to the officer.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., the officer went to the restaurant parking lot after learning of an altercation taking place there. A male restaurant patron approached the officer and indicated that the defendant had threatened the patron with a firearm. Then, a second male patron approached the officer and indicated that the defendant had also threatened this second patron with a firearm. Both men pointed towards the defendant. The officer called for police dispatch and requested additional officers.

At approximately 3:10 a.m., officers saw the defendant standing near the restaurant’s kitchen door and approached him. The defendant was wearing the same fanny pack around his body.  The defendant saw the officers approaching and began to walk, then run, away. Officers chased the defendant across the restaurant parking lot, across Baltimore Avenue, and into another parking lot behind a fast-food establishment.  As he ran, the defendant fully removed the fanny pack from his body.  The defendant threw the fanny pack away from him.  The defendant was then placed in handcuffs. An officer retrieved from the ground the fanny pack that the defendant threw. As the officer picked up the fanny pack, he felt what he knew to be the muzzle of a handgun.

The officer then used a flashlight to see inside of the fanny pack and pulled out a firearm, specifically a Glock model 21 .45 caliber pistol, loaded with approximately 8 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. The defendant was prohibited from possessing both the firearm and ammunition because he had at least one prior felony conviction.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

United States Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and Riverdale Park Police for their work on the case. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke Oki and Dawn Williams who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Jorge Echeverri, 73, of Port Tobacco, Maryland, charging him with theft of government property, false statements, passport fraud, social security misuse, and false statement of citizenship.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Michael S. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); David Richeson, Special Agent in Charge Department of State, Diplomatic Security (DSS), Washington Field Office; and Collen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division. 

According to the indictment, Echeverri, a Colombian national, illegally entered the United States in 1972. He was deported three times, but unlawfully re-entered the United States for a fourth time between 1985 and 1987. Echeverri, who used a fraudulent birth certificate from Puerto Rico to create a fraudulent identity, then began living as a U.S. citizen named Pedro Torres Rivera. Under the Rivera identity, Echeverri unlawfully applied for and received retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration from May 2010 thru January 2025. Additionally, Echeverri applied for a U.S. Passport, voted in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, and misused a Social Security number.

If convicted, Echeverri faces up to 10 years for passport fraud and up to 10 years for theft of government property. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Document Benefit Fraud/El Dorado Task Force, DSS, and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Matthew C. Browndorf, 54, of Irvine, California, to more than five years in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Bonano, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). 

According to the guilty plea, the defendant served as an attorney licensed to practice law in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and was a named partner at a law firm. Browndorf was also majority owner and CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, which operated as a holding company for his various business endeavors. 

Plutos Sama, with Browndorf signing the purchase agreement as a managing member, procured the Fisher Law Group.  After Plutos Sama acquired the Fisher Law Group, it changed the name to BP Fisher which served as an organization that represented lending and loan servicing clients in foreclosure proceedings.  The newly acquired company had agreements with its clients to facilitate the foreclosure of a property, take out its expenses, and then return the remaining money.

BP Fisher also maintained an Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Account (IOLTA) and operating account, which the defendant oversaw. An IOLTA is maintained in a financial institution for the deposit of funds received or held by an attorney or law firm on behalf of a client or third person.  All funds received into an IOLTA account must be delivered in whole or in part to a client, unless received as payment for fees owed to the lawyer by the client or in reimbursement for expenses that the lawyer properly advanced on behalf of the client.

Over several years, the defendant led clients to believe that they had immediate access to the money in the two BP Fisher IOLTA accounts. But Browndorf was directing employees to transfer the clients’ money into Plutos Sama accounts and other accounts that he controlled.  The scheme caused more than $2.4 million in losses to BP Fisher’s clients. Browndorf used the stolen funds to pay for expenses such as his American Express credit card bill, car-lease payment to Ferrari and Maserati of Newport Beach, and mortgage.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and FHFA-OIG for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma, Joshua Rosenthal, and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Charles Anthony Keemer, age 64, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty, yesterday, to aiding and assisting the preparation and filing of a false and fraudulent tax return.

The guilty plea was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, Washington Field Office.

During the timeframe covered by the indictment, Keemer prepared U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040 (“income tax returns”) for clients in exchange for fees.  Keeemer did so even though he was not registered as a tax preparer with any federal, state, or local regulator; had neither education nor work experience in the area of tax preparation; and did not report income earned from the tax preparation business on his own income tax returns.

According to the plea agreement, during the tax years 2013 through 2016, Keemer prepared and submitted to the IRS hundreds of income tax returns on behalf of his clients.  He prepared and submitted his clients’ income tax returns electronically through online tax preparation software, typically from locations in Maryland.  Keemer further met with clients at various locations in Maryland to receive payment for the tax returns that he prepared.

Keemer added materially false items to the income tax returns he prepared for his clients for the purpose of fraudulently increasing the size of the tax refund returned by the IRS to the clients.  Such materially false items included, among other things, fictitious Schedule C businesses and false, fraudulent, and fictious expenses ostensibly incurred in connection therewith.

In total, the tax loss caused to the IRS as a direct result of Keemer’s actions for the relevant tax years was approximately $128,691.

Keemer faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.   

United States Attorney Hayes commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division for their work on the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke Oki and Coreen Mao who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, February 28, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national, pled guilty to a federal charge for wire fraud conspiracy.  Jemide, who was recently extradited from France, was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.

Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.

“Mr. Jemide and his co-conspirators’ greed and utter disregard for the suffering of those who need national emergency assistance, by stealing from the government, will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Hayes. “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to hold those accountable who try to defraud our government through fraud, waste, and abuse during times of crisis.”

“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals who defraud the federal government for their own personal gain will be identified and held accountable,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, PhD.  “DHS-OIG is grateful for our continued partnership with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting waste, fraud, and abuse.”

During the timeframe covered by the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires.  Among other benefits, an individual in an area affected was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials.  Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, which included deposits on prepaid debit cards.

According to the guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards.  Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.  Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.

In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires, Jemide, and other co-conspirators from Nigeria, used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits.  FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.

“Bringing these criminals to justice prevents further victimization of American taxpayers and abuse of the programs put in place as safety nets for the most vulnerable in our country,” said SAC McCool. “This investigation underscores the Secret Service’s global reach and steadfast commitment, in collaboration with our partner agencies, to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and relentlessly pursue those committing them.”

In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and other personal identifiers.

“Newton Ofioritse Jemide and his co-conspirators misused Social Security numbers to steal government funds via SSA’s online services. The misuse of SSA’s e-Services to defraud SSA and rightful beneficiaries and recipients will not be tolerated at any level,” said Acting SAC Lawlor. “Our office will continue to investigate those who abuse SSA programs and operations, including its e-Services, for their own selfish gain. I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”

As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards.  The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards.  Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.  Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.

Jemide faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow.  

United States Attorney Hayes commended DHS-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has sentenced Ambrose A. Obinna Warrior, 44, of Milford Mill, Maryland, to 42 months in federal prison. Warrior served as an unlicensed money transmitter in connection with various romance, business email compromise, and investment schemes.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.

According to the plea agreement, beginning in March 2018, and continuing through at least August 2021, Warrior received victims’ funds and transferred them to other scheme participants through federally insured financial institutions in exchange for a percentage.  Warrior opened personal and business bank accounts and formed the limited liability company, The Golden Voice of Orientals, to conduct, control, manage, and direct his unlicensed money transmitting business.

Additionally, Warrior used WhatsApp to communicate bank account information to other scheme participants and his fee for receiving and transmitting funds from victims, which was usually 20 percent or more.  After depositing the funds, Warrior retained a portion of the money as a fee and ensured others received a portion of the fraudulent funds.  Warrior also transferred victims’ funds to scheme participants overseas.

In total, Warrior transmitted or attempted to transfer more than $700,000 in proceeds from various schemes. Victims lost at least $467,912.

Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older, and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).  This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers through assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis.  The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday.  English, Spanish, and other languages are available.  Learn more about the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at www.elderjustice.gov.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and United States Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Lombardo Cusson and Adeyemi Adenrele who prosecuted the federal case. The FBI's Baltimore and Salt Lake City Field Offices, along with the St. George Resident Agency, investigated this case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Kelly O. Hayes was appointed and sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.  Prior to her appointment, she served as the Chief of the Southern Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland since 2021.

Ms. Hayes began serving the District of Maryland in 2013 as an Assistant United States Attorney.   Additionally, she served as Principal Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, and Deputy Appellate Chief for the District. As Chief of the Southern Division, Ms. Hayes oversaw all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Southern Division, including prosecutions related to MS-13, violent crime and illegal firearm possession and trafficking offenses, human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, and illegal immigration offenses.

“I have spent over a decade witnessing the incredible and impactful work my colleagues do every day, and I am beyond honored to lead this Office as we continue to serve and protect the people of Maryland and the United States,” Interim U.S. Attorney Hayes said. “In cooperation with our federal, state, and local partners, I am confident that the outstanding men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly and zealously to combat criminal activity that harms the people of the United States and to steadfastly represent the interests of the United States. I thank the President and the Attorney General for placing their confidence in me.  It is the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role.”  

Raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Ms. Hayes completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland at College Park.  She then earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Following law school, Ms. Hayes clerked for the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino in the Southern District of California.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, a Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty to bribing a United States General Services Administration (GSA) official.

According to court documents, James Tillman, 57, bribed a public official (Public Official A), a former GSA contracting officer representative.  GSA is a federal agency that manages federal property.  Tillman was the sole owner of a general construction company that performed subcontracting work on GSA projects.

Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon, Justice Department Criminal Division; GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson, GSA Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Deputy Inspector General Kelly P. Mayo, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D., U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) made the announcement.

As outlined in court documents, in 2020 and 2021, Tillman provided approximately $59,800 worth of money and items of value to Public Official A in exchange for Public Official A’s role in directing GSA federal-project work to Tillman’s company.  In 2020, Tillman paid Public Official A approximately $8,000 cash in a parking lot in Clinton, Maryland and in 2021, at Public Official A’s direction, Tillman purchased a sports car for Public Official A.  Tillman and his company grossed more than $100,000 in profits from this scheme.

Tillman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal public official and bribery of a federal public official.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release.  U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2025 at 2 p.m.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended GSA-OIG, FBI Baltimore Field Office, DOD-OIG, and DHS-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson, who are prosecuting the federal case. 

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – After a seven-day trial, a federal jury returned a verdict against OJ Rashad Green, also known as “Ice” age 36, of Accokeek, finding him guilty of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl, a controlled substance, on multiple occasions. 

The guilty verdict was announced by Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department, Sheriff Troy Berry of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., of the Maryland State Police.

“As proven at Defendant Green’s federal trial he sold fentanyl that fueled the opioid crisis in Southern Maryland,” stated Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden.  “Maryland has been deeply impacted by the opioid crisis, and the District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with our federal, state and local partners, will continue our tireless efforts to prosecute drug traffickers responsible for this crisis.”

Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division stated that “to protect the American public, it is the mission of the DEA to investigate and take down violent drug traffickers like Mr. Green, that are preying on our citizens illegally distributing fake pills containing lethal amounts of fentanyl with no regard for human lives. Today’s guilty verdict emphasizes our commitment to the tireless work of investigating and prosecuting those responsible for fueling addiction and deadly overdoses and poisonings in our area – saving lives in our communities.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, from on or about January 21, 2022 through September 28, 2022 the Defendant, OJ Rashad Green, repeatedly distributed fentanyl in the Accokeek, Maryland area.  These distributions happened at both a home he controlled in Accokeek and during in-person deliveries at various locations to users and other dealers.  The Defendant employed individuals as both testers of the fentanyl that the Defendant mixed with various other substances, and as runners to meet customers outside the home.

A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled sentencing for a future date.

Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the DEA and PGPD, for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Brooke Oki, who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Baltimore,  Maryland – Justin Riggs, 35, of Smithsburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty, yesterday, to federal charges of Conspiracy to Distribute and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances, Use of a Communication Facility in Causing or Facilitating the Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances, and Travel Act-State of Maryland Bribery.   

Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Division.

“As a law enforcement officer, Justin Riggs violated his sworn duty to uphold the public trust and put a life in harm’s way,” stated Acting United States Attorney Selden.  “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue corrupt law-enforcement officers who try to dishonor their badge as we also work to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish.”

“Not only did Riggs deliberately and willingly violate the oath he took as a sworn law enforcement officer, but he also put other lives at risk with his greed and deceit,” said SAC DelBagno. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to thoroughly investigate such cases to protect the American people and preserve public trust in law enforcement.” 

According to his guilty plea, in December 2022, Riggs — who was serving as a Maryland State Trooper — was part of a Maryland State Police team investigating drug-and-gun trafficking in Western Maryland.  The team used at least one confidential human source during the investigation.  Riggs created a fictitious Facebook account to contact a drug-distributor target.  While corresponding with the drug distributor, Riggs informed the drug distributor that he worked “for a fed agency.”  Riggs also told the drug distributor that he had “tons more info pertaining to your biggest informant.”  The former Maryland state trooper initiated several electronic conversations with the drug distributor between 2022 and 2023, attempting to sell the informant’s identity.

The parties have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Riggs will receive a sentence between 48 and 108 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher will schedule sentencing for a later date.

Acting United States Attorney Selden commended the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Maryland State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Goo and Sean Delaney who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted David Alain Schmidt, 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, charging him with producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Phil Selden, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department.

According to the indictment, in October 2024, Schmidt enticed a minor to produce child sexual abuse material and he also possessed sexually explicit images of a minor victim.

If convicted, Schmidt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

Acting U.S. Attorney Selden commended HSI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.  Learn about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page. 

Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse; explain how to report online enticement and victimization; and offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters.  Learn more about Know2Protect at www.dhs.gov/know2protect.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, today, sentenced Joseph Gillespie, age 35, of Baltimore City, Maryland, to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release in connection with a bribery scheme and conspiracy to commit wire fraud scheme involving COVID-19 CARES Act relief benefits.

Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office.

“Defendant Gillespie abused the public trust through a bribery scheme and took advantage of money meant to help during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Acting United States Attorney Selden. “When government employees take bribes and public funds, it harms the very communities they are meant to serve. The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue those who try to compromise the public trust.”

“Gillespie’s extensive schemes and lies ultimately cost hardworking taxpayers. Instead of performing his job with honesty, he looked for illicit ways to line his own pockets. This sentence proves that corruption never pays,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to holding accountable those who try to cheat the system for their own benefit and profit.”

According to Gillespie’s plea agreement, beginning in 2016, and continuing to 2023, the Defendant engaged in a bribery scheme in which he abused his position of trust as a public official within the Baltimore City Department of Finance for his own personal gain.

As an employee of the Baltimore City Department of Finance, Revenue Collections Department, Gillespie routinely accepted bribes from various property owners in Baltimore City (“the City”) whose property was subject to certain financial obligations, and if the obligations remained unpaid, to a tax sale.  He accepted these bribes — typically 10-15 percent of the amount owed to the City — in exchange for removing or extinguishing these financial obligations, including for citations, tax obligations, and water obligations – thereby causing losses to the City.  Gillespie also accepted bribes in exchange for delaying or postponing — without approval or permission from other City officials — due dates for the payment of outstanding financial obligations, fines, and payments owed to the City, thus forestalling the placement of a lien on the property by the City.

Once Gillespie received the bribe payment, he would extinguish the financial obligation owed to the City by marking the obligations as paid in the City’s online records.  After removing the obligation, the Defendant would, at times, send a photograph of a cashier slip from his office reflecting that a payment was made towards a financial obligation owed to the City when, in fact, no such payment was made.

Gillespie engaged in multiple covertly recorded telephone and video conversations with an FBI undercover agent (UC), in which the Defendant and the UC discussed the specifics of the bribery scheme outlined above.

For example, in a recorded phone conversation with the UC, the UC confirmed the size of the bribe payment with the Defendant: “[S]o you want 100 for each property?” Defendant said, “yeah that’s basically how I do.”  Gillespie then informed the UC that he (Gillespie) had a “girl” in “water”— i.e., the Baltimore City Department of Public Works — that could “wipe some s*** out,” referring to financial obligations owed to the City.

During a covert video recording of the conversation with the UC, Gillespie told the UC that he had the ability to “wipe a bill off” the City’s record of outstanding obligations tied to a particular property or to “put paid next to ‘em,” even though the financial obligation had not in fact been paid.  The Defendant further stated that he removed certain financial obligations linked to the properties that the UC told the Defendant were his, stating “[t]here was a couple, extra miscellaneous bills that y’all had that I wiped off . . . . That s*** gone now.”

Gillespie also extended the deadline for payment of financial obligations owed to the City on eight properties by three months.  Gillespie asked for $800 in bribes in return — $100 for each of the eight properties, and, during the recorded meeting, the UC provided Gillespie $800 cash.  Gillespie also stated that he had the ability to wipe out overdue water bills owed to the City, “Once I let you know [about a big water bill], I’ll give it to my girl, and I’ll tell you what you need to give me for her to knock it off.”  Gillespie then stated:

"Going forward, I’m just your inside man . . . That’s what I do for a lot of different people around the City.  You know what I mean – manage their s*** for them a little bit. . . .  I’m gonna go look at your s***.  Anyone with a high water bill I’m gonna text you the address, and I’m gonna tell you what I need, and we can knock them out going forward with that . . . . Any water bill that’s too high, I’ll get my girl to take care of that."

Gillespie’s bribery scheme continued for years thereafter, and he admitted that he enlisted the help of multiple co-conspirators in connection with his scheme.  According to the plea agreement, Gillespie received more than $250,000 in connection with the bribery scheme and caused losses to the City in excess of $1,250,000.

Further, Gillespie also engaged in a scheme to fraudulent COVID-19 CARES relief funds.  Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), administered through the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

For example, in 2021, Gillespie and co-defendant Ahmed (“Adam”) Sary submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application to Cross River Bank to obtain a PPP loan for JAG Investments (“JAG”), a company the Defendant owned.  The PPP loan application contained numerous material misrepresentations, including that JAG, in 2019, had 19 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $55,000. In support of the loan application, a fabricated 2019 Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 940 – Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return – was submitted, which falsely stated that JAG’s total payments to employees, in 2019, was more than $275,000.

Based on the false representations and fraudulent submissions made on behalf of Gillespie as the owner of JAG, the PPP loan was funded on March 6, 2021, and approximately $138,000 was distributed to a bank account controlled by Gillespie. Gillespie agreed to pay Sary kickbacks totaling $38,000 for his work in submitting the false application and obtaining the fraudulent PPP loan.  In addition, after receipt of the PPP loan, Gillespie established payroll services for JAG to facilitate documentation that would later be used to substantiate a request for the PPP loan to be forgiven.

The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended the FBI for their work in the investigation, the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Baltimore City Inspector General for assistance as well.  Mr. Selden thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Evelyn L. Cusson who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Igor Yasinov, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 110 months in prison and three years of supervised release for four counts of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees, Inflicting Bodily Injury.

Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland, and Carolyn J. Scruggs, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, on November 16, 2021, Yasinov assaulted multiple correctional-staff members at the Chesapeake Detention Facility (CDF), causing several injuries.  CDF is a pretrial detention facility located in Baltimore, Maryland.  In November 2021, CDF exclusively housed federal inmates awaiting the disposition of criminal cases in the District of Maryland, pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. Marshal Service (USMS) and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).  DPSCS employs correctional officers to effectuate the goals and directives of USMS.

The assaults began with Yasinov breaking a control-center window within the facility with a broom stick that caused him to sustain minor injuries.  As correctional staff transported Yasinov to the medical unit for treatment, he began threatening the escorting correctional officers.  After receiving medical treatment, Yasinov was transported to a segregation unit. Although he was initially cooperative, Yasinov became irate and refused to follow the correctional officers’ orders after he learned that he was not returning to his original housing unit.

Yasinov refused to lock, or return, into his cell.  As correctional officers attempted to escort him into the cell, he began to fight them.  Yasinov swept the leg of one correctional officer, causing her and other officers to fall to the ground.  Eventually, correctional officers were able to apply leg irons to Yasinov’s legs to prevent further attacks, enabling them to carry him to his cell.  While in the cell, Yasinov continued fighting officers. Ultimately, Yasinov relented, and allowed officers to remove the leg irons.  Staff ordered Yasinov to face the wall to allow the group to exit the cell individually.  Yasinov was told to continue facing the wall until all officers exited and the door to the cell was closed.

As the last officer attempted to exit the cell, Yasinov charged the group, slamming his body into them.  Yasinov continued to flail on the floor, kicking officers and attempting to strike them with his hands.  As a result of Yasinov’s actions, several officers who sustained bodily injuries, including one officer, who suffered a fractured tibia, and three other officers who sustained injuries to their heads, necks, backs, and limbs.

Acting United States Attorney Selden commended the U.S. Marshal Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Gordin who prosecuted the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Xavier Jones, 26, of Washington, D.C., to 22 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for his role in robbing four cell phone stores in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Prince George’s County, Maryland. Jones was also ordered to pay $74,141.26 in restitution. 

Phil Selden, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the parties’ plea agreement, Jones and his co-conspirators brandished firearms during the robberies, threatened to kill employees and customers, physically moved victims throughout the stores, and pepper sprayed victims during one of the robberies.

The final robbery occurred on December 23, 2020, at an AT&T store in Owings Mills, Maryland.  Co-conspirator Rico Dashiell, 26, of Fort Washington, Maryland, entered the AT&T store pretending to be a customer.  After Jones and co-conspirator Donte Herring, 25, of Washington, DC, entered the store, Dashiell brandished a firearm announcing a robbery.  Jones and Herring stole $48,767 worth of Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices, 76 in total.

Additionally, Dashiell directed an employee to open the store’s cash register before stealing $322.  The perpetrators forced three victims into a room containing a safe and then proceeded to pepper spray them.  The robbers then fled the store in a stolen Kia Niro with registration tags from another vehicle.  During the course of their conduct, the robbers inadvertently took a 3SI GPS tracker which was in one of the stolen cell phone boxes.  As the perpetrators fled, the tracker was activated.  Law enforcement tracked the stolen vehicle to a single-family residence in Catonsville, Maryland where a friend of Jones lived.  Aviation units observed and filmed the robbers outside of the residence unloading the stolen AT&T merchandise and taking the items into the residence.  Law enforcement also found a stolen Dodge Caravan from a previous robbery at the residence.     

The initial robbery happened on October 23, 2020, at a Verizon store in College Park, Maryland. Jones and a co-conspirator forced victims into a backroom before directing an employee to open a safe. The robbers then proceeded to steal $21,440.93 in mobile devices.

Then on December 8, 2020, Jones and a co-conspirator robbed the Russell Cellular Verizon store in Columbia, Maryland.  Jones and a co-conspirator initially posed as customers before pulling a firearm on an employee.  The robbers then moved the employee into a backroom, ordering him to open the safe.  Jones and his co-conspirator stole $22,000.33 worth of mobile devices — including numerous iPhones — and $1,273, from the safe.

On December 17, 2020, Jones and Herring robbed another Russell Cellular Verizon store – this time in Halethorpe, Maryland. The perpetrators again initially posed as customers before brandishing firearms and pointing them at an employee. Herring ordered the employee to open a safe and then they proceeded to steal various electronic devices — including multiple boxes of Apple cellular phones, watches, and iPads — worth approximately $27,940.  Additionally, Herring forced the employee to give him $1,313 from the cash register. They then fled in a stolen Dodge Caravan.    

Dashiell previously pleaded guilty for his role in the robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.  Herring was convicted at trial and has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Selden commended the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Michael F. Aubin who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Erek L. Barron resigned as United States Attorney for the District of Maryland on February 12, 2025.  Mr. Barron announced his resignation, effective today. Mr. Barron has served in the position since October 7, 2021.

Statement from U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron:

“Serving as United States Attorney has been the honor of a lifetime. The office’s career attorneys and administrative staff are public servants of exceptional caliber. In support of our mission, they perform their responsibilities with excellence while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and working with them has been a great privilege. I am immeasurably proud of the justice we have done together.”

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today unsealed criminal charges against Roman Berezhnoy, 33, and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, 39, both Russian nationals, who allegedly operated a cybercrime group using the Phobos ransomware that victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities in the United States and around the world and received over $16 million in ransom payments. Berezhnoy and Glebov were arrested yesterday as part of a coordinated international disruption of their organization, which includes additional arrests and the technical disruption of the group’s computer infrastructure.

From May 2019, through at least October 2024, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly caused victims to suffer losses resulting from the loss of access to their data in addition to the financial losses associated with the ransomware payments. The victims included a children’s hospital, health care providers, and educational institutions.

According to court documents, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others operated a ransomware affiliate organization, including under the names “8Base” and “Affiliate 2803,” among others, that victimized public and private entities through the deployment of Phobos ransomware.

As part of the scheme, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly hacked into victim computer networks, copied and stole files and programs on the victims’ network, and encrypted the original versions of the stolen data with Phobos ransomware. The conspirators then allegedly extorted the victims for ransom payments in exchange for the decryption keys to regain access to the encrypted data by, among other things, leaving a ransom note on compromised victim computers and separately reaching out to victims to initiate ransom payment negotiations.

As alleged, the conspirators also threatened to expose victims’ stolen files to the public or to the victims’ clients, customers, or constituents if the ransoms were not paid. The conspirators are further alleged to have established and operated a darknet website where they repeated their extortionate threats and ultimately published the stolen data if a victim failed to pay the ransom.

After a successful Phobos ransomware attack, criminal affiliates paid fees to Phobos administrators for a decryption key to regain access to the encrypted files. Each deployment of Phobos ransomware was assigned a unique alphanumeric string in order to match it to the corresponding decryption key, and each affiliate was directed to pay the decryption key fee to a cryptocurrency wallet unique to that affiliate.

The charges unsealed today against Berezhnoy and Glebov follow the recent arrest and extradition of Evgenii Ptitsyn, a Russian national, on charges relating to his alleged administration of the Phobos ransomware variant.

In parallel with today’s arrests, Europol and German authorities have announced an international operation involving the FBI and other international law enforcement partners to disrupt over 100 servers associated with this criminal network.

Berezhnoy and Glebov are charged in an 11-count indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, three counts of causing intentional damage to protected computers, three counts of extortion in relation to damage to a protected computer, one count of transmitting a threat to impair the confidentiality of stolen data, and one count of unauthorized access and obtaining information from a protected computer. If convicted, Berezhnoy and Glebov face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud-related count; 10 years in prison on each computer damage count; and five years in prison on each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement.

The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Thailand, Finland, Switzerland, and Romania, as well as Europol and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, for their cooperation and coordination with the Phobos ransomware investigation. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs also provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan for the District of Maryland and Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Former CCIPS Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Jeffrey J. Izant for the District of Maryland provided substantial assistance.

Additional details on protecting networks against Phobos ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov, including Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisory AA24-060A.

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

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Note: View the superseding indictment here.

Phobos Ransomware Group Alleged to have Attacked Over 1,000 Victims Worldwide

The Justice Department today unsealed criminal charges against Roman Berezhnoy, 33, and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, 39, both Russian nationals, who allegedly operated a cybercrime group using the Phobos ransomware that victimized more than 1,000 public and private entities in the United States and around the world and received over $16 million in ransom payments. Berezhnoy and Glebov were arrested this week as part of a coordinated international disruption of their organization, which includes additional arrests and the technical disruption of the group’s computer infrastructure.

From May 2019, through at least October 2024, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly caused victims to suffer losses resulting from the loss of access to their data in addition to the financial losses associated with the ransomware payments. The victims included a children’s hospital, health care providers, and educational institutions.

According to court documents, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others operated a ransomware affiliate organization, including under the names "8Base" and "Affiliate 2803," among others, that victimized public and private entities through the deployment of Phobos ransomware.

As part of the scheme, Berezhnoy, Glebov, and others allegedly hacked into victim computer networks, copied and stole files and programs on the victims' network, and encrypted the original versions of the stolen data with Phobos ransomware. The conspirators then allegedly extorted the victims for ransom payments in exchange for the decryption keys to regain access to the encrypted data by, among other things, leaving a ransom note on compromised victim computers and separately reaching out to victims to initiate ransom payment negotiations.

As alleged, the conspirators also threatened to expose victims’ stolen files to the public or to the victims’ clients, customers, or constituents if the ransoms were not paid. The conspirators are further alleged to have established and operated a darknet website where they repeated their extortionate threats and ultimately published the stolen data if a victim failed to pay the ransom.

After a successful Phobos ransomware attack, criminal affiliates paid fees to Phobos administrators for a decryption key to regain access to the encrypted files. Each deployment of Phobos ransomware was assigned a unique alphanumeric string in order to match it to the corresponding decryption key, and each affiliate was directed to pay the decryption key fee to a cryptocurrency wallet unique to that affiliate.

The charges unsealed today against Berezhnoy and Glebov follow the recent arrest and extradition of Evgenii Ptitsyn, a Russian national, on charges relating to his alleged administration of the Phobos ransomware variant.

In parallel with this week’s arrests, Europol and German authorities have announced an international operation involving the FBI and other international law enforcement partners to disrupt over 100 servers associated with this criminal network.

Berezhnoy and Glebov are charged in an 11-count indictment with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, three counts of causing intentional damage to protected computers, three counts of extortion in relation to damage to a protected computer, one count of transmitting a threat to impair the confidentiality of stolen data, and one count of unauthorized access and obtaining information from a protected computer. If convicted, Berezhnoy and Glebov face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud-related count; 10 years in prison on each computer damage count; and five years in prison on each of the other counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland, Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, France, Thailand, Finland, Switzerland, and Romania, as well as Europol and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, for their cooperation and coordination with the Phobos ransomware investigation. The National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided valuable assistance.

Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Former CCIPS Trial Attorney Riane Harper and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Jeffrey J. Izant for the District of Maryland provided substantial assistance.

Additional details on protecting networks against Phobos ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov, including Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisory AA24-060A.

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