District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – Larry Haynes, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to attempt to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on January 21, 2022, Haynes attempted to rob a convenience store in Baltimore City.  After the clerk refused to comply with Haynes’ demands, Haynes showed the clerk a gun tucked within his waistband.  Subsequently, the clerk called the convenience store manager who fled to the manager’s office and called 911.

As stated in his plea agreement, off duty Maryland State Police officers responded to the scene and detained Haynes until Baltimore City police officers arrived.  MSP officers recovered a 9mm handgun loaded with 9mm cartridges from Haynes’ waistband.  The attempted robbery was captured on in-house store security cameras.

Haynes agrees that at the time of the attempted robbery, he was on supervised release for a prior federal firearms offense.

Haynes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by up by three years of supervised release for attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery.   U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for September 7, 2022 at 10:30 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, MSP, and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia McLane, 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging Ziyon Thompson, age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, for interference with commerce by extortion, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and for use of a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in connection with the murder of an alleged marijuana trafficker.  

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to the three-count indictment and other court documents, from March 2022 through May 2022, Thompson conspired with others, including three individuals in California, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. 

The indictment and other court documents allege that on May 8, 2022, Thompson kidnapped the victim, who was one of the individuals he conspired with in California to traffic large quantities of marijuana from California to Maryland.  The victim had traveled to Maryland to meet with Thompson to discuss their business.  Court documents allege that after kidnapping the victim, Thompson “FaceTimed” one of the victim’s associates in California, filmed the victim, who was bound and gagged, and demanded 200 pounds of marijuana and $50,000 for the safe return of the victim. 

As detailed in court documents and alleged in the indictment, after not receiving the demanded ransom, Thompson shot the victim, killing him.  Firefighters responding to a house fire in a vacant residence in the 300 block of Furrow Street in Baltimore discovered the burnt body of the victim.  Baltimore Police Department homicide detectives recovered a gas can and shell casings in the residence and Baltimore Fire Department investigators ruled that the fire was intentionally set. 

If convicted, Thompson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for interference with commerce by extortion and for the drug conspiracy; and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for use of a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  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.  Thompson is detained in federal custody and is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane, 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Tarance Damon Cousar, age 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 102 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a stolen firearm.  Cousar was a previously convicted felon and knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.  Cousar admitted that he knew, or had reason to know, that the gun was stolen.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, in 2021, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking and firearms-related incidents in the area of the 1200 block of West Baltimore Street in Baltimore.  Investigators monitored members of a suspected drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) who conducted hand-to-hand transactions of suspected controlled dangerous substances (“CDS”).  Individuals, including Tarance Cousar, were seen on CCTV exchanging cash for vials containing suspected CDS, frequently out in the open. 

In April 2021, investigators purchased a total of 11 vials of suspected MDMA, also known as Ecstasy.  Lab analysis of the drugs determined that it was Eutylone, a controlled substance that is a substitute of MDMA.  On June 17, 2021, investigators watching the CCTV feed again observed Cousar conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction.

As detailed in the plea agreement, on June 24, 2021, law enforcement executed court-authorized search warrants at Cousar’s residence, on his vehicle, and on his person.  When law enforcement arrived at Cousar’s residence, Cousar was found in the living room.  Investigators recovered:  a 9mm pistol and 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition located in the pistol’s magazine; one black plastic bag containing 62 grams of Eutylone, along with empty packaging material; a digital scale with a white powdery residue; a black plastic bag containing drug packaging material; and a cell phone.  Law enforcement checked the serial number on the firearm and learned that it had been stolen from North Carolina. 

Cousar admitted that everything found in the house belonged to him.  Further, Cousar knew that as a result of previous convictions for possession with intent to distribute CDS, voluntary manslaughter, and use of a handgun in a crime of violence, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Garnell Eugene Graves, age 58, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty yesterday to four counts of sexual exploitation of a child in relation to the sexual abuse of five minor victims. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Not only did Graves inflict abuse on generations of victims, molest minor victims, and sexually abuse children for over a decade, but he also threatened to sexually abuse other children if the victims attempted to end the cycle of abuse,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “Our office will continue to obtain justice for child abuse survivors and actively prosecute predators who abuse the most vulnerable among us.”

"Mr. Graves displayed horrific and disturbing behavior victimizing innocent children over and over again," said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything in our power to hold perpetrators accountable and to protect others from harm."

According to his guilty plea, from 2007 to 2020, Graves sexually abused five minors between the ages of 6 and 13 years old.  Beginning in 2007, Graves frequently sexually abused Minor Victim 1 and continued to sexually abuse Minor Victim 1 until she was 13 years old.  When Minor Victim 1 was approximately 8 and 9 years old, Graves showed Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 1’s friend adult pornography and asked the two children to participate in sex acts like those conducted in the video with him.  Over the course of several years, Graves engaged in oral and vaginal sex with Minor Victim 1 and, in some instances, Graves recorded the sexual encounters.  At times, Graves showed Minor Victim 1 the videos of the abuse.  Graves also often gave Minor Victim 1 gifts, including a smartphone, in exchange for her “forgiveness” and to encourage her not to inform her mother. 

Additionally, Graves placed a hidden camera in Minor Victim 1’s bedroom and recorded videos of Minor Victim 1 in various stages of undress.  Approximately 10 videos of this conduct were located on Graves’ digital devices.

Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 2 when Minor Victim 2 was 12-years-old.  On three occasions, Graves photographed himself sexually abusing Minor Victim 2, who appeared to be sleeping at the time of the abuse.  The images were located on Graves’ digital devices.

Similar to his conduct with Minor Victim 1, Graves showed pornography to Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 4 on a social media platform and told the victims of his desire to do the same conduct with them.

Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 3 from age 6 through age 13.  In at least one instance during an interaction with Minor Victim 3, Graves told Minor Victim 3 that they would get married and have children in the future.  Graves also showed Minor Victim 3 pictures of him and Minor Victim 1 engaging in sex acts when Minor Victim 1 was a minor.  In order to conceal his conduct and prevent Minor Victim 3 from disclosing Graves’ abuse to others, Graves provided Minor Victim 3 with food, money, and other gifts.  After Minor Victim 3 tried to end the abuse, Graves threatened Minor Victim 3 by telling her that if she stopped, he would abuse Minor Victim 5.  Graves’ abuse of Minor Victim 3 included oral, vaginal, and anal sex.

On at least 11 instances between 2014 and 2017, Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 3 and produced videos and images of that abuse.  The videos and images were located on Graves’ digital devices.

Graves sexually abused Minor Victim 4 when she was between 9 and 10-years old.  In 2017, Graves produced ten images Minor Victim 4 laying on a bed with her genitals exposed.  The images were located on Graves’ digital devices.

When Minor Victim 5 was approximately 6 or 7 years old, Graves entered the room where she was sleeping and took her to another room.  Graves proceeded to sexually abuse Minor Victim 5 by rubbing his genitals on Minor Victim 5’s genitals.  After the encounter, Graves instructed Minor Victim 5 not to tell anyone. 

In 1991, Graves was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a minor child in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  Additionally, in 1998, Graves was convicted of sexual offense in the third-degree in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Graves faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years and maximum of 50 years in federal prison for each of the four counts of sexual exploitation of a child followed up by up to a lifetime of supervised release.  U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office, and the BPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Joseph Liberto, age 47, of New Windsor, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 12 months of home detention, and three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy in connection with his company’s contract to perform repairs at U.S. Postal Service (USPS) facilities.  Judge Bennett also ordered Liberto to pay restitution of $941,629.17 and to pay a fine of $100,000.  Judge Bennett further ordered that $100,000 in restitution and the $100,000 fine must be paid by the time Liberto reports to prison on September 10, 2022.  The sentence was imposed on June 10, 2022.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

According to his plea agreement, between 2013 and 2018, Joseph Liberto, who was President and 50% co-owner of Sierra Construction LLC, in Frederick, Maryland, contracted with EMCOR-CSC to provide repair services to USPS facilities.  EMCOR acted as the clearing house responsible for receiving service calls for needed maintenance and repair work on its customers’ facilities, including the USPS, and assigning such work to service providers, such as Liberto and Sierra.  Liberto admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud EMCOR and the USPS by fraudulently concealing Sierra’s use of subcontractors to carry out maintenance work it was assigned to perform, inflating the number of hours and cost of repairs, and providing false documents to EMCOR, in order to overcharge the USPS.  Sierra obtained more than $940,000 through these fraudulent overbillings.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Contract Fraud Investigation Division of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jefferson M. Gray and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Nicholas John Roske, age 26, of Simi Valley, California, for federal charges of attempting to murder a Justice of the United States, specifically, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.  An initial appearance for Roske has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and U.S Marshal Johnny Hughes.

According to the one-count indictment and other court documents, on June 8, 2022, Roske intended to kill an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.  Court documents alleges that Roske traveled from California to Maryland, intending to kill the Supreme Court Justice, arriving at the residence of a current Justice of the Supreme Court in the early morning hours of June 8, 2022.

The indictment includes a forfeiture allegation seeking the forfeiture of a firearm, two magazines loaded with 10 rounds each of 9mm ammunition; 17 rounds of ammunition contained in a plastic bag, a black speed loader, and additional items allegedly intended to be used in the commission of the crime.

If convicted, Roske faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for attempting to assassinate a Justice of the United States.  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. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the United States Supreme Court Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Kenneth Coffland, age 67, of Riva, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to extortion committed in connection with the operation of a state government contract for information technology (IT) services.

The guilty plea was entered on late on June 7, 2022, and announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Coffland used his relationship with co-defendant Isabel FitzGerald to compel Company # 1 to re-hire Coffland for a position on a state contract that he had resigned from 18 months earlier, at a substantially increased salary and with a bonus agreement that was far more lucrative than that what Coffland had previously enjoyed. 

From 2009 to September 2011, Coffland was an employee of Company # 1, an IT company that held a large contract with the Maryland State Department of Human Resources (DHR) to operate a data center that was used to host various applications that provided social welfare benefits under various federal and state programs (“the Hosting Contract”).  In 2010, Company # 1 promoted Coffland to the position of Hosting Director on this contract, with overall responsibility for ensuring that Company # 1’s operation of the data center met its contractual obligations to DHR.  Coffland’s annual salary as Hosting Director in 2010-11 was approximately $171,000, plus a potential bonus of up to 20% of his salary. 

While working first as an employee of Company # 1 on the Hosting Contract and later as the Hosting Director, Coffland developed a close working relationship with Isabel FitzGerald, who was then DHR’s Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) and was directly responsible for overseeing the performance of the Hosting Contract.  By the spring of 2010, Coffland’s and FitzGerald’s relationship had evolved into a close personal one. 

Although FitzGerald resigned from DHR effective October 2011, starting at least in December 2011 and continuing through early December 2012, FitzGerald served as a consultant to the Secretary of DHR and to her successor as CIO.  She dealt directly with Company # 1 and its officials who had responsibility for the Hosting Contract and advised the Secretary of DHR on matters relating to the Hosting Contract.    

On Friday, September 23, 2011, after FitzGerald had given notice that she was resigning her position as CIO, Coffland resigned his position as Hosting Director with Company # 1.  The following Monday, September 26, 2011, Coffland started work for Company # 2, which was responsible for reviewing and reporting to the State concerning Company # 1’s performance on the Hosting Contract.  In his new position, Coffland’s sole job was to monitor and report to DHR on his previous employer’s performance on the Hosting Contract, which continued to involve working closely with FitzGerald in her new role as an DHR consultant.  

In December 2012, FitzGerald was appointed Deputy Secretary for Operations of DHR, a position that reported directly to the DHR Secretary and that oversaw the Hosting Contract and numerous additional offices within DHR.  As detailed in Coffman’s plea agreement, after FitzGerald was appointed as DHR’s Deputy Secretary, in early 2013 she caused her successor as CIO to instruct Company # 1 to remove the person who then held the position of Hosting Director.  FitzGerald then met with Company # 1’s program manager concerning its “problematic performance” on the Hosting Contract.  During this conversation, FitzGerald told Company # 1’s program manager that if it rehired Coffland as Hosting Director, she believed he would be able to fix the performance issues she discerned and that the State would then be willing to award Company # 1 a five-year contract renewal, after the original five-year term of the Hosting Contract expired in 2014.  FitzGerald subsequently communicated the substance of her discussion with Company # 1’s program manager to Coffland.  

According to the plea agreement, although it was reluctant to do so, largely because of its discomfort with what it perceived to be the relationship between FitzGerald and Coffland, Company # 1 offered the Hosting Director position to Coffland in February 2013, with a salary and bonus arrangement that were an improvement over what which he had received during his previous tenure in the position.  However, Coffland rejected Company # 1’s initial offer, and countered with a demand for a salary and bonus structure that far exceeded what he had previously received.  Coffland also demanded that he be hired as an independent contractor rather than an employee. 

Given FitzGerald’s position, Company # 1 felt that it had no choice but to agree to Coffland’s demands, and it offered him the Hosting Director’s position as an independent contractor in April 2013.  Company # 1 also agreed to pay Coffland at a rate of $125 per hour, up to a maximum of 2,400 annual hours – a potential annual salary of $300,000.  In addition, Company # 1 agreed to Coffland’s demand for a quarterly bonus of up to $50,000.00, resulting in a potential annual bonus of $200,000.  Coffland forwarded Company # 1’s emailed offer to his personal email address and from there to FitzGerald’s personal email address, and he discussed Company # 1’s offer with FitzGerald before he accepted it.  

On July 2, 2013, Coffland returned to the Hosting Director position as an independent contractor. 

Isabel Fitzgerald, age 52, of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with a scheme to receive financial benefits from two senior members of an information technology company in exchange for influence in connection with the performance of favorable official acts.  She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2020.

Coffland faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release for extortion.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Jefferson M. Gray, who are 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Juan Hester, a/k/a “Q,” age 40, and Davon Rogers, a/k/a “Stew,” age 39, both of Baltimore, with the attempted murder of a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) agent; with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  The indictment also charges Hester with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.    

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to the four-count indictment, on December 29, 2021, the defendants attempted to kill a Special Agent of the DEA, while the Special Agent was engaged in the performance of his official duties.  Further, the indictment alleges that from 2020 until December 29, 2021, Hester and Rogers conspired to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and crack cocaine.  The indictment alleges that on December 29, 2021, Hester possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams of more of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.  Finally, the indictment alleges that on December 29, 2021, the defendants used, carried, and brandished a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, specifically, the attempted murder of a DEA agent.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the attempted murder of a federal agent and a consecutive 10 years in federal prison for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  Rogers faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Hester faces a maximum of life in federal prison for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  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.  The defendants are scheduled to have their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on June 10, 2022, starting at 1:30 p.m.

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, ATF, the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA), the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and Darryl L. Tarver, who are 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Daquante Thomas, a/k/a “Glock,” age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, in connection with a murder-for-hire conspiracy. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department; and Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson.

According to the plea agreement, on October 4, 2020, Howard County Police responded to a shooting in the area of Basket Ring Road in Columbia.  Victim Juan Ross was found shot and killed at the scene, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the head.  Investigation identified Daquante Thomas as one of the shooters.

As detailed in the plea agreement, a co-conspirator accused Juan Ross, age 23, of Columbia, Maryland, of cooperating with law enforcement, including on a live social media conversation on September 9, 2020, and in text message.  Juan Ross was arrested on drug and weapon charges on September 5, 2020, but was released on bail after being interviewed by police.  

Thomas admitted that the co-conspirator solicited him and another person to kill Juan Ross and that he accepted payment from the co-conspirator to commit the murder.  As detailed in the plea agreement, the defendant used interstate commerce facilities, specifically cellular telephones and a vehicle, in the commission of the murder-for-hire.

According to the plea agreement, on October 4, 2020, after text messaging each other about the address where they could find the victim, Thomas, and two co-conspirators drove to the area of Basket Ring Road in Columbia to locate Juan Ross, then drove to a drug store nearby.  A short time later, Thomas and one of the co-conspirators returned to the area of Basket Ring Court, shot and killed Juan Ross and drove away together.

Thomas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for use and discharge of a firearm resulting in death.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for October 28, 2022 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Howard County Police Department, and the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution and thanked the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Oldham and Lindsey N. McCulley, who are 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a “Poo”, age 38, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, on federal drug distribution charges, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to drug trafficking crimes, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement and being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. 

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.

“This case is nothing short of tragic.  A mother and her child, who was believed to be a witness, were senselessly murdered by defendant Andre Briscoe,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.  “Let this conviction serve as a message to those who would take a life that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will prosecute anyone who harms, or attempts to harm, witnesses.”

“There is a little boy who should be a teenager right now, but who instead was murdered at only seven years old because he witnessed the murder of his mother.  That kind of callous disregard for their lives is reprehensible,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby.  “ATF and our partners work tirelessly to take violent offenders off the street and give victims the justice they deserve.  While it can never make up for their loss, we hope that today the family of Jennifer Jeffrey and her son feel some sense of justice.  ATF will continue in our mission to stop trigger-pullers, protect victims and witness, and help create safer communities in Baltimore.” 

“Andre Briscoe displayed a total disregard for human life as he murdered an innocent child in a heinous act of violence,” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.  “Violence and intimidation of witnesses will not be tolerated.  Rest assured the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our communities and hurt innocent people.”

According to the facts proven at his 12-day trial, from March through October 2015, Briscoe conspired with others to distribute heroin.  On May 25, 2015, Briscoe traveled from his home in Cambridge, Maryland, to the home of Kiara Haynes, with whom he was romantically involved.  He told Haynes that he planned to steal heroin from Jennifer Jeffrey, a long-time friend of Haynes.  According to trial testimony, during the course of the evening, Briscoe explained that Jeffrey had heroin and he planned to rob and kill Jeffrey to get the heroin.  Haynes told Briscoe she would help him get a gun.

Haynes subsequently contacted a relative whom she knew to have a gun.  The relative was incarcerated at the time.  Haynes told the relative on a recorded jail line that she needed the gun so Briscoe could rob Jeffrey of her drugs.  In exchange for allowing Haynes to use the gun, Haynes promised to give the inmate “like 30 [grams]” of the stolen heroin and give him the gun back.  The inmate agreed to loan Haynes the gun.  After the call, Haynes and the co-defendant met with the inmate’s brother, who gave Haynes a .45 caliber firearm.  Briscoe and Haynes returned to Haynes’s apartment with the gun.

Later that night, Briscoe left Haynes’s apartment to go hang out with Jeffrey at Jeffrey’s nearby home. When Haynes woke up later she realized that Briscoe had not returned and got upset.  Between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Haynes walked over to Jeffrey’s home and began banging on the door and yelling for the Briscoe to come out.  Jeffrey’s relative opened the door and told Haynes that children were in the house asleep and that Haynes should go home, which she eventually did.

As detailed during trial testimony, at approximately 7:23 a.m., Briscoe walked back from Jeffrey’s residence to Haynes’s apartment.  Briscoe told Haynes that Jeffrey had shown him a large amount of heroin and that Jeffrey’s child did not feel well and had not gone to school that day.  At approximately 11:41 a.m. Haynes overheard Briscoe on the phone with Jeffrey, who was talking about making breakfast for Briscoe.  Briscoe retrieved the .45-caliber gun from Haynes’s bedroom and told Haynes that he was going to Jeffrey’s to get the drugs.

Briscoe returned to Haynes’s apartment and told her that Jeffrey and her child were dead and gave Haynes a bag of heroin as her “cut” of Jeffrey’s drugs.  As detailed in Haynes’s plea agreement, she returned the gun to the inmate’s relative along with the heroin given to her by Briscoe, as payment for the use of the gun.   On May 28, 2015, after a receiving a call for assistance, the Baltimore Police Department discovered Jeffrey and her child dead in their home.

In November 2021 co-defendant Kiara Haynes, age 36, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the use and discharge of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing the death of Jennifer Jeffrey and her seven-year-old son.  Haynes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2022.

Briscoe faces a maximum sentence life in prison for use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence related to the murder of Jeffrey; a mandatory life sentence for use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing death, related to the murder of Jeffrey’s child and for killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement.  Briscoe also faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to distribute and for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for Briscoe on September 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abigail E. Ticse, Michael C. Hanlon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson for their assistance.

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 criminal complaint was filed today charging Nicholas John Roske, age 26, of Simi Valley, California, for federal charges of attempted murder of a Supreme Court Justice.  Roske is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.

The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and U.S Marshal Johnny Hughes.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., two United States Deputy Marshals saw an individual dressed in black clothing and carrying a backpack and a suitcase, get out of a taxicab that had stopped in front of the residence of a current Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  The individual looked at the two Deputy U.S. Marshals, who were standing next to their parked vehicle, and then turned to walk down the street.

Shortly thereafter, Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center received a call from Nicholas John Roske, who allegedly informed the call taker that he was having suicidal thoughts and had a firearm in his suitcase.  Roske also allegedly stated that he traveled from California to Maryland to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice.  Montgomery County Police Department officers were dispatched to the location near the residence where they encountered Roske, who was still on the telephone with the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center.  Roske was taken into custody and law enforcement officers seized the backpack and the suitcase that were still in his possession.

As detailed in the affidavit, a search of the seized suitcase and backpack revealed a black tactical chest rig and tactical knife, a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crow bar, pistol light, duct tape, hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles, and other items.

Roske was transported to the Montgomery County Police Department where, after being advised of his constitutional rights, Roske allegedly told detectives that he was upset about the leak of a recent Supreme Court draft decision regarding the right to abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

If convicted, Roske faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for attempted murder of a United States Judge.  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. 

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Isabel FitzGerald, age 52, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to bribery involving an agent of a program receiving federal funds in relation to a scheme involving information technology contracts with the State of Maryland Department of Human Services. As part of her guilty plea, FitzGerald will be ordered to pay $38,310 in restitution.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to her guilty plea, from February 2007 to August 2013, FitzGerald held several offices in the Maryland State government, including serving as Chief Information Officer of the Department of Human Resources (DHR), as a consultant indirectly compensated by DHR, and as DHR Deputy Secretary of Operations.

While employed as a government agent, from December 2011 to January 2013, FitzGerald received financial benefits from two senior members of an IT Company (Company 2) in exchange for influence in connection with the performance of favorable official acts.  In the process of influencing contracts, FitzGerald used her own company, Aeon Consulting and Technical Services, Inc., to facilitate contracts and favorable business dealings.

As stated in her plea agreement, in July 2011, FitzGerald entered into an agreement to work as a contractor for Company 3.  Company 3 obtained a technology contract with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), an agency that received grant funding from DHR.  In September 2011, FitzGerald agreed to work for Company 3 as a Project Manager on Company 3’s work in Montgomery County and submitted a letter of resignation to DHR indicating that her last official day would be October 14, 2011.

In October 2011, the CEO of Company 2 sought to gain favor with FitzGerald due to her previous role within DHR and her current role with Montgomery County DHHS.  In the same month, the CEO and Company 2 agreed to pay FitzGerald through her company, Aeon, for purportedly providing the services of Person 2.  Per the arrangement, FitzGerald and Aeon entered into contracts resulting in Aeon collecting a balance of $20 per hour worked by Person 2.  This represented Company 2’s entire profit on its contract for the work of Person 2.  Despite this arrangement, Person 2 continued to be supervised by Company 2 employees, not by FitzGerald.

After FitzGerald resigned from her position as DHR Chief Information Officer, an arrangement was made with senior officials of DHR and Montgomery County DHHS that permitted FitzGerald to continue to work for DHR within her new role at Montgomery County DHHS.  FitzGerald acknowledges that she was aware that funding for her position would be paid by DHR and that she was an agent of the state.  As a result of this agreement, FitzGerald agreed to work 20 hours per week for the benefit of DHR, with the ability to work up to 40 hours per week for the benefit of DHR.  In return, DHR increased its grant funds to Montgomery County DHHS for the rate of $110 per hour worked by FitzGerald.  As a result, FitzGerald continued to exercise influence over the business of DHR in a consultant compacity.

After the CEO of Company 2 contacted FitzGerald and requested her assistance in maintaining Company 2’s business in the state of Maryland, FitzGerald and the CEO negotiated an agreement in which FitzGerald would be compensated for her influence to obtain work for Company 2.  FitzGerald did not divulge the existence of this arrangement to any employees of DHR, to include the Secretary of DHR or the Acting CIO, even after she took on the role of a consultant compensated indirectly by DHR. 

Later, after FitzGerald learned that she had been named Deputy Secretary of Operations of DHR, FitzGerald directed the CEO of Company 2 to transfer the contract for Person 2 to Kenneth Coffland, with whom she shared a close personal relationship.

pThe total amount of the bribe FitzGerald received was $35,000.  She also directed an additional $3,080 to Coffland.  Co-defendant Coffland was indicted on charges related to the bribery conspiracy in 2017, and a separate charge of extortion under color of official right in 2018 and is scheduled for trial on June 21, 2022.  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. 

FitzGerald faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for bribery involving an agent of a program receiving federal funds.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Jefferson M. Gray, who are 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 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 sentenced Christopher Guy, age 30, of Tampa, Florida to 65 months in federal prison, followed by a three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  Judge Gallagher also ordered Guy to pay $176,970 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES ACT) was enacted on March 27, 2020, to assist individuals experiencing financial distress as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Among other things, the CARES Act established the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program (FPUC), which provided federal funds to state agencies responsible for the administration of unemployment benefits.  The FPUC funds were provided to supplement regular unemployment compensation payments to qualified applicants. 

According to his plea agreement, from May 26, 2020, to August 5, 2020, Guy and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent applications, using the personal information of identity theft victims, claiming unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled.  The applications were submitted through the internet to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) and other state workforce agencies.  Based on the fraudulent applications, OSEC and other workforce agencies disbursed benefits, including FPUC funds, through debit cards issued in the names of the identity theft victims.  The debit cards were mailed to addresses in Maryland and elsewhere, that were accessible to Guy and other conspirators.  Guy and his co-conspirators used the debit cards to withdraw money and to conduct retail transactions.

For example, between July 27 and August 5, 2020, Guy conducted fraudulent transactions using debit cards in the names of at least seven identity theft victims and funded with unemployment compensation, including FPUC funds.  On August 5, 2020, Guy used a debit card issued in the name of an identity theft victim to purchase a laptop computer for $2,225.99, from a retail electronics store in Elkridge, Maryland.  Howard County Police officers, who had been called for a possible fraudulent purchase, approached Guy in the parking lot.  Upon questioning by the officers, Guy falsely stated that he had lost the receipt and that he made the purchase using a card he produced bearing no name.  When officers advised that the number on the card did not match that listed on the receipt reprinted by the store, Guy falsely claimed that he must have lost the card he used to purchase the laptop.  Guy was then arrested by officers, who located the card used to purchase the laptop in Guy’s pocket.

A search of Guy’s vehicle by Howard County Police Department officers recovered $1,500 in cash, four debit cards issued in names other than Guy’s, multiple electronic devices, and a room key from a hotel in Chevy Chase, Maryland.  A search warrant was obtained for Guy’s hotel room and officers recovered 13 additional debit cards issued in various names, additional electronic devices, receipts from retail purchases, and $11,619 in cash.  DOL-OIG agents obtained surveillance images that showed Guy using the debit cards funded with fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits at ATMs within a mile of the hotel where he was staying.  Twelve of the debit cards that were used in these transactions were recovered from Guy or his hotel room on August 5, 2020. 

A forensic examination of the electronic devices seized from Guy and his hotel room revealed internet searches and browsing history relating to unemployment benefits; notes containing the mailing addresses where the fraudulent debit cards were delivered by mail; and a listing of the last four digits of each of the 18 debit cards recovered on August 5, 2020, each with a monetary balance listed next to it.

Agents with DOL-OIG also learned that the 18 debit cards seized from Guy or his hotel room were issued as a result of 16 fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits submitted in the names of identity theft victims.  The 16 fraudulent claims resulted in the disbursement of more than $176,970 in unemployment and FPUC funds, which losses were reasonably foreseeable to Guy. 

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, 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 Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland - The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with Project SAFE and the PROTECT Week Coalition to help seniors in Maryland avoid falling victim to financial exploitation.  PROTECT Week, held June 13-17, 2021, offers opportunities to learn about the many forms of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older Marylanders.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office is participating in events all month, including public outreach events such as a tele-town hall, educational programming and presentations to the Maryland State Bar Association and the Banker’s Association. 

Interview with Shawn Perry of the Senior Zone – airing the week of June 6

Interview with Assistant U.S. Attorney and Elder Fraud Coordinator, Evelyn Cusson, scheduled to be aired the week of June 6 with Shawn Perry of the Senior Zone AM radio program to promote PROTECT Week.  The interview reviewed imposter scams, the importance of reporting fraud, the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Hotline, and tips for recognizing and avoiding scams. 

Tele-town Hall – June 15, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.

AARP will host the tele-town hall event featuring U.S. Attorney Erek Barron, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, and Sue Rogan with CASH Campaign.  The tele-town hall will discuss prevalent fraud schemes targeting seniors and how to avoid them, including resources for reporting.  The calls reach thousands of Marylanders in every county throughout the state. 

Banker’s Association – June 16, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darryl Tarver and Evelyn Cusson will speak at a virtual event with the Maryland Banker’s Association.  The presentation will discuss the Elder Justice Task Force in Maryland and how banks can become involved, and Maryland’s SARS task force which all work to prevent elder fraud and prosecute fraudsters who target seniors. 

Now in its fifth year, PROTECT Week 2022 coincides with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on June 15.  For more information on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, please visit https://ncea.acl.gov/WEAAD.aspx.  PROTECT Week resources, available on www.protectweek.org,  will help Marylanders identify financial exploitation so that they may protect themselves and their loved ones from abuse and provide event details and registration information.

About the Partners

The PROTECT Week Coalition includes the following partners:

•           Maryland Department of Aging

•           Maryland Office of the Attorney General

•           The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland

•           Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation

•           Maryland Office of the Comptroller

•           Maryland Department of Human Services

•           Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

•           Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition

•           EverSafe

•           ElderSAFE

•           SAFE: Stop Abuse of Elders

•           Baltimore County Restoring Elder Safety Today – BC REST Coalition

•           AARP Maryland

•           CCCSMD – Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Maryland

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore C. Chuang sentenced Marius Vaduva, age 27, of Hollywood, Florida, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  As part of his sentence, Vaduva will be required to pay $1,334,230.84 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Charles Wickersham of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Quenton Sallows of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

According to his guilty plea, beginning in June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and his co-conspirators conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions.  Conspirators, including Vaduva, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Vaduva and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions under false identities.  Conspiracy members often opened fictitious bank accounts with the aid of a co-conspirator who was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions.  In addition, Vaduva and his co-conspirators used at least two extended family members who were minors to assist in the account openings.

Vaduva and co-conspirators then withdrew cash from the fraudulent bank accounts through ATMs and spent the illegally obtained proceeds using debit cards associated with the bank accounts.  Additionally, Vaduva deposited stolen checks in fraudulently opened bank accounts held in others’ identities.  Vaduva opened at least nine fraudulent accounts between October 24, 2019 to November 20, 2019.  The same nine fraudulent accounts received a total of at least 119 stolen checks totaling approximately $41,528.99.  Vaduva also deposited at least four stolen checks totaling approximately $2,120.69 into other bank accounts.  Those checks had been stolen from religious institutions in North Carolina and Virginia.

Further, upon his arrest in February 2021, Vaduva’s cell phone contained images of at least 21 stolen checks, totaling $10,119.68.

In total the conspiracy stole at least approximately $1,320,829.69 from 3,075 stolen checks.

Co-conspirators Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland; Marian Unguru, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland; Vali Unguru, age 19, of Baltimore, Maryland; and Florin Vaduva, age 31, of Dania Beach, Florida previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.   Nicolae Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison.  Mateus Vaduva, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, 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 – Yesterday U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Janet Sturmer, age 66, of Manassas, Virginia to 54 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  As part of her guilty plea, Sturmer will be required to pay $4.4 million in restitution.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.

According to her plea agreement, from October 2015 to March 2017, Sturmer conspired with Peter Unakalu, Khalid Razaq, Brandon Ross, Saulina Eady, Saul Eady, and others to commit wire fraud by posing as navy contracted agents and convincing victim companies that conspiracy members were authorized to order specialized communications equipment without prior payment. 

 As part of the scheme to defraud, Sturmer and her co-conspirators used fictitious identities, fictitious business names, and the stolen identities of real individuals to lease facilities and receive fraudulently obtained goods.  For example, in September 2016, Sturmer and Razaq submitted a commercial lease agreement and tenant information sheet using the name, date of birth, driver’s license, and social security number of Victim 1 without the victim’s permission or knowledge.  Ultimately, Razaq and Sturmer used this rental property to obtain high-end smartphones and tablets from a victim company.  Sturmer and Razaq subsequently shipped the fraudulently obtained goods to California where the products were either disposed of or sold.

Additionally, in October 2016, Sturmer rented office space located in Chantilly, Virginia for the purpose of receiving fraudulently obtained goods including, thousands of flat screen televisions and communications equipment from two victim companies.  To do so, Sturmer used the stolen identity of Victim 2 and a fraudulent tax return created by Razaq.  Razaq then arranged for the fraudulently obtained televisions to various store locations that Sturmer and Razaq rented using stolen identities.  On one occasion, Sturmer shipped approximately 100 stolen flat screens to Ross (a co-conspirator) in California.

As stated in her guilty plea, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sturmer’s Virginia residence.  Amongst other items, law enforcement recovered stolen flat screen televisions from one victim company, cables from another victim company, shipping records, a notebook documenting the receipt and storage of stolen flat screen televisions, counterfeit identification documents in the names of real victims, at least five cell phones, and counterfeit device-making equipment.

Based on the search warrant results, surveillance footage, and business records, Sturmer and her co-conspirators caused a loss of more than $4.4 million to victim companies.

Co-defendants Khalid Razaq, Saul Eady, Saulina Eady, and Brandon Ross, were sentenced to 5 years, 4 years, 30 months, and 18 months in federal prison; respectively. As part of their sentencing, Razaq was ordered to pay over $4 million in restitution and Ross was ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution.  Troy Barbour is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.  

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the DOD-OIG and HSI for their work on the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked the FBI, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Customs and Border Protection for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Adam K. Ake, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland - Daniel Morozewicz, age 38, of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of child pornography.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; and Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins.

According to his guilty plea, from September 2020 to January 2021, while employed as a Rockville Police Officer and an Army National Guardsman, Morozewicz received, possessed, and distributed child pornography on the BitTorrent file sharing network.  Morozewicz also used multiple electronic devices to download and distribute child pornography involving prepubescent minors.

During that time, Morozewicz repeatedly distributed child pornography to undercover law enforcement officers.  On at least four instances in 2020, investigators determined that the devices associated with Morozewicz’s IP address downloaded and shared child pornographic files on the BitTorrent; including eight packages of child pornography.

As stated in his guilty plea, on March 4, 2021, Morozewicz received a tip that federal law enforcement wished to conduct an in-person interview with him.  The next day, on March 5, 2021, law enforcement executed a series of search and seizure warrants on Morozewicz’s residence, vehicle, and his person.  As a result of the search of Morozewicz’s person, law enforcement seized a smartphone which had been recently factory reset and erased in light of the impending visit from federal law enforcement.  He also admitted that he discarded his computer in anticipation of a visit from law enforcement.  Morozewicz’s actions were viewed as an attempt to impede the investigation and prosecution of his child pornography offenses.

Multiple electronic devices were seized in connection the warrants executed at Morozewicz’s residence and in his vehicle.  A forensic examination of Morozewicz’s devices revealed that he possessed over 12,300 depictions of child pornography and erotica, including over 200 depicts involving the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and over 90 child pornographic images involving sado-masochistic conduct.

Morozewicz faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography.   U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has scheduled sentencing for September 8, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, Chief Counsel with the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury yesterday convicted Alexander Juarez-Sanchez, a/k/a Jose Manuel Flores, age 37, a citizen of Mexico most recently residing in Indianapolis, Indiana, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically fentanyl and heroin, and for illegally re-entering the United States after removal.    

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Field Office Director Lyle Boelens of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Baltimore Field Office; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Baltimore District Office.

According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, on August 5, 2020, Juarez-Sanchez and a co-conspirator were arrested near Hagerstown, Maryland, by officers of the Maryland State Police (MSP) following a traffic stop for following another vehicle too closely on I-81.  The driver, who was driving a vehicle with expired Indiana license plates registered to another car, was not able to provide any identification, could not identify the passenger (Juarez-Sanchez), and fumbled through questions about where they were going.  A K- 9 unit was subsequently called, and after the dog alerted for drugs, a search of the vehicle yielded approximately $47,000 in cash, just under two kilograms of fentanyl and one kilogram of heroin, and other indicators of drug smuggling.  Juarez-Sanchez and the driver initially provided false names, however, their fingerprints and photographs matched those taken when they had previously been in United States Border Patrol or ICE custody.  Evidence taken from the two men’s cell phones showed that, before their arrest, they had traveled directly from Burbank, California, where Juarez-Sanchez had obtained seven kilograms of drugs, four kilograms of which he had sold to a buyer in Kentucky the day before his arrest in Maryland for $44,000.  Phone evidence also revealed that the men had conducted a similar trip to California in early July 2020 and transported an unknown quantity of drugs for sale to buyer in a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois.

Juarez-Sanchez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation.  U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Maryland State Police, ICE ERO, and DEA for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam K. Ake and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy L. Schwartz, who are 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Donronald Dosey, age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.  In fact, Dorsey admitted that he possessed more than 400 grams of fentanyl.  A lethal dose of fentanyl is approximately two milligrams, so the quantity possessed by Dorsey, and which he intended to distribute, is enough to kill 20,000 people. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

 According to his plea agreement, from October 2020 through March 1, 2021, Dorsey was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy involving large amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances.  Dorsey and his co-conspirators operated a stash house in an apartment in Pikesville, Maryland, where they processed fentanyl and other drugs, mixing them with cutting agents and packaging them for resale.

On March 1, 2021, law enforcement saw Dorsey leave the apartment with a co-conspirator, who was carrying a bag that contained narcotics.  They entered a vehicle and drove away.  Law enforcement followed the vehicle to a drug store parking lot in the 1500 block of Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, where Dorsey and his co-conspirator planned to conduct a drug transaction.  Law enforcement stopped the vehicle and searched Dorsey and the vehicle, recovering 20 separate clear plastic bags, each containing approximately 50 gelatin capsules.  The gelcaps contained a mixture of fentanyl weighing a total of 569 grams, which Dorsey admitted he intended to distribute. 

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the DEA, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Anatoly Smolkin, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Malik Evans, age 25, of Baltimore City, Maryland to 17 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity involving carjacking. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Malik Evans participated in a violent carjacking crew that committed a series of violent armed robberies and caused much suffering within the Baltimore community” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.  “In partnership with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively prosecute violent offenders.”

According to his guilty plea, from April 2019 to August 2019, Evans and at least six other co-defendants were members of an enterprise that engaged in a pattern of deadly racketeering activity, including a series of thirteen armed carjackings in Baltimore City.  The enterprise was also involved in multiple armed robberies, attempted armed robberies and the pawning of stolen goods.

Specifically, Evans participated in four of thirteen carjackings committed by the enterprise.  In all four of the carjackings in which Evans participated, members of the enterprise brandished firearms.  Other co-conspirators, not including Evans, participated in armed carjackings in which one victim was shot and killed.  Two other victims were killed during street robberies; another victim was paralyzed as a result of an armed street robbery.

Members of the conspiracy not only promoted their activities on social media, but they also shared the proceeds of their exploits.  Members also concealed enterprise activities by hiding, destroying, or disposing of evidence.

On December 20, 2021, co-defendant Karon Foster was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, a carjacking conspiracy, and for aiding and abetting a carjacking resulting in death.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).  NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms.  NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles.  For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon Moore 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Sydni Frazier, a/k/a Sid, Junior Boss, and Perry, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, to life in federal prison on charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and possession of firearms by a felon.  A federal jury convicted Frazier on March 3, 2020.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the evidence presented at Frazier’s six-day trial, between at least 2014 and 2017, Frazier conspired with others, including members and associates of the MMP gang, to distribute narcotics.  For many years, MMP controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, and Woodlawn.  The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, and it frequently attracted drug customers driving from Western Maryland and neighboring states. 

The evidence presented at trial established that on August 10, 2016, Frazier and his co-conspirators kidnapped, robbed, and murdered Ricardo Johnson in order to enrich themselves and their drug trafficking conspiracy.  The victim was abducted at approximately 2:30 am as he was returning home to his apartment in the 1100 block of West Lanvale Street in Baltimore.  Less than four hours later, the victim’s body was discovered in the back of a stolen minivan parked next to the light rail tracks in the 2200 block of Kloman Street.  Johnson had been bound by the wrists and ankles, blindfolded, and shot over twenty times.  There was partially burned flammable material sticking out of the gas tank of the van, indicating that the killers had attempted to set the van on fire before departing the scene. 

Less than twelve hours after Johnson’s body was found, members of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) attempted to stop Frazier for riding an illegal dirt bike in the 2100 block of Tucker Lane.  Frazier fled and was able to get away, but in the process of fleeing, he abandoned the dirt bike as well as a backpack and gloves he had been wearing.  The backpack contained two cell phones belonging to Frazier and two loaded 9mm caliber handguns.  Both guns were a ballistic match to the 9mm caliber casings recovered from the murder scene.  In addition, the BPD DNA and Serology laboratory determined that Frazier’s DNA profile matched DNA from the insides of the gloves, and the victim’s DNA profile matched DNA from the outsides of the gloves.  Frazier illegally possessed the two loaded 9mm firearms, as he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to previous felony convictions.

With today’s sentencing, all twenty-six defendants charged in this case have been convicted and sentenced, with the gang leader, Dante Bailey, also being sentenced to life in prison, and most of the other defendants receiving between 14 and 30 years in federal prison. 

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the ATF, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Hoffman and Christopher M. Rigali, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.  

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Patrick Lawrence Wood, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 17 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to produce child pornography.  Wood admitted that he paid co-conspirators in the Philippines to procure images and videos of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct requested by Wood.  Judge Hazel ordered that, upon his release from prison, Wood will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, Wood used a social media platform to solicit the production of child pornography and used various digital money transfer services to send payment to co-conspirators in exchange for images and videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as requested by Wood.

As detailed in Wood’s plea agreement, the social media platform sent a Cybertipline Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about a user who had requested, and subsequently paid, another user to create sexually explicit images of a prepubescent male and female and send them via the platform’s private message function.  Law enforcement identified Patrick Wood as the user and executed a search warrant at Wood’s residence, seizing a laptop computer, desktop computer, two cellular phones and two tablets.

A search of Wood’s social media accounts and the seized electronic devices revealed that Wood communicated with three co-conspirators in the Philippines to procure images and videos of minors engaged in sexual conduct.  Those communications occurred over various digital platforms.  Wood routinely paid a co-conspirator for access to videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including via live feeds involving a child engaged in the specific sexual conduct requested by and paid for by Wood.  Images and videos of at least five minor male and female victims, all under the age of 12, engaging in sexual conduct were electronically sent during online chat sessions from co-conspirators in the Philippines to Wood, at Wood’s request, and in exchange for payment by Wood.  During the four years prior to Wood’s arrest, he paid more than $40,000 to co-conspirators in the Philippines in exchange for the production of child pornography.

In addition, the investigation revealed that sexually explicit images and videos of at least eight minor male victims 14 to 17 years old were electronically sent to Wood at his request from locations in the United States during online chat sessions.  At least one of those minor victims was also paid by Wood, in the form of gift cards and new clothes, for producing sexually explicit images requested by Wood.

In addition to the images and videos of child pornography identified on Wood’s social media and cloud-based storage accounts, the forensic examination of the devices seized from Wood’s home revealed over 150 images and five videos of child pornography.  The forensic analysis also showed screenshots of a ticket confirmation for Wood to travel to Manila, Philippines for two weeks, but investigators confirmed that Wood did not ultimately travel there and cancelled the ticket.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Paul Anthony Philip III, age 38, of Millersville, Maryland to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography.  As part of his sentence, the Court has ordered Philip to pay $9,000 in restitution.  Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Philip must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, Philip was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in 2015.  As a result of his conviction, Philip was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release.  The conditions of Philip’s supervised release prohibited him from using any computers or internet-capable devices without the approval of the United States Probation and Pretrial Services.  He was also forbidden from installing activity monitoring software or hardware. 

After Philip’s release from federal custody in January 2019, Philp signed a monitoring agreement in which he agreed to waive any expectations of privacy from the probation officer and the computer monitoring software.  Further, Philip agreed that he would not view, subscribe to, download, or transmit any content in any medium, in violation of state or federal laws or in violation of his conditions of his supervised release.  He was then given a prepaid phone that was approved by the U.S. probation officer that contained monitoring software.

On five separate instances in 2021, Philip failed to report for sex offender treatment including mental health and substance abuse therapy sessions, as required by the conditions of his supervised release.  Further, Philip’s probation officer (USPO) contacted the manger of his sober living residence and was informed that Philip did not comply with the rules and polices of his sober living house and often utilized smart devices.  Upon inspection of Philip’s bedroom, the USPO discovered an unauthorized tablet under Philip’s pillow.  The tablet was then confiscated by the USPO.

On April 12, 2021, the USPO asked Philip if there was any child pornography on the unauthorized tablet.  Philip declined to answer any questions regarding the tablet.  The next day, the USPO confiscated Philip’s USPO-approved cell phone.  Ultimately, Philip falsely informed the USPO that he had not viewed images of child pornography.

As stated in his guilty plea, Philip’s tablet and cell phone were searched pursuant to federal search warrants and were found to contain numerous images of child pornography including approximately 282 images and 206 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including an infant.

Examination of the data stored on Philip’s tablet showed that the device was logged into an email account created in February 2021.  The same email account received an email from a website widely used by individuals to view child pornography.  The email confirmed Philip’s registration of an account on a child pornography website under the username “live4kidlove”.  Philip used the same email account to distribute and receive links to files depicting the sexual abuse of children in exchange for other images of child pornography. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted 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 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.

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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” “El Pastor,” and “Gasper,” age 24, of Annapolis, Maryland, to life in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit murder in aid or racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including three murders, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.

On October 31, 2019, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury convicted Sandoval-Rodriguez of murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in connection with a murder that occurred on March 11, 2016.

On January 24, 2022, after a three-month trial, a federal jury convicted Sandoval-Rodriguez of racketeering charges, along with co-defendants Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 21; Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, a/k/a “Lobo,” age 23; and Milton Portillo Rodriguez, a/k/a “Little Gangster,” a/k/a “Seco,” age 26.  Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo-Rodriguez were also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  Sandoval Rodriguez, Portillo Rodriguez, and Joya Parada were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique.  Co-defendant Oscar Sorto Romero was part of the Parque Vista Locos Salvatruchas (“PVLS”) clique. 

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

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members.  Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position. 

The evidence at both trials established that between 2015 and 2017, Sandoval-Rodriguez and his co-defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland. 

Evidence presented at the 2019 trial established that Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member on March 11, 2016.  During this murder, Sandoval Rodriguez lured the victim to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland, with the intention of killing him.  Surveillance video from a nearby laundromat captured Sandoval-Rodriguez and the victim walking toward Quiet Waters Park on the evening of the murder.  Once the victim arrived at the park, members of the gang struck him in the head with a branch or stick, and the assailants, including Sandoval-Rodriguez, repeatedly stabbed the victim with a knife, killing him.  While Sandoval-Rodriguez and other members of the gang committed the murder, other MS-13 members and associates stood watch outside the park to ensure no one entered or left the park, and to watch for police, so that the gang could complete the murder.  After the victim was killed, MS-13 members and associates buried him in a shallow grave inside the park, but Sandoval-Rodriguez did not bury the body because of the cut on his finger and fear that he would leave evidence at the scene. The body was not recovered until Aug. 28, 2017, when it was exhumed by law enforcement. After his arrest, Sandoval-Rodriguez’s writings about the murder as well as additional MS-13 paraphernalia was recovered among his personal belongings in jail. Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in the murder to raise his status in the gang and to assert the authority of MS-13 in Annapolis.

Trial evidence related to Sandoval-Rodriguez at his second trial focused on his participation in several murders, including a 17-year-old victim., who was believed to be a rival gang member.  Specifically, the evidence showed that on March 31, 2017, the gang lured a 17-year-old from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park, where they stabbed him over 100 times, dismembered him, removed his heart, and buried him in a clandestine grave.  Evidence was presented that Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo Rodriguez lured the victim out and along with other MS-13 members and associates, brought him from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park.  Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo Rodriguez, and Joya Parada participated in the murder by stabbing, cutting, and dismembering the victim and Joya Parada also helped to dig the victim’s grave. 

Trial evidence also demonstrated that Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in a murder that occurred on June 24, 2017. In that murder, the gang used a female associate to lure a 21-year-old woman into a car and then took her to a wooded area in Crownsville, where she was killed, her body was dismembered, and she was buried in a clandestine grave. Co-defendant Portillo-Rodriguez aided in the planning of the murder and helped lure the victim into a car. Sandoval-Rodriguez traveled to the wooded area earlier in the day to dig a hole for the victim’s grave. MS-13 members caused the victim to lose consciousness, removed her clothing, and decapitated the victim with a machete. Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo-Rodriguez participated in the murder by stabbing and slashing the victim’s body with a machete, dismembering the body, and burying the body in a wooded area. As a result of their participation in the murder, Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo-Rodriguez, and other gang members were promoted within MS-13.

More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in these cases.

Co-defendants from Sandoval-Rodriguez’s first case, Marlon Cruz-Flores, age 25; Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 23; Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales; and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, aka El Lunatic, aka Zomb, age 22, all of Annapolis, previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a firearms offense. Both Gomez-Jimenez and Cruz-Flores were sentenced to 38 years in prison, Reyes-Canales was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

On April 20, 2022, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Joya Parada to 50 years in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and related violent crimes in aid of racketeering.  Portillo Rodriguez and Sorto Romero were each sentenced to life in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including multiple murders.  

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

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI; HSI; ATF, the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in these investigations, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who handled the first trial.  Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who handled the second trial.

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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Ryan Matthew Conlon, age 38, of Halethorpe, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to making interstate threatening communications concerning the National Security Agency (NSA) and its employees.  After accepting his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Conlon to six months of home detention as part of three years’ probation, which is the sentence recommended by Conlon and the government.     

The guilty plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Conlon has a history of making threatening communications to government agencies, sometimes implicating other individuals as the party making the threat.  In early 2021, he was behind several communications threatening to blow up the NSA and shoot government employees.  FBI agents investigated and identified Conlon as the person behind the threats.  Agents confronted Conlon, who admitted to his conduct, acknowledged that it was criminal, and agreed that he would stop making such calls. 

However, on December 29, 2021, the FBI received a submission on the FBI Tipline in Washington, D.C. stating that a specific person will blow up NSA Headquarters; had built a bomb in his basement; and will murder the NSA Director.  The caller continued that the person would shoot up all federal NSA employees and was a danger to NSA and a national security threat.  The caller stated that the individual and his accomplice had been plotting to blow up NSA Headquarters for a month and planned to attack on New Years Day.

The FBI was able to identify the telephone number from which the call was made.  The number was traced to Conlon.

On December 31, 2021, the FBI received another submission on the FBI Tipline in Washington, D.C. warning that a truck with bombs inside was ready to go to the White House and that there was child pornography in the truck, as well.  The caller provided the Maryland license number of the truck.

Again, the FBI traced the origin of this communication to Conlon.  When Conlon was later confronted and arrested, he acknowledged that he might have made the threatening communications which, in fact, he had.  Conlon sent the communications with the intent to threaten the NSA Director and NSA employees, or with the knowledge that the communications would be viewed as a threat.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, 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 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 returned an indictment charging Antione William Tuckson, age 37, of Waldorf, Maryland, for federal charges of false impersonation of an officer and employee of the United States and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The indictment was returned on May 12, 2022, and unsealed upon his arrest on May 20, 2022.  A federal criminal complaint was filed on May 19, 2022 charging co-conspirator Nijea Nicole Rich, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland with impersonating a federal officer and conspiracy to impersonate a federal officer.  Rich was also arrested on May 20, 2022.

Tuckson and Rich had their initial appearances late on May 20, 2022 in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan ordered that Tuckson be detained pending trial, and ordered that Rich be released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

The indictment and criminal complaint were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes; Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the two-count indictment, the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint and other court documents, Tuckson and Rich purported to be and identified themselves as a Deputy United States Marshal.  The indictment alleges that Tuckson illegally possessed a 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol.

According to court documents and information presented to the Court at the initial appearance and detention hearing, Tuckson allegedly has a history of impersonating law enforcement officers and since December 2020, Tuckson has allegedly used the registered trademark “USMS Special Services,” along with police-style vehicles equipped with red and blue flashing lights, weapons, a fake identification card and badge, and other law enforcement gear to pose as a Deputy United States Marshal. 

As detailed in court documents, on March 6, 2022, while working as an armed security guard with a canine companion at a restaurant in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Tuckson allegedly attempted to detain two patrons who had disputed their bill.  Court documents allege that Tuckson then falsely held himself out as a Deputy United States Marshal to Prince George’s County Police Department (“PGPD”) officers in an attempt to justify his unlawful possession of a firearm.  When confronted by PGPD officers as to Tuckson’s status as a federal officer, Tuckson allegedly had Rich pose as his supervisor within the United States Marshals Service in communications with PGPD.  Police arrested Tuckson and recovered a loaded 9mm firearm from Tuckson’s hip during the search incident to his arrest.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, shortly after Tuckson was arrested, Rich, wearing police-style clothing, arrived on the scene and claimed to Prince George’s County Police officers that the canine was her emotional support animal and was also a patrol dog owned by Tuckson.  Rich was wearing tan tactical pants, was armed with a handgun, and carried two sets of handcuffs, a radio, and what appeared to be an expandable baton.  At one point, Rich allegedly stated to the officers, “You locked up a U.S. Marshal?”  Officers contacted the Prince George’s County Animal Services Division (“ASD”), who took custody of the canine.

Early the next morning, Rich allegedly identified herself as a U.S. Marshal and displayed an identification card that said U.S. Marshal to an ASD employee, who was unloading the canine from a van.  Rich allegedly told the ASD employee that the man arrested was a U.S. Marshal and that the dog was a working dog and belonged to the Marshals Service.  According to the affidavit, Rich arrived in a black sedan that looked like a police vehicle and was wearing a black Kevlar vest.  The ASD employee released the dog to Rich.

As detailed in the affidavit and other court documents, U.S. Marshals Service personnel searched its databases and found no record that Tuckson or Rich are or ever were U.S. Marshals or employees of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Law enforcement executed a search of Tuckson’s home on May 20, 2022, and recovered firearms, including an AR-style rifle and a pistol-grip pump-action shotgun.

If convicted, Tuckson and Rich each face a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for impersonating a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Rich faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy.  Tuckson also faces a maximum of 10 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 or a criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment or criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter L. Cooch, 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 – Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr., age 56, most recently of Snowshoe, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to making threats against a federal official, specifically for sending emails threatening harm to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Connally further admitted threatening Dr. Francis Collins, the former Director of the NIH, Dr. Rachel Levine, currently the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a Massachusetts public health official and a religious leader. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge George Adams, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to Connally’s plea agreement, from December 28, 2020 to July 25, 2021, Connally used an anonymous email account from a provider of secure, encrypted email services based in Switzerland, to send a series of emails to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”) and the Chief Medical Advisor to President of the United States, threatening to harm and/or kill Dr. Fauci and members of his family.  One of the emails threatened that Dr. Fauci and his family would be “dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire.”  On April 24, 2021 alone, Connally sent seven threatening emails starting at 10:05 p.m.

As detailed in Connally’s plea agreement, also on April 24, 2021, beginning at 9:34 p.m., Connally sent Dr. Francis Collins, the then-Director of the NIH, a series of four emails threatening Dr. Collins and his family with physical assault and death if Dr. Collins did not stop speaking about the need for “mandatory” COVID-19 vaccinations.

As stated in his plea agreement, Connally admitted that he sent the threats to Drs. Fauci and Collins with the intent to intimidate or interfere with the performance of their official duties and with the intent to retaliate against Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins for performing their official duties, including discussing COVID-19 and its testing and prevention.

Connally also admitted sending emails threatening harm to three other individuals.  Specifically, on November 24, 2020, Connally sent a series of six threatening emails to Dr. Rachel Levine, then Secretary of Health for the State of Pennsylvania, at Dr. Levine’s email account at the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  The subject lines and body of the emails threatened Dr. Levine with physical violence and death.  Similarly, on August 31, 2020, Connally sent an email threatening physical violence and death for a public health official in Massachusetts.  Finally, on April 21, 2021, Connally sent a series of four threatening emails to four individuals who work for a religious institution in Newark, New Jersey.  The four emails threatened physical violence and death to a religious leader at the institution.

Investigation revealed that the anonymous encrypted email account was associated with Connally.  On July 27, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants at Connally’s rental residence in Snowshoe, West Virginia, as well as on his vehicle seizing five Apple laptops and two cellular telephones belonging to Connally. 

Connally faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for threats against a federal official.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS OIG for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Jessica C. Collins, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Idowu Raji, age 40, of Baltimore County, Maryland, to 94 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft in relation to multiple financial schemes.  The Court also ordered Raji to pay $1,793,472 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Lewis of the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Washington Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; and Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service– Washington Division.

According to his guilty plea, in 2020, Raji conspired with multiple other individuals to defraud, use, and traffic in unauthorized access devices and obtain more than $900,000 in unemployment insurance and other COVID-19 related benefits.  Moreover, from October 2018 to November 2020, Raji conspired with multiple individuals, including Adewumi Abioye, age 35, of Randallstown, Maryland and Lukman Salam, age 37, of Delaware, to defraud multiple businesses, individuals, and financial institutions to illegally obtain more than $750,000. 

In furtherance of the access device conspiracy, Raji admitted arranging for the delivery of fraudulent unemployment insurance cards to his co-conspirators, providing instructions on the use of the cards, and obtaining a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds.  In total, Raji admitted that he was involved in fraudulent unemployment claims that used the identities of more than 50 real people and caused more than $900,000 in losses to state and the federal governments. 

Raji admitted using an encrypted text messaging application to carry out his crimes, including to coordinate the use of unemployment insurance and COVID-19 related benefits, obtain and transfer the personal identifying information of real individuals, and receive unemployment debit cards that were mailed to addresses in Maryland and loaded with fraudulently obtained benefits.  Raji also directed the use of the fraudulently obtained debit cards to engage in point of sale and ATM transactions.  He also used the state and federal government funds intended for disaster relief for his own benefit.

As part of his wire fraud conspiracy, co-conspirators Salam and Abioye used fake identification documents to open bank accounts, which Raji then coordinated the use of the accounts to receive fraud proceeds.  For example, in November 2019, Salam opened a bank account at a financial institution using a fake passport with the alias “Chris Hobert.”  In December 2019, the email account of a supervisor at a victim business was hacked, and an email was sent to the victim business that fraudulently claimed that another business had changed its payment instructions.  As a result, the victim business sent a $33,200 wire to a fraudulent account opened by Salam.  Raji worked with his co-conspirators to move the funds to another account registered under the alias “Michael Stone,” and to eventually gain access to the fraud proceeds.

Further, in July 2020, Raji fraudulently applied for a $31,200 Paycheck Protection Program loan on behalf of a business, Yours Truly LLC.  Raji claimed that his business had more than $132,000 of gross revenue in the prior year when, in fact, it did not.  Moreover, Raji did not spend the proceeds of the loan on employee salaries and other appropriate expenses required by the PPP loan.

As stated in his plea agreement, when Raji was arrested by federal agents in November 2020, he made multiple false statements to agents, including that he had never been involved in business email compromise schemes, wire fraud, or unemployment insurance fraud.  Raji also falsely claimed that he never used Yours Truly LLC when he had received federal loans through the entity less than six months before the interview.

In April and May 2022 co-defendants Abioye and Salam were sentenced to 27 months and 30 months in federal prison; respectively for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Hameed Adesokan, Olatunde Vincent, Akolade Ojo, and Damilola Lawal will be sentenced later this year in related cases. 

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, please visit 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: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.  The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from its 22 member Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program.  Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, DSS, the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber, 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.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Philip Abramowitz, age 50, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  As part of his guilty plea, Abramowitz will be ordered to pay $373,684 in restitution.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.

According to his guilty plea, from May 2016 to April 2017, Abramowitz and others conspired to defraud two financial institutions by fraudulently obtaining Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and property under false pretenses.  Specifically, Abramowitz used his company 163 N. Potomac St., LLC., to facilitate the fraudulent sales of his Potomac Street, Baltimore, Maryland properties.

For example, in May 2016, Abramowitz sold one of his Potomac Street properties (Property 1) to a family member (Relative 1) and entered into an agreement with Relative 1 to purchase the property using an FHA-insured loan.  The FHA is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders.  To qualify for the FHA-insured loans, the buyer must use the residence as their primary residence, disclose any familial or business relationship between the seller and buyer, and disclose the source of the money the buyer intends to use for the down payment and closing costs.

As stated in his guilty plea, Relative 1 applied for and received a $294,566 FHA-insured loan with a mortgage company (Mortgage Company 1) by falsely representing Abramowitz’s bank account records as his own.  Relative 1 and Abramowitz also concealed their familial relation from Mortgage Company 1 by submitting false company filings during the loan application process, having Abramowitz’s property manager (Property Manager 1) pose as the sole seller and manager of 163 N. Potomac St., LLC and arranging Property Manager 1 to sign the FHA-loan contact as the official seller of the property.  Abramowitz’s ownership of 163 N, Potomac St., LLC. or involvement in the sale was never disclosed.

To meet the requirements of the loan procurement process, Abramowitz gave Relative 1 $10,500 to pay for the closing costs for Property 1 as Relative 1 did not have the financial means to make the purchase.   Based on the fraudulent financial information presented during the loan application process, Mortgage Company 1 loaned Relative 1 $294,566 for the purchase of Property 1.  The majority of the loan proceeds were subsequently deposited into Abramowitz’s bank account.  Ultimately, Relative 1 never used Property 1 as a primary residence and rented the property to tenants for a year before ceasing mortgage payments and allowing the property to fall into foreclosure.

Further, Abramowitz arranged the sale of his second Potomac Street property (Property 2) in March 2017 to another family member (Relative 2) using an FHA-insured loan.  To facilitate the sale of Property 2, Relative 2 applied for an FHA-insured loan with another mortgage company (Mortgage Company 2).  Using the same manner to defraud Mortgage Company 1, Abramowitz concealed his familial relation to Relative 2, falsely listed his property manager as the sole seller and owner of Property 2 and submitted multiple fraudulent documents to Mortgage Company 2, including an LLC affidavit of title asserting that no other person or entity had ownership in Property 2.

In a similar manner as the sale of Property 1, Abramowitz violated FHA-loan requirements by providing Relative 2 $8,750 for the closing costs of the sale, misrepresented his own bank account information as Relative 2’s in the FHA-loan procurement process, and received the majority of the loan proceeds to his personal bank account.  Relative 2 never used Property 2 as a primary residence or paid monthly mortgage payments to Mortgage Company 2 which caused the property to fall into foreclosure.

Abramowitz faces a maximum of 30 years in prison followed up by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for August 9, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HUD-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke, 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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Baltimore, Maryland - Angel Gabriel Arroyo-Angelino (“Arroyo”), age 34, a Mexican citizen residing in Easton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.  Arroyo admitted that he pretended to be a teenage boy on social media accounts, in order to induce minor females to produce and send to him, sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Allen Lowrey of the Easton Police Department; and Talbot County State’s Attorney Scott G. Patterson.

According to his guilty plea, from December 24, 2017 through September 11, 2018, Arroyo used the alias “Elias Garcia” to create a social media account.  Arroyo used the social media account to persuade, induce, and coerce four minor victims to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.  Arroyo initiated contact with each of the minor victims on social media and told the victims that he was 16 years old.  Arroyo used a profile picture depicting a teenaged boy to manipulate the minors he met online.  Arroyo complimented the minors, sent them images of flowers and money, and made other romantic overtures to the minor victims.  From these communications, Arroyo knew that the victims were underaged minors.  Despite that knowledge, Arroyo persuaded the victims to send him nude images, often sending them cash in the mail if they sent the sexually explicit images and videos he requested. 

The social media platform became aware of Arroyo’s misconduct in May of 2018 and terminated his Elias Garcia account.  The social media platform also alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) and submitted a Cybertip detailing a sexually explicit online conversation that Arroyo had with one of the victims, a 15-year-old female (Victim #3), which culminated in the minor sending Arroyo a sexually explicit video of herself. 

After receiving the Cybertip, investigators at the Easton Police Department obtained a series of search warrants for online and phone accounts associated with the “Elias Garcia” persona, and after gathering additional information, obtained a search warrant to search Arroyo’s residence in Easton, Maryland on September 11, 2018.  While executing the search warrant, detectives discovered a white envelope in Arroyo’s bedroom that contained a $50.00 bill.  The envelope was addressed to an individual later identified as a 12-year-old female and Victim #3’s name was handwritten in the area where “sender” information is customarily placed.  Investigators discovered that Arroyo had been engaging in communications with the 12-year-old minor through social media, offering her money in exchange of sexually explicit photos. 

In addition to the white envelope, investigators also discovered a black cell phone hidden in Arroyo’s bedroom.  A subsequent review of the contents of the cell phone revealed sexually explicit images of several of the minor victims, as well as evidence linking Arroyo to the “Elias Garcia” communications and to another alias “Emiel Quiross” Arroyo used to create an additional social media account.  Investigators obtained a search warrant to search this newly discovered alias account and discovered that Arroyo used the “Emiel Quiross” account to coerce and entice two additional minor victims, Victim #5 and Victim #6, to produce and send to him, sexually explicit images of themselves.  Arroyo employed a similar pattern to manipulate Victim #5 and Victim #6, by pretending to be a 16-year-old boy and offering the minor females cash in exchange for sending him close-up images of the victims’ genitals.  The “Emiel Quiross” account was created by Arroyo after the social media platform shut down his “Elias Garcia” account. 

On September 11, 2018, after voluntarily waiving his Miranda rights Arroyo agreed to speak with investigators.  During the interview, Arroyo admitted that the cell phone and white envelope found in his bedroom belonged to him.  Arroyo claimed that he was using the envelope to mail money to his “ex-girlfriend.”  When asked why Victim #3’s name was handwritten on the top-left “sender” portion of the envelope, Arroyo denied knowing Victim #3, and claimed that he made up the name of a female to place on the envelope so his “ex-girlfriend’s” new boyfriend would not become suspicious regarding the source of the money she received in the envelope.  During the interview, Arroyo used another alias when identifying himself to investigators and did not provide his real name. 

Arroyo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life in prison for enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.   Chief United States District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

As stated in his plea agreement, upon his release from prison, Arroyo will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). 

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Easton Police Department and the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Colleen E. McGuinn, 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health in Easton, Maryland (“Shore Health”), has agreed to pay the United States $296,870 to resolve allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the United States for radiation therapy and diagnostic services that lacked the required supervision from a physician.  

The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and by Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General.

“It is imperative that Medicare and other federal health care programs are protected from fraud because those programs are funded through taxpayer dollars,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron.  “The United States Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those providers who defraud federal health care programs.”

“Providers who submit false claims to Medicare are undermining the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect valuable taxpayer dollars from fraud.”

Shore Health is a part of the University of Maryland Medical System and primarily serves the needs of Maryland residents in Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Kent counties.  According to the settlement agreement, from January 16, 2014 through July 5, 2018, Shore Health billed Medicare for radiation therapy and diagnostic services.  During this time period, Medicare covered radiation therapy and diagnostic services furnished in an outpatient setting when rendered under the direct supervision of a physician.  “Direct supervision” means that the physician must be immediately available to furnish assistance and direction throughout the performance of the procedure.  It does not mean that the physician must be present in the room when the procedure is performed.  At all relevant times, Shore Health had only one physician, John Mastandrea, M.D., available to supervise radiation therapy and diagnostic services.  This settlement resolves allegations that on many occasions, Dr. Mastandrea was performing uninterruptible radiation oncology services at a separate location while unsupervised radiation therapy and diagnostic services were being performed at Shore Health.  

This matter arose from a lawsuit filed by J. Phillip Sawyer, a former employee of Shore Health, under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act.  The False Claims Act permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and obtain a portion of the government's recovery.  The civil lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. John Phillip Sawyer v. Shore Health System and John Mastandrea, 18-cv-02228-JKB (D. Md).  As part of the settlement, Mr. Sawyer will receive $51,952. 

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations.  The settlement is not an admission of liability by Shore Health nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.   

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS-OIG for their work in this investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Vaccarella, who handled this case.

For more information on 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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Greenbelt, Maryland – Rashaun Onley, age 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to federal charges of committing an armed commercial robbery, carjacking, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Don Hayes of the City of Alexandria, Virginia Police Department; Chief Charles “Andy” Penn of the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.

According to his guilty plea, in the early morning of February 5, 2021, Onley and a co-defendant entered a convenience store in Silver Spring, Maryland, selected some items from the shelves, and approached the counter.  Onley grabbed a convenience store employee, Victim 1, by the shirt, struck Victim 1 in the head, led Victim 1 behind the counter, and forced Victim 1 to his knees.  Onley then brandished a black semiautomatic handgun and ordered Victim 1 and Victim 2, another employee, to open the cash register.  Victim 2 opened the cash register and Onley and the co-defendant removed the cash from the register and fled.  Officers with the Montgomery County Police Department (“MCPD”) recovered video surveillance footage showed Onley and his co-defendant committing the robbery.

Also on February 5, 2021, at approximately 4:57 p.m., in Alexandria, Virginia, three men carjacked at gunpoint a dark gray Volkswagen Tiguan with Pennsylvania registration plates (“Volkswagen”).  Victim 3, the driver, reported that he had just parked his vehicle when one suspect told Victim 3 to get out of the vehicle, while a second suspect pointed a black handgun at Victim 3.  Victim 3 began to get out of the car but was grabbed by a suspect and pulled away from the vehicle.  All three suspects fled in the Volkswagen.  Victim 3 reported that his iPhone was still inside the vehicle.

As detailed in Onley’s plea agreement, a little more than one hour later, Onley, his co-defendant, and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked at gunpoint Victim 4, who was driving a Lexus ES300 (“Lexus”) in Silver Spring.  Onley approached Victim 4 first with a gun in his hand and stated, “I’m gonna blow you up, give me your money and keys.”  Onley’s co-defendant, who also was armed with a gun, approached Victim 4 and demanded his car keys.  Co-Conspirator 1 was driving the Volkswagen.  Fearing for his life, Victim 4 handed over his property.  Onley’s co-defendant drove the Lexus away, while Onley got into the front passenger seat of the Volkswagen and fled the scene.  A short time later the Lexus was located abandoned nearby.

According to the plea agreement, approximately two minutes after the carjacking of the Lexus, Onley and the co-defendant approached Victim 5, who was sitting in a Mercedes ML350 sport utility vehicle (“Mercedes”).  Onley ordered Victim 5 to “get out” while he pointed a gun at her.  Victim 5 exited in fear for her life, while Onley and his co-defendant took Victim 5’s vehicle and fled the scene.  MCPD officers interviewed Victim 5 and obtained surveillance footage relating to the carjacking.

Less than 30 minutes later, Onley and his co-defendant were seen arriving in the Volkswagen on surveillance video capturing the outside of the co-defendant’s residence, an apartment building located in Washington, D.C.  They both were wearing the same clothing visible in the surveillance videos of the Silver Spring carjacking of the Mercedes and in the robbery of the convenience store.  A short time later, Onley exited the building and stood on the front porch, where he removed a mobile phone from his pocket, smashed the phone on the concrete porch, and threw the phone in the front dirt or lawn area of the building.  Law enforcement recovered the smashed phone two days later and confirmed that it was the iPhone belonging to Victim 3 that was left inside of the Volkswagen.

Later that evening, the carjacked Mercedes parked in front of the Volkswagen.  Onley and his co-defendant came out of the apartment building, went to the driver’s side of the Mercedes, and spoke with the three occupants of the vehicle.  After a few minutes, the three occupants exited the Mercedes, got into the Volkswagen, and drove away.  Onley and his co-defendant went back into the apartment building.

That same evening, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) saw the carjacked Volkswagen traveling in Washington D.C.  After a pursuit, the occupants of the Volkswagen, including Co-Conspirator 1, bailed out of the vehicle.  MPD located and arrested Co-Conspirator 1.  The Maryland license plate from the carjacked Mercedes was also located a short distance away.

On February 17, 2021, the Mercedes was recovered from the street in front of the co-defendant’s apartment building.

Late in the evening of February 26, 2021, the co-defendant and Onley were ‘livestreaming’ and posting on social media about being at a hotel party in Arlington, Virginia.  Law enforcement established surveillance on Onley and his co-defendant at the hotel and continued to monitor the co-defendant’s social media account, where they were able to see semiautomatic handguns in the hotel room.  MCPD officers apprehended Onley and the co-defendant in the hotel room.  Prior to being apprehended, the co-defendant threw a bag from the hotel room window, which law enforcement promptly recovered.  The contents of the bag included two loaded firearms and 21 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.

Onley and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Onley will be sentenced to between 12 years and 16 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for August 19, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.  Onley has been detained since his arrest.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the City of Alexandria Police Department and the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Derrell Lamar Hooker Orange (“Hooker Orange”) age 37, of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to enticement of a minor to produce child pornography and to possession of child pornography.  After Hooker-Orange entered his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel ordered the defendant into U.S. Marshal custody because he determined that Hooker-Orange was a danger to the community.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police and Sheriff Michelle Cook of the Clay County, Florida Sherriff’s Office.

According to his plea agreement, from at least July 2020 through October 2020, Hooker-Orange, posing as a 16-year-old boy name “Lamar Thompson,” communicated with Victim 1, a 12-year-old girl living in Florida.  Hooker-Orange admitted that Victim 1 disclosed to him that she was in “junior high.”  During their communications, Hooker-Orange, using the Thompson persona, sent text messages requesting sexually explicit videos from Victim 1, including on August 29, 2020 and October 11, 2020, which Victim 1 then sent to Hooker-Orange.

On March 16, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hooker Orange’s residence and seized his iPad and iPhone.  Forensic review of Hooker Orange’s devices revealed images and videos of child pornography, including sexually explicit videos of Victim 1.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Hooker-Orange also communicated with three other minor victims, Victim 2, Victim 3, and Victim 4, through text messages and a secure communication application.  As he did with Victim 1, Hooker-Orange posed as a 16-year-old boy and requested sexually explicit images and videos from Victim 2, Victim 3, and Victim 4, which the victims sent to him.  Based on the forensic analysis of his devices, Hooker-Orange knew that Victims 3 and 4 were only 11 years old.  In addition, on February 21, 2021, Hooker-Orange sent text messages to Victim 2, who resided in Florida, indicating that he had traveled to her residence.  The text messages included a screen shot of a Lyft route to the area of Victim 2’s residence, as well as a video of the apartment complex where Victim 2 lived at that time, with a text stating, “I’m outside.”  Victim 2 did not meet Hooker-Orange.

According to his plea agreement, Hooker-Orange also participated in numerous chats using a cross-platform messaging service with enhanced encryption to transmit and receive material depicting minors, including prepubescent minors, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  For example, in a chat with another user of the messaging service in March 2021, the other user asked Hooker-Orange to “Trade.”  In response, Hooker-Orange sent approximately 74 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and received approximately 98 such videos.

Hooker Orange and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Hooker-Orange will be sentenced to between 151 and 262 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Clay County, Florida Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica C. Collins and Leah Grossi, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Milton Portillo Rodriguez, a/k/a “Little Gangster”, a/k/a “Seco”, age 26, to life in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit murder in aid or racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including three murders, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.

On January 24, 2022, a federal jury convicted Portillo Rodriguez of the racketeering charges, along with co-defendants Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 21; Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, a/k/a “Lobo,” age 23; and Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” age 24, after a three-month trial.  Portillo-Rodriguez and Sandoval-Rodriguez were also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  Portillo Rodriguez, Sandoval Rodriguez, and Joya Parada were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique.  Co-defendant Oscar Sorto Romero was part of the Parque Vista Locos Salvatruchas (“PVLS”) clique. 

The evidence at trial established that between 2015 and 2017, Portillo Rodriguez and his co-defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland. 

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

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members.  Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position. 

As detailed during the trial, from 2015 through 2017, the Fulton clique of MS-13 sought to increase its presence in Frederick, Wheaton, and Annapolis, Maryland through numerous acts of violence, extortion, and drug sales.  Trial evidence focused on the defendants’ participation in at least four grisly murders of those suspected of association with rival gang members carried out in 2017.

Trial evidence related to Portillo Rodriguez focused on his participation in several murders including the murder of a 17-year-old victim on March 31, 2017.  During this murder, Portillo Rodriguez, Sandoval Rodriguez, Joya Parada, and other gang members lured Victim 1 to an Annapolis, Maryland park where they stabbed Victim 1 to death and subsequently dismembered Victim 1.   After murdering Victim 1 and removing the victim’s heart, the defendants buried the body, disposed of the evidence, and smoked marijuana to celebrate the murder.  As a result of their participation in the murder of Victim 1, certain gang members were promoted within MS-13.

On June 24, 2017, Portillo Rodriguez participated in the murder of Victim 2, a female victim MS-13 members believed to have been associated with a rival gang.  Portillo Rodriguez aided in the planning of the murder and helped lure Victim 2 into a car with another MS-13 member and a female associate.  Victim 2 believed she was meeting the female associate for a date.  After Victim 2 entered the vehicle, another MS-13 member stopped the car and allowed Portillo Rodiguez and another MS-13 gang member to enter on both sides of the vehicle to trap Victim 2 in the middle.  Portillo Rodriguez and others then forced Victim 2 onto the backseat floor at knifepoint.   Eventually, the MS-13 members took Victim 2 to a wooded area in Crownsville, Maryland where MS-13 members caused Victim 2 to lose consciousness, removed Victim 2’s clothing, and decapitated Victim 2 with a machete.  Portillo Rodriguez and Sandoval Rodriguez participated in the murder by stabbing and slashing the victim’s body with a machete, dismembering the body, and burying the body in a wooded area.  As a result of their participation in the murder of Victim 2, Portillo Rodriguez, Sandoval Rodriguez, and other gang members were promoted within MS-13.

Additionally, on August 5, 2017, Portillo Rodriguez and Sorto Romero participated in the planning and murder of Victim 3 at an Annapolis, Maryland park.  After Victim 3 was lured to the park, Victim 3 was hit on the head with a hammer and slashed with a machete until he died.  The evidence presented at trial revealed that the victim was a low-level member of MS-13 suspected of warning one of his relatives, who was believed to be a member of a rival gang, that he was an MS-13 target. 

More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in this and a related case.

On April 20, 2022, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 20, to 50 years in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and related violent crimes in aid of racketeering.  Oscar Sorto Romero was sentenced to life in federal prison on May 6, 2022, for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including two murders.  Sandoval Rodriguez faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, 2022, at 3:30 p.m.

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

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who prosecuted this 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett approved the United States’ consent decree with Ketan K. Dankhara, a Baltimore-based pharmacist, and Falls RX, LLC d/b/a Ultra Care Pharmacy Baltimore (“Ultra Care”), resolving the United States’ civil allegations that Dankhara and Ultra Care violated the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) in illegally dispensing controlled substances.

The consent decree was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division.

“Under the Controlled Substances Act, pharmacists and pharmacies assume a critical gatekeeping function to prevent the diversion of controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.  “Just as prescribers cannot use their prescription pad as a blank checkbook to write prescriptions for controlled substances, the CSA and its regulations make clear that pharmacists have a corresponding responsibility to ensure the legitimacy of the prescriptions they fill.  We will hold responsible those in the supply chain—manufacturers, distributors, prescribers, and retail pharmacies—who violate the CSA and illegally distribute controlled substances, fueling Maryland’s drug addiction epidemic.”

“Our pharmacists play a key role in the proper dispensing of controlled substances, helping patients, and protecting us all against the dangers of drug diversion,” stated Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division.  “When pharmacists ignore ‘red flags,’ their dispensing contributes to the opioid epidemic.  We at the DEA are working hard, every day, to investigate such behavior, and keep our communities safe.”

The Government alleges that shortly after Ultra Care opened for business, Dankhara knowingly filled fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances, ignoring red flags that should have acted as warning signs that the prescriptions were not legitimate.  More specifically, on several occasions between at least May and September 2020, an individual came to Ultra Care and attempted to fill controlled substance prescriptions for a number of people at the same time, many of whom had never previously been to the pharmacy.  At least several dozen of these prescriptions were fraudulent.  Some of the fraudulent prescriptions were for the same drug, strength, and quantity, and were from the same prescriber and some were prescribed by an OB/GYN to individuals who were biologically male.  Notwithstanding these red flags, Dankhara made no attempt to determine whether the prescriptions were legitimate, nor did he otherwise resolve the red flags.  Further, on at least one occasion, Dankhara indicated on a fraudulent prescription that he spoke with the prescriber when, in fact, Dankhara later admitted that he had no such conversation.  The Government alleges that Ultra Care is liable for these deficiencies. 

Under the consent decree, in addition to paying a $15,000 civil monetary penalty, Dankhara and Ultra Care are required to identify certain red flags—including when a patient presents prescriptions written in the names of other people without a valid justification, and when the patient is biologically male and presents prescriptions from an obstetrician or gynecologist.  Before filling prescriptions bearing those red flags, the consent decree requires Dankhara and Ultra Care to document in detail any indications of abuse or diversion and the steps they took to ensure that the prescription was valid and was issued for a legitimate medical purpose, and that the prescription would not be abused or diverted for illegitimate purposes.  Under the consent decree, if the DEA determines that Dankhara or Ultra Care have violated any provision of the consent decree and/or if Dankhara or the Pharmacy do not implement the corrective action the DEA orders, the DEA can order Dankhara and Ultra Care to cease ordering, distributing, or dispensing controlled substances immediately.

The consent decree is not an admission of liability by Ketan Dankhara or Ultra Care, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.   

The Court’s approval of this consent decree should remind pharmacists and pharmacies that the Department of Justice intends to use all tools at its disposal—both criminal and civil—to combat the controlled substances epidemic which continues to plague the United States, including here in Maryland. 

U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA Washington Division’s Office of Diversion Control, Baltimore District Office for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorney Alan C. Lazerow, who handled the case.

For more information on 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 – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Leroy Holmes, age 61, of Baltimore, Maryland, for the federal charges of bank fraud, identity theft, and access device fraud in connection with a scheme to re-encode gift cards with the stolen financial information of multiple victims, then use the cards to purchase fuel for truckers at half price, in exchange for cash.  The indictment was returned on May 10, 2022. 

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy Springer, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad.

According to the seven-count indictment, from October 2019 to March 2022, Holmes allegedly defrauded financial institutions by creating and using credit and debit card information encoded on gift cards to make fraudulent purchases without authority from cardholders or financial institutions.  Holmes allegedly re-encoded gift cards to charge as credit and debit cards using the real banking information of victims at gas stations where he sold gas to truck drivers for half price.

As alleged in the indictment, some of the counterfeited credit and debit cards created and used by Holmes contained unemployment insurance benefits provided to victims from the state of California and were used without each victim’s knowledge or permission.  According to the indictment, Holmes used, created, or possessed at least 594 counterfeit credit and debit cards, resulting in a loss of at least $170,000.

If convicted, Holmes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for bank fraud, 15 years in federal prison for access device fraud, and two years in federal prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed for aggravated identity theft.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, USPIS, the Secret Service, the Department of Labor-OIG, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Ray, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.  For more information about resources available to report fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Fernando Cristancho, age 65, of Bel Air, Maryland, to 22 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor who he met through the church to engage in illegal sexual activity.  Cristancho also admitted that he produced nude images of four other minor victims.  Judge Hollander also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Cristancho must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger, Jr.

“Cristancho is finally being held accountable for his horrific crimes. Let this sentence serve as a deterrent to anyone that seeks to sexually abuse children, especially those in trusted positions intended to be a safe place and haven for children.” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will relentlessly pursue and prosecute predators that exploit the trust of children and families.” 

According to his guilty plea, Cristancho was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in Colombia, South America, in 1985 and moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he worked as an assistant priest.  In approximately 1999, Cristancho was granted faculties to work as a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and worked as a priest in Baltimore County, and at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Harford County.  In 2002, the Archdiocese of Baltimore revoked Cristancho’s faculties to work as a priest in the Archdiocese. 

As stated in his plea agreement, John Doe was 11, 12, and 13 years old at the time of the offenses against him. John Doe’s family were members of St. Ignatius.  Soon after Cristancho arrived at St. Ignatius in 1999, he began to spend time with John Doe’s family outside of church, including meals at restaurants and the family’s home, and at family gatherings.  John Doe also became a lector at the church, with Cristancho working with him and coaching him in that process. 

Beginning when John Doe was 11, Cristancho asked John Doe for back rubs; offered John Doe alcohol; took John Doe to dinner, kissed John Doe, told John Does that he loved him; and acted as if they were in a romantic relationship.  Cristancho also showed John Doe pornography and suggested they do the same sexual activities. 

After Cristancho was no longer working at the church, he arranged to hold religious services in the home of a parishioner, with John Doe performing as a lector or altar server.  Additionally, in the summer of 2002, Cristancho invited himself to attend John Doe’s family’s camping trip and arranged to sleep next to John Doe in a tent.  Following the camping trip, Cristancho arranged for John Doe to assist around Cristancho’s house, including with his infant children.  Eventually, Cristancho arranged to have John Doe spend the weekend at Cristancho’s house which John Doe did on a regular basis well into 2003.  It was during these weekends that Cristancho sexually abused John Doe.  Cristancho sexually abused John Doe from 2002 through at least Fall 2003.

In September 2017, Cristancho went to a retail pharmacy to use the store’s photo printing equipment.  When a store employee assisted Cristancho, they observed several photos of naked children and an image of what appeared to be a bite mark on a young boy’s buttocks on Cristancho’s smartphone.  The employee subsequently made a report.

Law enforcement initiated an investigation, and a search warrant was executed at Cristancho’s residence on September 19, 2017.  During the search warrant, investigators seized various digital devices including a smartphone.  A subsequent forensic examination of the phone resulted in the discovery of nude photos and videos of four other minor victims, with most of the images being recorded when the victims were less than five years old.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution and thanked the Harford County Child Advocacy Center for its assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Colleen E. McGuinn, 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

 

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Florin Vaduva, age 31, of Dania Beach, Florida pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  As part of his plea agreement, Vaduva will be ordered to pay at least $1,085,151.42 in restitution.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Greg L. Torbenson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Quenton Sallows, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

According to his guilty plea, from June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva, Mateus Vaduva, Nicole Gindac, Daniel Velcu, Marian Unguru, Vali Unguru, and others conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions.  Conspirators, including Vaduva, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Vaduva and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions under false identities.  Conspiracy members often opened fictitious bank accounts with the aid of a conspiracy member that was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions. 

Vaduva and his co-conspirators fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks at the victim financial institutions by depositing the stolen checks into bank accounts by means of ATM transactions.  Subsequently, Vanduva and his co-conspirators withdrew money from the fraudulently opened bank accounts and spent the proceeds using debit cards.

For example, from January 2020 to May 2020, Vaduva deposited or participated in the deposit of at least 49 stolen checks totaling at least $27,508.84 from churches located in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia into five fraudulently opened bank accounts.  The total of stolen checks deposited into those accounts totaled approximately $36,660.91.  Over the course of the conspiracy, conspiracy members received approximately at least $1,085,151.42 from 2,657 stolen checks.  After becoming aware of the investigation, Vaduva fled to the United Kingdom.  He was later apprehended on September 5, 2021 and was extradited to the United States.

Vaduva faces a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.

For more information on 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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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Zaid Rushdan, age 41, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, yesterday to 126 months in federal prison, followed by seven years of supervised release, on charges of conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of stolen firearms.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Charlie Patterson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Washington Field Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from at least December 2020 until February 11, 2021, Rushdan conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over one kilogram of phencyclidine (“PCP”) and over 28 grams of crack cocaine.

Specifically, the DEA began investigating Rushdan, a co-conspirator, and others for distributing narcotics in Southern Maryland and the District of Columbia.  Agents determined that Co-Conspirator 1 was transporting drugs and drug proceeds to facilitate Rushdan’s drug trafficking business after seeing Co-Conspirator 1 at Rushdan’s apartment on multiple occasions, leaving and picking up bags at the apartment while traveling to and from drug trafficking locations.

On February 11, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rushdan’s apartment and seized: over a gallon (4,486 grams) of PCP with a purity of between 7% and 12%; approximately 299 grams of powder cocaine; approximately 31 grams of crack cocaine; plastic baggies containing pills and powders, subsequently identified to include 50 grams of heroin and 81.35 grams of Eutylone; approximately seven pounds of marijuana; seven handguns; two rifles; approximately 652 rounds of ammunition; and $14,485 in cash.

Rushdan admitted that the $14,485 in cash were proceeds of his drug trafficking business and the firearms were used, or were intended to be used, to facilitate his drug trafficking.  As detailed in his plea agreement, Rushdan also knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, that four of the firearms were stolen, specifically, a Glock .40 caliber pistol, a Springfield Armory .45 ACP pistol, a Smith and Wesson 9x19mm pistol, and an Auto-Ordnance Corporation .45 ACP pistol.

“The outcome of this case is the result of extremely great work done by the individuals that took part in this investigation. We can thankfully say, there is one less criminal off of our streets. We at ATF work tirelessly to keep our communities safe from people who endanger our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson.  “We will continue to work collaboratively with all of our partners to combat violent crimes in an effort to maintain public safety.”

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the ATF, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Town of Vienna, Virginia Police Department, the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Arlington, Virginia Police Department, the Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, and the Fairfax County Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam K. Ake, who are 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Enitan Mouroukeji Agbi, a/k/a “Anton Agbi,” and “Tone,” age 38, of Germantown, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to distribution of fentanyl.  Agbi admitted that Victim 1 died as a result of using drugs that Agbi distributed.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Darryl McSwain of the Maryland National Capital Park Police; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; and Chief Victor Brito of the City of Rockville Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on August 10, 2020, just prior to Victim 1’s fatal overdose, Victim 1 contacted Agbi by telephone to obtain heroin/fentanyl.  Victim 1 agreed to meet Agbi at Hotel A in Gaithersburg, where Agbi was staying.  Victim 1 texted Agbi when Victim 1 arrived at the location and Agbi went out the Victim 1’s car to complete the transaction.  Surveillance video from Hotel A, as well as cell site location records, confirmed that Victim 1 was in the vicinity of the hotel and that Agbi left the hotel and walked towards Victim 1’s car.  A short time later, Victim 1’s car left the area and went straight home, without making any other stops.

At about 10:00 p.m. on August 10, 2020, Victim 1 was found dead in her bedroom.  Law enforcement officers located a clear plastic baggie containing .42 grams of fentanyl mixed with heroin and a straw next to Victim 1’s body.  No other people were in Victim 1’s residence at the time of Victim 1’s death and Victim 1 lived alone.  An autopsy determined that Victim 1’s cause of death was acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, despropionyl fentanyl, and morphine.  Victim 1 was an otherwise healthy individual.  

After August 25, 2020, Agbi relocated to Hotel B in Germantown, Maryland.  On August 28, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Agbi’s hotel room in Hotel B.  Officers recovered approximately 10 clear plastic capsules containing a total of approximately 2.76 grams of fentanyl mixed with heroin, knotted bags containing a total of approximately 2.6 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, and drug distribution paraphernalia, including a digital scale and sandwich bags used to package controlled substances (and which were consistent with the clear plastic baggie found with Victim 1 on August 10, 2020).

Following the search, Agbi was placed under arrest.  Agbi admitted that he was a user and distributor of opioid drugs and that he met with Victim 1 on August 10 at Hotel A and provided Victim 1 with opioid drugs.  He stated that Victim 1 used opioid drugs Agbi provided in his presence.

Agbi and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Agbi will be sentenced to 114 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for September 20, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department the Maryland National Capital Park Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the City of Rockville Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Joel Crespo, who are 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and click on the “Save A Life” link.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, a/k/a “Lobo,” age 23, to life in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including two murders, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.  On January 24, 2022, a federal jury convicted Sorto Romero of the racketeering charges, along with co-defendants Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 21, Milton Portillo-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Little Gangster,” age 26; and Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” age 24, after a three-month trial.  Portillo-Rodriguez and Sandoval-Rodriguez were also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  Sorto Romero was a member of the Parque Vista Locos Salvatruchas (“PVLS”) clique and his co-defendants were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique.

The evidence at the three-month trial established that between 2015 and 2017, the defendants engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland. 

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

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position. 

As detailed during the trial, from 2015 through 2017, the Fulton clique of MS-13 sought to increase its presence in Frederick, Wheaton, and Annapolis, Maryland through numerous acts of violence, extortion, and drug sales. Trial evidence focused on the defendants’ participation in four grisly murders of those suspected of association with rival gang members carried out in 2017.

Trial evidence related to Sorto-Romero focused on his participation in two of those four murders.  First, on April 2, 2017, the gang kidnapped an individual from Silver Spring, Maryland and brought him to a wooded area in Frederick, where he was killed with knives and machetes before being buried in a shallow grave.  Before being taken to Frederick, the victim, who was extremely intoxicated, was held in a basement laundry room in Wheaton, Maryland by members and associates of MS-13, including by co-defendant Joya Parada.  Inside the laundry room, the victim was forced to remove his shirt so that gang members could examine his tattoos to satisfy themselves that the victim was associated with a rival gang and should therefore be killed. 

Sorto Romero was contacted by members of MS-13 to assist with the victim’s murder.  He agreed to assist as long as other, more junior gang members could participate to move up in the gang.  Sorto Romero arranged vehicles to transport the victim and other members of MS-13 to the wooded area in Frederick where the victim would be killed.  Sorto Romero and others went to the laundry room where the victim was being held, and they placed him in the backseat of a car in which Sorto Romero was a passenger.  In the meantime, Joya Parada and other members of MS-13 went to the woods in Frederick with weapons and a shovel to dig a grave and to wait for the victim’s arrival.  Sorto Romero eventually arrived with the victim, delivering the victim to other members of MS-13 who were waiting, including Joya Parada.  A member of MS-13 incapacitated the victim by hitting him in the head with a tree branch.  Joya Parada and others then dragged the victim through the woods to the hole they had dug for the victim’s grave.  They placed the victim face down on the ground next to the hole and stabbed and slashed his body repeatedly with a machete.  Joya Parada personally participated in this murder not only by slashing the victim with the long edge of the machete blade, but also by plunging the point of the machete into the victim’s back numerous times.  The victim died as a result of the blunt force trauma, stabbing, cutting, and chopping inflicted by Joya Parada and his co-conspirators.  Sorto Romero then picked up several gang members who participated in the murder to drive them home.  During their drive back, MS-13 members stopped to dispose of the machete in a storm drain and threw a shovel away in a dumpster. 

On August 5, 2017, MS-13 lured another victim to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.  When he arrived, the victim was hit in the head with a hammer and slashed with a machete until he died.  The trial evidence revealed that the victim was a low-level member of the PVLS clique of MS-13 (the same clique as Sorto Romero) and was suspected of warning one of his relatives, who was believed to be in a rival gang, that he was an MS-13 target.  Sorto Romero and co-defendant Portillo Rodriguez participated in the planning and execution of the murder of this victim.  Once the victim arrived, an MS-13 member who was part of the PVLS clique hit the victim in the head with a hammer.  The victim screamed after he was hit.  Then, members of MS-13 dragged the victim to a hole that had been dug deeper in the woods.  Sorto Romero and Portillo Rodriguez assisted in digging the hole earlier that day.  Once at the hole, Sorto Romero, Portillo Rodriguez, and other members of MS-13 took turns striking the victim’s neck and shoulder area with a machete in an unsuccessful effort to decapitate the victim.  Although they were unable to decapitate the victim, Sorto Romero, Portillo Rodriguez, and others struck the victim numerous times until he died.  The victim was then buried in a clandestine grave in the park.  After the murder, members of MS-13 took clothing and other evidence to a nearby house where the clothing was burned in a grill. 

According to trial evidence, these murders were all intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13, as well as allow individual MS-13 members to maintain or increase their status within the gang.

More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in this and a related case.

On April 20, 2022, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 20, to 50 years in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and related violent crimes in aid of racketeering.  Portillo-Rodriguez and Sandoval-Rodriguez each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison for each of the murder in aid of racketeering charges.  Chief Judge Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Portillo Rodriguez for May 13, 2022, at 10 a.m and for Sandoval Rodriguez for May 25, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.

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

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who are prosecuting this 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Johnny William Kyte, age 62, of Elkton, Maryland to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; the Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer; and Chief Carolyn Rogers of the Elkton Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on September 10, 2020, the Elkton Police Department responded to a complaint regarding images of child pornography located within Kyte’s residence and initiated an investigation into Kyte’s criminal conduct in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations.

After the execution of numerous search warrants, investigators discovered several digital devices controlled and owned by Kyte that contained images of child pornography.  Investigators were able to identify and locate the minor victims who were depicted in the images.  Subsequent investigation revealed that from August 2014 to July 2017, Kyte produced numerous sexually explicit images of two prepubescent females, including close-up images displaying the lewd and lascivious display of the minor victim’s genitals.  Kyte used a variety of devices to produce the images including at least two digital cameras, a cell phone camera, and other devices. 

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Cecil County, and the Elkton Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Colleen McGuinn, 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Duane G. Larmore, age 47, of Salisbury, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a wire fraud conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft in connection with the theft of more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance Connection, where Larmore worked. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, from mid-September 2016 through about March 2020, Larmore conspired with others to steal more than $1.8 million from a Salisbury, Maryland company, Shore Appliance Connection, owned and operated by Owner #1 and Owner #2, that sold household appliances as well as mattresses and bedding.  Larmore was an employee at Shore Appliance whose duties included maintaining the books and records for the company. 

Specifically, Larmore and his co-conspirators stole over $1 million from Shore Appliance to use for their own purposes, including to make investments and to pay business expenses for the co-conspirator’s business, without the knowledge and consent of the owners of Shore Appliance.  For example, Larmore invested in the following:  in 2016, a $100,000 investment with T.H.; a $95,000 investment with GenFinance II, PLC, London, U.K., which then required an additional $300,000, and then additional funds for a surety bond and travel abroad; in 2018, an investment through W.S. of $35,000 and an investment through J.B. of $50,000; and in 2019 - 2020, investments and expenses through I.P. and E. P.-S. to obtain U.S. currency purportedly returned to the United States from humanitarian relief projects abroad, and other similar investments.  The charges included wire transfers from Shore Appliance’s account to a co-conspirator’s business account and from there to banks in the U.K. and Hong Kong.  No investment paid any return to the schemers.

To conceal how much money had been removed from Shore Appliance and to obtain cash, Larmore used the identities of the owners to enter into factoring contracts.  Factoring is a means by which businesses, like Shore Appliance, can obtain cash quickly by leveraging accounts receivable.  As detailed in the plea agreement, the factoring contracts purportedly between Shore Appliance and various factoring companies, provided cash deposits to Shore Appliance's bank accounts but encumbered the accounts receivable of Shore Appliance and required payments and interest of more than $725,000.  In addition, Larmore used his position of trust with Shore Appliance and signature authority over its bank accounts to draw on Shore Appliance’s lines of credit with two separate financial institutions to obtain another $200,000 in cash to conceal his use of Shore Appliance’s funds.

To obtain contracts with factoring companies for Shore Appliance, Larmore used his own email address and cell phone number with factors but identified that email address and cell phone number as belonging to Owner #1.  Larmore also allegedly provided the factors with details of the owners’ identities, including dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and Maryland drivers' licenses, without their permission. 

To conceal the fact that the owners were not aware of and had not approved the factoring contracts, the signatures of the owners were forged and the fraudulent signatures were witnessed or notarized by the co-conspirator; and Larmore and a female employee of his co-conspirator posed as the owners in telephone conversations with representatives of the factoring companies.  Finally, when the co-conspirator’s business was having financial difficulties, at the co-conspirator’s request, Larmore provided funds from Shore Appliance for his co-conspirator's companies. 

In all, Larmore paid $739,295.28 of Shore Appliance’s funds, without the officers and owners’ knowledge or consent, to invest in fraudulent schemes that never paid any money back.  Larmore caused an additional loss of $171,548.67 by transferring funds to his co-conspirator or the co-conspirator’s companies.  Larmore caused Shore Appliance to lose an additional $731,250.07 in fees and other payments to factors and to factoring brokers.  Larmore also caused Shore Appliance to draw on its bank lines of credit and pay extra interest to those banks in the amount $208,395.  Thus, the factoring arrangements and advances on Shore Appliance's lines of credit in total caused Shore Appliance to lose in actual funds $939,645.  However, Shore Appliance as of March 2020 still owed the factors almost $270,000.  For all of Larmore’s conduct, actual cash losses to Shore Appliance totaled $1,850,488.94 and intended losses totaled $2,137,674.74.

As part of his plea agreement, Larmore will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties stipulate is $1,850,488.94

Larmore faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for a wire fraud conspiracy and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft.  U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce K. McDonald, 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. For more information about resources available to report fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Edward T. Buford III, age 70, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2022, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and healthcare fraud. As part of his guilty plea, Buford will be required to pay $1,267,630 in restitution.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division; and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

According to his guilty plea, from January 2013 to May 2018, Buford and others devised and executed a scheme to defraud Medicaid for the District of Columbia by filing fraudulent Medicaid claims for dental services to Medicaid beneficiaries, receiving the fraudulently obtained funds from Medicaid, and recruiting Medicaid beneficiaries to fuel the scheme through the payment of kickbacks and bribes. 

Buford was a licensed dentist in Washington, D.C. and the owner and Chief Executive Officer of International Dental Associates, Inc. (IDA), a dental clinic located in Washington, D.C.  Before 2015, Buford was enrolled as a Medicaid provider, however, in April 2015, Medicaid suspended payments to Buford under his provider number.  

After Buford’s provider number was suspended in 2015, Buford and his business partner/IDA manager (Co-conspirator 1) continued to submit claims to Medicaid through IDA’s provider number.  In April 2016, Buford and Co-conspirator 1 re-enrolled IDA as a provider in Medicaid.  Within IDA’s application, Buford and Co-conspirator 1 failed to disclose Buford’s suspension from Medicaid.  

Buford and his co-conspirators caused the submission of Medicaid claims by Buford and IDA for a variety of dental services, including dentures.  As part of the conspiracy, Buford and Co-conspirator 1 offered and paid kickbacks to Co-conspirator 2 and other patient recruiters in exchange for referring Medicaid beneficiaries to IDA for dental services, even though Medicaid would not pay claims had it known they were procured through kickbacks.  Medicaid paid substantially more for dentures than for many other dental services, including dental cleanings, and Buford and Co-conspirator 1 paid Co-conspirator 2 larger cash kickbacks for beneficiaries that agreed to be fitted for dentures—approximately $50 per beneficiary—than for beneficiaries who only agreed to receive dental cleanings.

At Buford and Co-conspirator 1’s direction, Co-conspirator 2 offered Medicaid beneficiaries cash bribes to induce them to visit and accept dental services from IDA.  Buford and his co-conspirators typically paid higher amounts to beneficiaries who agreed to be fitted for dentures than those who only agreed to receive cleanings.  Even though dentures required multiple visits to fit and deliver, Buford and his co-conspirators paid the beneficiaries only for the initial visit—after which Buford and his co-conspirators could bill Medicaid for the dentures—and numerous beneficiaries never returned to IDA after receiving the cash bribe.  Accordingly, Buford and his co-conspirators stored hundreds of undelivered dentures on IDA’s premises, many of which had been billed to and paid for by Medicaid.  

As part of the scheme to defraud, Buford maintained a Post Office box in Silver Spring, Maryland as IDA’s billing address and received the fraudulently obtained funds at that location.  For example, on September 21, 2017, Buford caused Medicaid to mail a check for $17,397 to the Maryland P.O. box for services purportedly provided to 11 Medicaid beneficiaries. 

Based on the amount that Medicaid paid to Buford and IDA for dentures that were not delivered, the actual loss to Medicaid was at least approximately $1,267,630. 

Buford faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and healthcare fraud.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for August 3, 2022, at 9:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HHS-OIG, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica C. Collins and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who are 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. 

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Jason Daniel Ort, age 36, of Waldorf, Maryland, late yesterday to 11 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for transportation of child pornography, specifically videos Ort had surreptitiously recorded using a hidden camera in a bathroom, as well as other images and videos he possessed.  Judge Chuang also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Ort must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Brigadier General Terry Bullard, Commander Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

According to his guilty plea, between September 28, 2020, and October 1, 2020, Ort knowingly transported videos containing child pornography from Maryland to New York.

As stated in his plea agreement, on October 2, 2020, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in New York (OCSO) received a complaint from an adult (Individual 1) that Ort had placed a black spy camera in Individual 1’s bedroom while visiting the individual’s home.  On October 1, 2020, Individual 1 located the camera, which contained an SD card.  Upon review of the SD card’s contents, Individual 1 discovered a video of a minor female using the bathroom and lifting up her dress to wipe herself.  Individual 1 observed a video of Ort entering the bathroom and adjusting the camera.  According to military records, Ort was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Maryland and was scheduled for leave during that time to visit Individual 1’s residence in New York.

In an interview with OCSO officers, Ort admitted to placing the camera in Individual 1’s bedroom and that he placed the camera in several other locations, including in a bathroom at another residence in Pocomoke City, Maryland.  Ort said that he watched the videos for sexual pleasure and knew that his actions were wrong.

As a result of their investigation, OCSO seized multiple electronic items in New York, including the spy camera containing the SD card and Ort’s laptop.  A subsequent forensic review of the SD card revealed at least 10 video files depicting minor females using the bathroom and bathing.  Ort recorded these videos using the spy camera placed in the bathroom of the Pocomoke City, Maryland residence in and around December 2019 and January 2020.  The camera appeared to be positioned under the sink, facing the toilet and the shower.  Throughout the videos, four minor females were recorded with their genitals exposed while either showering or using the toilet.

A forensic review of the Ort’s laptop revealed hundreds of files constituting child pornography.  Some of the files depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on November 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ort’s Waldorf, Maryland residence and recovered numerous electronic devices including a 1 TB digital hard drive, a 500 GB hard drive, and a second laptop with a 1 TB hard drive.

Upon review of one of the hard drives, law enforcement found video files that were duplicates of or compilations of clips from the videos found on the SD card depicting the minor victims.  Further, a forensic review of the second laptop located at Ort’s residence revealed a search for “production of child pornography charge” and “Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Federal Law on Child Pornography” on October 7, 2020.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for their work in the investigation and thanked the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Collins 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Christopher Allen Young, a/k/a “40,” age 26, of Washington, D.C., to 126 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in connection with the kidnapping of a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to Young’s guilty plea, on February 3, 2021, Young, Darius Young a/k/a “Mup”, Anthony Hebron, Lamar Perkins, and Co-conspirator 1 worked together to kidnap a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel.  Hebron and Co-conspirator 1 met Victim A at the casino and hotel, where they made the false promise that they would get women for Victim A if Victim A accompanied them to Southeast Washington, D.C.  At approximately 7:30 a.m., Victim A agreed to travel to Southeast Washington, D.C. in Co-conspirator 1’s car with Hebron and Co-conspirator 1.

At 8:12 a.m., Young received a call from Hebron.  A minute later, Young called Mup to report that Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron had “snatched” Victim A.  Young advised Mup that he was going to split the proceeds of the robbery with Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron and would pay Mup from his share.  Young added that, if Victim A “gets feisty, I don’t want to have to crush him.”

A short time later, Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron arrived in Southeast D.C. with Victim A, and Young and Mup got in the car.  Hebron then pointed a gun at Victim A, while Young and the co-conspirators took Victim A’s personal items, including Victim A’s wallet, cellphone, and watch (which had been purchased for approximately $500), and the key to Victim A’s hotel room.  Young and the co-conspirators then demanded the code to the safe in Victim A’s hotel room.  After Victim A refused to provide the code to the safe, Hebron struck Victim A in the forehead with the gun, and Victim A gave up the code to his safe.  Hebron then forced Victim A out of the vehicle. 

Young and Mup then exited the vehicle with Victim A, while Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron drove back to the casino and hotel.  Young and Mup then led Victim A, at gunpoint, to a boiler room inside an apartment building in Southeast D.C.  Inside the boiler room, Young and Mup physically assaulted Victim A and demanded that Victim A disclose the PIN number for his ATM card and provide details about items located in Victim A’s hotel room.

According to the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy were seen on surveillance footage leaving Victim A’s hotel room with a backpack and roller suitcase, which contained items they had stolen from the room, including an Xbox, at least $1,500 in casino chips, and approximately $6,000 in cash. 

Soon after learning that Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron had stolen Victim A’s valuables from his hotel room, Young and Mup left the boiler room, leaving Victim A behind. 

Just a few moments later, law enforcement located Victim A near the apartment building, with blood running down his face and a wound on his forehead.  Victim A also appeared to have suffered cuts on his mouth and eye, and a broken nose. 

Following the robbery and assault, Young and his co-conspirators discussed the kidnapping and robbery on a phone call.  Young told the co-conspirators that he was not worried about Victim A talking to law enforcement because Victim A would be too afraid after Young and Mup threatened him.  Young said he told Victim A, “If the police come, or anything come, I got your address.  Mom…your little brother, all them is gone!”

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

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Washington, and the FBI Baltimore Field Offices for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron also praised the Prince George’s County Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Engelking, who are 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

 

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Francis Arthur, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland on May 2, 2022, to one year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a money laundering conspiracy and for money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud victim account holders at a credit union.  As part of his sentence, Arthur has been ordered to pay $339,000 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police.

According to the evidence presented at Arthur’s trial, from October 2016 through April 2017, Arthur and his co-conspirators engaged in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the proceeds of a fraud scheme to obtain cash from victim account holders at a Maryland credit union.  Specifically, the evidence showed that the conspirators transferred, withdrew cash, and caused cashiers’ checks to be issued from the proceeds of a fraud scheme.  Arthur and his co-conspirators then used the funds to purchase motor vehicles to conceal that the funds were derived from a fraud scheme. 

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Secret Service and the Montgomery County Department of Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan and U.S. Attorney Christian Nauvel of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, 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 – Eugene Andrew DiNoto, age 51, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, engaging in an illegal monetary transaction, and filing a false tax return, in connection with a kickback scheme that defrauded his employer of more than $29 million.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Eugene DiNoto was a longtime employee of Company 1, a family-owned global business headquartered in New York, but with manufacturing facilities in Belcamp and Abingdon, Maryland, both in Harford County.  Beginning in 2012, DiNoto and another employee, Elliott Kleinman, began to use their management positions at Company 1 to execute a fraudulent billing scheme whereby they would get illegal kickbacks from various drum vendors doing business with Company 1, which used drums to store and transport its products.  As the facility managers, DiNoto and Kleinman oversaw the purchasing and storing of drums for use at the Harford County manufacturing facilities.  They also had authority to review drum invoices and authorize payments to the drum vendors. 

Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., is the owner and President of Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. (TBD), located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and of another drum supply company called Hartford Fibre Drum, Inc. (Hartford), both of which did business with Company 1.  After TBD became a drum supplier to Company 1, DiNoto and Kleinman entered into arrangement with Urcioli whereby TBD could continue selling drums to Company 1 if Urcioli agreed to fraudulently invoice Company 1 for more drums than TBD actually sold and delivered to the company.  If Urcioli agreed to falsify its invoices in this way, DiNoto and Kleinman said that they and TBD could split the extra money Company 1 paid TBD for the made-up drum deliveries 50/50.  DiNoto told Urcioli that he would split his share of the kickbacks with Elliot Kleinman 75/25.  Urcioli agreed to participate in the false billing scheme.  

From approximately January 2012 to January 31, 2020, DiNoto contacted Urcioli at least once a week to discuss the number and type of drums that he actually wanted delivered to Company 1’s Maryland facilities.  During the same conversation, DiNoto told Urcioli how many additional drums to charge, but not deliver, to Company 1 from TBD, and later from Hartford, Urcioli’s other company.  After Urcioli created the invoices that fraudulently billed Company 1 for both delivered and undelivered drums, DiNoto approved the invoices and sent them to Company 1’s headquarters to be paid.  

Urcioli also created a handwritten purchase order ticket that summarized the breakdown of actual and bogus drum orders and how the kickback amounts were calculated.  Urcioli would put a copy of the purchase order ticket in an envelope along with DiNoto’s and Kleinman’s share of the kickback amount payable via checks from TBD and Hartford, and then send the envelope to their personal residences in Harford County, Maryland. 

Sometimes, the invoices were not written as DiNoto had instructed, and he would call Urcioli and tell him to send a corrected invoice of adjust the kickback amounts.  Occasionally, DiNoto would correct an arithmetic mistake on Urcioli’s purchase order ticket, take a photograph of the changes he made to the ticket, and then email the corrected ticket back to Urcioli.

Urcioli wanted to pay the kickbacks to DiNoto and Kleinman by check so the payments would look like payments to drum wholesalers and be deductible as a cost of goods sold on TBD’s tax returns.  DiNoto told Urcioli to make his kickback checks payable to a company linked to DiNoto, called “Sandpiper Enterprises.”  Kleinman advised that he wanted his kickback checks payable to a company he formed called “EDK Management, LTD.”  Urcioli agreed, and in addition to making the kickback checks drawn on TBD and Hartford accounts payable to those companies, Urcioli wrote the word “drums” on the checks to further the pretense of legitimate purchases.

DiNoto admitted that even though Sandpiper Enterprises was not engaged in any business, he maintained a commercial bank account for Sandpiper Enterprises at a local financial institution, where he deposited all the kickback checks he received.  Before accessing the criminal proceeds, DiNoto routinely transferred all or part of the money into one of the personal bank accounts he maintained at the same bank.  DiNoto would then withdraw the funds from his personal account or write a personal check against the balance.          

Between January 2012 and January 31, 2020, Urcioli falsely invoiced Company 1 a total of $20,300,757.  TBD and Hartford kept half that amount while the remaining funds were sent to DiNoto and Kleinman.  DiNoto’s share of the kickbacks was approximately $7,071,106.  Over the same eight-year period, DiNoto used other drum vendors besides TBD and Hartford to execute his scheme to defraud Company 1.  On behalf of those other vendors, DiNoto submitted and approved invoices totaling approximately $9,197,181, resulting in a total loss to Company 1 of approximately $29,497,938.

For the period of 2017 through 2019, none of the more than $7 million in kickbacks DiNoto received for his role in the fraudulent billing scheme appeared as income on the tax returns DiNoto filed with the IRS, resulting in a loss to the U.S. government of approximately $1,374,694.

DiNoto faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for engaging in an illegal monetary transaction; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for filing a false tax return.  U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby scheduled sentencing for DiNoto on July 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

Elliott Dennis Kleinman, age 68, of Bel Air, Maryland and Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., age 78, of Park Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting the case.

For more information on 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 – Donald Benson, Jr., age 42, of Nottingham, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to production of child pornography.

The plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on September 18, 2016, while working at a Maryland hospital as a patient sitter, Benson sexually assaulted a 15-year-old female (Victim 1) while she was unconscious.  Additionally, Benson took 13 pictures of the sexual assault on Victim 1 and emailed those pictures to his personal email account.  Benson used Victim 1’s birthdate as the subject of the email which was also visible in the pictures that Benson produced.

As stated in is plea agreement, in December 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report regarding child pornography activity on Benson’s email account.  Between August 2015 to December 2019, Benson uploaded 337 files of possible child pornography.

During the investigation into Benson’s criminal conduct, investigators determined that several of the images Benson had emailed himself depicted images of minors being sexually assaulted including the images that Benson captured of Victim 1 while she was in an unconscious state. 

On February 6, 2020, investigators executed search warrants at Benson’s residence and seized various electronic devices. On Benson’s electronic devices, investigators located several images and files of child pornography and a CD that depicted a naked prepubescent female with her legs spread and genitals exposed.  This CD contained images of child pornography from 1999 to 2013.

In an interview with law enforcement, Benson informed investigators that he took pictures of Victim 1 while working in an official capacity and while Victim 1 was unconscious.  He also informed law enforcement that he took the exploitive pictures of Victim 1 when her father stepped out of the room to take a phone call.

Benson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography.   U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for August 3, 2022, at 9:15 a.m.

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Paul E. Budlow, 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Tony Oliver, age 42, of Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to being a felon in possession of a firearm.    

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department. 

According to his guilty plea, on June 28, 2019, Oliver and Oliver’s friend (Victim 1) were shot on the 1400 block of Ward Street in Baltimore.  Based on CCTV cameras, statements, and jail calls, investigators learned that two male suspects first approached Victim 1 and shot him in the head and chest on the 1400 block of Ward Street.  As Oliver approached the area in his vehicle, the male suspects shot at Oliver, hitting him in his hand and arm.  Investigators later recovered multiple pieces of evidence at the scene including a trail of blood, a 9mm firearm, and 9mm shell casings from inside Oliver’s car.

As part of the investigation, officers located the 9mm firearm under a bush at the scene.  In a video viewed by law enforcement, officers saw Oliver near the bush in which the 9mm firearm was located.  BPD homicide detectives subsequently recovered the firearm, tested the firearm for Oliver’s DNA, and discovered Oliver’s DNA on the firearm.  Oliver knew that he had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

Additionally, as detailed in his guilty plea, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) requested Oliver’s cellphone pending a search and seizure warrant.  However, before giving the phone to the detectives, Oliver purposely threw it on the ground and broke it.  Due to the damage to the phone, investigators were unable to retrieve information from the cellphone.  The phone was believed to contain information regarding Victim 1’s murder.

Investigators subsequently captured several conversations between Oliver and an incarcerated individual (Individual 1) in which Oliver and Individual 1 discussed the shooting.  For example, on July 11, 2019, in a conversation between Oliver and Individual 1, investigators believed that Oliver described the circumstances leading to the shooting, including how Oliver was driving the vehicle, parked next to a corner store, and tossed his firearm immediately after the shooting, and that Oliver believed that another individual recovered the firearm from the scene because an associate of Oliver’s could not locate the firearm when Oliver sent the associate to retrieve it.  Based on the call, Oliver did not believe that law enforcement recovered the firearm.

Oliver faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for August 19, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin. 

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

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett, 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. 

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