District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted three men for conspiracy, and for transportation of stolen property, taken during a series of burglaries committed in Maryland and Georgia.  The jury returned the guilty verdicts for the following defendants late yesterday after three hours of deliberation:

Demar A. Brown, age 37, of Paterson, New Jersey and Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Jashon C. Fields, age 37, of Atlanta, Georgia; and
Kamar O. Beckles, age 35, of Teaneck, New Jersey.

The convictions were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the evidence presented at the 10-day trial, from November 29, 2017 through January 26, 2018, the defendants committed a series of break-ins at residences in Baltimore County, Maryland and Milton, Georgia, in order to steal property, including: cash; foreign currency; safes; jewelry; designer purses, bags, and clothing; personal electronics; collectibles; personal identity documents; and items of sentimental value, such as historical medals, rare coins, and other memorabilia.  The defendants intended to sell the stolen property out-of-state for cash. 

Witnesses testified that the defendants wore masks and gloves during the break-ins and communicated with each other using two-way radios and mobile phones.  One of the conspirators often remained in the getaway car while the other conspirators committed the burglaries.  Brown, Fields, and Beckles rented hotel rooms in Maryland where they would store the proceeds of the burglaries they committed (until the property and proceeds were transported out of state).  Brown and Beckles transported the stolen property outside Maryland, including to two residences to which Brown had access in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

As detailed during the trial, on January 26, 2018, the defendants were arrested not far from two residences that had recently been burglarized.  Brown was arrested after officers responding to the burglary noticed a dark green Ford Explorer with North Carolina tags traveling slowly down the street.  The vehicle was identical to a suspect vehicle seen in surveillance footage from some of the earlier burglaries.  An officer pulled in behind the vehicle and, after a short vehicle chase, Brown was eventually arrested after trying to flee from the SUV.

Beckles and Fields were arrested in a nearby wooded area, about a half mile from one of the burglarized homes.  At the time of his arrest, Beckles was wearing a distinct jacket with a reflective emblem on the back – identical in appearance to the insignia visible in surveillance footage from some of the earlier burglaries.  Additional responding officers were able to view through the vehicle’s windows a safe matching the description of a safe stolen during the robbery, along with what appeared to be bags of other property stolen that evening and over $2500 in loose change – later determined to have been stolen from a home in Milton, Georgia. 

A search of each defendant turned up hotel key cards, and one of the defendants was carrying over $1,000 cash in his sock.  Brown also had a breakfast ticket from the hotel matching the key card, where law enforcement learned Beckles had rented two rooms in his name.   

A search warrant for the rented rooms was obtained and executed, and a second search of one of the rooms occurred a couple of days later.  During the searches of the rooms, law enforcement recovered jewelry stolen from a residence on January 25, 2018, property from homes burglarized in Milton, Georgia on January 24th, as well as property from homes burglarized in Baltimore County on December 28, 2017, December 29, 2017, January 9, 2018, and January 10, 2018.  They also recovered a mask, a pair of gloves, a diamond tester, a scale, and a gold testing kit.  In the second room, they located, among other things, Fields’ license, mail in the name of Beckles, and various phones.

On January 27, 2018, after obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement searched the Ford Explorer driven by Brown the previous day.  They discovered, among other things, various tools and clothing for use in connection with burglaries, including a pry bar, a drill and hole saw, a mallet, three chisels, a reciprocating saw, multiple pairs of gloves, black knit hats, a balaclava style mask, two-way radios, and flashlights.

Law enforcement officers searching the vehicle also discovered many of the pieces of property stolen during two burglaries the previous day, as well as notes concerning a pawn shop and a jewelry shop in North Carolina. 

On January 30, 2018, law enforcement obtained search and seizure warrants for Brown’s residences in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  There they located property from three earlier burglaries in Baltimore County—including numerous pieces of fine jewelry.  Additionally, evidence on the nine phones seized from the defendants, the SUV, and the defendants’ hotel rooms showed, among other things, Brown and Beckles photographing many pieces of the jewelry and other items taken during some of the burglaries.

In total, 21 homes were burglarized in connection with the conspiracy, and the victims reported that $850,000 worth of property was stolen.  Only some of that stolen property has been recovered and returned to its owners; for a few victims, the vast majority of their property has yet to be recovered. 

The defendants each face a maximum sentence of five years  in federal prison for the conspiracy; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each count of interstate transportation of stolen property or attempted interstate transportation of stolen property.   U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel will schedule sentencings at a later date.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Christopher M. Rigali, 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 – Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner today announced $1,827,899 in U.S. Department of Justice grants to address violence against women.  These grants from the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program of the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. Nationally, the LAV Program is awarding nearly $36 million in victim legal assistance funding to organizations across the country.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “These grants will be used to provide long term legal services to victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in areas such as family law, housing and employment.  This will enable these victims and survivors to achieve lasting safety and economic independence for themselves and their families.”

The Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Comprehensive legal services extend beyond representation in emergency and non-emergency protection order hearings to address the broad spectrum of legal issues that victims encounter, including family matters such as divorce, child custody or child support, immigration, administrative agency proceedings, and consumer or housing matters.   

The following organizations in Maryland received funding:

• Heartly House in Frederick, Maryland received $427,999 to hire an attorney for long term legal services for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and child abuse.
• House of Ruth in Baltimore, Maryland received $600,000 in order to provide free legal representation to low-income, high-risk victims of domestic violence in family law cases in order to help those victims achieve lasting safety, and economic independence.
• The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) in Silver Spring, Maryland received $800,000 to provide holistic legal representation to survivors/victims of sexual assault in civil and criminal matters resulting from the sexual assault, with a focus beyond intimate partner sexual assault. 

   The Office on Violence Against Women provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

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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A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and other charges in connection with his La Mara Salvatrucha, aka “MS-13” gang, activities between 2015 and 2019. 

Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, aka Psicopata, aka Convicto, 23, of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to the offenses on May 5. According to court documents, Reyes-Canales was a member and associate of MS-13 and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery and drug trafficking. Specifically, in 2016, Reyes-Canales participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis. In addition, between January 2016 and February 2017, Reyes-Canales and other MS-13 members/associates sold cocaine and marijuana to raise funds for the gang. The drug proceeds were used to purchase more narcotics and weapons, and to send to MS-13 members and associates in other states and in El Salvador.

“Due to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the department prosecutors in this case, Reyes-Canales and his MS-13 co-defendants will no longer be able to victimize the Annapolis community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Reyes-Canales and his co-defendants murdered one victim and attempted to murder two others, causing irreparable harm to the victims and their families. We will never stop pursuing those MS-13 gang members who intimidate and harm our communities.”

Co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, 25, Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, 23, and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, aka “El Lunatic” and “Zomb,” 22, all of Annapolis, previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and gun charge; both Gomez-Jimenez and Cruz-Flores were sentenced to 38 years in prison and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years. Co-defendant David Diaz-Alvarado, 20, of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his MS-13 gang activities. Co-defendant Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, 23, of Annapolis, was convicted on Oct. 31, 2019, of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering for the murder of Victim 1 after an 11-day jury trial; he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison at his sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2022. All of the defendants remain detained.

This case is 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.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Anne Arundel Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department and the Anne Arundel State’s Attorney Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Samantha Mildenberg Loiero of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement.  The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tip lines 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.

A dual national of the United States and Ireland was sentenced yesterday to 324 months, or 27 years, in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography.

Eric Eoin Marques, 36, of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2020 to conspiracy to advertise child pornography. According to court documents, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques operated a free anonymous hosting service located on the dark web, an area of the internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable. The hosting service hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors and violent sexual abuse. The investigation revealed that the hosting service contained over 200 child exploitation websites that housed millions of images of child exploitation material. Over 1.97 million of these images and/or videos were not previously known by law enforcement. Many of these images involved sadistic abuse of infants and toddlers.

“The defendant’s web service anonymously hosted hundreds of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, which openly and notoriously spread millions of images of child sexual abuse across the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This complex, global investigation, lengthy and successful extradition, and substantial jail sentence are proof of the Department’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to identifying and bringing to justice criminals who hide behind anonymous networks to abuse and exploit the world’s children.”

“Eric Marques was one of the largest facilitators of child pornography in the world,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner for the District of Maryland. “This is an egregious case where one individual hosted and helped others to share millions of horrific images and videos of the abuse of children, including more than a million not previously known to law enforcement, and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners here and abroad for helping us to bring Eric Marques to justice. We will continue to do everything we can to find and prosecute those who use the anonymity of the internet to perpetuate the cruel and heartless business of the sexual abuse of children.”

“Today’s sentencing of Eric Marques sends a clear message to perpetrators of this egregious crime that no matter where you are in the world, law enforcement will hold you accountable and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI combats crimes against children and stands up for vulnerable children across the globe.”

“Europol is pleased to have played its part in what ranks as one of the most important investigations ever conducted into child sexual abuse,” said Head of the European Cybercrime Centre Edvardas Šileris of Europol. “I applaud the great work of the FBI and our many other law enforcement partners in Europe and beyond for their cooperation on a global scale to tackle this most heinous crime and bring this dangerous individual before court. Ensuring the safety of children by identifying those who have been victimized and educating children to avoid these harms remains a top priority for Europol.”

As described in public documents, this case was a part of a path-marking global investigation that targeted thousands of users of more than 200 websites operating on the Tor network and dedicated to the trade of child pornography. The Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), the FBI and Europol conceived of and executed a globally coordinated criminal investigation of then-unparalleled scope, which pooled resources of over a dozen countries that deployed over 70 law enforcement agents to Europol, which served as the hub for operational support, facilities, and information sharing. Through this investigation, more than 200 child sexual exploitation websites were taken offline (along with hundreds of other sites sponsoring or facilitating criminal activity); the activities of tens of thousands of online child pornographers were disrupted; over four million images and videos of child sexual abuse were seized (including more than 100 previously unknown series of child abuse images and new images from more than 50 existing series); and dozens of offenders were identified and prosecuted throughout the world. 

The FBI’s Violent Crime Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force conducted the investigation with significant assistance from the Legal Attaché London Office, An Garda Síochána, and Europol. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in bringing Marques to the United States and procuring foreign evidence during the investigation.

Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan of the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.  

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

A dual national of the United States and Ireland was sentenced today to 324 months, or 27 years, in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography.

Eric Eoin Marques, 36, of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2020 to conspiracy to advertise child pornography. According to court documents, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques operated a free anonymous hosting service located on the dark web, an area of the internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable. The hosting service hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors and violent sexual abuse. The investigation revealed that the hosting service contained over 200 child exploitation websites that housed millions of images of child exploitation material. Over 1.97 million of these images and/or videos were not previously known by law enforcement. Many of these images involved sadistic abuse of infants and toddlers.

“The defendant’s web service anonymously hosted hundreds of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, which openly and notoriously spread millions of images of child sexual abuse across the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This complex, global investigation, lengthy and successful extradition, and substantial jail sentence are proof of the Department’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to identifying and bringing to justice criminals who hide behind anonymous networks to abuse and exploit the world’s children.”

“Eric Marques was one of the largest facilitators of child pornography in the world,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner for the District of Maryland. “This is an egregious case where one individual hosted and helped others to share millions of horrific images and videos of the abuse of children, including more than a million not previously known to law enforcement, and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners here and abroad for helping us to bring Eric Marques to justice. We will continue to do everything we can to find and prosecute those who use the anonymity of the internet to perpetuate the cruel and heartless business of the sexual abuse of children.”

“Today’s sentencing of Eric Marques sends a clear message to perpetrators of this egregious crime that no matter where you are in the world, law enforcement will hold you accountable and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI combats crimes against children and stands up for vulnerable children across the globe.”

“Europol is pleased to have played its part in what ranks as one of the most important investigations ever conducted into child sexual abuse,” said Head of the European Cybercrime Centre Edvardas Šileris of Europol. “I applaud the great work of the FBI and our many other law enforcement partners in Europe and beyond for their cooperation on a global scale to tackle this most heinous crime and bring this dangerous individual before court. Ensuring the safety of children by identifying those who have been victimized and educating children to avoid these harms remains a top priority for Europol.”

As described in public documents, this case was a part of a path-marking global investigation that targeted thousands of users of more than 200 websites operating on the Tor network and dedicated to the trade of child pornography. The Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), the FBI, and Europol conceived of and executed a globally coordinated criminal investigation of then-unparalleled scope, which pooled resources of over a dozen countries that deployed over 70 law enforcement agents to Europol, which served as the hub for operational support, facilities, and information sharing. Through this investigation, more than 200 child sexual exploitation websites were taken offline (along with hundreds of other sites sponsoring or facilitating criminal activity); the activities of tens of thousands of online child pornographers were disrupted; over four million images and videos of child sexual abuse were seized (including more than 100 previously unknown series of child abuse images and new images from more than 50 existing series); and dozens of offenders were identified and prosecuted throughout the world. 

The FBI’s Violent Crime Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force conducted the investigation with significant assistance from the Legal Attaché London Office, An Garda Síochána, and Europol. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in bringing Marques to the United States and procuring foreign evidence during the investigation.

Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan of the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.  

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

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Kenneth Clark, Jr., a/k/a “Man” and “Play,” age 30, of Port Deposit, Maryland, yesterday to 52 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a narcotics conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams.

According to his guilty plea, on February 20, 2020, a Cecil County Sheriff’s deputy saw a vehicle speeding and failing to stop at a stop sign.  The deputy initiated a traffic stop, activated his mobile video recorder, capturing video through the windshield of his patrol car as he approached vehicle.  

After the vehicle came to a stop, the deputy observed the vehicle shake as the driver and passenger switched seats.  The deputy asked both occupants to produce identification documents and vehicle registration.  The person in the driver’s seat produced identification while Clark, who was in the passenger seat, informed the officer that he did not have a license.  Clark then grabbed the vehicle’s gear shifter and commanded the driver to go.  However, the car did not move and the deputy was able to turn off the vehicle. Clark opened the passenger door and ran away.  The deputy’s in-car video camera captured Clark holding a black semi-automatic handgun as he exited the passenger side.  The driver also ran away, but he and Clark were apprehended by law enforcement.

After his arrest, Clark was searched and officers recovered $1,802 in cash on Clark’s person.  The deputy returned to the area where he saw Clark throw the firearm and recovered a .22 LR handgun loaded with 11 hollow-point .22 LR live rounds. The slide of the handgun was pulled back, exposing a chambered .22 LR bullet, and the weapon was jammed.  Clark’s vehicle was also searched and the deputy recovered approximately six grams of marijuana inside the passenger’s side door and two cell phones.  Clark requested evaluation by Emergency Medical Services.  As Clark got out of the patrol car, the deputy recovered a small plastic baggie containing approximately one gram of crack cocaine on the floorboard next to where Clark was seated.

Law enforcement later learned that the firearm in Clark’s possession was reported stolen a few days before it was recovered from Clark.  Clark knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions, including a 2016 conviction for second-degree assault and a 2017 conviction for having an illegal handgun on his person—both in Cecil County Circuit Court. At the time of his arrest, Clark was on supervised probation in Cecil County.

According to Clark’s plea agreement, between the first and second week of February 2020, a concerned citizen contacted Maryland State Police to report possible cocaine transactions in the Port Deposit area of Cecil County by a male nicknamed “Man”.  During the investigation of a non-fatal overdose that occurred on January 29, 2020, Maryland State Police (MSP) identified Clark as the likely source of the narcotics supply leading to the overdose.  Numerous messages downloaded from the overdose victim’s cellular phone resolved to the phone number assigned to the phone in Clark’s possession at the time of his most recent arrest.

Additionally, MSP found several photos of Clark displaying, brandishing, and discharging firearms on his public social media accounts.  For example, on February 18, 2020, Clark posted two public photographs holding a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, which matches the description of the firearm seized after Clark’s arrest during the traffic stop.  A subsequent review of Clark’s social media messages revealed conversations regarding the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine and methamphetamine.

As detailed in his plea agreement, while incarcerated at the Cecil County Detention Center, which records outgoing calls from detainees, Clark made several phone calls to two associates asking them to retrieve several items hidden at his father’s residence. Clark spoke in code terms about what investigators believe were drugs and firearms, while providing specific instructions on where to find the items.  On February 28, 2020 Maryland State Police searched the residence of one of the associates and recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, that matched the description of the firearm depicted in Clark’s social media pictures.  The associate advised law enforcement that he obtained the firearm from Clark’s father’s residence at Clark’s direction.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Maryland State Police Department and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office their work in the investigation and thanked Homeland Security Investigations for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson 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 – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, a/k/a “Sicopita”, age 23, of Annapolis, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities, including a murder and two attempted murders. 

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, since about March 11, 2016, Reyes-Canales was a member and associate of MS-13, and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking.  Specifically, Reyes-Canales admitted that he participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member, and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis.  In addition, between January 2016 and February 2017, Reyes-Canales and other MS-13 members/associates sold marijuana to raise funds for the gang. The drug proceeds were used for, among other purposes, the purchase of more narcotics, weapons, and to send to MS-13 members and associates in other states and in El Salvador.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Office.  

“Reyes-Canales is a violent gang member who killed and seriously injured multiple victims, and in the process brought horror and despair to the victims and their families as well as chaos and fear to communities in Annapolis. The United States Attorney’s Office would like to thank community members and our international and local law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “This sentence of 35 years in federal prison should serve as a warning to those who are in MS-13 and are considering joining the gang that we will be relentless in prosecuting anyone who is involved in violence.”

“Due to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the department prosecutors in this case, Reyes-Canales and his MS-13 co-defendants will no longer be able to victimize the Annapolis community. Reyes-Canales and his co-defendants murdered one victim and attempted to murder two others, causing irreparable harm to the victims and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will never stop pursuing those MS-13 gang members who intimidate and harm our communities."

As part of the racketeering conspiracy, Reyes-Canales admitted that on March 11, 2016, he and other MS-13 members and associates planned and agreed to murder Victim 1, whom the gang suspected of being a rival gang member. Prior to the murder, Reyes-Canales received authorization to commit the murder from MS-13 leadership.  Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez and another MS-13 member/associate lured Victim 1 to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland, and once Victim 1 arrived at the park, members of the gang struck Victim 1 in the head with a branch or stick.  Reyes-Canales, co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, and other members and associates of MS-13, then stabbed Victim 1 repeatedly, killing him.  Reyes-Canales directed everyone during the murder.  While Reyes-Canales and other members of the gang stabbed Victim 1, Co-conspirator 1 and other MS-13 members/associates stood watch outside of the park to ensure no one entered or left the park, and to watch for police presence, so that the gang could complete the murder of Victim 1.  During this time, Co-conspirator 1 communicated by phone and through text messages with Reyes-Canales and Cruz-Flores inside the park, to let them know no one entered the park and they could complete the murder.  After Victim 1 was killed, Gomez-Jimenez left the park to stand watch, so that other MS-13 associates could enter the park help bury Victim 1 in a shallow grave inside the park, at the direction of Reyes-Canales.  Law enforcement did not locate Victim 1’s body until August 28, 2017, when it was exhumed by law enforcement.

As detailed in their plea agreements, on October 23, 2016, Reyes-Canales, Gomez-Jimenez, and other members and associates of the MS-13 Hempstead clique in Annapolis, devised a plan to murder Victim 2, an unlicensed taxi driver.  Reyes-Canales, Gomez-Jimenez, Cruz-Flores, co-defendant Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, and other members and associates of MS-13, met at Quiet Waters Park to discuss the plan to murder Victim 2.  At the meeting, each member of the conspiracy was assigned a task to complete the murder and dispose of the evidence.  The group planned to use machetes, knives, and guns to kill the victim.  Reyes-Canales and Cruz-Flores each had a firearm and all the members of the conspiracy were aware that guns would be used in the murder. 

A co-conspirator called Victim 2 using another member’s cell phone to arrange for an unlicensed taxi ride.  Victim 2 arrived with another passenger, Victim 3.  Cruz-Flores asked Victim 2 to drive to the area of the 700 block of Annapolis Neck Road in Annapolis.  When they arrived, Reyes-Canales approached the vehicle and pointed a gun at the victims and Cruz-Flores also produced a gun and pointed it at the victims.  Victim 3 attempted to run away and Cruz-Flores shot Victim 3 in the leg, while another MS-13 member repeatedly attacked Victim 3 with a machete.  Victim 2 also tried to run. Reyes-Canales attempted to shoot Victim 2, but his gun failed to discharge.  Co-defendant Martinez-Aguilar and another MS-13 member took Victim 2’s vehicle and attempted unsuccessfully to run him over with the car.  Reyes-Canales, Gomez-Jimenez, and other conspirators chased Victim 2 and Gomez-Jimenez repeatedly stabbed Victim 2 with a knife.  The conspirators fled when they heard police sirens.  A short time later, police arrested Gomez-Jimenez nearby with Victim 2’s blood on his hands and clothes.  A surveillance camera in the area captured Gomez-Jimenez assaulting Victim 2 and the attempt to run over Victim 2 with Victim 2’s vehicle.  DNA subsequently confirmed that the blood on Gomez-Jimenez’ hands matched Victim 2’s blood.  Both victims were transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with life threatening injuries.  Both victims survived but have permanent injuries as a result of the attack.

Co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, age 25, and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, a/k/a “El Lunatic” and “Zomb,” age 22, both of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and gun charge.  Cruz-Flores was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison.  Co-defendant Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 23, of Annapolis, Maryland pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and David Diaz-Alvarado, age 20, also of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his MS-13 gang activities.  Co-defendant, Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, age 23, of Annapolis was convicted on October 31, 2019, of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering after a nine-day jury trial for the murder of Victim 1.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 10, 2011 at 10 a.m. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.  All of the defendants remain detained.

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.

This case is 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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and commended HSI, the ATF, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department, and the Anne Arundel State’s Attorney Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig, and Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Samantha Mildenberg Loiero of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Eugene Andrew DiNoto, age 50, and Elliott Dennis Kleinman, age 67, both of Bel Air, Maryland, for the federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, illegal monetary transactions and tax evasion, related to a $13 million scheme to defraud their employer.  The indictment was returned on September 1, 2021, and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants.  Elliott Kleiman has an initial appearance scheduled today at 3:45 pm, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Copperthite.  Eugene DiNoto’s initial appearance in the Middle District of Florida where he was arrested has not yet been scheduled.    

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to the 22-count indictment, Company A was a global business headquartered in New York that formulated and produced oils and extracts used in the food industry.  Its affiliate, Company B, produced flavoring ingredients and seasonings for the food industry.  Company A and Company B (the “Companies”) had manufacturing facilities in Belcamp and Abingdon, Maryland.  To ship their products, the companies used large plastic, metal, or fiber drums, which they purchased from vendors located in various states.  Kleinman was employed as the facility manager for the Companies until approximately 2012, when DiNoto took over his position, remaining in that position until approximately January 2020.  As facility managers, Kleinman and DiNoto arranged and negotiated the prepurchase, transportation and storage of the drums needed to ship the Companies’ products from Business A and its affiliate, Business B, (the “drum vendors”), located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, then reviewed and authorized the payment of drum invoices submitted by drum suppliers doing business with the Companies.  Once approved, the drum invoices were sent to the accounting department at the Companies’ headquarters to pay.  Kleinman continued to maintain a relationship with the drum vendors after leaving his employment with the Companies.

The indictment alleges that from January 2015 until about January 2020, Kleinman and DiNoto, devised and executed a scheme to defraud the Companies, without the Companies’ knowledge or consent, by making a secret arrangement with the drum vendors to receive kickbacks for intentionally overlooking inflated charges that the drum vendors included on invoices submitted to the Companies.  Specifically, the defendants approved the drum vendors’ false and inflated purchase invoices and submitted those fraudulent invoices to the Companies for payment.  In exchange, the drum vendors paid the defendants approximately 50 percent of the inflated invoice amounts, which DiNoto and Kleinman split approximately 75/25, respectively.

For example, the indictment alleges that when asked by Company representatives to review the accuracy of the drum vendor invoices, DiNoto intentionally ignored false and inflated charges for tens of thousands of drums that the vendors never sent to the Companies, certified the accuracy of the invoices, and authorized their payment, submitting them to the Companies’ accounting department in New York for payment. 

To conceal the nature and purpose of the payments from the drum vendors, DiNoto and Kleinman had the drum vendors issue checks payable to businesses that they established, with the notation “drums” written on the front.  DiNoto registered the tradename “Sandpiper Enterprises” in the state of Maryland and opened and maintained a commercial bank account in that name.  The address of record for Sandpiper Enterprises was DiNoto’s residence.  Kleinman was the owner and sole shareholder of EDK Management Ltd. (EDK).  EDK’s business address was the same as Kleinman’s residence.  Kleinman opened two commercial bank accounts for EDK, one in the name “EDK Management Ltd” and the other in the name “EDK Management Ltd t/a Main Street Cigars.  Main Street Cigars was a retail store located in Bel Air, Maryland.

As detailed in the indictment, the drum vendors sent checks to the defendants’ residences using a commercial interstate mail carrier.  The indictment alleges that DiNoto then deposited the checks into the Sandpiper bank account, then transferred all or part of the funds into personal bank accounts, eventually withdrawing the funds as cash or spending them on personal expenses.  Kleinman allegedly deposited the drum vendor checks into EDK’s business account, where it was withdrawn as cash, spent on personal expenses, or transferred to the EDK/Main Street Cigars account.

For example, the indictment alleges that on February 19, 2019, Kleinman transferred $7,500, which were proceeds from mail fraud, from the EDK commercial bank account to the EDK/Main Street Cigars account, in order to disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the illegal proceeds.  In addition, the indictment alleges that DiNoto illegally transferred $26,000 derived from wire fraud from the Sandpiper account to other accounts he controlled.

Finally, the indictment alleges that for the 2017 through 2019 tax years the defendants underreported their taxable income on their Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040, resulting in thousands of dollars in taxes due and owing.  For example, for tax year 2017 DiNoto and Kleinman allegedly reported that their taxable income for the year was $3,153 and $58,365, respectively.  According to the indictment, in fact, DiNoto’s taxable income in 2017 was $1,214,557, with tax owing of approximately $430,395, and Kleinman’s taxable income was $421,829, with tax owing of approximately $106,623.

If the defendants are convicted, the indictment seeks the forfeiture of a money judgment in the amount of $13,000,000; a 2016 BMW 6 Series coupe; a recreational vehicle; a bank account; and Kleinman’s residence, as property involved in the offenses of conviction or traceable to the criminal activity.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison or each of five counts of wire fraud; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of six counts of mail fraud; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for each of three counts charging each defendant with tax evasion.  Kleinman faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for money laundering. DiNoto also faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of three counts of engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. 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. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and IRS – CI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Harry M. Gruber, 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 – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Eric Eoin Marques, age 36, of Dublin, Ireland, to 27 years in federal prison, followed lifetime supervised release, for conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the dark web.  Marques, a dual national citizen of the United States and Ireland, pleaded guilty to that charge on February 6, 2020, after he was extradited by Irish authorities.  Marques arrived in the United States on March 23, 2019, to face federal criminal charges filed in Maryland on August 8, 2013. 

According to his plea agreement, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques conspired to advertise child pornography by operating a free, anonymous web hosting service (AHS) located on the “dark web”, an area of the Internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable.  The defendant’s hosting service hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors, violent sexual abuse, and bestiality. The investigation revealed that the hosting service contained over 200 child exploitation websites that housed millions of images of child exploitation material. Over 1.97 million of these images and/or videos involved victims that were not previously known by law enforcement. Many of these images involved sadistic abuse of infants and toddlers to include bondage, bestiality and humiliation to include urination, defecation and vomit.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

“Eric Marques was one of the largest facilitators of child pornography in the world,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner. “This is an egregious case where one individual facilitated the abuse of more than a million new child victims and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners here and abroad for helping us to bring Eric Marques to justice.  We will continue to do everything we can to find and prosecute those who use the anonymity of the Internet to perpetuate the cruel and heartless business of the sexual abuse of children for personal gain, in order to keep our children safe.”

“The defendant’s web service anonymously hosted hundreds of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children, which openly and notoriously spread millions of images of child sexual abuse across the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This complex, global investigation, lengthy and successful extradition, and substantial jail sentence are proof of the Department’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to identifying and bringing to justice criminals who hide behind anonymous networks to abuse and exploit the world’s children.”

“Today’s sentencing of Eric Marques sends a clear message to perpetrators of this egregious crime that no matter where you are in the world, law enforcement will hold you accountable and bring you to justice,” said FBI Assistant Director Calvin Shivers. “The FBI combats crimes against children and stands up for vulnerable children across the globe.”

During 2012 and 2013, FBI special agents and employees using computers in Maryland downloaded more than one million files from that website.  As part of the investigation, those files were reviewed and nearly all of the files depict children who are engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults or other children, posed nude and/or in such a manner as to expose their genitals, in various state of undress, or depict child erotica.  A substantial majority of the images downloaded by the FBI depict prepubescent minor children who are fully or partially nude or engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Marques admitted in his guilty plea that this offense also involved the distribution of child pornography, which involved minors who were less than twelve years old, to include infants and toddlers, and sadistic or masochistic material or depictions of violence.  Marques further admits that he willfully obstructed or impeded the administration of justice with respect to the investigation into this offense. 

The Marques prosecution was a part of a path-marking global investigation that targeted thousands of users of more than 200 websites operating on the Tor network and dedicated to the trade of child pornography. The Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), FBI, and Europol conceived of and executed a globally coordinated criminal investigation of then-unparalleled scope, which pooled resources of over a dozen countries who deployed over 70 law enforcement agents to Europol, which served as the hub for operational support, facilities and information sharing. Through this investigation, more than 200 child sexual exploitation websites were taken offline (along with hundreds of other sites sponsoring or facilitating criminal activity); the activities of tens of thousands of online child pornographers were disrupted; over four million images and videos of child sexual abuse were seized (including more than 100 previously unknown series of child abuse images and new images from more than 50 existing series); and dozens of offenders were identified and prosecuted throughout the world. 

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 Jonathan F. Lenzner and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI’s Violent Crime Section, Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force with significant assistance from the Legal Attaché London Office, Irish law enforcement authorities, An Garda Síochána and EUROPOL.  The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in bringing Marques to the United States and procuring foreign evidence during the investigation.

Mr. Lenzner and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, and Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Jerold Gilliam, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute a substance containing fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute a substance containing fentanyl. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office.

“The defendant was dealing the deadly narcotic fentanyl in the Penn North area of Baltimore, which is a neighborhood that our Strike Force has prioritized in its enforcement efforts,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Jerold Gilliam was a narcotics trafficker who polluted our communities with deadly narcotics, and as a result he will spend nearly a decade in federal prison.”

According to his plea agreement, in July 2019, investigators from Drug Enforcement Administration’s Strike Force Group 1 initiated an investigation into the area surrounding the intersection of Pennsylvania and North avenues in Baltimore City. 

Over the course of the investigation, investigators intercepted electronic and wire communications involving Gilliam and drug trafficking activities including the supply, cost, and proceeds of drug transactions. Visual surveillance corroborated calls between co-conspirators including Gilliam retrieving packages and engaging in hand-to-hand narcotics retail sales. On some occasions, Gilliam met other co-conspirators to provide narcotics for co-conspirators to sell to customers. As a result of the investigation, investigators identified Gilliam as an associate of the Bullseye Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO).

Between July 2019 and October 2019, investigators conducted controlled purchases from co-conspirators who had discussed drug trafficking with Gilliam. Chemical analysis of these purchases identified the presence of fentanyl.

As stated in his plea agreement, investigators executed a search warrant on November 21, 2019 for Gillam’s person. Law enforcement recovered 50 gelatin capsules containing approximately 18 grams of fentanyl.

In addition, law enforcement executed a search warrant at various locations associated with the Bullseye DTO and suspected residences acting as narcotics and packing and storage locations. As a result of two executed search and seizure warrants, law enforcement recovered a total of 138 grams of a fentanyl and quinine mixture, 19 grams of fentanyl, a bag containing 268 grams of a fentanyl and acetylfentanyl mixture, cutting agents used in preparing controlled substances, paraphernalia, and packaging materials for drug distribution.

Throughout the course of his involvement, Gilliam agrees that it is reasonably foreseeable that he or other members of the conspiracy distributed at least 400 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl during the conspiracy. 

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks.  These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime.  The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the DEA their work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Austin, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Anton Williams, age 43, of Baltimore, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine in the Monument Street area of East Baltimore; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and for money laundering. Judge Hollander also ordered Williams to forfeit $472,000, a .38-caliber revolver and eight rounds of .38-caliber ammunition. The sentence was imposed on September 10, 2021.

Judge Hollander also sentenced co-defendant Wardell Roundheart, age 44, of Baltimore, to 68 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and for possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl and cocaine mixture.

The sentences were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Baltimore District Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“This Monument Street case in East Baltimore is the kind of impactful investigation that federal, state and local partners can build through collaboration and a dedicated commitment to improving our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “Getting wholesale narcotics dealers like Anton Williams off the streets is an important component of our efforts to address the violence associated with drug dealing.  The illicit funds and real estate that law enforcement seized in this investigation reflect our commitment to disrupting drug organizations by going after the proceeds of their trade.”

"We are proud to be partners in these vital investigations which remove criminal elements involving drugs and violence from the streets.  IRS-CI will continue to lend our financial expertise in these cases,” said Darrell J. Waldon, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge.

According to Williams’ and Roundheart’s guilty pleas, in July of 2018, DEA Strike Force Group 1—part of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force—began an investigation of the Monument Street corridor in East Baltimore, which is known to support a high volume of street-level drug distribution and acts of violence associated with the drug trafficking.  During the investigation, law enforcement identified multiple street-level drug trafficking “shops,” with the two most prominent located in the 400 block of North Montford Avenue at Jefferson Street (“the Montford DTO”) and in the 2400 block of East Monument Street at Port Street (the “Out the Mud,” or “OTM DTO”).  Investigators conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from drug distributors in the shops, including Roundheart, utilizing confidential informants and undercover Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”) officers.  These undercover purchases also identified the drugs shops’ sources of supply of narcotics, including Anton Williams.

As detailed in their plea agreements, investigators intercepted calls between Williams and co-conspirators and Roundheart and other members of the conspiracy discussing the distribution of controlled substances including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.  On February 19, 2019, Roundheart distributed a tramadol/fentanyl mixture to an undercover detective who believed he was purchasing heroin.  On February 22, 2019, Roundheart directed another undercover detective to an individual to purchase of four clear top vials of cocaine and 10 gelatin capsules of what the detective thought was heroin, but was a tramadol/fentanyl mixture.

The total proceeds obtained by Williams from supplying controlled substances to co-conspirators was at least $472,000.  Investigators discovered that Williams had acquired multiple properties, including Rosie’s Bar, located at 482 S. Bentalou Street, Baltimore, where Williams met with co-conspirators.  Williams used limited liability companies (“LLC”), associates, or family members to purchase the properties to conceal the ownership of the properties, as well as to conceal the source of funds used to purchase the properties.  Investigators intercepted calls between Williams and a lender discussing the payment for Rosie’s Bar.  Based on the intercepted conversations, investigators believe Williams purchased the bar with drug trafficking proceeds.  Additionally, Williams and his co-conspirators used this location to meet with drug customers for the purposes of collecting money and providing controlled substances to them.  Investigators also identified seven other properties in Baltimore that Williams either owned or leased.

Investigators recovered a total of $363,233 from various bank accounts associated with Williams, all of which is believed to be drug proceeds.   Since Williams is not known to have a job, all of the properties are believed to be purchased with drug proceeds.

On May 22, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence and recovered: a firearm; a money counter; 10 cell phones, including two phones intercepted during court ordered wiretaps; and $206,444 in cash, believed to be drug proceeds.  Search warrants were also executed on two vehicles used by Williams.  Investigators recovered multiple bags of suspected cocaine and heroin, as well as 76 grams of fentanyl.

Throughout the course of their involvement, it was reasonably foreseeable to Williams and Roundheart, and within the scope of the conspiracy that Williams or other members of the conspiracy would distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and that Roundheart or other members of the conspiracy would distribute between 500 grams and two kilograms of cocaine, as well as quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

Of the 25 defendants indicted in this case, 24—including Williams and Roundheart—have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial.  Over the course of the Monument Street investigation, law enforcement seized kilo quantities of drugs, loaded guns, and more than $535,781 in drug proceeds.

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks.  These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime.  The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, IRS-CI, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and James T. Wallner, 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 – Phillip J. “Jamie” Harrington III, age 50, of Dorchester, Maryland, and his company, Capt. Phip’s Seafood Inc. pleaded guilty today to unlawful employment of undocumented workers and to visa fraud, respectively, related to the employment of temporary workers employed at Harrington companies.

The guilty pleas were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Wroblewski of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); and Special Agent in Charge Derek Pickle, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

“Over a five-year period, Capt. Phips Seafood and its owners engaged in a calculated pattern of visa fraud that not only deceived the government but also resulted in lower wages to their employees,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner. “Rather than play by the rules that other businesses follow, the defendants manipulated the H2-B visa program for the sole purpose of increasing their profits at the expense of their employees and the fair market.”

Philip J. Harrington, Jr. was Capt. Phip’s owner, President, and sole Director until his death on February 13, 2018. Since March 6, 2019, Capt. Phip’s has been owned and operated by Philip Harrington’s, son, Jamie Harrington.  The primary business of Capt. Phip’s is the production and distribution of ice as well as the processing of seafood. For more than a decade, Capt. Phip’s has participated in the H-2B work visa program through which it has obtained temporary foreign workers to fill seasonal positions.

According to the company’s guilty plea, from 2013 through 2018, Captain Phip’s Seafood Inc. routinely sought prevailing wage determinations for multiple job descriptions, and then filed petitions for H-2B visas for only the jobs with the lowest prevailing wage, regardless of the actual work duties of the employees.  The H-2B Visa Program is a temporary non-agricultural worker program in which an employer may seek temporary authorization for foreign workers to legally enter and work in the U.S.  To obtain an H-2B Visa, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) must ensure the positions have been advertised to U.S.-based workers and assign the appropriate wage to be paid (“prevailing wage”) based on the job description.

As stated in the plea agreement, Captain Phip’s willfully submitted false and inaccurate job descriptions to obtain lower prevailing wages for its foreign workers.  Capt. Phip’s omissions about the full scope of the job duties to be performed by its temporary foreign workers resulted in the DOL approving Capt. Phip’s to pay lower prevailing wage than it would have been authorized if Capt. Phip’s had provided truthful information.

For example, in 2016, Capt. Phip’s requested and received prevailing wage determinations for three position: ice conveyor operators with a prevailing wage of $12.51; oyster production workers with a prevailing wage of $16.96; and ice machine operators (ice production workers) with a prevailing wage of $11.10. Capt. Phip’s then filed a petition for ice production workers with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The petition was approved and the Department of State (DOS) issued 24 H-2B visas to non-immigrant Mexican nationals authorizing them to work for Capt. Phip’s as ice production workers in the United States.  Once the Mexican ice production workers entered the United States, Capt. Phip’s used these workers for jobs beyond ice production, including for oyster processing, as maintenance workers, truck drivers and drivers’ assistants.  Capt. Phip’s admits that it intentionally and falsely claimed that the foreign workers would only be engaged in ice production in order to pay them the lower prevailing wage.  Had Capt. Phip’s truthfully filed for H-2B visas for many of these duties, these employees would have been entitled to a higher wage.

As stated in the company’s plea agreement, on August 31, 2017, a USCIS officer and government agents conducted a site visit at Capt. Phip’s location in Secretary, Maryland. At that time, Capt. Phip’s H-2B workers were authorized only to engage in oyster production work. During the site visit, three H-2B visa beneficiaries were interviewed through an interpreter and indicated that their current duties involved ice packing duties rather than oyster production work.

A USCIS officer and agents also interviewed Phillip Harrington, Jr., who signed all the H2-B visa petitions for Capt. Phip’s and his son, Jamie Harrington, who identified himself as the Vice President of Capt. Phip’s, responsible for “running the business,” to include the buying and selling of product, managing the levels of product, and hiring and/or firing. Jamie Harrington admitted that all of Capt. Phip’s H-2B workers were packing ice, and none of them were currently processing any oysters. The workers’ H-2B visas for 2017 only permitted them to work in oyster processing. Jamie Harrington admitted that Capt. Phip’s visa petitions should have been for workers for both ice and oyster processing.

During the August 31, 2017 interview, Jaime Harrington stated that he was also the President of Easton Ice Company, Inc. (“Easton Ice”).  The principal office for Easton Ice is the same physical address as Capt. Phip’s premises in Secretary, Maryland.   A subsequent interview of a recipient of multiple H-2B visas filed by Capt. Phip’s including in 2017, when the H-2B workers were only authorized for oyster processing, revealed that their duties that season were to drive a truck and deliver ice. In September 2017, an agent observed this person driving a truck bearing the name “Easton Ice.” The agent also saw another Capt. Phip’s H-2B recipient delivering ice and riding in the truck. Easton Ice did not apply for H-2B visas in 2017, and workers with H-2B visas obtained through Capt. Phips were not authorized to work for Easton Ice Company. Nevertheless, Jamie Harrington admitted that Capt. Phip’s H-2B visa recipients were routinely directed to perform work for Easton Ice and other businesses controlled by Philip and Jamie Harrington.

On August 9, 2018, government agents interviewed Jamie Harrington at Capt. Phip’s premises in Secretary, Maryland. Jamie Harrington admitted that the company was not in compliance with the requirements of the H-2B visa program and that some of Capt. Phip’s H-2B workers were driving trucks or performing other duties outside the scope of their visas, including performing work for other companies controlled by Philip and Jamie Harrington, including Easton Ice, Woodfield Ice Company, Inc. (“Woodfield Ice”), as well as two Ocean City, Maryland, motels owned by members of the Harrington family.  Agents pointed out to Jamie Harrington that if the H-2B applications had been truthful about the location and job duties for workers at Woodfield Ice the prevailing wage would have been much higher because that business is in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Between approximately 2013 and 2018, Capt. Phip’s filed petitions for H-2B visas for approximately 142, nonimmigrant workers.  Capt. Phip’s officers involved in the H-2B process were aware that the nonimmigrant workers were intended to be employed to engage in work beyond the job descriptions authorized by the workers’ visas.  Capt. Phip’s realized unlawful benefits through the use of fraudulently low prevailing wages between April 2013 to December 2018, although the exact amount cannot be determined. Capt. Phip’s has not participated in the H-2B visa program since at least January 2019.

Jamie Harrington is also the owner and operator of multiple other businesses involved the production and distribution of ice as well as processing of seafood, rental machinery, housing development, oyster farming, and other ventures including: Easton Ice; Woodfield Ice; PJH Oyster; Two Sons R.S., LLC; Philson Properties, LLC; Two Sons C.P. LLC; P&N Farms; Atlantic Rental, LLC; DMS Hurlock, LLC; The Preserve at Wright’s Wharf Homeowners Association; and Super Transporter, LLC. (together with Capt. Phip’s, the “Harrington Companies.”

Harrington admitted in his plea agreement that, beginning in 2013 and continuing through at least August 9, 2018, he engaged in a pattern and practice of hiring and employing workers without lawful immigration status at the Harrington Companies. Most of the unauthorized workers were Mexican citizens and nationals. Some of the undocumented workers Jamie Harrington hired and employed entered the United States lawfully and overstayed their visas, others never had lawful status to be present in the United States. Analysis of payroll and other records shows that approximately 89 undocumented workers were employed by the Harrington Companies between 2013 and 2018. Harrington continued to employ several of the workers even after he knew they had been placed into removal proceedings by immigration officials because they did not have lawful status to be present or working in the United States.

Jamie Harrington faces a maximum sentence of six months in federal prison and a $267,000 fine for the unlawful employment of undocumented workers. Captain Phip’s Seafood faces a maximum sentence of five years’ probation and a $500,000 fine for the unlawful employment of undocumented workers. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for both on November 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, DSS, and DOL-OIG for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Judson T. Mihok, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Avante Daquan Lee, age 28, of Suitland, Maryland, today to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to Lee’s guilty plea, on March 15, 2020, a Prince George’s County police officer observed Lee in a Temple Hills, Maryland parking lot attempting to restart a dirt bike that did not have a license plate, as required.  The uniformed police officer pulled his unmarked vehicle in front of Lee, who then dropped the dirt bike and fled into a wooded area followed by the police officer, who gave Lee several verbal commands to stop. 

During the chase, Lee threw a 9x19mm-caliber semi-automatic pistol into underbrush near a chain link fence.  Lee stopped running when he reached the chain link fence and began to reach into his waistband.  Believing that Lee was attempting to retrieve a weapon, the police officer who was pursuing Lee advised Lee that he was under arrest and ordered him to the ground.

Prince George’s County police officers who arrived on the scene during the chase saw an object fly through the air and land in the underbrush near where Lee was running.  They searched the area where the object landed and recovered the pistol, which was loaded with 10 cartridges.  The frame of the firearm was orange and the slide was silver.  Further investigation revealed the gun had been stolen on April 25, 2016. 

Lee was searched incident to his arrest and officers discovered a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol in Lee’s left pant leg.  The firearm was loaded with 10 cartridges and an additional cartridge chambered in the barrel.  Two additional magazines—one loaded with 10 cartridges and the other loaded with seven cartridges—were recovered from Lee’s right front pocket. 

Lee’s cellphone was also recovered from his right front pants pocket.  Law enforcement subsequently obtained a search warrant for Lee’s cellphone and discovered numerous pictures and videos of Lee with firearms, including the stolen handgun Lee threw prior to his arrest, and the pistol recovered from Lee’s left pant leg when he was arrested.

Lee knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of two previous felony convictions in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County—a 2011 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon and a 2017 conviction for firearm possession.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Harvey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, 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 – Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Dorchester County State’s Attorney William H. Jones and Caroline County State’s Attorney Joe Riley provided the following statement regarding the death of Jonathan Newell:

This morning agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation went to the residence of Jonathan Newell, age 50, of Henderson, Maryland, to arrest him on a federal criminal complaint filed on September 9, 2021.  Upon entering the residence the agents found Newell suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at 6:43 a.m. Maryland State Police will lead the investigation into the apparent suicide.

The criminal complaint has been unsealed and is publicly available, Case No. 1:21-mj-02533-JMC.

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. 

If you or someone you know would like assistance obtaining counseling regarding this matter, please contact the FBI Baltimore Field Office at (410) 265-8080.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Bruce Thomas, age 53, of Germantown Maryland, yesterday to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, with four months of that to be served in home confinement, for paying gratuities to a public official in exchange for official acts.  Judge Chuang also ordered Thomas to pay a fine of $50,0000 and forfeit and pay restitution in the amount of $27,890.62. Thomas is the owner and operator of Pinnacle Orthopedic Services, Inc., also located in Germantown.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, from at least 2012 to 2019, Pinnacle provided prosthetics and orthotics materials to the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Walter Reed), the largest joint military medical center in the United States, in return for payments from the government.  Walter Reed provides health services to military families and individuals serving on active duty, individuals returning from war, veterans, and elected officials.  The Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics Department provided a full range of prosthetic and orthotic services, including state of the art prosthetic limbs, and nationwide support of wounded warriors.  From about 2011 to 2017, Thomas and Pinnacle received more than $20 million in payments from the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed for prosthetics and orthotics materials. 

From about 2009 until May 2019, David Laufer (Laufer) was a public official and civilian employee of the Department of Defense, working as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed.  As such, Laufer represented Walter Reed in ordering and purchasing prosthetics and orthotics materials, including purchases made from Thomas and Pinnacle.

Thomas admitted that from about 2012 to 2017, he gave and promised things of value to Laufer for, and because of, official acts performed by Laufer.  Specifically, Thomas provided Laufer with cash, airlines flights, meals, entertainment, and other benefits because of Laufer’s official acts as the Chief of the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics Department, and Laufer’s official acts in connection with the purchase of prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle.  

As detailed in the plea agreement, from 2010 until May 2019, the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics department used Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials.  This allowed the department to obligate funds to purchase materials so that employees could order materials without charging a credit card each time or engaging in a formal contract for each purchase of materials.  Thomas regularly interacted with Laufer about Pinnacle’s business with Walter Reed, including the award of BPAs, future BPA funding, orders charged against the BPAs, and fulfillment of orders.  Pinnacle was awarded multiple BPAs by Walter Reed, which the Prosthetics and Orthotics department used to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle. 

Thomas admitted that between 2012 and 2016, he provided Laufer with things of value, including cash gratuities on a regular basis, totaling at least $20,000; food, drinks, and other financial benefits; airline travel; lodging benefits; and entertainment tickets.  In exchange, Laufer undertook official acts in connection with the gratuities including sending multiple purchase requests obligating at least $14.75 million to Pinnacle for prosthetics and orthotics materials and personally ordering and causing to be ordered prosthetics and orthotics material from Pinnacle.

Laufer also restricted the availability of BPAs to some of the manufacturers and distributors from whom Pinnacle purchased products, thereby inhibiting those companies from doing business directly with Walter Reed, and actively encouraged and directed those companies to sell to Walter Reed through Pinnacle. As detailed in Laufer’s plea agreement, Laufer knew that having the other companies sell to Walter Reed through Pinnacle would result in a higher price to the government. 

On October 20, 2020, David Laufer, age 63, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty to acceptance of gratuities by a public official, and faces a maximum of two years in federal prison.  He is awaiting sentencing.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; HHS OIG; and the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit; the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General; DOD Cyber Crimes Center Defense Cyber Forensics Laboratory; and the Defense Contract Audit Agency for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana J. Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Saurabh Chawla, age 36, of Aurora, Colorado, to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on federal charges of conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and tax evasion.  Judge Blake ordered Chawla to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $713,619, and signed an order of forfeiture requiring Chawla to forfeit a 2013 Tesla Model S and $2,308,062.61 from accounts held in his name and the sale of property in Aurora, Colorado.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.

According to his guilty plea and other court documents, from 2009 through 2019, Chawla purchased over $3.5 million of stolen goods from individuals with “insider” access to the goods and merchandise, such that they could steal the items and sell them to Chawla without detection.  Chawla initially sold goods and merchandise on eBay through the eBay stores thecheetahexpress, eurotronics_4_less, and eurotronics-4-less; the latter two were associated with Chawla’s relatives. On about April 27, 2014, eBay suspended the thecheetahexpress and eurotronics_4_less stores from operating on eBay because “recent account activity has raised serious security concerns.”

“Saurabh Chawla coordinated a $3.5 million scheme - purchasing items from co-conspirators that he knew had been stolen, including electronics that were intended to help underprivileged New Mexico school children, and selling them for his personal gain,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “To add insult to injury, Chawla underreported his income on his tax returns and aided the tax evasion of a relative, causing a tax loss totaling more than $700,000 to the U.S. government.  These are not victimless crimes. This criminal behavior cheats all the honest businesses and taxpayers who play by the rules.  Hopefully, this sentence sends the message that we will continue to coordinate with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”

“This prosecution showcases what law enforcement agencies are capable of achieving when we work together. Criminals and those who refuse to obey the laws don’t stand a chance against a unified team of dedicated officers and agents working toward a common goal,” said Special Agent in Charge for HSI Baltimore Field Office James Mancuso. “HSI will continue to partner with our law enforcement friends to keep our communities safe and pursue justice for victims of these crimes.”

“When criminals like Chawla traffic stolen goods and willfully underreport their income to evade taxes, we all lose,” said Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Washington D.C. Field Office. “Taxes pay for services, and criminal schemes like this one undermine the integrity of our nation’s tax system.  We will continue to collaborate with our investigative partners to stop these divisive schemes and fulfill our mission to ensure the integrity and fairness of our tax system.”

Shortly thereafter, and continuing until law enforcement executed search warrants in 2019, Chawla convinced James Bender, who was a good friend from college, to allow him to sell goods and merchandise online through eBay accounts Bender controlled in exchange for Chawla paying Bender a commission. Bender controlled and operated multiple online eBay and Amazon accounts, including “HiddenGemFurniture” (“HGF”), which was registered to Person A, “EddiesAffordableGear” (“EAG”) and “AffordableGoodies4You” (“AG”). Bender used, operated and controlled a PayPal account ending in 4211 (“PayPal 4211”), which was linked to HGF, EAG, and AG. Over time, Chawla offered and sold a large amount of stolen goods and merchandise for sale through HGF, other eBay stores, and other online marketplaces. At one point, Chawla had 400 active listings for goods and products on eBay.

As detailed in plea agreements, Chawla purchased Apple products from Kristy Stock from 2012 to 2018. Stock was a New Mexico public school employee responsible for overseeing a program to provide Apple iPods to school children with the intent to benefit underprivileged Native American children in New Mexico.  Stock stole more than 3,000 iPods purchased by the school district and sold them to Chawla.  Chawla initially purchased the iPods from Stock on eBay, and they later dealt directly with each other, in emails, texts, and phone calls. Stock repeatedly advised Chawla of the items she had obtained, providing details such as the model, color and number of Apple products available. Chawla and Stock then negotiated a price, and Stock shipped the items to Chawla’s relative on the Eastern Shore in Maryland.  Chawla paid Stock through PayPal. Stock admitted that she received more than $800,000 in illegal proceeds from selling stolen iPods worth more than $1 million.  In 2019, Chawla purchased Apple products that he believed had been stolen by a different person working at another school district in New Mexico, including 25 iPads for $5,000 in May 2019.  After his relative received the stolen goods, Chawla listed them for sale online through eBay at a substantial markup.

According to plea agreements, from 2009 through 2019 Chawla also purchased large quantities of goods from former FedEx employee Joseph Kukta, who obtained most of the items he sold to Chawla from bulk purchases shipped via FedEx and intended for delivery to FedEx customers, including a Walmart Distribution Center in Smyrna, Delaware.  Kukta was able to steal the goods in such a way that FedEx never detected the crime, and Kukta then delivered the stolen goods and merchandise to Chawla’s relative in Maryland.  Kukta sent Chawla “weekly lists of available goods and merchandise,” and Chawla typically paid 50% of the retail price for the goods and merchandise Kukta had stolen. As with Stock, Chawla sold the goods and merchandise from Kukta to eBay customers at significant markups (often at a 100% price increase).  In total, Chawla paid Kukta more than $1.5 million for goods and merchandise that Chawla resold for more than $3 million.

In furtherance of the fraud scheme, Chawla and Bender repeatedly deceived online platforms such as Amazon, eBay, as well as the manufacturers and distributors, as to the source of the goods and merchandise being sold, including the iPods that Stock stole from the New Mexico school district and goods and merchandise that Kukta stole from the Delaware FedEx facility.  Chawla and Bender repeatedly crafted deceptions and caused false information to be presented to cover up the true origins of the goods and merchandise offered online. For example, in May 2014, Chawla caused Kukta to create a fake invoice that had false information about the parties involved in the transaction and the price paid per unit purchased. As part of his participation in the fraud scheme, Bender received more than $10,000 per year from the eBay sales of stolen goods and merchandise.

Chawla further admitted in his plea agreement that he filed false tax returns for the tax years 2009 through 2017, falsely inflating the cost of goods sold and expenses for his businesses and underreported his adjusted gross income and tax due.  As a result, Chawla agreed that he failed to pay at least $640,000 in additional taxes due for tax years 2009 to 2017.

From 2009 to 2017, Chawla also knowingly aided and abetted the tax evasion crimes of his relative and Chawla is therefore responsible for the tax losses stemming from his relative’s tax evasion. This mainly involved the underreporting of the relative’s $60,000 per year of wages from Cheetah Express, resulting in a tax loss of more than $70,000.

In total, Chawla caused a tax loss of more than $700,000 to the United States relating to the income of Chawla and his relative.

Co-conspirators Kristy Stock, age 46, of Waterflow, New Mexico, James Edward Bender, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland and Joseph Kukta, age 45, of Laurel, Delaware, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud scheme and are awaiting sentencing.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation and HSI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Paul A. Riley, who are prosecuting these cases.

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 Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Javaughn Berry, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 115 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for three armed commercial robberies.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from October 2019 to December 2019, Berry and a co-conspirator committed three armed commercial robberies—one each in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore County.  In each robbery, the robbers brandished a firearm and stole a victim’s vehicle to flee the scene.  Investigators with the FBI obtained cell phone records which revealed that Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones were in close proximity to each of the victim businesses around the time of the robberies.

As detailed in Berry’s plea agreement, on October 13, 2019, Berry and a co-conspirator robbed a Baltimore pharmacy.  After the robbery, Baltimore Police Department officers responded to the scene and spoke to a victim who reported that the two male suspects wore black masks, black gloves, glasses, and yellow reflective vests. Prior to the robbery, both men were picking up trash in the parking lot.  When the pharmacy opened at 8:00 a.m., the suspects entered.  One suspect pointed a black revolver at a victim employee and demanded access to the safe.  The suspects took $1,630 in cash from the safe and tied the victim’s hands with zip ties.  They took also took the victim’s keys and fled in the victim’s vehicle.

Berry and his co-conspirator also robbed a retail store in Millersville, Maryland, on November 17, 2019.  Victims reported to Anne Arundel County Police officers that two men entered the store as it was closing and demanded money.  Both suspects wore masks and had black handguns.  The suspects stole $3,200 in cash and zip-tied the employees.  One of the suspects struck a victim on the head and pulled her to the ground.  The victim sustained a cut to her right ear and was treated by medics on scene.  As in the pharmacy robbery, Berry and his co-conspirator fled the scene by stealing an employee’s vehicle. 

Finally, Berry admitted that on December 13, 2019, he and his co-conspirator robbed a Parkville, Maryland chain restaurant.  On the morning of December 13, 2019, Baltimore County Police Department (“BCPD”) detectives responded to the restaurant and found the shift manager and his co-worker inside.  According to the victim employees, around 7:00 a.m., the shift manager and co-worker unlocked the front doors and two male suspects entered the store wearing dark, hooded sweatshirts and masks.  Berry’s co-conspirator approached the shift manager, pulled out a revolver, and demanded that he open the safe.  Berry’s co-conspirator stole $3,393.37 in cash, then put the shift manager’s wrists and ankles in zip ties. Berry approached the co-worker and put zip ties on his wrists and ankles.  As in the previous robberies, Berry and the co-conspirator stole the shift manger’s vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind the stolen vehicle from the November retail robbery.

On December 14, 2019, a BCPD officer found the vehicle stolen during the restaurant robbery parked a few blocks away from Berry’s residence.  BCPD officers placed a GPS device on the vehicle to track its movements.  FBI investigators had also gotten a warrant to track the co-conspirator’s phone in real time.

Berry and the co-conspirator were arrested on December 16, 2019, after BCPD tracked the stolen vehicle to the intersection of Joppa Road and Harford Road in Carney, Maryland.  The co-conspirator was driving behind the stolen vehicle and was stopped by officers and arrested.  Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the car and found a black replica handgun, several black gloves, black zip ties, and a yellow reflective vest. 

Investigators continued following the stolen vehicle, which was being driving by Berry.  Berry abandoned the car and fled on foot.  Investigators found Berry walking along Harford Road soon afterward. It was dark, cold, and snowing, yet Berry was wearing very little clothing.  Given the hour and the weather, Berry was the only person walking in the area.  He showed investigators the call log on his phone, which revealed several recent completed and missed calls to the co-conspirator’s number, After waiving his Miranda rights, Berry told officers that he saw the stolen car earlier that morning and wanted to take it for a joy ride. 

Berry’s phone was seized.  A search warrant executed on the device recovered photos of Berry holding large amounts of cash that were taken on the morning of the first robbery.  A search warrant executed on the co-conspirator’s phone recovered a picture of a vehicle similar to the vehicle stolen from the employee in the second robbery.  Metadata revealed that the picture first appeared on the co-conspirator’s phone after the robbery.

Berry admitted that he committed the December 13, 2019 robbery of the victim restaurant.  Berry also agreed that he took money from the victims, against the victims’ wills, by using actual or threatened force, violence, or fear of injury.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon K. Moore, 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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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Tavon Dwayne Banks, age 37, of Cambridge, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Talbot County Sheriff Joseph Gamble.

According to his guilty plea, during an investigation that began in September 2019, the Talbot County Narcotics Task Force and Homeland Security identified Banks as a multi-ounce cocaine supplier through hundreds of intercepted telecommunications targeted towards a co-conspirator. Banks distributed narcotics throughout Talbot and Dorchester Counties. For example, on June 25, 2020, Banks and a co-conspirator discussed arranging a meeting with a cocaine supplier. Investigators believe that Banks and his co-conspirator combined funds to purchase five ounces of cocaine to refresh their supply.

On July 16, 2020, investigators observed Banks and a co-conspirator meet with an unknown narcotics supplier at a predetermined location to obtain cocaine. Additionally, investigators also observed Banks visiting an Easton, Maryland stash house and conduct suspected drug transactions.

On July 17, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Banks’ residence. As a result of the search warrant, investigators recovered $30,100 located under a couch cushion, 196 grams of cocaine, 18.2 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale, bags with trace amounts of a white powdery substance, and a cell phone.

A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed messages and photos relating to Banks’ distribution of cocaine, including a photo of Banks cooking crack cocaine.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Talbot County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Dorchester County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Oldham, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Sidhartha Kumar Mathur, age 35, of West Friendship, Maryland to two years’ probation including eight weekends in the federal bureau of prisons and six months of home detention with electronic monitoring for making false statements to federal agents, relating to the death threats he sent to a Member of Congress representing Maryland. Judge Bennett also ordered Mathur to preform 100 hours of community service.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Chief Tom Manger of the United States Capitol Police. 

According to his guilty plea, in December 2020, Mathur communicated a threat in a webmail message on a congressional representative’s website.  Mathur’s threats included violent statements such as “I will kill you and blow up your office if you try to take my vote away” and “I know where you and your family lives.  You will be ended.” Mathur listed the name and previous address of a former classmate and neighbor (Individual B) for the webmail contact information.

Mathur also left a threatening voice message on the same Representative’s District Office voicemail stating similar threats including, “If you even mess with my vote, I’m going to come and slit your throat and I’ll kill your family.”

During an interview with special agents of the United States Capitol Police, Mathur confirmed the phone number used to place the threatening voicemail belonged to him and that he called the congressional member out of anger.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Mathur further acknowledged that Individual B was a former neighbor and classmate. However, Mathur falsely denied responsibility for the webmail threat submitted in Individual B’s name. The agents reiterated that providing false statements to federal agents was a felony offense.  Mathur continued to falsely deny responsibility for the threatening webmail messages written in Individual B’s name. When given a final opportunity to correct his false statement, Mathur again falsely denied making the webmail threat.   

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Capitol Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging former Fairmount Heights Police officer, Martique Cabral Vanderpool, age 32, of Fairmount Heights, Maryland, for deprivation of civil rights under color of law, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman he arrested after a traffic stop.  The indictment was returned on September 8, 2021. 

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the single-count indictment, on September 6, 2019, Vanderpool arrested a 19-year-old female after a traffic stop.  Vanderpool allegedly deprived the woman of the right to be free from unreasonable seizure by a person acting under color of law, which includes the right to be free from unwanted sexual assault by a police officer.

The indictment alleges that Vanderpool transported the victim to the Fairmount Heights police station, where he sexually assaulted her.  The indictment also alleges that the civil rights violation included: kidnapping; the use, attempted use, and threatened use of a firearm; and aggravated sexual abuse and attempted aggravated sexual abuse of the victim.

If convicted, Vanderpool faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison  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.  Vanderpool will have an initial appearance scheduled in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt at a later date.

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. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commended the FBI and the Prince George’s Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner and Ms. Clarke thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwight J. Draughon and Caitlin R. Cottingham and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, 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/civil-rights and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced James Maynard, Jr., age 53, of Boonesboro, Maryland, to 150 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for a federal charge for coercion and enticement of a minor in order to produce and distribute child pornography. Judge Gallagher also ordered that Maynard pay $5,729.24 in restitution to his victim. Finally, Judge Gallagher ordered that upon his release from prison, Maynard 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 plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick Police Department.

According to Maynard’s guilty plea, on November 27, 2019, Maynard used a social media account to meet a 14-year-old female, Victim 1,  During his initial conversation with the victim over social media, the victim informed Maynard that she was 14 years old and he identified himself as a 52-year-old man.  While they did not begin that way, Maynard’s conversations with the victim became increasingly sexual.  On the second day of their online communications, November 28, 2019, Maynard asked Victim 1 to send him nude photographs of herself.  Victim 1 subsequently took the photos that Maynard requested, using her tablet computer to take the photo while she was in her bedroom.  Victim 1 sent the photos to Maynard via her social media account.  Maynard made numerous sexually explicit comments about Victim 1’s genitals, and what he wanted to do to her.  Maynard persuaded Victim 1 to take and send him more photos.  Maynard also sent images of his penis to Victim 1.

After Victim 1 sent Maynard the photographs, she began to feel upset about the social media communications with Maynard.  She tried to delete the images of herself, and she asked a trusted adult for help.  Around this same time, City of Frederick Police Department detectives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation and forensically analyzed the tablet computer and social media records.  Investigators discovered additional evidence that Maynard was using the internet to exploit Victim 1.   

On December 5, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Maynard’s residence and his cell phone was seized.  A forensic analysis of the phone revealed several images relevant to the investigation, including an image of Victim 1.  Forensic analysis of another computer located in Maynard’s residence revealed that Maynard used the internet to search topics involving minors and sex.

Investigators interviewed Maynard, who initially claimed that he thought Victim 1 was 19-years-old.  However, when investigators showed Maynard the content of his online messages with Victim 1, Maynard admitted that he knew the victim was 14-years-old at the time that he communicated with her on social media. 

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.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the City of Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey 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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A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in connection with his sexual abuse of two minor children.

According to court documents, Brian Anthony Gilbert, 33, of District Heights, uploaded and advertised at least two video files of child pornography depicting an approximately seven-year-old female victim (Victim 1) on an online bulletin board dedicated to child pornography. The videos were approximately 10 minutes and 15 minutes in length and depicted sexual acts between Gilbert and Victim 1. In Gilbert’s posts on the online bulletin board, Gilbert admits to having produced both videos.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on Sept. 11, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gilbert’s residence. Gilbert was in the residence at the time. Gilbert waived his rights and agreed to speak to law enforcement. Gilbert advised law enforcement that approximately five times between January 2019 and August 2020, Gilbert video recorded sexual acts between himself and Victim 1 in Gilbert’s bedroom and at Victim 1’s residence. He also stated that he had video recorded sexual acts between himself and another victim, who was approximately two-years old (Victim 2) at the time. Gilbert told law enforcement that he distributed the child sex abuse material that he produced on the Tor network, a computer network that is designed specifically to facilitate anonymous communication over the internet.

During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement also seized a number of electronic devices from Gilbert’s bedroom. A subsequent forensic analysis of Gilbert’s electronic devices revealed over 2,000 files depicting child pornography. Among those files were six videos of Gilbert engaging in sexual acts with Victim 1 and Victim 2 in Gilbert’s bedroom or in Victim 1’s residence. Some of the child pornography located on Gilbert’s devices included pre-pubescent children under the age of 12 as well as sadistic or masochistic conduct, including the use of instruments or tools on children, and sexual acts between adults and children. 

Gilbert faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner of the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of Prince George’s County Police Department made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin of the District of Maryland and Trial Attorneys Alicia Bove and Jessica Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

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

Greenbelt, Maryland – Brian Anthony Gilbert, age 33, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges for two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in connection with his sexual abuse of two minor children.

The plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr.; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

“Brian Gilbert is a predator who sexually abused young children for his personal gain,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “This conduct is reprehensible and criminal, and tragically Gilbert’s crimes will impact these vulnerable victims for the rest of their lives.  This case sends a clear message that we will bring to justice those who victimize innocent children.”

According to his guilty plea, in August 2020, Gilbert uploaded and advertised at least two video files of child pornography depicting an approximately seven-year-old female victim (Victim 1) on an online bulletin board dedicated to child pornography, which was hosted over the Tor network, a computer network that is designed specifically to facilitate anonymous communication over the Internet.  The videos were approximately 10 minutes and 15 minutes in length and depicted sexual acts between Gilbert and Victim 1.  In Gilbert’s posts on the online bulletin board, Gilbert admits to having produced both videos.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on September 11, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gilbert’s residence.  Gilbert was in the residence at the time.  Gilbert waived his rights and agreed to speak to law enforcement.  Gilbert advised law enforcement that approximately five times between January 2019 and August 2020, Gilbert video recorded sexual acts between himself and Victim 1 in Gilbert’s bedroom and at Victim 1’s residence.  He also stated that he had video recorded sexual acts between himself and another victim, who was approximately two-years old (“Victim 2”) at the time.  Gilbert told law enforcement that he distributed the child sex abuse material that he produced on the Tor network.

During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement also seized a number of electronic devices from Gilbert’s bedroom.  A subsequent forensic analysis of Gilbert’s electronic devices revealed over 2,000 files depicting child pornography.  Among those files were six videos of Gilbert engaging in sexual acts with Victim 1 and Victim 2 in Gilbert’s bedroom or in Victim 1’s residence. Some of the child pornography located on Gilbert’s devices included prepubescent children under the age of 12 as well as sadistic or masochistic conduct, including the use of instruments or tools on children, and sexual acts between adults and children.  

Gilbert faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of production of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for December 8, 2021 at 9:30 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.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin and Trial Attorneys Jessica Urban and Alicia Bove from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section who are prosecuting 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 Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Jared Johnson, age 36, of Crownsville, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Judge Gallagher also ordered Johnson to pay $45,000 in restitution to the victims.  Finally, Judge Gallagher ordered that, upon his release from prison, Johnson 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 Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.

According to his guilty plea, from May 2020 to August 2020, an internet cloud storage service provider sent the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children five cybertipline reports detailing hundreds of child pornography images uploaded to an account within its internet platform. The account was associated with Johnson’s cellular number and IP address located at Johnson’s Crownsville, Maryland residence. Over the course of five reports, the internet storage provider reported over 2,500 images of child pornography uploaded to Johnson’s account.

During a search of Johnson’s residence on July 24, 2020, Anne Arundel County detectives recovered Johnson’s cell phone and computer. The devices were hidden in the basement, submerged underwater within the basement’s sump pump system. A forensic analysis of the computer revealed that Johnson possessed over 12,000 images and videos of child pornography on the computer system.

After examination of Johnson’s online cloud account, Anne Arundel County Police detectives discovered thousands of images and videos containing child pornographic material, including a 38-minute video compilation depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI, the Anne Arundel Police Department, and the Anne Arundel State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey 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 – Lloyd Phillip Simon, age 71, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to bank robbery, in connection with two 2019 bank robberies at the same bank within one week.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on August 13 and August 19, 2019, Simon robbed a bank located in the University of Maryland Medical Center.  In each instance, Simon entered the lobby of the Medical Center, partially obscuring his face by wearing a baseball hat and large glasses.  Upon entering the bank, Simon approached a teller and demanded money.  In the first robbery, Simon told the teller he had a gun.  Fearing for their safety, the tellers gave Simon money and he left the bank.

Specifically, on August 13, 2019, a video surveillance camera captured Simon walk into the lobby of the Medical Center wearing a black jacket, white shirt, black and white shorts, and black and white shoes.  He also wore a purple and gold lanyard around his neck.  His face was partially hidden by a grey baseball hat and large glasses.  Simon obtained a white wristband from the receptionist, which allowed him access to the food court and bank area of the Medical Center.  As Simon walked toward the bank, he reached into a donation bin located in the atrium and took one of the donations placed there - a black backpack. He then approached the bank and placed his black jacket and the newly acquired black backpack on a bench outside the bank.  Simon immediately approached Bank Teller #1, who was in the process of counting money from the bank’s night drop.  Simon demanded money from Bank Teller #1, stating, “Give me that money.  I have a gun.  No dye packs.”  Fearing for her safety, Bank Teller #1 gave Simon all of the money that she had been counting.  Simon left the bank, grabbing the backpack and black jacket, as he quickly walked away.  Simon donned the black jacket to cover his white shirt and as he exited the Medical Center, he took off his hat and glasses.  Simon’s face was captured on an outdoor video surveillance camera. 

On August 19, 2019 Simon robbed the same bank.  A video surveillance camera captured Simon entering the Medical Center lobby, where he again obtained a white wristband from the receptionist.  Simon was wearing different clothing—a black and grey striped shirt; red shorts; black, white, and red shoes; and a lanyard depicting flames.  Simon again wore large glasses and a baseball cap – a blue LA Dodgers baseball cap, to partially obscure his face.  This time, Simon went through a back corridor before approaching the bank and did not immediately enter the bank.  Instead, Simon is observed on video surveillance peering toward the bank, then sitting down on a bench outside of the bank.  Simon waited on the bench until the bank security guard left on his lunch break.  Simon then donned his glasses and entered the bank.  Bank Teller #1 immediately recognized Simon from the previous robbery the week before.  She told Simon to go wait in line, and then went to press the panic button.  Simon approached Bank Teller #2, and stated words to the effect of “Give me all of your money, I want the big stuff!”  Fearing for her safety, Bank Teller #2 gave him money, and Simon stated, “Hurry up, I’m not joking!”  Simon continued to demand more money, so Bank Teller #2 gave Simon more money, and she slipped a hidden GPS tracking device into the money.  As Simon left the bank, he is observed on camera fanning through the money that he took from Bank Teller #2.  Simon found the hidden GPS tracking device, removed it from the wad of cash and dropped the tracker on the floor of the bank as he left.  Simon quicky left the Medical Center, and outdoor video cameras captured Simon’s image after he took off his hat and glasses. 

On August 28, 2019, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at Simon’s apartment.  Law enforcement recovered the two lanyards, shorts, shoes, and a shirt that matched the clothing worn by Simon during the robberies, as well as a black backpack consistent with the backpack Simon took from the donation bin. In addition, investigators recovered a single round of .357 Magnum ammunition in Simon’s kitchen cabinet. 

On January 29, 2013, Simon was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, after being convicted of bank robbery.  As a result of this conviction, Simon knew he was prohibited from possessing ammunition.

Simon faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for bank robbery.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Mary Setzer, 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 today sentenced Renul Forbes a/k/a “Michael Renul,”, age 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to 12 months of home confinement as part of three years of probation for false personation of a U.S. Marshal, an officer of the United States.  Judge Blake also ordered Forbes to perform 100 hours of community service. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland Johnny Hughes; and Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department (AAPD).

According to his guilty plea, from January 2019 to September 26, 2020, Forbes falsely pretended to be a “Supervisory Deputy” of the United States Marshals Service and possessed a fraudulent seal of the United States Marshals Service.

“Members of our Maryland law enforcement community serve a critical role when it comes to public safety and community relations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  By impersonating a federal agent, Renul Forbes not only deceived the public, he also undermined the credibility of the many legitimate law enforcement personnel who diligently and bravely serve their communities throughout the state.”

As detailed in his plea agreement, on September 26, 2020, an Anne Arundel County police officer witnessed Forbes arrive at a Glen Burnie retail store in a vehicle equipped with police lights.  Forbes was carrying a firearm on his hip. 

Shortly after Forbes exited his vehicle, Forbes approached the AAPD officer and asked whether he worked in the Northern District of the Anne Arundel County Police Department and whether he knew a particular police officer, who Forbes identified by name.

While Forbes entered the store, the AAPD officer determined that the rear tag affixed to Forbes’s vehicle belonged to a different vehicle, the windows were tinted, and the vehicle lacked a front tag.  The AAPD officer subsequently asked Forbes to identify himself.  Forbes provided a false name and refused to present an official driver’s license telling the officer that he was “not qualified” to ask for Forbes’ credentials.  Forbes not only possessed a fraudulent U.S. Marshals badge pinned to his belt next to his firearm, but also possessed two magazines in a magazine carrier on the right side of his waist.

Forbes attempted to avoid identification by claiming to be a U.S. Marshal working out of Greenbelt and provided the name and contact information of a purported U.S. Marshals Service supervisor.  In fact, that individual was not a U.S. Marshal.  Officers later contacted a legitimate U.S. Marshals Service Supervisory Deputy who confirmed that Forbes was not employed with the U.S. Marshals Service in any capacity and that the badge Forbes possessed was not a legitimate badge or seal of the U.S. Marshals Service.

A search of Forbes’s person revealed that he carried three loaded magazines, with several rounds each, and a black Glock-style airsoft gun.  Additionally, Forbes’s vehicle was equipped with three USB powered red and blue police lights that were controlled by a control panel on the driver’s seat visor.  Within a brown backpack located in the vehicle, authorities discovered loose ammunition and a handgun that was not registered to Forbes.  Furthermore, a search of the vehicle’s VIN number was determined to be associated with a New Jersey tag, which was located in the trunk of the vehicle.

Officers contacted the registered owner of the handgun and discovered the owner met with Forbes on several occasions.  The registered handgun owner believed Forbes was a legitimate U.S. Marshal as he openly carried a firearm and a U.S. Marshals badge.

As detailed in his plea agreement, it was later determined that Forbes had previously identified himself as a U.S. Marshal to another Anne Arundel County police officer within a text message and in person on multiple occasions, in order to obtain information about police responses to his apartment complex, as well as the Anne Arundel County Police Department in general.  Forbes also falsely claimed to be a U.S. Marshal to a Metropolitan police officer in order to learn about rules and regulations, policy and discipline within the police department.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary W. Setzer who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Edward Scott Finn, age 47, of Dunkirk, Maryland, for the federal charges of tax evasion and obstruction of justice.  Finn is a former Lieutenant with the Prince George’s County Police Department and owned and operated Edward Finn Inc. (EFI), a private company. 

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to the indictment, from approximately December 26, 1995 to April 26, 2021, Finn was a member of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).  Members of the PGPD were allowed to work part-time outside employment in addition to their full-time duties, known as Secondary Law Enforcement Employment (SLEE).  SLEE is defined as “[e]mployment in which an employee is compensated by an entity other than the Prince George’s County Police Department for the performance of law enforcement or law enforcement related duties including (but not limited to) security, traffic direction, and parking enforcement.”  According to the indictment and court documents, from 2014 to 2021, Finn used EFI and employed off-duty law enforcement officers to provide security services to apartment complexes and other businesses, primarily in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, to manage and operate his SLEE business. 

The six-count indictment alleges that Finn allegedly underreported a total of more than $1 million of EFI income on his 2015 through 2019 individual income tax returns.  During that time frame, the indictment alleges that Finn deposited approximately $1,147,684 of checks payable to EFI into personal bank accounts or non-EFI bank accounts over which Finn had signature authority.  Finn also allegedly wrote checks from EFI bank accounts: to relatives for purported services performed for bookkeeping and to create false business expenses for purported security services; and to pay personal expenses, including credit card bills, car payments, and to purchase a boat.  This underreported income allegedly resulted in a total tax loss to the government of $312,882.

Further, the indictment alleges that on April 22, 2021, Finn obstructed justice by initiating the erasure and resetting of his cellphone as federal agents executed a search warrant on his residence.

“The indictment alleges that a member of law enforcement with 25 years on the job failed to report more than $1 million in income that he earned through a private business, and then obstructed a federal investigation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “No one is above the law, and this indictment should serve as a stark reminder of that principle.”

“According to the charges, the actions of Edward Finn were not only illegal, but they also interfered with a federal investigation,” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to finding and bringing to justice those who engage in any financial scheme to defraud the American public.”

If convicted, Finn faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of five counts of tax evasion and a maximum of 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice.  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.  Finn is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt at a later date.

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. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-CI and the FBI and for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Thomas P. Windom, who are prosecuting this case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Melissa Heyer, age 46, of Gaithersburg, Maryland to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for submitting false claims to the United States, specifically for claiming to have worked hours on a government contract when she allegedly was not at work.  Judge Russell also ordered Heyer to pay $107,300 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Elton Howell, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations (Acting), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)- Office of Inspector General (OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Mid-Atlantic Field Office.

According to her plea agreement, Company A was a subcontractor for Company B, providing employees that performed national security duties for the Department of Defense (DOD).  From January 2017 until March 2019, Heyer worked for Company A, but was assigned on a day-to-day basis to work for the DOD on national security matters at the National Security Agency (NSA), in Fort Meade, Maryland. 

From January 2017 through March 2019, Heyer held a Top Secret-Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance and performed her duties for Company A and the DOD at a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) at the NSA facility where she worked.  She used a badge reader to gain access to the SCIF.  On at least five occasions between January 2017 and March 2019, Heyer falsely represented to her employer that she had been working at the NSA SCIF when she was actually elsewhere.  Heyer caused false claims to be submitted to the DOD that resulted in the government paying more than $100,000 to Company A, Company B, and Heyer, to which they and Heyer were not entitled.

In total, as result Heyer knowingly caused the government to be billed for more than 1,200 hours of her time when she had actually not worked.             

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the DIA OIG and DCIS for their work on the investigation and thanked the U.S. CYBERCOM Office of Inspector General for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner 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 and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Al Jumal Mitchell, age 37, of Middle River, Maryland, for federal charges related to his illegal purchases and attempted purchase of firearms using a fraudulent Federal Firearms License.  The indictment was returned on August 18, 2021.  Mitchell has an initial appearance today at 1:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the six-count indictment, as a result of a previous conviction Mitchell was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  The indictment alleges that Mitchell used fraudulent identification to illegally purchase two firearms and attempt to purchase a third outside of Maryland.  Two of the firearms were allegedly shipped to Mitchell in Maryland.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that on October 9, 2020, December 18, 2020, and January 9, 2021, Mitchell used a Federal Firearms License that did not belong to him and had an altered address to purchase a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a 93R17 rifle, and a 9mm semi-automatic rifle, from three licensed firearms dealers.  Further, the indictment alleges that Mitchell unlawfully received at his residence two of the three firearms, which he had acquired outside Maryland.

Finally, as alleged in the indictment, on April 8, 2021, Mitchell illegally possessed the two 9mm firearms he purchased on October 9, 2020 and January 9, 2021, as well as a 20 gauge pump-action shotgun, a .357 magnum revolver, and 165 rounds of various caliber ammunition, including 100 rounds of jacketed hollow point ammunition. 

If convicted, Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of two counts of unlawful receipt of a firearm acquired outside Maryland; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of three counts of furnishing false identification to a licensed firearms dealer; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger and his Office for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay DeFrancesco, 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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Baltimore, Maryland – Reginald Leon Bolden, age 37, of Harford County, Maryland and Tremayne Gerrad Murphy, age 40, of Harford County, Maryland pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.    

The guilty pleas were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.; 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; Sheriff Jeff Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Narcotics Task Force comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, and Havre de Grace Police Department.

According to their guilty pleas, as a result of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing powder and crack cocaine, Murphy, Bolden, and Joel Hammond were identified as DTO members. Law enforcement also observed numerous instances of drug-related activities.

For example, on February 24, 2020, investigators surveilled Bolden and Murphy as they traveled to Wilmington, Delaware to meet with a cocaine supplier. After completing the transaction for nine ounces of cocaine, Bolden and Murphy returned to Harford County to distribute the cocaine. Two days later, Murphy was observed traveling to a Wilmington, Delaware casino to return the cocaine to the original supplier as customers complained about the quality of the cocaine. 

After meeting with the source, detectives followed Murphy back to Harford County where Murphy was observed conducting a hand-to-hand drug transaction.

As stated in their plea agreements, on March 15, 2020, Bolden was intercepted regarding the purchase of three ounces of crack cocaine from co-defendant Hammond.  Bolden had arranged the transaction through a co-conspirator, who transported money to Hammond and received a small backpack from Hammond, which investigators believed contained the cocaine.

The co-conspirator, Murphy, and Bolden determined when Murphy could retrieve the cocaine. After the conversation, investigators observed the co-conspirator exit his residence with the same small backpack of suspected cocaine and briefly enter a vehicle operated by Murphy. Once the conspirator quickly exited Murphy’s vehicle without the backpack, Murphy subsequently traveled to Bolden’s residence.

After a brief period of time, Bolden was observed exiting Hammond’s residence and proceeded to return to Harford County. As Bolden returned to Harford County, members of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on his vehicle where law enforcement seized 16 grams of powder cocaine, 41 grams of crack cocaine, and $660 in cash.  

As a result of a search warrant executed at Bolden’s residence, law enforcement recovered 12 grams of crack cocaine, $2,785 in cash, numerous items of packaging material, and a digital scale containing cocaine residue.

As a member of the DTO, Bolden agrees that it is reasonably foreseeable that the amount of crack cocaine sold was at least 280 grams but less than 840 grams.

Murphy and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Murphy will be sentenced to between 60 months and 92 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for December 2, 2021 at 11 a.m. 

Bolden and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Bolden will be sentenced to between eight years and nine years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for November 2, 2021 at 11 a.m. 

Co-defendant Joel Hammond pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base on July 1, 2021. If the court accepts the plea agreement, Hammond will be sentenced to six years in federal prison. His sentencing is set for October 27, 2021 at 11 a.m.

            Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Elias Nick Costianes, Jr., age 43, of Nottingham, Maryland, for the federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and for possession of firearms and ammunition by an unlawful user of any controlled substance.  The criminal complaint was filed on August 23, 2021, and unsealed today upon Costianes’s arrest.  Costianes had an initial appearance scheduled today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson. Costianes was released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on January 8, 2021, the FBI received an online tip reporting that Costianes had used a mobile social media application to broadcast videos of his participation in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.  Based on the video evidence, in addition to other information developed during the investigation, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an arrest warrant for Costianes pursuant to a criminal complaint alleging various offenses relating to his participation in the Capitol riot.  As part of the investigation, search warrants authorizing the FBI to search Costianes’s residence, vehicle, and the cellphone believed to have been used by Costianes during the riot, were executed on February 12, 2021.  Costianes was at home on a couch in the living room, was taken into custody, and transported to U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. for his initial appearance on the criminal complaint.

The affidavit alleges that during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered Costianes’s cellphone, which was located within arms’ reach of Costianes, and four firearms: a 9mm pistol; a M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle; a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a shotgun.  The 9mm pistol and M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle were registered to Costianes, but the other two firearms were not.  Officers also found 9mm, .22-caliber, .223 caliber, and shotgun ammunition, and recovered three vials of testosterone enanthate and one vial of testosterone cypionate, both controlled substances. In the cushions of the living room couch where Costianes had been observed during the search warrant execution, officers found a used hypodermic needle.  Hypodermic needles are often used to inject testosterone into muscle by illegal users of synthetic testosterone.  In Costianes’s vehicle, law enforcement recovered 28 grams of marijuana in a mason jar and a silver digital scale with trace amounts of marijuana on its surface.  All of the evidence was transported to the FBI, which subsequently conducted a forensic review of the phone. 

Although the search warrant for Costianes’s cellphone authorized the search of the entire phone, based on the recovery of the firearms and controlled substances found at the residence, as well as photographs of firearms and controlled substances found during the forensic review, a separate search warrant was obtained authorizing the seizure of evidence relating to firearms, ammunition, or controlled substances.  A search warrant was also obtained for Costianes’s online storage account.

According to the affidavit, Costianes’s phone allegedly contained screen captures of text message conversations between Costianes and other individuals containing slang terms for quantities and types of cocaine and other references to weights of controlled substances, including “Eights,” which refers to an eighth of an ounce, usually of cocaine, and “QP’s,” which refers to quarter pounds, usually in the context of marijuana.  As detailed in the affidavit, these weights were referenced in conversations in which dollar amounts were also mentioned, allegedly reflecting discussions concerning controlled substance transactions.

The online storage account allegedly contained approximately 300 messages beginning in January 2019 with contacts involved in Costianes’s purchase or use of marijuana and more than 450 messages beginning in March 2020 with contacts involved in Costianes’s purchase or use of cocaine.  Recovered text messages reflect that Costianes allegedly continued using cocaine through February 2021.  According to the affidavit, the storage account also contained more than 350 messages with contacts involved in Costianes’s purchase or use of testosterone beginning as early as February 2020 and continuing through February 2021.

As detailed in the affidavit, the electronic evidence, including photographs and text message conversations, revealed that Costianes also conspired to traffic cocaine and testosterone by acquiring controlled substances from his suppliers to distribute to friends and associates.  For example, in a text message conversation from October 30 to November 1, 2020, Costianes allegedly agreed to obtain four half-gram bags of cocaine from Costianes’s supplier on behalf of cellphone contact “S.C.”  In addition, the data allegedly showed that Costianes was facilitating the distribution of testosterone from his testosterone supplier to a cellphone contact “D.M.”  For example, in text messages between May 10 and May 15, 2020, Costianes allegedly arranged to buy three 10-ml bottles of testosterone from his supplier on behalf of D.M.

If convicted, Costianes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  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. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Andre Christopher Brown, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a stolen firearm. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on March 27, 2019, Brown was found asleep in a vehicle in Reisterstown Road, Maryland parking lot. A concerned citizen called 911 to check on Brown’s wellness as he appeared to be unresponsive.

When officers arrived at Brown’s vehicle and awoke him to check on his condition, he appeared to be intoxicated due to his slurred speech. Once officers asked for Brown’s drivers license, Brown responded normally until he told the officers that his driver’s license was “upstairs” and not in his possession. Officers then asked Brown to step out of the vehicle to test his mobility.

As Brown exited the vehicle, an officer noticed a 9mm caliber pistol in Brown’s waistband. Upon further inspection of the firearm, officers discovered the pistol was loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.

As stated in the plea agreement, ballistics evidence linked Brown’s firearm to a previous Owings Mills, Maryland discharging in September 2017. Law enforcement were unable to identify a victim or suspect from the discharging.

On April 10, 2019, Baltimore County Police Department detectives interviewed Brown where he waived his Miranda rights, and admitted to discharging the firearm on September 17, 2017. Brown stated that he took the firearm from another person during a drug transaction and shot the firearm at the ground and in the air because he was afraid the other person was going to harm him. Brown admitted to keeping the firearm ever since.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore City Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon K. Moore, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Harjit Singh Dub, age 27, of Moreno Valley, California to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, Dub mailed two parcels, the first parcel contained five kilograms of methamphetamine and another which contained a 39-caliber rifle to a P.O. Box in December 2019. Law enforcement officers intercepted the parcels from a Spencerville, Maryland post office, where they were searched pursuant to search warrants.

After shipping the parcels to Maryland, Dub traveled to Maryland to collect the money for the methamphetamine and rifle in person. As stated in the plea agreement, Dub traveled from California to the Washington National Airport where Dub unknowingly met with an undercover officer. While in route from the airport to Rockville, Maryland, Dub not only stated that he shipped the methamphetamine and the rifle, but that he also could ship firearm silencers and large quantities of cocaine and heroin.

When Dub arrived in Rockville, Maryland where he was arrested by law enforcement.

This case is 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.    

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the DEA for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Stepfen Gerard Gaither, age 30, of Randallstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges for a murder-for-hire conspiracy and for interstate communications with intent to extort, in connection to the extortion and planned murder of a Baltimore County restaurant owner and his partner over a debt, as well as to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and heroin.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; 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 plea agreement and other court documents, Gaither was hired by codefendant Clement Robert Mercaldo, Jr. to send messages threatening victims and their families in order to extort money.  During the course of the plots, Mercaldo paid Gaither to vandalize a victim’s car and set fire to a victim’s house as part of the plot to extort.  Later, Mercaldo agreed to pay Gaither to murder a victim.  Gaither also possessed with the intent to distribute 723 pills containing fentanyl and heroin that were marked as Oxycontin. 

“Over the Spring of 2019, Stepfen Gaither terrorized a family in Baltimore County, including setting one victim’s house on fire, sending threatening messages and plotting the murder of a restaurant owner,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “Thanks to terrific investigative work by the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department, Gaither and his co-conspirator were stopped before they succeeded in their murder-for-hire plot.  Hopefully these convictions will send a message of deterrence to others who are contemplating threats and violence to advance their business interests or settle their disputes.”

“This case serves as a reminder to those offenders who are a menace in our neighborhoods by committing violent acts, that the FBI continues to protect the public and hold accountable those who have such bold disregard for the law and more importantly human life,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobicinski.

“The charges in this case are highly disturbing as they demonstrate a blatant disregard for human life,” said Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt. “After extensive investigation, detectives from the Baltimore County Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence and Arson Teams worked collaboratively with federal prosecutors to hold these defendants accountable for the acts of violence they committed and conspired to commit in Baltimore County.”

Between 2008 and 2017, Mercaldo, a former restaurant owner, loaned over $1 million to the victim.  The victim repaid Mercaldo until 2019, when he was unable to make further payments.  As a result, Mercaldo was in significant financial distress, causing him to sell personal belongings in order to continue to pay his expenses.

Beginning in March 2019, Mercaldo hired Gaither to assist in his plot to collect the debt through a variety of extortionate means.  Mercaldo gave at least $1,000 in cash to Gaither in exchange for Gaither agreeing to send threatening messages to the victim and destroy the victim’s property, with the intent to pressure the victim to repay Mercaldo.  

According to Gaither’s plea agreement, on March 10, 2019, Gaither traveled to the victim’s residence to conduct surveillance, and contacted Mercaldo by cell phone while he was at the residence.  Just prior to March 28, 2019, Mercaldo traveled to Florida.  On the evening of March 28, 2019, Gaither again traveled to the victim’s residence and an object smashed the windows of the victim’s car, while the car was in his driveway.  Mercaldo returned from Florida on March 29th, when he supplied Gaither with another cash payment. Mercaldo also provided Gaither with the phone number to the victim’s restaurant.  Immediately before and after the windows were smashed, Gaither used an anonymous texting application to threaten the victim.  The messages referenced a debt and threatened the victim’s wife.  In the first few days of April 2019, Gaither also placed calls to the victim in which he took responsibility for smashing the windows and then threatened the victim’s wife. 

On April 10, 2019, at Mercaldo’s request, Gaither, using the same number used to contact the victim, sent Mercaldo a message falsely purporting to be from a person from Delaware who was trying to collect money and threatening Mercaldo’s son.  Mercaldo asked Gaither to send this message so that Mercaldo could show it to the police when he was questioned about the victim’s smashed windows and other threats. 

On April 12, 2019, Mercaldo was interviewed by a detective from the Baltimore County Police Department, regarding the destruction of property at the victim’s residence.  Mercaldo falsely told the detective that he too had been receiving threatening messages from a person identifying themselves as “Robin.”  Mercaldo then showed the detective the fake message Gaither sent him two days earlier, which included a screen shot of Mercaldo’s son playing lacrosse at his high school.  Mercaldo also provided detectives with a false story about his loan to the victim, claiming that he obtained the money he loaned the victim from an unnamed person in Michigan, who loaned the money to Mercaldo at a high interest rate, and that Mercaldo pays this person in cash on the first of the month after receiving an anonymous text message providing the location to meet for the transaction.  Additionally, Mercaldo told the detective that he returned home from Florida on March 29, 2019 to find that the windshield of his Mercedes was also smashed, although he did not report it to the police.  Mercaldo stated that he believed that the smashing of his windshield was related to the smashing of the victim’s windshield.  In truth, Mercaldo’s windshield was damaged by a rock from another car and was repaired on March 14, 2019, two weeks prior to the vandalism of the victim’s car.

From April 2019 through July 2019, Mercaldo withdrew more than $5,000 in cash from his bank account, which he paid to Gaither, who deposited similar amounts of cash into his bank account.  For example, on April 26, 2019, May 7, 2019, and May 15, 2019, Mercaldo withdrew a total of $4,000 cash from his bank account in Maryland, and between May 3rd and July 19th, Gaither deposited $2,514 into his account.  The purpose of the payments was for Giather to set fire to the victim’s home.

After conducting surveillance at the victim’s house on July 29 and August 1, 2019, at Mercaldo’s direction, in the early morning hours of Sunday, August 4, 2019, Gaither traveled to the victim’s house, where he again conducted surveillance.  While the victim and his wife were asleep upstairs, a rear basement window at the house was broken and a flammable liquid was ignited.  Gaither left the area when he heard emergency vehicles responding to the fire.

The victim and his wife were awoken by the smoke detectors, and escaped the fire with the family cat.  Although no injuries were sustained to the family or emergency responders, the fire caused significant damage to the residence and destroyed much of the victim’s personal property.  As a result of the damage, the victim and his wife were forced to move out of their home and to live elsewhere. In the days immediately following the arson, Mercado withdrew $1,500 cash from his bank account and gave it to Gaither, who deposited $1,290 in cash into his account.  

In August and September 2019, Gaither sent numerous threatening text messages from anonymous texting applications to the victim and his business partner.  The messages demonstrated that they were being followed.  The threats referenced a debt, and many of the messages threatened to harm the victims and their families.  For example, on August 30, 2019, Gaither sent a message to the victim, which referenced the arson as part of the efforts to collect the debt  Mercaldo continued to instruct Gaither to send threatening messages and on October 22, 2019, the business partner received the message, “This is the third check you and your partner gave me that bounce i talked to him and he gave me your address saying you is stealing from him and do what i have to do to get my money from you he even gave me pictures of your wife and kids.” 

On October 26, 2019, Gaither used the anonymous texting application to arrange for and receive a cash payment from the business partner.  The payment was observed and recorded by law enforcement.  Immediately after receiving the money, Gaither purchased an Apple watch, and deposited cash onto his account.  Gaither and Mercaldo subsequently exchanged text messages for several days about this payment, with Mercaldo stating that the victims told him a payment was made to Gaither and Gaither adamantly denying receiving any money from the victims. 

Starting on October 29, 2019, and continuing through at least the end of January 2020, Mercaldo and Gaither began discussing “plan b” – the murder of one or both of the victims for their lack of payment.  For example, on November 3, 2019 Mercaldo sent a text to Gaither, “Hope you whack his ass!”  On November 8, 2019, Mercaldo texted Gaither, “Nail em plz !!” In January 2020, Gaither conducted surveillance at the residences and business of the victims, taking images and videos and during some of the videos, he narrated how he planned to follow and attack the victim.  During two of the videos Gaither is seen holding two different handguns in his vehicle during surveillance.  Gaither sent these videos and images to Mercaldo as attachments to numerous text messages, during, and immediately after, many of the incidents of surveillance.  Gaither and Mercaldo continued to communicate about the victims and the debt through March 2020 and as late as May 30, 2020.

Gaither and Mercaldo were arrested on June 23, 2020 and remain detained.  During the search of Gaither’s house on June 23, 2020, investigators recovered a loaded handgun and ammunition in a safe in Gaither’s dresser drawer.  Also found during the search was a permit to carry a handgun – dated April 2, 2020.  In the same bedroom, on the top shelf of the closet was a second safe, containing 732 pills marked as 30 mg OxyContin, which has a street value of approximately $22,000.  The pills were seized and analyzed by the Baltimore County Police Department Forensic Services Laboratory, and it was determined that the pills contained a detectable amount of fentanyl and heroin.  Next to the safe in Gaither’s bedroom closet was a Glock handgun box containing two boxes with a total of 68 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The arson at the victim’s residence in August 2019 caused an estimated $302,774.89 of damage to the dwelling and contents, and a loss to the insurance company of $353,340.66 as a direct result of the fire. 

A subsequent examination of Gaither’s phone revealed drug trafficking activity, going back at least three years, including text messages discussing the wholesale purchase and sale of narcotics, including messages in June 2020, just days before Gaither’s arrest.  The phone also contained images of large quantities of apparent narcotics, and two June 2020 videos of the defendant using a digital scale to weigh apparent crack cocaine.  Gaither’s phone contained numerous images and videos of firearms over several years. 

Clement Robert Mercaldo, Jr., age 62, of Timonium, Maryland pleaded guilty to his role in the murder-for-hire on August 5, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

Gaither and the Government have agreed that, if the court accepts the guilty plea, Gaither will be sentenced to between 11 and 13 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2023 at 2:000 p.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Ronnie Hammond, age 21, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division, and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).

According to his guilty plea, during the course of their investigation of Hammond, MCPD officers recovered several cellular phones that revealed Hammond’s drug trafficking activity. Hammond routinely coordinated with dealers and suppliers to distribute marijuana. On at least five instances, law enforcement intercepted Hammond’s coded conversations with several co-conspirators regarding drug transactions.

For example, on August 30, 2019, Hammond told Co-conspirator 1 that his stash house was “dry” and Co-Conspirator 1 warned Hammond that law enforcement was in the area in “plain clothes”. Hammond stated that his source of supply just contacted him. Co-Conspirator 1 then asked for Hammond to sell him an eighth of marijuana and he just sold out. Following the previous conversation, one of Hammond’s suppliers sent Hammond a picture of high-quality marijuana and quoted a price of $600.

As stated in his plea agreement, on November 19, 2019, MCPD officers conducted undercover surveillance in a parking lot. During the surveillance, officers observed a male and female on a picnic table smoking marijuana. Officer then observed the two individuals get into a sedan that parked in an adjacent parking lot.

Officers approached the vehicle and knocked on the driver’s side window. Hammond was seated in the front passenger seat. A MCPD officer asked Hammond if he possessed any marijuana, and he produced a small baggie of marijuana from a satchel. As a result of a search of Hammond, officers recovered a black semi-automatic 9mm pistol loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition. Hammond agrees the firearm was possessed to facilitate his drug distribution activities. Officers also recovered additional marijuana, a digital scale, and clear plastic baggies inside of Hammonds satchel. Officers recovered approximately 17 grams of marijuana and $541 in Hammond’s drug proceeds.

Hammond was subsequently arrested and released on several conditions, including that Hammond refrain from participating in any criminal activity. However, while on release, Hammond illegally sold firearms to at least one individual, including two 9mm handguns.

Hammond and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Hammond will be sentenced to between 24 months and 36 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for December 2, 2021 at 10 a.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O. Hayes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Harvey, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three Maryland men for the federal charges of conspiracy, violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the Export Reform Control Act, related to the export of firearms and ammunition from the United States to Nigeria.  Charged in the indictment, which was returned late yesterday, are:

Wilson Nuyila Tita, age 45, of Owings Mills, Maryland; Eric Fru Nji, age 40, of Fort Washington, Maryland; and
Wilson Che Fonguh, age 39, of Bowie, Maryland.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

According to the four-count indictment, from at least November 2017 through July 19, 2019, the defendants conspired with each other and with others to export from the United States to Nigeria defense articles and items identified on the United States Munitions List (“USML”) and the Commerce Control List (“CCL”) without first obtaining export licenses.  The defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal from the United States that those items were being shipped from the Port of Baltimore in Maryland to Nigeria and at least one other location in Africa.  The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly contributed funds for the purchase of firearms, ammunition, reloading materials and other equipment for shipping overseas.  The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators communicated about their efforts and plans to ship weapons and ammunitions using an on-line encrypted messaging application and code words in order to conceal their activities.

As detailed in the indictment, the defendants and other conspirators concealed the firearms, ammunition, rifle scopes, and other items in heavily wrapped packages and duffle bags, and inside sealed compressor units, placing those items into a shipping container destined for Nigeria without obtaining the requisite licenses from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Further, as part of the conspiracy, one of the co-conspirators allegedly caused the submission of electronic export information to the U.S. government for the container which listed materially false information as to the identity of the exporter and the intermediate and ultimate consignee, as well as the ultimate destination of the container’s contents.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that on January 17, 2019, the defendants and their co-conspirators exported, attempted to export, or caused to be exported to Nigeria articles on the USML the export of which was controlled under the Arms Export Control Act, without first having obtained the required license or written approval from the U.S. Department of State, specifically: 38 firearms; over 35,000 rounds of ammunition; and 44 magazines.  On that same day, the defendants allegedly exported to Nigeria one Bushnell Trophy Rifle Optic and one Burris AR Rifle Scope, the export of which were controlled under the Commerce Control List, without first having obtained the required license or written approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Finally, the indictment alleges that the defendants transported 28 firearms with obliterated serial numbers.

If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison each for violating the Arms Export Control Act and for violating the Export Control Reform Act; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for transportation of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  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 each expected to have an initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas M. DiGirolamo beginning at 3:00 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. 

Seven defendants have been charged in related cases and of those six have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI and the ATF for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner recognized the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement; U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service; Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their contributions to the investigation.  Acting U.S. Attorney Lenzner 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, 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 – Tirrel Saunders, a/k/a “Pretty”, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Saunders was a member of the Gregory Butler Drug Trafficking Organization (“Butler DTO”) which distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, from October 2018 through April 2019, FBI intercepted phone communications of the Butler DTO that operated in and around the Baltimore area, using phones to arrange heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl sales to drug users and redistributors from Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

The Butler DTO sold thousands of dollars in narcotics on a daily basis. For example, intercepted phone communications revealed that the Butler DTO frequently sold over 100 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl on a daily basis. Customers of the Butler DTO believed they were purchasing heroin, but the Butler DTO adulterated all heroin it sold with fentanyl. Street-level distributors in the Butler DTO worked in shifts and shared phones they used to communicate with Butler DTO leadership and customers.

As stated in the plea agreement, investigative efforts identified Saunders as a Butler DTO supervisor and manager. In this capacity, Saunders managed daily supplies of narcotics and the collection of drug proceeds from distributors. FBI investigators intercepted Saunders regularly arranging to resupply co-conspirators with heroin and crack cocaine which they sold to drug customers. Saunders also communicated with Butler DTO leadership and acted as a liaison between Butler DTO leadership and street-level distributors.

Saunders agreed that over the course of the conspiracy, he distributed over one kilogram of heroin to street-level distributors.

This case is 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.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.

Saunders and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Saunders will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for November 19, 2021 at 1 p.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, DEA, Montgomery County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.

Mr. Lenzner also recognized the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the City of Rockville Police Department; the Baltimore County, Howard County, and Montgomery County Police Departments; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Maryland State Police; the West Virginia State Police; the Virginia State Police; the Warren County (VA) Sheriff’s Department; the Winchester (VA) and Front Royal (VA) Police Departments; and the Frederick County and Howard County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Rashaad Thomas, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland to seven and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for carjacking. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on October 21, 2017, Thomas forcibly entered a Baltimore City, Maryland residence where he brandished a weapon that resembled a firearm, demanded money, and demanded the keys to the victims’ vehicle. In compliance with Thomas’s demands, the male victim gave Thomas $500, his car keys, and walked Thomas to his vehicle located in the garage. Thomas then entered the vehicle and exited the garage, damaging the vehicle as he left the driveway.

On October 22, 2017, the stolen vehicle was recovered in the 3600 block of Dudley Avenue in Baltimore City, Maryland. The Baltimore City Police Department processed the vehicle for latent prints and discovered several prints that matched Thomas’s known fingerprints.

In addition to the latent prints, cellular telephone data placed Thomas’s cell phone near the location of the residence at the time of the home invasion and carjacking. Further, a BB gun that resembled the weapon described in the home invasion and carjacking was recovered from Thomas.

As stated in his plea agreement, Thomas is also a suspect in at least 17 violent crimes, including robberies, home invasions, and carjackings that occurred between July and October 2017. In many instances, victims report an assailant of Thomas’s description pointing a silver automatic handgun or black handgun to carry out various violent crimes.  

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – William Diggs, age 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute, possession with the intent to distribute, and the distribution of cocaine base.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

According to his guilty plea, from December 2019 to September 2020, Diggs conspired with others to possess and distribute cocaine base in the area of the 2600 block of Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. As a member of a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), Diggs sold cocaine base, including to two individuals who happened to be confidential informants for law enforcement.

Over the course of four drug transactions, Diggs sold 42 vials of cocaine base as well as an eighth of an ounce of cocaine base to an ATF confidential informant. Additionally, during one drug transaction, the confidential informant asked Diggs if they could purchase a firearm. Diggs told the informant they could purchase a firearm for $200 when he gained possession of the firearm, although he ultimately did not proceed with the firearm transaction.

As stated in his plea agreement, a second confidential informant observed Diggs and two co-conspirators in a Baltimore rowhouse where the confidential informant observed several firearms. Diggs later admitted the firearms were possessed in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

The Baltimore City Police Department’s Drug Analysis Unit confirmed that the substances sold by Diggs to the confidential informants contained the presence of cocaine base.

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.

Diggs and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Diggs will be sentenced to 42 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not scheduled a sentencing hearing at this time.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Stendig, Lindsey N. McCulley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Lindsay DeFrancesco, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced William Soyke, age 68, of Hanover, Pennsylvania to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the plea agreement, Sokye was employed as a physician assistant with Drs. Rosen and Hoffberg from 2011 to 2018, where he treated patients during follow-up doctor appointments. As a physician assistant, Soyke had privileges to prescribe controlled substance medications but was required to operate under a delegation agreement between himself and the Rosen Hoffberg owners.  

In his plea, Soyke admitted that he believed that Drs. Rosen and Hoffberg prescribed excessive levels of opioids.  Despite Soyke’s attempts to lower patient’s prescription doses, both doctors overruled Sokye’s opinion.  Further, if another health care provider within the practice declined to treat a patient due to the patient’s aberrant behavior (such as failing a drug screening test for illicit drugs or selling their prescriptions), Drs. Rosen and Hoffberg would assume that patient’s care.

As stated in the plea agreement, Sokye was aware that many of the patients presenting to Rosen Hoffberg did not have a legitimate medical need for the oxycodone, fentanyl, alprazolam, and methadone they were being prescribed.  Nevertheless, Soyke issued prescriptions for these drugs to patients without a legitimate medical need and outside the bounds of acceptable medical practice.

Soyke also admitted that in several instances he engaged in sexual, physical contact with female patients who were attempting to get prescriptions. Specifically, Soyke asked some female customers to engage in a range of motion test, and while they were bending over, he would position himself behind them such that his genitalia would rub against the customers’ buttocks through their clothes. These patients often acceded to this sexual abuse for fear of not getting the medications to which they were addicted.  Although the female patients complained to Dr. Rosen and Dr. Hoffberg about Soyke’s behavior, the doctors did not fire Soyke because Soyke saw the largest number of patients at the practice and generated significant revenue for Rosen Hoffberg.

Howard Hoffberg, M.D., the Associate Medical Director and part-owner of Rosen-Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management, pleaded guilty on June 9, 2021, to accepting kick-backs from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing a drug marketed by the company for breakthrough pain in cancer patients for off-label purposes.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner commended the FBI, the DEA, and HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Daniel Blue, age 39, of Baltimore, today to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of two loaded firearms.  Blue knew that as a result of a previous federal drug conviction, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  A federal jury convicted Blue on May 17, 2021.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“There is no question that the excessive amount of violence in Baltimore stems in part from criminals, like Daniel Blue, carrying guns. Getting these offenders off the streets is an important component of our efforts to address the murders and shootings that steal lives and undermine our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “This Monument Street case is the kind of impactful investigation that federal, state and local partners can build through collaboration and a dedicated commitment to improving our communities.”

According to evidence presented at Blue’s trial, in July of 2018, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Strike Force Group 1 began an investigation of the Monument Street corridor in East Baltimore, which is known to be the site of a high volume of street-level drug distribution and acts of violence associated with the drug trafficking.  During the investigation, law enforcement identified multiple street-level drug trafficking “shops,” with the two most prominent located in the 400 block of North Montford Avenue at Jefferson Street (“the Montford DTO”) and in the 2400 block of East Monument Street at Port Street (the “Out the Mud,” or “OTM DTO”). 

Evidence was presented at trial that, during the investigation, Blue was identified as a wholesale distributor of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl and as a source of supply of the street-level drug distributors in the Monument Street area.  Witnesses testified that Blue was intercepted on calls with his co-conspirators discussing the distribution of drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl and heroin.

On January 8, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Blue’s residence and recovered: a .45-caliber LC/.410 gauge revolver with three .410 gauge shells under the basement stairs in a bag; a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with five rounds of ammunition hidden in a pillow on the living room couch; and $45,817 in cash from the ceiling of the basement.  During his trial testimony, Blue admitted that the money was the proceeds of drug sales.

Blue also testified during trial that the guns were not his, denied that he owned the house, and attempted to implicate his mother and sister, stating that they lived in the house with him.  The evidence in the case did not support those statements and the government contends that the statements were willfully false and intended to obstruct justice.  At today’s sentencing hearing Judge Hollander agreed with the government’s contentions and considered Blue’s false testimony when imposing his sentence.

The jury convicted Blue of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  The jury was not able to reach a verdict on the drug conspiracy count, nor on the count charging Blue with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Blue is currently scheduled to be re-tried on those charges.

Of the 25 defendants indicted in this case, 23—including Blue—have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial.  Blue and another defendant have trial dates in November 2021.

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks.  These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime.  The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and James T. Wallner, 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 – Two Nigerian nationals, Johnson B. Ogunlana, age 25, of Edgewood, Maryland, and Samson A. Oguntuyi, age 29, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to federal charges related to schemes to defraud financial institutions, retail establishments and other business victims, often using the stolen personal information of individual victims.  Specifically, Ogunlana pleaded guilty on August 23, 2021 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of mail by a postal employee.  Yesterday, Oguntuyi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The guilty pleas were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Imari R. Niles of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.

According to their plea agreements, Ogunlana was a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in Brooklyn, Maryland.  Ogunlana knew that his duties and responsibilities as a letter carrier included handling, sorting, collecting, and delivering letter and parcel mail to postal customers residing and conducting business on his assigned postal delivery routes, and preserving and protecting the security of all mail in his custody.

Ogunlana and Oguntuyi acknowledged that between July 25, 2016 and February 5, 2019, they conspired together and with others to steal bank checks and credit and debit cards from the mail, open fraudulent business banking accounts using the names of victim businesses and the stolen identities of victim postal customers to negotiate the stolen checks by depositing them into the fraudulent bank accounts, and then conduct transactions with stolen payment cards and with money derived from the stolen checks.

For example, Ogunlana intercepted and stole mail pieces containing credit cards addressed to individual victims and sent photos of the stolen mail pieces and credit cards through a messaging application to Oguntuyi and other conspirators.  Oguntuyi then used the victims’ personal identifying information (“PII”) to activate the stolen credit cards and to obtain new credit cards the victims never requested or applied for.  Once the stolen credit cards were activated, members of the conspiracy used the credit cards to make retail purchases. 

As detailed in their plea agreements, members of the conspiracy registered fraudulent businesses with state government agencies using the names of victim businesses and the names and identifying information of postal customer identity theft victims as the agents and/or incorporators of the businesses.  Ogunlana and others used stolen payment cards issued to identity theft victims to pay fees to register some of the fraudulent businesses.  Ogunlana also stole checks payable to victim businesses, whose mail was serviced out of the USPS facility where Ogunlana worked, by intercepting their mail.  Oguntuyi and Ogunlana then endorsed some of the checks by forging the signatures of identity theft victims and deposited the checks into the fraudulent business bank accounts the conspirators opened in the names of the victim businesses.  The conspirators then withdrew the money from the accounts through cash withdrawals, debit card purchases and cash back transactions at retail merchants, wire transfers, and by writing checks drawn on the accounts.

As detailed in their plea agreements, at least $565,000 was stolen from two victim businesses and at least eight postal customers were victims of identity theft.

Ogunlana and Oguntuyi each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud. Oguntuyi also faces a maximum of 30 years for bank fraud.  Ogunlana faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for access device fraud and a maximum of five years in federal prison for theft of mail by a postal employee.  Both defendants face a mandatory sentence of two years, 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.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not yet scheduled sentencing for the defendants.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation and thanked the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, 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. 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 – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Stephen L. Franklin, age 53, of Salisbury, Maryland, and Duane G. Larmore, age 46, of Salisbury, Maryland, for federal conspiracy, wire fraud, and identity theft charges in connection with the theft of at least $900,000 from Shore Appliance, where Larmore worked.  The indictment was returned late on August 24, 2021.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to the 10-count indictment, from mid-September 2016 through about March 2020, Franklin and Larmore conspired to steal at least $900,000 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.  Franklin was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Accurate Optical, headquartered in Salisbury, which had locations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, as well as being the CEO and part owner of East Coast Optometric, with locations in South Carolina. 

Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants stole in excess of $900,000 from Shore Appliance to use for their own purposes, including to make investments and to pay business expenses for Accurate Optical and East Coast Optometric, without the knowledge and consent of the owners of Shore Appliance.  The indictment alleges that Franklin and 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 include wire transfers from Shore Appliance’s account to East Coast Optometric and from there to banks in the U.K. and Hong Kong.  The indictment alleges that no investment paid any return to the co-schemers.

To conceal how much money had been removed from Shore Appliance and to obtain cash, the defendants allegedly 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 indictment, 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, the defendants allegedly used Larmore’s 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 their use of Shore Appliance’s funds.

To obtain contracts with factoring companies for Shore Appliance, Larmore allegedly 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 indictment alleges that: the signatures of the owners were forged and Franklin witnessed or notarized the fraudulent signatures; and that Larmore and a female employee of Franklin’s posed as the owners in telephone conversations with representatives of the factoring companies.  Finally, the indictment alleges that when Franklin’s companies had financial problems, at Franklin’s request Larmore provided funds from Shore Appliance for Franklin's companies. 

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for a wire fraud conspiracy and for each of seven counts of wire fraud; and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of two counts of 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.  The defendants are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, although no date has yet been scheduled.

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. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner 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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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Chonnathason Has, a/k/a Bora Has, age 54, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud a Maryland company of more than $2 million.  Chief Judge Bredar also ordered Has to pay restitution in the amount of $2,478,069.16. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, Has and co-defendants Mean Peach, Eam Peng Chou, and Thi Ho, conspired with Kevin Miller, who was employed as the Director of Planning, Logistics, and Control at Company A, located in Linthicum, Maryland, and was engaged in the business of manufacturing personal products, such as hair care, hair dye and lotions.  Miller was responsible for determining the timing and volume requirements for materials used in the manufacturing operations at Company A, and had the authority to approve payments of invoices submitted by vendors and service providers without obtaining approval from anyone else at Company A.

As detailed in their plea agreements, from about September 2015, through March 2019, Has, Peach, Chou, Ho, and Miller engaged in a scheme to defraud Company A of at least $2.4 million.  Specifically, in approximately September 2015, Company A assigned Miller the task of arranging for vendors to dispose of various waste products that were stored at the Company’s two warehouse locations in Maryland.  Has, Peach, Chou, and other conspirators created and used shell companies in various names, with business addresses that were mail boxes at commercial mail facilities, to submit fraudulent invoices to Company A for waste disposal and other work that was never performed by those entities.  Miller approved the fraudulent invoices and submitted them to Company A’s accounting department for payment.  Company A then issued checks which the conspirators would transmit and cause to be transmitted from Maryland to Pennsylvania.  Has, Peach, and Chou, would cash the checks at facilities in Philadelphia and the proceeds would be divided up among the conspirators.   

As a result of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud, the defendants caused Company A to issue approximately $2.4 million in checks for goods and services that it never received.

Thi Ho, age 51, of Bear, Delaware, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $2,478,069.16. Mean Peach, age 65 and Eam Peng Chou, age 56, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were sentenced to two years in federal prison and a year and a day in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy and for interstate transportation of stolen property and were each ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,645,494.  Kevin Miller, age 48, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22, 2021.       

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, 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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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander yesterday sentenced Frank Davis, age 52, of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Davis pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. 

The guilty plea and sentence were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones 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 plea agreement, on March 12, 2020 a Baltimore Police officer on patrol near the intersection of West North Avenue and McCullough Street in Baltimore saw Davis reach his hands inside his sweatshirt and attempt to adjust something multiple times.  The officer believed that what Davis was adjusting was a firearm and contacted the City Watch Unit to see if the individual monitoring the City Watch camera in that area agreed with the officer’s assessment.  The camera operator confirmed that she did agree and the officer approached Davis to investigate further.  Davis ran away, but was quickly apprehended and the gun, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, was recovered from Davis’ waistband area.  Davis agreed that he knew or had reasonable cause to believe the firearm was stolen at the time he possessed it.

As detailed in his plea agreement, at the time of his arrest Davis had at least two previous felony convictions for either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay DeFrancesco and Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett, 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 – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Daniel Taylor, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland to 80 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a stolen firearm. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones 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 plea agreement, on September 9, 2019, as BPD detectives patrolled the 600 block of Cumberland Street, detectives observed Taylor with a heavy object on the right side of his pants that caused the pants to bulge. When Taylor noticed detectives, he immediately let go of the object and made an unusual maneuver.

As a detective exited the patrol car to approach Taylor, Taylor fled on foot until he was apprehended at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Baker Street. During the chase, a pursing detective observed Taylor throw a firearm onto a nearby rooftop. After contacting BPD’S Aviation Unit, Foxtrot, for support, law enforcement recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with sixteen rounds of ammunition.

After voluntarily waving his Miranda rights, Taylor admitted to possessing the firearm for protection and that he was not the lawful owner of the firearm. Taylor also agreed that he knew, or had reason to know, that the firearm was stolen at the time of his possession.

Taylor agreed that he committed the offense after sustaining at least two felony convictions for either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense and his civil rights had not been restored.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay DeFrancesco, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Matthew Curtis, age 24, of Hampstead, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of possession of child pornography.  In September 2017, Curtis was convicted of possession of child pornography in the Circuit Court of Carroll County, Maryland and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and three years’ probation.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees, and Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins.

According to Curtis’ guilty plea, from November 2019 through May 28, 2020, while on state probation for his conviction for possession of child pornography, Curtis downloaded, possessed and distributed child pornography.  Specifically, Curtis used an internet-based messaging application to repeatedly share and distribute depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The investigation revealed that within messaging chatrooms, Curtis frequently posed as the mother of an infant or toddler and discussed the sexual abuse of his purported children.  Curtis also distributed images documenting the sexual abuse of what he claimed were his children.  In some instances, Curtis and other online users frequently discussed their sexual abuse of children and their desire to abuse Curtis’s purported children.

As stated in the plea agreement, on March 5, 2020, a cloud-based storage provider sent a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reporting that a user had uploaded 22 files of suspected child pornography.  The IP address used to login to the cloud-based application was assigned to Curtis’s Hampstead residence and the email address was an address used by Curtis.

On May 28, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Curtis’s residence and seized electronic devices, including two cell phones. A forensic review of Curtis’s cell phones revealed a total of 429 images and 129 videos of child pornography.  Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors and sado-masochistic conduct.

As stated in his plea agreement, upon his release from prison, Curtis 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). 

Curtis and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the guilty plea, Curtis will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for October 22, 2021.

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.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, 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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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Adam Martin, a/k/a “Fats”, age 38, of Baltimore, to 150 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least September 2018 to June 2019, Martin participated in a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) operating near Edmonson Village in Baltimore, Maryland. The DTO sold cocaine and other narcotics on a daily basis in street-level quantities. During this period of time, the FBI and other law enforcement investigators intercepted phone communications of DTO members, conducted physical and electronic surveillance, purchased narcotics from DTO members, and executed multiple search warrants at locations used by the DTO to store and process narcotics.

From November 2018 to February 2019, FBI investigators intercepted phone calls from Martin and his co-conspirators where they discussed the distribution of narcotics at a DTO controlled drug shop. Surveillance conducted by FBI investigators also revealed that Martin controlled the cocaine base supply and other narcotics to the DTO’s street-level distributors.

As stated in his plea agreement, on April 10, 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at a West Franklin Street residence where Martin stored narcotics. During the search of the residence, agents recovered four firearms, multiple vials of cocaine base packaged for sale, and other narcotics. On the same day, agents searched a Walbrook Avenue residence where Martin stored cocaine base. As a result of the second search and seizure, law enforcement recovered a loaded firearm and over 200 grams of cocaine base.

Martin agrees that he possessed the narcotics with the intent to distribute and that he possessed the firearms in relation to the drug conspiracy. Martin also agrees that over the course of the conspiracy, he distributed over 280 grams of cocaine base.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Kevin Purnell Johnson, age 36, of Elkton, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Johnson pleaded guilty to the federal charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.     

The guilty plea and sentence were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Superintendent Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams.

According to his guilty plea, the Maryland State Police, Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security identified Troy Neal, Mark Williams, and Johnson as cocaine suppliers after an extended investigation dating back to 2019.  The conspiracy members distributed crack cocaine to multiple customers in Elkton, Maryland.

During the investigation, the Cecil County Circuit Court issued an order to authorize the interception of wire and electronic communications of Johnson and his co-conspirators.  Intercepted text and telephone communications revealed Johnson as a member of the drug distribution conspiracy.

Law enforcement captured at least eight instances in which Johnson and his co-conspirators conversed in coded conversations about drug activity. For example, on May 5, 2020, Johnson discussed the purchase of a half-kilogram of cocaine for $17,000 to $17,500. Within the conversation, Johnson told the individual that he wanted it “soft”, which investigators knew to be powder cocaine.

On May 18, 2020, police surveilled Johnson meet with an individual in the parking lot of a local hotel. Patrol officers conducted a traffic stop on the customer’s car shortly after the transaction and recovered 29.3 grams of crack cocaine and $1,500 in cash.

As stated in his plea agreement, on June 13, 2020 law enforcement covertly observed Neal, Williams, and Johnson depart from Neal’s residence and travel to the Bronx in New York, where investigators believe that Neal, Williams, and Johnson obtained cocaine.  The next day, on June 14, 2020, law enforcement observed the three men travel back to Neal’s residence.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Neal’s residence and recovered 497 grams of compressed suspected cocaine, several bags of suspected marijuana, a digital scale, and several cell phones.

Other evidence corroborates Johnson’s involvement in drug trafficking. According to the IRS, Johnson did not file tax returns in 2017, 2018, or 2019 and had no taxable income.

Co-conspirators Mark Williams and Troy Lee Neal pled guilty to the same charges and are scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2021 at 11 a.m. and October 26, 2021 at 11 a.m.; respectively.  

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Kim Y. Oldham, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Daniel Provencal, age 48, of Denton, Maryland, to 138 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Provencal also admitted guilt to violating his supervised release conditions established in relation to his previous child pornography conviction. Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Provencal 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 Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Joseph A. Riley of the Caroline County State’s Attorney’s Office.

According to his guilty plea, from January 2020 to October 2020, Provencal possessed and repeatedly distributed child pornography on an internet-based messaging application. Provencal used multiple devices to download and distribute images of prepubescent minors, including images that depicted sadomasochistic conduct. 

In January 2020, the internet-based messaging application sent two CyberTips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding two messaging accounts, paperfly6 and hyproglo13. Between the two accounts, more than 10 videos of child pornography were detected, including a video of a prepubescent girl approximately six to nine years old engaging in sexual acts with an adult male. The IP addresses associated with both reported accounts were assigned to Provencal’s Denton, Maryland residence.

As stated in his plea agreement, on October 15, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Provencal’s residence and seized several electronic devices including two cell phones, an SD card adaptor, six SD cards, a laptop, a computer, and two tablets.

During the search warrant, officers also recovered a piece of paper with 26 account usernames and passwords. The paperfly6 and hyproglo13 accounts were included on the list of accounts.

A forensic review of Provencal’s devices revealed that each device contained child pornography totaling in 5,000 videos of child abuse material. Investigators also discovered videos involving the abuse of an infant.  In addition, the review revealed that Provencal repeatedly distributed child pornography abuse material to other users on the messaging application. Provencal also engaged in explicit chats in which he discussed his sexual attraction to minors.          

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.         

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, Maryland State Police, and the Caroline County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley 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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