District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Oluwatoyin Aborisade, a/k/a “Thoyinstar”, a/k/a “Toyin”, age 43, of Owings Mills, Maryland, for the federal charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft. 

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; Special Agent in Charge Edwin Guard of the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); and Baltimore District Director Gregory L. Collett of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services-Fraud Detection and National Security (USCIS-FDNS).

According to the 23-count indictment, from approximately December 2017 to October 2020, Aborisade conspired with others to commit visa fraud by presenting false statements and fraudulent immigration documents to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Aborisade established Phenmick Legal Center LLC and Phenmick Life Support Inc. with the purpose of providing services assisting aliens in immigration-related matters by submitting fraudulent documentation to the USCIS for a fee. Aborisade allegedly gave false, inaccurate, and incomplete legal and immigration advice to alien-clients in order to induce them to retain his services.

The indictment alleges that Aborisade provided monetary compensation to a co-conspirator to facilitate the fraudulent marriage between a U.S citizen and an alien-client of Phenmick Legal Center LLC. Allegedly, Aborisade later assisted in the fraudulent green card application for the alien-client.

The indictment also alleges that Aborisade and a co-conspirator, an employee of Phenmick Legal Center LLC, exchanged emails coordinating the fraudulent editing and falsifying of documents to be submitted in immigration filings to the USCIS, including psychological evaluations.

Allegedly, in an effort to commit visa fraud, Aborisade also provided co-conspirators with sample lease agreements to falsify immigration documentation and evidence that alien-clients had resided with their spouses, when in fact, they had not. As alleged by the indictment, Aborisade submitted at least 12 fraudulent documents to the USCIS.

Lastly, the indictment alleges that Aborisade committed aggravated identity theft by using the identification of real people on fraudulent visas, permits, and other documents without the victims’ permission. Aborisade allegedly used the names, passports, social security numbers, IRS Forms 1040, and a physician’s medical license number in filings with USCIS without their permission.

If convicted, Aborisade faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit visa fraud, a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for via fraud, and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentenced imposed, for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, DSS, and the USCIS-FDNS for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Setzer 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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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four men with federal charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine sent through the U.S. mail to a mail carrier who allegedly accepted bribes to re-route the packages to drug conspirators.  Charged in the indictment are:

Robert DuBois Miller III, age 30, of Bowie, Maryland; Isaiah David Hamilton, age 24, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Raynard Jordan Johnson, age 24, of Upper Marlboro; and
Walter Ellis Minor III, age 30, of Lanham, Maryland.

The indictment was returned on June 23, 2021, and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants. 

The indictment 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; Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the eight-count indictment, between August 2019 and February 2020, Miller, Hamilton, and Johnson were part of a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  The indictment alleges that between October 2019 and January 2020, Miller mailed packages containing methamphetamine from post offices in Los Angeles, California, to addresses in Bowie and Lanham, Maryland, that were on the routes assigned to Minor, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Miller addressed the packages in the names of various individuals to addresses on postal routes assigned to Minor.  Once the packages were mailed, Miller allegedly provided Minor the number of packages containing methamphetamine and the tracking numbers, so Minor would know how many packages he should expect to re-route.  When the packages arrived in Maryland, Minor allegedly contacted Miller with a location where Miller or his associates could pick up the packages.  These locations were not the addresses listed on the packages.  As detailed in the indictment, if Minor was not able to obtain the package for delivery he would inform Miller, who would then dispatch an associate to wait at the location where the package was set to be delivered, in order to steal the package.

The indictment alleges that Miller paid Minor in exchange for Minor redirecting packages from the address listed on the package to members of the conspiracy.  The indictment alleges that on March 9, 2019, October 30, 2019 and November 27, 2019, Miller provided payment to Minor in exchange for Minor diverting packages containing methamphetamine to Miller or other conspirators.  For example, the indictment alleges that on October 29, 2019 and November 25, 2019, Miller sent a package containing methamphetamine to an address in Maryland on Minor’s postal route and Minor subsequently redirected the packages from the address listed on each package to a member of the conspiracy.  Miller allegedly then paid Minor $240 and $300, respectively.

If convicted, Miller, Hamilton and Johnson each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for their roles in the conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Miller and Minor each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud.  Miller also faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for each of three counts charging him with giving bribes to a public official and Minor faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for each of three counts of acceptance of bribes by a public official.  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 will all have an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

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

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

This case is 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 commended the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the ATF, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Erin B. Pulice, 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 – A federal jury today convicted Davante Harrison, a/k/a “YGG Tay,” age 26, of Baltimore for federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The guilty verdict was returned at the end of a five-day federal trial.

The conviction 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; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

According to the evidence presented at his five-day trial, in October and November 2019, Harrison was part of a drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Baltimore and Baltimore County.  Law enforcement officers investigating the conspiracy surveilled Harrison, who is believed to be the leader of the group “Young Go Getters,” and observed him traveling from Baltimore to locations in Rosedale and Golden Ring Park in Baltimore County, where he made short stops to conduct narcotics transactions.  Afterward, Harrison traveled to a casino in Delaware with the drug proceeds.

“With this conviction, our federal, state and local law enforcement team here in Maryland held accountable an armed narcotics dealer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “There is no question that in general the drug trade fuels overdoses and gun violence, and as we saw in this trial, drug dealers often possess deadly narcotics and firearms.  We would like to thank the FBI and the Baltimore and Anne Arundel County police departments for their partnership and terrific investigative work on this case.  At the end of the day, we are focused on making the community safer for Maryland residents, and this conviction is another step in that direction.”

According to testimony and court documents, on November 25, 2019, FBI investigators executed search warrants at locations associated with the conspiracy, including a search of Harrison.  From Harrison, investigators recovered $9,277 in cash and a .40 caliber handgun loaded with an extended magazine containing 17 rounds, including one in the chamber.  The $9,277 were proceeds of Harrison’s drug trafficking activity.  At a stash location associated with the conspiracy, law enforcement recovered a 9mm pistol, loaded with 16 rounds, including one in the chamber; a .25 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds; a container with 386 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin; several clear plastic bags containing a total of 40 grams of cocaine; a clear plastic bag containing 50 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; a clear plastic bag containing 27 grams of crack cocaine; a plastic bag containing 71 grams of a fentanyl mixture; and drug paraphernalia.

As a result of a previous felony conviction, Harrison knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Harrison faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in federal prison for the drug conspiracy; a maximum of 20 in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; and a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, and a maximum of life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.   U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm will schedule the sentencing at a later date.

Co-defendant Christopher Jerry, age 30, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

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 Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Charles Austin, 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 – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Adolph J. Scott, a/k/a “A”, a/k/a “AJ”, a/k/a “Ghost”, a/k/a “Jay”, age 36, of Spring Lake, North Carolina, for the federal charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; interstate transportation of an individual to engage in prostitution; and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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 Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department.

According to the three-count indictment, from at least January 2020 to February 2021, in the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of North Carolina, and elsewhere, Scott recruited, enticed, transported, advertised, and solicited Victim 1 to conduct sexual acts for his financial benefit.

Specifically, the indictment alleges from January 23, 2021 to January 24, 2021 that Scott transported Victim 1 from Maryland to North Carlina with the intent that Victim 1 would engage in prostitution and sexual activity.

The indictment further alleges that Scott also possessed controlled substances with intent to distribute including: a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, and a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

If convicted, Scott faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for sex trafficking. 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. Scott is currently detained on related state charges.

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 was investigated by law enforcement agencies that are members of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders.  Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members.  For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

Report suspected instances of human trafficking and sex trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form.  Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Setzer 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 – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Mean Peach, age 65 and Eam Peng Chou, age 56, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to two years in federal prison and a year and a day in federal prison, respectively, each followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and for interstate transportation of stolen property, in connection with a scheme to defraud a Maryland company of more than $2 million.  Chief Judge Bredar also ordered Peach and Chou to each pay restitution in the amount of $1,645,494.  The sentences were imposed yesterday.

The sentences were 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 their plea agreements and other court documents, Peach, Chou, and co-defendants Chonnathason Has 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, Peach, Chou, Has, 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.  Peach, Has, 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.  Peach, Chou, and Has 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. Chonnathason Has, a/k/a Bora Has, age 54, of Philadelphia and Kevin Miller, age 48, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and are scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2021 and October 22, 2021, respectively.       

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 George L. Russell III, sentenced Asomah Maamah, age 49, of Columbia, Maryland to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after Maamah pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit interstate foreign transport of motor vehicles and knowingly transporting stolen vehicles. Judge Russell III has also ordered Maamah to pay restitution in the amount of $195,281.20.

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; Baltimore Port Director Adam Rottman of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Colonel Kevin M. Anderson, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; and Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, Maamah participated in the theft and exportation of at least 17 vehicles worth approximately $863,653. The members of the conspiracy fraudulently stole the vehicles directly from victims and rental facilities. After the arrangement for sale, vehicles were loaded into shipping containers that would then be exported to foreign destinations, most commonly, Africa. As part of the scheme to defraud, Maamah facilitated the creation of fraudulent paperwork to present to customs officials which misrepresented the true contents of the shipping containers. For example, in late 2018, Maamah was observed at the scene of a vehicle loading where a known stolen car was located. Maamah’s paperwork for the shipment falsely listed “Tutu Seth” as the exporter and listed the vehicle as a Cadillac when, in reality, the vehicle was a Range Rover.  

On January 15, 2019, Maamah was approached by Howard County Police and agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Team (BEST) after he arrived at a surveilled location. In an interview with law enforcement, Maamah denied any knowledge or involvement in the exportation of stolen vehicles. He also claimed that company registered in his name had been used to ship vehicles without his permission and that he had not been involved with vehicle shipping for years.

As stated in his plea agreement, a review of Maamah’s personal email account revealed that Maamah arranged the shipment of stolen vehicles under the pseudonym “Tutu Seth” and often used his email to facilitate the creation of fraudulent paperwork.

A review of Maamah’s three cell phones revealed numerous photographs of stolen vehicles, including several stolen vehicles that were seized inside shipping containers. The phones also included messages relating to a recently interdicted container that contained two falsely declared stolen vehicles. Investigators also discovered a second email address that was used to communicate with a shipping company concerning the exportation of cars.

Maamah was arrested pursuant to a federal criminal complaint on March 4, 2020. At the time of his arrest, Maamah was found inside a car that had been fraudulently rented and was over-due. Although Maamah initially denied any criminal conduct or knowledge of stolen vehicles, he ultimately admitted to law enforcement that an associate informed him the vehicles previously shipped to Africa were stolen and that he knew the titles of the vehicles within the shipping containers did not match the paperwork given to the truck driver or the shipping company.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok. who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging an officer for the Fairmount Heights Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, and three officers from the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) with federal charges for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and/or mail fraud.  The indictment was returned on July 28, 2021, and unsealed today.  The following defendants are charged in the federal indictment.

            Conrad Darwin D’Haiti, age 52, of La Plata, Maryland, of the Maryland-National Capital Park
                 Police;             Philip James Dupree, age 37, of Pikesville, Maryland, of the Fairmount Heights Police Department;             Mark Ross Johnson, Jr., age 33, of Camp Springs, Maryland, of the PGPD;             Michael Anthony Owen, Jr., age 33, of Accokeek, Maryland, of the PGPD;             Jaron Earl Taylor, age 27, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, of the Anne Arundel County Police 
                 Department; and
            Candace Danielle Tyler, age 34, of District Heights, Maryland, of the PGPD.

Dupree, Johnson, Taylor, and Tyler are expected to have an initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.  D’Haiti is expected to turn himself in at a later date and Owen is detained on an unrelated State charge.  Both will have initial appearances in U.S. District Court at a later date.

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 Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the three-count indictment, the defendants conspired to commit three separate frauds, each of which involved filing false police reports and falsified loss claims in order to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions and insurance companies.  The defendants were all police officers at the time of the alleged criminal activity.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that from May 2019 until June 2019, Dupree, Johnson, and Tyler conspired to defraud three financial institutions by coordinating the withdrawal of money from their financial accounts through ATMs for the purpose of fraudulently claiming the money was stolen and seeking reimbursement from a financial institution.  In order to execute the fraud scheme, Dupree, Johnson, and Tyler allegedly coordinated the submission of police reports to PGPD, falsely stating that their debit cards were stolen and used to withdraw fund from the ATM without their permission.  The indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy, including the defendants, then submitted fraudulent claims to the victim financial institutions seeking reimbursement for the purportedly unauthorized ATM withdrawals.

Further, the indictment alleges that in January 2020, D’Haiti and Owen coordinated the relocation and vandalism of D’Haiti’s vehicle in order to file a fraudulent insurance claim.  Members of the conspiracy, including D’Haiti and Owen, allegedly coordinated the submission of a PGPD police report that falsely stated that D’Haiti’s vehicle was stolen.  D’Haiti then allegedly submitted an insurance claim and documents to the victim insurance company by mail and wire, seeking reimbursement for the vehicle that was reported as stolen.

Finally, the indictment alleges that in January 2020, Owen and Taylor coordinated the relocation of a vehicle in a garage to hide the vehicle for the purpose of filing a fraudulent insurance claim.  Specifically, the indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy, including Owen and Taylor, moved the vehicle to a garage and conspirators, including Owen, then submitted a false PGPD police report stating that the vehicle was stolen.  A co-conspirator then submitted an insurance claim seeking reimbursement for the vehicle that was reported stolen.

If convicted, Dupree, Johnson and Tyler each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud; D’Haiti and Owen each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and Owen and Taylor each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge 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 the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwight J. Draughon and Adam K. Ake, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Philip Mungin, age 58, formerly of Bryans Road, Maryland and currently residing in Mira Loma, California, to three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for forgery of a military discharge certificate and for identity theft, in connection with a scheme in which Mungin provided fraudulent DD-214 discharge certificates to individuals for fraudulent military waiver applications for commercial driver’s licenses in exchange for payment. Judge Xinis also ordered Mungin to forfeit $13,000, and to pay a money judgment of $2,000. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jamie Mazzone, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; 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 his guilty plea, between 1997 and 1999, Mungin was enlisted in the Army.  Upon Mungin’s discharge in 1999, Victim 1 was the “Senior Transition Specialist” who helped process Mungin’s discharge and signed Mungin’s military discharge certificate, known as the DD-214. 

Federal law mandates that drivers of commercial vehicles, such as tractor-trailers and semi-trucks, obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL).  Among other requirements, CDL applicants must pass both a written test and a driving skills test.  Third-parties, such as driving schools, are authorized to train prospective CDL holders and administer the necessary tests, however, this training generally takes weeks to complete and may cost students between $3,000 and $7,000.  The Department of Transportation implemented a program in 2011, aimed at helping U.S. military veterans to get jobs by allowing states to waive the driving skills test for U.S. military veterans who could provide proof that they had been trained to operate the relevant vehicles in the military.  To demonstrate their eligibility, veterans had to submit their DD-214 and complete an application, signed by the applicant’s commanding officer to certify that they had the relevant driving experience.

As detailed in the plea agreement, in December 2018, employees at the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) office in Waldorf, Maryland, became suspicious of waiver documents submitted by an applicant and confronted the applicant.  The applicant, who had never been in the military, identified Mungin as the person who offered to help him get a CDL by submitting falsified military paperwork.  MVA investigators subsequently learned that 44 individuals had submitted fraudulent waiver applications.  Many of the drivers who obtained CDLs based on fraudulent military paperwork identified Mungin as the person who helped them.  Thirty-four of the fraudulent applications had Victim 1’s name and title at the bottom of the form, many of which included a forged or photocopied version of Victim 1’s signature.  The certifying commanding officer on nearly all of the fraudulent waiver forms was the same, a purported colonel.  Department of Defense records showed that no person by that name had ever served in the U.S. military.

Specifically, Mungin admitted in his plea agreement that he falsified DD-214s and military waiver forms for drivers wanting to obtain CDLs, in exchange for the drivers paying Mungin—reportedly between $500 to $2,000 each.  Mungin often accompanied applicants with fraudulent paperwork to obtain their licenses, typically wearing a military uniform while doing so.  At times, Mungin told the employees he was a member of the military police accompanying members who were about to be discharged to obtain their CDLs.  At least one fraudulent CDL was issued in Virginia using the same forged DD-214 that Mungin had used with the Maryland drivers.  In that application, Mungin listed himself as the commanding officer on the waiver form.

Mungin acknowledged that he received between $15,000 and $40,000 to create false military paperwork, including DD-214s, to assist drivers in fraudulently obtaining CDLs.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DOT OIG, DCIS, and the MDOT MVA for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin R. Cottingham, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Dwayne Purdie Jr., age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland to 57 months in federal 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 Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to his plea agreement, on November 14, 2019, Baltimore Police Department officers saw a male suspect and Purdie conduct a suspected drug transaction in a Baltimore alley way. After Purdie began to leave the alley, he noticed the police officers, and quickly returned to the alley.

Believing that they had just interrupted a drug transaction, the BPD officers drove into the alley to investigate. Purdie then fled on his bicycle and threw a clear bag that appeared to contain small objects consistent with street-level packaged drugs.

Eventually, Purdie abandoned his bicycle and fled on foot, and hid behind a truck. When a BPD officer located Purdie, he was in the motion of reaching for his right leg. Upon his apprehension, a BPD officer found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic firearm, a total of 13 rounds of ammunition, and two vials of cocaine under Purdie’s right pant leg.

After canvasing the area where Purdie threw the bag while riding his bicycle, an officer found a clear bag containing a total of 51 vials and gel caps of cocaine and 31 of the gel caps also contained a fentanyl mixture. The two vials recovered from Purdie also contained cocaine. The amount and packaging of the drugs suggest that they were intended for distribution rather than personal use.

Prior to possessing the firearm, Purdie had a felony conviction and as a result, knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Anthony Dwayne White, age 29, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.    

The guilty plea 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 Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department (D.C. MPD); and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

According to his guilty plea, on June 20, 2014, White was convicted of attempted distribution of cocaine in the District of Columbia Superior Court and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, with all but 6 months suspended. Upon his conviction, White became ineligible to possess a firearm.

Since his 2014 conviction, White has illegally possessed firearms on at least two separate instances.

For example, on September 24, 2020 law enforcement officers conducted a search of White’s District Heights, Maryland residence, pursuant to a lawfully issued search warrant, and recovered one .40 caliber handgun with one round of ammunition, a magazine containing fourteen rounds of ammunition, two digital scales, one glass measuring cup with heroin residue, three boxes of buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual film, and other identifying information in White’s name. After White was advised of his rights, White admitted that the handgun was in his possession.

On January 30, 2021, in Washington D.C., a Metropolitan Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. White was identified as the driver of the vehicle and was asked to step outside the vehicle. After processing White’s license and registration, the officer discovered that White had an active arrest warrant related to the September 24, 2020 offense. When the officer asked White to put his hands behind his back, White attempted to flee on foot.

In the process of capturing White, the officers and White fell to the ground. During the conflict, an officer observed a handgun in White’s jacket pocket. The handgun was identified as a .45 caliber pistol loaded with thirteen rounds of ammunition.

White faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count followed by up to three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI, D.C. MPD, and the PGPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Woods, and Brian W. Lynch, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four men for a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.  The indictment was returned on August 11, 2021.  The defendants were arrested on a related criminal complaint on August 10, 2021.  Charged in the indictment are:

Pedro Luis Ramos-Diaz, a/k/a “Rafael Antoni Regalado-Jiminez” and “Angel Diaz,” age 38, of
   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Nelson Antonio Serrano-Munoz, a/k/a “Victor Santiago,” age 36, of Landover, Maryland; Erick Vonsander, a/k/a “Erick Vonsander-Jimenez,” “Julio Alcantara,” and “Eddie Vonsander,”    age 54, of Chillum, Maryland; and
William Calderon, age 43, of York, Pennsylvania.

The indictment 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; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Colonel Robert Evanchick, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police; Commissioner Danielle Outlaw of the Philadelphia Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Muldrow of the City of York, Pennsylvania Police Department.

According to the indictment and related court documents, law enforcement obtained information that between December 2020 and about August 10, 2021, Vonsander was allegedly supplying cocaine to a confidential source for approximately $1,400 per ounce.  As detailed in the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, further investigation revealed that Ramos-Diaz, Serrano-Munoz, and Calderon were also part of the conspiracy.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Vonsander, Serrano-Munoz, and Calderon each had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on the criminal complaint.  Vonsander was detained; Serrano-Munoz was detained pending a detention hearing on August 13, 2021, and Calderon was released under the supervision of U.S. Pre-Trial Services.  Ramos-Diaz is expected to have his initial appearance on August 13, 2021.

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 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 commended the DEA, the Montgomery County Department of Police, the Prince George's County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the City of York Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – David Annor, age 28, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering, in connection with a romance scheme in which conspiracy members induced elderly and isolated victims to send money to co-conspirators based on romantic assertions and other misrepresentations. Annor and his co-conspirators received and laundered the payments from the victims. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Bornstein of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office (FBI); Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division (USPIS); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office (USSS).

According to his guilty plea, between May 2017 and October 2020, Annor participated in a romance scheme in which his brother, Lesley Annor, and a co-conspirator targeted elderly victims online, typically through social media, dating websites, e-mail, and online applications.  Once the conspiracy members convinced the victims to trust them, the conspiracy members would instruct the victims to send money to bank accounts and physical addresses linked to Annor and conspiracy members. Conspirators often received 10 percent of the victim’s money and sent the remainder of the money to co-conspirators located in Ghana.

For example, in September 2018, Victim 2, a woman born in 1957, met an individual claiming to be Brett Fernley on a social media platform. Fernley told Victim 2 that he was an underwater welder from Canada, who resided in Florida and worked near Ireland. After engaging in what Victim 2 thought to be romantic conversations, and gaining Victim 2’s trust, Fernley began asking Victim 2 for money.

In December 2018, Fernley instructed Victim 2 on how to send money to a bank account in the name of Ravid Enterprise, a business bank account opened and controlled by Annor. Bank records show that Victim 2 wired over $44,800 to the Ravid Enterprise bank account.

Over the course of the scheme, Annor and his co-conspirators laundered over $6,200,000 through approximately 34 bank accounts at 11 different financial institutions. At least $3,909,396 in victim payments were made into personal and business bank accounts controlled by Annor.

Annor has been in custody since his arrest on November 16, 2020.

Annor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for money laundering. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2021 at 2 p.m.

The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, USPIS, and the USSS for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and Thomas P. Windom and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica C. Harvey from the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Ian Carlton Alexander a/k/a “Shawn Alexander”, age 49, of Towson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division.

According to his guilty plea, on October 3, 2019, Alexander travelled from his Towson, Maryland residence to New York to acquire 1,990 grams of cocaine that Alexander intended to distribute to a potential narcotics customer in Maryland. The following day, as Alexander was returning from New York to Maryland, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Alexander in Maryland.  On October 4, 2019, law enforcement recovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine in the passenger compartment of Alexander’s car and a 9mm handgun in the vehicle’s center console. Law enforcement also recovered approximately $3,357 in U.S. currency from Alexander’s person at the time of the arrest.

As detailed in his plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Alexander’s Towson, Maryland residence. As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement seized 28 grams of heroin, an assault rifle, and two AR-15 box magazines loaded with armor piercing ammunition. Alexander agreed that the $3,357 seized from his persons were proceeds of cocaine distribution and that he possessed the 9mm handgun in furtherance his cocaine trafficking activities.

Prior to October 3, 2019, Alexander had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and his civil rights had not been restored.

Alexander and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Alexander will be sentenced to between 61 months and 78 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for November 16, 2021 at 1 p.m. 

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 for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Pulice, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

 Greenbelt, Maryland – Ian Carlton Alexander a/k/a “Shawn Alexander”, age 49, of Towson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division.

According to his guilty plea, on October 3, 2019, Alexander travelled from his Towson, Maryland residence to New York to acquire 1,990 grams of cocaine that Alexander intended to distribute to a potential narcotics customer in Maryland. The following day, as Alexander was returning from New York to Maryland, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Alexander in Maryland.  On October 4, 2019, law enforcement recovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine in the passenger compartment of Alexander’s car and a 9mm handgun in the vehicle’s center console. Law enforcement also recovered approximately $3,357 in U.S. currency from Alexander’s person at the time of the arrest.

As detailed in his plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Alexander’s Towson, Maryland residence. As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement seized 28 grams of heroin, an assault rifle, and two AR-15 box magazines loaded with armor piercing ammunition. Alexander agreed that the $3,357 seized from his persons were proceeds of cocaine distribution and that he possessed the 9mm handgun in furtherance his cocaine trafficking activities.

Prior to October 3, 2019, Alexander had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and his civil rights had not been restored.

Alexander and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Alexander will be sentenced to between 61 months and 78 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for November 16, 2021 at 1 p.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Pulice, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A 16-month investigation by the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force into drug dealing in Baltimore has led to eleven alleged wholesale drug suppliers being charged in a federal indictment for conspiracy, drug distribution, and firearms charges.  The indictment was returned under seal on July 29, 2021 and was unsealed upon the arrests of the defendants.  Charged in the indictment are:

            Rigby Dukes, a/k/a “Panama,” age 54, of Baltimore;             Kevin Fuller, age 55, of Baltimore;             Jimmye Howard, age 32, of Baltimore;             Thomas Jones, a/k/a “Pooda,” age 52, of Baltimore;             Eugene Link, age 40, of Baltimore;             Khyle Paige, age 30, of Baltimore;             Fred Primus, age 47, of Washington, D.C.;             Keith Smith, a/k/a “Fat Keith,” age 39, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland;             Phillip Washington, age 53, of Windsor Mill, Maryland;             Ronald White, a/k/a “Ron,” age 53, of Towson, Maryland;             Eric Wilson, a/k/a “E” and “Remy,” age 50, of Owings Mills, Maryland.

The indictment 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; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Tom Carr, Executive Director of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Administration.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “The Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force will continue to target large scale drug distributors and areas where violence is fueled by armed drug dealers. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to prosecute the suppliers and street level drug dealers to get them off of our streets, and to reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods.  This indictment focuses on those importing bulk quantities of dangerous drugs into Baltimore, and is an important step in our efforts to make our communities safer.”

“Today’s charges serve as a great example of the effective partnerships we’ve forged and, our commitment to protecting the residents of this great city. These 11 individuals represent the top tier of drug traffickers here in the city of Baltimore,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.  “They were responsible for supplying a vast number of drug shops across the city, and fueling addiction and violence across the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Taking these prolific criminals off of our streets is a step toward making Baltimore a safer place.”

“This indictment comes as the result of a continued regional commitment to reduce violence and protect our communities,” said Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt. “The significant amounts of weapons and drugs seized during this multi-jurisdictional operation will help keep our neighborhoods safe and prevent future violence.” 

“The Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force program exemplifies multi-agency collaboration and our shared commitment to creating a safer, stronger Baltimore,” said Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby.  “As drug organizations become more sophisticated in the way they operate, we will continue to elevate our data-driven tactics, superior collaboration and consistent partnership among local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to work together to fight the violence on our streets.”

Over the course of this investigation, law enforcement executed 55 search warrants on people, locations and vehicles, seized approximately $722,334 in cash; more than four kilograms of fentanyl—enough to kill 200,000 people; more than 10 kilograms of cocaine; more than a kilogram of a heroin/fentanyl mixture; 914 grams of crack cocaine; a total of 258 grams of a crack or cocaine/fentanyl mixture; a quantity of marijuana; as well as six firearms, three magazines, ammunition, and a silencer; and more than 62 cell phones used to facilitate the business.  Law enforcement also seized drug packaging material, digital scales, cutting agents, and money counters.

According to the 11-count indictment and information provided to the Court, the defendants distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana to customers, including to each other.  The indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy sold bulk quantities of narcotics to other drug traffickers who, in turn, redistributed the narcotics in and around Baltimore.  The conspirators allegedly cut the heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine with other substances to maximize their profits, and used residences in and around Baltimore to process, repackage, and prepare heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana for distribution.  Further, the indictment alleges that the members of the conspiracy possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities, including this conspiracy.

The defendants face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for the conspiracy; Dukes face a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in prison for the count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and Smith, White, and Wilson face a mandatory maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; Link and Paige face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; Paige faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and Jones faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  All of the defendants have had an initial appearance.  White was ordered to be detained, pending a detention hearing on August 11, 2021, and the remaining defendants were released with conditions, under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

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.

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, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Washington-Baltimore HIDTA for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorneys’ Offices for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and James T. Wallner, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Ludin Alfredo Ipina-Ipina, age 33, of Chillum, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute over 2,000 grams of cocaine.

The guilty plea 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 Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

According to his guilty plea, from July 2020 to November 2020, Ipina sold various quantities of cocaine on three instances to co-conspirators:  in July 2020, Ipina sold 21.7 grams of cocaine to a co-conspirator for $1,600; in August 2020, Ipina sold 55.7 grams of cocaine to a co-conspirator for $3,600; in September 2020, Ipina sold 167.8 grams of cocaine to a co-conspirator for $10,000.

On November 12, 2020, law enforcement executed search warrants at Ipina’s residences. At his residence in Chillum, Maryland, law enforcement recovered approximately 2,406.2 grams of cocaine, digital scales, baggies, and shrink wrap with cocaine residue. In addition to the cocaine and drug paraphernalia, law enforcement also recovered five-kilogram wrappings with cocaine residue and $118,453 in U.S. Currency. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement also recovered $1,021 from Ipina’s person.

In an interview with law enforcement, Ipina admitted that the cocaine recovered by law enforcement was his and claimed that he was holding the two kilograms of cocaine for another individual. Ipina also informed authorities that he intended to use the $119,474 in recovered currency, along with other currency, to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine from a drug supplier in Texas.

In total, Ipina distributed 167.8 grams of cocaine, possessed 2,405.2 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute, and attempted to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute that cocaine to drug users and distributors.

Ipina faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison followed by at least four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for December 20, 2021 at 12 p.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and PGPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Clement Robert Mercaldo, Jr., age 62, of Timonium, Maryland, pleaded guilty late yesterday 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.

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, Mercaldo loaned more than $1 million to a Baltimore County restaurant owner.  When the restaurant owner was unable to make the monthly payments, Mercaldo hired a co-conspirator to send messages threatening victims and their families in order to extort money.  During the course of the plots, Mercaldo paid the co-conspirator 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 the co-conspirator to murder one of the victims. 

“Clement Mercaldo hired someone to extort and threaten victims who owed him money, including setting fire to the house where a victim and his family were sleeping and attempting to murder them.  The defendant then went to great lengths to conceal his role from investigators and tried to subvert justice by falsely claiming that he was a victim, too,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “This successful prosecution is another example of how our Maryland law enforcement team will never give up in holding accountable criminals like Clement Mercaldo.”

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 a co-conspirator to assist in his plot to collect the debt through a variety of extortionate means.  Mercaldo gave at least $1,000 in cash to the co-conspirator in exchange for the co-conspirator 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 Mercaldo’s plea agreement, between March 28 and 29, 2019, the co-conspirator smashed the windows of the victim’s car in his driveway.  Immediately before and after the windows were smashed, the co-conspirator 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, the co-conspirator also placed calls to the victim in which he took responsibility for smashing the windows and then threatened the victim’s wife. 

In order to conceal his role in the extortion, Mercaldo traveled to Florida just prior to March 28, 2019, returning on March 29th, when he supplied the co-conspirator with another cash payment.  On April 10, 2019, at Mercaldo’s request, the co-conspirator, 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 the co-conspirator 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 the co-conspirator 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 significant amounts of cash from his bank account, which he paid to the co-conspirator.  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, the co-conspirator deposited $2,514 into his account.  The purpose of the payments was for the co-conspirator to set fire to the victim’s home.

At Mercaldo’s direction, in the early morning hours of Sunday, August 4, 2019, the co-conspirator set fire to the victim’s house.  While the victim and his wife were asleep upstairs, the co-conspirator broke a rear basement window at the house and ignited a flammable liquid.  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 the co-conspirator, who deposited $1,290 in cash into his account.  

In August and September 2019, the co-conspirator 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.  Mercaldo continued to instruct the co-conspirator 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, the co-conspirator arranged to receive a cash payment from the business partner using the anonymous texting application.  The payment was observed and recorded by law enforcement.  Immediately after receiving the money, the co-conspirator purchased an Apple watch, and deposited cash onto his account.  The co-conspirator 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 the co-conspirator and the co-conspirator repeatedly denying receiving any money from the victims. 

Starting on October 29, 2019, and continuing through at least the end of January 2020, Mercaldo and the co-conspirator 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 the co-conspirator, “Hope you whack his ass !”  On November 8, 2019, Mercaldo texted the co-conspirator, “Nail em plz !!” In January 2020, the co-conspirator 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 the co-conspirator is seen holding two different handguns in his vehicle during the surveillance.  The co-conspirator sent these videos and images to Mercaldo as attachments to numerous text messages, during, and immediately after, many of the incidents of surveillance.  Mercaldo and the co-conspirator continued to communicate about the victims and the debt through March 2020 and as late as May 30, 2020.

Mercaldo was arrested on June 23, 2020 and remains detained. 

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. 

Mercaldo faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the murder-for-hire conspiracy and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for interstate communications with intent to extort.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for September 28, 2021 at 10:00 a.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 – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Sonya Bannister Burford, age 53, of Malboro, Maryland to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing $322,938 in Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled.  Judge Messitte also ordered that Burford must forfeit and pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which is $322,938.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG), Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Rico Medina of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) – OIG.

According to her guilty plea, Burford’s husband, who was receiving SSA Disability Insurance benefits, died on August 30, 1996.  Upon his death, Burford failed to disclose to SSA that he had died and SSA continued to make monthly benefits payments.  Between September 1996 and January 2020, Burford received and spent $322,938 in benefits paid to her husband after his death to which she was not entitled.

As detailed in her plea agreement, SSA paid the disability payments for her husband through direct deposit to a joint account held in Burford‘s and her husband’s name.  After his death, Burford accessed the funds primarily through cash withdrawals or through the purchase of gift cards in large amounts at grocery stores.  Burford also used the funds to make retail purchases and to pay for living expenses and wrote checks to herself.

As part of her plea agreement, Burford is required to forfeit and pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which the parties agree is $322,938.     

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the SSA OIG and WMATA OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Marvel David Yarborough, age 30, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.   

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 his guilty plea, on February 21, 2020, Prince George’s County Police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Yarborough, after observing that the driver was not wearing a seat belt and did not properly use his turn signal.  When approaching the vehicle officers observed Yarborough attempting to conceal objects in his groin area and  detected the odor of phencyclidine (“PCP”) from his person and vehicle.  Yarborough was searched and officers recovered approximately 34 baggies and capsules containing a white, rock-like substance.  The substances were tested in the lab and found to contain 10.5 grams of crack cocaine, .352 grams of fentanyl, and 17.6 grams of PCP.  In addition, law enforcement recovered $1,012 in cash from Yarborough’s vehicle, numerous empty baggies and several digital scales.

In March 26, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Yarborough’s residence and recovered an AM-15 rifle, with a loaded drum-style magazine containing eight rounds of ammunition from the hall closet.  An additional drum-style magazine was found on the kitchen table, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition.  Law enforcement also seized: 100 capsules found to contain 9.234 grams of crack cocaine and 26.7 grams of powder cocaine; 6.68 grams of PCP; drug paraphernalia; and a notebook containing references to drugs and the names and numbers of drug customers.

Yarborough’s cell phone was also seized and subsequently searched.  The phone contained text conversations about drugs and guns, photographs of Yarborough with the AM-15, and photographs of drugs and drug paraphernalia.  The text messages reflect that Yarborough possessed the AM-15 in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Rajeev Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Darnell Smith, a/k/a “Hook”, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland to five years and three months in federal prison, to be served consecutive to Smith’s current state sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI).  The conspiracy included former correctional officers, inmates, and outside “facilitators” who paid bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison. 

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 Secretary Robert L. Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

According to his plea agreement, between 2017 and the time of his arrest in 2020, Smith was an inmate at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI), a maximum-security prison located near Jessup, Maryland. While imprisoned at JCI, Smith agreed with others to participate in the conduct of JCI’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity.  The racketeering acts at the center of this conspiracy were the distribution of controlled substances, bribery, and money laundering. 

Specifically, while an inmate at JCI, Smith conspired with JCI Correctional Officer (CO) Chanel Pierce, outside facilitator Chaz Chriscore, the mother of his children (co-defendant Satya Hall) and others to smuggle controlled substances and other contraband items into JCI. Smith also distributed the controlled substances to other inmates. As part of the endeavor, Smith engaged in a romantic relationship with CO Pierce and bribed her to collect, package, and smuggle contraband into JCI. CO Pierce, Chriscoe, and Hall were all charged alongside Smith in this 15-defendant indictment. 

As stated in his plea agreement, Smith possessed a contraband cell phone, which enabled him to communicate with CO Pierce, Hall, and Chriscoe to further the smuggling operation.  Smith used the contraband phone to discuss the types and quantities of controlled substances that were to be smuggled into JCI, facilitate the distribution of drugs within JCI, and coordinate bribe payments that were being made to CO Pierce. Smith also used the cell phone to carry out his romantic relationship with CO Pierce. 

On the morning of May 25, 2019, Chriscoe met CO Pierce at her home and provided her with several balloons filled with controlled substances to smuggle into JCI.  CO Pierce then went to work and was stopped by law enforcement as she entered the facility and searched.  Law enforcement recovered from CO Pierce’s person multiple packages containing contraband, including a balloon filled with Suboxone.  A subsequent search of CO Pierce’s home revealed several more balloons filled with contraband that she intended for Smith and others to smuggle into JCI.

A total of nine defendants, including Smith, Chriscoe, former CO Pierce, and Hall, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy.  Six defendants are still facing charges.  Former CO Chanel Pierce, age 28, of Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.  Co-defendant inmates Page Boyd, age 37, and Marshall Hill, a/k/a “Boosie,” age 29, pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy and were each sentenced to four years in federal prison.  Co-defendant facilitators Sataya Hall, age 38, of Baltimore, and Trinesse Butts, age 37, of Parkville, Maryland also pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and were sentenced to six months in federal prison and a year and a day in federal prison, respectively. 

At sentencing, Judge Chuang ordered that Smith’s federal sentence be served consecutive to Smith’s state sentence, of which several years remain. 

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 expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, whose staff initiated the JCI investigation and have been full partners in this investigation.  Mr. Lenzner also commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Perry and Christopher M. Rigali, who prosecuted this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Christopher Russell Fox, age 42, of Brooklyn, Maryland, today to 20 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Judge Bennett also ordered that Fox must continue to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Fox is already a registered sex offender, previously convicted of a third-degree sex offense in 2016, in Howard County Circuit Court.

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 guilty plea, between March and May of 2018, a technology company sent numerous CyberTip Reports regarding child pornography incidents occurring on its video conference platform. Files submitted with the reports depicted prepubescent males engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

As detailed in his plea agreement, investigation revealed that Fox repeatedly used a video conferencing platform to pose as a minor male, in order to communicate with other users.  Fox routinely sought out minor males on the video conferencing platform, engaged them in sexual conversation, asked them to trade sexually explicit images and videos, and asked them to stream live images.  While he was on probation for his 2016 sex offense conviction, Fox used three separate accounts on the video conferencing platform in order to trade images and videos of minor males engaged in sex acts on at least eleven occasions between December 10, 2017 and May 19, 2018.  For example, on March 24, 2018, Fox posed as an 8th grade male and engaged in sexually explicit conversation with a user who stated he was in the 10th grade. During the conversation Fox sent the user a video of three prepubescent males engaging in sexual acts.

On May 10, 2019, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Fox’s residence and seized digital items including Fox’s computer and a mini thumb drive. A forensic review of those items revealed that Fox possessed over 158 images of child pornography on the digital devices.  These images, along with the videos Fox traded online, demonstrate that Fox distributed, received, and possessed over 600 images of child pornography.

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 for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine L. Duey and Matthew Maddox, who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Michael Odell Anderson, age 63, of Dunn Lorring, Virginia, for the federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to an elder fraud scam.

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 one-count indictment, from April 2020 to December 2020, Anderson conspired with others to defraud elderly victims by posing as a bail bondsman, lawyer, or relative on phone calls and convincing the victim to send money for the purported legal expenses of a loved one, generally a grandchild. Further, the indictment alleges that in addition to requesting funds by phone, Anderson and other conspirators posed as bail bondsmen or couriers and received cash directly from the victims. As part of the conspiracy, Anderson recruited additional participants to join the conspiracy and assist in retrieving cash from the victims. Anderson allegedly required the recruited conspirators to pay him a percentage of their earnings from the fraud scheme.  Additionally, conspirators allegedly told the victims the money they sent would be returned to them at a later date.

The indictment also alleges that if victims sent cash as directed by conspirators, conspirators fabricated additional reasons for them to send more money. For example, conspirators allegedly claimed the additional funds were necessary for their grandchild’s legal expenses, bail costs, fines, or to pay damages.  Conspiracy members allegedly obtained tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims.

As stated in the indictment, the conspiracy directed at least 49 different victims to pay at least $800,000 through materially false pretenses, representation, and promises.

If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge 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. 

The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also has a senior scam alert website.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Matthew J. Maddox, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Lesley Annor, age 23, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering, in connection with a romance scheme in which conspiracy members induced elderly and isolated victims to send money to co-conspirators based on romantic assertions and other misrepresentations. Annor and his co-conspirators received and laundered the payments from the victims. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office (FBI); Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division (USPIS); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office (USSS).

According to his guilty plea, between May 2017 and October 2020, Annor participated in a romance scheme in which his co-conspirators targeted elderly victims online, typically through social media, dating websites, e-mail, and online applications.  Once the conspiracy members convinced the victims to trust them, the conspiracy members would instruct the victims to send money to bank accounts and physical addresses linked to Annor and conspiracy members. Conspirators often received 10 percent of the victim’s money and sent the remainder of the money to co-conspirators located in Ghana.

For example, in June 2019, Victim 4, a man born in 1962, met a woman on a popular dating website whom he thought to be named “Anita”. According to Victim 4, after a week of communicating on the dating website, Anita confessed her love for Victim 4 and told him that she would relocate from Germany to the United States to be with Victim 4. Anita then informed Victim 4 that as a result of her parents’ death, she was to receive an inheritance. However, there were various fees that needed to be paid in order to obtain the inheritance. Anita further told Victim 4 that her grandfather was helping her with the inheritance. According to Victim 4, Anita also told Victim 4 that two conspiracy members were accountants for Anita's grandfather and that Victim 4 should send money to the addresses linked to the two co-conspirators.

 In September 2019, Victim 4 cashed out his 401 (k) retirement account, purchased two cashier's checks totaling approximately $201,000, and mailed the cashier's checks to conspiracy members at Annor’s residence. According to the plea agreement, bank records show that multiple cashier's checks and money orders totaling $206,500 from Victim 4 were deposited into three different bank accounts that conspiracy members opened in their own names.

Over the course of the scheme, Annor and his co-conspirators laundered over $6,200,000 through approximately 34 bank accounts at 11 different financial institutions. At least $447,872 in victim payments were made into personal bank accounts controlled by Annor.

Annor has been in custody since his arrest on November 16, 2020.

Annor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for money laundering.   U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also a senior scam alert website.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.  Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, USPIS, and the USSS for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and Thomas P. Windom and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica C. Harvey from the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Collin Davis, age 34, of Pasadena, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the federal charge of carjacking resulting in death, related to Davis’ carjacking and murder in Baltimore of an individual who he knew and had attempted to carjack.    

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; 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.

“Collin Davis will spend 25 years in federal prison because he brutally murdered another human being with a firearm in the process of trying to carjack him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “This is the kind of senseless violence that is plaguing our communities.    This sentence demonstrates we will always hold murderers like Davis accountable.”

According to his guilty plea, on September 15, 2018, the victim drove to Curtis Bay, Maryland to pick up Davis.  After Davis entered the victim’s vehicle, Davis and the victim traveled to Severn, Maryland, where the victim lived.  Approximately one hour later, the two drove back to Curtis Bay.  At some point during the drive, the victim’s vehicle was stopped, and Davis took control of the victim’s vehicle by force. Davis handcuffed the victim by tying a shirt around the victim’s hands behind the victim’s back.  Davis’s DNA was left behind on the car’s steering wheel and inside the knot of the shirt used to tie the victim’s hands.

As detailed in the plea agreement, while Davis drove the victim’s car back to Curtis Bay, the victim attempted to break free from the makeshift handcuffs.  The vehicle was stopped near the 5100 block of Curtis Avenue and Davis shot the victim five times with lethal intent.  The victim died as a result of the gunshot wounds.  Davis admitted that the victim died as a result of his carjacking of the victim’s car.

A witness observed the victim’s body being dragged from the vehicle onto the street and called law enforcement.  Police officers responding to the call discovered the victim’s body in the street. 

After abandoning the victim’s body, Davis parked the victim’s vehicle in an alley almost directly behind an apartment where Davis had lived only weeks before the murder.  Davis then fled the Curtis Bay area.  The following day, law enforcement discovered the victim’s vehicle, which contained bullet holes from the murder the night before. 

Davis was arrested in November 2018.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF, the FBI, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Lindsey McCulley, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Russell Stanley III, age 40, of Bowie, Maryland, today to 11 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and bribery of a government official.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Imari R. Niles of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

“Russell Stanley and his co-conspirators received kilograms of cocaine through the mail and bribed U.S. Postal Service letter carriers to help their narcotics operation,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “This drug trafficking organization not only polluted our communities with dangerous narcotics, it also corrupted postal carriers who facilitated the organization’s illegal business.  We are committed to targeting those who supply and distribute illegal narcotics in Maryland and as well as those government employees who knowingly assist drug dealers.   This case reflects impressive and creative investigative work by federal and Prince George’s County law enforcement who brought the members of this conspiracy to justice.”

“Postal Inspectors stand committed to ensuring the public’s trust in the U.S. mail system,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel A. Adame, Washington Division.  “The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to protect consumers by ensuring the nation's mail system is not used in furtherance of criminal activity which safeguards our customer’s trust in the United States Postal Service. Postal Inspectors, along with our federal partners, bear the burden of holding responsible those individuals who corrupt the US Postal Service to further their criminal enterprises.”

“Postal employees are paid to deliver mail, not drugs,” said Imari R. Niles, Special-Agent-in-Charge of the Capitol Metro Area of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Niles added that most Postal Service workers are “hard-working, trustworthy individuals.”

According to Stanley’s guilty plea, in August 2018 the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began a joint investigation regarding the importation of cocaine into Maryland through the United States mail.  Investigators identified Stanley as the leader of the drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Maryland.  As part of his plea agreement, Stanley admitted that he conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine in Maryland.  Stanley further admitted that he had others assisting him with facilitating his distribution of cocaine in Maryland.  Among those who assisted Stanley was Jovan Kirk Louis Savage, age 35, of Bowie, who picked up cocaine parcels in exchange for $500 per parcel from Stanley and assisted with delivering proceeds of the drug sales to pay off Stanley’s drug debt.

The investigation revealed that two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers, Zakiyya Holloman, age 35, of Middle River, Maryland and Maurice Vaughn, age 34, of Washington, D.C. agreed to divert U.S. Priority Mail parcels, containing cocaine, sent to addresses on their routes, to Stanley or a member of the Stanley DTO in exchange for money. Holloman serviced a route in Bowie from April 2017 to October 2019, and Vaughn serviced a route in Bowie from July 2018 to October 2019.  As USPS letter carriers, Vaughn and Holloman were public officials and were expected, among other things, to deliver each package to the addressee at the proper address and to keep an accurate record of their deliveries.  Holloman began diverting packages containing cocaine to Stanley in approximately April 2018, after being introduced to Stanley by a mutual acquaintance.  Holloman received $500 from Stanley for each parcel diverted.  Hollman diverted cocaine parcels on at least six occasions, receiving a total of at least $3,000 from Stanley.  In an effort to conceal the scheme, Holloman scanned the parcels as delivered to the addressees, despite delivering those parcels to Stanley.   

As detailed in the plea agreement, at least once a month from December 2018 until October 2019, Vaughn diverted a U.S. Priority Mail parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine to the Stanley DTO.  Specifically, on February 15, 2019, Vaughn delivered to Stanley’s vehicle, a U.S. Priority Mail parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine with a Bowie address on Vaughn’s postal route.  After Vaughn delivered the parcel to Stanley’s vehicle, Vaughn was paid $200 via Cash App.  Similarly, Vaughn delivered U.S. Priority Mail parcels containing two kilograms of cocaine each on August 29, 2019, and October 2, 2019.  Savage picked up each of the parcels, conducting counter-surveillance to make sure that law enforcement was not in the area.   Vaughn was paid $200 in exchange for diverting each of those cocaine parcels to the Stanley DTO.  In an effort to conceal the scheme, Vaughn scanned the United States Priority Mail parcels as delivered to the addressees, despite delivering those parcels to the Stanley DTO or to particular locations for pick-up by the Stanley DTO.

To help ensure that the letter carriers would not report their criminal activity to law enforcement, Stanley and a co-defendant required letter carriers to provide them with the letter carriers’ home addresses.  Stanley discussed with a co-defendant that they should also tell the letter carriers that they knew the location of the daycare providers for the letter carriers’ children.

In October 2019, Postal Inspectors intercepted a United States Priority Mail parcel destined for an Upper Marlboro address that contained the same contents as previous parcels including, edible peanuts, blue-and-white drinking straws, styrofoam plates and cups, and two kilograms of cocaine inside a Tupperware container.  Law enforcement executed a search and seizure warrant, seizing the two kilograms of cocaine from the package.   On October 9, 2019, Stanley and Savage worked together to pick up the parcel, not knowing that the cocaine had already been seized by law enforcement.  They conducted counter-surveillance to make sure that law enforcement was not in the area, but before they could pick up the package, they detected the presence of law enforcement who were conducting surveillance of the Upper Marlboro package’s delivery.  Stanley fled the scene in his vehicle, but Savage was arrested.    

On October 9, 2019 investigators executed a search warrant at the shared residence of Stanley, Savage, and co-defendant Delonte Andre Gomez.  Among the items that investigators found and seized were approximately 15 grams of cocaine in a clear baggie and two digital scales from a kitchen cabinet as well as a money counter.  Investigators searched Stanley upon his arrest, seizing $3,196 from his person.  Stanley admitted that during the course of the conspiracy at least 40 kilograms of cocaine were attributable to him.

Jovan Kirk Louis Savage previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. 

The two corrupt postal carriers, Maurice Vaughn and Zakiyya Holloman, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and to bribery.  They face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for bribery.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Judge Xinis has not yet scheduled sentencing dates for Savage, Vaughn, or Holloman.  

Delonte Andre Gomez, a/k/a Turk, age 39, also of Bowie, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine as well as possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.  Gomez and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Gomez will be sentenced to five years in federal prison and a consecutive sentence of six months in federal prison for violations of his federal supervised release.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for September 22, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

Co-defendant Barrington Albert Edwards, Jr. age 37, of Bowie, Maryland, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and bribery.  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 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 commended the USPIS, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Service OIG, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samika N. Boyd and Jason D. Medinger, 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 – Damian Covington, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.   

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 Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to his guilty plea, on September 24, 2020 BPD officers observed a black vehicle bearing a Virginia license plate driving at a high rate of speed and committing several traffic violations, including changing lanes without a signal. Two BPD officers notified other officers of the traffic violations. Soon after, several BPD officers stopped the vehicle on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, Maryland.

One of the BPD detectives informed the driver that he was being pulled over for an unsafe lane change and requested vehicle registration. Covington was seated in the passenger seat. As the driver reached for the registration, one of the BPD officers observed a clear tube containing suspected marijuana.  The driver acknowledged the presence of marijuana in the tube and held it up for the officers to view.  BPD officers then conducted a search of the vehicle.

During the search, a BPD detective discovered the driver’s 9mm firearm with 12 rounds of ammunition located in the locked glove compartment. Officers also recovered a semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, six bullets, and two rounds of ammunition in a backpack behind the Covington’s seat. The bag also contained Covington’s identification card, three debit cards, and suspected marijuana.

BPD read Miranda rights to Covington who then admitted that he possessed the firearm inside of the backpack.

Prior to possessing the firearm and ammunition on September 24, 2020, Covington had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and his civil rights had not been restored. 

Covington and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Covington will be sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2021 at 10 a.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey McCulley and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Nakir Ali Kiett, age 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute approximately 211 grams of methamphetamine in Cecil County, Maryland.    

The guilty plea 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 the members of Cecil County Drug Task Force, including Chief Carolyn Rogers of the Elkton Police Department, Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams, Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.

According to his guilty plea, in the fall of 2019, Cecil County Drug Task Force officers received information that an individual known as “Omar” was selling methamphetamine in Cecil County, Maryland. “Omar” was later identified as Kiett.

In August 2019, a confidential informant introduced an undercover officer to Kiett.  Between August 28 and September 30, 2019, the undercover officer then arranged and conducted five separate controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Kiett, totaling approximately 150 grams of methamphetamine.

As stated in the plea agreement, on October 9, 2019, investigators obtained a search warrant for Kiett’s vehicle.  On October 10, 2019 investigators arranged for a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Kiett.  When Kiett arrived at the agreed-upon meeting location, investigators detained him and searched Kiett and his vehicle pursuant to the search warrant.  During the search of the vehicle, investigators recovered approximately 61 grams of methamphetamine located in a space behind the vehicle’s radio. 

In total, investigators purchased or seized approximately 211 grams of methamphetamine from Kiett between August 2019 and October 2019.  Kiett agrees and admits that he knowingly and intentionally possessed the above-referenced methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

Kiett and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Kiett will be sentenced to six years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Department of Homeland Security and the Cecil County Drug Task Force (CCDTF) comprised of the Elkton Police Department, the Cecil County Sheriff's Office, the Maryland State Police, the Cecil County State's Attorney's Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Derek Crosby, age 40, of Baltimore, yesterday to 102 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in the Monument Street area of East Baltimore, and for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

Last week, co-defendant Malik Williams, a/k/a “Freaky,” age 32, of Baltimore pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, and to knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute cocaine.

The sentence and guilty plea 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, 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 the drug trade, and getting wholesale narcotics dealers like Derek Crosby 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 Crosby and Williams’ guilty pleas, 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 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”). 

As detailed in their plea agreements, investigators identified Crosby as a wholesale distributor of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl and as a source of supply of the street-level Montford DTO, among others.  Williams was identified as a drug distributor for the OTM DTO who agreed with his co-conspirators to acquire and to assist in distributing controlled substances to other persons. Investigators intercepted calls between Crosby and his co-conspirators and between Williams and his co-conspirators, discussing the distribution of drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl and heroin. 

Specifically, Crosby admitted that he owned a stash house in the 1700 block of Dallas Street in Baltimore, which he and his co-conspirators used to meet with customers and conduct drug transactions.  According to his plea agreement, on June 19, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Dallas Street residence owned by Crosby and recovered 677 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture, which Crosby admits he possessed with the intent to distribute for sale, and approximately 2.4 grams of crack cocaine.  On June 21, 2019, a search warrant was executed on Crosby’s vehicle and law enforcement recovered a stolen .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol from a hidden compartment in the center console area.  Crosby knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm as the result of a previous felony conviction.  Further, Crosby admitted that he possessed the firearm in connection to his drug trafficking.

Throughout the course of his involvement in the conspiracy, it was reasonably foreseeable to Crosby, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he or other members of the conspiracy would distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, and at least 400 grams of fentanyl, as well as quantities of crack cocaine and heroin, during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

Williams admitted that on October 30, 2018, he directed an undercover detective to a co-conspirator to purchased what the undercover detective thought was heroin, but was instead ten gelatin capsules containing a mixture of tramadol and fentanyl.  On February 21, 2019, Williams sold an undercover detective four green top vials of cocaine.  On June 25, 2019, Williams was arrested in the 2400 block of Monument Street and when Williams was searched, investigators recovered 48 grey top vials containing cocaine and 16 gel caps containing fentanyl. Williams admitted that on each of these three occasions he possessed the fentanyl and the cocaine with the intent to distribute them for sale.

Throughout the course of Williams’ involvement in the conspiracy, it was reasonably foreseeable to Williams, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he 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 Crosby and Williams—have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial.  The remaining defendants have trial dates in November 2021.

Williams and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Williams will be sentenced to five years in federal prison.  Judge Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Williams on September 17, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.

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 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.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Tyrek Montez Arrington, age 24, of Temple Hills, Maryland, to 11 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on federal charges for robbing a pharmacy, for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Arrington was convicted of those crimes by a federal jury on April 7, 2021, after two hours of deliberation.

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 Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to evidence presented at Arrington’s three-day trial, on October 15, 2019, Arrington entered a drug store in Clinton, Maryland wearing a surgical mask and black latex gloves.  Armed with a handgun, Arrington walked to the pharmacy area and entered the pharmacist booth.  Arrington pointed the gun at the pharmacist and demanded oxycodone from a safe.  Arrington then demanded that the pharmacist open the cash register.  Arrington fired one round into the ceiling then took the cash drawer from the register.  Witnesses testified that Arrington attempted to flee with the cash drawer taken from the register.  Two law enforcement officers encountered Arrington in the store as he was attempting to flee.  One officer saw Arrington with the cash drawer in his hand and ordered Arrington to the ground.  Arrington dropped the cash drawer and the handgun and tried to evade the first officer, but ran into the second officer and was arrested. 

According to trial evidence, law enforcement collected a live round and a spent shell casing from behind the counter.  They also recovered the handgun that Arrington dropped—a loaded .22-caliber handgun.

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 Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwight Draughon and William D. Moomau, 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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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Ana Christina Avalos a/k/a “Christina Cazares-Quintero”, age 35, of Phelan, California, to 57 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.   

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; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to her plea agreement, between at least December 2018 and January 2020, Avalos conspired with others to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. Avalos and a co-conspirator resided in California and acted as international narcotic importers for a drug trafficking organization.

Along with a co-conspirator, Avalos supplied narcotics to fellow co-conspirators who then shipped narcotics from the west coast to the east coast of the United States. A New York based co-conspirator supplied co-conspirators in Maryland, Washington D.C., and the Northern Virginia areas.  Avalos regularly traveled to the New York area to collect money from accomplices and other narcotic customers. 

For example, on May 21, 2019, Avalos received $9,000 as partial payment for a drug transaction totaling in $22,500.  In exchange, Avalos provided the associate with cocaine.  Over the course of the next month, at Avalos’s instruction, a co-conspirator made payments to Avalos by depositing money orders into Avalos’s checking account.

Law enforcement also captured three phone calls between Avalos and co-conspirators in which they discuss the quality, logistics, and potential financial gain from trafficking-controlled substances. Additionally, there were a number of drug-laden packages shipped from the west coast to the east coast as part of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Law enforcement captured four parcels and discovered approximately 505 grams of cocaine, approximately 5.73 pounds of marijuana, approximately 9.2 grams of marijuana, and 28 pounds of marijuana inside the respective parcels.

As stated in the plea agreement, on January 8, 2020 law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at several locations important to the drug trafficking organization, including Avalos’s and a co-conspirator’s shared California residence, a Virginia residence, and another co-conspirator’s California residence. Officers recovered approximately 500 grams of marijuana, a .38 caliber revolver, and a semi-automatic handgun from Avalos’s residence. As a result of a search warrant conducted at a co-conspirator’s California residence and a co-conspirator’s Virginia residence, officers seized four cell phones, a drug ledger, drug packaging materials, two heat sealers, approximately 17 pounds of marijuana, one kilogram of cocaine, approximately 48 grams of heroin, and other drug packaging tools.

In total, officers recovered approximately 866 grams of fentanyl, approximately 1,505 grams of cocaine, and at least 36,897 grams of marijuana.

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 commended the DEA, the Maryland State Police, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice and Timothy F. Hagan who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Ricardo Carter II, age 37, of Camp Springs, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a check kiting and credit scheme using the stolen identity information of coworkers and job applicants to open fraudulent bank and credit accounts, causing more than $119,000 in losses to victim financial institutions.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea agreement, from January 2015 to December 2017, Carter used stolen names, date of births, and social security numbers to open fraudulent bank accounts at financial institutions in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.  He then used the fraudulently opened accounts to execute fraud schemes.

Specifically, once Carter opened a bank account using a stolen identity, he deposited nonsufficient funds checks into the account, then withdrew the value of the check in cash before the check cleared or transferred the funds into another account, using the money for his personal benefit.  When Carter used a stolen identity to open a credit account, he used the credit card associated with the account for personal expenditures, causing a loss to the bank and adversely affecting the victim’s credit score.  Carter used the stolen identities to open a large number of bank accounts at multiple financial institutions, executing the scheme in multiple jurisdictions, and timing the withdrawal of cash from the deposited checks before those checks could clear.

Carter admitted that in order to execute the check kiting and credit scheme, he used his position as a Security Supervisor at Company A to open accounts using the stolen identities of individuals who worked for or applied to work for Company A.  By using his access to the personal identification information of those victims, Carter abused his position of trust with Company A.

On September 23, 2019, a federal grand jury in the District of Maryland returned an indictment against Carter, charging him with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  On July 2, 2020, Carter was released pending trial on conditions, including that he not violate any local, state, or federal laws.  In October 2020, while on pre-trial release, Carter applied to rent an apartment in Largo, Maryland, which was not the residence approved by the U.S. Pre-Trial Services Office.  In the application to the apartment management company (Victim 6), Carter falsely listed Company A as his employer and used the social security number of another individual, without that person’s knowledge or permission.  Carter submitted a fraudulent letter and pay stubs to Victim 6, both purportedly from Company A, falsely verifying Carter’s employment at Company A, in order to obtain Victim 6’s approval of Carter’s rental application. After Carter did not pay his rent, on March 22, 2021, Victim 6 asked Company A to authenticate the letter.  Company A confirmed that the document was fraudulent.  In total, Carter failed to pay at least $11,854.30 in rent owed to Victim 6.

On April 5, 2021, after a U.S. Magistrate Judge found that Carter had violated his conditions of pre-trial release, Carter was directed to surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service by 3:00 p.m.  Carter failed to report as directed and an arrest warrant was issued.  Carter was subsequently apprehended in Florida on April 22, 2021.

Carter admitted that he fraudulently opened more than 100 bank and credit accounts using more than 10 stolen identities, resulting in a loss to the financial institutions of at least $119,733.94

As part of his plea agreement, Carter will forfeit at least $119,733.94, which are assets derived from or obtained as a result of Carter’s illegal activities, and will pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties stipulate is at least $131,588.24.

Carter faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for bank fraud and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft.  U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Secret Service for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr., age 56, for the federal charges of threats against a federal official and interstate communication containing a threat to harm, specifically for sending emails threatening harm to Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins, the current Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The criminal complaint was filed on July 26, 2021, and unsealed today upon Connally’s arrest.  Connally is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan. 

The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge George Adams, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“We will never tolerate violent threats against public officials,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “Our public health officials deserve our thanks and appreciation for their tireless work, and we will not hesitate to bring charges against those individuals who seek to use fear to silence these public servants.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, from December 28, 2020 to July 21, 2021, Connally used an email account from a provider of secure, encrypted email services based in Switzerland, to send a series of emails to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”) and the Chief Medical Advisor to President of the United States, threatening to harm and/or kill him and members of his family.  One of the emails threatened that Dr. Fauci and his family would be “dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire.”  On April 24, 2021 alone, seven threatening emails were sent from the encrypted account between 10:05 p.m. and 10:12 p.m.

As detailed in the affidavit, also on April 24, 2021, just 30 minutes before the seven emails were sent to Dr. Fauci, Dr. Francis Collins, the Director of the NIH, received a total of four threatening emails from the same encrypted email address associated with Connally.

Investigation revealed that the encrypted email account was associated with Connally.  Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement obtained emails from a mail.com account which the affidavit alleges Connally used to communicate with the encrypted email address used to send the threatening emails.

According to the affidavit, Connally also used the mail.com account to communicate with another individual discussing Dr. Fauci and espousing views that Dr. Fauci was engaged in fraud regarding HIV and AIDS, which was also one of the topics of the first threatening email sent from the encrypted account to Dr. Fauci on December 28, 2020.  Connally allegedly sent threatening emails to Dr. Fauci as recently as July 21, 2021.

If convicted, Connally faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for threats against a federal official; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for interstate communication containing a threat to harm.  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 HHS OIG for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Jessica C. Collins, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Harshe Shende, age 57, of Hanover, Maryland, to 15 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for willful failure to pay over employment taxes.  Chief Judge Bredar also found that Shende failed to pay to the IRS a total of $1,690,000 in federal employment and employer taxes and ordered Shende to pay restitution in that amount to the IRS.  Chief Judge Bredar imposed the sentence late on July 23, 2021.

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

According to his guilty plea, Shende was the sole owner and resident agent of Progressive Rehab Services, LLC, which employed physical and occupational therapists who went to nursing homes to render services to patients.  Shende was the sole signatory on two bank accounts he opened for the corporation at separate banks in 2008 and 2013, respectively.  Shende accrued large liabilities for Progressive Rehab by filing forms with the IRS which showed the amount of income tax withholding he collected from Progressive Rehab’s employees and their Medicare and Social Security withholding (collectively employment taxes) but by failing to pay the employment taxes to IRS.  Shende also failed to pay the employers’ portion of employment taxes to the IRS. The IRS pursued collection activities against Progressive Rehab.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 16, 2006, Shende and his then wife incorporated Progressive Health Group, Inc., (“Progressive Health”) in Maryland, with the stated purpose to provide rehab to nursing homes, hospitals, assistive living and home health.  Shende was listed as Executive Director on two bank accounts he opened for the corporation at separate banks in 2008 and 2012, respectively.  Shende listed the same address in Columbia, Maryland, for Progressive Health as he did for Progressive Rehab.

Shende admitted that he caused Progressive Rehab’s employees to perform the same work but billed for their work using the name Progressive Health and paid their salaries using Progressive Health’s bank account.   Progressive Health withheld payroll taxes from its employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, Medicare and social security (“FICA”) taxes.  As he did with Progressive Rehab, Shende filed forms with the IRS for Progressive Health showing the amount of employment taxes withheld.  However, as he did with Progressive Rehab, Shende willfully chose not to pay the taxes withheld from Progressive Health’s employees’ wages to the IRS, nor did he pay the employer’s portion of the employment taxes.

As a result, Shende failed to pay to the IRS a total of $155,838.15 in employment taxes withheld in tax years 2014 and 2015 and failed to pay the IRS a total of $103,066.85, which was the employer’s share of employment taxes for tax years 2014 and 2015. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce K. McDonald, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Devell Lincoln, age 55, of Washington, D.C., of conspiring to commit theft of public money, theft of public money and aggravated identity theft.  The jury returned its verdict late on July 23, 2021.    

The conviction was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to court documents and the evidence introduced at trial, from 2011 to 2013, Devell Lincoln conspired with Stephanie Twyman and others to cash tax refund checks fraudulently obtained by filing false federal income tax returns in the names of other individuals with the IRS. In total, the conspirators cashed more than $500,000 in fraudulent refunds at a check-cashing business and Lincoln deposited more than $150,000 in fraudulent refunds using bank accounts under his control.

From 2011 to 2013, false federal income tax returns were filed with the IRS using the names and Social Security numbers of unwitting taxpayers and seeking fraudulent refunds. When the refunds were received, Lincoln and his co-conspirators cashed the checks at a check-cashing business.  In addition, from 2010 to 2014, Lincoln deposited fraudulent refunds into bank accounts under his control.  While two of these accounts were in Lincoln’s name, one bank account was held in the name of a third-party, who was deceased, and one was in the name of a company registered under the deceased person’s name, with the deceased person as the signatory.

Twyman, age 49, of Clinton, Maryland, pleaded guilty to theft of government money and aggravated identity theft on July 3, 2019, for her role in the refund scheme. She is expected to be sentenced at a later date.

Lincoln is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a mandatory two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft; a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy; and a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for theft of public money. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica C. Collins and Trial Attorney Abigail Burger Chingos of the Tax Division, 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.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Shaykh Abdul-Majid, age 34, of Washington, D.C. to 13 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing a series of armed robberies and for brandishing a firearm in relation to a violent crime. 

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 Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from March 28, 2020 to July 5, 2020 Abdul-Majid committed at least four robberies in which he posed as a customer before pointing a semi-automatic handgun at a victim employee, demanding store proceeds, and obtaining funds.

Specifically, on July 5, 2020, Abdul-Majid posed as a customer at a Kettering, Maryland business and pointed a silver and black handgun at a victim employee while demanding store proceeds.  The victim employee complied with the demands and gave Abdul-Majid $200 in store funds. Abdul-Majid then instructed the victim employee to move to the store’s back storage area. Fearing that he would be shot, the victim employee attempted to remove the handgun from Abdul-Majid’s possession. During the struggle for the handgun, two rounds of ammunition were discharged. Neither round struck the victim employee, but his hands and fingers were badly cut as he tried to prevent the handgun’s slide from racking as casings were ejected. After the struggle, Abdul-Majid fled on foot with the stolen funds.  In each robbery, Abdul-Majid drove the same vehicle with identifying Washington, D.C. registration plates.

As stated in the plea agreement, on July 7, 2020, detectives located Abdul-Majid’s vehicle in Washington, D.C. while Abdul-Majid was inside the vehicle. Upon seeing law enforcement, Abdul-Majid fled from his vehicle on foot. While a K-9 search was being conducted, Abdul-Majid announced his presence to law enforcement as the K-9 was searching the area where he was hiding. Abdul-Majid was then taken into custody.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Abdul-Majid’s vehicle and recovered a black-colored ball cap with the word “SLANE” stitched above the bill as well as a red glove. Both items are consistent with the items worn by Abdul-Majid in two of the robberies. Officers also recovered a victim’s wallet, five cell phones, a silver and black handgun, and $43.00 in cash.

In total, the four victim businesses Abdul-Majid robbed experienced a loss of at least $8,550.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Rasheed Mickens, age 35, of Catonsville, Maryland to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

Mickens has prior criminal convictions that include a 2006 carjacking conviction and a 2011 conviction for possession with intent to distribute narcotics.

According to his plea agreement, while conducting undercover surveillance at a Baltimore motel on July 8, 2020, the Baltimore County Police Department Vice Narcotics Special Enforcement Team observed a suspicious interaction between two male suspects. One male suspect was the passenger in a sedan and the other male arrived driving a pickup truck.

After the interaction concluded, law enforcement followed the sedan on I-695 driven by a female with the male passenger.  Officers observed the male passenger hand the female driver an item while she was driving. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and recovered a total of 48 capsules containing white powder from the male passenger and female driver. An additional bag containing 50 capsules were discovered within the vehicle. The male passenger informed law enforcement that they purchased a total of 100 capsules of fentanyl for $300. Two of the fentanyl capsules were consumed while driving. The male suspect also informed law enforcement that he purchased the drugs from a man named “Mike” at the Baltimore motel. Lab results confirmed that the powder contained in the remaining 98 capsules was fentanyl.

As stated in the plea agreement, detectives returned to the Baltimore motel to locate the suspect known as “Mike”. The male suspect law enforcement observed in the hand to hand transaction was seen exiting a motel room carrying a backpack and several bags to the pickup truck seen earlier that day. As detectives approached and identified themselves to the male suspect, the suspect fled on foot. He was later captured and identified as Mickens.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Mickens informed law enforcement that there were drugs in his truck. Law enforcement recovered 213 capsules of fentanyl, 96 grams of fentanyl, one pound of marijuana, 44 individual baggies of marijuana, 35 mannite bars, a bag labeled “10,000” capsules containing several unused capsules, a loaded 9mm pistol, and three flip phones from the pickup truck. Additional white powder capsules and other drug paraphernalia was recovered from Mickens’s backpack.

Mickens agrees that the controlled substances recovered included more than 40 grams of fentanyl and that the quantity of controlled substances was a sufficient quantity to indicate an intent to distribute. Mickens also agrees that the firearm located in the vehicle was possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Oldham who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Christopher Michael Cline, a/k/a “Carisa Cline”, age 44, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, for the federal charges of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery.  The indictment was returned on June 2, 2021 and unsealed today upon Cline’s initial appearance.  

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 Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to the three-count indictment, Cline allegedly attempted to commit a bank robbery in Gaithersburg, Maryland on January 28, 2021.

The indictment further alleges Cline committed two bank robberies in Gaithersburg, Maryland on January 29, 2021 and February 8, 2021.

If convicted, Cline faces a maximum sentence of 20 years 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.  At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day ordered that Cline be detained pending trial.

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 the Montgomery County Police Department for their 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Devontay Douglas, age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for his role in an armed carjacking.

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 (BPD).

According to his guilty plea, on July 10, 2018, Douglas and a co-conspirator robbed a pizza delivery employee at a Baltimore, Maryland apartment complex.  During the robbery, Douglas brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and struck the victim in the face and ribs several times. Douglas and his co-conspirator then took the victim’s keys, cell phone, and approximately $50 in cash.

Subsequently, Douglas and his co-conspirator stole the victim’s vehicle and attempted to flee area. The victim immediately notified nearby security guards that he had been robbed and identified the stolen vehicle. Security guards quickly approached the vehicle with weapons drawn and ordered Douglas to stop. Douglas stopped the vehicle and placed his hands in the air. Meanwhile, Douglas’s co-conspirator fled on foot and was not apprehended. The security guards detained Douglas until BPD officers arrived.

When the BPD officers arrived, the officers recovered a Glock, 9mm handgun, loaded with approximately 15 rounds, in the driver’s side front floorboard where Douglas had been sitting.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Javaughn Berry, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery).    

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 (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department, Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and  the Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad.

According to his guilty plea, from October 2019 to December 2019, Berry and a co-conspirator committed three robberies within Maryland.

On October 13, 2019, Berry and a co-conspirator robbed a Baltimore, Maryland 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 $1,630.00 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.

After this robbery, investigators with the FBI obtained cell phone tower records which revealed that Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones were used in close proximity to the victim pharmacy around the time of the robbery. After investigators recovered Berry’s phone, they executed a search warrant on the device and recovered photos of Berry holding large amounts of cash.  The photos were taken on the morning of the robbery. 

On November 17, 2019, Berry and his co-conspirator executed a robbery at a retail establishment in Millersville, Maryland.  Victims reported to Anne Arundel County Police that two men entered the store as it was closing and demanded money.  Both suspects wore masks and had black handguns.  The suspects stole $3,200.00 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. 

Cell-site information shows Berry and his co-conspirator’s phones in the area near the retailer about two minutes after the robbery. Like the pharmacy robbery, Berry and his co-conspirator fled the scene by stealing an employee’s vehicle.  Subsequent to a search warrant on the co-conspirator phone, investigators recovered a picture of a vehicle similar to the employee’s stolen vehicle.  Metadata revealed that the picture first appeared on the co-conspirator phone after the robbery.

On December 13, 2019, Berry and his co-conspirator executed the third robbery at a Parksville, 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 when 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.  Both men subsequently stole the shift manger’s vehicle and fled the scene, leaving behind the stolen vehicle from the November retail robbery.

A search warrant executed on the Berry’s phone revealed that Berry’s phone was in the parking lot of the restaurant in the time frame of the robbery.

As stated in his plea agreement, 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.

As investigators continued following the stolen vehicle on December 16, 2019, Berry abandoned the car and fled on foot.  Investigators found Berry walking along Harford Road soon afterward.  After waiving his Miranda rights, Berry claimed that he saw the stolen car earlier that morning and wanted to take it for a joy ride. 

Berry agrees that he committed the December 13, 2019 robbery of the victim restaurant.  Berry also agrees that he took money from the presence of the victims, against the victims’ wills, by using actual or threatened force, violence, or fear of injury.  Finally, the Berry agrees that the money stolen from victim restaurant affected interstate commerce.

Berry and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Berry will be sentenced to between 8 to 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 10, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

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 and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Terrel Tomlin, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.     

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 Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on December 4, 2019, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers observed Tomlin driving his vehicle back and forth through three lanes of traffic without signaling as well as braking quickly and aggressively.  Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on the road leading towards Sinai Hospital’s emergency room entrance. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, before approaching the vehicle, officers observed Tomlin making furtive movements in the vehicle and lowering his head towards the right side of the car.  During the traffic stop, a BPD officer asked Tomlin for his driver’s license and registration and noticed Tomlin’s hands shaking excessively and his eyes were opened extremely wide.  Based on Tomlin’s furtive movements and excessive nervousness, a BPD officer asked him to step out of the vehicle.

Instead, Tomlin attempted to flee, crashing his vehicle into a stationery vehicle, in which Victim 1, who was recently discharged from the hospital after surgery, was the driver, and Victim 1’s child (Victim 2) was a passenger.  After the crash, Tomlin got out of the car and fled on foot, carrying a blue duffel bag.  Items were falling out of the bag as Tomlin fled.  Before he was apprehended by a BPD officer, Tomlin threw the bag in the air, causing items to scatter. 

BPD officers recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia along the route that Tomlin ran as he fled from them, including the area in which they apprehended him.  Among the items recovered were a blender containing fentanyl and tramadol residue; packaging material, some of which contained cocaine residue; and a clear plastic bag containing approximately 38 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl.  During a search of Tomlin’s vehicle, BPD officers recovered a container of Inositol, a cutting agent for heroin; a bottle of ammonia, typically used to clean heroin mixing equipment; and a measuring cup. 

During the crash, the steering wheel struck Victim 1’s surgery wound, and Victim 2’s head hit a window of the vehicle.  Both victims received treatment for, and subsequently recovered from, the injuries caused by Tomlin crashing into their vehicle.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Kevin Alexis Rodriguez-Flores, age 20, of Annandale, Virginia to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and conspiracy to destroy and conceal evidence related to the murder of a MS-13 gang member.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy; Chief Kevin Davis of the Fairfax County Police Department; and Sheriff David P. Decatur of the Stafford County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office.

MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Maryland, Virginia, and throughout the United States.  Members of MS-13 are expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons.  To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members are expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence.  MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.  Another principal rule of MS-13 is that its members must never cooperate with law enforcement.  Violation of this rule results in an order of death for the offender.

According to his plea agreement, from 2018 to April 2019 Rodriguez-Flores was a member of the Enfermos Criminales Salvatruchas MS-13 clique and associated with members of the Los Ghettos Criminales Salvatrucha clique (LGCS) of MS-13. During this time period, Rodriguez-Flores and other members of the LGCS clique discussed committing racketeering acts, including killing a member of the LGCS clique (Victim 1) as well as rival gang members.

Specifically, on March 8, 2019, Rodriguez-Flores and other LGCS clique members, met at the Hyattsville, Maryland residence of the LGCS clique leader to question Victim 1’s possible cooperation with law enforcement.  During the interrogation of Victim 1, the clique leader and gang members threatened and assaulted Victim 1 as the gang suspected that Victim 1 was cooperating with law enforcement. Gang members, including the clique leader, used knives to repeatedly cut and stab Victim 1. After Victim 1 was taken into the basement of the residence, the clique leader ordered Victim 1 to be killed. Gang members, including Rodriguez-Flores, stabbed Victim 1 with knives until Victim 1 was dead. Victim 1 died as a result of Rodriguez-Flores and the other gang member’s actions. According to the autopsy report, Victim 1 sustained a total of 144 wounds: 68 stab wounds and 76 cutting wounds. The autopsy also reported that the victim’s left internal jugular vein was cut and left carotid artery, an artery within the throat cavity, was transected.

Following the murder of Victim 1, the clique leader ordered three MS-13 members to dispose of Victim 1’s body in Virginia. According to the plea agreement, gang members subsequently burned the body of Victim 1. Rodriguez-Flores and other members remained at the clique leader’s residence and attempted to destroy evidence of Victim 1’s murder. This included disposing of blood in the basement and removing blood stained carpet. 

After the MS-13 members returned from disposing of Victim 1’s body, co-conspirators cleaned the car, particularly the trunk area, in an attempt to remove evidence of the murder of Victim 1.  Rodriguez-Flores remained at the residence of the clique leader until the following day, March 9, 2019, when he and other MS-13 members traveled back to Virginia.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI, HSI Baltimore, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department, and the Stafford County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Moomau and Erin B. Pulice, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Tyler Curtis, age 24, of Hampstead, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the possession of more than 300 illegal images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone. Curtis was previously convicted of the promotion and distribution of child pornography in 2017 within the Circuit Court of Carroll County, Maryland and was subsequently required to register as a sex offender. 

The plea 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 his guilty plea, from February 2019 to May 2020, Curtis downloaded images and videos of child pornography on a cloud-based file storage and hosting service.  On March 5, 2020, the cloud-based service submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Specifically, the service reported that a user account had uploaded 22 files of suspected child pornography.  Images included the sexual abuse of prepubescent children.

As stated in the plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Curtis’s residence on May 28, 2020.  During an interview with law enforcement, Curtis falsely informed investigators that he had not viewed child pornography since his 2017 conviction for child pornography-related offenses. He also falsely stated that he did not have a cell phone in his possession.  As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement seized a hidden cell phone that was hidden in the bottom of Curtis’s bedroom dresser. 

A forensic review of Curtis’s hidden cell phone revealed artifacts associated with at least 13 different email addresses.  Investigators also discovered 115 images and 137 videos of child pornography on Curtis’s cell phone.  The sexually abusive material contained sado-masochistic content as well as images of prepubescent females engaged in sexual acts with adult men, including at least two videos that depicted the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler.  A forensic review of Curtis’s file storage and hosting service account revealed that Curtis uploaded 185 images and 10 videos of child pornography to the service.

Curtis and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Curtis will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for September 30, 2021 at 2 p.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 commended the HSI, 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 – Jorge Guerra-Castillo, a/k/a “Pelon”, age 40, of Silver Spring, Maryland, an MS-13 leader, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activities, including two murders and two attempted murders. 

Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to call the FBI’s nationwide tipline, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713).  The FBI tipline allows individuals to provide information about MS-13’s criminal activities to a central location and the FBI will then disseminate the information to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for investigation.  Your identity will be protected.

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; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Frederick Police Department Chief Dwight Sommers; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad.

“The reign of terror, acts of violence, and horrific murders that Guerra-Castillo and his fellow MS-13 members have committed will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and our partners are committed to breaking the strong hold of violent gangs like MS-13 with swift and stringent prosecution.  We will utilize every legal resource to ensure that citizens can live peacefully and fearlessly within their own communities.”

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. 

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

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members.  Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to a promotion to a leadership position.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. 

According to his guilty plea, beginning some time before January 2015, Guerra-Castillo was a member of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique of MS-13 and agreed with other MS-13 members to conduct and participate in gang activities through a pattern of racketeering activity that included conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, and drug distribution.

Specifically, on April 7, 2015, MS-13 members murdered Victim 1, a suspected rival gang member, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing rank in MS-13. Gang leadership in Maryland sought and received approval from Guerra-Castillo to kill Victim 1. Guerra-Castillo also arranged for another gang member to participate in the murder of Victim 1. As part of the scheme to murder Victim 1, MS-13 members lured Victim 1 to a wooded area in Frederick, Maryland where members repeatedly struck Victim 1 with a machete and a knife until he was dead.  The day after the murder, MS-13 members buried Victim 1 in a wooded area where Victim 1’s body was ultimately recovered. 

Prior to May 10, 2015, at the direction of Guerra- Castillo, MS-13 gang members forced Victim 2 to make regular extortion payments to the gang.  On May 10, 2015, Guerra-Castillo directed other MS-13 members and associates to kidnap and kill Victim 2, who had stopped making the extortion payments to the gang.  Gang members held Victim 2 at gunpoint while Victim 2 was forced into a vehicle and taken to a wooded area.  Once Victim 2 agreed to pay the gang, Guerra-Castillo and other leadership approved the release of Victim 2, despite their original order directing MS-13 members to murder Victim 2 for lack of payment. 

As stated in his plea agreement, on August 2015, MS-13 members and associates, planned and conspired to murder Victim 3, whom they believed to be a rival gang member.  After identifying Victim 3, gang members sought and received approval from Guerra-Castillo to commit the murder.  Several days prior to August 28, 2015, MS-13 gang members surveilled Victim 3 and his girlfriend, Victim 4 to determine when Victim 3 would be home. On the morning of August 28, 2015, gang members went to the apartment and waited inside for Victim 3 and Victim 4 to return.  When they arrived, three gang members attacked Victim 3 and Victim 4 with a machete and knives.  Although both survived, the attack on Victim 3 left the victim with severe wounds to the face and both hands nearly severed.  As a result of the attack, Victim 3 has lost all function of one hand and still has only limited use of the other. 

Guerra-Castillo also admitted that he approved and assisted in the planning of the murder of a suspected associate of a rival gang, identified as Victim 18.  On June 24, 2017, Guerra-Castillo’s girlfriend lured Victim 18 to a location so MS-13 members could kidnap and kill the victim.  Once the victim was in the car, MS-13 members transported the victim to a secluded area in Crownsville, Maryland, where other MS-13 members had dug a grave and gathered weapons.  When the victim arrived, MS-13 gang members attacked Victim 18 with a machete and knives, until the victim was dead. Victim 18’s body was then dismembered and buried in the grave.  The murder of Victim 18 was intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13 and allow members to maintain or increase their status within the gang.

Guerra-Castillo and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Guerra-Castillo will be sentenced to between 390 and 540 months in federal prison.  Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for October 15, 2021 at 2 p.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI; HSI; the Frederick Police Department; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in the investigation, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Catherine K. Dick, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized “http://pharmacywalmart.com” and “https://stromectol-ivermectin.com” which on June 16, 2021 resolved to “https://en.pharmacywalmart.com/buy-stromectol-usa.html.” The websites contained numerous uses of the legitimate Walmart trademarked logo and appears to attempt to mimic a legitimate Walmart website.  The fraudulent websites allegedly offers for sale a number of drugs for the experimental and unapproved treatment or prevention of COVID-19.  Instead, the domains were allegedly used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites in order to use the information for nefarious purposes, including fraud, phishing attacks, and/or deployment of malware.  Individuals visiting the sites will now see a message that the site has been seized by the federal government and be redirected to another site for additional information.  These are the 12th and 13th COVID fraud related domain name seized by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and HSI.

The seizure of the domains name was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations - Baltimore.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizure, the HSI Intellectual Property Rights Center (“IPRC”) and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center (“C3”) discovered an apparent fraudulent website, named “https://stromectol-ivermectin.com” which resolved to an internal webpage of “pharmacywalmart.com.”  A domain analysis conducted by HSI indicated that pharmacywalmart.com was created on November 4, 2019, from a registrant located in Russia.

The HSI Cyber Operations Officer (COO) noted the phone number “+1-718-475-90-88” on the pharmacywalmart.com website. While the location for the area code for this number is New York City, the format provided does not match that of a typical United States based phone number. Pharmacywalmart.com purports to offer for sale a number of drugs, including Stromectol (Ivermectin), Aralen (Chloroquine) and Kaletra (Lopinavir and Ritonavir), for the experimental and unapproved treatment or prevention of COVID-19.

As detailed in the affidavit filed in support of the seizure, Stromectol is the brand name of Ivermectin which is a prescription medication used to treat certain parasitic infections; Aralen is a brand name for chloroquine, most commonly used for the treatment and prevention of malaria; and Kaletra is the brand name of a combination of Lopinavir and Ritonavir which are prescription medications that are approved to treat human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). None of those drugs are an approved preventative or treatment for COVID-19.  On the page offering Kaletra for sale, the subject domain name contained the following: “In 2020, after laboratory researches, it was found out that Kaletra shows positive results in a blockage of a COVID-19 viral replication.” The affidavit alleges that this statement is not supported by trials or the FDA.

Neither domain name is authorized by Walmart to use their intellectual property or offer their products for sale.  By seizing the sites, the government has prevented third parties from acquiring the names and using it to commit additional crimes, as well as prevented third parties from continuing to access the sites in their present form.

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI for its work in this investigation.  Mr. Lenzner recognized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Baltimore County Police Department for their assistance and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Sean R. Delaney, who are handling the case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Karon Foster, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, a carjacking conspiracy, and aiding and abetting a carjacking resulting in death.   

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; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.

According to his guilty plea, beginning in April 2019, Foster was part of an enterprise that engaged in a pattern of deadly racketeering activity, including a series of armed carjackings, armed robberies, attempted armed robberies, and the pawning of stolen goods. Specifically, between April 19, 2019 and August 8, 2019, Foster and his crew committed 13 specific violent crimes in Baltimore, including: eight armed carjackings (including the June 12, 2019 murder of Taven Lowther); and five armed robberies and attempted robberies, including two in which victims were murdered.  Three victims were murdered by Foster’s crew during the time of the conspiracy, and a fourth victim was paralyzed as a result of an armed robbery.  

“Over just four months in 2019, Karon Foster and his crew were responsible for a violent spree of 13 armed carjackings and robberies throughout Baltimore, including three that killed innocent victims and another that left a victim paralyzed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Foster and his co-conspirators used firearms and fear to steal cars, property and most tragically the lives of other human beings.  This case reflects the collaboration and commitment of federal, state, and local law enforcement to hold accountable violent offenders like Foster and his co-conspirators.  Four months of violence will result in at least three decades in federal prison for Karon Foster; hopefully others like him will take notice and choose to put down the guns and take a different path.”

The plea agreement details a series of violent crimes committed by Foster and his co-conspirators, including one on June 12, 2019, when Victim 1 visited Taven Lowther’s Baltimore apartment. As Victim 1 conversed with Lowther, Foster and other members of the enterprise approached Lowther and Victim 1 in a stolen vehicle and parked directly across from them.  Four men exited the vehicle, two of whom possessed firearms.  Members of the enterprise approached Victim 1 and announced a robbery.  Victim 1 fled the scene on foot while Lowther resisted the robbers’ commands.  Lowther was shot several times and subsequently died from his injuries.  Victim 1 later returned to the scene and discovered that Victim 1’s car and Lowther’s body were both gone, and only Lowther’s shoes remained at the scene.  Foster aided and abetted the enterprise by driving the stolen vehicle to and from the scene of the attempted robbery and Lowther’s murder.

Members of the conspiracy not only promoted their activities on social media, but they also shared proceeds of their exploits.  As part of the enterprise, Foster pawned items stolen from victims. Members also concealed enterprise activities by hiding, destroying, or disposing of evidence.

Foster and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Foster will be sentenced to between 30 years and 40 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not scheduled the sentencing hearing at this time.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon Moore who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed charging Patrick Nwaokwu, age 50, of Laurel, Maryland; Musa Bangura, age 62, of Manassas, Virginia; and Johanah Napoleon, age 45, of Wellington, Florida with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit false statements relating to health care matters, and false statements to health care matters, in connection with a scheme to produce and sell fraudulent nursing transcripts and diplomas. 

The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez of the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Elton Malone of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.

According to affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Nwaokwu, Bangura, and Napoleon conspired with others to commit health care fraud by producing and selling fraudulent nursing transcripts and diplomas, which were used to indicate that various individuals completed necessary courses and clinical hours to obtain medical licenses and practice in the health care field. 

As detailed in the affidavit, Nwaokwu and Bangura owned and operated a nursing school located in Virginia (Nursing School 1).  In 2013, the nursing school was forced to close due to violations of Virginia board regulations.  The criminal complaint alleges that after that time, Nwaokwu and Bangura operated the former nursing school as an entity where individuals could purchase backdated, illegitimate registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) transcripts and certifications.  Nwaokwu, and his associates also allegedly coached otherwise unqualified individuals to pass nursing board exams.  A number of these unqualified individuals allegedly obtained employment at various healthcare providers in the District of Maryland.   According to the criminal complaint, approximately 175 of Nwaokwu’s nursing graduates have applied to the Maryland Board of Nursing.  

According to the criminal complaint, Nwaokwu conspired with individuals in Florida to sell illegitimate nursing degrees from a second nursing school (Nursing School 2) established by Napoleon in July 2016.  In 2017, the Florida Board of Nursing forced the school to cease operations due to a low National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) passing rate.  The affidavit alleges that the cost of illegitimate degrees from Nursing School 2 included preparation classes solely designed to pass the NCLEX and not to provide a formal education.

The criminal complaint also states that investigators obtained a list of Nursing School 2 graduates who applied to take the New York State Board Examination.  Some individuals whose transcripts were backdated are included in this list as having passed the New York State Board Examination. 

Court documents also detail two separate FBI undercover operations in which the FBI purchased fraudulent degrees. For example, in 2020, a confidential source allegedly obtained a fraudulent RN degree from Nwaokwu from Nursing School 2 and in March 2021, an FBI undercover agent purchased a diploma from Nursing School 2 for approximately $16,000. The diploma from Nursing School 2 appears to be signed by Napoleon with a graduation date of June 29, 2018. Nwaokwu, Bangura, Napoleon, and their coconspirators allegedly sold illegitimate transcripts and degrees for between $6,000 and $18,000.

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 and the HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Catherine K. Dick, who are prosecuting the federal case.

If you have information to report regarding this case or any other case involving falsified medical degrees, please call the FBI hotline: (410) 277-6999.

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 – Troy Lee Neal, age 42, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.  Neal has prior criminal convictions including a 2004 conviction for distributing controlled substances.

The guilty plea 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; 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 Neal, Mark Williams, and another co-conspirator as suppliers of cocaine 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 Neal and his co-conspirators.  Intercepted text and telephone communications revealed Neal as a member of the drug distribution conspiracy.

Law enforcement also intercepted at least eight instances in which Neal, or his co-conspirators, conversed in coded conversations about drug activity. For example, on May 27, 2020, after a series of calls between a co-conspirator and a customer, police observed Neal and a co-conspirator visit a customer’s residence. Shortly after their arrival, two male customers entered the co-conspirator’s residence.  After one of the two male customers left the residence, police conducted a traffic stop and seized 3.6 grams of crack cocaine.

As stated in his plea agreement, on June 13, 2020 law enforcement covertly observed Neal, Williams, and a co-conspirator depart from Neal’s residence and travel to the Bronx in New York, where investigators believe that Neal, Williams, and the co-conspirator 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.

Police arrested Williams, Neal, and Johnson. Each were charged in Cecil County with various drug-related crimes.

Other circumstantial evidence corroborates Neal’s involvement in drug trafficking.  Neal has been unemployed and reported no legitimate income since 2018.  Additionally, two witnesses would advise that they regularly purchased crack cocaine from Neal from February 2020 to May 2020.       

Two other defendants, Kevin Johnson, and Mark Williams were indicted with Neal in 2020.  Mark Williams pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on June 29, 2021.  Johnson is pending trial on September 27, 2021.   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.   

Neal and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Neal will be sentenced to eight years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 26, 2021 at 11 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI, the Maryland State Police Department, 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 are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – William Tyler Beck, age 30, of Centreville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to coercion and enticement of a minor.

The plea 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 Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to his guilty plea, between 2014 and August 2018, Beck used internet-based communication services to coerce at least six minor females into creating and sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.  As part of his scheme to exploit the minors, Beck created fictitious accounts and represented himself as a 16-year old minor.

Specifically, on March 5, 2017, Beck used a cell phone and video streaming application to communicate with Jane Doe, a 9-year-old victim.  Beck instructed the victim to perform sexual acts on a live stream video and threatened to call the police if she did not cooperate with his demands.  As a result of Beck’s threats, Jane Doe exposed her breast, genitalia, and performed other sexual acts on an open live stream video.  The live stream video was viewed by over 100 users, some users immediately reported the conduct to law enforcement.  After Jane Doe was banned from the live stream site, Beck instructed Jane Doe to change her username to “Lil Sexy Chica” to stream another video where she performed additional sexual acts.  Beck also live streamed a video of himself masturbating during his communication with Jane Doe.

According to Beck’s plea agreement, from approximately 2014 to August 2017, Beck used two social media applications to communicate with minor females who identified themselves as ages 9 to 16 years of age. Beck communicated with more than 24 self-identifying minors during that time. All communications related to sex or requests for photos.  During most of the conversations, Beck falsely posed as a 16-year-old or 13-year-old minor.

In at least three instances, Beck threatened to expose the victims by posting pictures, stating that he already posted pictures, or threatening to tell the victims’ parents that they were using the applications.

Beck admits that he caused or attempted to cause at least five minor females between the ages of 13 and 16 years of age to produce images, videos, or live stream videos of their exposed genitalia.

As stated in his plea agreement, investigators executed a search warrant at Beck’s Centerville residence on August 22, 2018. During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized two of Beck’s cell phones.  As a result of a forensic analysis, investigators found the communication applications Beck used to communicate with female minors and well as hundreds of pornographic images.  On August 22, 2018, Beck admitted to using applications to communicate with minors and admitted to having a sexual interest in children.

Beck faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for coercion and enticement of a minor.  U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not scheduled the sentencing hearing at this time.

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 Maryland State Police, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Madisonville Police Department of Kentucky, and the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow 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 Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Igor Cooper Rosensteel, age 30, of Middle River, Maryland to 50 months in federal prison for device fraud and aggravated identity theft, related to a scheme in which he held himself out as a federal law enforcement officer or federal employee in order to defraud a total of at least 15 victims. 

Rosensteel previously admitted that he posed as a Secret Service Agent to gain the trust of his victims, then he exploited them, stealing bank checks and credit cards, among other things.  The guilty plea was entered on September 1, 2020.  Rosenteel also pled guilty to additional charges of identity theft that he committed while he was on pre-trial release status in June and July of 2020.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Lieutenant Colonel Kevin M. Anderson, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.

According to his guilty plea, on August 3, 2018, Rosensteel was driving in Baltimore when he was pulled over by Maryland Transportation Authority Police for driving with a suspended license.  When the patrol officer requested Rosensteel’s license and registration, Rosensteel instead pulled a law enforcement badge from his pocket, placed it on his lap and told the officer that he was a Secret Service Agent.  The officer detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and believed that Rosensteel was attempting to use his law enforcement badge to get out of a traffic ticket.  Rosensteel was transported to the police station and continued to maintain that he was a law enforcement officer.  Local police contacted the U.S. Secret Service in Washington, D.C.  Investigation revealed that Rosensteel had never worked as an officer or employee of the U.S. government.  After real Secret Service agents traveled to the police station in Baltimore, Rosensteel finally admitted that he had lied about being an agent and that the badge was fake.

As detailed in his plea agreement, additional investigation revealed that from approximately January 2018 through February 2019, Rosensteel falsely held himself out to be a federal law enforcement officer and he used this law enforcement status to defraud at least eight victims.  Specifically, Rosensteel used his law enforcement status to get everything from free parking and food in restaurants, to gaining the trust of women he met online.  Using his phony law enforcement persona to create a sense of security and trust, Rosensteel then exploited his victims by cashing out bank loans in the victims’ names, saddling the victims with the resulting debt and fees.  After being invited into victims’ homes, Rosensteel admitted that he surreptitiously searched their belongings, stealing keys, bank checks, and credit cards, then used those items to go on lavish spending sprees, with resulting losses of more than $20,000.

According to his second plea agreement, Rosensteel was placed on pretrial release on January 30, 2020, related to his pending federal charges.  While on pretrial release status, Rosensteel employed his previous strategy of deceptive online relationships and began a romantic relationship with person A under the false name of “Cooper Kent.”  In this relationship, Rosensteel falsely claimed he was an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency.  After an argument with his third-party custodian on June 3, 2020, Rosensteel removed his ankle monitoring bracelet, and he absconded from Maryland. 

On July 7, 2020, the United States Marshal’s Service apprehended Rosensteel in another state, and it was discovered that he possessed at least seven debit and credit cards in the names of at least six additional victims.  Law enforcement also discovered that Rosensteel possessed the banking information of another victim, which had been handwritten in a note inside of his wallet. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Secret Service, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police for their work in the investigation, and recognized the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Jeffrey John White, age 53, of Woodsboro, Maryland, to 133 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography.  At the time of his federal offense, White was on supervised probation for a previous conviction for similar conduct in Montgomery County Circuit Court.  Judge Gallagher ordered White to pay a $5,000 special assessment and $3,000 in restitution.  Judge Gallagher also ordered that White 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; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith III.

According to his guilty plea, White was previously convicted of two counts of possession of child pornography in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County on September 25, 2014. The conviction arose from White’s possession of almost 10,000 files of child sex abuse material.  For that conviction, White was sentenced to five years imprisonment, suspended, and five years of supervised release. On September 30, 2015, White was found to have violated his probation and was sentenced to five years in prison with all but 18 months suspended, followed by four years of supervised probation.

From April 14, 2020 through July 2020, while on supervised probation for his previous child pornography conviction, White began to use a peer-to-peer file sharing network to access, distribute and possess child pornography.  On three separate occasions in April 2020, investigators with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office were able to establish twenty direct connections with a device, later determined to be White’s laptop and SD card, to view and download known files of child pornography, including a one hour and thirty-nine second video depicting a prepubescent 12-year-old victim.

On July 6, 2020 law enforcement executed a search warrant at White’s Woodsboro residence and seized White’s laptop and SD card.  White told law enforcement that it was his laptop, however he claimed he did not know how to access the encrypted laptop. White also claimed to have no knowledge of child pornography activity on the file sharing network.  Additionally, a child-sized sex-doll with an anal and vaginal opening was located during the execution of the search warrant.

Federal agents were able to decrypt White’s laptop and forensically examine its hard drive, recovering 7,000 images and more than 240 videos of child pornography.  Child pornography found on White’s laptop was similar to the images investigators initially downloaded from White’s IP address. In addition, thousands of child erotica files were also discovered on White’s laptop and SD card. 

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, Frederick State’s Attorney’s Office, the Frederick Sheriff’s Office, and the Frederick County Cyber Crimes Task Force for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Loveland, Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who prosecuted the case.

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

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