District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Thomas Parker III, a/k/a “June,” age 53, of Washington, D.C., to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.  Eight co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy.  

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.

According to Parker’s guilty plea, from September 2017 to July 2018, Parker and his co-conspirators distributed heroin, fentanyl, and powder and crack cocaine to drug users and distributors in the Maryland and D.C. area.  Specifically, Parker supplied heroin and cocaine to co-defendants Arsenio Cleckley (a major narcotics trafficker in Maryland and Washington, D.C), and Diamante Hailey.

 As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 9, 2018, Parker and Cleckley spoke over the phone and Parker told Cleckley that he was serving time in a halfway house, but that a co-conspirator could supply drugs to Cleckley until Parker was released.  Shortly thereafter, the co-conspirator sold heroin to Cleckley.  Cleckley later complained to Parker that the heroin he got from the co-conspirator was diluted too much.  On March 12, 2018, Parker arranged to supply Cleckley with 28 grams of heroin and 31 grams of cocaine.  The next day, Cleckley told Parker he wanted to purchase “28 plus 10,” which meant he wanted 28 grams of heroin for himself and 10 grams of heroin for one of his associates.  During the conversation, Cleckley again complained about the quality of the heroin he had previously obtained from the co-conspirator.  Later on March 13, 2018, Cleckley called Hailey and told him that Cleckley had obtained 10 grams of heroin on Hailey’s behalf from Parker.

Parker also admitted that on March 15, 2018, he distributed 28 grams of heroin to Cleckley in exchange for $1,800.  Cleckley then contacted Hailey to let him know that Cleckley was going to direct heroin users to Hailey’s location so that the users could purchase heroin from Hailey.  Later the same day, Cleckley told Hailey that Cleckley intended to purchase an additional 28 to 30 grams of heroin from Parker that Cleckley could split with Hailey.

Between March 20 and May 25, 2018, Parker and Cleckley continued to negotiate drug transactions, including a conversation where Cleckley asked Parker to lower the price he was charging for a gram of heroin, and conversations in which Parker advised Cleckley that Hailey and Cleckly owed him money.  During one such call on May 25, 2018, Cleckley told Parker that he recently “fell in a hole” when one of Cleckley’s distributors, James Belt, was arrested in Accokeek, Maryland on May 18, 2018, with 32.5 grams of crack cocaine.

Co-defendants Arsenio Cleckley, a/k/a Bund, age 32 of Accokeek, Maryland; Diamante Lacelle Hailey, a/k/a Tay, age 27 of Clinton, Maryland; James Belt, a/k/a JB, age 32, of Lanham, Maryland; Alphonso Leroy Anthony Black, a/k/a Kobe, age 25 of Temple Hills, Maryland; Terri Bordeaux, a/k/a CeCe and Auntie, age 50, of Washington, D.C.; Christina Marshall, a/k/a Chrissy, age 32, of Accokeek; Devin Simmons, age 42, of Marbury, Maryland; and William Stewart, a/k/a Lil’ Will, age 24, also of Marbury, all previously pleaded guilty.  Simmons, Belt, Hailey, Stewart, and Black were sentenced to between five years in federal prison and time served—approximately 22 months, each followed by three years of supervised release.  The remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in the next two months. 

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 HSI, the Prince George County Police Department, the DEA, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Jennifer L. Wine, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – TOMORROW, THURSDAY, JULY 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, along with the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation, Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, will sponsor a one-stop reentry resource fair that will be held  FROM 10:00 A.M. TO 2:00 P.M. at the War Memorial, 101 N. Gay Street, Baltimore, MD.   More than 50 organizations, including at least 20 employers, will be on-site offering assistance and resources to returning citizens and justice-involved persons, including in the areas of employment, job training, educational opportunities, health services, transitional housing, and legal assistance, among other areas of support and assistance.  The Baltimore City Health Department will also be on hand offering free COVID-19 vaccinations.

The event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 

This reentry resource and job fair is a component of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction strategy.  In addition to the office’s enforcement efforts to remove violent criminals with guns from our communities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated a number of outreach, intervention and prevention efforts to support and invest in communities plagued by violence, such as this reentry resource fair and the I Care Baltimore campaign.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced George Drummond, age 51, of Baltimore, to four years 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 cocaine.  On July 13, 2021, Judge Hollander sentenced co-defendant Ricardo Simon, age 41, also of Baltimore, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release for the conspiracy. 

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

“The Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is a critical part of our strategy to make Baltimore safer by identifying and focusing on those groups responsible for the most violent crime in our city,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “The Monument Street area is one of the first areas the Strike Force has targeted and we anticipate that Strike Force cases will make these neighborhoods safer for the law-abiding citizens that live there.”

According to their 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 Tony Solomon as a source of supply in the conspiracy and Drummond as Solomon’s associate.  Simon was identified as a drug distributor for the OTM DTO.  Drummond was responsible for packaging controlled dangerous substances as well as maintaining a stash location of controlled dangerous substances for members of the conspiracy, to include cocaine. 

Specifically, Drummond admitted that he maintained a stash house at his residence in the 3200 block of Brighton Street in Baltimore, which he and his co-conspirators used for storing, cutting, and packaging drugs, as well as to meet with customers and conduct drug transactions.  According to his plea agreement, on behalf of Solomon, Drummond delivered cocaine every two weeks from July 2018 to January 2019, to a co-conspirator to “cook” the powder cocaine into crack cocaine.  On January 23, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Drummond’s residence and recovered: a firearm; 147 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin; one large and one small kilo press containing cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl; cutting agents and bags of gelatin capsules.  Throughout the course of his involvement, it was reasonably foreseeable to Drummond, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he or other members of the conspiracy would distribute at least 3.5 kilograms but less than 5 kilograms of cocaine, as well as quantities of fentanyl and heroin, during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

According to Simon’s plea agreement, Simon engaged in multiple phone calls and other electronic communications with other members of the conspiracy during which they discussed the distribution of controlled substances, to including cocaine.  Throughout the course of his involvement, it was reasonably foreseeable to Simon, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he or other members of the conspiracy would distribute at least 200 grams of cocaine, during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

Of the 25 defendants indicted in this case, 22—including Simon and Drummond—have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial.  On March 4, 2021, Judge Hollander sentenced Tony Solomon, age 55, of Baltimore, to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.   The remaining defendants have trial dates in November 2021.

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

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 – Sean Levan Henson, age 28, of Suitland, 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; Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department; and Chief Eric L. Reiley of the Woodstock Virginia Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, in February 2019, Henson used various social media platforms to communicate with a 14-year old female victim residing in Shenandoah County, Virginia.  Henson sent numerous sexual messages to the underaged victim using the screenname “stayreel2you”.  For example, on February 15, 2019 Henson sent a message stating “I’m gonna take my time and appreciate you and make love to that body.”

As detailed in his plea agreement, on February 22, 2019, Henson traveled to Shenandoah County, Virginia where he picked up the victim for the purpose of transporting her to Maryland and engaging in sexual activity.  On February 23, 2019, Henson engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim in Laurel, Maryland.  Henson subsequently paid for a ride-sharing service to transport the female victim back to Shenandoah County, Virginia.  The victim’s parents reported the victim as a missing person and gave a statement to law enforcement implicating Henson in her disappearance.

On March 6, 2019, law enforcement communicated with Henson by telephone.  At that time Henson admitted he was aware the victim was 14 years-old and that he had been communicating with the victim for two months with the intention of a romantic relationship.  Henson also informed law enforcement he picked up the victim at a Virginia gas station before he proceeded to Maryland where he engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim in Maryland.

Henson and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Henson will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for October 19, 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 FBI, the Laurel Police Department, and the Woodstock Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Statement from Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner:

“On behalf of the United States Attorney's Office, I would like to recognize the bravery and selfless commitment to public service of the Baltimore police officers assigned to the U.S. Marshal Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force who were shot and injured today in the line of duty.  Today is a painful reminder of the dangers that law enforcement face every day in performing their duties to keep our communities safe.  As reflected in their actions today, these two officers and their colleagues are dedicated to making communities in Baltimore safer, and they deserve our gratitude and appreciation.”

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Victor Davis, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to five years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute crack cocaine base.  As part of his plea agreement, Davis admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy the members of the drug conspiracy distributed between 28 grams and 112 grams of crack cocaine. 

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

According to his guilty plea, from December 2019 through September 29, 2020, Davis conspired with at least two others to distribute crack cocaine in the area of the 2600 block of Greenmount Avenue and the 400 block of East Lorraine Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, where Davis’s drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated a “drug shop.”  Members of the DTO, including Davis, conducted multiple hand-to-hand sales of drugs to confidential informants.

Davis admitted that he sold crack cocaine to confidential informants on four different occasions.  For example, on January 30, 2020, Davis sold two clear bags of crack cocaine to a confidential informant in exchange for $300.  In February 2020, a witness observed Davis in a home in the 400 block of East Lorraine Avenue preparing crack cocaine for street-level distribution and discussed future purchases of narcotics.  The witness also saw several guns in the home.  Davis admitted that the firearms were used to protect the DTO business and, therefore, were possessed in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Davis sold a confidential informant two bags of crack cocaine base $600 on February 26, 2020 and again March 4, 2020. On March 18, 2020, the confidential informant purchased four bags of crack cocaine from Davis for $650 and discussed a potential firearm transaction. Davis told the confidential informant that he possessed a “joint,” which is a slang term for a firearm.

Davis admitted that it is reasonably foreseeable to him that the members of the drug conspiracy distributed between 28 grams and 112 grams of crack cocaine. 

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

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Jason Daniel Ort, age 36, of Waldorf, Maryland, with possession and production of child pornography.  The criminal complaint was filed on June 16, 2021 and unsealed on July 7, 2021 after Ort’s arrest and initial appearance in U.S District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland.  Ort is detained pending trial.

The criminal complaint 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 Brigadier General Terry Bullard, Commander Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

According to the criminal complaint, Ort was arrested in Syracuse, New York on October 2, 2020 for unlawful surveillance after an adult complainant informed law enforcement that they noticed a small camera placed in their bedroom on October 1, 2020. Upon further inspection, the complainant located an SD card which the complainant removed from the camera and reviewed.  The complainant advised law enforcement that there was video content on the SD card allegedly depicting a minor female victim between the ages of five and eight-years-old using the restroom and showing Ort entering the bathroom and adjusting the camera. 

As detailed in the criminal complaint affidavit, on October 6, 2020 an Onondaga County Court Judge issued a warrant to search Ort’s personal laptop and SD card.  Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office detectives allegedly observed a video on the SD card that depicted a minor female victim between the ages of eight and ten years of age undressing and showering.  Additionally, a forensic review of Ort’s laptop allegedly revealed hundreds of images of minor females in various sexual poses, child sexual abuse material, and several videos of child pornography depicting prepubescent children.   A review of Ort’s SD card allegedly contained six videos of child pornography, including a ten-minute video that depicted two minor victims bathing in the shower with the assistance of an adult female.

On November 16, 2020, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and OSI executed a search warrant at Ort’s Waldorf, Maryland residence.  During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement allegedly recovered multiple devices including two external hard drives and a laptop.  A federal search warrant was subsequently executed on Ort’s seized devices.  The affidavit alleges that law enforcement recovered several videos of minor victims recorded on a hidden bathroom camera as well as a compilation video comprised of adult females using the restroom.  A review of the second external hard drive allegedly revealed key word searches of the terms related to child pornography. Lastly, investigators allegedly discovered a web history event for a website titled “Citizen’s Guide to U.S. Federal Law on Child Pornography”.

If convicted, Ort faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years for production of child pornography as well as a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.  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. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Collins who is prosecuting the federal case.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Linda Pylant, age 57, of Grasonville, Maryland, for the federal charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, social security fraud, and tax evasion.  The indictment was returned on May 19, 2021 and unsealed today upon Pylant’s arrest and initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG), Philadelphia Field Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to the eight-count indictment, from 2012 to July 2020, Pylant worked as an office administrator at a trade association, where she was responsible for bookkeeping, making check deposits, and other accounting duties, among other things.  The indictment alleges that from 2017 until 2020, Pylant obtained money intended for her employer, which she diverted for her own financial benefit.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that in October 2017, Pylant opened a bank account purportedly for her employer, without the employer’s knowledge or consent.  Pylant allegedly caused over $700,000 worth of checks intended for her employer to be deposited into the fraudulently opened account.  The indictment alleges that Pylant was the sole signatory on the bank account and hid its existence from her employer by causing bank statements to be mailed to Pylant’s home address.  According to the indictment, Pylant used more than $75,000 of the diverted funds at a local bingo hall, spent over $100,000 for retail shopping, dining, and grocery expenditures, and withdrew more than $200,000 in cash.

The indictment further alleges that in August 2015, Pylant applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) falsely stating that she was disabled and unable to work, even though she continued to work and earn income from her employment as administrator at the trade association.  As detailed in the indictment, after the Social Security Administration approved her SSDI application, Pylant continued to work for her employer and since 2018 received and spent more than $125,000 in SSDI benefit payments to which she was not entitled.

According to the indictment, from November 2014 until July 2020, Pylant evaded reporting her taxable income by causing her employer to pay her through a non-existent entity, LPSR Inc.  The indictment alleges that Pylant did not register LPSR with the State of Maryland nor the Internal Revenue Service, and caused her employer to fail to issue a 1099 IRS reporting form for LPSR.  As detailed in the indictment, Pylant allegedly caused her employer to pay LPSR more than $100,000, which was not reported to the Internal Revenue Service.  Pylant also allegedly made false statements to the SSA concerning her income and employment, including that her employment with the trade association had ended in May 2014.  The indictment alleges that in February 2016, Pylant filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy, which failed to list her taxable income from her employer.  On March 14, 2016, Pylant allegedly made false statements in connection with her bankruptcy petition, claiming that she was disabled, had zero earned income, was not required to file any tax returns, and that her employment status had not changed since February 2016.

If convicted, Pylant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of five counts of wire fraud; a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for aggravated identity theft; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for social security fraud and for tax evasion.  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, the SSA OIG, and the IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davio, 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 – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Shon Brian Beck, age 56, of Eldersburg, Maryland, yesterday to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for the production and receipt of child pornography. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to his guilty plea, in September 2001, Beck and his family traveled to Bethany Beach, Delaware, where they shared a condominium with two other families, including the victim’s family.  Jane Doe, the victim, was six years old at the time.  Beck admitted that he sneaked into the victim’s room and used a digital camera to produce eleven sexually explicit images of the victim.

As detailed in the plea agreement, in 2018, another victim reported that Beck had sexually abused her.  The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at Beck’s residence on March 22, 2019.  Law enforcement seized Beck’s computer equipment and digital cameras.  Beck’s digital devices were forensically examined.  Investigators found the eleven sexually explicit images of Jane Doe, as well as more than 450 images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of minor victims, including prepubescent minors, many of which Beck had downloaded from the Internet. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation and thanked the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, 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.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Sean Dean, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Dean must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the City of Laurel Police Department.

According to Dean’s plea agreement, from December 2017 until January 2018, Dean recruited, harbored, transported, and/or maintained five females, including four minors ranging from 15 to 17 years old, to engage in commercial sex acts.  Dean utilized social media and cellular telephones to recruit, monitor, direct, and communicate with the four girls and the woman.

In furtherance of the sex trafficking enterprise, Dean and/or a co-conspirator rented hotel rooms in Timonium and Laurel, Maryland to be used by the victims to engage in commercial sex acts.  Dean and his co-conspirator transported the victims to the various hotels where they would stay for multiple days. While in the hotel rooms, at Dean’s direction, the victims used a website to advertise themselves for commercial sex acts.  The advertisements contained pictures of the victims in provocative poses and provided contact information for clients to use to secure a “date” with the victims.  The victims were required to share a portion of the proceeds from any commercial sex acts with Dean and his co-conspirator. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, Dean and his co-conspirator transported three of the minor girls and the woman to a hotel in Timonium.  The victims were at the hotel for approximately one week and met with multiple customers per day to engage in commercial sex acts.  The victims shared a portion of the proceeds earned from their commercial sex acts with Dean and the co-conspirator.  Dean also rented rooms at a hotel in Laurel, where the victims engaged in commercial sex acts with multiple clients.  Dean also recruited the fourth minor girl to come to the hotel to engage in sex acts.

On January 11, 2018, Dean and his co-conspirator transported all five victims to another hotel in Laurel, where Dean had rented rooms for the victims to use for commercial sex acts.  In response to a complaint, law enforcement responded to two different rooms rented by Dean.  Law enforcement located three minor girls and the woman in the two rooms.  The fourth minor girl had already left the hotel.  Dean and the co-conspirator fled to avoid detection by law enforcement.  After leaving the area, Dean exchanged messages with the woman indicating that he had left to avoid law enforcement because he knew one of the victims was underage.  Dean also directed the woman to delete their messages.

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 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 praised the HSI and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Jude) has agreed to pay $27 million to settle allegations under the False Claims Act that, between November 2014 and October 2016, it knowingly sold defective heart devices to health care facilities that, in turn, implanted the devices into patients insured by federal healthcare programs.  St. Jude was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in January 2017.

The settlement agreement was announced today by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG); Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, of the Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General, OPM OIG.

“Medical device manufacturers have an obligation to be truthful with the Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. government will not pay for devices that are unsafe and risk injury or death,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “The government contends that St. Jude knowingly caused the submission of false claims and failed to inform the FDA with critical information about prior injuries and a death which, had the FDA been made aware, would have led to a recall.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting Medicare and other federal health care programs from fraud, and in doing so strengthen patient safety,” said Lenzner.

“To ensure the health and safety of patients, manufacturers of implantable cardiac devices must be transparent when communicating with the government about safety issues and incidents,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those companies whose conduct violates the law and puts patients’ health at risk.”

The government alleges that St. Jude failed to disclose serious adverse health events in connection with the premature depletion of the battery in certain models of its Fortify, Fortify Assura, Quadra, and Unify devices, which are implantable defibrillators used in patients at risk of cardiac arrest due to an irregular heartbeat.  The devices are surgically implanted into patients’ chests, and when the devices detect an irregular heartbeat, they send an electrical pulse to the heart to “shock” it back to its normal rhythm.  The government alleged that, by 2013, St. Jude knew that lithium clusters formed on the batteries of the devices, causing some of the batteries to short and, in turn, suffer a premature power drain. 

The government alleges that, in late 2014, St. Jude submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a change to prevent lithium clusters from draining the battery, and told the FDA, “no serious injury, permanent harm or deaths have been reported associated with this” issue.  However, according to the government’s allegations, St. Jude was aware at that time of two reported serious injuries and one death associated with premature battery depletion (PBD) induced by lithium clusters.

St. Jude continued to distribute devices that had been manufactured without the new design.    In August 2016, St. Jude contacted the FDA and informed it that the number of PBD events had increased to 729, including two deaths and 29 events associated with loss of pacing.  On October 10, 2016, St. Jude issued a medical advisory regarding the PBD caused by lithium cluster shorts, which FDA classified as a Class I recall.  A Class I recall is where there is a reasonable probability that “violative” products “will cause serious adverse health consequences, including death.”  After the recall, St. Jude no longer sold the older devices, but thousands of them had been implanted into patients between November 20, 2014 and October 10, 2016. 

“Ensuring patient safety is our number one priority,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable medical companies who put profits over people and ensure the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”

“The FDA regulates medical devices to assure that patient health is protected. Reporting information untruthfully to the agency about the safety of medical devices jeopardizes patients’ health and safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office.   “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who place the public health at risk.”

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate corruption that puts the health of our military members and their families at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher W. Dillard, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office.  “We hope this settlement sends a clear warning to medical corporations that choose profit over patient care.”

“The OPM OIG prioritizes the health and safety of patients above all else,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General, OPM OIG.  “We are grateful for today’s settlement and applaud the hard work of our Department of Justice and law enforcement partners.”

The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and obtain a portion of the government's recovery.  The civil lawsuit was filed in the District of Maryland and is captioned United States ex rel. Burke v. St. Jude Medical, Inc., No. 16-cv-3611 (D. Md.).

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HHS Office of Inspector General, the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, DCIS, and OPM OIG for their work in the investigation.  The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Corcoran and Jane Andersen and Trial Attorney Jonathan Gold of the Department of Justice Civil Fraud Section.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Quon’te Moore, age 22, of Essex, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and distribution of cocaine base.   

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.

According to his guilty plea, from December 2019 to September 2020, Moore conspired with others to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and to possess with the intent to distribute those drugs in the area of 2600 block of Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. Specifically, Moore’s drug trafficking organization operated a “drug shop” in the area of 2600 Greenmount Avenue and 400 East Lorraine Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Members of the organization, including Moore, sold cocaine base to two ATF confidential informants on several occasions between December 2019 and September 2020. 

In one instance, an ATF confidential informant purchased two clear vials containing cocaine base from Moore. The informant provided the substance to ATF agents for testing at the Baltimore Drug Analysis Unit, which confirmed the presence of cocaine base.

Moore agrees that is was reasonably foreseeable to him that members of the conspiracy would distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.  He also agrees that a firearm was possessed as part of and in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Moore and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Moore will be sentenced to 42 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake will schedule the sentencing hearing at a later date.  

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Cornelius Hendrix, age 19, of Starkville, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to arson within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction.   

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; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; and Fire Chief Trisha L. Wolford of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. 

According to his guilty plea, on August 21, 2020 Hendrix poured lighter fluid in areas of his father’s and stepmother’s Fort Meade military home, including outside his parents’ bedroom door, and the front door welcome mat. The presence of an ignitable liquid was also detected at the top of the stairs near his father’s and stepmother’s bedroom.

Hendrix then ignited a fire within the home before jumping off the rear porch and injuring his leg.

As stated in his plea agreement, the fire was extinguished with minimal property damage and no physical injuries. However, Hendrix’s father and stepmother’s lives were placed in jeopardy as a result of Hendrix’s conduct. 

After being medically evaluated and cleared, Hendrix was taken to Fort Meade Military Police Department for an interview.  Hendrix knowingly and voluntarily acknowledged spreading the lighter fluid and lighting the fire.

Hendrix faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for arson.   U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake will schedule a sentencing hearing at a later date.  

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF, FBI, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the Howard County State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Fort Meade Fire Department and the Fort Meade Military Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Six federal criminal complaints charging six defendants with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by violence or threats of violence including extortion were unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Maryland on Wednesday.  The affidavit in support of the criminal complaints was partially unsealed.  The defendants are:

Brayan Alexander Torres a/k/a “Spooky”;

Hernan Edgardo Yanes Rivera a/k/a “Shrek”, a/k/a “Recio”, a/k/a “Garra”;

Agustino Eugenio Rivas Rodriguez, a/k/a “Cipitio”, a/k/a “Chuchin”, a/k/a “Angel”, a/k/a “Terrible”;

Brian Samir Zelaya Meja a/k/a “Flaco”, a/k/a “Chispa”, a/k/a “Directo”;

Miguel Angel Ramires, a/k/a “Majin Buu”, a/k/a “El Gordo”;

Jorge Isaac Argueta Chica a/k/a “Timido”, a/k/a “Enamo”.

Torres, Rivas Rodriguez, Ramires, and Argueta Chica were arrested in Prince George’s County, Maryland on Tuesday.  Zelaya Mejia was arrested in Houston, Texas on Tuesday.  Yanes Rivera is already in federal custody after arrest on a pending Indictment charging him and others with Racketeering Conspiracy in Case No. PX-21-00047.

As alleged by the criminal complaint affidavit, Torres, Yanes Rivera, Rivas Rodriguez, Zelaya Mejia, Ramires, Argueta Chica and other co-conspirators are members of the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (“WLS”), a clique of MS-13.  Members of the same clique, including Yanes Rivera and unnamed co-conspirators, were also the subject of the Indictment charging Conspiracy to Participate in a Racketeering Enterprises filed in March of this year.

The criminal complaints were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Clark E. Settles of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Field Office Director Francisco Madrigal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement=s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Sheriff Melvin C. High of the Prince George’s County Sheriff Department.

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. 

As stated in the affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, 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 also frequently forces individuals to make extortion payments (that MS-13 refers to as “rent”) in order to operate unlicensed businesses in MS-13 gang-controlled territory. Extortion funds may then be used for gang purposes, including obtaining weapons and providing support for MS-13 gang members, some of whom are imprisoned in the United States, both inside and outside of Maryland, and in El Salvador.

Torres, Yanes Rivera and other WLS members threatened and collected rents from brothels and beer sellers. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement observed and recorded members of the clique collecting extortion payments. 

If convicted, each conspirator faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment for their participation in the conspiracy.  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 yesterday’s initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day ordered that Ramires and Argueta Chica be detained pending trial.  Torres and Rivas Rodriguez each have been ordered detained pending detention hearings scheduled for July 2, 2021.

A criminal complaint 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, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Prince George’s County Police Department; the Prince George’s County Sheriff Department; and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Thomas P. Windom, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal bank and wire fraud conspiracy, in which the conspirators received approximately $1,244,056.77 in stolen checks intended for religious institutions. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

According to his guilty plea, from June 2018 to October 2020, Velcu conspired with five other foreign nationals and others to steal checks, including donations, directed to religious institutions through the U.S. mail.  Velcu and his co-conspirators conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of religious institutions’ and removing the mail from the institution’s mailboxes.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Velcu fraudulently opened bank accounts at more than four victim financial institutions under false identities.  Co-conspirators opened bank accounts in coordination with a conspiracy member employed at one of the victim financial institutions, who assisted in the fraudulent account openings under false identities.

Velcu often fraudulently negotiated stolen checks at victim financial institutions through automated teller machine (ATM) transactions and deposited stolen proceeds into both fraudulently opened bank accounts and into bank accounts held in his name or a family member’s identity.  Velcu subsequently withdrew money from the fraudulently opened bank accounts through ATMs and spent fraudulent funds associated with the fraudulently opened bank accounts.

On October 9, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search and seizure warrant at Velcu’s residence.  Authorities seized documents pertaining to at least one fraudulent bank account as well as fraudulent French identity documents containing photographs of Velcu with a fictitious name.  In order to open fraudulent bank accounts, Velcu but using several fictitious names and identifying documentation.

During the course of the conspiracy, Velcu personally negotiated at least approximately 70 stolen checks totaling in at least approximately $40,357.50 from various religious institutions in Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Minnesota, Georgia, and Maryland.  Velcu withdrew at least $4,740 from the accounts that received checks. The accounts Velcu personally deposited checks into received at least $48,987.44 from approximately 101 stolen checks.

Eight additional accounts in the name of Velcu or a family member received at least approximately $82,872.65 from approximately 145 stolen checks, and at least that amount was withdrawn.

Co-defendant Marian Unguru, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty to the same charge on April 23, 2021. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2021, at 10 a.m.

Co-defendant Nicolae Gindac pleaded guilty to the same charge on June 29, 2021.  His sentencing is scheduled for August 31, 2021, at 2 p.m.

As part of his plea agreement, Velcu has agreed to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is at least $1,244,056.77.

Velcu faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.   U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for September 29, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. 

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

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Claude Avery Rucker, age 31, of Capitol Heights, Maryland to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

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 plea agreement, on December 11, 2019, Prince George’s County Police Department officers received a call reporting a parked vehicle in Capitol Heights, Maryland. As officers arrived on the scene, officers observed a silver vehicle parked with it’s low beams on.  There were no other vehicles with lights on at the scene.

As officers approached Rucker, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, one officer smelled the odor of marijuana emitting from Rucker.  When asked if he lived in the area, Rucker informed police that his uncle lived at one of the near-by residences.  When law enforcement asked Rucker to provide identification, Rucker was unable to do so.  Officers then asked Rucker to step out of the vehicle, at which time Rucker asked to call his uncle.

As Rucker exited the vehicle, Rucker shoved one law enforcement officer and attempted to flee on foot.  Officers struggled with Rucker near the trunk of the vehicle as Rucker repeatedly reached for his waistband area and refused to comply with officers’ commands to place his hands behind his back.

As officers placed Rucker into handcuffs, a Glock Model 19 9mm handgun loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition fell from Rucker’s waistband. Law enforcement performed a search incident to the arrest that recovered approximately 15.4 grams of marijuana from Rucker’s right jacket pocket.

Prior to December 11, 2019, Rucker had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term exceeding one year and his civil rights had not been restored.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwight J. Draughon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig G. Fansler, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Joel William Hammond, age 35, of Essex, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 28 grams of cocaine base.   

The guilty plea 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; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Sheriff Jeff Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Narcotics Task Force comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department and the Harford County States Attorney’s Office.

According to his guilty plea, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force undertook an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing powder and crack cocaine in Harford County, Maryland. On February 4, 2020, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force received authorization from a Circuit Court County Judge to intercept wire and electronic communication of drug trafficking organization members. 

Over the course of the investigation, detectives intercepted numerous drug-related communications over social media and phone calls.  The intercepted communications identified Hammond as a drug supply source. 

On March 7, 2020, task force detectives followed one of the DTO members to Hammond’s Essex, Maryland residence.  Upon arrival, detectives observed members of the DTO make contact with Hammond.  Following the meeting with Hammond, DTO members returned to Harford County.  Detectives then observed one of the members of the DTO meet with several known drug users, following the meeting with Hammond.  Detectives believe this to be consistent with this individual obtaining two to three ounces of crack cocaine from Hammond, the source of supply for the DTO.

Hammond met with members and customers of the DTO on at least 10 occasions between March and April 2020.  Specifically, on March 31 detectives intercepted a series of communications indicating that a member of the DTO planned to meet Hammond to obtain crack cocaine.  Investigators learned that Hammond sold approximately one ounce of crack cocaine to the individual during the meeting.

On April 21, 2020, investigators intercepted a communication that indicated that Hammond and a DTO member were to meet later that day.  Detectives observed Hammond and the DTO member make contact at Hammond’s residence.  Soon after, the DTO member proceeded to drive back to Harford County.  As the DTO member returned to Harford County, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team and Harford Narcotics Task Force searched the member’s vehicle during a traffic stop pursuant to a search warrant.

As a result of the search, law enforcement discovered two plastic bags of a white substance as well as $660 in U.S. currency.  One of the bags contained a white rock like substance that was similar to powder cocaine that had been directly cut off a kilogram of pressed cocaine.  In total, the substance was 16 grams in weight.  The second bag was an off-white rock like substance that law enforcement determined to be crack cocaine.  The total weight of the bag was 41 grams.  Both substances tested positive for the presence of cocaine. The combined weight of the two bags was 57.9 grams.

On April 22, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hammond’s residence and seized a small quantity of crack cocaine.

Hammond agrees it is reasonably foreseeable that the conspiracy involved at least 112 grams but less than 196 grams of crack cocaine.

Hammond and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Hammond will be sentenced to six years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2021 at 11 a.m. 

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Mark Williams, a/k/a Swanny, age 52, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.  Williams has prior criminal convictions including a 2001 drug felony offense for the distribution of cocaine. Two other defendants, Kevin Johnson and Troy Neal, were indicted with Williams in 2020 and are pending trial 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.

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 Williams and two co-conspirators 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 Williams and his co-conspirators.  Intercepted text and telephone communications revealed Williams as a member of the drug distribution conspiracy.

Law enforcement intercepted at least eight instances in which Williams, 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 Williams 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, after a series of coded calls among Williams and two co-conspirators law enforcement covertly surveilled the three men depart Neal’s residence and travel to the Bronx in New York, a known source area for cocaine.  The next day, on June 14, 2020, law enforcement observed the three men travel back to a Maryland residence.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant at a co-conspirator’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 evidence corroborates Williams’s involvement in drug trafficking including a lack of legitimate employment to support his life expenses.  According to the IRS, Williams had reportable wages of approximately $6,000 in 2019 and less than $5,000 in 2020. Additionally, two witnesses would advise that they regularly purchased crack cocaine from Williams and a co-conspirator from February 2020 to May 2020.           

Williams and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Williams will be sentenced to seven years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 5, 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell,III sentenced Tony Lee Bauer age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland to 110 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III also sentenced co-defendant Rondell Ronald Hackett, age 43, of Middle River, Maryland to 138 months in federal prison for the same charge.

The sentences were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to Bauer and Hackett’s plea agreements, in December 2017 HSI and the Baltimore County Police Department were investigating a drug trafficking organization in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Bauer was identified as a member of the organization, along with Rondell Ronald Hackett, Aaron Kenith Waller, Gary Gaines-Hidalgo, Adrian Gilberto Herrera-Diaz, and Carlos Alejandro Castro-Castro.

 In December 2017, Gaines arranged to purchase kilograms of cocaine for $26,500/kilogram from a confidential source (CS), who was working with law enforcement.  Thereafter, Gaines arranged to resell the cocaine to Herrera for $28,000/kilogram. Gaines and Castro arranged to have 10 kilograms of cocaine delivered to them in Baltimore.

As detailed in their plea, on January 26, 2018, Gaines and Castro entered the United States from Mexico, then traveled to Baltimore.  Gaines and Castro agreed to sell three kilograms of cocaine to Herrera, Bauer, and Waller, with additional sales of kilograms of cocaine to follow the initial purchase.  Gaines agreed to meet the CS in the parking lot of a Baltimore hotel, and told Herrera, Bauer, and Waller to also meet him there. 

Three cars arrived at the agreed-upon location, one driven by the CS.  Hackett drove one vehicle with Herrera in the front passenger seat and Gaines in the driver’s side rear passenger seat.  Waller drove the third vehicle, with Bauer in the front seat and Castro in the rear passenger seat.  Bauer, Herrera, and Gaines exited their vehicles and met with the CS.  The CS then opened the trunk of his car, which contained two kilogram-shaped packages, one of powder cocaine and one kilogram of “sham,” or fake narcotics.  Gaines placed his hand in the bag containing the packages and members of HSI and the MSP Tactical Team approached.  Hackett and Waller attempted to drive away, but were stopped.  In Hackett’s car, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the center console and a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the rear passenger-side floor of the vehicle.  On the rear seat was a vinyl bank bag containing bank-banded cash and a white bag containing cash.  A search of Bauer also recovered banded-up amounts of cash.  Bauer and Hackett knowingly possessed the .45 caliber firearm to advance the objectives of the conspiracy.  In all, law enforcement recovered $129,583 in cash from the defendants, their vehicles, and their residence.

Gary Gaines-Hidalgo, age 28, and Carlos A. Castro-Castro, age 36, both of Baja California, Mexico, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.

Aaron Kenith Waller, age 52, of Crofton, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison.

Adrian Herrera-Diaz, age 29, of Baltimore County, Maryland is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III on July 20, 2021 at 10 a.m.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the HSI, Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland State Police Department, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Nicolae Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  The plea comes in relation to a conspiracy to steal and deposit checks intended for religious institutions.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.

According to his plea agreement, from at least June 2018 to January 2021, Gindac conspired with six co-conspirators and others to steal and negotiate checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions. Gindac’s co-conspirators executed the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes and directly removing the mail from the religious institutions’ mailboxes.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Gindac and other co-conspirators opened fraudulent bank accounts at several victim financial institutions under false identities and negotiated stolen checks by way of ATMs. Gindac deposited stolen checks into fraudulent bank accounts held in the names of his family members, including a minor family member who had not yet attained 18 years of age, and others. Gindac and his co-conspirators subsequently withdrew the stolen funds and spent them using debit cards associated with fraudulently opened bank accounts and other bank accounts.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Gindac deposited or was present for the depositing of at least $64,811.03 into 13 fraudulent accounts.  The accounts that Gindac deposited into received at least approximately $139,057.58 from 143 stolen checks.

On February 6, 2021, law enforcement arrested Gindac and recovered approximately $7,930.38 in U.S. currency as well as a yellow-gold and diamond-encrusted Rolex gentleman’s watch. Over the course of the conspiracy, Gindac used stolen proceeds to purchase a BMW 745i Sport sedan.

In total, the conspiracy received at least approximately $1,065,282.53 from 2,477 stolen checks.

Co-defendant Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, is scheduled for a guilty plea on July 2, 2021 at 9 a.m.

Gindac faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for August 31, 2021 at 2 p.m.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Tyrese Carter, age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to obtain the proceeds of a COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Economic Injury Disaster Loan from a victim business owner.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

According to his guilty plea, Carter was employed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an Emergency Management Specialist since at least 2018.  On April 9, 2020, Carter was detailed to work in a Small Business Administration (SBA) virtual call center, as part of FEMA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Carter was assigned to assist potential disaster loan applicants by answering questions about the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Victim A runs a small organic skin care and event center business based in Colorado.  In order to maintain her business during the COVID-19 pandemic, Victim A applied for both a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and an EIDL.  On April 4, 2020, Victim A submitted an online EIDL application and requested an advance of $9,000.  On April 13, 2020, concerned that the first application did not go through successfully Victim A submitted a second EIDL application.  Unbeknownst to Victim A, the second EIDL application was rejected as a duplicate application.

Meanwhile, at the request of Victim A, another bank submitted a PPP application on Victim A’s behalf, which was subsequently approved.  On April 30, 2020, Victim A received the proceeds of the PPP loan into her bank account.  The next day, Victim A received the proceeds from her original EIDL application into her bank account.

Victim A was confused as to whether the funds from SBA deposited into her bank account was from the PPP or EIDL programs and was concerned that she may have mistakenly been granted two EIDL advances as a result of filing two online EIDL applications.  Victim A called the SBA’s helpline on May 4, 2020, to report what she believed may have been an excess payment. Victim A spoke to Carter, telling him that she may have been overpaid by the SBA and requested information on the procedure for returning the excess funds. Carter stated he was not sure how Victim A could return the funds but told her a supervisor would call Victim A with further instructions.  Approximately thirty minutes thereafter, Carter telephoned Victim A from a blocked telephone number and falsely identified himself as SBA supervisor Michael Valdes.  In fact, there is no one working at SBA by that name.  Carter, posing as Valdes, told Victim A that he would send her an email providing directions for returning the funds.  That next day, Carter sent an email to Victim A from an email account he had created in the name of valdesmichael.sbafinancial@gmail.com.  The email contained logos appearing to be those of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the SBA.  The email directed Victim A to send $8,738.00 to a PayPal account in the name of “SBA Financial” within one week.  Based on the email, on May 5, 2020, Victim A directed her assistant to send $8,738 to the SBA Financial PayPal account as directed in the email.  Carter created the SBA Financial PayPal account on May 4, 2020 and closed it on May 20, 2020. 

According to the plea agreement, after Victim A sent the payment, she suspected the transaction may have been a fraud and contacted PayPal and her bank.  Victim A’s bank reimbursed Victim A.  The bank was never reimbursed, sustaining a loss of $8,738.  On May 8, 2020, Victim A reported the suspected fraud to the SBA. 

Carter admitted that on May 19, 2020, he attempted to transfer the funds from the SBA Financial PayPay account to a bank account he opened, but the transfer was initially held up by the bank.  As Victim A was working with her bank to cancel the transaction, Carter again contacted Victim A, posing as Michael Valdes, and asked Victim A to provide an update on the PayPal transfer.  In addition, Carter called Victim A posing as another fictitious SBA employee, Nathaniel Williams, in an effort to find out who Victim A had spoken to, purportedly so that Williams could “close her account.”  Carter then emailed Victim A from a purported SBA email address Carter created in the name of Nathaniel Williams.

On October 19, 2020, Carter’s bank returned the funds to PayPal, which deposited the funds into a second PayPal account belonging to Carter, since the SBA Financial PayPal account had been closed.  Carter then transferred to the funds to another bank account he controlled.  The next day, Carter withdrew $6,600 in cash at the bank counter, and another $1,000 from an ATM.

A review of Carter’s phone records reveal that Carter called or attempted to call Victim A’s telephone number six times in May 2020, blocking his caller identification information in each instance.

“Those employed in the federal government make a commitment to serve their country,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Taking advantage of a national emergency in this manner is not only criminal but it is also shameful and unpatriotic. Tyrese cater will now face the legal and financial consequences for exploiting a pandemic that has seriously impacted our nation”.

“This investigation and resulting guilty plea demonstrate our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to detect, and hold accountable, corrupt Federal employees,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “There is no place in the Federal service for those who take advantage of the citizens they are sworn to protect.”

As part of his plea agreement, Carter will be required to forfeit and pay $8,738 in restitution.

Carter faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud.   U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for October 8, 2021 at 10 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the SBA OIG and the DHS OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland –Ronald Alexander, age 50 of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.  While he was participating in the narcotics conspiracy, Alexander was employed by “Safe Streets,” an organization whose purpose is to reduce violence and crime in Baltimore through intervention.  While he was engaged in the distribution of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics, Alexander used his affiliation with Safe Streets to evade law enforcement in Baltimore, including on one occasion to avoid arrest when police seized from him a large quantity of fentanyl.

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

According to Alexander’s plea agreement, law enforcement obtained judicial authorization to intercept communications to and from cellular telephones used by Alexander from May through July 23, 2020.  Alexander’s conversations revealed that he operated a “drug shop” in the vicinity of Spaulding Avenue and Palmer Avenue in Northwest Baltimore.  Alexander and co-defendant Thomas Corey Crosby corresponded every week or two concerning the sale of narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.  After these conversations, which were often very brief, the pair would meet.  Most meetings took place at a gas station located at the intersection of Druid Park Avenue and Liberty Heights in Baltimore, where Crosby supplied drugs to Alexander.  Investigators conducted surveillance of many of these meetings and obtained surveillance video from the gas station.

“Ronald Alexander was an armed drug dealer who sold fentanyl and other dangerous drugs here in Baltimore,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Moreover, he shamefully used his employment with Safe Streets to evade law enforcement and avoid arrest when caught with fentanyl.  Community outreach programs play an important role in deterring youth from a life of crime.  Alexander had the opportunity to uplift his community but instead chose to pollute it with deadly narcotics that he sold to benefit only himself.”

As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 5, 2020, a Baltimore Police officer conducted a traffic stop of Alexander after Alexander rolled through a stop sign.  During the encounter, Alexander used his affiliation with Safe Streets and the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office to try to deter further police investigation. Alexander called an associate afterwards, and said, “Yeah. Police hopped on me. Told me to get off the phone. You know they scared, you know they scared of the Mayor Office, I said man I work for Safe Streets from the Mayor Office. I was just coming from one of my participant house, in need with this, it was in need of food due to the pandemic. He say oh, ok ok.”

On August 9, 2020, Alexander received a call from Crosby arranging to meet at the gas station.  At the gas station, Crosby was seen entering Alexander’s vehicle and the two had a brief conversation.  Crosby then placed an item in the center console area of Alexander’s vehicle and then got out of the car.  Alexander pulled away from the gas station and investigators performed a traffic stop and searched Alexander’s vehicle, recovering what was later determined to be 100 grams of fentanyl from a bag found in the center console.  Alexander again informed law enforcement that he worked for Safe Streets and provided law enforcement with a letter from the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office.  When asked about the bag in the center console, Alexander stated that he had taken the drugs from a member of the community as part of his work with the Safe Streets program in an attempt to prevent crime.  According to court documents, law enforcement seized the drugs, but permitted Alexander to leave without being arrested.  After the traffic stop, Alexander called Crosby and they met again at the same gas station.  After the meeting, Crosby disposed of his cell phone, which investigators had obtained authorization to intercept and track.

On August 14, 2020, search warrants were executed at locations related to the investigation, including Alexander’s residence in the 1200 block of North Augusta Avenue and a second residence where Alexander sometimes stayed in the unit block of North Culver Street, both in Baltimore.  Alexander was located at his residence.  There, law enforcement seized a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and six cartridges of ammunition, a digital scale and drug packaging material, suspected cutting agents, and Safe Streets apparel.  At the residence on North Culver Street, investigators located 80 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, more than 100 grams of powdered caffeine, and a digital scale.

Alexander was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition as the result of a 2001 conviction in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.  Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in that case and was released from the Bureau of Prisons in approximately May 2018. 

Thomas Corey Crosby, age 51, of Woodlawn, Maryland, previously pleaded and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Judge Russell also ordered Crosby to forfeit $134,499 in cash, seized during a search of his residence on August 14, 2020.

Alexander and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Alexander will be sentenced to between 11 and 13 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2021 at 11 a.m. 

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 and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Anthony Pelt, age 53, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as well as 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 and 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 plea agreement between March 2018 and July 2019, Pelt and a co-conspirator obtained the names, addresses, and bank information of over ten victim retailers to manufacture fraudulent checks in the names of the victim retailers.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Pelt and a co-conspirator returned merchandise for cash after purchasing items with bogus drivers’ licenses and fraudulently manufactured checks.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Pelt and his co-conspirator made over 75 transactions and caused a loss of over $224,000 in losses to victim retailers.  Pelt obtained at least $154,000 as part of the conspiracy.

As stated in the plea agreement, on February 22, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Pelt’s residence and a storage unit controlled by Pelt in Oxon Hill, Maryland.  Officers recovered Pelt’s cell phone, a machine used to create fraudulent checks, several receipts, stock checks, as well as a large cache of items purchased from victim retailers. Law enforcement seized over 67 items from Pelt’s Oxon Hill, Maryland storage facility including 18 cases of vinyl flooring, 39 white arabesque polished marble floor and wall tiles, eight cases of carpet tile, various home improvement items, and checks used at victim retail stores.

Law enforcement also seized two ghost guns from Pelt’s possession (firearms lacking a known manufacturer and serial number), an AR-style .223 caliber rifle and a 9mm handgun.  Additionally, officers found Pelt in possession of one 8-round 9mm magazine, one 30-round 5.56X45 magazine, approximately 117 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and approximately 241 rounds of 5.56X45 ammunition.  Prior to February 22, 2019, Pelt was previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and his civil rights had not been restored.

Officers also matched several of Pelt’s clothing items to the clothing seen in surveillance footage during the fraudulent transactions. 

A subsequent forensic review of Pelt’s cell phone revealed evidence of check fraud including photographs of checks, account numbers, and routing numbers that were used to make transactions at victim retail stores. 

As part of his plea agreement, Pelt will be required to pay $224,000 in restitution.

Pelt faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and a maximum of 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for September 20, 2021 at 10 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI and the Maryland State Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwight Draughon and Erin B. Pulice who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland- U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Delonte Wheeler, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

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

According to his plea agreement, on April 30, 2019, law enforcement observed Wheeler and an associate working together to distribute narcotics through several hand-to-hand transactions on the block of 1600 Moreland Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. 

As officers approached Wheeler and his associate, Wheeler entered a vehicle and drove away from the area.  Wheeler fled to a neighboring residential area where he attempted to discard two bags in a resident’s trashcan and his car keys at another resident’s garage.  Soon after, Wheeler was detained by law enforcement.

A Baltimore Police Department officer retrieved the two bags Wheeler attempted to conceal.  The BPD officer recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with 12 cartridges as well as 82 plastic bags of marijuana from the first bag.  The second bag Wheeler attempted to conceal contained 23 plastic containers of marijuana.  In sum, officers recovered approximately 459 grams of marijuana.

As stated in his plea agreement, Wheeler admitted that he possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Bernard Carolina, age 41, of Baltimore, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Judge Blake also ordered that Carolina forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement during the investigation, specifically, a .22 long rifle caliber revolver and six rounds of .22 caliber long rifle cartridges, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a matching magazine and 34 9mm rounds of ammunition.

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 Carolina’s plea agreement and other court documents, on July 17, 2019, Baltimore Police Department units set up an operation in the 400 block of Robert Street to surveil and interrupt a high-volume drug shop.  Before 7:30 a.m., a large group of people began to form a line.  Jimmy Harper, carrying a black bag, exited from the rear of a basement apartment of a residence in the 1900 block of Eutaw Place.  Harper gave several clear plastic bags that he took from the black bag to a man that officers believed was selling those drugs to customers nearby.  Upon seeing the officers, Harper fled, but was located and arrested.  Officers recovered approximately 124 gelcaps of a mixture containing fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl and a fully loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol from Harper.  From a vacant home along the path of Harper’s flight, which law enforcement believed served as a stash house, detectives also recovered a black plastic bag containing approximately twenty clear plastic bags, each with 25 gelcaps containing white powder (a “pack”), as well as another black plastic bag with approximately six packs. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, the next day, BPD detectives saw Carolina, who they believed ran the drug shop, exiting from the same rear basement apartment and carrying a black bag.  Officers attempted to arrest Carolina on outstanding warrants, but Carolina fled and threw the black bag into an adjacent backyard.   BPD officers arrested Carolina and recovered the bag, which contained 20 packs and matched the bag detectives recovered from the vacant house the day before.  Officers learned that an unknown individual informed the line of suspected drug buyers that someone had been arrested and that they would not be “up,” which referred to the fact that the shop would not have any drugs to sell.

The detectives executed a search warrant at the basement apartment and recovered drug packaging materials, a digital scale with a white, powdery residue, as well as a blue and black canvas bag that contained four black bags tied shut.  Each of the black bags contained 20 packs and matched the bags thrown by Carolina and recovered from Harper’s flight path.  Two loaded firearms were also recovered from the canvas bag, a .22 long rifle caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number, loaded with six rounds of .22 caliber long rifle cartridges; and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a matching magazine loaded with 34 rounds of 9mm ammunition.  In addition, law enforcement found a plastic bag with six gelcaps with white powder.

The BPD Drug Analysis Unit tested the substances within the total of approximately 2506 gelcaps recovered by law enforcement and determined that they contained both fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.  Carolina admitted that he intended to distribute those drugs.

Jimmy Harper, age 46, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Judge Blake sentenced Harper to 78 months in federal prison and ordered that he forfeit the firearm and ammunition seized by law enforcement upon Harper’s arrest.                    

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie D. Podlesni and Jeffrey M. Hann, 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a second superseding indictment that adds a new defendant, Kiara Haynes, age 36, of Baltimore, charging her with two counts of using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, causing the death of Jennifer Jeffrey and her seven-year-old child.  The second superseding indictment also restates the previous charges against Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a Poo, age 37, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, for conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to the drug trafficking crimes, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  The second superseding indictment was returned on June 23, 2021.

Haynes was arrested in Texas on June 18, 2021, on a related federal criminal complaint.  She had an initial appearance on that charge and was detained pending her transport to Maryland.  Briscoe remains in federal custody on his previous indictment and is expected to have an initial appearance on the new charges in U.S. District Court in Baltimore in the near future.

The second superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “The murders of Jennifer Jeffrey and her child were a tragedy.  The loss of any life is tragic, and never more so than a child. This indictment should make crystal clear that we will not stop investigating until we bring to justice everyone involved in a murder.  If you touch a witness, especially a child, the full weight of federal law enforcement will be harnessed to hold you accountable and bring you to justice.”

According to the second superseding indictment, from March through October 2015, Briscoe conspired with others to distribute heroin.  The second superseding indictment alleges that on May 27, 2015, Briscoe possessed with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.  On that same day, in connection with Briscoe’s heroin distribution, the second superseding indictment alleges that Briscoe and Haynes committed an armed robbery and during the course of the robbery Jennifer Jeffrey and Jeffrey’s seven-year-old child were shot and killed.  The second superseding indictment also alleges that Briscoe shot the child multiple times, including in the head and mouth, killing the child to prevent him/her from communicating with law enforcement.

If convicted of the murders, Briscoe and Haynes face a maximum sentence of death or life in prison.  Briscoe also faces death or a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the witness tampering murder; a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to distribute and for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. 

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 ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca, Sandra Wilkinson, and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Ronald M. Smith, age 47, of Elkton, Maryland, a former Baltimore Department of Public Works (“DPW”) supervisor, today to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for the federal charge of extortion under color of official right for misuse of his authority as a public employee. Judge Blake also ordered Smith to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $64,000, representing his gain from the crime.  Smith admitted that he accepted cash payments for work he caused DPW crews to perform for private businesses on at least 22 residential and commercial properties.

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

According to his plea agreement, in 2014 and 2015, Smith was an employee of the Department of Public Works in Baltimore City ("DPW").  Smith was a supervisor in the Water and Waste Management Division ("WWMD"), and his supervisory responsibilities included receiving work orders, dispatching work crews and supervising the crews on jobsites.  He supervised a crew of approximately eight employees.  Smith generally worked the night shift—from midnight to 8 a.m. and, though he was not a licensed plumber, was responsible for responding to, overseeing and performing service repairs to City water ways, pipes, taps, connections, valves and water mains.

From 2014 through 2015, DPW was not responsible for installation of new or upgraded water service from Baltimore City's water main to the water meter vault of a house or a commercial property.  If a property owner or developer was installing new or upgraded service to a property, the property owner/developer was required to hire a bonded utilities contractor, chosen from a list approved by Baltimore City DPW, to tap into the City's water main and connect from the water main to the property.  The contractor was required to create a water meter vault in which a water meter could be installed to measure water usage for billing to the address.  The property owner/developer, or the utilities contractor hired by the owner/developer, was also required to submit an Application for the Temporary Use of Right of Way to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Right of Way Permits Section, whenever the utilities contractor needed to "cut" into a street or alley to access the water main in connection with the installation of new or upgraded water service, and pay a fee of $300 for traffic control.  The contractor also had to pay a 9% inspection fee for City costs before work could proceed.  After the contractor completed the installation of the service, the contractor was required to repair the street cut.  If the work extended overnight, the contractor was required to install and bolt down a steel plate over the excavation and place asphalt around the edges of the plate to secure it.

In 2014 and 2015, Philip Michael Loverde was a licensed plumber in the State of Maryland and one of the owners of All Service Plumbing and Drain Cleaning (“ASPDC” or “All Service”). ASPDC provided plumbing services in the Baltimore area.   Loverde and ASPDC were not bonded approved utilities contractors permitted to tap into Baltimore City's water mains.

According to court documents, sometime in late 2014 or in 2015, a contractor in the Baltimore area was building four new row houses.  DPW was not required to install the new water or sewer utilities.  Loverde was contracted for All Service to perform the plumbing work inside his properties.  Loverde mentioned that he had a "utilities contractor," Smith, who could install the water and sewer services for the new construction.   Smith was not a bonded approved utilities contractor and was neither a licensed contractor nor a licensed plumber. Smith obtained no permits for the work or for the street cut. Rather, Smith had DPW employees come to the site with Baltimore City equipment to break the street pavement for the new utilities, causing a large hole in the street and installing two water lines from the public water main to the new vaults.  The DPW employees constructed two vaults which would accommodate two water meters each and installed a "jumper" so that from each vault, two lines ran from the vault to the houses.  The crews also installed one sewer line per house which ran to the sewer line in the street.  Loverde’s contract for the utility work and the interior plumbing for all four houses totaled $92,000.  Of this amount, Loverde paid Smith approximately $10,000 for the installation of water and sewer services. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, from May through October 2015, Smith was paid $12,500 for new water services to be installed at five row houses that were being re-developed.  Without permits or paid traffic fees, Smith caused DPW work crews using DPW equipment to break the pavement, dig the holes, connect the pipe from the water main to the vault and from the vault to the house.  Loverde was not involved. 

In 2015, TRF Development Partners ("TRF"), a non-profit corporation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was active in renovating certain sections of East Baltimore.   TRF had contracted with the East Baltimore Redevelopment Association to perform an historical rehabilitation of residential properties in east Baltimore.  A supervisor for TRF contracted with All Service for plumbing work at the residences.  In the 1200 block of Gay Street, water and sewer services connected to their respective lines from the back of the properties to a water main and sewer line buried underneath the alley behind the houses.  TRF paved over the back yards of the houses before new water and sewer services had been installed. 

Beginning sometime in 2015, Loverde agreed with Smith and an employee of TRF, that Smith would handle the connection of service from the City's water main to the water meter vault and then from the vault to the inside of the property for the residential and commercial properties on Preston and Gay Streets and perform similar utilities work for the sewer line.  The new lines would run from the front of the houses to connect with a water main and a sewer line in the street; the pre-existing water and sewer lines ran from the back of the properties to the alley and would not be used because of the already completed paving.

TRF had retained the front wall of the properties but had gutted them completely and rebuilt them.  Loverde's company was to be responsible for installing all interior plumbing and fixtures and connecting to the water supply lines and sewer lines that Smith had run into the property for the houses on Preston and Gay Street.

At the request of a TRF employee, Loverde agreed to include in his invoicing the charges for Smith to create the new water and sewer services for the properties.  Loverde agreed to cash the checks from TRF made payable to All Service and to provide the cash to Smith.  Loverde knew that Smith was not a bonded approved utilities contractor but intended to divert City employees, equipment and material to perform the work and to pocket the cash funneled through him by TRF.   

Smith admitted that he caused DPW work crews to cut the street on Preston and Gay Streets and connect the water and sewer services from the water main or sewer to the house for nine properties on Gay Street.  Smith charged $1600 per address for water and sewer installation, for a total of $14,400, without permits or traffic fees.  Smith caused a DPW crew with a heavy equipment operator to come to North Gay Street at night to cut the pavement, dig into the street and install the new water lines and sewer.  Because the crew worked at night and in haste, the work was badly done, and North Gay Street began to collapse.  The crew had to return at night to finish the street patching job.  Smith also charged TRF $17,500 for the installation of a new dedicated water line for a commercial property at 1759 East Preston Street to provide water to a required fire sprinkler system.  Smith installed the new water line with DPW crews, and Loverde cashed the TRF check and paid Smith.  

Smith met a developer who was tearing down a church at the corner of Elwood and East Baltimore Street.  The developer was rehabbing one row house and building 3 new row houses on the foundation of the old church.  The developer agreed with Smith that Smith would install new water service for the three new row houses by connecting to the water main on East Baltimore and the water main on Elwood.  They also agreed that Smith could install three new sewer connections to the sewer line that ran down the alley behind the church.  Once again, Smith used DPW crews and equipment to perform this work, obtained no permits, paid no traffic fees, and paid no inspection fees.  Smith was paid approximately $10,000 in cash for this work.  Loverde was not involved.

In all, Smith admitted that he received at least $64,000 for the work performed by DPW crews.  Loverde previously pleaded guilty to his role in the extortion scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Kenneth Clark Jr., a/k/a “Man”, a/k/a “Play”, age 30, of Port Deposit, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to a narcotics conspiracy 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; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams.

According to his guilty plea, on February 20, 2020, Clark and his associate (Associate 1) were stopped by a Cecil County Officer due to speeding and failing to stop at a stop sign.  The officer activated his mobile video recorder, capturing video through the windshield of his patrol vehicle.  

After the vehicle came to a stop, the officer observed the vehicle shake as the driver and passenger switched seats.

The officer asked both occupants to produce identification documents and vehicle registration.  The driver, Associate 1, produced identification while Clark informed the officer that he did not have a license.  Clark then attempted to flee the scene by grabbing the gear shifter and commanding Associate 1 to drive.  However, the car did not move.  At that time, the officer turned off the vehicle while Clark and Associate 1 ran on foot.  The officer’s in-car video camera captured Clark holding a black semi-automatic handgun as he exited the passenger side.  Associate 1 and Clark were later apprehended by law enforcement.

As stated in his plea agreement, Clark was searched subsequent to his arrest. Officers recovered $1,802 in cash on Clark’s person.  The officer returned to the area where Clark threw the firearm and recovered a .22 LR handgun with 11 live rounds in the magazine   Additionally, the firearm in Clark’s possession was reported stolen in February 2020.  Clark knew that he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions, including a 2016 conviction for second-degree assault in Cecil County Circuit Court.  During the search of the vehicle, the officer recovered approximately six grams of marijuana inside the passenger’s side door and two cell phones.  The officer also recovered a small plastic baggie containing approximately one gram of crack cocaine on the floorboard where Clark was seated.

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

Additionally, Maryland state police recovered several photos of Clark brandishing firearms on his public social media accounts.  For example, on February 13, 2020, Clark posted two public photographs holding a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.  A subsequent review of Clark’s social media messages revealed conversations regarding narcotic transactions.

As detailed in his plea agreement, while incarcerated at the Cecil County Detention Center, Clark made several phone calls to two associates.  During these conversations, Clark asked for them to retrieve several hidden items from his father’s residence. Clark also spoke in code terms while providing specific instructions on where to find the items.  Over the course of the conversation, Clark instructed an associate and his father to remove potentially incriminating items from Clark’s room.

On February 28, 2020 Maryland State Police recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, that matched the description of the firearm depicted in Clark’s social media pictures, during a search of an associate’s residence.  The associate advised law enforcement that he obtained the firearm from Clark.

Clark and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Clark will be sentenced to 52 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for September 15, 2021 at 11 a.m. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Maryland State Police Department and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Collin Davis, age 34, of Pasadena, Maryland, pleaded guilty on June 22, 2021 to carjacking resulting in death, related to Davis’ murder in Baltimore of an individual who he knew and had attempted to carjack.    

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; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Collin Davis 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, and it is also the kind of case that we will always pursue to 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 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.

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 shooting the night before. 

Davis was arrested in November 2018 and a revolver and shotgun were found in the apartment where Davis was staying.  Davis admitted that the victim died as a result of Davis’s carjacking of the victim’s car.

Davis and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Davis will be sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for August 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. 

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 are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Donte Lamont Dingle, a/k/a Kane, Donte Dingol, Donta Dingle, and Dante Dingle, age 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for four counts of interference with commerce by robbery; a conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; four counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in connection with the robberies of four liquor stores.  In each of the four liquor store robberies, Dingle brandished a gun and wore various costumes and disguises.  A federal jury convicted Dingle on October 20, 2020, after a six-day trial.  

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Amal Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

“Criminals like Donte Dingle who use firearms to commit robberies jeopardize lives, undermine communities and must be held accountable. Dingle committed these robberies in broad daylight and threatened the store employees at gunpoint,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Let this sentence send a strong message that these criminal actions cannot, and will not, be tolerated.  If you commit a crime with a gun, you could face a lengthy federal prison sentence, and with no parole.”

“Donte Dingle was a walking crime spree, endangering the lives of employees and customers at the businesses he robbed, leaving many with emotional and even physical scars,” said Rachel Byrd, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.  “We hope today's sentence sends a clear message that the FBI, and our law enforcement partners, will do everything in our power to bring these offenders to justice.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, between June 6, 2018 and July 12, 2018, Dingle committed four armed robberies of liquor stores located in Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties. During each of these robberies, Dingle entered the store and brandished a pistol at the victims, forcing them to empty the money from the cash registers into his bag and often threatening the victims with death or serious bodily injury.  After getting the money from the registers, Dingle forced the victims into a room in the rear of the store, and then fled to a waiting getaway car.  During the robbery on July 12, 2018, in Reisterstown, Maryland, witnesses testified that Dingle racked the slide of his gun loading a bullet into the chamber, pointed the gun at the store clerk, and threatened to shoot the clerk in the head if the clerk didn’t comply with Dingle’s orders.  In total, Dingle stole approximately $10,000 from the four stores.

According to trial testimony, DNA matching Dingle’s was recovered from a fake mustache that the robber had left on the floor behind the counter at the June 6th robbery.  Dingle’s DNA was also recovered from clothing, wigs, glasses, and other disguises that matched items worn by the robber, as well as from a silver .380-caliber pistol, that were seized by law enforcement during the execution of a search warrant at Dingle’s residence.  Dingle’s fingerprint was also recovered from a bag of chips that Dingle stole but then left at the scene of the July 12th robbery.

Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai N. Everett, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – James Dale Reed, age 42, of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of threats to a major candidate for President or Vice President—specifically, making threats against then-former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris.  A federal criminal complaint for the same charge was filed against Reed on October 21, 2020 and he was convicted of related state charges in Frederick County Circuit Court.

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.

“Making threats against candidates and fellow citizens for their political beliefs undermines our democracy and will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “This case reflects our commitment to holding accountable anyone who seeks to intimidate, harass or dissuade Americans from exercising their right to vote and to peacefully support the candidate of their choice.”

According to his guilty plea and court documents, on October 4, 2020, a letter threatening candidates for President and Vice President—specifically, then-former Vice President Joe Biden and then-Senator Kamala Harris—with physical harm and execution, was left on the doorstep of a resident in Frederick in the early morning hours.  The letter also stated, “…if you are a Biden/Harris supporter you will be targeted.  We have a list of homes and addresses by your election signs.  We are the ones with those scary guns. We are the ones your children have nightmares about…”  The resident had several signs in the yard supporting the candidates threatened in the letter.  The likeness of the subject delivering the letter was captured by a door camera and was subsequently identified as Reed. 

Investigators learned that Reed had firearms registered to him, including an M4/AR-15 and a 9mm pistol. On October 15, 2020, investigators contacted Reed at his residence and requested elimination palm prints and a more extensive handwriting sample.  Reed consented and complied with both requests.  Law enforcement then advised Reed of his Miranda rights, which he voluntarily waived.  Investigators audio-recorded the waiver and all subsequent questioning.  During the interview, Reed admitted that he wrote the letter and delivered it to the first house he saw that had multiple Democratic political signs because he was upset at the political situation.

Following the interview, law enforcement obtained an Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO) to seize Reed’s firearms based on misdemeanor charges of voter intimidation and threats of mass violence, and a search warrant for the clothing items visible on the video surveillance.  That same evening, law enforcement conducted the search of Reed’s house.  The search was limited primarily to the “back room” where Reed stated his guns and military equipment were located.  The “back room” that Reed referred to was full of U.S. Army paraphernalia, including many pairs of military-issue uniforms, helmets, plate carriers, and bags/packs.  Two grenades without blast caps were also found.  The room resembled a U.S. military outpost bunker containing a voluminous supply of maps, books, and documents related to military strategy and history.  Law enforcement seized: a Smith & Wesson 9VE handgun; a JC Higgins 20-12 Gauge rifle; a .223 caliber Bushmaster XM15-E25; a Hi Point 995 handgun; and approximately eight ammunition cans with 5.56 and 9mm ammunition and AR-15 carbine magazines.  In addition, a military-style “go-bag” was seized along with the jacket Reed wore when he delivered the threatening letter.

As part of his plea agreement, Reed has agreed to waive his interest in the firearms and ammunition.

Reed faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Reed on July 27, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the Frederick Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Joan C. Mathias, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Barry Thomas Goldsborough, age 52, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge for receipt of child pornography and to violating his federal supervised release for two previous federal sex offense convictions for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and for possession of child pornography.  Goldsborough has been detained since his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Maryland on September 23, 2020.

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

According his plea agreement, on April 8, 2019, Yahoo sent a CyberTipline Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an email account associated with Goldsborough had uploaded 181 files of suspected child pornography to his Yahoo account.  Law enforcement subsequently reviewed the 181 files and determined that approximately 70 of the 181 files were considered child pornography. 

On November 19, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Goldsborough’s residence in Laurel and seized several electronic devices.  A review of one of the devices revealed one image of child pornography.  Law enforcement subsequently obtained a search warrant for Goldsborough’s email address, which revealed that Goldsborough sent and received multiple images of child pornography.  For example, on January 27, 2018, Goldsborough received an image of child pornography from another email address.  Goldsborough responded to the sender, indicating that he liked young girls between eight and 14 years old.  Goldsborough also claimed to have had sex with an 11-year-old girl. 

Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for an Internet storage account associated with Goldsborough’s email address.  A review of the records found approximately 26 videos documenting the sexual abuse of children. 

Goldsborough has two prior federal sex offense convictions involving minor children. Specifically, a prior conviction for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and a prior conviction for possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.  Goldsborough was serving a 72-month term of federal supervised release from those two prior federal convictions at the time he committed the instant offense.    .  As part of his plea agreement, Goldsborough acknowledged that he will be required to continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and the laws of his state of residence.  Goldsborough will also be required to pay an additional special assessment of $5,000.

Goldsborough and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Goldsborough will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and a consecutive sentence of between 15 and 21 months in federal prison for multiple violations of his federal supervised release.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for October 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.    

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

For information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s priorities regarding Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood.   For more USAO-MD information about internet safety for children, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.   

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah B. Grossi, who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Robert Bascom, age 48, of Baltimore, Maryland to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams of heroin. 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from May 2020 to February 23, 2021, Bascom conspired with others to distribute, and to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin in Maryland and elsewhere.  Bascom made at least four trips to visit co-conspirators in New York in furtherance of the conspiracy.  As part of the conspiracy, Bascom also stored and distributed kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl at his Baltimore residence.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on February 17, 2021, investigators observed a co-conspirator carry a book bag and black shopping bag into Bascom’s residence.  Thereafter, investigators entered the residence pursuant to a judicially authorized search and seizure warrant.  Upon law enforcement’s entry, a co-conspirator attempted to flee the apartment.  Investigators observed the co-conspirator’s black and grey book bag on the living room couch as well as bundles of U.S. currency and rubber bands spread out on the floor.  Investigators eventually located Bascom and his co-conspirator inside of the apartment. 

As a result of the executed search warrant, law enforcement seized 1,079.3 grams of quinine (a drug cutting agent), 24.2 grams of diphenhydramine (another drug cutting agent), four cell phones, one tablet, miscellaneous paperwork, and $24, 422 hidden in numerous locations inside of the apartment.  Agents also discovered a drug tally and debt ledger within the co-conspirator’s book bag.  DEA agents believe the ledger is documentation of drug quantities distributed to individuals as well as client debts and transactions.

Investigators also recovered over 100 grams of heroin, more than one kilogram of fentanyl, large quantities of drug cutting agents, and drug paraphernalia from Bascom’s co-conspirator’s residences.

Bascom agreed that it is reasonably foreseeable to him that members of the conspiracy distributed one kilogram or more of heroin.  

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the DEA, HSI, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department, the Howard County Police Department and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary B. Stendig and James G. Warwick, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Deontay Williams, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, with two counts of carjacking, an armed commercial robbery, and three counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment was returned on June 16, 2021. 

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

According to the six-count indictment, between April 1, 2020 and April 10, 2020, Williams committed two carjackings and an armed robbery of a business, each time brandishing a gun. 

Specifically, the indictment alleges that on April 1, 2020, Williams, brandishing a gun, took a white 2020 Toyota Corolla from an individual by force, violence, and intimidation and with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.

On April 10, 2020, Williams allegedly robbed a cab driver in Baltimore, taking property from the driver by means of actual and threatened force and violence.  The indictment alleges that Williams brandished a gun during the robbery.  That same day, Williams allegedly carjacked a 2002 Ford E-150, threatening the driver at gunpoint in order to take the vehicle.

If convicted, Williams faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each of the two counts of carjacking; a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery; and a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for each of the three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  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.  Williams will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at a later date.  Williams is currently detained on unrelated 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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Xyavion Lawrence, age 20, of Washington, D.C. to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee’s inventory. 

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 Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on August 8, 2019 at 1:09 a.m. Baltimore County Police officers responded to a burglary that had occurred at a licensed gun store in Essex, Maryland. 

A subsequent review of the gun store’s surveillance footage revealed that Lawrence and a co-conspirator arrived at the gun store in, what was later determined to be, a stolen vehicle, 30 minutes prior to law enforcements arrival.  After repeatedly backing the vehicle into the front door of the gun store, Lawrence broke into the front window, retrieved several firearms from within the store, and threw the stolen firearms to his co-conspirator.  Lawrence and his co-conspirator returned to the vehicle and fled from the scene.

Shortly after the burglary, Lawrence broadcasted a social media video which captured Lawrence holding several firearms in the same clothing, mask, and gloves Lawrence wore during the burglary.  Law enforcement matched Lawrence’s clothing and identifying forearm tattoo to the gun store’s surveillance footage.  Additionally, the firearms captured in Lawrence’s video had the same strings tied around the trigger guard as the firearms sold in the gun store.

As stated in his plea agreement, Lawrence was wearing an ankle-monitoring device during the burglary.  Location data from Lawrence’s ankle monitor placed Lawrence at the gun store at the time of the burglary.

During Lawrence’s arrest on August 10, 2019, Lawrence possessed a .22 revolver, one of the stolen firearms from the gun store.

Lawrence admitted he stole a total of six firearms from the licensed gun store.

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 Richard P. Gallena who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Sherman Evans Jr., a/k/a “Face Evans”, age 33, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to 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 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 (PGPD).

According to his guilty plea, on August 4, 2019 Prince George’s County Police Department officers responded to a location in Oxon Hill, Maryland for a reported shooting.  Once officers arrived, officers noted that multiple vehicles were struck with bullets.  Multiple 9mm shell casings were recovered on the scene.  As a result of the investigation, PGPD officers identified Evans as a suspect in the shooting.

On August 5, 2019, Evans was arrested by PGPD and taken into custody. Evans informed law enforcement he used a firearm in self-defense and that the firearm he used was inside of his vehicle.  Evans consented to a search of his vehicle and law enforcement discovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol.  The firearm had nine 9mm cartridges in the magazine, which had a 16-round capacity.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 4, 2019, Evans knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction punishable by more than one year in prison and his civil rights had not been restored.

Evans faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison followed by a maximum of three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for October 19, 2021 at 10 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Pedro Avalos, age 33, of Sun Valley, California, pleaded guilty today to attempted possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of a substance containing cocaine.    

The guilty plea 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; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad.

According to his guilty plea, on February 19, 2020 an officer from the Maryland State Police Parcel Interdiction Initiative working at a mail shipping facility observed a parcel that displayed characteristics of a drug-laden parcel.  The parcel was scanned by a narcotics detection K-9, which made a positive alert for controlled substances.  Avalos was listed as the recipient.

Investigators searched the parcel pursuant to a search warrant and discovered that the parcel contained a record player.  After the record player was dismantled, investigators discovered two rectangular shaped bricks wrapped in plastic and heat-sealed bags.  One of the bricks revealed a white powdery substance which later tested positive for cocaine.  Subsequent lab analysis confirmed that each brick was positive for cocaine.  

Later that day, investigators arranged for a controlled delivery of the parcel.  Prior to the controlled delivery, investigators removed and replaced the original two kilograms of cocaine with “sham” cocaine, leaving one ounce of real cocaine from one of the original bricks.  An undercover officer posing as a delivery employee approached Avalos’s listed Baltimore delivery address.  The residence was a rented property Avalos secured under a fictitious name.  Avalos answered the door and accepted the parcel from the undercover officer. Avalos took possession of the parcel and returned into the residence.  A few minutes later, Avalos exited the residence and officers placed him under arrest.

During a search of Avalos’s residence, a mail delivery employee approached the residence with a second parcel for delivery. The second parcel listed Avalos as the sender of the parcel and the owner of the residence as the recipient.  A narcotics detection K-9 scanned the parcel and made a positive alert for the odor of controlled dangerous substances.  The second parcel was searched pursuant to a search warrant.  Like the first parcel, the second parcel contained two bricks of cocaine weighing approximately two kilograms hidden inside a record player.  Subsequent lab analysis confirmed that each brick was positive for cocaine.

The next day, on February 20, 2020, the owner of the residence called investigators to report that delivery of a third parcel addressed to Avalos was attempted at the residence.  Investigators recovered the third parcel and searched it pursuant to a search warrant.  Like the first two parcels, the third parcel contained a record player with two kilograms of cocaine hidden inside. 

In total, investigators recovered approximately six kilograms of cocaine from the three parcels. Avalos admitted he knowingly and intentionally attempted to possess the cocaine with the intent to distribute.

Avalos faces a maximum of life in prison followed by a mandatory minimum of five years of supervised release for attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.   U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has not scheduled a sentencing hearing at this time.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Maryland State Police, Baltimore Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte today sentenced Tiba Sakuri Conley, age 31, of Ellicott City, Maryland, to 157 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for federal drug distribution and firearms charges.  Conley was convicted by a federal jury on September 25, 2020, after a four-day trial. 

The sentence 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 Criminal Division; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on April 21, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Conley’s residence in Ellicott City, Maryland.  When law enforcement entered his residence, Conley was in the kitchen with bags of cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine), powder cocaine, digital scales with white residue, baking powder, a pyrex measuring cup with white residue, and a loaded .45 caliber pistol on the kitchen counters on either side of him.  Law enforcement recovered approximately 70 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 72 grams of powder cocaine, which Conley possessed with the intent to distribute, as well as four digital scales and $9,495 in United States currency ($495 of which was recovered from Conley’s person).

In furtherance of his drug trafficking, Conley also possessed another .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a 5.56x45 millimeter semi-automatic rifle, and a 7.62x39 millimeter semi-automatic rifle  There were almost 200 rounds of ammunition recovered from the residence—much of it loaded into large capacity magazines for the rifles.  Evidence presented at trial showed that Conley was the major contributor of DNA found on three of the firearms recovered from his residence.  In a recording played at trial, Conley acknowledged that he was “cooking” when law enforcement entered his residence and that, “They got me.”

The evidence showed that Conley knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as a result of a previous felony conviction.  At the time of the search, Conley was on probation for two other crimes—a conviction for armed robbery in Washington, D.C. and a conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in Prince George’s County.

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

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington and Baltimore field offices’ Cross Border Task Force, which focuses on the most egregious and violent street crews impacting the Prince George’s County and the District of Columbia.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Metropolitan Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Dwight J. Draughon, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Alex Smith, a/k/a Skeet, age 34, of Halethorpe, Maryland, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit a commercial robbery and for the attempted armed robbery of a food service business in Baltimore on December 5, 2018, during which an employee of the business was shot.  A federal jury convicted Smith on January 10, 2020, after a five-day trial.  

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

According to court documents and the evidence presented at Smith’s five-day trial, on December 5, 2018, Smith and co-defendant Cornell Slater committed an attempted armed robbery of a food service business, which was Slater’s former employer.  At approximately 3:22 a.m., Slater picked Smith up at his residence and the two traveled to the business.  At 4:30 a.m., four employees arrived for the morning shift to open the store.  Surveillance cameras show Smith and Slater waking across a parking lot in the direction of the employee entrance.  As employees entered the store, Smith and Slater trailed them through the open door, posing as employees.

As detailed in court documents and described during trial testimony, upon entering the building Slater confronted two victims outside of the manager’s office, pulling out a gun and shooting one of the victims in the face.  Slater then forced the other employee toward the direction of the cash room, where the safe was stored.  In the meantime, Smith entered the employee breakroom and confronted two other victims, brandishing a firearm while he ordered the victims to hand over their cell phones and get on the floor.  Once Slater and the victim reached the cash room, the victim quickly entered the room and shut the door behind him, knowing that the door would lock automatically.

Knowing that they had been locked out of the cash room, Smith and Slater fled to Slater’s vehicle and drove off.

As detailed in court documents, the conspirators drove to Slater’s home and Smith took a ride sharing service back to his house.  To conceal his participation in the robbery, Smith switched his phone number and deleted all of his text messages with Slater, including numerous communications before and after the robbery. Slater was subsequently arrested on December 18, 2018, outside of his residence in Odenton, Maryland.  The 9mm pistol used in the shooting at the restaurant supply company, as well as another shooting that Slater admitted to committing, was found under Slater’s bed, along with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition. 

On the eve of trial, co-defendant Cornell Slater, a/k/a Chopper, age 34, of Odenton, Maryland,  pleaded guilty to his role in the robbery and to another shooting.  Judge Bennett sentenced Slater to 30 years in federal prison. 

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF the Baltimore Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Warwick, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Eric Donovan Ashe, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.

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

According to his guilty plea, from 2017 to September 2019, Ashe posed as multiple minor girls and sold purported self-made pornography to various men in exchange for over $24,000 in gift cards.  In addition to searching for child pornography for at least five years, Ashe also distributed and received child pornography.

As detailed in his plea agreement, in 2016 Ashe pretended to be a female minor while communicating with a 13-year-old female victim (Minor Victim 1) on a social media platform.  Ashe later communicated with Minor Victim 1 as himself, including engaging in sexually explicit conversations with Minor Victim 1. Ashe also created a fictious social media account in Minor Victim 1’s likeness, using pictures he uploaded from Minor Victim 1’s genuine social media account and a fictitious name. The Minor Victim 1 did not give permission for Ashe to use her likeness in any capacity.

While posing as a minor in the likeness of the Minor Victim 1, Ashe communicated with dozens of men, and arranged to sell sexually explicit pictures and videos of Minor Victim 1 (who he claimed to be to the men).  Ashe offered various poses and sex acts in exchange for gift cards in various amounts. For example, on September 27, 2017, while posing as Victim 1, Ashe sent a “menu” to dozens of social media users for the price of certain images and sex acts to online users.  In one instance, Ashe sent a messaging stating “100 would get u 2 nude 2 masturbation video and a full body nude”.

Once Ashe completed the negotiations on social media, he instructed buyers to send gift cards to him and then directed the buyers to communicate with him on another messaging application.  Once on the messaging application, Ashe received payment and sent the explicit images to the buyers.

From July 7, 2017 to December 17, 2018, Ashe loaded over $24,000 in gift cards and spent at least $17,000 on electronics, restaurant gift cards, and clothing.  All orders were shipped to Ashe’s Baltimore address. 

As stated in his plea agreement, Ashe used two other fictitious social media profiles where he purported to be minor females.  Specifically, on September 5, 2017, Ashe used a messaging application to send a 1 minute and 41 second video that depicts a prepubescent minor female engaged in sexual acts.

On September 11, 2019 law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Ashe’s Baltimore residence.  During the search, investigators seized three of Ashe’s devices which contained over 500 videos and 250 images of child pornography.  The files included images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexual acts.  A subsequent forensic analysis of Ashe’s devices revealed that Ashe had been searching for child pornography since 2014 and as recently as 2019.  For example, on one of Ashe’s cell phones, Ashe searched phrases including: “movies about kids getting raped”, “are all men pedophile” and “necrophilia.”

Ashe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for distribution of child pornography.   U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 8, 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 FBI 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Christopher Kenneth Guy, age 29, of Tampa, Florida, for the federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, access device fraud, possession of unauthorized access devices, 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 Derek Pickle, of the Washington Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department.

According to the indictment, from May 2020 to August 2020, Guy and his co-conspirators submitted bogus unemployment benefit applications to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission using the personal identifying information of several identity theft victims.  Guy and his co-conspirators allegedly listed mailing addresses, easily accessible to members of the conspiracy, to receive prepaid debit cards through the United States Postal Service.

Due to a heightened financial need caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES ACT) established the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program (FPUC). The FPUC program allotted an additional $600 per week to unemployment benefit recipients.  Allegedly, Guy and his co-conspirators caused the disbursement of more than $176,970 in unemployment and FPUC proceeds.  Guy purportedly expended the sum of the illegally obtained proceeds on personal retail transactions and cash withdrawals.

Additionally, the indictment further alleges that Guy spent more than $10,000 in fraudulent transactions using 15 debit cards issued in seven victims’ names.

If convicted, Guy faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud; a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for access device fraud; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of unauthorized access devices; and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Department of Labor- OIG, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Howard County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Maddox and Sean Delaney, 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.  For more information on resources regarding reporting fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with Project SAFE and the PROTECT Week Coalition to help seniors in Maryland avoid falling victim to financial exploitation.  PROTECT Week, held June 14-18, 2021, offers opportunities to learn about the many forms of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older Marylanders.  The public outreach events include a virtual press conference, tele-town hall, and educational programming via social media. 

June 10, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. – Assistant United States Attorney Sean Delaney and FBI Supervisory Special Agent Keith Custer present on financial fraud targeting seniors at Oak Crest Senior Living, an over 55 community in Parkville, Maryland.  ** This event was recorded and will be distributed to other senior living communities.

June 14, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. – Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner joins Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot at virtual press conference launching PROTECT Week.  Online at www.Facebook.com/aarpmaryland and www.YouTube.com/aarpmaryland

June 15, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. – Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner joins Maryland AARP for Tele-town Hall event focusing on fake COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, government imposter scams, and romance scams targeting seniors.  You can tune in, or register for the robo-call here  https://vekeo.com/aarpmaryland/ or listen on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/aarpmd/

June 17, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. – Assistant United States Attorney Evelyn Cusson and BBB of Greater Maryland Executive Director Angie Barnett present to Civic Works Elder Services via Zoom on how to avoid gift card scams. 

June 18, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. – Assistant United States Attorney Evelyn Cusson and BBB of Greater Maryland Executive Director Angie Barnett host Facebook Live Event “Why Scammers Love Gift Cards.” 

Now in its fourth year, PROTECT Week 2021 coincides with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on June 15.  PROTECT Week resources, available on www.protectweek.org, will help Marylanders identify financial exploitation so that they may protect themselves and their loved ones from abuse. Visit www.protectweek.org for event details and registration.

About the Partners

The PROTECT Week Coalition includes the following partners:

•           Maryland Department of Aging
•           Maryland Office of the Attorney General
•           The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland
•           Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation
•           Maryland Office of the Comptroller
•           Maryland Department of Human Services
•           Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
•           Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition
•           EverSafe
•           ElderSAFE
•           SAFE: Stop Abuse of Elders
•           Baltimore County Restoring Elder Safety Today – BC REST Coalition
•           AARP Maryland
•           CCCSMD – Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Maryland

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed charging Randolph Stanley, age 42, of Clinton, Maryland, for the federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain student aid.  

The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Terry Harris of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General (OIG) Eastern Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, representatives from an online state university (University 1) headquartered in Adelphi, Maryland, met with agents of the Department of Education OIG to discuss a suspected student loan fraud scheme.  University 1’s initial investigation indicated Stanley allegedly led a scheme to unlawfully obtain state and federal student aid using approximately 60 students enrolled at University 1.  

Stanley has been employed with the Defense Contract Audit Agency since October 2008.  Previously, Stanley was employed as a Financial Advisor at University 1 from 2005 to 2007, which included determining student eligibility for federal, state, and institutional funds based on federal regulations.  Stanley also reported to (DCAA) that he was Director of Student Finances at a for-profit university (University 2) from June to October 2008, where he claimed to have “counseled prospective and continuing students as well as faculty and staff on all aspects of the financial aid application process.”

Students seeking to obtain federal student aid to cover student expenses such as tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies, must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  After submission of the FAFSA, the Department of Education office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) conducts an automated review of the information submitted to calculate the expected family contribution toward the cost of a student’s attendance at an institution of higher learning.  After aid is awarded, universities schools draw down federal student aid funds and disburse them.  The institution applies the aid to tuition and fees and any surplus is distributed directly to the student.  This is commonly referred to as the student loan refund.

The affidavit alleges that between 2005 and 2021, Stanley has fraudulently obtained federal student aid on behalf of Student Participants, who enrolled in at least eight universities. Student Participants in the Stanley ring allegedly received federal student aid but were not legitimate students as they lacked the intent to earn a degree.  As part of the scheme, Student Participants allegedly either allowed their personally identifiable information (PII) to be used on student loan financial forms or their PII was used without their knowledge, making them victims of identity theft. 

The affidavit alleges that Student Participants, including Stanley, were awarded tuition, which went directly to the schools.  Between 2005 and 2021, at least 65 Student Participants—including Stanley—were allegedly awarded at least $6.7 million in federal student aid, with at least $6.2 million disbursed to Student Participants.  Stanley, as the ringleader of the scheme, would allegedly pocket all or some of the student refunds, occasionally sharing refund money with other Student Participants.

According to the criminal complaint, Stanley allegedly paid a portion of the student loan refunds to Africa-based “Writer Participants” whom he directed to complete the coursework for the Student Participants.  The role of the Writer Participant was allegedly to complete Student Participants’ coursework, and preserve the appearance of sufficient academic performance, in order to maintain the student’s eligibility for financial aid.  As detailed in the affidavit, Writer Participants directly submitted assignments using the Student Participants’ usernames and passwords while falsely claiming to be the Student Participant and/or provided the assignments to Stanley or the Student Participant for submission.

 To avoid detection, with the aid of a Writer Participant (Co-Conspirator 1), Stanley allegedly attempted to hide the IP addresses of the Writer Participants to hinder the university’s ability to identify instances of shared IP addresses.  Writer Participants also allegedly manipulated popular plagiarism databases to screen work for potential plagiarism detection.

As part of the scheme to defraud, Stanley maintained four separate bank accounts to conduct financial transactions related to the scheme.  Some Student Participants allegedly directed universities to deposit student loan refunds directly into Stanley’s personal bank accounts.  University 1 records show that from 2015 to 2018, University 1 deposited more than $530,000 in student loan refunds for Student Participants other than Stanley, into four of Stanley’s bank accounts.  Stanley allegedly used some of the funds to pay Writer and Student Participants.

Stanley’s scheme allegedly extended to submitting bogus documents on behalf of Student Participants to meet university admission requirements. For example, the affidavit alleges that Stanley and a second co-conspirator (Co-Conspirator 2) arranged for foreign nationals to create fraudulent diplomas, transcripts, and other documents to qualify Student Participants for admission.

If convicted, Stanley faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for 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. 

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 Department of Education OIG and Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Harvey and Craig Fansler, who are prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Romaine Blunt, age 44, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and to violating the conditions of his supervised release for a previous conviction.  

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

According to his plea agreement, on February 26, 2009, Blunt was convicted for a violation for possession of prohibited contraband in prison.  Blunt received a sentence of 12 months imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release with the condition that Blunt not commit any new state or federal crime. On May 18, 2018, Blunt began his supervised release.  On May 22, 2019, the Court revoked Blunt’s supervised release and sentenced him to six months of imprisonment, followed by a new term of supervised release until May 17, 2021.

As detailed in Blunt’s plea agreement, on the morning of October 8, 2020, a Prince George’s County police officer responded to a residence in Suitland, Maryland based on a report that Blunt was in possession of a firearm outside of an apartment building.  Officers saw Blunt outside the apartment building and as they approached, Blunt reached into a black satchel slung over his shoulder and removed a handgun and dropped the gun in the nearby mulch.  Prince George’s County police officers recovered the gun, a.9mm handgun loaded with approximately eight rounds of .9mm ammunition in the magazine.

Blunt knew that as a result of a previous felony conviction, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.  Blunt’s possession of the firearm and ammunition also violated the conditions of his supervised release, specifically, that Blunt not commit any new state or federal crime. 

Blunt and the government have agreed in the plea agreement, Blunt will be sentenced to jointly recommend at the time of sentencing a sentence of 54 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for August 12, 2021 at 11 a.m. 

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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Fansler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Sidhartha Kumar Mathur, age 35, of West Friendship, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to making false statements to federal agents, relating to the death threats he sent to a Member of Congress.   

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Chief Yogananda D. Pittman of the United States Capitol Police.

According to his guilty plea, on December 10, 2020 Mathur used his phone to send a threatening webmail message on a congressional representative’s website.  Mathur’s threats included violent statements such as “I will kill you and blow up your office if you try to take my vote away” and “I know where you and your family lives.  You will be ended.” Mathur listed the name and previous address of a former classmate and neighbor (Individual B) for the contact information of the sender that Mathur provided on the webmail message. 

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

During an interview with special agents of the United States Capitol Police on December 11, 2020, Mathur confirmed the phone number used to place the threatening voicemail belonged to him and that he called the congressional member out of anger.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Mathur further acknowledged that Individual B was a former neighbor and classmate. However, Mathur falsely denied responsibility for the webmail threat submitted in Individual B’s name.  Agents informed Mathur that the webmail message contained similar language to the voice message and was submitted from the internet service at Mathur’s residence.  The agents reiterated that providing false statements to federal agents was a felony offense.  Mathur continued to falsely deny responsibility for the threatening webmail messages written in Individual B’s name.  Agents again reminded Mathur that if he lied to federal agents he could be charged with a crime. When given a final opportunity to correct his false statement, Mathur again falsely denied making the webmail threat.

Mathur faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release for making false statements.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for September 9, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Renul Forbes a/k/a “Michael Renul,”, age 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to false personation of a U.S. Marshal, an officer of the United States.    

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

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

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

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

While Forbes entered the store, the AAPD officer determined that the rear tag affixed to Forbes’s vehicle belonged to a different vehicle, the windows were tinted, and the vehicle lacked a front tag.  The AAPD officer subsequently asked Forbes to identify himself. At that time, Forbes provided a false name and refused to present an official driver’s license as Forbes deemed the officer to be “unqualified” to request his credentials.  Forbes not only possessed a fraudulent U.S. Marshals badge pinned on his shoulder, but also possessed a magazine and handcuff carrier.

Forbes attempted to avoid identification by claiming to be a U.S. Marshal working out of Greenbelt and provided the name and contact information of a purported U.S. Marshals Service supervisor.  The individual Forbes claimed to be a supervisor was not a supervisor of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Officers later contacted a legitimate U.S. Marshals Service Supervisory Deputy who confirmed Forbes was, in fact, not employed with the U.S. Marshals in any capacity and confirmed the badge that Forbes possessed was fraudulent.

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

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

The plea agreement further states that Forbes fraudulently posed as a U.S. Marshal to another Anne Arundel County police officer within a text message and in person in the effort to obtain information about police responses at his apartment complex and general Anne Arundel Police Department business.  In order to learn law enforcement rules, regulations, policy and discipline procedures, Forbes falsely claimed to be a U.S. Marshal to a Metropolitan police officer.

Forbes faces a maximum of three years in prison and followed by one year of supervised release for impersonating an officer of the United States.   U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not scheduled a sentencing hearing at this time.

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

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Kyle David Robinson, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charges of sex trafficking of a minor.  At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day ordered that Robinson be detained pending trial.

The criminal complaint 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 (HSI).

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, HSI special agents learned that an individual in Baltimore had access to two teenage females—one a minor—for the purpose of commercial sex.  Agents learned that the telephone number allegedly used to communicate with clients interested in engaging in commercial sex acts with the teenage females was associated with Kyle Robinson.

On June 1, 2021, an undercover agent (UCA) contacted Robinson on the previously identified phone number.  Robinson allegedly stated, “I got girls,” early in the conversation and stated to the UCA several times during the call that “they young.”  The male explained that he had two teenagers available and the cost for an hour with both would be $1,000.  The UCA offered to pay $500 for ½ an hour, and the male agreed.  A tentative date of June 3, 2021 was agreed upon, and the affidavit alleges that Robinson stated that the meeting would have to occur before 7:30 p.m. due to conditions of one of the teenagers.  When the UCA asked if the girls were “that young” that they have to get home, Robinson allegedly stated “yeah, for one of them it’s like that bro.”  After the phone call, the UCA received sexually explicit images of one girl and an image of a younger looking girl wearing a crop top.

As detailed in the affidavit, over the next several days, the UCA exchanged phone calls and text messages with Robinson concerning the scheduled commercial sex date.  On June 3, 2021, Robinson advised the UCA that he was on his way but only had the older girl with him as he was not able to reach the younger girl.  The UCA requested that they postpone the commercial sex date until both girls were available.  Later that evening, Robinson allegedly confirmed that he found the younger girl and that she would be available on June 7, 2021.  After several more calls and text messages, Robinson agreed to meet the UCA at a hotel.  At approximately 4:10, Robinson came to the UCA’s room with the minor female, who Robinson stated was fifteen years old.  After agreeing to accept $740 for an hour with the minor female, the UCA paid Robinson and law enforcement entered the room and secured Robinson and the minor female.  Law enforcement executed search warrants on Robinson and his residence.  Law enforcement recovered $740 in cash, which was still in Robinson’s hand, his cell phone from his front pocket, and a key fob and four keys, which fit the vehicle he had driven to the location. Robinson was arrested for sex trafficking of a minor.

The young female that Robinson had brought to the hotel to engage in commercial sex with the UCA was identified as a 14-year-old 8th grader.

If convicted, Robinson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  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. 

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.mdhumantrafficking.org/.

Report suspected instances of human 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.

United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and ICE Enforcement Removal Operations for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Setzer who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities and, resources for victims of human trafficking, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Howard Hoffberg, M.D., age 65, of Reisterstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty on June 9, 2021, to the federal charge of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statutes, in connection with a scheme to accept payments from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing a drug the company marketed for breakthrough pain in cancer patients for off-label purposes.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, Howard Hoffberg, is a doctor and was licensed to practice medicine in the State of Maryland.  He served as the Associate Medical Director and part-owner of Rosen-Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management (the “Practice”).  The Practice’s Medical Director was Norman Rosen, who worked primarily at the Practice’s Towson, Maryland locations.  Hoffberg principally worked at the Practice’s location in Owings Mills, Maryland, but at times also was at the Practice’s locations in Towson, Maryland. 

Hoffberg was a Medicare provider and submitted claims to Medicare, which is federal healthcare program.  In September 2011, Hoffberg certified to Medicare that he would comply with Medicare rules and regulations, including that he would refrain from violating the federal anti-kickback statute.  Further, in August 2013, Hoffberg certified to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), as part of his ability to prescribe drugs known as Transmucosal Immediate Release Fentanyl (“TIRF”) drugs, that: (a) he understood TIRF drugs are indicated only for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients; (b) he understood that TIRF drugs can be abused by patients; and (c) he understood that one TIRF drug is not interchangeable with another TIRF drug.   

As detailed in his plea agreement, starting in June 2012, Hoffberg solicited and received kickbacks and bribes for himself in the form of payments from Insys Therapeutics, Inc. (“Insys”) (a pharmaceutical company) and related entities.  In January 2012, the FDA approved Insys’s application to sell and market a TIRF drug named Subsys to treat cancer patients experiencing break-through pain, which is a sudden onset of pain in cancer patients that cannot be controlled with their usual treatment regimen.  Subsys is a potent opioid designed to rapidly enter a patient’s bloodstream upon being sprayed under the tongue.  Subsys contains fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that has a high potential for abuse and addiction. 

According to the plea agreement, because of the limited number of cancer patients experiencing breakthrough pain who fit the FDA-approved criteria, Insys devised an illegal kickback and bribery scheme to induce Hoffberg and others to prescribe Subsys off-label for conditions other than breakthrough pain in cancer patients.  In order to conceal and disguise that kickbacks and bribes were being paid to Hoffberg to prescribe Subsys, Insys falsely designated the payments to Hoffberg as “honoraria” for purportedly providing educational programs about Subsys (the “Speakers Bureau Program”).  Hoffberg admitted that his participation in the Speakers Bureau Program was a sham.  Hoffberg often made these presentations at high-end restaurants, and to staff at the Practice and/or to persons who could not even prescribe controlled substances.  Hoffberg knew that these presentations were not designed to promote any bona fide educational initiative about Subsys but rather were required to receive the honoraria. 

Hoffberg was paid $66,600 by Insys and knew that these payments were kickbacks and bribes that were paid, at least in part, to induce Hoffberg to prescribe, or in exchange for Hoffberg prescribing, Subsys.  As part of the scheme, through January 2018 Hoffberg prescribed Subsys to patients of the Practice who were not suffering from cancer, some of whose insurance coverage was paid for, in whole or in part, by a federal healthcare program.  Further, Hoffberg admitted that he switched several other patients to Subsys from another fentanyl-based drug because of the kickbacks he received from Insys, even though he previously certified that TIRF drugs were not interchangeable.  

Hoffberg faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for September 29, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.   Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Christopher Dubry, age 25, of La Plata, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for possession of child pornography.  Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Dubry 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 James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

Dubry was convicted for four counts of attempted sex offense fourth degree and five counts of possession of child pornography in November 2018.  He was sentenced to a total of three years in prison, followed by five years of supervised probation.  Dubry was registered as a Tier I registered sex offender in the State of Maryland.

According to his guilty plea, in February 2019, Dubry accessed child pornography while on work release from the Charles County Detention Center.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 26, 2019, an online file storage application sent a cybertipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The report stated that the user account associated with Dubry’s email address uploaded eleven files to the account, including two video files depicting sexual abuse of prepubescent children.  The IP address used to access the user account four times on February 14, 2019 between 9:08 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. related back to a cell phone registered to Dubry.  Dubry’s account contained approximately 33 images and 33 videos of child pornography. Dubry admitted that from April 2019 to September 12, 2019, he accessed child pornography on his cell phone on multiple occasions while on work release. 

A subsequent forensic analysis of Dubry’s cell phone revealed approximately 250 images and 3 videos of child pornography, including the sexual abuse of prepubescent children.  At least one video depicts sadistic or masochistic conduct.  In total, Dubry received and possessed the equivalent of 600 images of child pornography on his cell phone.

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

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s priorities regarding Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood.  For more USAO-MD information about internet safety for children, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Jared Johnson, age 36, of Crownsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography. 

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; Anne Colt Leitess of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office; and Anne Arundel Police Chief Amal Awad.

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

Over the course of five reports, the internet storage provider reported over 2,500 images of child pornography uploaded to Johnson’s account.

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

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

U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has not scheduled a 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, Anne Arundel State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Anne Arundel Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey who is prosecuting the federal case.