District of Maryland

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Marcus Gray, age 32, of Temple Hills, Maryland to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license. 

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; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation- Washington Field Office Criminal Division.

According to his plea agreement, on November 1, 2019, Individual 1 called Art J. Vincent, Jr., age 43, of Capitol Heights, Maryland to purchase a firearm with no serial number engraved on the frame or receiver (also known as a “ghost gun”).  Vincent provided pricing information and referred Individual 1 to Gray for the purchase of ghost guns. Gray then called Individual 1 and discussed the sale of firearms and the number of firearms.

 During the conversation, Gray described himself as a source of firearms and offered Individual 1 a firearm that he could sell immediately for $1,500.  Gray also stated that he had four ghost gun pistols for sale for $850 each and that each firearm came with extended magazines.  Individual 1 also expressed the desire to purchase additional firearms for Individual 1’s buyer (Individual 2).  Gray also explained the benefits of ghost guns, specifically, that the lack of serial numbers would hamper law enforcements ability to trace the firearm when being used during a crime.  Individual 1 and Gray planned to convene at Vincent’s Maryland residence to conduct the sale of firearms. 

The following day, Individual 1 called Gray to confirm the planned firearm purchase, the quoted price of $1,050, and reiterated that Individual 1’s buyer (Individual 2) would purchase additional firearms at a later date.  Vincent and Individual 1 continued to discuss payment and gun retrieval logistics at a location near Vincent’s residence.  Vincent confirmed that Gray would sell the firearm at Vincent’s residence.  Following this, Vincent texted Individual 1 a Capitol Heights, Maryland address to meet and complete the firearms sale.

Law enforcement observed Gray handing Individual 1 a shopping bag containing a .223 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, with no serial number and a magazine containing 30 rounds of .223 ammunition in the residential parking lot.  After completing the sale, Individual 1 sold the ghost gun to Individual 2 for $1,500. 

Gray’s plea agreement also states on November 14, 2019, Individual 1 called Gray to purchase additional firearms for Individual 2.  On November 26, 2019, Gray texted Individual 1 a picture of the ghost gun pistol with an extended magazine with the text “it’s ready”.  Shortly after, Individual 1 texted Gray an address in Washington, D.C. to deliver the firearm.  After the completion of the sale, Individual 1 sold Individual 2 a handgun and extended magazine bearing the same serial number of the gun Gray texted to Individual 1.

Neither Gray nor Vincent possessed a Federal Firearms License or permit through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

On March 18, 2021, Vincent was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF, DEA, and the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Erin B. Pulice, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Gary Creek was initially arrested in December 2019 on a federal indictment charging him with a drug distribution conspiracy and with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and was ordered to be detained pending trial.  On May 1, 2020, the Court ordered that Mr. Creek be released and imposed several conditions of release, including a third-party custodian and electronic monitoring.

For more than a year, Mr. Creek has not been charged with violating any of his conditions of release.  Therefore, when Mr. Creek was charged in a second superseding indictment on racketeering and drug conspiracy charges, the government determined that it was reasonable and appropriate to work through Mr. Creek’s counsel to arrange a time for Mr. Creek to self-surrender for his initial appearance on the new charges.  The initial appearance was scheduled for Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.  That hearing was ultimately cancelled and a new date was being sought.

Unfortunately, new evidence has come to light indicating that Mr. Creek has violated his conditions of release, and the government has accordingly filed a motion to revoke Mr. Creek’s conditions of release, and has requested a warrant for his arrest based on an assessment that he is a flight risk.

Anyone with information concerning Mr. Creek’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (888-283-8477) or ATFTIPS@ATF.gov.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner announced today that scammers are attempting to “spoof” the U.S. Attorney’s Office main office telephone number so that calls appear to originate from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the recipient’s caller ID in a criminal scheme to defraud individuals who owe federal debts such as criminal restitution or civil student loans.  In one instance, the caller, alleging to be “an agent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” told the victim that there was a $6,000 debt, $1,200 of which had to be paid immediately to avoid further action.  The caller allegedly threatened that if the victim called an attorney, an arrest warrant would be issued.

A banner has been posted on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office website warning people of the scam.  Representatives of the Maryland United States Attorney’s Office will never threaten an individual for seeking or wishing to consult an attorney.  If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office about a debt that you don’t know about, seeking immediate payment by credit/debit card or gift card, or otherwise behaving in a threatening manner, get their name and tell them you will call them back. Hang up, call the main office number, 410-209-4800, and ask for that person by name. If it is a legitimate call, they will take the call or reception will take a message for them. If the phone call to you was not legitimate, please report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website at www.ic3.gov and/or to the FBI at https://www.fbi.gov/tips or call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).

Law enforcement defines this type of scam as government impersonation fraud.  The criminals, posing as government officials, often threaten to extort victims with physical or financial harm.  According to the IC3, 12,334 people reported being victims of government impersonation scams in 2020, with losses totaling more than $106 million. Anyone who feels they were the victim of this or any other online scam should report the incident immediately using the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov.  More information about government impersonation schemes and other online fraud schemes can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office staff will never ask for payment or personally identifying information over the phone.

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.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Anita Fortune, age 56, of Alexandria, Virginia, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a conspiracy to defraud the United States and for assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns.  Judge Grimm also ordered Fortune to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, $189,748. 

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

“Fortune’s continued actions to file fraudulent returns with the IRS warrant repercussions.   Clients relied on the expertise of their return preparer to aid them in filing an accurate tax return.  Fortune abandoned her responsibility to ensure her clients submitted accurate tax return to the IRS.” said Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Washington DC Field Office.

According to her guilty plea, Fortune was convicted of wire fraud in 2007 resulting in her Internal Revenue System (IRS) e-filing privileges being revoked.  Following her release from prison, co-conspirator 2 agreed to allow Fortune to use co-conspirator 2’s unique electronic filing identifiers, in exchange for a fee of $29 per tax return.  Beginning in 2012, Fortune and co-conspirator 2 agreed to operate a business that would allow Fortune to misrepresent her identity on the clients’ tax returns by using co-conspirator 2’s identifiers to prepare and electronically file client tax returns with the IRS.  In August 2015, the IRS expelled co-conspirator 2 from its electronic tax return filing program due to a criminal investigation into fraudulent tax returns filed with co-conspirator 2’s unique identifiers.  At that time co-conspirator 3, who was also participating in the IRS’s electronic tax return filing program agreed to allow Fortune and co-conspirator 2 to use co-conspirator 3’s unique identifiers in exchange for the use of Fortune and co-conspirator 2’s shared office space in Temple Hills, Maryland. 

Fortune and co-conspirator 2 misrepresented their identities on their clients’ tax returns by using co-conspirator 3’s identifiers to prepare and electronically file the tax returns with the IRS. Co-conspirator 3 also joined in Fortune and co-conspirator 2’s practice of falsifying tax returns and fraudulently claiming refunds.  Specifically, Fortune, co-conspirator 2, and co-conspirator 3 falsified tax returns by: fabricating, inflating, and improperly claiming deductions on the Schedules A that were attached to clients’ federal individual income tax returns; and engineering business losses by fabricating, inflating, and improperly claiming purported business expenses.  As a result, Fortune, co-conspirator 2, and co-conspirator 3 artificially lowered their clients’ taxable income, thereby lowering the taxes that the clients owed to the IRS and inflating their refunds.

On December 15, 2017, co-conspirator 3 was also expelled from the IRS’s electronic tax return filing program due to a criminal investigation into fraudulent tax returns filed using co-co-conspirator 3’s unique identifiers.  Co-conspirator 3 then misled a third-party electronic return originator (“ERO”) about the criminal nature of her issues with the IRS in order to obtain their assistance.  The ERO allowed co-conspirator 3 to file tax returns using its unique identifiers, which co-conspirator 3 shared with Fortune and co-conspirator 2.  Using the ERO’s identifiers, Fortune and her co-conspirators continued to prepare and file fraudulent federal tax returns through at least April 2019.

In total, the tax loss caused to the IRS as a direct result of Fortune and her co-conspirators’ conspiracy for the tax years 2012 through 2018 was $189,748. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi and Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Ricco Darnell Taylor, age 32, of Capitol Heights, Maryland to 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to pass counterfeit currency and making counterfeit currency.  Judge Chuang has also ordered Taylor to pay $98,000 in restitution.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, from 2017 to December 2019, Taylor manufactured and passed counterfeit currency with co-conspirators Keara Davis, age 29, of Capitol Heights, Maryland; Deon Jones, age 31, of Temple Hills, Maryland; and Tara Simpson, age 52, of Hyattsville, Maryland.  As part of the conspiracy, Taylor manufactured the counterfeit with a printer at his residence, supplied the fraudulent currency to his co-conspirators, and occasionally sold counterfeit currency to others. 

During a search of Davis and Taylor’s Maryland residence on March 23, 2018, law enforcement officers recovered several cell phones, three counterfeit $100 bills, various gift cards, receipts from victim retailors, linen copy paper, an HP printer, two shell casings, and a .38 caliber revolver.  According to authorities, the linen copy paper was a type commonly used in counterfeiting operations.  The ink from the counterfeit $100 bills were analyzed by the Secret Service and determined to be indistinguishable from genuine currency.  The .38 caliber revolver was possessed in connection with the counterfeiting operation.

Taylor, along with his co-conspirators, used the counterfeit currency to purchase merchandise at various local retailers and, in some instances, returned items in exchange of genuine currency.  For example, on June 19, 2019, Taylor purchased diapers for $26.49 using a counterfeit $100 bill.  The following day, Taylor returned the diapers, as well as a few items Jones had purchased, in exchange for genuine currency.  In total, the Secret Service recovered eight counterfeit $100 bills used by Taylor and his co-conspirators during the June 19, 2019 transactions, as well as video surveillance and receipts reflecting their criminal activity. 

His plea agreement further states that on July 26, 2019 and October 10, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted two traffic stops of a vehicle Taylor was operating.  In both instances, Taylor attempted to flee on foot but was later apprehended.  As a result of both traffic stops, officers recovered a total of 31 counterfeit $100 bills and 27 pages of uncut counterfeit $20 bills displaying three repeating serial numbers.  A subsequent search of Taylor’s cell phone also revealed text messages indicative of passing counterfeit currency.  Taylor’s fingerprints were also discovered on the first three pages of the uncut $20 bills. 

In total, Taylor and his co-conspirators are responsible for passing over $95,000 in counterfeit currency. 

On June 2, 2021, Davis was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for conspiracy and passing of counterfeit currency.  Co-defendants Simpson, and Jones were each sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for the same charge.  All three co-defendants were also ordered to pay $95,000 in restitution.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the Secret Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Morgan and Dana J. Brusca, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Donald Hildebrandt, age 51, of Bel Air, Maryland, on the federal charges of obstruction of justice, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

The federal charges 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; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Lieutenant Paul Marziale of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Director of the Harford County Child Advocacy Center; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.

Hildebrandt is a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer with the Baltimore City Police Department and is currently suspended without pay.  According to the court documents, on October 18, 2020, law enforcement received a complaint that Donald Hildebrandt had been discovered in a room with a minor female with his erect penis exposed.  Another minor had reported the incident.  During an interview at the Harford County Child Advocacy Center (CAC), one of the minor victims disclosed that Hildebrandt exposed himself to her and demanded that she engage in sexually explicit conduct with him. 

The indictment alleges Hildebrandt attempted obstructed justice by altering and concealing evidence.  According to court documents, in January 2021, a witness informed an investigator that Hildebrandt had reset his tablet.  Allegedly, as alleged in previous court documents, a forensic review of the previously seized tablet showed signs consistent with a factory reset.  In Hildebrandt’s iCloud account, investigators allegedly discovered a web address to an anonymous communication network within Hildebrandt’s notes application, which opened to a child pornography website.  Purportedly, the website allowed customers to anonymously purchase child pornography with cryptocurrency. 

The indictment also alleges that Hildebrandt produced child pornography by placing a covert camera into a bathroom he knew to be used by three minor females.  As alleged in the indictment, Hildebrandt positioned the camera so that it would capture the minor females exiting the shower and drying off with towels.  Hildebrandt allegedly created nude images of two prepubescent females.  Hildebrandt allegedly possessed at least two videos constituting child pornography, including one that was over two and a half hours in length containing a compilation of numerous different instances of child abuse, including prepubescent minors being sexually abused. 

If convicted, Hildebrandt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography; a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for obstruction of justice. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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.         

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Loveland Jr., who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Robert Lee Snowden Jr., age 45, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to 78 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for aggravated identity theft, in connection with a series of fraud schemes perpetrated between 2013 and 2020.  Additionally, Judge Hollander ordered that Snowden pay restitution of $1,021,583.72.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Inspector General M. Sutherland of the Office of Inspector General for the Maryland Department of Human Services.

According to the statement of facts that was part of his guilty plea, from 2013 to July 16, 2020, Snowden conspired to defraud the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”), formerly known as the “Food Stamp Program,” by using victims’ stolen identification information to obtain SNAP benefits.  Snowden sold the SNAP benefits for cash at approximately 50% of the value of the benefits on the SNAP card.

In 2011, prior to being laid off from his temporary position at a health care business, Snowden stole lists of health care professionals’ personal identifying information.  Beginning in 2013, Snowden used the health care professionals’ stolen identity information to apply for SNAP benefits, creating fraudulent supporting documents in the names of the victims to provide when requested during the application process.  Snowden used the addresses of acquaintances or nearby vacant homes for the mailing of SNAP cards, which Snowden, or another at his direction, would pick up from those addresses.

Snowden admitted that he sold the majority of the SNAP benefit cards for cash.  After the buyer used the SNAP card, the card was returned to Snowden, who would sell the card to another buyer when the next month’s benefits were loaded to the card. Snowden and his co-conspirator, Larae Betrand, also used the SNAP cards at stores to purchase groceries for themselves. Over 220 victims’ identities were used to apply for SNAP benefits and at least $1,021,583.72 in SNAP benefits were issued and redeemed through the scheme. Snowden also used victims’ identities to open utility accounts including internet, phone, and electricity at his residence.

From 2015 to 2019, Snowden was in a relationship with Larae Betrand.  Betrand was aware of and participated in the SNAP fraud scheme. In addition to receiving DHS mail and SNAP benefit cards at her home address, Betrand sometimes posed as victims on phone calls with DHS and provided false information to secure approval of the fraudulent SNAP applications. Snowden provided Betrand fraudulent SNAP cards for her personal use.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Snowden and Betrand also engaged in a scheme to obtain fraudulent loans from banks and a credit union by providing false employment information on applications for six vehicle loans. Snowden fabricated documents, intending to deceive the lenders regarding his and Betrand’s ability to repay the loans. Snowden was unemployed during all relevant times, and Snowden was aware that Betrand earned significantly less than they claimed on the false documents.  Between March 2017 and February 2020 Snowden and Betrand fraudulently obtained $92,668.58 for four auto loans—two loan applications were denied.

Finally, in the spring of 2020 and continuing through at least July 9,2020, Snowden attempted to obtain COVID-19 SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) using the identity of at least one of the SNAP victims. Using the victim’s information, Snowden established a fictitious business entity in the name of the victim and obtained fraudulent credentials to apply for EIDL. Snowden did not complete the transaction before law enforcement searched his residence on July 16, 2020.

Betrand, age 39, of Elkridge, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in relation to this scheme and is awaiting sentencing. Betrand will also be ordered to pay at least $5,000 restitution.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Bruce Ralph Sturtz, age 73, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, today to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography.  Judge Grimm also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Sturtz 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; 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 Sturtz’s plea agreement, on February 26, 2017, a Maryland State Police (“MSP”) investigator conducted an online investigation of Sturtz after three separate law enforcement officers working through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”) downloaded child pornography videos from a device at an IP address assigned to Sturtz’s residence.  The investigator found that Sturtz’s computer was running software that allowed other users to download a video that had previously been identified as child pornography.  The investigator downloaded and viewed the video, which documented the sexual abuse of a prepubescent female.

Less than a month later, on March 23 and March 24, 2017, investigators conducting online investigations for offenders sharing child pornography directed their focus to the Sturtz device because it was running the same computer software.  The investigators downloaded and viewed videos shared by the Sturtz device, which contained images of prepubescent females engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including bondage and bestiality.          

On October 25, 2017, a federal search warrant was executed on Sturtz’s residence.  At the time the search warrant was executed, Sturtz was downloading child pornography onto his computer.  Law enforcement seized a number of electronic devices.  A subsequent forensic analysis of the seized electronic devices revealed at least 1,356 videos and 16 pictures depicting child pornography.  The videos and images found on the seized electronic devices included child pornography of babies and toddlers, other children under 12 years of age, including incest, bondage, bestiality, and sexual acts between adults and victim children.  Forensic analysts were also able to identify on the seized electronic devices the three video files that were downloaded by investigators from Sturtz’s device.          

Sturz has previously been convicted of a sex offense involving a minor.  On October 6, 2000, Sturtz pled guilty to a third-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but eighteen months suspended, plus five years of probation. 

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 Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work in this investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and Joseph R. Baldwin, 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned a second superseding indictment that charges a total of 15 Baltimore defendants for their participating in violent racketeering and/or drug conspiracies.  Eleven of the defendants, including seven new defendants, are charged with participating in a racketeering conspiracy that allegedly resulted in 18 murders, more than 27 attempted murders, carjackings, robberies, assaults, and witness intimidation that occurred between 2015 and November 2020.  The second superseding indictment was returned on May 27, 2021 and unsealed late yesterday.  Today’s announcement is the first public release related to the investigation and prosecution of members of the Triple C gang.

More than 50 law enforcement officers participated in the arrests of the three new defendants and the execution of three search warrants on June 2, 2021.  The other four new defendants are already in federal custody on other charges.

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); and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “This violent street gang committed more than 40 homicides and attempted murders in total. This is not about numbers – each of those shootings represents a victim whose family will never see again, or a survivor of a non-fatal shooting who will never be the same. We are determined to root out the sources of violence from our neighborhoods and will continue to work with ATF, BPD and our other law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and deadly drug dealing and hold accountable those who bring them to our streets.”

“These indictments are the result of relentless investigative efforts between ATF and our law enforcement partners, utilizing crime gun intelligence resources to connect the dots between the many incidents of violence,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones. “ATF remains committed in our mission to identify offenders in Baltimore City who are committing murders, shooting, and violence, preventing citizens from living in safe communities.”

“This indictment represents the hard work of the men and women of the Baltimore Police Department, and our federal partners in holding criminals accountable for the violence in our city. We will continue to work collaboratively in going after individuals who are committing acts of violence, bringing drugs and guns into our neighborhoods and intimating the citizens of Baltimore.”

The following defendants, all from Baltimore, are charged in the second superseding indictment:

Desmond Butler, a/k/a Dez, age 23; Darell Carter, a/k/a Black Ice, age 24; Correy Cawthorn, a/k/a Fat Correy, age 22; Michael Chester, a/k/a Mikkie, age 22; Darien Coleman, a/k/a DCole, age 20; Gary Creek a/k/a Hov, age 39; Richard Grier, a/k/a Rich Homie, age 20; Robert Harris-Howell, a/k/a Slim, age 29; Dayon Jeter, a/k/a Savage and Day On Geter, age 22; Desean Johnson, a/k/a Boosie, age 23; Raekwon McMann, a/k/a Ray Ray, age 23; Keishonne Moore, a/k/a Keedie, age 23; Rashaud Nesmith, a/k/a Shaud, age 20; Tyeshawn Rivers, a/k/a Shawn, age 21; and
Alonzo Tunnell, a/k/a Lo, age 29.

According to the 11-count indictment, from at least 2015 to May 27, 2021, Correy Cawthorn, Desmond Butler, Darrell Carter, Michael Chester, Darien Coleman, Gary Creek, Richard Grier, Dayon Jeter, Raekwon McMann, Rashaud Nesmith and Tyeshawn Rivers were part of the Triple C criminal enterprise.  The indictment alleges that Triple C (Cruddy Conniving Crutballs) is a violent street gang that operated throughout Baltimore City, and ran street-level drug distribution “shops” in the Darley Park and Orchard Ridge neighborhoods in east and northeast Baltimore, where they distributed heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and marijuana, among other controlled substances. 

The second superseding indictment further alleges that Triple C members engaged in a pattern of criminal racketeering activity including acts including 18 murders, 27 attempted murders of rival gang members and narcotics dealers, narcotics trafficking, illegal firearms possession, robbery, carjacking, assault and witness intimidation and retaliation.   Law enforcement seized 15 firearms that were used and/or possessed by members of the Triple C gang. Members of the gang allegedly earned respect from fellow members and maintained or advanced their position in the gang by engaging in criminal activities in furtherance of the gang, and particularly violent acts directed by Triple C leadership.

The second superseding indictment alleges that Creek founded Triple C as an alternative gang to the “Black Guerilla Family,” and established a hierarchy within the group, positioning Carter and Cawthorn in prominent roles.  Creek allegedly took contract murders on behalf of Triple C and ordered other members to fulfill the contract.  Triple C rules allegedly included members having access to firearms and providing firearms to members; removing arrested members from social media chats and group text messages to avoid law enforcement recovering the communications on the arrested members’ phones; and sharing members’ locations through their cell phones.  The second superseding indictment alleges that Triple C members used over a dozen different firearms to commit acts of violence, often trading with each other or with associates to avoid detection through ballistic evidence. 

According to the second superseding indictment, Triple C members routinely used social media websites to enhance the gang’s status and to identify and locate victims.  Triple C members and associates posted photographs and rap videos to these social media websites in which they flaunted firearms, the superiority of the gang, and threatened to kill those who stood in the way of the gang.  Members also allegedly used the sites to communicate with each other and share information concerning possible retaliation for violent crimes committed by gang members.

As detailed in the second superseding indictment, Triple C members supported rap artists or were burgeoning rap artists themselves, who would support Triple C by including lyrics about the gang in their songs.  For example, in one rap artist’s music video on social media, the lyrics included “ain’t no Crip or no Blood, I’m Triple C baby.”  Several alleged members and associates of Triple C are in the video dancing and waving firearms during the rap.  In addition, gang members allegedly wore clothing touting the gang and warning against “snitching,” and promoted the gang by giving away clothing, such as t-shirts and hats.

Further, the second superseding indictment alleges that Triple C members and associates used social media chats and text messages to discuss, among other things, past criminal acts; the location and activities of other members; rival gangs and drug traffickers; the arrest or incarceration of members; the identities of individuals suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and proposed action to be taken against them; plans regarding the commission of future crimes and drug distribution; and ways to conceal these crimes from law enforcement.

Incarcerated members of Triple C allegedly used jail telephones to disseminate information about arrests and releases of members and associates; to warn of investigations; to publicize the identities of persons believed to be cooperating with law enforcement; to order assaults and murders of enemies of the enterprise; and to request money from Triple C members who were not incarcerated.  Knowing the jail calls are recorded, incarcerated Triple C members and associates allegedly made calls using other inmates’ account numbers to conceal their identities.

The second superseding indictment seeks the forfeiture of any property constituting or derived from the racketeering conspiracy and narcotics distribution, including cash, drugs, 16 firearms, 250 rounds of ammunition, and any other proceeds.

If convicted, the 12 defendants charged with racketeering face a maximum of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy.  The defendants all face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and maximum of life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and detectable amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana; and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Johnson and Moore each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed and up to life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Harris-Howell, Tunnell, Cawthorn, Moore, and Johnson each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.  Finally, Harris-Howell faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.  Dayon Jeter, Michael Chester and Darien Coleman were arrested on June 2, 2021 and had initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Chester and Coleman were ordered to be detained pending trail and Jeter has a detention hearing scheduled for June 7, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.  Eleven other defendants are already detained on related federal or state charges and will have an initial appearance in the coming weeks.  Creek is on pre-trial release and is expected to surrender to federal authorities today for an initial appearance scheduled at 1:00.                                              

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. 

A total of 10 defendants charged in the previous indictments in this case have pleaded guilty.  Eight have been sentenced to between three and 17 years in federal prison.  Two are awaiting sentencing.

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

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

United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the FBI and the Office of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Jaquan Day, age 21, of Edgewood, Maryland to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on May 27, 2021 for robbing an individual engaged in drug trafficking of controlled substances.

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

According to his plea agreement, on April 25, 2019 Day conspired with at least six others to rob an individual engaged in drug trafficking.  After convening at a retail parking lot, Day and his co-conspirators drove to a nearby apartment complex and assaulted three victims including a pregnant woman, a minor male, and an adult male.

Upon arrival, Day and his co-conspirators knocked on the door to ultimately force entry into the unit.  As an adult male (Victim 1) opened the door, a co-conspirator ran past the three victims to a rear bedroom where he proceeded to take U.S. currency and a prescription of suboxone.  At that time, a second co-conspirator tackled and physically restrained Victim 1.  Day proceeded to aim a firearm at an eight-month pregnant female (Victim 2).   When Victim 2 attempted to help Victim 3 (a minor male), Day kicked Victim 2 in her abdomen.  He then struck Victim 1 repeatedly with his firearm.  A third co-conspirator repeatedly asked, “Where’s the money at?”  The fourth co-conspirator remained outside as a lookout for law enforcement or witnesses.  Once the co-conspirator returned from the bedroom, the intruders fled to their vehicles.

After Day and his co-conspirators left the unit, Victim 2 was treated at a nearby hospital where she underwent an emergency caesarian section to deliver her child as a result of the injuries she obtained from the assault. 

Day admitted the robbery followed an unlawful agreement between himself and at least one other person to commit robbery of an individual trafficking marijuana.  Day also admitted the objective of the robbery was to obtain marijuana, and that the intruders ultimately took suboxone and Victim 1’s marijuana trafficking proceeds by force.

Co-defendant Tyqwell Booker, age 24, has pleaded guilty to the same offense and is expected to receive a sentence between 60 and 96 months at his sentencing in September 2021.  Antoine Rich, age 24, and Jesse Walton Jr., age 49, have been sentenced to 72 months and 30 months in federal prison, respectively.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF and the Maryland State Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Austin who prosecuted the case.

                                                                                                                                         # # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Lamar Prilliman, a/k/a “Block”, age 48, of Baltimore, Maryland, on federal charges related to a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  The indictment was returned on May 27, 2021. 

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

According to the two-count indictment, from December 2020 to January 12, 2021, Prilliman conspired with others to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.  The indictment alleges that on January 12, 2021, Prilliman possessed with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.

As detailed in the indictment, Prilliman previously was convicted in February 2008 on the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base (“crack”) in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.  Prilliman was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  Prilliman later received sentencing reductions, and he was released from federal custody in March 2019.

If convicted, Prilliman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison each for the fentanyl distribution conspiracy and for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. 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 initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore has not yet been scheduled.  Prilliman is currently detained on state charges.

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.

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 DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the IRS-CI, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James T. Wallner, Matthew DellaBetta, and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., 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. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson today sentenced Michael Haak, age 60, of Longwood, Florida, to one year of probation, after Haak admitted that he committed a lewd, indecent, or obscene act during a flight in which he was pilot in command. At the time of the crime, Haak was employed as a pilot with Southwest Airlines.  Magistrate Judge Coulson also ordered Haak to pay a fine in the amount of $5,000.

The guilty plea and sentence were 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 Haak’s plea agreement, on August 10, 2020, Haak was the Captain, that is, pilot in command, of a flight traveling from Philadelphia International Airport to Orlando International Airport. Haak was assisted by a female First Officer who Haak had never met prior to that flight.

Haak admitted that, after the aircraft had achieved cruising altitude, Haak got out of the pilot’s seat, and while still in the cockpit of the plane, intentionally disrobed and viewed pornographic media on a laptop computer.  As the plane continued its flight, Haak further engaged in inappropriate conduct in the cockpit, as the First Officer continued to perform her duties as an assigned aircrew member.                    

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and Southwest Airlines for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Olayinka Wahab, age 45, of Bowie, Maryland, on March 24, 2020 to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for copyright infringement in connection with his sale of counterfeit DVDs containing copyrighted works, including popular movies, television shows, and fitness programs.  Judge Xinis has also ordered Wahab to pay $241,370.58 in forfeiture and $165,961.53 in restitution to the victims of his copyright infringement.

The sentence 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.

According to his plea agreement, between March 2009 and May 2018, Wahab sold approximately 18,306 DVDs or DVD sets, with a total retail value of $315,761.44.  Wahab knowingly sold counterfeit DVDs containing copyrighted works belonging to ABC Studios/Disney, Anchor Bay Entertainment; Disney; Fox; HBO Home Entertainment; Lionsgate; MGM; Netflix; Paramount; Sony; Universal; Warner Brothers; and BeachBody, LLC.

In 2017, representatives from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) identified a seller on an Internet marketplace selling fraudulent DVDs at a discounted rate.  MPA purchased an item and analyzed the DVD upon receipt.  Although the packaging was nearly indistinguishable from legitimate copies, the product was fraudulent.  Records obtained from the Internet marketplace revealed the seller had made over 10,000 sales of DVD or Blu-Ray discs of popular movies, television shows, or fitness programs between August 2016 and April 2018.

Undercover law enforcement officers subsequently conducted purchases from the seller, including DVD titles of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Walking Dead,”,“The Fate of the Furious,” “Finding Dory,” and among other popular titles.  The DVDs purchased by the undercover officers were provided to MPA representatives for authentication and were determined to be counterfeit.  Law enforcement determined that Wahab was the individual purchasing the counterfeit items from China and reselling the fraudulent items in the United States.

During the nine years when Wahab was engaged in the sale of counterfeit DVDs, he made approximately $241,370.58 from these sales.  As gross proceeds from Wahab’s criminal activity, Judge Xinis ordered forfeiture in this amount.  Separately, the Court also ordered restitution in the amount of $165,961.53 in order to compensate the copyright holder victims whose copyright infringed titles the Defendant was selling online.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI for its work in the investigation and thanked the MPA for its substantial assistance in this matter.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Thomas M. Sullivan, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Kamal Dorchy, age 46, of Beltsville, Maryland, yesterday to eight years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.  Judge Russell also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Dorchy will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by 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 Lisa D. Myers of the Howard County Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Malik Azziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson.

According to Dorchy’s plea agreement, from September 2016 to July 2017, Dorchy conspired with others to commit sex trafficking.  Dorchy used Internet websites to post prostitution advertisements and recruit sex workers for his prostitution business through advertisements for massage work or prostitution.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on July 27, 2017 a Howard County Police Department detective met with an adult sex worker (Victim 1) at a hotel in Laurel, Maryland.  Victim 1 advised the detective about Dorchy’s conduct.  The victim also told the detective she used a name had given her in prostitution ads.

Dorchy admitted that he met a 17-year-old minor at a strip club in July of 2017 and recruited the minor victim to work for him in his prostitution business.  Dorchy claims that he was not aware of her true age at the time, and believed she was 18 years of age due to her employment at the strip club.  The minor victim informed law enforcement that she told Dorchy her true age before she was trafficked.  Dorchy arranged prostitution dates for the minor victim by posting ads on Internet websites, including for dates in Maryland.  When Dorchy could not be there for the minor victim’s prostitution dates, he employed his cousin to act as “security.”  The minor victim was 17 years old during the time that she was trafficked.

A third sex trafficking victim, an adult female, advised law enforcement that she met Dorchy in 2016 during a job interview for a massage business at a hotel in Baltimore, where she was told that she would be walking clients to appointments.  The victim advised that, at Dorchy’s direction, she later did prostitution dates at the massage business.

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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised HSI, the Howard County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, and Prince George’s County Police Departments, and the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ayn B. Ducao, Adam K. Ake, and Jeffrey J. Izant, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – Avante Daquan Lee, age 28, of Suitland, Maryland, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lee faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah B. Grossi who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner announced a significant expansion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s collaborative initiative with state and local law enforcement to prosecute the illegal possession of firearms in Baltimore.  The expansion of the initiative, known as Project EXILE, includes state funding to hire additional prosecutors to bring firearms-related offenses in federal court and for a media campaign supporting outreach efforts into Baltimore neighborhoods.  This collaborative firearms prosecution initiative brings prosecutors from the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office into the U.S. Attorney’s Office to focus on individuals illegally possessing firearms in Baltimore.

 At a press conference today with federal, state and local partners, Acting U.S. Attorney Lenzner also announced that, despite the pandemic which resulted in the Grand Jury being cancelled for several months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged 73 federal gun possession cases in Baltimore during the 2020 calendar year, and 11 additional firearms cases as of April 30, 2021. 

One of the reasons for the success of the program in Baltimore is the use of Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) provided by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City and funded through grants from the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth & Victim Services.  These SAUSAs, who almost exclusively handle federal gun and violent crime cases, are force multipliers in the fight against violent crime.  In addition to taking the lead in prosecuting violations of federal firearms law arising in Baltimore City, the SAUSAs have also assisted the Baltimore Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in 31 separate homicide and non-fatal shooting investigations in Baltimore City.

As a result of the number of firearms cases brought in the past year by the unit of SAUSAs, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, & Victim Services has agreed to fund in Fiscal Year 2022 a total seven Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to focus on Baltimore gun cases—an increase from FY 2021 of three additional SAUAs.

“Reducing violent crime in Maryland is our number one priority, and we take personally every homicide and non-fatal shooting that occurs in our district,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “While we are proud of the work we have done, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we recognize that we have a long way to go to reduce the gun violence in our communities.  In Baltimore, our relentless focus on reducing the gun crime that plagues the City has resulted in more federal gun possession cases charged in 2020 than during the entirety of 2019—and we are continuing to move forward.  We are grateful to the Governor for funding the prosecutors that have been an integral part of our violent crime strategy, and to Attorney General Frosh and State’s Attorney Mosby for their partnership in prosecuting gun crimes.  We are committed to working with Commissioner Harrison, ATF Special Agent in Charge Jones and their teams to focus on prosecuting the violent offenders who wreak havoc in our communities.”

“Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office has enabled us to tap into additional resources to investigate and prosecute violent crime,” said Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh.  “It has helped provide justice for victims and a greater measure of safety for communities in our state.”  

“Reducing violent crime in the city is a multi-pronged effort that requires strong partnerships,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.  “We are grateful for the collaboration with the US Attorney on gun violence and applaud the office’s commitment to improving public safety for the citizens in Baltimore City.”

“Reducing gun violence in Maryland, especially Baltimore City, is critical for citizens and neighborhoods to be able to grow and thrive. Every day ATF focuses our efforts on identifying criminals who threaten the safety of these communities and each successful prosecution of a felon who violates federal law is one step further in this mission,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones. “The additional resources and SAUSAs assigned to the EXILE program will work hand in hand with the cases ATF investigates, expand the success of this partnership, and have a positive impact on the community.”

“The Baltimore Police Department is thankful for the ongoing partnership with our local, state and federal partners in tackling gun violence and reducing violent crime in Baltimore,” said Commissioner Michael Harrison. “Our department will continue to work collaboratively in pursuing those illegally carrying guns in our city and to strengthen cases to ensure that felons who are arrested for gun crimes are held accountable. I look forward to this continued partnership as we work together to create a safer city.”

While the use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment—with no suspended sentences, and no parole—is especially helpful in prosecuting repeat violent offenders with guns, who pose the greatest threat to public safety, we must also reach out to the community to prevent violent crime.

A coalition of federal, state, and local government officials, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and the Baltimore Police Department, are participating in a violence reduction program, I Care Baltimore.  I Care Baltimore is a multi-faceted program designed to reduce violent crime by empowering community members, by highlighting programs that are making a difference in the City of Baltimore by offering alternatives to violence, and by increasing awareness of the consequences of federal prosecution for violent repeat offenders.  The initiative, funded by a grant to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) from the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, builds on our collaborative efforts to remove guns from the hands of criminals. 

In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work with our state and local community partners to coordinate municipal services in communities where enforcement efforts have taken place.  To help returning citizens transition back into the community, the United States Attorney’s Office has a comprehensive directory of reentry services across Maryland, which is now standard-issue to federal and state probation and parole agencies.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office plans to continue to sponsor job and resource fairs, which bring together a host of social services in one location so that returning citizens can learn about reentry services, obtain IDs, learn about GED and job training opportunities, and access other social services.

The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are continuing our efforts to address gun violence by using federal statutes prohibiting felons from possessing firearms.  These types of reactive gun cases are one component of Maryland’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), our violent-crime reduction strategy.  The United States Attorney’s Office, through the use of Project Safe Neighborhoods, will continue to pursue felons with guns who constitute a clear and present danger to the safety and welfare of the citizens of Maryland. 

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/priorities and  https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.       

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Thi Van Ho, age 51, of Bear, Delaware to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.  Judge Bredar has also ordered Ho to pay $ 2,478,069.16 in restitution.

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, from September 2015 to March 2019, Ho and four co-conspirators devised and executed a plan to defraud a beauty product manufacturer (“Victim Company 1”) by submitting fraudulent  invoices in the names of shell companies for services and products that were never actually provided to Victim Company 1.

In September 2015 Co-conspirator 1, who was the Director of Planning, Logistics, and Control at Victim Company 1, was tasked with arranging vendors for the disposal of waste at two of Victim Company 1’s warehouses.  In his position, Co-conspirator 1 had total autonomy in the approval process and payment of invoices.   

Co-conspirator 1, Ho, and three co-conspirators created the shell entities of MPC II, LLC, Marka Warehouse System, LLC., and SMNI, LLC.   The co-conspirators registered the shell entities in their names, listed themselves as president or resident agent, and rented PO Boxes in different States which served as the alleged business address for each of the shell companies.  

Ho also admitted that the conspiracy cashed the fraudulently obtained checks that Victim Company 1 issued to pay for the false invoices at check cashing facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  After the checks were cashed, the co-conspirators would divide the cash proceeds among themselves.   Ho received roughly 53% of each fraudulently obtained check and used the remainder of his proceeds for personal expenses.

In sum, Ho and his co-conspirators caused Victim Company 1 to issue approximately $2,527,234 for false and fraudulent services. Three of Ho’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Daniel Taylor, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.       

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; 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, from June 2020 to August 2020, Taylor conspired with others to distribute quantities of cocaine in Baltimore.  For example, on June 26, 2020 Taylor spoke with an inmate on a recorded line.  During the conversation the inmate asked Taylor where he was located and Taylor stated, “the block,” a term used to refer to an area in which narcotics are sold.  Later in the conversation, Taylor stated the “girl” was the only thing that was “moving,” meaning that Taylor was trafficking narcotics and cocaine was making the most money. The term “girl” is used to refer to cocaine. 

On August 20, 2020, the ATF executed a search warrant at Taylor’s Baltimore residence where law enforcement recovered a 12-gauge shotgun, five rounds of 12-gauge ammunition, and two rounds of 12-gauge shotgun slugs.  Taylor admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of the cocaine distribution conspiracy.

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. Attorneys Zachary Stendig and Lindsey McCulley who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Davon Carter, age 40, of Baltimore, to four life terms in federal prison for two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness and one count each of witness retaliation murder and witness tampering murder, related to the murder of Latrina Ashburne, age 41, on May 27, 2016.   Carter was also convicted of a federal narcotics conspiracy charge, two counts of using a cellular telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Carter and co-defendant Clifton Mosley, age 42, also of Baltimore, on January 29, 2020, after a three-week trial.

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

“We will never tolerate witness tampering, intimidation, or retaliation—period,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Carter and Mosley’s efforts to silence a witness resulted in the death of a woman who had absolutely nothing to do with them.  Carter will now serve the rest of his life in federal prison and his co-defendant also faces life in federal prison.  While there is no sentence that can ease the pain of the family and friends of Latrina Ashburne for her senseless murder, I hope that they can take some comfort in the fact that Carter will never be free to walk the streets again.” 

According to the evidence presented at their three-week trial, Carter and Mosley conspired to kill a witness who had provided information to law enforcement about a good friend of Carter’s, Matthew Hightower.  In June 2015, Hightower was charged federally in a health care fraud scheme.  While on release in the health care fraud case, the federal grand jury began investigating crimes of violence for which Hightower was implicated, including the murder of David Wutoh.  In July or August 2015, Hightower learned the identity of the health care fraud whistleblower (the witness) who also had incriminating information against him relating to the Wutoh murder.  Contrary to his release conditions, he began communicating with witnesses who had been in the grand jury.  All the while, Carter and Mosley remained in frequent and regular contact with Hightower.

On April 19, 2016, the grand jury returned a sealed superseding indictment against Hightower charging both Hightower and Harry Crawford and with extortion and using interstate facilities for extortion resulting in the death (murder) of David Wutoh.  Ten days later, the government filed a motion requesting revocation of Hightower’s release conditions based on the new charges and his prohibited contact with grand jury witnesses.  The motion was granted on May 4, 2016 and Hightower was detained.  Hightower was ultimately convicted of extortion resulting in Wutoh’s murder by a federal jury on September 22, 2016, after a seven-day trial and was sentenced to 380 months in federal prison. 

While Hightower was detained, Carter assumed responsibility for Hightower’s marijuana distribution business, and engaged in direct communications with the source of supply.  Carter also collected money and ran other errands for Hightower.

The evidence showed that on May 27, 2016, Ms. Ashburne was murdered in the early morning as she got into her car outside the home she shared with her mother in the 2900 block of Rosalind Avenue in Baltimore’s Cylburn neighborhood.  The police reported that an unknown male approached and shot Ms. Ashburne in the upper body as she tried to run.  She was not robbed.  At the time, the police also released a video they said showed the suspect running away from the scene.     

The witness lived next door to Ms. Ashburne.  The witness contacted law enforcement to report the murder and that she believed she was the intended target.  The investigation showed that Mosley’s phone was in the area at the time of the murder and in contact with Carter’s phone.  In addition, vehicles owned by the mother of Carter’s girlfriend and by Hightower were captured on surveillance video driving slowly through the area as if the driver were looking for someone.  The evidence at trial established that Carter and Mosley each drove one of the vehicles.

Mosley faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for each of the two conspiracy counts and for the witness retaliation and witness tampering murder charges. Mosley also faces a maximum of five years in prison for distribution of marijuana.  Judge Hazel has not yet scheduled a sentencing date for Mosley.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HHS-OIG, the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore Police Department, and the ATF for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Kim Oldham, who are prosecuting the case and also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, who prosecuted the Hightower case, for their assistance.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed charging the manager of a pain clinic, her boyfriend, and several customers with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including oxycodone and oxymorphone. The defendants charged in the criminal complaint are:

            Monica Raynette Clark age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland;             Michael Tyrone Scott III age 28, of Waldorf, Maryland;             Larry Nathaniel Waller age 48, of Williamson, West Virginia;             Mildred Taylor age 67, of Stephenson, West Virginia;             Jason James Johnson age 41, of Kermit, West Virginia; and
            Lisa Ann Lewis age 41, of Smithsburg, Maryland.

The complaint was filed on May 17, 2021 and unsealed today upon the arrest of five defendants.  The sixth defendant, Larry Nathanial Waller, is in West Virginia state custody on pending charges.

The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). 

“State and federal authorities are working to shut down ‘pain clinics’ that are really just fronts for criminals who divert pharmaceutical drugs and hook a new generation of addicts” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Those who irresponsibly write opioid prescriptions are acting like street-corner drug pushers.  We are determined to reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths here in Maryland.”

“The operation of a drug trafficking network peddling prescription drugs for profit under the guise of a medical practice not only violates the law, it undermines the public confidence in the healthcare profession,” said James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to combat the illegal distribution of opioids, at all levels, through our investigations of those who seek to profit from this activity.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement obtained evidence that drug trafficking was occurring at two pain clinics—Memorial Care Center, located in Woodbridge, Virginia (“Memorial Care”) and Washington DC Spine Center (“WDC Spine”), which closed in August 2019.  Clark was employed as the office manager of Memorial Care and was previously the office manager of WDC Spine.  Clark was not a physician and did not have a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration number.  The criminal complaint alleges that, since Clark was not authorized to prescribe controlled substances, she forged prescriptions for opioids using prescription pads from the clinics’ doctors, then illegally sold the forged opioid prescriptions to opioid users and diverters, including customers who live in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, such as Waller, Taylor, Johnson, and Lewis.  Clark is allegedly in a romantic relationship with Scott, who assists Clark in selling the forged prescriptions.

As detailed in the criminal complaint affidavit, investigation revealed that Waller, Johnson, Taylor, and Lewis are customers of Clark who purchase opioid prescriptions for themselves and for others.  Law enforcement allegedly discovered text messages between Clark and Waller, Johnson, Taylor, and Lewis arranging for the purchase of forged opioid prescriptions.  For example, the complaint alleges that from July 2019 to April 2021, more than 40 prescriptions were filled in Johnson’s name that were purportedly signed under the name of a Memorial Care and/or WDC Spine doctor. 

The affidavit alleges that in an effort to evade scrutiny by law enforcement, Clark used several different phones to sell prescriptions and instructed customers to use specific pharmacies to fill prescriptions.  For example, Clark allegedly advised Taylor to fill prescriptions at a pharmacy “in Woodbridge… as long as everybody has a West Virginia ID or Virginia ID” as Clark was purportedly aware that pharmacies had begun to refuse opioid prescriptions from Memorial Care.  The criminal complaint further alleges this was in relation to an order of prescriptions for more than 20 individuals.

The criminal complaint further alleges that Clark instructed an undercover agent to claim a fictious work injury in order to receive a professional recommendation for opioid use.  For example, Clark allegedly stated “When you get a free second, go to the emergency room. Tell them you had an accident at work… tell them you are having numbness and tingling in your leg and your foot. That warrants.”  Further, the complaint alleges that Clark later arranged to sell forged prescriptions to the undercover agent.  Clark and the undercover agent exchanged conversations in which Clark details meeting dates and times, the price for forged prescriptions, and a deviance in sales methodology as clients began to be compromised by police.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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. 

The overdose crisis continues to devastate our states and local communities. If you believe you may need substance use disorder treatment or recovery services, please call 1800-662-HELP (4357). You may also visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for further information and resources on opioid awareness at /media/1138691/dl?inline.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation and thanked Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Office of Personnel Management-Office of Inspector General, the Prince William County Police Department, the Fairfax County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Police for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Collins who is prosecuting the case.

       ###

Greenbelt, Maryland – Eddie Ray Johnson, Jr., age 60, of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 14, 2021, to the federal charge of theft of government property, in connection with a scheme to use his government-issued travel credit card to obtain more than $1.1 million in cash advances. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Brigadier General Terry Bullard of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI); Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.

“Eddie Johnson betrayed his position of trust for his personal gain,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Corrupt public employees rip off the taxpayers and undermine everyone’s faith in the government.”

According to his plea agreement, from January 2003 to February 2018, Johnson was a civilian Air Force employee, most recently as a travel coordinator in the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of Legislative Liaison, where he planned congressional travel and reviewed and approved accounting packages submitted by trip escorts, among other duties.  Johnson admitted that from March 2014 through September 2017, he used his government-issued travel credit card to obtain more than $1.1 million in cash advances, at least $774,000 of which he diverted to his own personal use.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Johnson frequently deposited the stolen funds into a non-interest bearing account opened in his name at a bank branch in the Pentagon.  Employees in the Office of Legislative Liaison were instructed to open such accounts so that they could more easily deposit and withdraw government funds for official use without accruing interest.  After depositing the stolen funds, Johnson wrote checks to himself, which he deposited into his personal bank accounts, and spent the money for his personal benefit, including on living expenses, a baby grand piano, loan payments for a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and family vacations.  Johnson also admitted that he provided cash to his family members, including his spouse.

During execution of a search warrant at Johnson’s residence in Brandywine, Maryland on November 6, 2019, law enforcement recovered approximately $15,1740 in cash from Johnson’s residence. Johnson agrees that at least $4,000 of the funds seized were the proceeds of his offense.

In all, Johnson’s conduct caused a loss to the U.S. government of $1,157,540.69, which includes $26,506.02 in banking and service fees that the Air Force paid monthly in connection with the cash advances Johnson obtained.  As part of his plea agreement, Johnson has agreed to the entry of a restitution order in the full amount of the victim’s losses.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property.   Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for September 3, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the OSI, the DCIS, and the IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner announced the formation of a regional carjacking task force designed to promote cross-border coordination in the prosecution of carjacking cases.  Mr. Lenzner was joined in making the announcement by the other members of the prosecution task force: Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Channing D. Phillips; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.  They were also joined by federal, state, and local law enforcement officials from agencies in Maryland and D.C. that are involved in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. 

The carjacking prosecution task force was created to ensure the prosecution of individuals who engage in carjacking and robberies in multiple jurisdictions, which can create challenges to holding the perpetrators accountable for the full extent of their criminal conduct.  The task force of federal and state prosecutors are working together to ensure that law enforcement agencies in the region work together to build thorough investigations that encompass all of a perpetrator’s crimes, even if they are committed in multiple jurisdictions.  Through real-time collaboration, the members of the task force are able to gather evidence from multiple jurisdictions and share information about specific individuals responsible for these crimes.  The federal and state prosecutors in the task force collaborate to decide the jurisdiction in which a particular defendant should be charged, in order to ensure they are adequately held accountable for their crimes.  This cross-border partnership between federal and state prosecutors’ offices mirrors similar collaboration among the police departments in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties, Washington, D.C., and among the FBI and ATF.  

Acting U.S. Attorney Lenzner also announced that a federal grand jury has returned the first federal indictments filed in Maryland resulting from the collaborative work of the new carjacking task force.  The two separate indictments charge three men with committing carjacking and related firearms offenses that occurred in February 2021.  The indictments were both returned on May 12, 2021, and are discussed in greater detail below. 

“The regional carjacking prosecution task force will ensure that the perpetrators of these violent crimes will not escape justice when they cross jurisdictional borders,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “By working with our federal and local law enforcement partners here in Maryland and in Washington, D.C., we can coordinate our response, remove violent criminals from our communities, and obtain justice for the victims of these violent crimes. The spike in carjackings in the area is simply unacceptable, and we are all committed to working together to counter with a robust law enforcement response.”

“The crimes resulting from these carjackings pose a serious public safety danger. Our office is committed to ensuring that the residents of the District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions will see justice from the prosecution of the individuals who commit these alarming acts,” said Acting United States Attorney Channing D. Phillips. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uphold the law and provide a viable solution in order to make our communities safer.”

“The rise in carjackings in and around Prince George’s County and the region has become a very serious issue. This task force will enable us to address these crimes in a regional fashion and we stand ready to work with our state and federal partners to get these very serious and dangerous crimes under control,” said Prince George's County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. 

“Crime doesn’t stop at the border of one jurisdiction to another neither should justice.  Violent criminals who commit carjackings wreak havoc all around the DMV and this joint task force will hold them accountable for their horrible acts against unsuspecting residents no matter where it happens or where they’re from,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.            

Two Carjacking Indictments Announced Today

The first indictment charges Elijah Greene-Parker, age 19, and Rashaun Onley, age 21, both of Washington, D.C., with armed robbery and with carjacking two victims on February 5, 2021, and with three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  If convicted, Greene-Parker and Onley each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery; a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for each of the two carjacking counts; and a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in federal prison for each of the three counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm.  The defendants have had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court and were ordered to be detained pending trial.  This case is being investigated by the FBI – Baltimore Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the City of Alexandria Police Department.  Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner thanked the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the case. 

The second indictment charges Mikye Dione Speaks, age 22, of Glenarden, Maryland, with a carjacking that occurred on February 15, 2021, during which he allegedly stole a 2020 Ford Edge from a victim at gunpoint.  If convicted, Speaks faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for carjacking and a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life  in federal prison for using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  Speaks is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on May 21, 2021.  He is currently detained on related state charges.  The case was investigated by the Prince George’s County Police Department and FBI – Baltimore Field Office.  Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for its assistance and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who is prosecuting the case. 

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. 

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/priorities and  https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Bruce Thomas, age 53, of Germantown Maryland, pleaded guilty late on May 14, 2021, to paying gratuities to a public official in exchange for official acts.  Thomas is the owner and operator of Pinnacle Orthopedic Services, Inc., also located in Germantown.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thomas faces a maximum sentence of two years in federal prison for paying a gratuity to a public official, in exchange for an official act.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for September 9, 2021, at 9:30 a.m.

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

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Court Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 23, of Annapolis, Maryland, to 38 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and for using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities. 

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

“The violence perpetrated by Gomez-Jimenez and his fellow MS-13 members was brutal and tragic and is totally unacceptable.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our federal, local and state partners are working together to remove these violent gang members and to keeping our communities safe from the deadly threat of MS-13,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “We continue to work with our counterparts here and abroad to bring to justice these transnational gangs.  The 38-year sentence for this defendant should serve as a reminder to the community that we will not relent in our pursuit of justice.”

“Gang-related violence and criminal activity present an ongoing challenge for law enforcement everywhere. HSI’s efforts to dismantle gangs are much more effective in areas where partnership with local law enforcement is strongest,” said James Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Baltimore field office. “This significant sentence is the result of the hard work and collaboration between federal and local partners to bring members of MS-13 to account.”

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from about 2015 through 2017, Gomez-Jimenez was a member and associate of the Hempstead clique of MS-13, and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking.  Specifically, Gomez-Jimenez admitted that he participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member, and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis.  In addition, between January 2016 and February 2017, Gomez-Jimenez and other MS-13 members/associates sold marijuana to raise funds for the gang. The drug proceeds were used for, among other purposes, the purchase of more narcotics, weapons, and to send to MS-13 members and associates in other states and in El Salvador.

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

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

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

Co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, age 25, Reyes-Canales, age 23, and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, a/k/a “El Lunatic” and “Zomb,” age 21, all of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and gun charge.  Cruz-Flores was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison.  Sentencing for Reyes-Canales is set for September 17, 2021.  Co-defendant David Diaz-Alvarado, age 20, also of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his MS-13 gang activities.  A fourth co-defendant, Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, age 23, of Annapolis was convicted on October 31, 2019, of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering after an 11-day jury trial for the murder of Victim 1.  All of the defendants remain detained.

MS-13 is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13 often work together cooperatively as “Programs,” with the purpose of increasing the gang’s levels of organization, violence, extortion, and other criminal activity, and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.  In Maryland and the surrounding area, these cliques include Hempstead Locos Salvatruchas (“HLS”), Parkview Locos Salvatrucha (“PVLS”), Normandie Locos Salvatrucha (“NLS” or “Normandie”), Sailors Locos Salvatrucha Westside (“SLSW” or “Sailors”), Langley Park Salvatrucha (“LPS”), Weedoms Locos Salvatrucha (“Weedoms”), and Cabanas Locos Salvatruchas (“Cabanas”).  A person within the participating cliques is selected as the Program leader.

To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members and associates are expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who show disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence.  MS-13’s creed is based on one of its mottos, “Mata, roba, viola, controla,” which translates to, “kill, steal, rape, control.”  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.

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

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

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

 

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four individuals for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was returned on April 29, 2021 and unsealed on May 13, 2021 upon the arrest of the final defendant. The four defendants are:

Reginald McElrath, age 40, of Cockeysville, Maryland;

Chantelle Harris, age 33, of Hyattsville, Maryland;

Robert Patterson age 21, of Odenton, Maryland and;

Danisha Thomas age 37, of Bladensburg, Maryland.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.

According to the indictment, from July 2019 to January 2020, McElrath, Harris, Patterson, and Thomas allegedly used the identifying information of at least 17 individuals to obtain new cell phones.  McElrath, Harris, and Patterson worked in Maryland for a vendor contracted by a multinational retail corporation to handle all contractual wireless phone transactions in their stores.   As cell service associates, McElrath, Harris, and Patterson were required to obtain the personal identifying information (PII) of customers in order to initiate a new account or upgrade an existing account.  The indictment alleges that McElrath, Harris, and Patterson used their positions to apply for new cell phone accounts with various carriers and to apply for upgraded cell phones on existing cell phone accounts in the victims’ names using the PII of the victims without their knowledge or permission.  McElrath, Harris, and Patterson allegedly charged purchases of new cell phones to fraudulent cell phone service accounts they opened in the victims’ names and none of the costs were borne by members of the conspiracy.

The indictment also alleges that co-conspirators, including Thomas, would receive the fraudulently obtained cell phones directly from McElrath, Harris, Patterson and others from inside the retail store.  One or more of the co-conspirators allegedly distributed the fraudulently obtained cell phones to other co-conspirators at the cost of the identity theft victims. 

In sum, the defendants allegedly used the stolen PII of 17 individual victims to fraudulently obtain at least $537,000 worth of cell phones.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentenced imposed, for aggravated identity theft.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Thomas had an initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.  The other three defendants previously had initial appearances on a related federal criminal complaint.

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. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Matthew J. Maddox, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Matthew K. Walsh, age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, for the federal charges of sexual exploitation of a minor; coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct; and receipt of child pornography.  The indictment was returned on May 12, 2021, and unsealed today upon Walsh’s arrest.  Walsh had an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Boardman.  Walsh consented to detention pending a detention hearing which will be held on May 20, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.

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, beginning no later than November 2019, Walsh used text messaging, an internet-based social media company, and a messaging application for mobile devices to meet and communicate online with minor males.  The indictment alleges that Walsh often posed as a female in these communications, using the aliases “Linamarie” or “Mariel” on social media and “lslow6_5” on the messaging application.  Walsh allegedly used his online female aliases to cause and attempt to cause minor males to produce sexually explicit images of themselves and send those images to Walsh.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that from November 4, 2019 through December 23, 2020, Walsh, using his online female aliases, enticed and coerced Victim 1, who was a 14 to 15-year-old minor male, to produce a series of sexually explicit visual depictions of Victim 1, including several video files, which Victim 1 sent to Walsh.  Further, the indictment alleges that from March 8, 2020 through March 12, 2020, Walsh, using his online female aliases, enticed and coerced Victim 2, a 15-year-old minor male, to produce a series of sexually explicit visual depictions of himself, which he sent to Walsh.

If you believe you or a loved one was a victim of Walsh please contact the FBI Baltimore Field Office at (410) 265-8080.

To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

If convicted, Walsh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years for each of two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for each of two counts of enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct; and a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years for each of two counts of receipt 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. 

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

This case was 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 Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, 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 Richard Allan Boyd, age 58, and Lee Ryan Fondiller, age 50, both of Eldersburg, Maryland, for the federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to import foreign currencies, including the Iranian rial and Iraqi dinar, from suppliers outside the United States.  Boyd is also charged with violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and making false statements under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.  The indictment was returned on April 29, 2021 and unsealed at Boyd’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on May 10, 2021.  Fondiller had his initial appearance on May 12, 2021.  Both defendants were released pending trial.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Jamie Mazzone of the U.S. Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General.

According to the 32-count indictment, from at least January 30, 2017 until at least October 17, 2018, Boyd, Fondiller, and others conspired to defraud financial institutions to effect transfers of funds in payment for foreign currency banknotes, while misrepresenting and concealing the true purpose of the payments. 

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Boyd caused his business, Amoyeshua Enterprises, to market foreign currencies to customers in the United States and elsewhere and accepted orders for foreign currencies from customers through the Internet, telephone, and other means. Boyd allegedly arranged for shipments of foreign currencies into the United States by, in part, making payments to foreign suppliers of the currencies through wire transfers of funds.  The indictment alleges that Boyd facilitated customers’ purchases of foreign currency by accepting funds from the purchasers via interstate wire transfers.  Boyd and Fondiller allegedly made payments to foreign suppliers of the foreign currencies by submitting requests and orders to banks where they had business accounts for international wire transfers to the foreign sellers.  According to the indictment, Boyd, Fondiller, and others concealed the true purpose of the international wire transfers to their banks by falsely representing that the wire transfers were for jewelry, watches, and/or other items.  The indictment alleges that Boyd, Fondiller, and others caused fraudulent wire transfers totaling more than $300,000 to be sent to banks in Jordan.

As detailed in the indictment, in requesting and directing payment for foreign currencies, Boyd instructed customers by email, text message, and other means, not to indicate or note to any intermediary financial institution or payment processor that the customer's payment was made in exchange for currency.  In addition, Boyd allegedly fabricated invoices reflecting purchases of watches and jewelry in order to disguise the true purpose of the payments to his foreign currency supplier via international wire transfer, and sent the invoices to the foreign supplier by email as false documentation of the payments.

The indictment also alleges that Boyd violated the trade embargo against The Islamic Republic of Iran (“Iran”) by importing Iranian rial banknotes between 2016 and 2018.  The rial is the currency of Iran and is issued by the Central Bank of Iran, which is owned by the Government of Iran. The importation of Iranian rial banknotes ("rials") into the United States was prohibited by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and the Iran Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (“ITSR”). The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2018, Boyd imported Iranian rials into the United States, marketed rials via the Internet and other means (including under trade names such as Amoyeshua Enterprises and BuyNewDinar.com), and distributed rials to customers in the United States and elsewhere.

In about February 2016, officers of United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) stationed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York examined several packages shipped from Amman, Jordan. Some of the packages were addressed to Boyd at his residence and others were addressed to customers, family members, and associates of Boyd.  CBP officers found that the packages contained Iranian rials. After confirming with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) that the importation of Iranian rials was prohibited by IEEPA and the ITSR, CBP officers seized the rials and packaging materials.

Between March and April 2016, Boyd, his customers, family members, and associates received letters from CBP notifying them of seizures of Iranian rials in February 2016 and stating that the importation of Iranian currency to the United States was prohibited by law.  The indictment alleges that after being notified and acknowledging that the importation of Iranian rails weas illegal, Boyd continued to import Iranian rials into the United States, advertise the sale of Iranian rials on the Internet, accept orders and payments from customers for rials, and sell and distribute rials to customers in the United States, all without any license or authorization from OFAC.

Finally, the indictment alleges that on August 1, 2018, Boyd made false statements under oath during his bankruptcy proceeding.  Specifically, Boyd allegedly stated that he had closed his currency selling business in July 2018, and had no intention of reopening the business.  In addition, Boyd allegedly stated that he did not try to import any more Iranian currency after CBP seized the currency shipment in January 2016.  In fact, Boyd caused Iranian rial to be brought into the United States in 2017 and 2018, and continued to direct and conduct transactions of foreign currencies after August 1, 2018.

If convicted, Boyd and Fondiller each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud affecting financial institutions.  Boyd also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of 10 counts of violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for each of two counts of false oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI and DOT OIG for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Crystal Powell-Jones, age 54, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to failure to pay to the IRS employment taxes withheld from employees’ wages and to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud at least four victim lenders.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to her guilty plea, from August 2012 to October 2017, Jones operated and was the managing partner of JAG Professional Resources (“JAG”), a temporary staffing agency that provided hourly labor to municipal governments and agencies.  As JAG’s managing partner, Jones exercised control over all of JAG’s business affairs, including JAG’s finances and bank account.  Individual 1 was a silent minority partner in JAG.

Between at least October 2012 and August 2017, Jones devised a scheme to defraud Victim Lender 1, a factoring company; Victim Lender 2, an automobile financing service; Victim Lender 3, a mortgage banking company; and Victim Lender 4, a personal finance company.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Jones obtained factoring services from Victim Lender 1 for JAG from February 2013 to October 2016.  Factoring is a means by which cash intensive businesses, like JAG, could obtain cash quickly and reliably by leveraging accounts receivable.  JAG was a cash intensive business because JAG had to pay its temporary employees weekly or biweekly, but typically did not receive payment from its clients until at least 30 days after services had been rendered.  Specifically, JAG sold its account receivables to Victim Lender 1 and, in return, JAG received cash advances from Victim Lender 1 totaling approximately 90% of JAG’s accounts receivables.  Upon receiving payments from JAG’s clients on the outstanding invoices, Victim Lender 1 sent JAG the remaining 10% of the invoice that had been purchased, less fees Victim Lender 1 charged for its factoring services.

From March 2016 to about May 2016, Jones caused JAG to sell Victim Lender 1 fraudulent invoices totaling more than $350,000 for services that JAG had purportedly provided to a City in Ohio.  The City in Ohio had contracted with JAG for temporary employment services beginning in February 2013, but JAG’s relationship with the City in Ohio ended in about February 2016.  In total, Victim Lender 1 paid at least $347,993.13 to JAG as a result of fraudulent invoices Jones caused JAG to sell Victim Lender 1.

In October 2012, Jones and her co-borrower, financed the purchase of a 2012 Ford Fusion.  To obtain financing, Jones falsely stated she had been employed as JAG’s accountant for four years on an Applicant’s Credit Statement.  Jones also submitted a fraudulent bank statement for financing which listed Jones and another individual when, in fact, the bank statement solely belonged to Individual 1.

Subsequently, Victim Lender 2 provided Jones and Individual 1 with financing of $19,657.50 toward the purchase of Jones’s car.  Victim Lender 2 suffered a loss of $5, 422.60 after Jones declared bankruptcy and failed to satisfy the debt.

 The plea further details that in November 2015, Jones submitted a Uniform Residential Loan Application to Victim Lender 3 in the effort to finance a Laurel, Maryland residence.   Jones provided false and misleading information, including that she had been employed with JAG for two years as an accountant, that she was not self-employed, and listed a bank account with a balance of $44,435.26. In fact, Jones’s bank account had a balance of $4,425.26 at the time.  Relying on the false documents provided by Jones, Victim Lender 3 provided $417,302 in financing for the purchase of Jones’s residence.

In addition, Jones admitted that in October 2016, she submitted a loan application in the name of Individual 2 to Victim Lender 4.  The contact information was an email address and phone number controlled by Jones.  The loan application falsely listed that Individual 2 was a JAG employee who earned an annual salary of $75,000.  In furtherance of the scheme, Jones completed an employment verification form in which Jones stated that Individual 2 was employed for two years with the salaries of $75,000 and $68,000, respectively.  Jones also provided a fraudulent paystub that stated JAG had paid wages to Individual 2 in September 2016.  In fact, Individual 2 received no wages from JAG in 2016.  Victim Lender 4 approved the loan application and wired $66,708 into a bank account in Jones’s name.  In 2017, Jones conducted a similar scheme to defraud with Individual 3 and received at least $29,000 in loan proceeds.

Lastly, from January 2014 to October 2016, JAG Professional Resources paid wages totaling approximately $3,851,994.00.  During this period, Jones willfully failed to pay employment taxes to the IRS and failed timely to pay state unemployment and workers’ compensation duties.  These failures resulted in additional tax losses to the state in which JAG operated and prevented JAG’s employees from collecting unemployment and worker’s compensation benefits to which they may have otherwise been entitled. 

Jones admitted that she did not maintain reliable or accurate business records, including payroll and tax withholding documentation. JAG employees often received incorrect payment for labor and were not paid for all hours worked, including overtime hours.  When JAG issued wages, correct or incorrect, it did so while purportedly withholding employment taxes on the employees’ behalf.  Additionally, at Jones’s direction, JAG annually issued IRS Form W-2s to its employees that stated employment taxes, including FICA, Social Security, and Medicare, were withheld from the wages paid to the employee. In fact, Jones failed to file a single Employer’s Quarterly Federal Income Tax Return for the 2014 Tax year, an IRS Form 941.   As a result of failing to pay the IRS employment taxes from January 2014 to October 2016, Jones caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $523,244.38.

As a result of Jones’ criminal activity, the United States and victim lenders sustained a total loss of at least $1,196,085.35 ($225,516.28 to the victim lenders and the remainder to the United States).

Jones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a maximum of five years in prison for failure to pay to the IRS employment taxes withheld from employees’ wages.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the IRS-CI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting this case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Katrin Verclas, age 52, a native and citizen of Germany residing in Washington, D.C., today to 728 days in federal prison for obstruction of a federal audit and for causing a financial institution to fail to file a suspicious activity report (SAR).  Verclas previously pleaded guilty to those charges, which were related to more than $1.2 million in U.S. State Department grant funds awarded to MobileActive, a corporation that Verclas controlled.  To settle a related civil complaint filed against MobileActive, the corporation will pay $500,000 to the United States within five days of the Court accepting the consent judgment, or today’s sentencing, whichever is later.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge Mike Speckhardt of the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.

According to the plea agreement, on December 17, 2009, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (“DRL”) publicized a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) that solicited grant proposals under the title “Promoting Freedom of Expression and the Free Flow of Information through Technology and Access.”  The submission deadline for grant proposals was January 22, 2010.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Verclas, who was residing in Amherst, Massachusetts at the time, had worked for non-profit organizations in the field of social activism through the use of technology since about 1996.  In preparation for a response to the DRL RFP, on January 15, 2010, Verclas converted a project known as MobileActive into a Delaware corporation, and on January 22, 2010, electronically submitted a grant proposal to DRL on behalf of MobileActive.  On September 20, 2010, MobileActive was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State in the amount of approximately $1,411,000, to develop and promote: a Mobile Security Toolkit of needed and missing software applications for secure mobile communication; and tactical resources that would allow human rights organizations and activists in specific geographic regions to easily assess and mitigate risks associated with their mobile communications.  The performance period of the grant was September 20, 2010 through about September 30, 2012. 

In order to request the grant funds, MobileActive, through Verclas, established an account with Payment Management System (“PMS”), a federal grants management database located in Bethesda, Maryland.  Between October 26, 2010 and July 26, 2012, Verclas submitted 11 payment requests on behalf of MobileActive, causing the U.S. Department of State to release $1.222 million to MobileActive’s business bank account, which Verclas controlled. 

MobileActive, through Verclas, failed to comply with a number of requirements under the grant.  In November 2012, the State Department began performing an audit and quality assurance inspection with regard to the grant award.  From November 2012 to February 2014, the State Department made several requests, including through letters mailed and hand-delivered to Verclas, to provide documents and information, including a final financial report and inventory report, among other things.  Verclas admitted that she intentionally ignored the State Department’s repeated requests because she knew that she did not have the requisite reports, documents, and other items. 

In addition, Verclas admitted that from November 2010 to October 2012, she failed to disclose to the bank that many of the transactions involving the MobileActive business account were for Verclas’ own personal gain rather than legitimate business purposes.  Verclas knew that, had the bank been aware of the true nature of these transactions, it would have been required to file a SAR.  Through her deception, Verclas willfully caused the bank to fail to file a SAR.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General, for its work in the investigation. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney David I. Salem, who prosecuted the case, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office, who provided substantial assistance.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Marvel David Yarborough, age 30, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.   

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

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

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

Yarborough and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Yarborough will be sentenced to between 78 and 114 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for August 5, 2021 at 2:00 p.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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine K. Dick, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Mathew Palmer, age 44, of Severna Park, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography.  Judge Gallagher also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Palmer must register as a sex offender where he resides, is an employee, and is a student pursuant to the sex offender registration and nonfiction act (SORNA).  At the time of the conduct, Palmer held positions with the Maryland state government, including as Deputy Legislative Officer for the Maryland Governor’s Office and Chief Operating Officer with the Maryland Department of Commerce.

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.

“Individuals like Palmer who trade and possess this illegal material online are essentially facilitating an underground criminal marketplace that endangers children,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “This case should serve as a reminder that law enforcement will bring to justice anyone who endangers children.  No one is above the law.”

“HSI tirelessly investigates crimes involving the online sexual exploitation of minors with every resource at our disposal.” said Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso, for the Baltimore Field Office. “We will continue to ensure any individual that participates in any form of child pornography will be held to the same accountability for these deplorable acts.”

According to his plea agreement, investigators at HSI received reports from an instant messenger application advising that multiple accounts using similar usernames, that all included “anonjohnny” as part of the name, had uploaded at least one image of child pornography or child-sensitive material between April 2019 and September 2019.  Each time the application detected the child exploitative material, it shut down the offending account.

The investigation revealed that the same Internet Protocol address (IP address) was used to access the five “anonjohnny” accounts and was serviced by the same cellular service provider registered under Palmer’s  phone number, e-mail address, and home address in Severna Park, Maryland.   The records showed that the messaging application account had also been accessed by IP addresses that resolved to the State of Maryland, demonstrating that the user was accessing the materials from state government Internet services.

On August 11, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Palmer’s residence in Severna Park and seized several electronic devices, including Palmer’s laptop and personal cell phone.  Palmer’s cell phone was also linked to his office e-mail address.   Palmer’s phone was logged into a new “anonjohnny” account on the instant messaging application.  Palmer admitted that he used this account to engage in chats with several other users concerning child exploitation.

For example, in a conversation with one user, in his very first message Palmer said, “Hi I have naughty thoughts about my teen daughters.”  Palmer then sent the user images of two minor girls whom Palmer represented were his daughters.  In fact, these minor children were not Palmer’s children.  In a conversation with a second user, Palmer stated that his preference was for children aged eight and up.  Palmer again sent pictures of two minor girls, falsely representing to the second user that they were his own daughters.

At least 936 images and 368 videos of child pornography were found on Palmer's cell phone, including prepubescent minors; child pornography involving toddlers; and child pornography involving bondage and other sadistic acts.

In addition to possessing hundreds of images and videos constituting child pornography, Palmer admitted that he both received and distributed child pornography.  Palmer had an application on his phone which is used to send covert and encrypted messages.  Palmer possessed two additional videos of child pornography on that application, and the evidence showed that Palmer used that application to distribute a video of child pornography to a chat group of 58 people.  Palmer's phone also included several links under the “notes” section to active child pornographic websites. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation.  Acting U.S. Attorney Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., 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.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Daniel Taylor, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.   

The 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 plea agreement, from June 2020 to August 2020, Taylor conspired with others to distribute quantities of cocaine in Baltimore.  For example, on June 26, 2020 Taylor spoke with an inmate on a recorded line.  During the conversation the inmate asked Taylor where he was located and Taylor stated, “the block,” a term used to refer to an area in which narcotics are sold.  Later in the conversation, Taylor stated the “girl” was the only thing that was “moving,” meaning that Taylor was trafficking narcotics and cocaine was making the most money. The term “girl” is used to refer to cocaine. 

On August 20, 2020, the ATF executed a search warrant at Taylor’s Baltimore residence where law enforcement recovered a 12-gauge shotgun, five rounds of 12-gauge ammunition, and two rounds of 12-gauge shotgun slugs.  Taylor admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of the cocaine distribution conspiracy.

Taylor and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Taylor will be sentenced to eight years in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2021 at 2 p.m.

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. Attorneys Zachary Stendig and Lindsey McCulley who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Michael Bailey, age 32, of Winchester, Maryland, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  Bailey, a previously convicted felon, sold a firearm to a member of the Gregory Butler Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) in Baltimore in exchange for heroin cut with fentanyl.  (Six members of the Gregory Butler DTO are alleged to be part of the NFL criminal enterprise in southwest Baltimore, engaging in a pattern of criminal racketeering activity including acts involving murder, narcotics trafficking and smuggling, illegal firearms possession, bribery, witness intimidation, and witness retaliation.  The term NFL stands for Normandy, Franklin, and Loudon, which are three adjacent streets that run through the Edmondson Village.)

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; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“Many of the illegal firearms used by gangs in Baltimore are brought into the state by people involved in the drug trade like Bailey,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “In this case, members of the NFL criminal drug enterprise are alleged to have carried out four murders and one attempted murder with illegally possessed firearms like the gun Bailey sold to them.  To reduce the violence in Baltimore, we must go after the drug trade and the guns. we also need to change the culture, so that dealers like Bailey stop thinking of Baltimore as their criminal marketplace. We are committed to working with our law enforcement and community partners to get guns out of the hands of drug dealers and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods.”

According to his guilty plea, from at least December 2018 through February 2019, Bailey, regularly traveled to Baltimore to purchase heroin cut with fentanyl from the Gregory Butler Drug Trafficking Organization (the “DTO”). Bailey then transported the heroin to West Virginia, where he sold it.  Bailey admitted that during this time, he purchased more than 80 grams of heroin cut with fentanyl from the DTO.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on about January 16, 2019, Bailey arranged to sell the DTO a handgun equipped with a laser sight, in exchange for a quantity heroin. The firearm was a Walther P22 pistol, which Bailey stole from a relative.  Bailey transported the gun from West Virginia to Baltimore to sell it.  Investigators later recovered the firearm from a member of the DTO in Baltimore.  Bailey knew that due to his previous felony convictions, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Fletcher Dorsett, age 53, of Salisbury, Maryland to 150 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a series of nine bank robberies and attempted robberies.  Dorsett continued to commit robberies while on escape status from a halfway house after his release for a previous federal bank robbery conviction. 

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; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Robert J. Contee, III of the Metropolitan Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, Dorsett was previously convicted of federal bank robbery charges, sentenced to eight years in prison, and placed at a halfway house in May of 2019.  On July 25, 2019, Dorsett did not return to the halfway house and was placed in escape status.  Dorsett was subsequently arrested on a warrant relating to that escape on August 9, 2019, and held at Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia until he was released on September 24, 2019.

Dorsett admitted that he robbed a bank in Baltimore on July 29, 2019, while he was on escape status.  After his arrest and release on September 24, 2019, Dorsett continued to rob banks in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, and Washington, D.C., and attempted to rob two other banks.  In all of these bank robberies, Dorsett used a note that threatened that he had a gun.  Specifically, between September 26 and October 28, 2019, Dorsett robbed banks in Washington, D.C., and in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Nottingham, Maryland, and attempted to rob banks in Lanham, Maryland and Washington, D.C. 

As Dorsett left the bank in Nottingham on October 28, 2019, an off-duty police officer who happened to be in the bank pursued and detained him until on-duty Baltimore County Police officers arrived and arrested him.  Dorsett agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to robbing the nine above-referenced banks in Maryland and Washington, DC.  Dorsett also identified himself in various bank surveillance images captured during the robberies.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI, and the Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Annapolis, Prince George’s County and Metropolitan Police Departments for their work in the investigation and thanked the State’s Attorneys for Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, and Anne Arundel County, and the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution.   Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Sonya Bannister Burford, age 53, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 5, 2021, to the federal charge of theft of government property, for stealing $322,938 in Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled.    

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

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

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

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

Burford faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property.  U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for August 5, 2021.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three defendants on federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft:

Noel Chimezuru Agoha, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland
Sessieu Ange Oulai, age 34, of Parkville, Maryland, and
Kelechi Arthur Ntibunka, age 32, of Essex, Maryland.

The indictment was returned on March 22, 2021, and was unsealed today.  Agoha and Ntibunka were arrested yesterday and had their initial appearances today.  At today’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Agoha and Ntibunka be detained pending a detention hearing scheduled on May 12, 2021.  Oulai is currently detained on unrelated state charges and will have an initial appearance on the federal charges at a later date.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Edwin Guard of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to the three-count indictment, from August 2016 to December 2018, the conspirators conspired with others to execute a business email compromise scam (“BEC” scam) in which the defendants sent deceptive emails to victim businesses posing as clients or representatives of companies with whom the victims had ongoing business to induce money from victims.  The parties being impersonated were also victimized by the BEC scam because the object of the fraud was to intercept payments intended for these parties and/or to deprive these parties of money to which they were entitled. 

As part of the scheme, “drop accounts” were opened with financial institutions and controlled by the defendants and their co-conspirators, in order to receive money from victims of criminal fraud schemes, including the BEC scam, allegedly perpetrated by the defendants and their conspirators.  During the course of the conspiracy, Agoha transmitted the identity of at least one BEC victim to a co-conspirator.

The indictment alleges that the conspirators created fraudulent email accounts that included or abbreviated the names of the BEC scam victims, or accessed the BEC victims’ email accounts without authorization, in order to send fraudulent emails impersonating the victims and to receive information and funds without the victims’ knowledge or authorization.  Conspirators sent emails and made phone calls to the BEC victims requesting and instructing the victims to make electronic transfers and payments of money into the drop accounts, without the knowledge or authorization of the victims being impersonated.  Agoha, Oulai, Ntibunka, and other conspirators allegedly monitored drop account activity (deposits, transfers, and balances), relayed information, and provided instruction about transactions to co-conspirators via text messages.  In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly received, or attempted to receive, more than $1.1 million in proceeds from BEC scams.

The indictment further alleges that from May 2016 to July 2018, Agoha conspired with others to execute a dating scam.  As detailed in the indictment, members of the conspiracy communicated with individual victims on dating websites and created a false pretense of a romantic relationship with the victims to coax the victims to send money.  The conspirators allegedly used common dating scam tactics, including claiming fictious financial hardships and crises in order to persuade victims to transfer funds to the drop accounts.  As part of the conspiracy, Agoha allegedly provided drop account information to co-conspirators to relay to dating victims including routing numbers, account numbers, and the name of the account holder.  The indictment alleges that Agoha and his co-conspirators accrued more than $1.2 million in dating scam proceeds.

Finally, the indictment alleges that Agoha, Oulai, and Ntibunka conspired to launder proceeds from the dating and BEC scams in order to conceal the source of the funds.  Specifically, the defendants allegedly negotiated payments for their roles in conducting drop account transactions, transferred and disbursed money received from the scams into other accounts, withdrew cash, and negotiated bank checks made payable to themselves and others.  

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting financial institutions and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.  In addition, Agoha faces a mandatory 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.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Diplomatic Security Service,  and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Daniel Provencal, age 47, of Denton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.  Provencal acknowledged that, at the time he committed the crime, he was on supervised release for a 2006 federal conviction for distribution 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; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Caroline County State’s Attorney Joe Riley.

According to his guilty plea, between January and October 2020, Provencal possessed and repeatedly distributed child pornography on a social media provider, using multiple electronic devices and usernames.  Specifically, Provencal used an Internet-based messaging application to distribute depictions, including photos and videos, of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  The child pornography included videos and images of prepubescent minors and videos and images that depicted sadomasochistic conduct. 

On January 24, 2020 and January 31, 2020, the messaging application sent CyberTips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reporting two usernames that had uploaded child pornography.  Investigators learned that the IP address used to login to each of the accounts was the same and was assigned to Provencal at his residence in Denton.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Provencal’s residence on October 15, 2020, recovering two cellphones, numerous micro SD cards, a laptop computer, notebook computer, and three tablets.  Law enforcement also seized from Provencal’s bedroom a piece of paper that had 26 account usernames and passwords listed, including the two usernames which the messaging application had reported to NCMEC.

A subsequent forensic review of Provencal’s devices revealed that they each contained child pornography.  In total, the devices contained at least 5,000 child pornography videos.  In addition, at least one video depicts sadistic or masochistic conduct, namely a prepubescent girl bound and in bondage.  The forensic review also revealed that Provencal repeatedly, on multiple devices, distributed child pornography images and videos to other users on the messaging application and engaged in explicit chats in which he discussed his sexual attraction to minors. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, upon his release from prison, Provencal must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

Provencal and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Provencal will be sentenced to 126 months in federal prison.  Provencal also faces 12 to 18 months in prison for violating his supervised release, which may be imposed concurrent or consecutive to the sentence in this case.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not yet scheduled sentencing. 

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 Maryland State Police, and the Caroline County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who 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.

# # #

A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise by murdering a suspected rival gang member and attempting to murder two other victims, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities. 

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from March 2016, Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, aka Sicopita, 23, of Annapolis, was a member and associate of MS-13, and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. Specifically, Reyes-Canales admitted that he participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis. In addition, between January 2016 and February 2017, Reyes-Canales and other MS-13 members/associates sold marijuana to raise funds for the gang. The drug proceeds were used for, among other purposes, the purchase of more narcotics, weapons, and to send to MS-13 members and associates in other states and in El Salvador.

“Reyes-Canales and his co-defendants committed murder, attempted murders, and other violent crimes on behalf of MS-13, causing lasting harm to victims and the Annapolis community,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through the diligent efforts of law enforcement and department prosecutors, these defendants will no longer harm and intimidate the Annapolis community. We will continue our relentless pursuit of MS-13 gang members, both in the United States and internationally.”

“The violence perpetrated by Reyes-Canales and his fellow MS-13 members was brutal and tragic and is totally unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner of the District of Maryland. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove these violent gang members and to keeping our communities safe from the violent threat of MS-13. We continue to work with our counterparts here and abroad to bring to justice these transnational gangs. We need the continued help of members of our communities in order to carry on our work against MS-13.”

“This case illustrates that gang organizations are driven by greed and profit no matter the cost to innocent lives or our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso for the Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Baltimore Field Office. “It is HSI’s priority to investigate crimes related to transnational gang violence, a duty we diligently and systematically discharge with the help of our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners.”

“ATF is committed to focusing our efforts on identifying and investigating those who use violence and firearms to intimidate and brutalize others,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division. “The strong partnerships ATF has with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, as well as prosecutors, are crucial in targeting these offenders and dismantling the violent gangs who try to take over communities.”

Co-defendants Marlon Cruz-Flores, 25, and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, aka “El Lunatic” and “Zomb,” 22, both of Annapolis, previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and gun charge. Cruz-Flores was sentenced to 38 years in prison and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years. Co-defendant Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, 23, of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18. Co-defendant David Diaz-Alvarado, 20, of Annapolis, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his MS-13 gang activities. Co-defendant, Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, 23, of Annapolis, was convicted on Oct. 31, 2019, of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering after an 11-day jury trial for the murder of Victim 1. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison at his sentencing which will be scheduled at a later date. All of the defendants remain detained.

Reyes-Canales and the government have agreed that, if the court accepts the plea terms, Reyes-Canales will be sentenced to 35 years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Reyes-Canales on Sept. 19.

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.

HSI, ATF, the Anne Arundel Police Department, the Annapolis Police Department and the Anne Arundel State’s Attorney Office investigated the case.

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

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

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Keno Romario Brown, age 26, of Hyattsville, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud more than 100 elderly victims through an advance fee scheme, specifically, by falsely representing that the victims had won a lottery or sweepstakes and demanding taxes or other fees before the victims could receive the prize.  Judge Hazel ordered Brown to pay restitution in the amount of $775,225.48.  After trial, a federal jury convicted Brown on March 12, 2020.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “Keno Brown perpetrated a heartless scheme targeting more than 100 elderly victims.  He will now serve eight years in federal prison.  The Department of Justice is committed to bringing fraudsters who prey upon the elderly to justice.  I encourage anyone who believes they may be a victim of a fraud or scam to contact the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).”

“Brown callously preyed on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Timothy Thibault, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “This sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who commit the unconscionable crime of elder fraud.”

“This investigation is another example of how the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with its law enforcement partners, holds scammers who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens accountable.” Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina continued, “We also encourage anyone who believes that they are a potential victim and/or has receive similar suspicious callings to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

According to the evidence presented at his seven-day trial, in April 2013, Brown and two co-conspirators began contacting victims, falsely telling them that they were representatives of Company 1 or Company 2, which sponsored a lottery or sweepstakes. Brown and his co-conspirators misrepresented to victims that they had won a prize sponsored by Company 1 or Company 2, but in order to collect the prize, the victims had to pay advance fees and taxes to Brown or his co-conspirators.  The conspirators directed the victims to send the advance fees and taxes electronically, or through an interstate mail carrier to “runners” who received the fraudulent proceeds and provided them to Brown and his co-conspirators.  Evidence was presented that Brown used physical abuse to control at least one of the runners.

The trial evidence proved that to launder the fraud proceeds, Brown and a co-conspirator obtained debit cards using the personal information of elderly individuals without their knowledge or consent, and deposited that fraud proceeds onto those debit cards, among other methods. 

The evidence proved that during the course of the conspiracy, Brown and other members of the conspiracy successfully defrauded over 100 elderly victims.    

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana J. Brusca, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Terrell Tomlin, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.    

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

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

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

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

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

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

Tomlin and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, they will jointly recommend a sentence of 46 months in federal prison.  Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. 

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, a/k/a Sicopita, age 23, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities, including a murder and two attempted murders. 

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

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

“The violence perpetrated by Reyes-Canales and his fellow MS-13 members was brutal and tragic and is totally unacceptable.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove these violent gang members and to keeping our communities safe from the violent threat of MS-13,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “We continue to work with our counterparts here and abroad to bring to justice these transnational gangs.  We need the continued help of members of our communities in order to carry on our work against MS-13.”

“Reyes-Canales and his co-defendants committed murder, attempted murders, and other violent crimes on behalf of MS-13, causing lasting harm to victims and the Annapolis community,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through the diligent efforts of law enforcement and department prosecutors, these defendants will no longer harm and intimidate the Annapolis community. We will continue our relentless pursuit of MS-13 gang members, both in the United States and internationally.”

“This case illustrates that gang organizations are driven by greed and profit no matter the cost to innocent lives or our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso for the HSI Baltimore Field Office. “It is HSI’s priority to investigate crimes related to transnational gang violence, a duty we diligently and systematically discharge with the help of our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners.”

“ATF is committed to focusing our efforts on identifying and investigating those who use violence and firearms to intimidate and brutalize others,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones. “The strong partnerships ATF has with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, as well as prosecutors, are crucial in targeting these offenders and dismantling the violent gangs who try to take over communities.”

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

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

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

Reyes-Canales and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Reyes-Canales will be sentenced to 35 years in federal prison.  Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Reyes-Canales on September 17, 2021, at 9:30 a.m.

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

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

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

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Chad Arrington a/k/a “Chad Focus”, age 33, of Randallstown, Maryland to 30 months in federal prison, followed by 12 months of home confinement as part of three years of supervised release, for a federal wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a scheme to use a company credit card to make more than $4.1 million in unauthorized purchases.  Judge Bennett also ordered Arrington to pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s losses, totaling $4,142,435.31.

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.

“Chad Arrington illegally used a company credit card to spend more than $4 million to promote himself as a hip-hop artist and to promote his company,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Now Arrington will spend more than two years in federal prison.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to utilize our resources to prosecute this type of costly fraud.”  

According to his plea agreement, Arrington was employed by Company 1 as a Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) Specialist from approximately 2011 to August 2018.  As an SEO Specialist, Arrington was responsible for promoting and marketing Company 1’s products and services online.  Company 1 assigned Arrington an American Express company credit card (the “credit card”) to be used for business expenses, exclusively. 

From at least January 2015 through August 2018, Arrington, and four co-conspirators used the credit card for fraudulent purchases, including to promote his hip-hop artist alter-ego, Chad Focus, and Focus Music Entertainment, as well as to make unauthorized purchases that benefitted them each personally.

Arrington admitted that he used the credit card to purchase sound equipment, studio kits, instruments, and music technology, which he then used to create an artist alter-ego “Chad Focus,” and produce a number of hip-hop songs through the company he formed, Focus Music Entertainment LLC.  Arrington then used the credit card to make additional unauthorized purchases including promotional services to increase online streaming of his songs, purchase “likes,” “followers,” “tags,” and “views” across social media and viewing platforms; to purchase services from a company that promoted mixtape videos and singles, his image, and music; and to make unauthorized payments to multiple billboard companies to display images of Arrington and his website throughout the United States and to promote Chad Focus and Focus Music Entertainment LLC. Arrington also charged the credit card over $300,000 for unauthorized international and national travel expenses, hotels, airfares, night life and other miscellaneous expenses for himself and for Co-Conspirators 1 and 2.  Additionally, Arrington made over $375,000 in unauthorized purchases for Chad Focus merchandise, accessories, and purchases related to a bike-sharing business.  Between May 2018 and August 2018, Arrington used the credit card to pay multiple billboard companies to create billboards for Chad Focus and Focus Music Entertainment LLC.  For example, a billboard displayed the image of Arrington surrounded by stacks of cash and the words “Get to the money.”  Another billboard depicted Arrington with the words “Chad Focus. I will teach you how to be rich.”

According to the plea agreement, Arrington used the credit card to make over $1.5 million in unauthorized purchases from entities and accounts controlled by Co-Conspirator 2 and Co-Conspirator 3. In turn, the co-conspirators kicked back hundreds of thousands of dollars to Arrington by funneling cash payments to Arrington and to accounts controlled by Arrington. 

In order to conceal the scheme, Arrington asked Co-Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 4 to use computer software to make false entries on the credit card billing statements in order to conceal the recipient of the payments from Arrington’s supervisor and Company 1.  Additionally, Arrington forged the signature of his supervisor on his credit card billing statements to make it appear as though he had received approval for certain purchases when, in fact, he had not.  Arrington then sent those false payment authorizations to other employees who relied on the authorizations to ultimately pay off the outstanding balance of the credit card.                  

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Harshe Shende, age 57, of Hanover, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2021, to eight counts of failing to pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $258,905.    

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

According to Shende’s guilty plea, he was the sole owner and resident agent of Progressive Rehab Services, LLC, formed on September 10, 2004, which employed physical and occupational therapists who went to nursing homes to render services to patients.  Shende was the sole signatory on two bank accounts he opened for the corporation at separate banks in 2008 and 2013, respectively.  Shende accrued large liabilities for Progressive Rehab by filing forms with the IRS which showed the amount of income tax withholding he collected from Progressive Rehab’s employees and their Medicare and Social Security withholding (collectively employment taxes) but by failing to pay the employment taxes to IRS.  Shende also failed to pay the employers’ portion of employment taxes to the IRS. The IRS pursued collection activities against Progressive Rehab.

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

Shende admitted that beginning in around April 2009, he caused Progressive Rehab’s employees to perform the same work, but he billed for their work using the name Progressive Health and paid their salaries using Progressive Health’s bank account.   Progressive Health withheld payroll taxes from its employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, Medicare and social security (“FICA”) taxes.  As he did with with Progressive Rehab, Shende filed forms with the IRS for Progressive Health showing the amount of employment taxes withheld.  However, as he did with Progressive Rehab, Shende willfully chose not to pay the taxes withheld from Progressive Health’s employees’ wages to the IRS, nor did he pay the employer’s portion of the employment taxes.

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

Shende faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for failure to pay over employment taxes.  Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

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

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Chaz Chriscoe, age 40, of Owings Mills, Maryland, yesterday to 39 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI).  The conspiracy included former correctional officers, inmates, and outside “facilitators,” like Chriscoe, who paid bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison. 

On May 3, 2021, JCI inmate Darnell Smith, a/k/a “Hook,” age 40, pleaded guilty to his role in the racketeering conspiracy.  

The sentence and guilty plea were 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 Secretary Robert Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

“Prison corruption does not just endanger the lives of correctional officers and of the inmates entrusted to their care and supervision, but of the entire community, as it allows inmates to direct criminal activity from their prison cells” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out prison corruption and prosecute correctional officers and others who facilitate and engage in criminal behavior.”

“From corrupt officials to outside facilitators, we cannot and will not accept the perpetuation of a cycle of illegal activity inside prison walls,” said Rachel Byrd, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Federal, state, and local officials will continue to work together to root out those who undermine the administration of justice at our prisons.”

“Anyone—inmate, family member, community member, or employee—who tries to bring contraband into a correctional facility puts hundreds of people at risk, and must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Robert Green, Secretary of Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

JCI was a maximum-security prison that housed approximately 1,800 male inmates, with approximately 423 Correctional Officers (COs).

According to their plea agreements, from at least 2017 until their arrests in 2020, Chriscoe, who also goes by the name “Cheese,” and Smith conspired with JCI COs, inmates, and outside facilitators to smuggle contraband into JCI, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones, in order to enrich themselves and protect and expand their criminal operation.  According to their plea agreements and other court documents, COs accepted or agreed to accept payments from facilitators and/or inmates or engaged in sexual relations with inmates as consideration for smuggling contraband into JCI.  Inmates acted as both wholesalers and retailers of contraband and in the process made profits that far exceeded the profits that could be made by selling similar drugs on the street.  For example, conspirator inmates could purchase Suboxone strips for approximately $3 each and sell them inside JCI for approximately $50 each, or for a profit of more than 1,000 percent. 

As detailed in their plea agreements, Chriscoe maintained relationships with several inmates and COs at JCI, including CO Chanel Pierce and inmate Darnell Smith.  Chriscoe acted as the primary conduit through which coconspirators would get contraband, including controlled dangerous drugs, such as Suboxone, to CO Pierce and others to smuggle into JCI and then distribute the contraband to inmates.  On a nearly daily basis, Chriscoe met with other outside facilitators to gather and package contraband before meeting with a CO to provide the contraband and bribe payment.

For example, between December 30, 2018 and January 12, 2019, law enforcement intercepted communications indicating that Chriscoe was meeting with a JCI CO at the CO’s home to deliver drugs and bribe money.  When the CO was arrested a few days later, Chriscoe became the primary coordinator for the smuggling conspiracy because he and Darnell Smith had a connection with another JCI CO, specifically Chanel Pierce, with whom Smith was engaged in a romantic relationship.  Over the next several months, investigators intercepted daily communications between Chriscoe, Smith, Pierce and other JCI inmates and their outside facilitators to coordinate contraband drop-offs and payments.  The calls showed that outside facilitators would drop contraband off with Chriscoe, who then met with and provided the contraband to CO Pierce for smuggling into JCI.  Sataya Hall was Smith’s financial facilitator and sent payments to both Chriscoe and Pierce on Smith’s behalf.  In addition, Hall accepted payments on Smith’s behalf from facilitators for other JCI inmates in payment for contraband Smith had sold inside of JCI.

Smith admitted that during the time of the conspiracy, he possessed a contraband cell phone inside JCI that he used to further the smuggling operation, routinely using the contraband phone to communicate with CO Pierce, Hall, and Chriscoe.  In addition, there were numerous conversations in which Smith discussed the types and quantities of drugs that were to be smuggled into JCI, as well as the money that other inmates and outside facilitators would pay for them.  Smith also used the phone to conduct his romantic relationship with CO Pierce, coordinate her bribe payments and facilitate her meetings with Chriscoe.

As detailed in their plea agreements, early on the morning of May 25, 2019, Chriscoe met Pierce at her home and provided her with several balloons filled with controlled substances to smuggle into JCI.  Pierce then went to work and was stopped by law enforcement as she entered the facility and searched.  Law enforcement recovered a concealed purple balloon containing Suboxone from Pierce’s person.  A subsequent search of Pierce’s home revealed several more balloons filled with contraband that she intended to smuggle into JCI.

Smith faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering 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.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.

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

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.

The U.S. Attorney expressed appreciation to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, whose staff initiated the JCI investigation and have been full partners in this investigation. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Perry and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig G. Fansler, who are prosecuting this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Jordan K. Milleson, age 20, of Timonium, Maryland, to two years in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for aggravated identity theft, in connecting with schemes to use the identity information of victims to  steal digital currency and social media accounts.  Milleson entered his guilty plea today.  Chief Judge Bredar also ordered Milleson to pay restitution of $34,329.01.

The guilty plea and sentence were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, since at least September 23, 2017, Milleson was a computer “hacker” who accessed computers, networks, and electrometric accounts without authorization to perpetrate fraud schemes.  

As detailed in the plea agreement, between September 23, 2017, and July 29, 2020, Milleson set up Internet domains and fraudulent websites, designed to appear to be legitimate websites belonging to wireless providers, but which were intended to steal account credentials and enabled Milleson and his co-conspirators to access unsuspecting victims’ electronic accounts without authorization. Milleson used techniques such as phishing and vishing to deceive victims into visiting the fraudulent websites and providing their credentials to access their electronic accounts.  Victims of phishing attacks were generally contacted by e-mail, phone, or text message by persons purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce the victims to reveal confidential information.  Vishing is “voice phishing” where imposters use Internet phone services to trick victims into turning over critical financial or personal information over the phone. 

Milleson admitted that he and his co-conspirators used electronic account credentials stolen from employees and affiliates of wireless providers to access those companies’ computer networks without authorization.  After obtaining access to these networks, Milleson took over individual victims’ wireless accounts through “SIM swapping,” whereby customers’ mobile numbers, which are linked to unique subscriber identity modules (“SIM”), were instead linked to a SIM installed in a device controlled by Milleson or his co-conspirators.  Once Milleson gained control over the victims’ mobile phone numbers, he was often able to also gain unauthorized access to the victims’ other electronic accounts, including e-mail, social media, and cryptocurrency accounts.  Milleson and his co-conspirators changed the passwords to the accounts to prevent the victims from accessing their own accounts.                  

As detailed in the plea agreement, Milleson used stolen account passwords to take over social media accounts of Victim 1 and Victim 6, both of whom had thousands of followers and had monetized their accounts through sponsored links, product placements, and product reviews.  Milleson changed the email address and password of the accounts, preventing Victim 1  and Victim 6 from accessing their accounts, and posted material to the victims’ accounts without their  authorization.  As a result of the takeover Victim 6 lost all of their followers on one of their social media accounts and was unable to advertise to them, losing their “brand deals,” the proceeds of which had been used to pay for college tuition, transportation, and groceries.

Milleson also admitted that, using a fraudulent website hosted at the domain Milleson registered, Milleson stole the login credentials of Victim 2, an employee of a third-party retailer for a wireless provider, who had access to the wireless provider’s computer networks. Milleson and others used the credentials of Victim 2, to gain access to the provider’s computer network system and execute SIM swapping attacks, taking control of the wireless calls and text messages sent to the accounts of Victim 3, Victim 4, and Victim 5..  This swapping attack resulted in the transfer of approximately $19,029.48 in digital currency from accounts belonging to Victim 3 and Victim 5.  In addition, Victim 4 had a social media account with a two-character username, coveted by other social media users for its uniqueness and simplicity. On about June 25, 2019, Milleson took unauthorized control of Victim 4’s social media account. On January 25, 2020, Victim 7’s mobile phone stopped working as a result of a SIM swapping attack. Soon thereafter, Victim 7’s personal email password was reset without authorization. An unauthorized user then accessed Individual Victim 7’s account on a digital currency exchange and stole digital currencies worth approximately $12,300 at the time.

On June 26, 2019, a co-conspirator anonymously called the Baltimore County Police Department and falsely reported that he, purporting to be a resident of the Milleson family residence, had shot his father at the residence.  During the call, the co-conspirator, posing as the purported shooter, threatened to shoot himself and to shoot at police officers if they attempted to confront him.  This call was a “swatting” attack, a criminal harassment tactic in which a person places a false call to authorities that will trigger a police or special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team response—thereby causing a life-threatening situation. 

Following his indictment, Milleson’s home was searched on June 29, 2020.  Review of the devices seized from Milleson at that time showed that they were used to complete two-factor authentication password resets for several digital currency account and contained login credentials and passwords belonging to Individual Victims 1 and 6.  Investigators also recovered incriminating messages between Milleson and his co-conspirators that detailed the group’s methodology of account infiltration and cryptocurrency theft.  

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the HSI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and Zachary A. Myers, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Gerald Marshall, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday to 54 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.  Marshall admitted that he conspired to traffic two minor girls, ages 15 and 17, to engage in commercial sex acts.  Judge Hazel ordered Marshall to pay $2,405 in restitution to each of the minor victims.  Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Marshall will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

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

According to Marshall’s plea agreement, beginning in or about January 2018, Marshall conspired with co-defendant Sean Dean to recruit, harbor, transport, and/or maintain three females, including two minors, to engage in commercial sex acts.  In furtherance of the sex trafficking enterprise, Marshall rented hotel rooms in Timonium and Laurel, Maryland to be used by the victims to engage in commercial sex acts.  Marshall and Dean 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. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, during the first week of January 2018, Marshall and Dean transported 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. 

During the second week of January, Marshall and Dean transported the victims to a hotel in Laurel, where they stayed for one or two days, engaging in commercial sex.  On about January 11, 2018, Marshall and Dean transported the three females to a second hotel in Laurel.  Marshall went to the front desk and obtained keys to the rooms intended for the two minor girls and the woman to use for commercial sex.  Law enforcement subsequently responded to that hotel, after receiving a complaint about the smell of marijuana coming from the two rooms Marshall rented.  The two minor females and the woman were located in the two rooms along with condoms and other items use in connection with their commercial sex acts.

Sean Dean, age 28, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.  Dean and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Dean will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. 

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 commended HSI Baltimore and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Victor Davis, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine).  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 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 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.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Davis agrees that it is reasonably foreseeable to him that the members of the drug conspiracy distributed between 28 grams and 112 grams of crack cocaine. 

Davis and the government agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Davis will be sentenced to five years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not set a date for sentencing. 

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 are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Renul Barnet Forbes, a/k/a “Michael Renul,” “Breion Jones,” and “Bree Jones,” age 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, on the federal charges of false personation of a federal officer and possession of a fraudulently made government seal.  The indictment was returned on March 25, 2021 and was unsealed at his initial appearance on May 3, 2021.

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

According to the indictment, on September 26, 2020, Forbes pretended to be an agent of the United States Marshals Service and presented a fraudulent United States Marshals Service badge in relation to an investigation begin conducted by an Anne Arundel County Police officer, in an effort to avoid identification and prosecution.

If convicted, Forbes faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for impersonating an officer and a maximum of five years in federal prison for presenting a fraudulent government seal.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner ordered that Forbes be released on electronic home monitoring pending trial.

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

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Michael Wedington, Jr., age 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the federal charge of kidnapping related to his role in the armed carjackings of two victims in June 2019.

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 Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, Wedington participated in the armed carjackings of two different victims that occurred on June 8 and June 10, 2019, respectively.  In each instance, the victim was intending to purchase tools as part of a purported transaction that Wedington set up through a cellular phone-based application, “OfferUp,” which allows sellers to post advertisements of personal property for sale. Through the OfferUp application, the buyer can then directly contact the seller and arrange to buy the property.  When the victims arrived at the designated meeting spot, they were robbed at gunpoint by Wedington and his co-conspirators, who also stole their vehicles.  In each instance, investigators were able to link the seller’s OfferUp account in the name of “Brian” to Michael Wedington, through Wedington’s phone number and other information.

In the carjacking on June 8, 2019, the victim arrived in the area of Washington Boulevard and South Monroe Street in Baltimore and was directed to the 2400 block of West Lexington Street.  Upon arriving, the victim was waved down and approached by Wedington and two other men.  At first the men appeared to load the victim’s van with the tools they were purportedly selling.  However, one suspect, armed with a handgun, then forced the victim into the rear of his vehicle.  Wedington and his accomplices stole the victim’s wallet and cash, a driver’s license, debit card, and the victim’s cellular phone.  As they drove away, one suspect shoved a handgun in the victim’s mouth and demanded the Personal Identification Number (PIN) to the victim’s debit card.  The suspects drove to a gas station in Northwest Baltimore with the victim still in the van, and one of the suspects used the PIN the victim had provided to obtain cash from an ATM.  The victim escaped from the van in the area of the 7000 block of Park Heights Avenue and fled on foot, later calling the Baltimore Police Department to report the incident.  The stolen vehicle was recovered five days later in the area of the 2700 block of Tivoly Avenue in Baltimore.

In the second carjacking on June 10, 2019, the victim was lured to the 2400 block of West Lexington Street through the OfferUp application by a user who was purportedly selling tools and equipment.  When the victim arrived, he was directed to the back alley behind West Fayette Street, where Wedington and another individual approached him—both armed with handguns.  The two men took the victim’s wallet, containing more than $1,000 in cash, the victim’s two cell phones, and the victim’s Toyota vehicle.

Wedington was identified in a photo array, and Wedington’s fingerprint was recovered from the van stolen in the second carjacking.  On November 1, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Wedington’s primary residence, which is located near the scenes of the two carjackings, and law enforcement recovered a Toyota car key, a firearm, 1,000 rounds of ammunition, replica firearms, and cellular phones.  Agents obtained a search warrant for Wedington’s cell phone, which revealed, among other things, that Wedington used the OfferUp application and the “Brian” account to communicate with the first victim’s friend and orchestrate the June 8, 2019 set up of the carjacking.  Agents also found various photos and videos showing Wedington posing with or using firearms.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended FBI and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew DellaBetta and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized “freevaccinecovax.org” which purported to be the website of an actual biotechnology company developing a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus but instead was allegedly used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the site, in order to use the information for nefarious purposes, including fraud, phishing attacks, and/or deployment of malware.  Individuals visiting the site will now see a message that the site has been seized by the federal government and be redirected to another site for additional information.

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

“This is the ninth fraudulent website seeking to illegally profit from the COVID-19 pandemic that we have seized,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Members of the public should not provide personal information or click on links in unsolicited e-mails and should remember that the COVID-19 vaccine is not for sale.  The Federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to people living in the United States. Working with our partners at HSI, we will continue to aggressively prosecute fraudsters who seek to prey on unsuspecting residents and their families.”

“It’s a scary thought but what HSI wants the public to understand is all a bad guy needs to defraud thousands of Americans in search of COVD-19 information is the ability to create a website combined with malicious intent, “said James Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Baltimore Field Office. “We must make an example of these perpetrators in order to deter others from committing these crimes against an unsuspecting and vulnerable Internet user.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizure, the HSI Intellectual Property Rights Center (“IPRC”) and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center (“C3”) discovered an apparent fraudulent website, named “freevaccinecovax.org.”  A domain analysis conducted by HSI indicated the domain name was created on April 27, 2021, using an IP address located in Strasbourg. The registrant country was listed as Russia.

The HSI Cyber Operations Officer (COO) conducting domain analysis noted that the trademarked logos for Pfizer, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) appear on the homepage for the fraudulent site.  Specifically, the fraudulent website contained a “Select your city” drop down and “Apply” and “Upload application” buttons. Upon selecting a city and clicking on “Apply” a PDF file is downloaded to your computer. This PDF file is written in Cyrillic. Once the PDF is completed, it then can be uploaded to the website by clicking on the “Upload application” button.

By seizing the site, the government has prevented third parties from acquiring the name and using it to commit additional crimes, as well as prevented third parties from continuing to access the site in its present form.

Federal law enforcement agencies are united in our efforts to fight against COVID-19 fraud.  HSI has identified tips to recognize and report COVID-19 fraud.  If you believe you are a victim of a fraud or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you may also call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or for more information visit justice.gov/coronavirus.    

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

# # #