District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell today sentenced Edward Omar Johnson, age 37, of Baltimore, Maryland to 141 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing five bank robberies and two attempted bank robberies in Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania, between February 27, 2019, and March 19, 2019.  During each robbery, Johnson presented the victim teller with a demand note stating that he had a firearm.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Muldrow of the York City (Pennsylvania) Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on February 27, 2019, Johnson robbed a bank in the 400 block of West Baltimore Street in Baltimore and robbed the same bank again on March 12, 2019.  On March 4 and March 5, 2019, Johnson unsuccessfully attempted to rob banks in the 300 block of West Baltimore Street and the 2100 block of Eastern Avenue, both in Baltimore.  On March 5, 2019, Johnson robbed a bank located in the 2000 block of East Monument Street in Baltimore.  On March 12, 2019, Johnson robbed a second bank located in the 1100 block of North Charles Street in Baltimore.  Finally, on March 19, 2019, Johnson robbed a bank in the unit block of West Market Street in York, Pennsylvania, throwing the demand note at the teller, then reaching into the victim teller’s cash drawer and stealing $430 in cash.  In that robbery, Johnson also inadvertently took a GPS tracker hidden in bait money, which he threw in a nearby dumpster.

On March 14, 2020, the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force issued a media release of the robbery surveillance images captured during the robberies in Maryland.  The Baltimore Police Department subsequently received an anonymous tip that the robber was Johnson.  Law enforcement obtained prior photos of Johnson which matched the physical appearance of the suspect in the bank robberies.  On March 22, 2019, the York City Police Department located and arrested Johnson in York, Pennsylvania.  A search of Johnson recovered a bank robbery demand note, the language of which was consistent with the language in the notes used in previous robberies.  Johnson waived his rights and during an interview with law enforcement admitted committing the robberies and identified himself in surveillance photos from the robberies.  Later investigation revealed the existence of Johnson’s latent fingerprints on the demand notes he left behind after the attempted bank robbery and successful bank robbery on March 5, 2019, and the two March 12, 2019, bank robberies.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the York City Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Douglas Brian Quander, age 39, of Bowie, Maryland to 100 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and for distribution of crack cocaine. 

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

According to his plea agreement, from October 2017 to June 2018, Quander conspired with Keshia Renee Dawkins and others to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.  During the course of the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used an undercover agent and a confidential source to conduct several controlled buys of cocaine and crack cocaine from Quander, or at Quander’s direction, from his co-conspirators. Over six drug transactions, Quander and his co-conspirators sold the undercover agent and confidential source a total of approximately 276.71 grams of cocaine or crack cocaine for $6,700. 

On June 25, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Quander and Dawkins’ residence.  Law enforcement seized two firearms, ammunition, 316.8 grams of cocaine, 5.5 grams of heroin, 6.2 grams of marijuana, two digital scales, and $19,122 in cash.

Keisha Renee Dawkins, age 41, of Bowie, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced for her role in the conspiracy.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the DEA for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwight Draughon, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Venkatesh Rao, age 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2021 to theft of government property from his former employer, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board or FRB).   

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge John T. Perez of the Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General.

According to his guilty plea, in 2019, the Federal Reserve Board notified Rao that it considered his work performance to be unsatisfactory and Rao made a decision to voluntarily separate from the Board.  Over the course of five weekend days in November 2019, Rao entered the FRB building in Washington, D.C. approximately 16 times and printed more than 50 restricted government documents from his workstation and avoided FRB restrictions on the emailing and electronic copying of restricted materials.  Rao removed the restricted documents, which contained proprietary information used by the FRB to conduct bank stress tests, from the FRB building and stored the materials at his home.

Rao faces a maximum sentence of one year in federal prison for theft of government property.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms has scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2021.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Peter J. Martinez, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Thomas Lee Keyes, a/k/a “Mac,” a/k/a “Richard Lee Dantzler,” a/k/a “Mark Anton Johnson,” age 56, of Wheaton, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base.   Judge Messitte ordered that Keyes’ federal sentence is to be served consecutive to the 15-year sentence Keyes is currently serving a for a state burglary and firearm conviction.

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

According to his plea agreement, from February 2014 to July 2017, Keyes conspired with others to possess and distribute quantities of heroin and cocaine base (“crack”) in Maryland and the District of Columbia.  Keys distributed heroin and crack from his residence in Hyattsville, Maryland, and later from a condominium unit in Beltsville, Maryland, and from hotels in College Park, Maryland.  At the hotels, Keyes and others rented rooms where they used, stored, and sold drugs. At times, Keyes hand delivered the narcotics to customers at their homes.  From April 2015 to January 2017, Keyes sold at least 595 grams of heroin and 457 grams of crack sporadically amongst four individuals.   One individual bought $300 of narcotics on almost a daily basis.

Keyes was arrested by law enforcement on June 20, 2017 at a hotel in College Park. Keyes acknowledges that the distribution of at least 700 grams of heroin and at least 225 grams of cocaine base were foreseeable to him during the time of the conspiracy. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the ATF, the FBI, and the Prince George County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Justin Antoine, a/k/a Justo, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Southwest Baltimore, to 270 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and for discharging a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  In addition to the murder, Antoine admitted that he was part of a shoot-out where a bystander was shot.

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

“This case exemplifies the danger to the people of Baltimore resulting from the illegal drug trade,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Justin Antoine and his co-conspirators brought the deadly combination of guns and drugs into their community.  This sentence sends a strong message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are working together to remove violent drug dealers like Antoine from our streets.”  

“Today’s sentencing exemplifies the successful teamwork of Maryland law enforcement agencies to target and dismantle violent street gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone.  “The citizens of Maryland have the FBI’s commitment that we will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to investigate and prosecute dealers like Justin Antoine and remove violent criminals from the neighborhoods of Baltimore.”

According to his plea agreement, from at least April 2018 through January 2019, Antoine participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around the Edmondson Village neighborhood of southwest Baltimore.  The DTO sold heroin and crack cocaine on a daily basis in street-level quantities.  Antoine regularly sold heroin and crack cocaine, which he obtained from other members of the DTO.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on several occasions in early 2018, individuals in the Edmondson Village robbed Antoine, stealing drugs, drug proceeds, and a cell phone that Antoine used to communicate with drug customers.  Antoine admits that on May 8, 2018, he sought out victim “J.D.” because Antoine believed J.D. was one of the participants in these robberies.  Antoine was armed with a loaded pistol and went to the Mary Rodham Recreation Center.  Once at the location, Antoine walked up to J.D. and shot him two times in the head, killing J.D.  Antoine acknowledged that this was an intentional killing and occurred during and in relation to his drug trafficking activities.  Following the murder of J.D., Antoine continued to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.  In November 2018, Antoine was standing on the block where he frequently distributed drugs when a vehicle operated by friends of J.D. arrived.  At least one occupant of that vehicle fired a gun at Antoine.  Antoine was armed with a handgun and shot back at the vehicle.  During this exchange of gunfire, a bystander was struck by gunfire.

As detailed in the government’s sentencing memo and presented at today’s hearing, on November 26, 2018, Antoine planned to rob an unlicensed taxi driver whom Antoine believed refused to return a gun that he had left in the driver’s vehicle.  During a wiretapped call, Antoine said that if the driver gave him any issues during the robbery that he was “splatting that sh*t,” meaning he would murder the driver. Another wiretapped call captured Antoine discussing his attempt to illegally purchase an assault rifle.

Law enforcement arrested Antoine on January 10, 2019, as he was traveling to work.  Investigators seized a loaded firearm and heroin from Antoine.  Antoine admitted that he possessed the heroin with the intent to distribute the drugs.

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

This case is 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 ATF, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Anne Arundel County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A 10-month investigation by the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force into violence and drug dealing in the area of Pennsylvania and North Avenues in West Baltimore has led to six federal indictments charging a total of 29 defendants for conspiracy, drug distribution, and firearms charges.  The defendants are allegedly members of six different drug crews, each using a different name for their drugs, operating in a several block area in Penn North.  The indictments remained sealed until today, as the majority of the defendants have now been arrested and had their initial appearances. Twenty-three defendants have been arrested.  Five defendants are fugitives and a sixth defendant absconded from pretrial release. 

The indictments were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Secretary Robert Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “All too often, guns and drugs go hand in hand—and both tragically are killing a lot of people in Baltimore.  The Strike Force will continue to target areas where violence is fueled by armed drug dealers. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get both the guns and the drug dealers off of our streets and to reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods.  The indictments we are announcing today reflect our commitment toward achieving that goal.”

“The Baltimore Police Department is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to target those involved in the illegal drug trade and those illegally carrying firearms in our city,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison.  “These indictments represent the great collaborative work that our agencies are doing to combat drug trafficking in some of our most challenged neighborhoods. We know that drug trafficking fuels violence in our communities and we must remain vigilant in combating these criminals who continue to contribute to overdose deaths in our city.”

“This case is another example of the Baltimore County Police Department’s commitment to work in partnership with our federal counterparts to aggressively dismantle those criminal enterprises that threaten the safety of our communities,” said Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt.

Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately $935,000 in cash, $70,000 worth of luxury jewelry, including Rolex watches, four kilograms of fentanyl—enough to kill 200,000 people, as well as quantities of cocaine and heroin, and nine firearms.

The first indictment (20-0268), returned on August 25, 2020, charges Wesley Clash, age 38; Dashelle Claridy, age 24; Vincent Davis, age 41; Myesha Jones, age 25; and Kevin Riggins, age 26, all of Baltimore, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and crack and powder cocaine using the name “Dirty Sprite,” beginning no later than July 2019.  Jones, Clash, and Claridy are also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Kevin Riggins is a fugitive and Vincent Davis absconded from his pretrial release.

The second indictment (20-0269) was also returned on August 25, 2020.  The 12-count indictment charges Jerold Gilliam, age 40; Akeem Ross, age 29; Charles Bond, age 25; Trevor Connors, age 50; Gilbert Conway, age 44; James Meekins, age 35; Isaiah Timms, age 28; Marquese Ward, age 30; and Welton Whittington, Jr., age 30, all of Baltimore for their participation in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine, using the name “Bullseye,” beginning in August 2019.  Ross, Bond, Meekins Connors, and Gilliam are also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Ward, Ross, Connors are charged with being felons in possession of a firearm and Ross and Connors are also charged with possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Akeem Ross is a fugitive.

Five defendants are charged in a nine-count indictment (20-0385) that was returned by a federal grand jury on November 10, 2020.  Ronald Green, age 47; Kinnard Riggs, age 46; Malik Gilmore, age 25; Edward Baker, age 36; Clifton Bryant, age 51; and Lawrence Nichols, age 50, all of Baltimore, allegedly participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl using the name “Special,” from August 2019 through at least December 2019.  Green, Riggs, Bryant, and Nichols are also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Green and Riggs are each charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and with possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.  Lawrence Nichols is believed to be deceased.

A federal grand jury indicted (20-0386) Jerome Willingham, age 33, of Baltimore on November 10, 2020, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl that Willingham branded as “Lamar Jackson,” beginning in at least January 2020.  Willingham is also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.  Willingham is a fugitive.

Torico Reaves, age 48; Michael Bowles, age 57, Shawn Jackson, age 48; Lafonte Johnson, age 40; Robert Ross, Jr., age 54; Albert Shields, age 51; and Kevin Toppin, age 33, all of Baltimore, are charged in a five-count indictment (20-0443) with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl between at least October 2019 and April 2020, using the brand name “Master P” for their fentanyl.  The indictment was returned on December 9, 2020.  Reaves, Toppin, Bowles, Jackson, and Ross are also charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Jackson is a fugitive.

Finally, Jacquez Maith-Bost, age 29, of Baltimore was indicted (20-0440) on December 9, 2020, charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine on March 11, 2020, using the name “D. Rose”.  Maith-Bost is also charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

The defendants face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for the conspiracy; a maximum of 20 year in federal prison for each count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; a maximum of life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  All of the defendants have had an initial appearance.  Gilliam, Bond, Connors, Conway, Ward, Riggs, and Shields were ordered to be detained and the remaining defendants were released with conditions, under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

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

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles D. Austin and James T. Wallner, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Douglas Amilcar-Vasquez, age 35, of Mexico, to 100 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the armed robbery of a Takoma Park, Maryland, jewelry store on February 16, 2019, and for brandishing a gun during the robbery.  Judge Grimm also ordered Amilcar-Vasquez to pay restitution of $174,967, which is the full amount of the victim’s loss.  According to information presented at yesterday’s sentencing hearing, Amilcar-Vasquez has two previous convictions for illegally re-entering the United States after being deported.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, Amilcar-Vasquez and his co-defendant, Ever Ramiro Torres Enriquez (“Torres”) robbed a Takoma Park jewelry store on February 16, 2019.  Torres entered the jewelry store and pretended to be looking for jewelry for his girlfriend.  Moments later, Amilcar-Vasquez entered the store brandishing a handgun and demanded cash and jewelry.  At the same time, Torres pulled out a black rifle, which had been hidden under his clothes and, pointing the rifle at his victims, demanded money and jewelry.  At one point during the robbery, Amilcar-Vasquez forcibly removed a necklace from around one customer’s neck.  Torres and Amilcar-Vasquez stole $7,900 in cash and over 400 pieces of jewelry valued at $167,067.11.  The defendants left the store and Amilcar-Vasquez used the gun to forcibly carjack two male victims in a nearby vehicle.  The defendants then fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, which was later recovered.

Following the robbery, Amilcar-Vasquez and his relatives pawned some of the stolen jewelry.  Video surveillance from a pawn shop in Houston, Texas showed Amilcar-Vasquez wearing the necklace that he forcibly removed from the neck of the victim at the jewelry store.

Neither defendant wore gloves during the robbery.  Amilcar-Vasquez’s left palm print was lifted from one of the jewelry store’s glass counters and DNA found on gloves recovered from the carjacked vehicle matched DNA from Torres. 

Upon his arrest, a vehicle used by Amilcar-Vasquez was searched.  Law enforcement recovered the gun Amilcar-Vasquez brandished during the robbery—a 9mm pistol—which was loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition.  Amilcar-Vasquez’s DNA was found on the gun.

Ever Ramiro Torres Enriquez, age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced on January 12, 2021 to seven years and a day in federal prison for the armed robbery and for brandishing a gun during the robbery.  Torres Enriquez was also ordered to pay restitution of $174,967.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Thomas Corey Crosby, age 51, of Woodlawn, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Judge Russell also ordered that Crosby must forfeit $134,499 in cash, which was seized on August 14, 2020.

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

According to his guilty plea, from at least May 2020 through August 2020, Crosby participated in a conspiracy to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.    

Beginning in May 2020, investigators began wiretapping a cell phone known to be used by a co-conspirator, which revealed that the co-conspirator was operating an open-air drug market (commonly called a “drug shop”) that sold cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, in Northwest Baltimore City in the area of Palmer and Spaulding Avenues and that the co-conspirator was communicating with Crosby regarding the drug business.  Investigators also obtained authorization to intercept a phone used by Crosby.  Investigation revealed that Crosby and the co-conspirator communicated approximately every 7 to 14 days concerning the sale of narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.  Crosby and the co-conspirator spoke in code during these calls, but it was clear that they were discussing the distribution of narcotics.  After these conversations, Crosby and his co-conspirator would meet at a gas station, located at the intersection of Druid Park Avenue and Liberty Heights in Baltimore, where Crosby supplied the co-conspirator with drugs.  Investigators conducted surveillance on several of these meetings and obtained video surveillance from the gas station.

On August 9, 2020, law enforcement executed a vehicle stop on the co-conspirator’s vehicle after Crosby had met the co-conspirator at the gas station, where Crosby was seen placing an item in the center console area of the vehicle.  During a search of the vehicle, investigators recovered over 100 grams of fentanyl from a bag inside the center console of the vehicle.  After this traffic stop, the co-conspirator immediately called Crosby and the pair then met at the same gas station.  After this additional meeting, Crosby disposed of his cell phone, which investigators had obtained authorization to intercept and track.  Crosby distributed the 100 grams of fentanyl to the co-conspirator.

On August 14, 2020, investigators executed a series of search warrants at locations related to the investigation, including a residence in the 2500 block of Park Heights Terrace in Baltimore, a location used by Crosby to manufacture and store drugs.  Inside the residence, investigators recovered fentanyl, as well as drug paraphernalia and packaging material including: sifters, razor blades, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and cutting agents.  Investigators also executed a search warrant at Crosby’s residence, where they recovered $134,499 in cash, which Crosby admitted constituted proceeds from his drug trafficking activities.

Crosby admitted that he distributed over 160 grams of fentanyl during his participation in the conspiracy.  Additionally, Crosby acknowledged that he was previously convicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. 

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

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

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Baltimore, Maryland- Christopher Russell Fox, age 42, of Brooklyn, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021 to distribution of child pornography. Fox is a registered sex offender, previously convicted of a third-degree sex offense in 2016, in Howard County Circuit Court.

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

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

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

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

As part of his plea agreement, Fox must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Fox faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison for distribution of child pornography.   U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2021 at 11 a.m.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine L. Duey and Matthew Maddox, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – In the last week, U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has sentenced three members of the Monument Street drug trafficking organizations to at least five years in federal prison related to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and/or fentanyl in the Monument Street area of East Baltimore.  Specifically, on March 4, 2021, Judge Hollander sentenced Tony Solomon, age 55, of Baltimore, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  On March 9, 2021, Judge Hollander sentenced Perez Scruggs, age 25, and Noah Walston age 30, both of Baltimore, to 65 months and five years in federal prison, respectively, each followed by three years of supervised release.  Scruggs had previously pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  Walston pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  A fourth co-defendant, Windeer Washington, age 45, of Baltimore is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2021.  Washington and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts his plea agreement, Washington will be sentenced to three years in federal prison.

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

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

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

As detailed in their plea agreements, investigators identified Solomon as a source of supply in the conspiracy; identified Scruggs and Washington as wholesale drug customers; and identified Walston as a drug distributor.  Walston also operated another street level shop in the 800 block of North Milton, in conjunction with the OTM shop.  On numerous occasions law enforcement intercepted calls in which the defendants discussed the distribution of drugs, including powder cocaine and crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, among others.

Solomon admitted that he maintained at least two stash locations used for storing, cutting, and packaging controlled dangerous substances with other members of the conspiracy, located in the 1600 block of North Spring Street and the 3200 block of Brighton Street, both in Baltimore. Solomon conspired with coconspirators to use the North Spring Street location to meet with drug customers for the purposes of collecting money and providing controlled substances to them.

In January 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at both stash locations, and at residences associated with Solomon, recovering a total of approximately 200 grams of crack cocaine, five grams of powder cocaine, and 147 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture; drug paraphernalia, including a small hydraulic press, small and large kilo presses, digital scales, gel caps, and packaging materials; more than $41,000 in cash, believed to be drug proceeds; and a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with eight .45-caliber cartridges, which Solomon admitted he possessed in connection to his drug trafficking activities. 

As detailed in their plea agreements, on January 2, 2019, investigators executed a search and seizure warrant at Washington’s residence in the 2900 block of McElderry Street in Baltimore, where they recovered approximately 118 grams of cocaine and fentanyl mixture and 34 grams of crack cocaine, a small hydraulic press and mail in Washington’s name.  On May 23, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Scruggs’ residence in the 2400 block of Woodbrook Avenue in Baltimore.  Investigators seized approximately 255 grams of a mixture containing cocaine; an electric scale with drug residue; and three firearms and ammunition.  Specifically, law enforcement recovered a .22 caliber semi-automatic long rifle; a 12 gauge shotgun pump action, with no serial number; a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun with an extended magazine and five 12 gauge cartridges mounted on the side of the weapon; and six 9mm cartridges, as well as one additional 12 gauge shotgun shell found in a china cabinet.  Washington and Scruggs admitted that they possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them for sale. 

Additionally, on June 9, 2020, Baltimore Police officers (BPD) attempted to initiate a traffic stop of Walston in the area of the 200 block of North Caroline Street in Baltimore.  However, the vehicle failed to stop, and attempted to speed away to evade law enforcement.  Due to high traffic, the vehicle could not escape the officers, and the driver, later identified as Walston, fled the vehicle, throwing a black gun away with his right hand as he ran.  The gun, a 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol, loaded with six rounds of ammunition, was later recovered in the same area that Walston was observed throwing the gun.

Solomon, Scruggs, and Walston are all prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of previous felony convictions.

Throughout the course of their involvement, it was reasonably foreseeable to Solomon and Scruggs, and within the scope of the conspiracy that they or other members of the conspiracy would distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as quantities of cocaine base, heroin, and fentanyl during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy.  It was reasonably foreseeable to Washington, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he would distribute between 500 grams and two kilograms of cocaine, as well as quantities of cocaine base and fentanyl, during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy.  It was reasonably foreseeable to Walston, and within the scope of the conspiracy that he or other members of the conspiracy would distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base (“crack”), as well as quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

Of the 25 defendants indicted in this case, 14—including Solomon, Scruggs, Walston, and Washington—have pleaded guilty.  The remaining defendants have trial dates in May or November 2021.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and James T. Wallner, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Clayton Alexander McCoy, age 30, of Chesterland, Ohio, with transporting explosives with intent to injure and with with using, carrying, or possessing a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with a bombing in Manchester, Maryland on October 30, 2020.   The criminal complaint was filed on March 3, 2021 and unsealed today. McCoy will have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Cleveland, Ohio on March 12, 2021.  McCoy will be transported to Maryland for an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at a later date.

The federal charges were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci; Carroll County Sheriff James T. DeWees; and Carroll County State’s Attorney Brian DeLeonardo.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on October 30, 2020, a victim sustained serious injuries and burns consistent with an explosion, after opening a package.  Another resident of the home found the package, which was addressed to the victim, on the front porch of the home that morning at approximately 8:30 a.m., after the victim had left for work.  The resident brought the package into the house and placed it in the kitchen to await the victim’s return.  At approximately 5:30 p.m., the victim returned home and saw the cardboard box that was addressed to him.  He opened the cardboard box and observed a smaller white box with a red ribbon inside.  The victim took both boxes into his bedroom to open in private.  According to the victim, as he opened the smaller white box, a small nail that appeared to be inserted into the white box was pulled outward.  When he removed the nail, the victim heard a whistling or hissing sound followed by an explosion.  The victim was struck in the front of his body by shrapnel and sustained injuries to his chest, legs, and front of body.  He was transported to the hospital where he was treated for injuries caused by the shrapnel and explosion.  The victim was released from the hospital on November 17, 2020 and is continuing with rehabilitation.  Investigation revealed that the explosive device was likely a type of pipe bomb containing shrapnel.   

The victim’s girlfriend advised law enforcement of a recent interaction with McCoy, with whom she had been friends for approximately seven years.  As detailed in the affidavit, the victim, his girlfriend, and McCoy were all friends through their participation in Dagorhir, a live action role-playing battle game with full contact melee fighting and ranged combat as its primary focus.  Sometime in early October 2020, McCoy told the victim’s girlfriend that he had feelings for her.  She advised McCoy that she did not feel the same way and that she was in a relationship with the victim.  She and McCoy agreed to remain friends. 

Search warrants obtained by law enforcement found that in the very early morning of October 30, 2020, a device associated with McCoy and located at his residence allegedly searched for and obtained directions to the victim’s home address.  McCoy’s cell phone then allegedly traveled from his home to the victim’s home, and a pickup truck, similar to a pickup truck registered to McCoy’s mother, was seen in front of the victim’s home and was depicted on home security video taken that day from a neighbor’s security camera.  In addition, a review of McCoy’s online accounts revealed that a week before that the bombing, McCoy allegedly searched for the gas tank capacity of a 1994 Toyota pickup, the same make and year of the pickup truck registered to McCoy’s mother.

If convicted, McCoy faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for transporting explosives with intent to injure and a mandatory minimum of 30 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for using, carrying, or possession of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the ATF, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Bridget M. Brennan and her office, and the ATF Columbus Field Division for their assistance with the searches and arrest.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Nigerian national Seun Banjo Ojedokun, age 37, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a money laundering conspiracy related to a romance scam and other fraud schemes.  Judge Grimm also ordered Ojedokun to pay $325,100 in restitution.

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

Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “I hope that this sentence serves as a deterrent to those who, like Ojedokun and his co-conspirators, take advantage of vulnerable and elderly victims across the United States, defrauding them through lies and laundering the funds internationally.  These heartless fraudsters left their victims heartbroken, embarrassed, and financially devastated.  Bringing to justice fraudsters who prey upon the elderly is one of the highest priorities of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners. We will continue our outreach efforts to make the public aware of scams and frauds targeting elderly victims.  I encourage anyone who believes they or someone they know who may be a victim to contact the Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).”

According to the evidence presented at his six-day trial, between 2013 and March 2015, Ojedokun conspired with Gbenga Benson Ogundele, Mukhtar Danjuma Haruna, a/k/a “Mukky,” and others to use money deposited into bank accounts by fraud victims to engage in financial transactions in order to promote the fraud scheme and conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the fraud proceeds. Ojedokun was in Nigeria when he was committing these crimes.  Law enforcement was able to arrest him when he came to the United States to attend school here.

According to evidence presented at trial, members of the conspiracy searched online dating websites to initiate romantic relationships with vulnerable men and women.  They phoned, e-mailed, texted and used Internet chat messenger services to form romantic relationships with the victims, who lived throughout the United States. 

Specifically, witnesses testified that members of the conspiracy used false stories and promises to convince the many victims to provide money to the conspirators, including fake hospital bills, plane trips to visit the victims, problems with overseas businesses, and foreign taxes.  Ogundele and other conspirators opened bank accounts, called “drop accounts,” in order to receive millions of dollars from the victims.  Testimony at trial showed that victims provided money to the conspirators as a result of the false stories and promises, either depositing money directly into drop accounts controlled by the conspirators, or by checks sent to the conspirators.  The loss to the eight victims who testified at trial was well over $1 million and the overall total loss was substantially higher.

In addition, the evidence at trial showed that the conspirators engaged in other types of fraud, including a fraudulent employment scam in which the victim was led to believe she had been hired by a company, and was instructed to deposit the proceeds of a fraudulent check into a drop account controlled by the conspirators.

According to the evidence, Ojedokun, Ogundele, Haruna, and their co-conspirators laundered money received from the fraud victims by buying used cars and shipping them to Nigeria, among other methods.  As part of the fraud schemes, Ojedokun and his co-conspirators transmitted and used images of financial transactions, including bank deposit receipts and wire transfer forms, as proof that a deposit of fraud money had been made by a victim.

Ogundele, age 61, formerly of Laurel, Maryland, was convicted in 2016 after a 17-day trial, of conspiracies to commit money laundering and wire fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft, and was sentenced to 234 months in federal prison.  Haruna, age 46, of Nigeria, remains a fugitive and charges against him are still pending.  In addition to Ogundele, eight other defendants were convicted for their roles in the fraud scheme and were sentenced to between a year and a day and 234 months in federal prison.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr.  Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Windom, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A newly filed federal superseding indictment adds bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges against Glenda Hodges, age 69, of Clinton, Maryland, who was already facing wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges in connection with the misuse of federal funds and other fraud related to non-profit and for-profit entities that Hodges operated. The new bank fraud charges relate to a fraud allegedly committed while Hodges was on pretrial release for the wire fraud charges.  The superseding indictment was returned on March 10, 2021.  At a hearing today in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Hodges was ordered to be detained pending trial for violating the conditions of her pre-trial release.

The superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner;  Special Agent in Charge Kenneth R. Dieffenbach of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Fraud Detection Office; Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III; and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to the 12-count superseding indictment, between October 9, 2020 and October 21, 2020, while on pretrial release, Hodges allegedly defrauded her fourth victim by claiming she would monitor the victim’s finances while the victim prepared to move out of state. Hodges assured the victim that she would return the funds once the victim was settled in her new location. Hodges drove the victim to her financial institution and procured a check for $71,731.85, which Hodges deposited into her own bank account. Hodges then allegedly spent the victim’s money on personal expenditures, without the victim’s authorization, and failed to repay the victim.

According to the superseding indictment, Hodges owned and was the Chief Executive Officer of Still I Rise Incorporated, a non-profit entity which purported to provide services and resources to minority survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; Still I Rise Comprehensive Support & Training Services LLC (“CSST”), a for-profit entity; and the Women’s Wellness Center (WWC), a for-profit medical weight loss clinic operated under the umbrella of CSST. Between 2010 and 2017, Hodges was awarded more than $2 million in grants from the United States Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Office of Violence Against Women (“OVW”) and Prince George’s County to implement a violence against women program through Still I Rise.

The three grants that DOJ OVW awarded Hodges and Still I Rise were authorized only for the stated purpose of implementing Still I Rise’s non-profit program to address violence against women.  Specifically, Hodges represented that the funds would be used to provide community services related to violence against women, including crisis intervention, support groups, financial and employment counseling, material assistance, job training, advocacy, court and medical accompaniment, language services, and transportation.  Hodges allegedly represented that she would accept only a $12,000 stipend each year as the Director of Still I Rise.  However, the superseding indictment alleges that Hodges converted funding from the grant awards to her personal benefit and to pay WWC payroll and other WWC expenses.  By 2016, Hodges had exhausted the grant funding and her companies were financially distressed.  The superseding indictment alleges that Hodges then used fraudulent means to inject additional funding into WWC and Still I Rise.

Specifically, the superseding indictment alleges that on October 9, 2015, Hodges caused $134,800 to be stolen from Victim 1—a mutual fund in Pennsylvania—and wired into a bank account associated with Still I Rise, and then used the stolen funds for expenditures at WWC and for her personal benefit.  In addition, on April 8, 2016, Hodges deposited a $72,938 altered business check related to a federal cancer research grant that had allegedly been stolen from Victim 2, a prominent university in Texas, into a different bank account opened in the name of Still I Rise and over which Hodges was the sole authorized signer. 

Further, the superseding indictment alleges that between March 10 and August 26, 2016, Hodges fraudulently opened credit accounts at two financial institutions using the identifying information of Victim 3, an elderly volunteer at Still I Rise, without the victim’s knowledge or permission, accumulating at least $45,000 in debt.  According to court documents, to secure one of the lines of credit, Hodges had Victim 3 medically transported to a nearby bank. When Victim 3 was brought to the bank, Victim 3 was in pain and in a wheelchair, and had an antibiotic catheter line running to her heart.

Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that, as the owner of WWC, and to preserve the medical clinic’s capital, Hodges directed her medical practitioners to inject saline solution into patients rather than Lipo-C, a weight-loss injection therapy requested by patients, and issued nonsufficient funds checks to her employees..

If convicted, Hodges faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of three counts of bank fraud and seven counts wire fraud.  Hodges also faces a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of two counts of 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.  Hodges is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, but no date has been scheduled.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor, and the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has established a Civil Rights Unit to enhance the Office’s focus on the enforcement and protection of the civil and constitutional rights of all Maryland residents, including the most vulnerable members of our communities.   

In announcing the new Civil Rights Unit, Acting United States Attorney Lenzner stated: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has always enforced federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, color, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, familial status and citizenship.  We are making it a priority to have the capabilities to address all forms of discrimination that may exist in any sector or community.  It is important that our focus and capabilities in the area of civil rights be well known throughout all Maryland communities. The establishment of the Civil Rights Unit to vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws will help foster a community where individuals live free from unlawful barriers and ensure equal opportunity to all citizens regardless of any protected status.”

Specifically, the Civil Rights Unit will investigate and prosecute violations of criminal statutes, including hate crimes and deprivation of rights made under the color of law, and will bring civil cases to address patterns or practices of discrimination in housing, education, health care and employment, among other areas.  The Unit will also coordinate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Section on allegations and investigations related to domestic terrorism to ensure that civil rights statutes, including those related to hate crimes and racially motivated offenses, are considered and employed, as appropriate. 

To accomplish its goals, the Civil Rights Unit will be staffed by assistant U.S. Attorneys from both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, who will work together to ensure that a full arsenal of statutes and remedies are employed to address all forms of discrimination.  The Civil Rights Unit will develop working relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout Maryland that are focused on enforcing civil rights, and will increase outreach efforts to public, private, and not-for-profit entities.  The Office will also continue to partner and coordinate with the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as assist county and municipal jurisdictions in Maryland to identify and seek grants and other funding and training opportunities administered by the Department of Justice.

Through the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s prioritization and strengthened partnerships, civil rights violations in Maryland will be investigated and as appropriate, prosecuted by federal or state prosecutors.  To report suspected violations of civil or criminal civil rights statutes, you may contact the FBI at 410-265-8080 or tips@fbi.gov.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Christopher Lee Dubry, age 25, of La Plata, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021, to possession of child pornography. 

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

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

According to his guilty plea, while serving his prison sentence at the Charles County Detention Center, Dubry was granted work release beginning in December 2018.  Dubry typically left the detention center each evening at 8:00 p.m. and drove his personal vehicle to his place of employment in Landover, Maryland, where he worked overnight, then returned to the detention center at approximately 5:00 a.m. 

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

On February 27, 2020, law enforcement seized Dubry’s cell phone.  A subsequent forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed approximately 250 images and 3 videos of child pornography, including the sexual abuse of prepubescent children.  At least one video depicts sadistic or masochistic conduct.  In total, Dubry received and possessed the equivalent of 600 images of child pornography on his cell phone.

Dubry and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dubry will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.   Upon his release from prison, Dubry will also 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).  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. 

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

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Frank William Robertson Perry, age 39, of Dundalk, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021, to illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  Perry admitted that he is an adherent of the Boogaloo Movement.  “Boogaloo” is a term referencing a violent uprising or impending civil war and is sometimes used by militia extremists and others.  Militia extremists have adopted it to reference an impending politically-motivated civil war or uprising against the government following perceived incursions on Constitutional rights—including the Second Amendment—or other perceived government overreach.  The Boogaloo is not a single cohesive group, but rather a loose concept arising from internet platforms which has become a rallying point for some extremists.

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

According to his plea agreement, Perry was previously convicted for second degree burglary on November 19, 2012 in Baltimore County Circuit Court.  As a result of that conviction, Perry is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, in April 2020 Perry caused his girlfriend to purchase the lower receiver of an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 rifle, from a firearms dealer in Eastern Baltimore County for his own use.  The lower receiver of a firearm, while not a completed and functioning weapon, is legally defined as a firearm.  Purchasers are required to go through a background check and complete an ATF form truthfully and under penalty of perjury, which the seller of the firearm is required to maintain. The form, as completed, indicated that Perry’s girlfriend was the purchaser of the AM-15 lower receiver and that the receiver was “multi-cal,” denoting a firearm that could be assembled into a variety of calibers.  The AM-15 lower receiver, once assembled, is nearly identical to the AR-15 assault rifle.

Perry admitted that from March 31, 2020 to September 6, 2020, he purchased a number of firearm-related items online, including a gun cleaning mat with a diagram of the parts of an AR-15 style rifle; grease for lubricating firearms; a sling and sling assembly for a rifle; a weapon mounted light commonly found on AR-15 style weapons; a weapons mounted sight; and a device to calibrate a weapons sight.  Perry caused the items to be delivered to his girlfriend’s residence in her name and used the items to build an operational AM-15 weapon. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, on October 7, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perry’s residence in Dundalk, Maryland and seized an Anderson Manufacturing rifle model AM-15; a black tactical vest containing two ballistic plates; three loaded rifle magazines; eight rounds of .223 caliber ammunition and other firearm related accessories.  During an interview with law enforcement, Perry insisted that the rifle was purchased and owned by his girlfriend for self-defense purposes.  He also claimed to have built the rifle and conceded that the FBI would find his fingerprints on the weapon.  Perry also admitted he would have used the weapon himself for self-defense if the situation required it. 

Perry faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has not yet scheduled sentencing.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the ATF, for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and P. Michael Cunningham, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Patricia Sahadachny, age 74, of Riverdale, Maryland to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for theft of government property.  Judge Messitte also ordered Sahadachny to pay restitution in the amount of $256,244.

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

“This sentence reflects the egregious nature of the defendant’s conduct over more than two decades, as she perpetuated this fraud against all taxpayers,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael McGill. “The SSA OIG will continue to use every available resource and work closely with SSA to identify beneficiary deaths and pursue those who misuse Social Security benefits after someone dies. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of this investigation and its efforts to recover these funds for Social Security.”

According to her plea agreement, from February 1994 to January 2018, Sahadachny stole monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits payments intended for her son, who died on February 25, 1994.  Sahadachny concealed and failed to disclose to SSA that her son had died, resulting in a loss to the U.S. government of $256,244. 

As detailed in her plea agreement, at the time of his death, Sahadachny’s son was receiving his SSDI checks by mail at his residence, which he shared with Sahadachny, who served as his caretaker.  When her son died, Sahadachny did not notify SSA of his death, and as a result, SSA continued to send checks in her son’s name to the residence.  Sahadachny continued to deposit the benefits checks into her account, forging her son’s signature.  This continued for nearly 24 years until SSA discovered through an audit that her son was likely deceased and terminated payments in January 2018.

During an interview with SSA OIG agents on October 24, 2018, Sahadachny admitted forging her son’s signature and depositing her son’s benefits checks into her account after his death.  Sahadachny spent the stolen funds either by withdrawing them as cash, or using them to pay for personal expenses, including credit card debt she incurred on accounts she opened using her son’s name and social security number after he died. Sahadachny opened at least 11 credit accounts using her son’s identity after his death, of which, at least four were ultimately settled for less than the full amount owed.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner praised the Social Security Administration for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Estel Henry Cook, Jr., age 56, of North East, Maryland, to 95 months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Jude Bennett ordered Cook to pay $3,000 in restitution. Judge Bennett also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Cook must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.

According to his guilty plea, in April 2019, an internet search engine sent two Cyber Tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCEMC) after a user uploaded child pornography.  After investigation, Maryland State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered the IP addresses and subscriber information associated with the upload child pornography resolved to Cook’s North East residence.

On August 27, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant a Cook’s residence and seized his cell phone.  A forensic analysis revealed that Cook possessed approximately 976 files of graphic child exploitive material including 348 videos and 628 images.  The images depicted the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent minors and an infant.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine L. Duey, who prosecuted the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized “usaregenermedicals.com,” which purported to sell and distribute REGEN-COV2, an antibody drug cocktail approved for the treatment of COVID-19 virus. However, the website was fraudulent and instead appears to have been 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 now will 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 fifth fraudulent website taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic that we have seized in recent months,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “We urge all Maryland residents to be skeptical - don’t provide personal information or click on links in unsolicited e-mails and remember that the COVID vaccine is not for sale.  The Federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to people living in the United States. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these fraudsters who seek to prey on unsuspecting residents and their families.”

“Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Use extreme caution on the internet, especially as it relates to COVID-19 treatments, vaccines, or financial relief,” said Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso. “Scams like the one alleged to have occurred here take advantage of people’s desire to protect themselves and their families and collect personal information that may be used for nefarious purposes.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizures, REGEN-COV2, developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use for the treatment of COVID-19 in November 2020.  The HSI Intellectual Property Rights Center (“IPRC”) and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center (“C3”) discovered an apparent fraudulent website, named “usaregenermedicals.com.”  A domain analysis conducted by an HSI Cyber Operations Officer (“COO”) indicated the subject domain name was created on January 21, 2021, by a registrar listed as NameCheap, Inc. located in Phoenix, Arizona. The COO also reviewed the subject domain name’s online content and found it displayed the name, address, and trademarked logos for Regeneron, as well as links or buttons that also appear on the official Regeneron website.  The COO found that the links and buttons on the fraudulent site did not function and the fraudulent site also displayed three individuals listed in the “Corporate Leaders” section that do not appear on the official Regeneron website. 

The “usaregenermedicals.com” website is the fifth such fraudulent site seeking to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and its law enforcement partners have seized and disrupted in recent months.  Other such efforts include:

On March 1, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized “remdesivirmx.com,” which purported to sell and distribute Remdesivir, an antiviral drug approved for the treatment of the COVID-19 virus, in Mexico.  However, the website was fraudulent and had been 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.

On January 15, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized a fraudulent replication of the website of a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on drug discovery, drug development, and vaccine technologies, including a vaccine for COVID-19.  The fake domain, “modernatx.shop,” included a link offering to sell COVID-19 vaccines.  Three men were subsequently charged with a scheme to allegedly sell purported COVID-19 vaccines.

On December 18, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized two domain names, “mordernatx.com” and “regeneronmedicals.com,” which purported to be the websites of actual biotechnology companies developing treatments for the COVID-19 virus, but appear to have instead been used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites.

The seizure of these five sites by the government has prevented third parties from acquiring the names and using them to commit additional crimes, as well as prevented third parties from continuing to access the fraudulent sites in their 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 these investigations.  Mr. Lenzner recognized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection 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.

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Baltimore, Maryland - Mathew Palmer, age 44, of Severna Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of child pornography.  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 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 Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

“The exploitation of children is a serious threat and problem that has grown over the course of the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “Individuals like Palmer who trade and possess this illegal material online are essentially facilitating an underground criminal market.  This case should serve as a reminder that law enforcement will pursue anyone who endangers children, and that no one is above the law.”

“No crime affects us more deeply than the sexual abuse of innocent children. Those who trade exploitative material participate in and perpetuate that abuse,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso. “HSI will utilize all available resources and authorities to investigate and seek prosecution of those who harm and exploit children.”

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.

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. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, Palmer will be required to 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).

Palmer faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of twenty years in prison for distribution of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher 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 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 is prosecuting the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Jacky Lynn McComber, formerly Jacky Lynn Kimmel age 48, of Elkridge, Maryland, on the federal charges of submitting false claims and making false statements, in connection with the hours she claimed to have worked on a federal contract.  McComber is the CEO and owner of InfoTeK, an information technology (IT) services corporation.  At her initial appearance and arraignment today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, McComber pleaded not guilty and U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas M. DiGirolamo ordered that she be released pending trial.  The indictment was returned on February 25, 2021.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Robert P. Storch, Inspector General of the National Security Agency; and Special Agent in Charge Chris Dillard of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office.

The National Security Agency (NSA) is a component of the United States Department of Defense.  According to the indictment, from July 2011 until February 2018, the NSA had an ongoing contract, known as the Ironbridge contract, with InfoTeK to provide maintenance and enhancement support for the information technology and software requirements of the NSA’s National Security Operations Center (NSOC) and the Counter Terrorism Mission Management Center (CTMMC).  Because the subject matter of these contracts involved classified information, all of the work had to be performed at secure, access-controlled locations.  McComber was therefore required to be physically present at her assigned duty locations to do her work. InfoTeK billed the NSA on a monthly basis for the hours worked by its employees and contractors.

According to the 20-count indictment, the Ironbridge contract required InfoTeK to identify a Program Manager (PM) who would be responsible for overseeing InfoTeK’s performance of its contractual obligations and serving as InfoTeK’s point of contact with government officials.  From 2011 to 2013, several individuals, including McComber, served as the PM on the Ironbridge contract.  Starting in the summer of 2013, Individual A held the position of Senior Program Manager on the Ironbridge contract, until she was replaced by McComber in mid-March 2016.  McComber held the position through September 2017.  The indictment alleges that for 17 months, beginning in mid-March 2016 when McComber took over the PM position, she billed an average of 144 hours per month to the NSA for her supposed work.  In all, between March 14, 2016 and September 8, 2017, InfoTeK billed NSA for 2,603.5 hours of work on the Ironbridge contract allegedly performed by McComber in her role as Senior Program Manager.  NSA paid these charges in full, at a total cost of $388,878.78.

The indictment alleges that a subsequent review and comparison by the NSA OIG in the fall of 2017 of McComber’s NSA key card with the time InfoTeK billed for her work on the Ironbridge contracts established that McComber was not present at her duty station for 2,342.5 (90%) of the 2.603.5 hours she had recorded on her timesheets and that InfoTeK subsequently billed to NSA.  In addition to allegedly not being physically present at the worksite for the vast majority of hours she billed to the Ironbridge contract, the indictment alleges that McComber did not work the number of hours on the Ironbridge contract that she recorded on her timesheet.  For example, the indictment alleges that on occasions when McComber billed a full eight-hour day to the Ironbridge contract, she participated in charity events, attended her high school reunion,  vacationed in Texas and in Ocean City, Maryland, and performed other business development efforts on behalf of InfoTeK that were unrelated to the Ironbridge contract.  As a result of McComber’s alleged false claims as to the time she worked on the Ironbridge contract between April 2016 and September 2017, the indictment alleges that NSA substantially overpaid InfoTeK.

Finally, the indictment alleges that on October 3, 2017, McComber participated in a voluntary interview with NSA OIG investigators concerning allegations that she had charged the government for hours that she did not actually work.  McComber allegedly falsely claimed that she did not falsely fill out her timesheet or put any false information on it.  

If convicted, McComber faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of 19 counts of submitting false claims and for one count of making false statements.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the National Security Agency Office of Inspector General and DCIS for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jefferson M. Gray and Joyce K. McDonald, who are prosecuting the case.

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A Maryland tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and aiding in the preparation of a false tax return.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Anita Fortune, 56, of Upper Marlboro, provided return preparation services under multiple business names, including Tax Terminatorz Inc. Fortune prepared and filed returns using co-conspirators’ electronic filing identification numbers and identifiers, which they provided in exchange for fees and office space. For the tax years 2011 to 2018, Fortune and her associates fraudulently reduced their clients’ tax liabilities and increased their refunds by adding fictitious or inflated itemized deductions and business losses to the clients’ returns. In total, Fortune caused a tax loss to the IRS of $189,748.

Fortune is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2021, and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and three years for the preparing a false return count. Fortune also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

The IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Kathryn Sparks of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Grossi are prosecuting the case.

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted the owner and operator of a purported pain management clinic, as well as two nurse practitioners who were employed at the clinic, on the federal charges for conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone and for distribution and dispensing of oxycodone.  Charged in the indictment are:

Joyce Shawanda Edwards, age 45, of Largo, Maryland;

Justina Aburime, age 53, of Bowie, Maryland; and

Thomas Charles Johnson, Jr., age 56, of Baltimore, Maryland.

The indictment was returned on March 3, 2021 and unsealed today at the initial appearances of the defendants.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the eight-count indictment, from February 2017 to February 2020, Joyce Shawanda Edwards owned and operated Personal Touch Medical Spa, LLP (“PTMS”), formerly known as Holistic Health and Wellness Medical Spa LLP, a purported “pain management” clinic located in Largo, Maryland, which the indictment alleges was, in reality, a “pill mill.”   A pill mill is a health care provider’s office, clinic, or health care facility that routinely prescribes and dispenses controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.  According to the indictment, Justina Aburime was a nurse practitioner who worked at PTMS from February 2017, until she left in August 2018, at which time Thomas Charles Johnson, Jr., who was also a nurse practitioner, began working at PTMS.  Aburime and Johnson were both authorized to prescribe controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes and in the course of professional practice. 

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Edwards, Aburime, and Johnson distributed and dispensed oxycodone that was not prescribed for a medical purpose or in the usual course of professional practice.  Edwards typically charged customers who came to PTMS a fee of $280 for an initial visit and $250 for any subsequent visit.  Although Edwards, Aburime, and Johnson allegedly required customers of PTMS to provide certain paperwork, generally a magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) report, a prescription history, and a “plan of care” purportedly signed by the customer’s primary care physician, to include in the customer’s patient file to support a false claim that there was a legitimate medical need for the prescription of oxycodone, the indictment alleges that the conspirators prescribed oxycodone even when the medical records revealed that there was no legitimate medical need for the prescription.  The conspirators allegedly directed customers to physical therapy and provided massages to create the false appearance that PTMS provided other treatment options to controlled substances.   

The indictment alleges that Aburime and Johnson pre-signed blank prescriptions, allowing Edwards to issue prescriptions for oxycodone under their names.  Further, the indictment alleges that even though Edwards was not authorized to prescribe controlled substances, she wrote and issued prescriptions for oxycodone using blank prescriptions that Edwards signed under the name of a nurse practitioner.  Edwards allegedly issued prescriptions for controlled substances at times when a nurse practitioner was not present and did not see the patient, including on dates when Aburime and Johnson were out of town.  Edwards, Aburime, and Johnson also allegedly: conducted cursory, incomplete, and inadequate medical examinations; prescribed controlled substances on the basis of diagnoses that were not corroborated by the medical record; increased the customer’s dosage over time without a medical justification; falsified urine drug test results for customers receiving oxycodone prescriptions; and permitted the customer to determine the drug type and dosage, rather than prescribing controlled substances according to legitimate medical need.  

The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of approximately $278,951.72, seized on July 11, 2019, after the execution of seizure warrants on bank accounts held in the name of Personal Touch Medical Spa, LLP. 

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

The defendants had an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt and were ordered to be released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services 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 DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation and thanked the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica C. Collins and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Anita Fortune, age 56, of Alexandria, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns.    

The guilty plea 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 Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. 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.  As part of her plea agreement, Fortune will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which the parties stipulate is at least $189,748.

Fortune faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy and three years in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false tax returns.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for June 4, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

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 are prosecuting the case.

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced David Robinson, age 51, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 171 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the federal charges of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam and for murder for hire.  Robinson, formerly a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated the Frankford Family Pharmacy, located in the 5400 block of Sinclair Lane in Baltimore pleaded guilty on October 10, 2018, to a federal drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.  On December 17, 2020, Robinson pleaded guilty to a federal charge of murder for hire, admitting that he ordered a “hit” on the person he believed had cooperated with law enforcement that led to his indictment on those charges.  Robinson’s pharmacist license was suspended on August 7, 2017.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Secretary Robert L. Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

“Pharmacists who divert pharmaceutical drugs for illegal purposes further the tragic cycle of addiction and the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “David Robinson not only betrayed the trust placed in him by diverting drugs in order to line his own pockets, he then attempted to have the person killed whom he believed had reported his abuses.  We have zero tolerance for any effort to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses.”

According to Robinson’s plea agreement for the drug distribution conspiracy, a confidential source (CS-1) advised law enforcement that the pharmacist at Frankford Family Pharmacy knowingly filled fraudulent prescriptions for alprazolam and oxycodone at the pharmacy.  During the DEA’s investigation, between January and July 2016, the confidential source made a number of controlled purchases from Robinson at the pharmacy, using blank prescriptions provided to the source by DEA.  Robinson knew that the prescriptions were fraudulent because he told the confidential source what name to use on the prescriptions and what quantity of oxycodone tablets to write on the prescriptions.  Robinson also told the source to include non-controlled medications on the same prescriptions in order to evade law enforcement.  Between April 2015 and June 2017, Robinson fraudulently distributed approximately 12,330 units of alprazolam and 10,000 milligrams of oxycodone.

On June 22, 2017, a federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Robinson for a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam.  Robinson was arrested on June 27, 2017 and was released from custody on June 29, 2017, under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services. On October 10, 2018, Robinson pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam.  Robinson was allowed to continue on conditions of release until his sentencing, scheduled for February 15, 2019.

DEA investigators also learned that during Robinson’s tenure as a pharmacist working the night shift at a pharmacy in Waldorf, Maryland, Robinson also filled fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone.  Robinson admitted that he wrote prescriptions using the names of prominent athletes provided to him as the purported patients.  Between September and December 2015, Robinson admitted that he dispensed at least 85,500 milligrams of oxycodone outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

On October 27, 2018, Baltimore City’s Citi-Watch camera system captured a drug transaction, which led to the arrest of an individual, CS-2.  A search of CS-2’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of two shoeboxes containing a total of 35 stock pharmacy bottles of the prescription medications promethazine and clonidine. 

CS-2 had obtained the prescription medications from David Robinson.  CS-2 had known Robinson for approximately three years, and had previously purchased oxycodone, Xanax, clonidine, and promethazine from Robinson at the Frankford Family Pharmacy.  After the search warrant was executed at Robinson’s pharmacy on June 27, 2017, Robinson began providing CS-2 with boxes of medications in exchange for cash without requiring a prescription.  Robinson continued to sell promethazine and clonidine and six months after the raid, Robinson was still ordering pills from his vendors.  

As detailed in his plea agreement for the murder for hire, following his arrest in 2017, Robinson told CS-2 about an individual that Robinson believed had cooperated with law enforcement and led to his arrest (i.e., CS-1).  CS-2 and Robinson had a discussion about CS-1 being killed.  After some time, the two agreed to have CS-1 killed.  Robinson provided CS-2 with some information about CS-1.  CS-2 told Robinson that he/she knew someone that could do a “hit” on CS-1.  CS-2 told Robinson that the fee would be $5,000 up front and $5,000 when CS-l was killed.  

Robinson admitted that from December 13, 2018 through February 7, 2019, CS-2 made three controlled purchases of drugs from Robinson, at the direction of law enforcement, using cash provided by DEA agents.  CS-2 purchased a total of 118 stock pharmacy bottles of clonidine, each containing 100 tablets; and 24 stock pharmacy bottles of 50 mg promethazine tablets, with each bottle containing 100 tablets.  Robinson did not request, nor did CS-2 provide, a prescription for any of the drugs.

During a controlled purchase on January 24, 2019, CS-2 and Robinson discussed the murder of CS-1 (which was audio-recorded).  During this conversation, they discussed a $5,000 fee that had already been paid to the hitman, and that an associate of the hitman had information about the location of CS-1.  The associate wanted an additional $3,000 to be paid to him/her in order to provide CS-1’s location to the hitman.  Robinson was upset over this additional fee required to identify the location and accomplish the murder of CS-1 and did not agree to pay the additional fee.  On February 4, 2019, CS-2 sent a text message to Robinson’s cell phone advising that he had provided the additional $3,000 in order to obtain CS-1’s address. 

On February 14, 2019, CS-2 called Robinson and told Robinson that the murder was done and that the hitman would want his money.  CS-2 then met with Robinson, who provided CS-2 with $2,000.  CS-2 put the cash in his pocket and Robinson asked CS-2 for proof that the murder had been completed.  CS-2 showed Robinson several fake photos in which it appeared that CS-l had been bound with zip ties, shot several times, and killed.  After the meeting, law enforcement arrested Robinson.

Robinson will also forfeit items seized on June 27, 2017 during the execution of search warrants at his residence, the Frankford Family Pharmacy, his vehicle, and a safe deposit box rented by Robinson.  These include: $159,862 in cash from Robinson’s home; $46,927 in a briefcase, blank prescriptions, a prescription pad, and a loaded 9mm pistol from Robinson’s car; $60,486 in cash, an AR-15 rifle with a magazine, several boxes of ammunition for the rifle from the pharmacy; and $25,041 in cash, $4,500 in gold coins, and $1,010 in silver coins from the safe deposit box.

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.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, HHS OIG, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their terrific work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Samika N. Boyd, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Travis Joseph Crawford, age 33, of Edgewood, Maryland, for production and possession of child pornography and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

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 Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to the five-count indictment and other court documents, Harford County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Crawford at a residence in Edgewood, Maryland, based on a warrant issued for Crawford by Maryland State Police for firearm related offenses.  At that time, law enforcement also recovered a fully-loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol.  During the investigation, a witness advised law enforcement that Crawford had videos on his cell phone depicting Crawford sexually touching a 13-year-old girl, Jane Doe, while the girl appeared to be asleep. 

As detailed in court documents, law enforcement seized the phone, which was in Crawford’s possession.  A search warrant subsequently executed on the phone revealed three sexually explicit videos allegedly involving Jane Doe, all of which appeared to be recorded without her knowledge or permission.  The indictment also alleges that at the time of his arrest, Crawford on his phone possessed visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Finally, the indictment alleges that Crawford was previously convicted of a felony and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

If convicted, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of three counts of production of child pornography; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  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 will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.  Crawford remains detained on related federal charges.

If convicted, Crawford will also 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). 

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 HSI, ATF, the Maryland State Police, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Roslyn Wedington, age 50, of Rosedale, Maryland, to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on the federal charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and for five counts of filing false tax returns. Judge Chasanow also ordered Wedington to pay restitution of $121,592.50.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.

“Roslyn Wedington went to great lengths to avoid paying the taxes she owed,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “When criminals cheat the IRS, they are also stealing from all of us as taxpayers.  As we head into tax season, let Ms. Wedington’s case and prison sentence be reminders to everyone about the consequences of tax fraud.” 

“Roslyn Wedington tried to cheat the government and was caught,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore field office. “People who file fraudulent tax returns are committing a crime and, as the sentence today shows, risking serious jail time. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out violations of the law."

“Wedington engaged in a scheme to receive a salary free of tax withholdings, yet that was not enough for her.  Wedington continued her fraudulent behavior by submitting false income tax returns to the IRS, furthering her efforts to avoid paying taxes,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson. “The prosecution of individuals, such as Wedington, is vital to maintaining confidence and compliance with our tax laws. Tax fraud investigations remain the core of our agency’s law enforcement efforts.”

According to Wedington’s plea agreement, she was a full-time salaried employee of the Maryland Center for Adult Training, Inc. (MCAT) from 2009 through 2019, initially serving as MCAT’s student coordinator and in 2012 becoming the organization’s Executive Director.  MCAT was a non-profit entity that provided training and employment certifications for jobs in the healthcare field.  MCAT represented itself to be a private career school accredited by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland Board of Nursing.  MCAT was an approved “Eligible Training Provider” (ETP) and its name appeared on the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation’s Eligible Training Provider List.  As a recognized ETP, MCAT received federal funds, as well as funding from private philanthropic organizations, such as the Abell Foundation and Associated Black Charities.  In 2015, former Baltimore City employee Gary Brown, Jr. became Chairman of MCAT’s Board of Directors and obtained signatory authority on MCAT’s bank account.

Wedington admitted that she conspired with Gary Brown to avoid tax withholdings from her payroll checks while Wedington was the Executive Director of MCAT and Brown was the Chairman of the Board of Directors.  Specifically, in 2013, Wedington’s salary was garnished due to outstanding student loan debt and medical bills.  In order to avoid further garnishments, Wedington asked Brown to take her “off payroll,” which meant that MCAT would no longer submit her name to the payroll service provider for the purpose of calculating taxes to be withheld from her salary.  Brown agreed to the arrangement and had MCAT make electronic deposits into his personal bank account in an amount that exceeded the annual salary owed to Wedington, creating the pretense that he was doing work for MCAT as an independent contractor.  Brown then wrote checks to Wedington and/or gave her cash equal to or greater than her salary, which was more than $80,000 per year.  No taxes were withheld from the funds Brown paid to Wedington, nor did Wedington’s salary go through her bank account, where it could be garnished. 

In addition, Wedington admitted that she paid Brown a small fee to prepare fraudulent tax returns for her for tax years 2013 through 2017.  The fraudulent tax returns did not report Wedington’s MCAT income and made a variety of false entries, resulting in refunds to which Wedington was not entitled and avoiding over $121,000 in total taxes due and owing. 

Former Baltimore City employee Gary Brown, Jr., age 38, of Baltimore, was previously sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and for filing a false tax return.  Judge Chasanow also ordered Brown to pay restitution of $14,000.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations - Labor Racketeering and Fraud, the Maryland State Prosecutor’s Office, and the Baltimore City Office of Inspector General for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Peter Na’Shon Greer, age 42, of Laurel, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography.  Judge Bennett also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Greer must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

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

According to his guilty plea, Greer has been involved in the receipt and distribution of child pornography, specifically, as a member and then administrator of an online chat group that focused on the sexual exploitation of children. During the time of the offense, Greer was employed as a middle school special education aide.

In August 2018, investigators from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into a chat group on an online mobile application. The investigation revealed that users in the chat group were distributing child pornography, posting messages or commenting on child pornography images or videos, and expressing a sexual interest in children.  Greer was a member of this chat group and posted video files of child pornography on at least four occasions in March and April 2019.  Between March and June 10, 2019, Greer also posted comments on sexually explicit videos documenting the sexual abuse of children and responded to comments posted by other members of the chat group.  

In June 2019, the chat group was shut down by the application. Shortly thereafter, the chat group started again under a different name and Greer again joined the chat group.  On August 1, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Greer’s residence. During the search, investigator’s seized Greer’s mobile phone, which was subsequently found to have the chat group application in a hidden folder, protected by a password.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Greer admitted that he distributed child pornography and that he was an administrator of the chat group, as well as of other sexually based chat groups, including those dedicated to BDSM and incest.  Further, Greer advised that he is part of a group of people who pretend to be minors online, as a form of role playing.

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 for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Ricco Darnell Taylor, age 32, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to manufacturing and passing counterfeit currency.    

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

According to his guilty plea, from at least 2017 to December 2019, Ricco Darnell Taylor, conspired with others, including co-defendants Keara Davis and Deon Jones, to manufacture and pass counterfeit currency.  Taylor manufactured the counterfeit currency using a printer at his home.  Taylor gave the counterfeit currency to his co-conspirators or occasionally sold it.  Taylor and his co-conspirators took the counterfeit currency to retailers in the area, where they used it to purchase merchandise.  The conspirators subsequently returned the merchandise and received genuine currency.

During a search warrant executed by law enforcement on March 23, 2018, at the residence Taylor and Davis shared, officers recovered cell phones, three counterfeit $100 bills, gift cards, receipts from a victim retailer, linen copy paper, a printer, a scale and baggies, two shell casings, and a .38-caliber revolver.  The linen copy paper was a type commonly used in counterfeit operations and subsequent testing by the United States Secret Service established that the ink contained in the printer’s ink cartridge was indistinguishable from ink analyzed from various counterfeit notes in this case. 

The Secret Service collected evidence from dozens of instances in which Taylor and his co-conspirators passed counterfeit currency.  For example, on June 19, 2019 Taylor purchased one package of diapers for $26.49 using one counterfeit $100 bill.  The next day, Taylor returned the diapers, as well as some items purchased by Jones, in exchange for genuine currency.  The Secret Service recovered eight counterfeit $100 bills used by Taylor and his co-conspirators during transactions on June 19, 2019, as well as video recordings and receipts reflecting their criminal activity. 

On July 26, 2019 and October 10, 2019, officers conducted traffic stops on vehicles operated by Taylor.  In the first instance, Taylor attempted to run away, but was apprehended.  His vehicle was then searched, and officers recovered 18 counterfeit $100 bills, as well as Taylor’s cell phone, which contained text messages indicative of passing counterfeit bills.  In the second instance, Taylor again ran away and attempted to discard counterfeit currency into a trash can.  Law enforcement searched the trash can and recovered 13 cut counterfeit $100 bills displaying the same serial number, 27 pages of uncut $20 bills displaying three repeating serial numbers, and a key to the vehicle from which Taylor fled.  Taylor’s fingerprints were subsequently found on the first three pages of the uncut counterfeit $20 bills.

In total, Taylor and his co-conspirators are responsible for passing between $95,000 and $150,000 in counterfeit currency.  As part of his plea agreement, Taylor will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $95,000.

Taylor faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to pass counterfeit currency and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit currency.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for June 4, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.

Deon Kelsey Jones, age 30, of Temple Hills, Maryland, and Keara Unique Davis, age 29, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.  Judge Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Jones on March 23, 2021, and for Davis on June 2, 2021.  Charges remain pending against a third co-defendant.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Cephus Albert Powell, age 54, of Baltimore, today to 188 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Powell pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  

The guilty plea and sentence were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “All too often, guns and drugs go hand in hand—and we are committed to getting both off of our streets and to reducing violent crime in Baltimore.  As an armed career criminal who possessed a gun, Cephus Powell now faces nearly 16 years in federal prison, where there is no parole.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

“Guns and drugs take far too many lives in our communities, and Cephus Powell was contributing to the devastating impact of both in Baltimore City,” said Jennifer C. Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal drug operations.”

According to Powell’s guilty plea, in April 2019, law enforcement officers were investigating drug trafficking activity in the 1400 block of Mosher Street and installed a covert camera to monitor the area.  Between April 23 and April 29, 2019, law enforcement observed Powell conduct suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions in this area.  Powell followed the same basic pattern each day:  He arrived to the location in the morning using a ride service, then placed a white bag inside the first-floor window of a vacant rowhouse at 1417 W. Mosher Street.  Powell conducted what investigators believed were hand-to-hand drug transactions using a large white Styrofoam cup to store the suspected narcotics.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on April 30, 2019, law enforcement officers were watching the covert camera and saw Powell engage in what they believed to be a hand-to-hand drug transaction.  At approximately 7:20 a.m., moments after they observed the suspected drug transaction, law enforcement officers located and detained Powell, retrieving his Styrofoam cup, which he had placed in a nearby trash can.  Inside the cup, investigators seized 23 red and clear gelcaps, each containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; 20 clear top vials each containing crack cocaine; and 13 green top vials containing cocaine.  Powell also had $2,161 in cash on his person.  Investigators then looked inside the window of the vacant rowhouse at 1417 W. Mosher Street and retrieved a white bag.  Inside the bag was a .40-caliber handgun, loaded with seven live rounds; 230 red and white gelcaps containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; two knotted plastic bags each containing crack cocaine; 46 clear top vials each containing crack cocaine; 20 green top vials each containing cocaine; and a digital scale.

Subsequent DNA analysis conducted pursuant to a federal search warrant confirmed that the handgun contained Powell’s DNA.  A review of the video footage from the covert camera revealed that, at approximately 6:45 a.m., Powell had opened the front window at 1417 W. Mosher Street and placed a white bag inside.

In total, law enforcement recovered approximately 96 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; 20 grams of crack cocaine; and three grams of cocaine.  Powell admitted that he possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them.  Powell further admitted that he had a previous felony conviction which he knew prohibited him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI Strike Force Group, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the DEA, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Anatoly Smolkin, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized “remdesivirmx.com,” which purported to sell and distribute Remdesivir, an antiviral drug approved for the treatment of the COVID-19 virus, in Mexico.  However, the website was fraudulent and instead appears to have been 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 now will 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.

“I urge citizens to remain vigilant.  Don’t provide personal information or click on websites or links contained in unsolicited e-mails.  Don’t become a victim,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “My office and the entire law enforcement community will continue to do everything possible to bring to justice fraudsters who prey on citizens during this unprecedented public health crisis.” 

“This is the fourth COVID-related website seizure in Maryland and clearly demonstrates that fraudsters are motivated and actively trying to take advantage of Marylanders during a challenging time,” said Special Agent in Charge James Mancuso.  “Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Use extreme caution on the internet, especially as it relates to COVID-19 treatments, vaccines, or financial relief.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizures, Remdesivir, developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc. and marketed under the brand name Veklury, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of COVID-19 in October 2020.  The HSI Intellectual Property Rights Center (“IPRC”) and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center (“C3”) discovered an apparent fraudulent website, named “remdesivirmx.com.”  A domain analysis conducted by an HSI Cyber Operations Officer (“COO”) indicated the subject domain name was created on February 4, 2021, through a company located in Lithuania, with no personal information for the registrar listed.  The COO also reviewed the subject domain name’s online content and found it displayed the name and trademarked logos for Gilead and contained an incorrect spelling of Remdesivir.  The contact information presented by the subject domain name listed a Mexican telephone number and an address associated with a Mexican telemarketing website.

The “remdesivirmx.com” website is the fourth such fraudulent site seeking to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has seized and disrupted in recent months.  Other such efforts include:

On January 15, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized a fraudulent replication of the website of a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on drug discovery, drug development, and vaccine technologies, including a vaccine for COVID-19.  The fake domain, modernatx.shop, included a link offering to sell COVID-19 vaccines.  Three men were subsequently charged with a scheme to allegedly sell purported COVID-19 vaccines.

On December 18, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized two domain names, “mordernatx.com” and “regeneronmedicals.com,” which purported to be the websites of actual biotechnology companies developing treatments for the COVID-19 virus, but appear to have instead been used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites.

The seizure of these four sites by the government has prevented third parties from acquiring the names and using them to commit additional crimes, as well as prevented third parties from continuing to access the fraudulent sites in their 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 e-mail justice.gov/coronavirus.    

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI for its work in these investigations.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Sean R. Delaney, who are handling the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm today sentenced Christopher Andrew Smith, age 31, of Beltsville, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, driving without a license, and failure to place a child in a safety seat, in connection with a fatal car crash on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on February 5, 2018, in which a three-year-old child was killed.  A federal jury convicted Smith of those charges on January 29, 2020, after a two-day trial.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith of the U.S. Park Police.

According to trial testimony and court documents, on February 5, 2018, Smith drove a 2011 Nissan Altima on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway accompanied by a male passenger in the front seat and the passenger’s three-year-old daughter in the back seat.  An eyewitness reported that Smith was driving at a high rate of speed when he attempted to pass the witness’s vehicle on the right shoulder, near the exit for Route 198.  Smith lost control of the vehicle on the shoulder then swerved into the left lane of the Parkway before crashing into a tree in the wooded median.  Smith was found partially ejected from the sunroof while the male passenger was found underneath the vehicle.  Both men sustained critical injuries and were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals for immediate treatment. The three-year-old girl was declared deceased at the scene.  She was not secured with a child’s safety seat or seatbelt. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Park Police and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hollis Raphael Weisman and Dwight Draughon, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Donald Hildebrandt, age 51, of Bel Air, Maryland, with the possession and production of child pornography and obstruction of justice.  

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 criminal complaint, 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. 

As detailed in the affidavit, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hildebrandt’s home on October 20, 2020 and seized several electronic devices.  A forensic examiner subsequently decrypted a file found on Hildebrandt’s laptop computer and discovered videos allegedly documenting the sexual abuse of a minor female.  Another nearly three-hour long video discovered on Hildebrandt’s laptop depicted a compilation of multiple instances of child sexual abuse, including prepubescent victims. Additionally, over 100 still shots believed to be derived from covert video recordings allegedly taken by Hildebrandt were uncovered by investigators.  The images included two minor female victims, including some images displaying their breasts and genitalia.

In January 2021, a witness informed investigators that Hildebrandt had reset his tablet.  A forensic review of the previously seized tablet showed signs consistent with a factory reset.  In Hildebrandt’s iCloud account, analysts also discovered a web address to an anonymous communication network within Hildebrandt’s notes application, which opened to a child pornography website.  The website allowed customers to anonymously purchase child pornography with cryptocurrency.  The site claimed to be a “safe zone for pedo folks.” 

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.  No date has been set for Hildebrandt’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.  Hildebrandt remains detained on related state charges.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, the 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.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint was filed late this afternoon charging Jeremiah Peter Watson, age 22, of Hyattsville, Maryland, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.  

The criminal complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Chief of Police Gregory T. Monahan of the U.S. Park Police.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on the evening of February 25, 2021, a dark four-door sedan, with significant damage to the passenger front and side, pulled up to the gated entry of the Secret Service facility within the National Agricultural Research Center, which is federal property.  The driver of the vehicle was having a conversation on speaker on his cellular phone, which had a green case.  The driver got out of the car and approached the security guard in an aggressive manner.  Another security officer arrived to assist.  Despite being given verbal commands to stop, the driver continued to approach and the security officer deployed pepper spray at the driver.

As detailed in the affidavit, the driver returned to his vehicle and began to drive from the area.  Another security officer and a Secret Service Officer arrived to assist and the Secret Service Officer called the U.S. Park Police for further assistance.  The first security officer was able to see and report to the Park Police the license number of the vehicle.  The driver then made a U-turn and began to fire a handgun at the victims, who fled into the guard house, which has bullet-proof glass.  The driver made another U-turn and continued to fire at the victims through the passenger window of his car.  A subsequent search of the scene recovered three .9mm shell casings.

The affidavit alleges that Watson was identified as the registered owner of the vehicle and one of the victims identified a photo of Watson as the person who had shot at the victims.  Watson’s vehicle was located where he has been residing.  A federal search warrant was executed earlier today at the residence and on Watson’s vehicle.  Law enforcement recovered a .9mm handgun loaded with three .9mm rounds in the magazine and a fourth in the chamber from the vehicle.  From the trunk jamb law enforcement recovered three .9mm shell casings, allegedly similar to the shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting.  When law enforcement executed the search warrant at the residence, Watson was present.  Law enforcement seized a cellular phone with a green case from Watson’s vicinity and Watson subsequently provided law enforcement with the access code for the phone.

If convicted, Watson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  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.  Watson is detained and is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Monday, March 1, 2021, although no time has been formally set.

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

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Park Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Olayinka Wahab, a/k/a Sulaimon Olayinka Wahab, age 45, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to copyright infringement in connection with his sale of counterfeit DVDs containing copyrighted works, including popular movies, television shows, and fitness programs.    

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

According to his guilty plea, between May 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; Beachbody; Disney; Fox; HBO Home Entertainment; Lionsgate; MGM; Netflix; Paramount; Sony; Universal; and Warner Brothers.

In 2017, representatives from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) identified a seller on an Internet marketplace offering DVD movies for sale at a discount.  MPA purchased an item and analyzed the DVD upon receipt.  The packaging and labeling were substantially indistinguishable from the packaging and labeling found on legitimate copies of the movie.  The MPA was able to determine that the movie was counterfeit. Records obtained from the Internet marketplace revealed that this 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.

Law enforcement officers, operating in an undercover capacity, subsequently conducted purchases from the seller, including DVD titles of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Walking Dead,” “Grimm,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Peter Pan,” “The Lion King,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “The Fate of the Furious,” and “Finding Dory,” among others.  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 selling the counterfeit items.

A search warrant was executed at Wahab’s residence and law enforcement seized two laptop computers, cellular phones, printers, and 589 counterfeit DVDs, all used by Wahab to commit copyright infringement.  Wahab also advised law enforcement that he purchased the counterfeit DVDs that he sold from China, because the prices were much lower than normal prices.

As part of his plea agreement, Wahab will be required to forfeit the items seized from his home during the search, as well as $20,243.25 in cash seized from several bank accounts, 0.65595896 bitcoins sized from a Coinbase account, and $230.40 seized from a PayPal account used by Wahab to facilitate copyright infringement. Wahab has also agreed to pay restitution for the full amount of the victims’ losses, which will be determined by the Court.

Wahab faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for copyright infringement.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Wahab on May 18, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

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 are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal information has been filed charging Charles “Chuck” Nabit, age 64, of Baltimore, Maryland with transportation of an individual to engage in prostitution.  Specifically, the criminal information alleges that on July 29, 2019, Nabit transported an individual from Maryland to Florida with the intent that the individual engage in prostitution.

Nabit was previously charged by federal criminal complaint for using a phone and the Internet to promote a prostitution business.  The criminal complaint alleged that Nabit arranged for commercial sex workers to be brought to his office and other locations in and around Baltimore to engage in commercial sex acts.

The new charge was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Lisa Myers of the Howard County Police Department.

“Sex trafficking continues to be a significant problem in our society, forcing, threatening and otherwise pressuring victims to engage in commercial sex acts,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan Lenzner.  “This defendant allegedly used his wealth, business, and position in society to facilitate a pattern of commercial sex.  No one is above the law, no matter their wealth or stature, and this case reflects our commitment to prosecute commercial sex crimes - whether they occur on the street or the halls of high society.”

According to the federal criminal information and court documents, as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation, commercial sex workers allegedly identified Nabit as a regular wealthy client.  Beginning in March 2019, on at least 52 occasions Nabit allegedly used a cash app to pay for commercial sex acts performed by the women.  Further, Nabit allegedly engaged in commercial sex acts with commercial sex workers, using his office in downtown Baltimore and his vehicle to facilitate the activity.  The payments allegedly made by Nabit for commercial sex during that time frame total more than $90,000.

If convicted, Nabit faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for transporting an individual to engage in prostitution.  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.  Nabit is not yet scheduled for an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.  Nabit remains released under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the HSI and Howard County Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Xavier Lee, a/k/a “X,” age 41, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of sex trafficking of a minor. 

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Matthew J. Donnelly of the Elkton Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal Awad; and Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmyer.

According to his plea agreement, for the past decade Lee has operated an illicit prostitution business for financial gain, including operating the website, www.wehavefuntimes.com, where Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sexual acts with paying customers. That website was seized by the FBI, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Maryland State Police.  For a time, Lee also operated a different website, where he offered a subscription pornographic service to paying customers.

As detailed in the plea agreement, Lee admitted that he had sexual contact with Minor Victim 5, beginning when Minor Victim 5 was 14 years old.  Lee recorded his sexual contact with Minor Victim 5 when Minor Victim 5 was 15 and 16 years old.  Investigators recovered eight separate videos from Lee’s electronic devices, each of which had been recorded by Lee and each of which documented the sexual abuse of Minor Victim 5, depicting Minor Victim 5 engaged in sexual acts with Lee or with another adult man. Lee admitted that he was aware of Minor Victim 5’s true age.

For approximately the past five years, Lee’s prostitution business was run almost exclusively out of a hotel located in Elkton, Maryland.  Not only did Lee primarily use the same hotel in Elkton to prostitute women, Lee always used the same room to prostitute women.  Lee ran his prostitution business according to a set pattern and protocol.  Lee posted advertisements of women whom he made available for commercial sex acts with paying customers.  The “profiles” of the females whom Lee was prostituting included photographs, descriptions, and fictitious names.  The website also listed the cost of prostitution appointments, described services that were available, and allowed customers to post comments. 

According to the plea agreement, a typical day proceeded as follows:  Lee arrived at the hotel in Elkton at around 11:00 a.m. with a group of women in his car whom he would prostitute that day, rented his usual room, and if he had sufficient business, additional room(s) from the hotel staff.  Lee remained on the premises of the hotel throughout the day, met with customers in the room as they arrived and collected the money due from the customer, then sat in his car in the parking lot.  After the last customer, Lee and the women left, typically by 6:00 p.m.  Lee often transported the women whom he prostituted to the hotel in Elkton, including transporting them across state lines to work for his prostitution business. 

Finally, Lee admitted that in 2013, including in or about April 2013, Lee also had Minor Victim 4, who was sixteen to seventeen years old, do prostitution dates at Lee’s direction.  These prostitution dates were arranged through Lee’s website.  Lee was aware of Minor Victim 4’s true age during the time because Minor Victim 4 advised Lee of her true age. 

Lee faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison for sex trafficking of a minor.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Lee on April 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies.  The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.

MCETF partners with 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.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Elkton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Loveland, Jr., Adam K. Ake, and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting the case

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury in Maryland has returned a superseding indictment charging six foreign nationals and a bank employee for a bank fraud scheme in which the defendants and their co-conspirators obtained or attempted to obtain more than $700,000.  The defendants, Diape Seck, age 27, of Rockville, Maryland; Nicolae Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida; Mateus Vaduva a/k/a “Romi”, age 28; Marius Vaduva, age 26; Marian Unguru, age 36; Daniel Velcu, age 43; and Vali Unguru, age 18, all of Baltimore, Maryland are charged with a federal bank fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.  The superseding indictment was returned on February 17, 2021 and was unsealed in part at Diape Seck’s initial appearance on February 22, 2021.

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

According to the superseding indictment and other court documents, from June 2018 to January 2021, conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions.  The conspirators stole checks from the incoming and outgoing mail of churches and other religious institutions, then deposited the stolen checks into the fraudulently opened bank accounts.  The conspirators then allegedly withdrew the funds and spent the fraudulently obtained proceeds.

Specifically, the superseding indictment alleges that Diape Seck, an employee of one of the victim financial institutions, facilitated the opening of multiple bank accounts at that institution for the co-conspirators.  Mateus Vaduva, Marius Vaduva, Nicolae Gindac, Marian Unguru, Daniel Velcu, Vali Unguru and their co-conspirators allegedly used foreign identity documents, often but not universally Romanian, in both their true identities as well as suspected fictitious identities, to fraudulently open bank accounts at victim financial institutions.  The co-conspirators then fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks by depositing the stolen checks into the victim bank accounts, often by way of automated teller machine (ATM) transactions.   After depositing the stolen checks into the bank accounts, the conspirators allegedly made cash withdrawals from ATMs and purchases using debit cards associated with the bank accounts.  

According to court documents, an investigation by the victim bank where Diape Seck worked revealed that Seck allegedly violated numerous bank policies in opening approximately 412 checking accounts in a one-year period from approximately January 2, 2019 through January 3, 2020, relying predominantly on Romanian passports and driver's license information.  Checks payable to and written from churches and other religious institutions from around the country were allegedly deposited into many of the 412 checking accounts which were not opened in the names of the churches.  Law enforcement determined that the church checks were stolen. 

For example, the indictment alleges that:  on October 24, 2019, Diape Seck opened, and aided and abetted the opening of, five fraudulent bank accounts in the names of “E.V.,” “L.U.,” “R.P.,” “G.B.,” and “F.P.”; on October 25, 2019, Mateus Vaduva opened a fraudulent bank account in the name of “W.H.”; on November 12, 2019, Marius Vaduva opened three fraudulent bank accounts in the names of “P.P.,” “M.C.,” and “N.V.”; on January 21, 2020, Daniel Velcu negotiated a stolen check into a victim bank account using an ATM in Glen Burnie, Maryland; on April 12, 2020, Nicolae Gindac negotiated two checks that had been stolen from churches in Ellicott City and La Plata, Maryland into a fraudulently opened bank account in the name of “D.B.”, using an ATM in Davie, Florida; on April 15, 2020, Marian Unguru negotiated three stolen checks and withdrew $500 in cash from a fraudulently opened bank account in Glen Burnie, Maryland; and on July 13, 2020, Vali Unguru negotiated a stolen check into a fraudulently opened bank account using an ATM in Baltimore, Maryland.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Diape Seck had his initial appearance on February 22, 2021, and was ordered to be released pending trial.  Marian Unguru, Daniel Velcu, and Vali Unguru previously had initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.  Marian Unguru and Daniel Velcu were ordered to be detained pending trial and Vali Unguru was released pending trial.  The remaining defendants are each expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, but no dates have been scheduled.

A superseding indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by superseding 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, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Kamal Dorchy, age 46, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to the federal charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief 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; Interim Chief Hector Velez 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 posted prostitution advertisements on Internet websites.  Dorchy also recruited sex workers for his prostitution business through advertisements on Internet websites 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 went by a name in prostitution ads that Dorchy had given her.

Further, Dorchy agrees 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.  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 entire 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, Maryland,  where she was told that she would be walking clients to appointments.  The victim advised that later, she did prostitution dates at Dorchy’s direction at the massage business.

As part of his plea agreement, 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).

Dorchy and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dorchy will be sentenced to between six years and 10 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell has scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

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, and Prince George’s County Police Departments, the Baltimore Police Department, 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 are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher today sentenced Joseph Speed, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Speed pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Speed admitted that between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl were reasonably foreseeable to him and in furtherance of the conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose. 

This case is part of an initiative implemented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to combat the growing fentanyl overdose crisis in Maryland.  Under this initiative, every arrest involving distribution of fentanyl made by law enforcement in Baltimore is reviewed jointly by the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether the case will be handled in the state or federal system.  The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, will allow the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of fentanyl. 

The guilty plea and sentencing were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner stated, “Joseph Speed was an armed narcotics dealer operating in Baltimore.  He sold fentanyl to people in our community and he carried firearms to further his drug business.  Speed will now serve more than seven years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Armed drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution.”   

According to his guilty plea, Speed was part of a drug organization that sold fentanyl in the Baltimore area.  On May 20, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Speed’s apartment in Baltimore and recovered approximately 458 grams of fentanyl, a 9mm handgun, $666 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, including cutting agents and gel capsules.  Speed admitted that he used these items to facilitate his drug trafficking, including preparing drugs for resale to customers of the drug organization.

On July 23, 2019, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on Speed’s vehicle in Baltimore County.  A subsequent search of Speed and his vehicle recovered another 9mm handgun, numerous fentanyl gel caps, and $5,345 in cash.

Finally, on May 15, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Speed’s apartment in Pikesville, Maryland, and recovered a third firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, as well as a small amount of suspected fentanyl.  

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

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Issah Mohammed, a/k/a Yissa and Ali, age 33, a citizen of Ghana previously residing in Laurel, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud in connection with a fraud scheme in which Mohammed and his co-conspirators impersonated individual victims to remove funds from the victims’ investment accounts and for conspiracy to transport stolen motor vehicles to Africa.  Judge Russell also ordered Mohammed to pay $697,982.30 restitution.  The sentence was imposed on February 19, 2021.

Mohammed was a fugitive after he cut off his ankle monitor on February 21, 2018, and absconded, assuming the identity of another person.  On January 4, 2021, Mohammed was arrested in Sacramento, California driving a black Porsche SUV.

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 - Baltimore; Acting Director Keith Fleming of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Baltimore Field Office; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least January 31, 2013, through May 12, 2014, Mohammed was part of a conspiracy that acquired stolen vehicles, some of which were stolen from other states and transported to Maryland, and then shipped the stolen vehicles to Africa for sale. Members of the conspiracy in the United States would hire others to steal vehicles – with the keys – so that the vehicles could be more easily sold.  Mohammed and other members of the conspiracy: purchased the stolen vehicles from the thieves or an intermediary; arranged to store the vehicles at parking lots and other locations, known as “cooling spots”; loaded the vehicles into a shipping container; and transported the containers to a port, including the Port of Baltimore, for export to destinations including Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana.

In order to ship vehicles overseas, shipping companies are required to have valid titles for the vehicles.  As part of the scheme, Mohammed and other members of conspiracy used fraudulent title information in an effort to conceal the fact that the cars they sought to ship had been stolen.  Mohammed and other conspirators acquired false Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and replaced the true VINs on the stolen vehicles, and they also registered businesses with the state of Maryland, and then used these businesses to create registration paperwork for the vehicles, including false bills of sale utilizing the false VINs.  In that manner, the conspirators were able to acquire or forge title(s), registration(s), and proof(s) of insurance for the vehicles to fill out the necessary paperwork so they could ship the cars overseas.  The loss for the cars, both recovered and not recovered, was over $200,000.

As detailed in his plea agreement and other court documents, from March through November 2014, Mohammed, co-defendant Mohammed Kwaning, and other conspirators participated in a bank and wire fraud scheme in which they acquired account information of individual victims, including from investment account management firms and impersonated the victims to steal money from their accounts.  

Issah Mohammed recruited individuals, including Mark Dennis, Charles Mensah, and others, who registered corporate shell entities with the state of Maryland.  The recruits set up bank accounts at multiple banking institutions in the names of these shell entities. Kwaning then either directed that the funds from the compromised accounts be wired into the bank accounts opened in the names of the shell entities or provided altered or fabricated checks from the compromised accounts to Issah Mohammed.  Mohammed then provided the checks to Mark Dennis, Charles Mensah, and the other recruits to be deposited into the shell entities’ bank accounts.  Mohammed and the recruits then withdrew or transferred the funds from the business accounts they maintained to receive the victims’ funds to other accounts the conspirators controlled before the bank discovered that the funds were from compromised accounts.

Some of the victim accounts were compromised by individuals who called investment firms pretending to be the actual account holders and were able to reset the password for the investment accounts.  Individuals also hacked the e-mails of victims and, posing as the account holders, requested funds be wired from their retirement accounts to the bank accounts of the shell corporations controlled by the conspirators.  The attempted loss during the nine months of the scheme was over $1.3 million, and the conspirators were able to withdraw over $229,000 of the stolen funds, which they then split amongst themselves.

Mohammed “Kofi” Kwaning, age 40, of Laurel, Maryland, Mark Dennis, age 33, also of Laurel, Maryland, and Charles Mensah, age 35, of the Bronx, New York, were all convicted at trial and sentenced to 121 months, 27 months and 30 months in federal prison, respectively, each followed by five years of supervised release. 

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended HSI Baltimore, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Baltimore County and Prince George’s County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Thomas Parker III, a/k/a “June,” age 52, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine.  Eight co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy.  

The 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; Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.

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

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

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

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

Parker and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea, Parker will be sentenced to between 78 and 120 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2021 at 12 p.m. 

Co-defendants Arsenio Cleckley, a/k/a Bund, age 31 of Accokeek, Maryland; Diamante Lacelle Hailey, a/k/a Tay, age 27 of Clinton, Maryland; James Belt, a/k/a JB, age 32, of Lanham, Maryland; Alphonso Leroy Anthony Black, a/k/a Kobe, age 24 of Temple Hills, Maryland; Terri Bordeaux, a/k/a CeCe and Auntie, age 49, of Washington, D.C.; Christina Marshall, a/k/a Chrissy, age 31, of Accokeek; Devin Simmons, age 42, of Marbury, Maryland; and William Stewart, a/k/a Lil’ Will, age 23, also of Marbury, all previously pleaded guilty.  Simmons, Belt, and Hailey were sentenced to five years in federal prison, 54 months in federal prison, and time served—approximately 22 months, respectively, each followed by three years of supervised release.  The remaining defendants are awaiting sentencing. 

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Virginia-based Information Innovators, Inc. (Triple-I) has agreed to pay the United States $6.05 million to resolve allegations that a predecessor company, Creative Computing Solutions, Inc. (CCSi), violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications. 

The settlement was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

“Defense contractors are required to bill for costs actually incurred, and to be truthful in the claims they submit to federal agencies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring integrity and compliance with federal agency standards.”

“Contractors that knowingly overcharge the government will be held accountable,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will ensure that that those who do business with the government, and seek taxpayer funds, do so fairly and in accordance with their contractual commitments.”

“DHS OIG remains committed to protecting government programs, and American taxpayers who contribute to them, from fraudsters,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to root out these unlawful contracting fraud schemes.”

Triple-I, which provides information technology (IT) services and solutions to federal agencies, acquired Maryland-based CCSi in 2015. CCSi formerly provided IT services to DHS pursuant to an Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions Contract (EAGLE Contract). The settlement resolves allegations that, from October 2007 to April 2014, CCSi knowingly submitted claims for payment to DHS for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications.  CCSi allegedly violated the terms of the EAGLE Contract by using under-qualified personnel who were billed to DHS at higher rates reserved for more qualified employees.    

The claim resolved by this settlement is an allegation.  The settlement is not an admission of liability by CCSi, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded. 

The settlement was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch - Fraud Section, and the DHS Office of Inspector General, Major Frauds and Corruption Unit.  Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner and Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton commended the DHS Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields and Trial Attorney Jake M. Shields of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Fraud Section, who handled this case.

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Virginia-based Information Innovators Inc. (Triple-I) has agreed to pay the United States $6.05 million to resolve allegations that a predecessor company, Creative Computing Solutions Inc. (CCSi), violated the False Claims Act by knowingly overbilling the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications. 

Triple-I, which provides IT services and solutions to federal agencies, acquired Maryland-based CCSi in 2015. CCSi formerly provided IT services to DHS pursuant to an Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions Contract (EAGLE Contract). The settlement resolves allegations that, from October 2007 to April 2014, CCSi knowingly submitted claims for payment to DHS for work performed by CCSi employees who lacked required job qualifications. CCSi allegedly violated the terms of the EAGLE Contract by using under-qualified personnel who were billed to DHS at higher rates reserved for more qualified employees.  

“Contractors that knowingly overcharge the government will be held accountable,” said Acting Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will ensure that that those who do business with the government, and seek taxpayer funds, do so fairly and in accordance with their contractual commitments.”

“Defense contractors are required to bill for costs actually incurred, and to be truthful in the claims they submit to federal agencies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner for the District of Maryland. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring integrity and compliance with federal agency standards.”

“DHS OIG remains committed to protecting government programs, and American taxpayers who contribute to them, from fraudsters,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to root out these unlawful contracting fraud schemes.”

The settlement was a result of a joint investigation by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General’s Major Frauds and Corruption Unit. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Andrew Joseph Trimmer, a/k/a D and Smoke, age 32, and Alicia Marie Walls, a/k/a Porsha and Alicia Porsha, age 28, both of Bowie, Maryland, on federal charges related to a fentanyl distribution conspiracy.  The superseding indictment adds Walls as a defendant and adds three counts, including conspiracy and two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury.  The superseding indictment also includes the two counts from the original indictment charging Trimmer with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and with assault on a federal officer.  The superseding indictment was returned on February 17, 2021.

The superseding indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Interim Chief Hector Velez of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

“Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can kill you.  Our law enforcement team in Maryland is working together to build cases and prosecute those who peddle this deadly drug,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.  “Enhanced federal penalties for drug dealers whose distribution results in an overdose increases their odds of federal prosecution and lengthy sentences in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.”

According to the five-count superseding indictment, from May 2018 through September 25, 2020, Trimmer and Walls conspired to distribute fentanyl.  According to court documents, Trimmer and Walls, who were romantically involved and had a child together, were the subjects of an investigation into narcotics trafficking activity.  The investigation revealed that Trimmer and Walls had been living with their child in a rental home in Bowie, Maryland, but had moved on September 15, 2020.  In August 2020, Walls allegedly posted two videos on her YouTube channel discussing her narcotics use and the activities of her drug-dealer boyfriend, whom law enforcement believed to be Trimmer.  Walls stated that she and “her man” lived in fear of police detecting their whereabouts and drug customers finding their location.  As a result, Walls and Trimmer would use hotels as temporary residences and frequently moved between hotels while storing and distributing narcotics in order to avoid detection.

The superseding indictment alleges that on May 28, 2018, Trimmer distributed fentanyl to an individual, causing serious bodily injury to that person.  On September 25, 2020, law enforcement located Trimmer living in a hotel in the area of the Bowie Towne Center.  As detailed in court documents, law enforcement found Trimmer sitting in his vehicle outside the hotel.  As soon as investigators identified themselves as police officers, Trimmer fled.  The superseding indictment alleges that when law enforcement caught and attempted to arrest Trimmer, he assaulted a federal law enforcement officer.  As detailed in court documents, during the physical altercation, another officer deployed his Taser, but Trimmer continued to fight.  Trimmer was able to get to his feet and run to a nearby fast-food restaurant, where he was apprehended by a third law enforcement officer.  Court documents allege that Trimmer continued to resist arrest and physically assaulted the third officer during the arrest.  Further, the superseding indictment alleges that Trimmer possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute the drug.  Finally, the superseding indictment alleges that, in October 2020, Walls distributed fentanyl, resulting in serious bodily injury to a victim.

If convicted, Trimmer and Walls each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy; a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for each count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury.  Trimmer also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and eight years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer.  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.  Trimmer and Walls are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, although no date has been scheduled.  Trimmer and Walls remain detained on a related federal criminal complaint.

A superseding indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by superseding 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 Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Crofton Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County Division for their assistance.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin B. Pulice, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A U.S. Citizen arrived in the United States today after being ordered detained and removed from Bahrain to the United States for the alleged murder of his mother, a Department of Defense civilian employee working in Bahrain.

The federal charge was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Oakes of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Middle East Field Office.

Giovonni Pope, 27, was charged with murder by way of criminal complaint in the District of Maryland Tuesday. U.S. military authorities in Bahrain arrested Pope yesterday and his initial appearance was held via VTC, at which time he was ordered detained and removed to the United States pursuant to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. 

According to the complaint, on Jan. 31, Pope stabbed his mother repeatedly, causing her death. In the hours that followed, Pope purchased a plane ticket back to the United States and attempted to clean the residence and dispose of evidence of the crime.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L McQuaid commended the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance. Mr. Hur and Mr. McQuaid thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorneys Brian Morgan and James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, who are prosecuting the case. 

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A U.S. citizen arrived in the United States today after being ordered detained and removed from Bahrain to the United States for the alleged murder of his mother, a Department of Defense civilian employee working in Bahrain.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Oakes of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Middle East Field Office made the announcement.

Giovonni Pope, 27, was charged with murder by way of criminal complaint in the District of Maryland Tuesday. U.S. military authorities in Bahrain arrested Pope and his initial appearance was held via video teleconference, at which time he was ordered detained and removed to the United States pursuant to the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. 

According to the complaint, on Jan. 31, Pope stabbed his mother, causing her death. In the hours that followed, Pope purchased a plane ticket back to the United States and attempted to clean the residence and dispose of evidence of the crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Brian Morgan and James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham of the District of Maryland. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging three men on the federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to allegedly sell purported COVID-19 vaccines.  The criminal complaint was filed on February 9, 2021 and was unsealed today upon the defendants’ arrests.  Charged in the criminal complaint are:          

Olakitan Oluwalade (“Olaki”), age 22, of Windsor Mill, Maryland; Olaki’s cousin, Odunayo Baba Oluwalade (“Baba”), age 25, of Windsor Mill; and
Kelly Lamont Williams, age 22, of Owings Mills, Maryland.

The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “My office and the entire law enforcement community are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who are preying on citizens during this unprecedented public health crisis.  We will also continue our outreach efforts to make the public aware of scams and frauds.  I urge citizens to remain vigilant and if you see something that doesn’t seem right, please report it.  Don’t become a victim.”

“As the public seeks vaccines to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19, fraudsters are waiting to take advantage of their desperation. We want to remind the public to exercise extreme caution online, especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and protective equipment,” said Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of HSI Baltimore. “HSI, with our local and federal partners, is working tirelessly around the country to get fraudulent websites off the internet and counterfeit personal protective equipment and medications off the streets to protect the public from these dangerous scams.”

“It remains a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to protect all Americans from individuals who take advantage of people during this public health emergency. We continue to work in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in the COVID-19 Anti-Fraud Task Force to bring those who exploit people during this pandemic to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

“The FDA, along with its law enforcement partners across the country, continues its critical work of protecting American consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic by monitoring the U.S. marketplace for fraudulent COVID-19 products,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We remain committed to bringing to justice those individuals and companies that seek to profit from this public health emergency.”

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on January 11, 2021, the HSI Intellectual Property Rights Center and the HSI Cyber Crimes Center became aware of a fraudulent replication of the website of Company 1, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that focuses on drug discovery, drug development, and vaccine technologies, including a vaccine for COVID-19.  On December 18, 2020, the FDA issued an emergency-use authorization for Company 1’s COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the United States.  Company 1’s public website, www.modernatx.com, provides information to the public on the products the company has developed, or is in the process of developing, including those focusing on combating the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As detailed in the complaint affidavit, the home page of the fraudulent replication of Company 1’s website, named “Modernatx.shop” (the “Fake Domain”) appeared visually similar to Company 1’s real website and displayed the name and trademarked logos for Company 1, and the logo, markings, colors and texts on the Fake Domain were visually similar to that of Company 1’s actual home page.  The source code of the Fake Domain indicated that the creator of the site used a website tool to copy Company 1’s actual website in order to create the Fake Domain.

However, the affidavit alleges that the Fake Domain (unlike Company 1’s home page) had the text: “YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BUY A COVID-19 VACCINE AHEAD OF TIME,” with a link to “Contact us.” On January 11, 2021, at approximately 3:58 p.m., an HSI Special Agent, in an undercover capacity (“UC”), contacted a number listed on the Fake Domain, which investigators determined was linked to an account on an encrypted messaging application which also allows voice-over-Internet calls and video chats.  The number replied approximately two hours later requesting an e-mail address to contact the UC, which the UC provided. The affidavit alleges that approximately four minutes later the UC received an e-mail from sales@modernatx.shop, an e-mail address which appears on the Fake Domain, purporting to welcome the UC to Company 1 and providing a brief description of Company 1 and the storage requirements of Company 1’s vaccine.

According to the affidavit, after several additional e-mails, the UC received information regarding payment, delivery, and purchase for alleged Company 1 vaccines from a Google e-mail address.  The UC was sent a purported invoice for 200 doses of Company 1’s vaccine at $30.00 per dose, for a total of $6,000, with payment terms listed as 50% up front and 50% upon delivery.  The UC was allegedly instructed to send payment to a Navy Federal Credit Union account in the name of Kelly Lamont Williams.  The UC transferred a portion of the funds to Williams’s account as directed.

On January 15, 2021, the government seized the Fake Domain and HSI agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home. Law enforcement subsequently executed search warrants at Olaki’s and Baba’s homes.  As a result of these searches, investigators recovered a number of communications between Baba, Olaki, and Williams discussing the fraud scheme.  After the search at Williams’s residence, but before the searches at Olaki’s and Baba’s homes, investigators used Williams’s phone to send Baba a message: “Yo where u want me send the bread?” (referring to the cash investigators had sent to Williams’s bank account for the purchase of alleged vaccines as directed).  Baba allegedly replied, “Yea send me some thru zelle and some through cash app.”  Both Zelle & Cash App are online payment platforms.  The affidavit alleges that Baba provided his Cash App User ID name, and investigators made a cash transfer of the funds to Baba’s Cash App account per his request.  

As detailed in the affidavit, Olaki allegedly referred Williams to Baba as someone who could assist with the fraud.  Williams allegedly agreed to allow the conspirators to use his bank account to deposit the fraud payments in exchange for a cut of the fraud proceeds.  Olaki allegedly was also supposed to receive a part of the fraud proceeds.  Several of the recovered communications also indicated that Olaki allegedly applied for, and received a fraudulent COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan funded by the federal government in the summer of 2020.  

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  The defendants will have an initial appearance on February 12, 2021, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

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.

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 go to justice.gov/coronavirus.   

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S. J. Zelinsky and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Lachann Alexis Green, age 36, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the federal charge of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud her employer, causing a loss to the business of at least $285,703.09.   

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to her guilty plea, from October 2017 through December 2018, Green was the general manager of Rhode Island Row, an apartment complex in Washington, D.C. that was managed by Business 1, her employer.  As General Manager of the apartment complex, Green was the senior employee of Business 1 on site at Rhode Island Row and was responsible for all expenses and staffing needs for the apartment complex.  During her time as General Manager, Green used her position to defraud Business 1 in at least four different ways.    

First, in October 2017, Green registered a fraudulent shell business, “Executive Property Staffing” (“EPS”), with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (“SDAT”).  Green admitted that she created dozens of fraudulent EPS invoices for staffing, cleaning, and maintenance work at Rhode Island Row that had not been done by EPS.  Green personally approved and submitted the fraudulent invoices to her employer.  The money that Business 1 paid on the invoices was generally sent to a bank account opened in EPS’s name but which was controlled by Green.  Over the course of the scheme, Green submitted and Business 1 paid $231,802 in fraudulent EPS invoices.   

As detailed in her plea agreement, although Green had acknowledged and agreed to Business 1’s policy against self-dealing and conflicts of interest as part of her employment, Green took steps to conceal her ownership of EPS and did not disclose her association with EPS to her employer.  For example, Green e-mailed a forged W-9 form to get EPS set up in Business 1’s vendor payment system, which she signed using a relative’s name.  In addition, Green created an e-mail account purporting to belong to “Michelle Cross” in EPS management.  Green used that e-mail address to send e-mails to her Business 1 work account, then forwarded these fake e-mails to others in Business 1 to make it look like she maintained an arms-length relationship with EPS. On at least two occasions, Green used these fake e-mails to suggest that EPS was getting annoyed at how long it was taking for Business 1 to pay EPS for the fraudulent invoices Green had submitted.

Second, Green leased two Rhode Island Row apartments to her relatives under false names and at favorable terms not generally available to others.  By the time her fraud was discovered, the two relatives had both failed to pay rent for months, costing Business 1 a total of $39,524 in uncollected rent.

In addition, Green contracted with a business owned and operated by a personal associate (“Individual 1”) to turn over apartments at Rhode Island Row.  Between October 2017 and October 2018, Green submitted to her employer approximately $190,000 in invoices for Individual 1’s company for apartment cleaning, painting, and turn-over for new tenants.   Green admitted that she never disclosed her relationship to Individual 1 and Individual 1’s company to Business 1.

Finally, Green also admitted that she submitted fraudulent invoices to her employer for expenses that she falsely claimed she had paid out-of-pocket on Business 1’s behalf.  Generally, these invoices falsely claimed that Green had arranged and paid for catering services for events at Rhode Island Row.  For example, in October 2018, Green submitted an invoice in the name of a caterer for expenses incurred for Rhode Island Row’s Halloween party.  In fact, Green never ordered any catering for the 2018 Halloween party.  Instead, a relative provided pizza for the event and Green pocketed the $1,500 she falsely invoiced to Business 1.  In total, Green submitted and Business 1 paid reimbursement for at least $14,377.09 in fraudulently submitted expenses.

Green used the money she fraudulently obtained from Business 1 to support a luxurious lifestyle, including to help purchase an Audi, to buy season tickets to the Washington Wizards professional basketball team, and to finance a luxury vacation to Cancun with Individual 1.

As part of her plea agreement, Green will be required to forfeit the amount she fraudulently obtained as a result of the scheme, which is at least $246,179.09.  Green also has agreed to the entry of a restitution order for the full amount of the loss to Business 1, which is at least $285,703.09.

Green faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Green on May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Dana J. Brusca and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig G. Fansler, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced former Baltimore Police detective Ivo Louvado, age 47, of Bel Air, Maryland, to 14 months in federal prison, followed by three  years of supervised release, for making false statements to federal agents in connection with a scheme to sell three kilograms of cocaine seized during a Baltimore Police Department investigation.  In addition, Judge Blake ordered Louvado to perform 100 hours of community service.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Louvado joined the Baltimore Police Department on November 21, 1999, and was promoted to Detective in 2008.  In February 2009, one of Louvado’s co-workers advised that they had received information from a confidential informant about a large-scale narcotics trafficker operating out of a residence in the 1400 block of Ellamont Street in Baltimore.  On February 19, 2009, Louvado and other members of his squad were conducting surveillance in the 1400 block of Ellamont Street, targeting an individual, T.M.  In February 2009, Louvado served on a squad with Victor Rivera, W.J., C.J., P.G., and K.G., that was supervised by W.K. 

As detailed in the plea agreement, other officers participating in the law enforcement action followed a car from that residence.  Those officers claimed to have recovered trash that contained cocaine residue that had been thrown from the car they had followed.  Louvado and other officers then entered the residence that the man was allegedly observed leaving.  Louvado and other officers remained in the house until two members of the squad obtained a search warrant from a Baltimore City District Court judge.   Louvado ultimately participated in the search of the residence, specifically, taking photographs of items that BPD seized.  At some point, Louvado was alerted to the presence of a jacket hanging behind a door that contained a large amount of cash in it, which Louvado photographed. 

While in the house, officers found car keys and a BPD officer activated the remote alarm on one of the keys.  Officers heard the alarm sound in a pickup truck that was parked nearby.  Louvado and other officers went to the pickup and opened an opaque cover that was over the back of the pickup truck. Under construction debris, a significant quantity of cocaine was found.  Louvado and other officers waited with the cocaine until a SWAT team arrived.  The SWAT team was called to provide protection during the transportation of the cocaine to BPD headquarters because it was such a large quantity.  In order to transport the cocaine from the scene to BPD headquarters, it was loaded into a BPD surveillance van driven by K.G.  After the cocaine was loaded into the surveillance van, Louvado followed the SWAT team to BPD headquarters to maintain chain-of-custody over the cocaine.  Forty-one kilograms of cocaine was turned into the BPD’s Evidence Control Unit on February 20, 2009.  Later that day, federal drug charges were filed against T.M.

Louvado admitted that he, Rivera, and K.G. later discovered three additional kilograms of cocaine in the surveillance van that had been used to transport the cocaine to BPD.  These kilograms of cocaine had come from the seizure from T.M.’s pickup truck on February 19 and 20, 2009, but had not been turned in to the BPD on February 20, 2009.  Louvado, Rivera, and K.G. agreed that rather than turn this cocaine into BPD, they would sell it and split the proceeds.  According to the plea agreement, a confidential informant of Rivera’s, who was a drug trafficker, purchased the cocaine, which the trafficker then sold in Baltimore.  Rivera received the proceeds of the sale from his source and shared them with Louvado and K.G.  Louvado acknowledged that he received $10,000 in drug proceeds from the sale of the three kilograms of cocaine.

On March 1, 2017, seven members of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force were arrested on federal racketeering charges, including W.J.  Following the filing of charges, the FBI continued to investigate misconduct by members of the BPD.  On May 30, 2018, Louvado agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with an FBI special agent and an FBI task force officer, who questioned him about the seizure of cocaine on February 19 and 20, 2009.  In that interview, Louvado knowingly falsified, concealed, and covered up material facts, namely, that he and the two other officers had split the proceeds from the sale of the three kilograms of cocaine that had been seized by BPD that day.  As a former federal task force officer himself, Louvado knew that it was a crime to provide false information during interviews with federal law enforcement.  Louvado also knew that the FBI was investigating police corruption and was questioning him about the seizures that day in order to determine if police misconduct had occurred. 

Former Baltimore Police officer Victor Rivera, age 48, of Nottingham, Maryland, pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents and was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.

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