District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has sentenced Nevone McCrimmon, age 48, of Edgewood, Maryland to 14 years in federal prison; and sentenced co-defendants William Elijah, age 52; and Terrance Mobley, age 51, both of Baltimore, Maryland, each to 10 years in federal prison, all followed by five years of supervised release, for the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.  

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Baltimore City Sheriff John Anderson; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.

“Fentanyl is one of the most lethal threats facing Maryland right now.  As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose, and the 20 kilograms of fentanyl seized in this case to date is enough to kill 10 million people—more than one and a half times the population of Maryland,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We are working with our partners to attack the sources of supply, as well as the street dealers who are committing the most violence in our neighborhoods.”

“Fentanyl exacts a deadly toll in our community and in communities across the country,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge John Eisert. “This problem crosses state and international borders and requires partnership between law enforcement agencies. We’re grateful for our allies in this battle against the opioid scourge.”

According to their plea agreements and other court documents, beginning in about May 2017 through October 2018, Nevone McCrimmon was the leader of the McCrimmon drug-trafficking organization (DTO), and William Elijah and Terrance Mobley were associates of McCrimmon, assisting with the day-to-day operations of the McCrimmon DTO, including the collection of money for and the distribution heroin and fentanyl to the DTO’s customers.  The McCrimmon DTO obtained its heroin and fentanyl from Mexican drug cartels.  The DTO would order kilograms of heroin and fentanyl from members and associates of the Jesus Prieto DTO, located in Miami. Florida.  

As detailed in their plea agreements, members of the Prieto DTO would travel to the mid-Atlantic area to collect large sums of cash from the McCrimmon DTO, which would then be conveyed directly to members of various Mexican drug-trafficking cartels.  The cartels would then facilitate the transportation of heroin and fentanyl to co-conspirators in California.  The narcotics would then be transported from California to Baltimore for delivery to the McCrimmon DTO.

In August 2018, federal law enforcement agents intercepted a shipment of 20 kilograms of fentanyl in Ventura, California, that was intended for delivery to the McCrimmon DTO in Maryland.  Law enforcement transported the fentanyl to Maryland and conducted a “controlled delivery” to a member of the McCrimmon DTO.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 20 kilograms of fentanyl and over $500,000 in cash.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Threat Assessment, Mexican DTOs pose the greatest crime threat to the United States. The cartels use drug trafficking and other criminal activities, such a money laundering, bribery, and gun trafficking, to obtain power, influence, and money, while protecting its activities through a pattern of violence and corruption.  To combat this threat, the Department of Justice has formed a Transnational Organized Crime Task Force to coordinate and optimize the Department’s efforts to dismantle the cartels and other priority targets.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department; and HSI-Baltimore for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr., LaRai Everett, and Lauren Perry, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Rodney Mondell Coby, a/k/a “Cuz,” age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland, on the federal charges of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. 

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron; and Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Rodney Coby knew that the fentanyl he was distributing was killing people, but he continued anyway.  Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution—especially when they use guns to ply their trade.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop the tragic deaths resulting from opioid overdoses.”

“Coby was dealing fentanyl, a dangerous drug that is killing far too many people in the DMV,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jesse Fong.  “Cases like this are a great example of the work we are doing, side-by-side with our local law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors, to send a resounding message that drug dealers who callously profit by distributing deadly drugs in our neighborhoods will be held accountable.”

According to the evidence presented at his seven-day trial, Coby and his co-defendant, Steven Jerome, distributed fentanyl to an individual on September 6, 2017, resulting in the death of the victim.  According to Steven Jerome’s plea agreement, after meeting with Coby for the drug transaction, Jerome and the individual used the fentanyl that Coby distributed. The individual immediately showed signs of overdosing. Because there was an unrelated warrant for Jerome’s arrest, however, Jerome did not call first responders or otherwise seek help for the individual. Instead, Jerome drove the individual from Waldorf to the St. Clement Shores neighborhood of St. Mary’s County, and walked to his mother’s house. Jerome’s mother then called first responders, who were unable to resuscitate the individual. 

Further, the evidence introduced at trial also proved that Coby distributed fentanyl on November 29, 2017, resulting in the death of a second victim. 

On April 13, 2018, law enforcement recovered five firearms from Coby’s apartment, including a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol from Coby; a .357-caliber semi-automatic pistol; a 5.7x28mm semi-automatic pistol; a .300-caliber semi-automatic AR type pistol, a 7.62x39 caliber semi-automatic AK type pistol, as well as 159 rounds of various types of ammunition.  The .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol was found in a backpack next to 121 individual baggies of fentanyl and a bag of cocaine base. As such, the jury determined that Coby possessed the .45-caliber pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking.  During the execution of a search warrant at Coby’s apartment, law enforcement officers recovered a total of over 200 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 40 grams of cocaine base, 12 cell phones, a money counter, four digital scales, over $22,000 in U.S. currency, and jewelry including a Rolex, gold chain, and gold and diamond grills.  Moreover, Coby had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  

Coby faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.  Coby also faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has not yet scheduled sentencing for Coby.  Coby has been in custody since his arrest on April 13, 2018.  

Steven Jerome, age 33, of Leonardtown, Maryland, pleaded guilty before trial to distributing fentanyl.  As detailed in his plea agreement, two individuals, including Jerome’s mother, died as a result of his distributing fentanyl to them.  Jerome admitted to one of his associates that he worked with Coby to distribute narcotics.  Jerome and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Jerome will be sentenced to 150 months in federal prison.  Judge Hazel has scheduled sentencing for Jerome on June 15, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation, and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Erin Pulice, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Rody L. Bowden, age 41, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 22 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, on the charge of sex trafficking of a minor.  Bowden was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense and will be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“This is an egregious case because the defendant was already a twice-convicted sex offender and his victim was a 14-year old child,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Rody Bowden will now serve 22 years in federal prison, where there are no suspended sentences and no parole – ever.  This sentence sends a powerful message that the sex trafficking of children will not be tolerated in Maryland.”

“This man—already a two-time sex offender—exploited and trafficked a child,” said John Eisert, HSI Baltimore special agent in charge. “HSI is committed to finding and investigating predators like him so they can no longer harm our communities’ most vulnerable members—its children.”

According to Bowden’s plea agreement, in late 2016 and early 2017, Bowden engaged in commercial sex acts with a 14-year-old ninth-grade student, including in Anne Arundel County motel rooms.  On January 4, 2017, Bowden recorded a video of the victim engaged in oral sex with him.  The next day, Bowden created an account on a streaming pornographic website and uploaded the video to his account, where it could be viewed by all of Bowden’s followers on the site.  On September 4, 2017, Bowden e-mailed a copy of the video to another account that he controlled.

Bowden was previously required to register as a sex offender, stemming from two convictions for third-degree sex offenses in Prince George’s County and Charles County.  Bowden has been detained since his arrest.

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

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Ivanovich Constanzo Mercedes-Soriano, a/k/a German Pena-Lopez, age 31, of Aberdeen, Maryland, to 63 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine and for making a false claim to U.S. citizenship.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Acting Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP).

According to his plea agreement, Mercedes-Soriano was born in the Dominican Republic and is illegally in the United States. At least as early as June 2017 and continuing until September 26, 2018, Mercedes-Soriano conspired with Elvin Solano-Pena, a/k/a Joseph Allen Fields, and Herme Soriano, a/k/a Miguel Urraca-Gonzalez, and others to distribute crack cocaine and 1000 grams or more of heroin to drug users that lived primarily in Cecil County, Maryland. 

In July 16, 2018, Maryland State Police (MSP) developed information that drug users were using a designated phone number, referred to as the “dispatch phone,” to purchase drugs. On July 23, 2018, a drug user called the dispatch phone and spoke to a man who told the customer to meet him at a grocery store in Elkton.  Mercedes-Soriano arrived in a black Honda Civic and sold the customer one gram of heroin and .4 grams of crack cocaine.   

On August 3, 2018, the same drug user called the dispatch phone and spoke to Solano-Pena.  After the call, Soriano arrived at the agreed meeting place and sold the customer .6 gram of heroin and .6 gram of crack cocaine.  MSP stopped the vehicle; Soriano was driving, and MSP identified him as the man who sold the drugs.  After searching the car, MSP recovered another .4 gram of heroin and $648 in cash, as well as a crack pipe and burnt cocaine.  Soriano provided a false name at the time.  MSP used social media to attempt to identify him and found pictures of Soriano with Mercedes-Soriano.  The two men were later identified as brothers.

Mercedes-Soriano and Soriano were illegal aliens using fraudulently obtained driver’s licenses in their respective alias names.  On September 6, 2018, both men were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a traffic stop of the black Honda Civic they were driving.  Both men produced fraudulent documents and lied as to their identity, citizenship, and travel to the United States.  Both Mercedes-Soriano and Soriano were interviewed by ICE officers after being advised of their rights in Spanish and falsely swore that they were U.S. citizens, born in Puerto Rico.  In fact, both men are citizens of the Dominican Republic.

A towing company retrieved the black Honda Civic and stored it in Cecil County.  The car was registered in the name of co-defendant Oscar Pilarte-Rivera, a close friend of Mercedes-Soriano, Solano-Pena, and Soriano.  Pilarte-Rivera provided assistance to the drug dealers, among other things, by allowing them to use a car registered in his name, knowing the men were involved in drug trafficking.  Pilarte claimed possession of the black Honda from police custody.

On September 25, 2018, Mercedes-Soriano called Pilarte-Rivera from jail.  The call was in Spanish but Mercedes-Soriano indicated he had tried to call Pilarte-Rivera three times but that he had not answered the phone.  The men discussed items in Mercedes-Soriano’s apartment that needed to be picked up.  As a result, HSI obtained a federal search warrant for Mercedes-Soriano’s apartment on Stevens Circle in Aberdeen, Maryland and executed it on September 26, 2018.  In addition to identity documents for Mercedes-Soriano and other records, law enforcement recovered drugs packaged for distribution.  After laboratory testing, it was determined the drugs seized included approximately 160 grams of heroin, 222 grams of heroin and fentanyl, and approximately 32 grams of crack cocaine.  The packaging tested positive for Mercedes-Soriano’s DNA.   

In his plea agreement, Mercedes-Soriano admitted he sold between one and three kilograms of heroin.  Mercedes-Soriano’s phone records reflect the frequency of calls with drug customers and corroborated their individual testimony about drug sales.

As part of his plea agreement and sentence, Mercedes-Soriano will be deported to the Dominican Republic upon his release from prison.

Pilarte-Rivara, Solano-Pena, and Soriano previously pleaded guilty to federal charges for their respective roles in the drug conspiracy and received sentences ranging from time served to four years in federal prison.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the HSI Baltimore and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation and thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Paul Riley, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Catherine Elizabeth Pugh, age 69, of Baltimore, Maryland, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and two counts of tax evasion.  Judge Chasanow also ordered Pugh to pay $411,948 in restitution and to forfeit $669,688 including property on Ellamont Road in Baltimore and $17,800 from the Committee to Re-elect Catherine Pugh.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; 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.

“Baltimore City faces many pressing issues, and we need our leaders to place the interests of the citizens above their own,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Catherine Pugh betrayed the public trust for her personal gain and now faces three years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Law enforcement will remain vigilant to ensure that our citizens receive the honesty and professionalism they deserve from government officials and will prosecute officials who betray the public’s trust.” 

“The defendant's scheme to cheat the taxpayers of Baltimore was as bold as it was brazen, and today's sentence shows that the punishment for those actions is swift and severe,” said Alfred Watson, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Division of the FBI.  “The public has a right to expect and demand honesty and integrity from their public servants and the FBI stands ready with our law enforcement partners to uphold those principals in our system.”

“Today, Catherine Pugh learned the consequences of her actions.  When those in positions of trust conspire to defraud the government and engage in corrupt ventures, they must be held accountable,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson.  “We will continue to pursue justice against those whose actions deteriorate the confidence of the citizens that they were elected to serve.” 

According to her plea agreement, from approximately 2007 through 2016 Pugh served in the Maryland State Senate, where she served on various legislative committees, including the Senate Health Committee.  In 2011, Pugh ran an unsuccessful campaign to be mayor of Baltimore.  In September 2015, Pugh again ran for mayor of Baltimore, and won, becoming Mayor on December 6, 2016.  Pugh owned Healthy Holly, LLC, a company formed in Maryland on January 14, 2011, and used to publish and sell children’s books she had written.  Pugh also owned Catherine E. Pugh and Company, Inc., a marketing and public relations consulting company organized in Maryland in 1997.  The principal address for both companies was Pugh’s residence in Baltimore.  Pugh was also the sole signatory on the Healthy Holly and Pugh Company bank accounts.  Pugh did not maintain a personal bank account, using her business bank accounts for personal and business finances.  

Between June 2011 and August 2017, four Healthy Holly books were published, with each book listing “Catherine Pugh” as author.  The vast majority of books published by Healthy Holly were marketed and sold directly to non-profit organizations and foundations, many of whom did business or attempted to do business with the Maryland and Baltimore City governments.

From approximately 2011 until December 2016, Gary Brown, Jr. worked as a legislative aide to Pugh.  Brown actively campaigned for Pugh’s reelection to the State Senate in 2014 and served as her campaign aide during her 2016 mayoral election campaign.  Following Pugh’s election and inauguration as mayor of Baltimore City in December 2016, Brown was hired as the Deputy Director of Special Events in the mayor’s office.  In December 2016, Brown was nominated by the Maryland Democratic Central Committee to fill the vacancy in the Maryland House of Delegates created by Pugh’s mayoral victory.  However, the Governor withdrew Brown’s nomination after he was indicted for election law violations in January 2017.

Brown was the sole owner and operator of Stricker Abstracting, LLC, and GB Abstracting, LLC, both Maryland companies that purported to be title-abstracting businesses, and GBJ Consulting, LLC, a Maryland consulting business.  Brown ran all three companies from his residences in Baltimore.  Brown also freelanced as a tax return preparer.  Between March 2011 until March 2019, Brown helped Pugh promote and sell the Healthy Holly books.  Brown oversaw the transportation and storage of the books, drafted invoices, and corresponded with purchasers.  Much of Brown’s work on Healthy Holly occurred during work hours while serving as Pugh’s legislative aide and mayoral staff member.  Brown was not an employee of Healthy Holly and received no salary or compensation until approximately mid-2016 when he started to get sales commissions.  None of his companies received compensation for services purportedly provided to Healthy Holly.

Wire Fraud

Pugh admitted that from November 2011 until March 2019, she conspired with Gary Brown to defraud purchasers of Healthy Holly books in order to enrich themselves, promote Pugh’s political career, and fund her campaign for mayor.  Pugh and Brown admitted that they employed several methods to defraud, including: not delivering books after accepting payments for the books; accepting payments for books to be delivered to a third party on behalf of a purchaser, then converting some or all of the purchased books to their own use without the purchaser’s or third party’s knowledge; and by double-selling books without either purchaser’s knowledge or consent.  Pugh stored quantities of fraudulently obtained Healthy Holly books at various locations, including Pugh’s residence, her state legislative offices, her mayoral office, the War Memorial building in Baltimore City, and a public storage locker used by Pugh’s mayoral campaign.  

Specifically, Pugh admitted that she sold approximately 20,000 each of Healthy Holly books one, two, and three to the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) for $100,000 each.  UMMS agreed to the purchase on the condition that it be on behalf of, and for distribution to, school children in the Baltimore City Public School system (BCPS), in part, to further the mission of UMMS’s community outreach program.  As part of the agreement Pugh was to deliver the donated books to BCPS.

As detailed in her plea agreement, Pugh did not deliver the full 20,000 Healthy Holly books one, two, and three that UMMS purchased to BCPS, instead keeping some of the books for herself.  In addition, Pugh sold to unwitting purchasers copies of Healthy Holly books one, two, and three that had already been sold to UMMS and donated to BCPS.  Pugh used Associated Black Charities, a Baltimore-based public charity, to facilitate the resale and distribution of the books to new purchasers.  Neither the charity nor the new purchasers knew that Pugh was double-selling the books.  Pugh also accepted payment for books that were never delivered to the purchaser.

Conspiracy to Defraud the United States/Tax Evasion

Pugh further admitted that she used the proceeds of the sale of fraudulently obtained Healthy Holly books for her own purposes, including: to fund straw donations to Pugh’s mayoral election campaign; and to fund the purchase and renovation of a house in Baltimore City.

Specifically, Pugh issued Healthy Holly checks payable to Brown, for the purpose of funding straw donations to the Committee to Elect Catherine Pugh.  Brown cashed the checks and used the untraceable cash to fund money orders, debit cards, and personal checks in the names of straw donors totaling approximately $35,800.  The straw donations purchased with the cash were then deposited into the bank account of the Committee to Elect Catherine Pugh.  Pugh wrote additional Healthy Holly checks to Brown totaling $26,300, which he cashed and gave the cash to Pugh.  In total, Brown and Pugh cashed out approximately $62,100 of Healthy Holly checks during 2016, all of which went to straw donors or Pugh.  To conceal the scheme, Brown and Pugh created the pretense of a legitimate business relationship between Brown and Healthy Holly.  In furtherance of the pretense, Pugh and Brown signed an independent contractor agreement between Healthy Holly and GBJ Consulting, and Brown created a business ledger that misrepresented the Healthy Holly checks as payments for promotion services rendered by Brown’s company on behalf of Healthy Holly.  At Pugh’s urging, Brown also created bogus GB Consulting invoices and backdated them.

On January 11, 2017, Brown was charged with, and ultimately convicted of, violating Maryland’s election laws for funneling $18,000 of the straw donations to Pugh’s campaign. The Committee to Elect Catherine Pugh issued five checks in the names of three of the straw donors, with a notation in the memo line on each check stating “returned contribution.” In fact, Pugh acknowledges that none of the straw donors received any of the returned money, and instead, at Pugh’s direction, Brown used the money to pay for his legal defense in the state election-law prosecution, a case that had legal implications for Pugh.  

Pugh also admitted that she conspired to evade taxes on the income received from the sales of Healthy Holly books.  To accomplish this, Pugh concealed from the IRS the fact that she created false business expenses to offset the income she received from the sale of books by issuing Healthy Holly checks to Brown for services and/or products purportedly supplied by his company.  Pugh filed false income tax returns for 2015 and 2016, in which she underreported her income.  For example, for tax year 2016 Pugh claimed her taxable income was $31,020 and the tax due was $4,168, when in fact, Pugh’s taxable income was $322,365, with an income tax due of approximately $102,444.

Former Baltimore City employee Gary Brown, Jr., age 38, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and to filing a false tax return.  Judge Chasanow has not yet scheduled a sentencing date for Brown.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur 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. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Cortez Weaver, a/k/a Corty and Tez, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, resulting in death of Maurice Finney.  

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

According to Weaver’s guilty plea, beginning in at least July 2017 Weaver was a member of a drug conspiracy that distributed heroin and crack cocaine in the Abington Avenue area of Baltimore.  Christopher Hockaday was also a member of the Abington Avenue drug trafficking organization (DTO).  Hockaday became involved in a dispute with a rival DTO over who could sell drugs at a gas station at the intersection of Baltimore Street and Hilton Avenue.  As a result of the dispute, on July 14, 2017, a member of the rival drug organization shot and killed Hockaday.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on July 17, 2017, Weaver and another member of the Abington Avenue DTO went to the gas station to retaliate against members of the rival drug organization and encountered Maurice Finney, a/k/a Mitch.  Weaver murdered Finney, shooting him in the head at close range with a .40-caliber handgun.  Weaver also attempted to murder Victim 2, chasing him across Hilton Avenue while firing multiple shots at him.  Meanwhile, Weaver’s co-conspirator attempted to murder Victim 3, shooting him multiple times with a 9mm handgun and causing life-threatening injuries.  The shootings were captured on surveillance cameras at the gas station.  Afterward, Weaver sent his co-conspirator a text message directing him to “burn them clothes.”

On November 12, 2018, a confidential informant (CI) placed a call to Weaver that was monitored by law enforcement.  During the call, the CI made plans to meet Weaver to discuss the potential robbery of a drug stash house.  During the conversation, Weaver confessed that he had killed Maurice Finney and described the murder using specific details that were consistent with the surveillance footage and other physical evidence recovered during the investigation.  Weaver agreed to carry out the robbery, stating that it was what he had been doing with another member of the Abington Avenue DTO.  Weaver showed the CI a .45-caliber firearm and talked about owning other firearms, including a “357” and a “40.”

Unbeknownst to Weaver, the robbery opportunity was a fiction and the drug stash house did not exist.  On January 25, 2019, the CI introduced Weaver to an undercover Baltimore Police Officer (the UC), posing as a drug dealer who wanted to rob his source of supply.  Weaver had several meetings with the UC to discuss the robbery, including distributing the heroin they planned to steal.  In every meeting, Weaver confirmed his desire to commit the robbery and stated that he intended to kill everyone who was guarding the stash location.  Weaver brought co-conspirators to two of the meetings who also agreed to assist with the robbery. 

On March 7, 2019, Weaver and three co-conspirators met the UC to commit the robbery.  Weaver and the co-conspirators were arrested.  A search of Weaver recovered a loaded .357 revolver, 11 pin-top vials of suspected cocaine, and a mask.  A pair of black gloves was also recovered from the area of the car where Weaver had been sitting.  Law enforcement also recovered black masks from the co-conspirators, and from their vehicle they recovered a 9mm handgun loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, including a round in the chamber, and two pairs of black woolen gloves.

Weaver admitted that from at least July 2017 through March 7, 2019, he conspired to distribute heroin and crack cocaine in Baltimore, and that it was foreseeable to Weaver that the members of the conspiracy would distribute between three and eight kilograms of heroin.

Weaver and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Weaver will be sentenced to between 300 and 360 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. 

Co-defendants Jamal Jackson, age 20; Kevin Brooks, age 29; and Jermaine Sumpter, age 43, all of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the robbery conspiracy.  Sumpter was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.  Jackson and Brooks are awaiting sentencing.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Peter J. Martinez, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Dante Tyler-El, age 54, of Landover, Maryland, pleaded guilty carjacking and to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  Tyler-El entered his guilty plea yesterday.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Metropolitan Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on June 5, 2019, Tyler-El perpetrated three armed robberies, as well as the carjacking to which he is pleading guilty.  As detailed in his plea agreement, at 5:30 a.m. Tyler-El assaulted a victim who was pumping gas at a gas station in Prince Frederick, Maryland, putting a gun in the victim’s face, stealing the victim’s wallets and credit cards, and then placing the victim in handcuffs.

Tyler-El admitted that at 5:00 p.m., he approached a victim who was sitting in her vehicle in a parking lot in Gaithersburg, Maryland, waiting for her daughter to finish a dance class.  Tyler-El, dressed in a neon construction vest and hard hat, approached the victim holding a Walther PK380 pistol, which he put to the victim’s head and demanded money.  Tyler-El then handcuffed the victim and forced her into the back seat of the vehicle, where he restrained her while he rummaged through the vehicle.  When the victim screamed, Tyler-El struck her with the pistol, causing severe bruising on the victim’s face.  After finding the victim’s credit cards, Tyler-El got into the driver’s seat and drove away with the victim still in the back seat.  After driving for some distance, Tyler-El got out of the vehicle and fled.

According to his plea agreement, at 7:00 p.m. Tyler-El, brandishing the pistol and wearing the same neon construction vest and hard hat, robbed a victim outside his apartment building in Hyattsville, Maryland, stealing $150 in cash.  Approximately one hour later, Tyler-El robbed three pedestrians at gunpoint as they walked along Eastern Avenue in Washington, D.C., just across the Maryland border.  Tyler-El admitted that during the robbery he fired the pistol into the air as a show of force to compel the victims’ compliance.  Tyler-El stole credit cards and $6 in cash from the victims.

Tyler-El was stopped by law enforcement early the next morning after crossing the Bay Bridge into Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.  A search of the vehicle recover some of the victims’ credit cards, as well as the loaded Walther PK 380 used during the robberies and carjacking.

Tyler-El and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Tyler-El will be sentenced to 150 months in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. 

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

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.        

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel yesterday sentenced Saul Eady, age 36, of Los Angeles, California, to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain goods using what appeared to be a military e-mail address, but was actually a registered Yahoo e-mail address.  Judge Hazel also entered an order requiring Eady to forfeit and to pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s losses, which is $640,172.80.  Eady has been detained since his arrest in October 2018.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Nasir Khan of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement's Washington Field Office. 

According to Eady’s plea agreement, a co-conspirator established and used what was purported to be a U.S. Navy e-mail address, authentic forms, titles, addresses and other indicia to pose as U.S. government contracting agents and fraudulently obtain merchandise, including large-screen televisions, specialized communications equipment, cellular telephones and computers.  Much of the fraud scheme was conducted from outside the United States, including from Nigeria.  Three victim companies—one that provided wireless voice and data services that was headquartered in Washington State, one that was a wholesale audio-video distributor and manufacturer’s representative located in Virginia, and a defense contractor that designed, manufactured, and marketed communications equipment that was headquartered in Maryland—shipped merchandise, without prior payment, to Eady’s East Coast co-conspirators.  Those individuals then shipped the stolen items to Eady and others on the West Coast.

Specifically, Eady admitted that from November 2016 until February 2017, he assisted in receiving, transporting, and storing the stolen televisions by renting trucks and transporting the stolen televisions to at least three storage locations in the Los Angeles area, where Eady and other had rented storage units.  Following the sale of the televisions, Eady was paid in cash for receiving and moving the televisions.  According to his plea agreement, the organization obtained approximately 2,109 televisions over the course of the scheme, and the number of televisions and loss attributable to Eady is 493 televisions worth at least $1,181,290.80.

Eady also admitted that he engaged in financial transactions using the proceeds of the fraud scheme.  Specifically, Eady assisted in depositing cash obtained from the sale of the stolen goods into bank accounts of co-conspirators.  At times, Eady received cash in excess of $10,000, but made smaller deposits at different bank locations in order to avoid detection by financial institutions and law enforcement.

Based on bank records, surveillance footage, financial and business records of the victim companies, and other information, the loss foreseeable to Saul Eady was between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.

Of the nine defendants charged in this case, six have pleaded guilty to their roles in the fraud scheme, including Saul Eady.  Two others are scheduled for trial next month, and one defendant, Peter Unakalu, is a fugitive.                   

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement for their work in the investigation, and thanked the FBI Washington Field Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, February 21, 2020, U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Zhi Tian Lang, age 24, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography and to extortion by threat to ruin the reputation of another.  Judge Messitte also ordered that Lang 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).  Lang is also required to pay a special assessment of $5,200.  Lang admitted that he threatened to post revealing photos of his victims on social media and other Internet platforms if they did not send him sexually explicit photographs and/or videos of themselves. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; 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 guilty plea, between at least January and October 2014 Lang communicated with minor female victims ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old and located throughout the United States, including South Dakota, Wisconsin, and New Jersey.  Lang used an Internet messaging application and used the name “Seth” when contacting his victims.  Lang would obtain pictures of minor victims from their social media accounts or through direct flirtation.  The pictures often depicted the victims in their underwear.  Lang would then demand that unless the victim provided him with nude pictures, he would post the initial pictures on a public Internet account or send them directly to one or more of the victim’s acquaintances.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Lang threatened at least eleven minor victims to provide him with sexually explicit photos and/or videos of themselves and only a few refused to do so.  Lang admitted that he posted photographs of some of the minor victims to coerce them and sent at least one photo to another individual.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked law enforcement agencies in New Jersey and South Dakota for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Benjamin Fowlkes, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 150 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the armed robbery of a convenience store and the armed robbery of a bank.  Judge Hollander also ordered Fowlkes to pay restitution of $13, 294.92.

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

According to his plea agreement, on November 26, 2018, shortly before 11 p.m., Fowlkes robbed a convenience store located in the 2700 block of West Franklin Street in Baltimore, displaying what appeared to be a silver semiautomatic handgun, but was in fact an air gun.  Fowlkes ordered the store employees to open the cash register and give him the cash, which they did.  Fowlkes then fled.

The next day, Fowlkes robbed a bank located in the 3600 block of Boston Street in Baltimore. Shortly after the bank opened, Fowlkes entered the bank and asked to open an account.  Fowlkes was directed to a customer service employee in another part of the bank.  Fowlkes pulled a yellow folder from a white mesh laundry bag, asked for a pen, and then wrote a note demanding money, which he passed to the employee. The employee advised that there was no money in the customer service area.  Fowlkes took the note back, stated that he had a gun, and drew what appeared to be a silver semiautomatic handgun—but that was in fact an air gun—from the white mesh laundry bag.  Fowlkes told the employee, who was on crutches, to get up slowly.  The victim employee complied and walked to the teller area of the bank, where two other employees were working, to get the money Fowlkes demanded.  Fowlkes followed her there.  While in the teller area, Fowlkes again displayed the silver air gun and demanded money, and also demanded one of the tellers’ car keys.  One employee handed over the keys to his car—a Hyundai Sonata—and another employee handed Fowlkes the cash from the teller drawers, which Fowlkes placed in the white mesh laundry bag.  Fowlkes then escaped in the stolen Hyundai Sonata.

Fowlkes was arrested on November 29, 2018, after a Baltimore Police Officer in the Southwestern District determined that the tags on a Hyundai Sonata driven by Fowlkes had been stolen.  When Fowlkes was pulled over, he was wearing the same zip-up hoodie worn during the robberies, and he had $2,021 in cash on him, which was stolen from the bank.  A subsequent search warrant executed at his residence resulted in law enforcement recovering the white mesh laundry bag, yellow folder, and demand note used at the bank robbery, mail addressed to the owner of the Hyundai Sonata, which Fowlkes had taken from the stolen car, and the silver air gun used in connection with both robberies.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Karon Foster, age 26; Rashaud Nesmith, age 19; Jamai Wells, age 30; and Daniel Williams, age 29, all of Baltimore, Maryland, on federal charges related to a racketeering conspiracy, resulting in numerous murders, carjacking, robberies, and firearms crimes in Baltimore City.

The indictment, returned on February 11, 2020, was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

“We will not allow armed carjacking and robbery crews to threaten our neighborhoods and victimize our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Having allegedly used guns to bring fear and death to our streets, these defendants now face the prospect of years in federal prison.  Police officers, federal agents, and state and federal prosecutors are united and determined to bring such violent offenders to justice together.”

“Citizens of Baltimore City deserve to feel that they can drive down this city’s streets and stand in their front yard without fear of gun violence or death,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones.  “We are proud of the partnerships we have with both prosecutors and law enforcement that allows ATF Special Agents and Baltimore Police Task Force Officers to get violent offenders, especially those who use firearms to commit their crimes, off the street and brought to justice.”

“The Baltimore Police Department has a deep appreciation for the dedicated work of our federal partners for indicting the people responsible for these heinous crimes,” said Commissioner Michael Harrison. “We are extremely grateful for this partnership that brought this case to closure and ensuring that justice will be served.  We will continue to work side-by-side with all of our law enforcement partners in identifying and apprehending repeat violent offenders and taking them off the streets of Baltimore.”   

“This federal indictment sends a loud and clear message to anyone who wishes to foster an atmosphere of fear within our neighborhoods,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.  “This sort of reckless violence will not be tolerated by the community, law enforcement, nor my office.  I applaud the work and ongoing partnership between my office and our federal partners. Collaboration and partnership like this is key to tackling the violence in our city to achieve the progress that we seek and that our city and state deserve.”

According to the indictment, Karon Foster and Rashaud Nesmith were part of a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence, including murders, attempted murders, robberies, carjackings, and using firearms during those acts of violence.  The purpose of this was to intimidate others who would interfere with their enterprise and that they sought to gain a certain status in the community and on social media platforms, as well as generating profits for themselves.

It is specifically alleged that between April 19, 2019 and August 8, 2019, members of the conspiracy committed six armed carjackings and four armed robberies in Baltimore City.  During the armed carjacking on June 12, 2019, one victim was murdered by Foster and others.  The armed robberies on July 23, 2019 and August 1, 2019 resulted in the murder of two victims by Foster, Nesmith, and others.  Additionally, an armed robbery by Foster and Nesmith on August 8, 2019 resulted in a non-fatal shooting of the victim. Jamai Wells and Daniel Williams are alleged to have participated with Foster and others in at least one armed carjacking.

Charges for each defendant include:

•           Karon Foster – Conspiracy to Participate in Racketeering Activity; Carjacking Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Use and Carry a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; three counts of Carjacking; three counts of Use, Carry, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Carjacking Resulting in Death; and Use, Carry, and Discharge a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence

•           Rashaud Nesmith - Conspiracy to Participate in Racketeering Activity; Carjacking Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Use and Carry a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Carjacking; and Use, Carry, and Brandish a Firearm During and Relation to a Crime of Violence

•           Jamai Wells - Carjacking Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Use and Carry a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Carjacking; Use, Carry, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

•           Daniel Williams - Carjacking Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Use and Carry a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Carjacking; and Use, Carry, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence

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 also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.  

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work during the state prosecution phase. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Cecil Bank, Mary Beyer Halsey, age 59, of Rising Sun, Maryland, on the federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, receipt of a bribe by a bank official, false statement in bank records, and false statement to a bank examiner, in connection with an alleged straw purchase of a home in Rising Sun, Maryland, upon which Cecil Bank had foreclosed.  The indictment was returned on February 13, 2020, and was unsealed at her initial appearance today.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Mark P. Higgins of Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC/OIG); Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA/OIG).

“TARP bailed out banks to stabilize financial institutions, and SIGTARP is charged with investigating fraud in banks while the bank was in TARP,” said Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero.  “Bankers that break the law to personally enrich themselves will be investigated, caught, and prosecuted.  I thank U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur and his team for standing with SIGTARP in the fight against TARP-related crime.”

Cecil Bank, located in Elkton, Maryland, had received $11,560,000 in federal taxpayer funds in 2008, under the Capital Purchase Program, as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.  On April 20, 2011, Cecil Bank initiated the foreclosure of a single-family house located at 127 Ebenezer Church Road in Rising Sun.  Later that year, Cecil Bank ordered an exterior-only appraisal of the property the showed a market value of $263,000.  On September 10, 2012, Cecil Bank ordered a full appraisal of the property that showed a market value of $295,000.

According to the six-count indictment, from 2012 to 2013, Halsey conspired with Daniel Whitehurst, an employee of a real estate development company that did business in Maryland, to defraud Cecil Bank and another bank to purchase a home through false pretenses, representations and promises.  Specifically, the indictment alleges that Halsey agreed to help Whitehurst to obtain a $650,000 line of credit from Cecil Bank, in exchange for Whitehurst agreeing to serve as the straw purchaser of 127 Ebenezer on behalf of Halsey.

The indictment alleges: that Halsey provided Whitehurst with her personal e-mail address, so that they could communicate about the plans to purchase 127 Ebenezer; Halsey and Whitehurst understated the physical condition of the property; and that they used inappropriate residential properties as comparables to justify the sale price of $150,000 for the property, which was less than its fair market value.  Halsey sought authorization from Cecil Bank’s Board of Directors to sell 127 Ebenezer to Whitehurst, but allegedly did not disclose her personal interest in the property, nor Whitehurst’s role as her nominee to acquire the property on her behalf.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that on March 28, 2012, Halsey and Whitehurst met at a restaurant in Cecil County and Halsey agreed to review Whitehurst’s request for a $650,000 personal line of credit from Cecil Bank in return for Whitehurst agreeing to secretly buy 127 Ebenezer on Halsey’s behalf.  On May 9, 2012, the indictment alleges that Halsey participated in a loan committee meeting at Cecil Bank that considered and approved a $650,000 line for credit for Whitehurst. 

As detailed in the indictment, on May 23, 2012, Whitehurst e-mailed Cecil Bank his offer to purchase 127 Ebenezer for $145,000, which has previously been approved by Halsey.  On the same day, during a meeting of the Cecil Bank Board of Directors, Halsey advised the Board that Whitehurst had made a purchase offer of $140,000 for 127 Ebenezer, $5,000 less the actual offer, and further noted that the property had “structural deficiencies and will require significant repairs.” The Board authorized Halsey to “negotiate the best price.”  Thereafter, Whitehurst submitted a contract for him to purchase 127 Ebenezer from Cecil Bank for $150,000, which Halsey signed on August 17, 2012 on behalf of Cecil Bank.

According to the indictment, in October 2012, Whitehurst applied for and obtained a $100,000 loan from another bank to purchase 127 Ebenezer, fraudulently claiming that he was purchasing the property for himself.  The indictment alleges that Halsey subsequently wired $75,000 to Whitehurst’s bank account prior to the settlement of 127 Ebenezer to cover the cost of the down payment as well as closing costs and upgrades to the property that Halsey directed Whitehurst to arrange.  On November 21, 2012, the settlement of 127 Ebenezer was held with Halsey representing Cecil Bank as the seller, and Whitehurst as the purported purchaser, selling the property to Whitehurst for $150,000.  In December 2012, in response to a question from a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond inquiring about the sale of the property to Whitehurst, Halsey falsely stated that she was “not totally familiar with [that] property” and that the bank had difficulty marketing the property and had not listed it with a realtor because of “issues with the county over the bonds outstanding.”

Finally, the indictment alleges that Halsey and Whitehurst exchanged e-mails concerning money Halsey owed Whitehurst for improving and maintaining 127 Ebenezer, including the monthly mortgage payment and loan fees on the $100,000 loan he had secured from Rosedale Federal to purchase the property for Halsey.  Halsey allegedly issued three checks to Whitehurst totaling $60,000 in response to Whitehurst’s request.

If convicted, Halsey faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each offense (all 6 counts have maximum sentence of 30 years): 1 Count of Conspiracy to commit bank fraud; 2 Counts of Bank Fraud; 1 Count of Receipt of Bribe by Bank Official; 1 Count of False Statement in Records; and 1 Count of False Statement to a Bank Examiner.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  At today’s initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas DiGirolamo ordered that Halsey be released pending trial 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. 

Daniel Whitehurst, age 35, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty under seal to mail fraud on April 6, 2018.  His guilty plea was also unsealed today.  Whitehurst faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has not scheduled a date for sentencing.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FHFA-OIG, Mid-Atlantic Region; FDIC/OIG; SIGTARP; and SBA/OIG for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting the case.

###

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced MS-13 gang members, Francisco Ramirez Pena, a/k/a Tepo and Advertencia, age 25, of Edgewater, Maryland, and Edwin Ruiz Urrutia, a/k/a Sylvestre, age 21, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 25 years each in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on a federal racketeering charge related to their participation in a violent racketeering conspiracy, specifically MS-13, including a murder.  An MS-13 associate, Darvin Guerra Zacarias, a/k/a Chapin, age 27, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the conspiracy to murder Victim 18. Ruiz Urrutia and Guerra Zacarias were sentenced today and Ramirez Pena was sentenced yesterday.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Chief Edward G. Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“Federal, state, and local law enforcement will use all the tools at our disposal to arrest and prosecute MS-13 gang members who prey on our neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We will not rest until we dismantle this organization and remove the criminals who terrorize our communities—including the Central American immigrant communities in Maryland.  I urge anyone with information about MS-13’s criminal activities to call federal law enforcement.  You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 or HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.”

“These sentences show that a membership in MS-13 usually ends where it should - behind bars for decades in a federal prison,” said Jennifer Boone, special agent in charge of the Baltimore Division of the FBI.  “At the FBI, we are committed to staying in the fight until this plague is purged from our communities.” 

“HSI is committed to investigating and disrupting the violence MS-13 perpetrates in our communities,” said John Eisert, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Baltimore. 

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other Central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  From at least January 2017, Ramirez Pena, Ruiz Urrutia, and Guerra Zacarias were members and associates of the Fulton Locotes Salvatrucha clique of MS-13.

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

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

According to their plea agreements, Ramirez Pena, Ruiz Urrutia, and Guerra Zacarias conspired with other MS-13 members and associates to engage in racketeering activity, including a murder, conspiracies to commit murder, extortion, and drug trafficking, in order to further the interests of the gang.

Murder in Crownsville.  In June 2017, MS-13 gang members believed that Victim 18 was an associate of the rival 18th Street gang.  Guerra-Zacarias was present when gang members, including Ramirez Pena and Ruiz Urrutia, were talking about how to lure out Victim 18 in order to murder her.  On the day of the murder, Guerra-Zacarias picked up MS-13 gang members, along with a female associate of the gang who was supposed to lure out Victim 18, and drove them to meet with Victim 18.  The female got Victim 18 to enter Guerra-Zacarias’s car, at which point they drove to another location where Ramirez Pena and other MS-13 gang members entered the car and subdued Victim 18.  Guerra-Zacarias then drove them all to a secluded area in Crownsville, Maryland, where other gang members, including Ruiz Urrutia had dug a grave and gathered weapons.  Guerra-Zacarias dropped Victim 18 and the gang members off, then he and the female co-conspirator left. Victim 18 started screaming and gang members subdued her by choking her.  Ramirez Pena, Ruiz Urrutia and other MS-13 gang members then dragged her to the site of the grave and all present attacked her with a machete and knives until she was dead.  Victim 18’s body was then dismembered and buried in the grave.   

In September 2017, investigators recovered Victim 18’s body from a clandestine grave in Crownsville, Maryland.  The medical examiner found that the cause of death was homicide.  The victim had suffered numerous blunt and sharp force traumas, her head had been severed, and her body cut into several pieces.     

The murder of Victim 18 was intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13 and allow members to maintain or increase their status within the gang.

Drug Distribution.  As stated in their plea agreements, members of the Fulton clique, including Ramirez Pena and Ruiz Urrutia, also conspired to distribute marijuana.  As a part of that conspiracy, gang members would obtain bulk quantities of marijuana and then break it up for distribution.  At least a portion of the proceeds from the drug sales would go to the gang to further its objectives.  It was reasonably foreseeable to the defendants that the conspiracy would distribute at least five kilograms of marijuana.

A total of 29 defendants have been charged in this case with participating in a racketeering conspiracy and/or other crimes related to their association with MS-13, including 18 defendants charged in the fifth superseding indictment filed on October 21, 2019.  A total of 13 defendants have pleaded guilty to crimes related to their participation in MS-13 gang activities.

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

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Joseph Coates, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for an armed commercial robbery in which a firearm was brandished. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; 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.

As detailed in guilty plea, on February 21, 2018, Coates and co-conspirator Jason Walker robbed a restaurant in the 2200 block of Wilkins Avenue in Baltimore.  Coates admitted that during the robbery, Walker pointed a handgun at one of the victims, while Coates took all the money from the cash register and tip jar.  In addition, Coates and Walker took the victims’ personal cell phones before fleeing the restaurant.

After receiving a 911 call to report the robbery, a Baltimore Police officer was canvassing the area and saw two men in an alley who matched the description provided by the victims.  The men were standing by a wall counting cash.  Officers detained the men and brought one of the victims to the location.  That person identified Coates as one of the men that had committed the robbery.  Officers arrested and searched Coates and Walker, recovering $272 in cash, a plastic bag full of change, blue bandanas, a black mask, two cellular telephones that belonged to two of the victims of the robbery, and a receipt from the restaurant.  Officers also recovered a fully loaded revolver from the area where Coates and Walker were counting money.  Walker admitted that it was the gun he brandished during the robbery of the restaurant.

Jason Walker, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, was previously sentenced to 121 months in federal prison, for his role in the robbery.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Goldsticker, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced two MS-13 gang members, Jose Alberto Sibrian Garcia, a/k/a Chango, age 28, and Carlos Hernandez Diaz, a/k/a Positivo, age 29, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 27 years each in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on a federal racketeering charge related to their participation in a violent racketeering conspiracy, specifically MS-13, including murders.  Hernandez Diaz was sentenced today and Sibrian Garcia was sentenced yesterday.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Chief Edward G. Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“MS-13 members are committing horrifying acts of violence in Maryland.  We must not allow these criminals to ravage our communities, spreading fear in their wake,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Federal, state, and local law enforcement will use all the tools at our disposal to arrest and prosecute gang members who prey on our neighbors.  We will not rest until we dismantle this organization to make Maryland safer.”

“Today’s sentence takes out a small part of the plague that has spread throughout our communities. And while it means these defendants will be off the streets for decades, our work is not done,” said Jennifer Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI. “Together, working with our civic and community partners, the law enforcement community will be relentless in our pursuit of these gang members until our streets are safe from the scourge of MS-13.”

“MS-13 perpetuates senseless violence in our communities,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge John Eisert. “Through coordination with our local and federal partners, domestically and abroad, we will continue in our mission to disable and dismantle MS-13.”

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other Central American countries.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.  From 2016 and 2017, respectively, Sibrian Garcia and Hernandez Diaz were members and associates of the Fulton Locotes Salvatrucha clique of MS-13.

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

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

According to their plea agreements, Sibrian Garcia and Hernandez Diaz conspired with other MS-13 members and associates to engage in racketeering activity including murders, conspiracies to commit murder, attempted murders, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking, in order to further the interests of the gang.

Attempted Murder in Wheaton Specifically, in July 2016, another MS-13 gang member identified Victim 9 as a suspected rival gang member and directed Sibrian Garcia and other MS-13 members to arrange to lure Victim 9 to a secluded area in Wheaton Park in order to murder him, however, Victim 9 refused to go to the secluded area.  After that, another MS-13 member found Victim 9 on the street and shot him.  Victim 9 survived.

Murder in Wheaton Sibrian Garcia also admitted that in March 2017, he and other MS-13 gang members brought Victim 13 from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton, Maryland, where other MS-13 gang members had dug a grave and gathered weapons.  When Victim 13 arrived, Sibrian Garcia and other MS-13 gang members attacked him with a machete and knives, killing him.  Victim 13’s body was then dismembered and buried in the grave.  In September 2017, investigators recovered Victim 13’s body from the grave in Wheaton.  As detailed in the plea agreement, the medical examiner found that the cause of death was homicide.  The body had suffered numerous blunt and sharp force traumas, the victim’s head had been severed, and his heart had been removed.        

Murder in Frederick As detailed in Hernandez Diaz’s plea agreement, in April 2017, MS-13 gang members found Victim 14 in Silver Spring, Maryland, and called Hernandez Diaz and others to confirm that Victim 14 was a rival gang member.  After receiving confirmation that Victim 14 was a rival gang member, they arranged with other gang members to identify a place in Frederick, Maryland where the victim could be killed and contacted other gang members to arrange to transport Victim 14 to Frederick.  Victim 14 was transported by MS-13 members to Frederick City Watershed off Gambrill Park Road in Frederick, where they had dug a grave and gathered weapons.  When Victim 14 arrived, some gang members hit him with a tree branch and then Hernandez Diaz and other gang members attacked him with a machete and knives until he was dead.  Victim 14’s body was then dismembered and buried in the grave.  Victim 14’s remains were found in June 2017. 

Assaults in Wheaton According to his plea agreement, on June 14, 2017, Sibrian Garcia and other MS-13 gang members were at Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton, Maryland when they saw Victim 15 and Victim 16, who they suspected were rival gang members.  Sibrian Garcia and other gang members found Victims 15 and 16 in a bathroom and forced them out at knife-point.  Sibrian Garcia and the other gang members hit Victims 15 and 16 with branches, fists, and feet and talked about killing them with the knife.  When bystanders approached, Sibrian Garcia and the other gang members ran away.  The victims’ cell phones were stolen.  Both victims were transported to the hospital for their injuries.

The defendants admitted that the murders, attempted murder and assault of these victims was intended to maintain and increase the status of MS-13 and allow members to maintain or increase their status within the gang.

Drug Distribution Finally, as stated in their plea agreements, members of the Fulton clique, including Sibrian Garcia and Hernandez Diaz, also conspired to distribute marijuana.  As a part of that conspiracy, gang members would obtain bulk quantities of marijuana and then break it up for distribution.  At least a portion of the proceeds from the drug sales would go to the gang to further its objectives.  It was reasonably foreseeable to Sibrian Garcia and Hernandez Diaz that the conspiracy would distribute at least five kilograms of marijuana.

A total of 29 defendants have been charged in this case with participating in a racketeering conspiracy and/or other crimes related to their association with MS-13, including 18 defendants charged in the fifth superseding indictment filed on October 21, 2019.  A total of 13 defendants have pleaded guilty to crimes related to their participation in MS-13 gang activities.

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

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Three members of an Eastern Shore drug trafficking organization have been sentenced to federal prison on drug conspiracy charges. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced the three co-defendants to terms of imprisonment ranging from just over five years to just over 11 years. 

Today, James Eley, age 34, of Millsboro, Delaware, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for a drug distribution conspiracy involving heroin and fentanyl.  On February 10, 2020, co-defendant James Martel Frazier, age 34, of Cambridge, was sentenced to 135 months—just over 11 years—in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on the conspiracy charge and a related firearms charge.  On January 15, 2020, co-defendant Jason Brittingham, age 37, of Federalsburg was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in the organization.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; the members of the Dorchester County Narcotics Task Force, including: Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Dorchester County Sheriff James W. Phillips, Jr.; Chief Mark Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department; Chief Bruce Jones of the Hurlock Police Department; Caroline County Sheriff Randy Bounds, Chief Rodney R. Cox of the Denton Police Department, and Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr. of the Delaware State Police.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “All too often, guns and drugs go hand in hand—and both are killers.  We are committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute those who bring these deadly drugs to our communities.  Drug dealers take note, just like these defendants you can face years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.”

“We continue to fight against the devastating impact that opioids have on our community,” said John Eisert, special agent in charge, HSI Baltimore. “This investigation’s success is a direct result of the strong partnership between HSI Baltimore and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.” 

According to their plea agreements, the defendants were all part of narcotics conspiracy that was being investigated by the Dorchester County Narcotics Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations beginning in 2018.  The conspirators were responsible for trafficking significant amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and other drugs in the Delmarva area. 

During the investigation, Frazier was identified as personally distributing significant quantities of drugs, as well as working with his co-defendants and other to facilitate the distribution of drugs on behalf of the conspiracy.  For his part, Brittingham helped store and distribute drugs on behalf of the organization, maintaining a “stash house” in Federalsburg, Maryland.  According to his plea agreement, Brittingham delivered heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine from the stash house to other locations and to customers.

Eley was arrested in conjunction with a traffic stop conducted by the Delaware State Police on December 13, 2018.  A subsequent search of Eley’s vehicle revealed 10 cardboard boxes stamped with a red apple logo.  Inside each box were bundles of branded waxed-paper folds, each containing a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.  In total, the boxes contained 7,800 paper folds stamped and branded for distribution.  The total weight of the fentanyl/heroin mixture in the folds was approximately 130 grams.

On February 23, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at locations associated with Frazier and Brittingham in Maryland and Delaware.  In total, law enforcement recovered over 250 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, much of it packaged in individual waxed folds branded with words and/or images; over 250 grams of crack cocaine; over 400 grams of methamphetamine; and over a kilogram of cocaine.  In addition, law enforcement recovered four firearms from residences associated with Frazier, including a .357-caliber pistol and a .40-caliber pistol at a residence where Frazier kept drugs, and over $40,000 in cash.  Frazier admitted that those firearms were used in furtherance of the conspiracy’s drug trafficking.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, the Cambridge Police Department, the Hurlock Police Department, the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, the Denton Police Department, and the Delaware State Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Charles Gilliam, Jr., a/k/a “Big Head Charlie,” “Big C,” and “Chuck,” age 51, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 210 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

“Charles Gilliam led a drug organization that also used guns and violence as part of their business model,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We will not tolerate those who bring death through drugs and gun violence to our neighborhoods. Gilliam now faces more than 17 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove those who would commit violence from our community. ”

According to his guilty plea, Gilliam was the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy which operated an open-air drug market near the 600 block of Glenwood Avenue in the Woodbourne-McCabe neighborhood of Baltimore, where they sold the organization's signature orange-top vials of crack cocaine.  The organization also distributed crack cocaine and heroin at other locations in Baltimore.  The members of the organization purchased cocaine and heroin, then used residences in and around North Baltimore to cut, package, and store the narcotics, as well as to convert the powder cocaine to crack by cooking it in the stash houses.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Gilliam was responsible for distributing wholesale quantities of heroin on behalf of the organization.  Gilliam and other members of the conspiracy sold large quantities of heroin, and used stash houses to process and repackage these narcotics for distribution.  On several occasions, Gilliam was recorded on video in a stash house, engaging in drug trafficking activities, including mixing heroin with cutting agents and packaging heroin for distribution. 

On August 22, 2016, Gilliam was recorded on video in the stash house preparing heroin with co-conspirator Theodore Smith.  During the recording, Gilliam discussed the organization’s sales of crack cocaine at the street shop and provided advice to Smith about how Smith could increase street sales of crack cocaine.  Smith’s responsibilities in the organization included overseeing and managing the distribution of crack cocaine on the streets, collecting proceeds from sales, making sure the organization had a sufficient supply of cocaine, and cooking cocaine into crack cocaine.

Some members of the conspiracy committed acts of violence in furtherance of the organization's activities and routinely carried firearms. In an attempt to avoid detection, Gilliam and his co-conspirators frequently changed phones and conducted counter surveillance of law enforcement. The proceeds from the sale of the narcotics were used to expand the drug operation and to pay for legal counsel for other members who were arrested for trafficking narcotics.

Twelve members of the conspiracy were convicted in this case, including Gilliam and Theodore Smith, a/k/a “40 Money,” age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, who was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.  The remaining defendants received sentences ranging from 50 months in federal prison to 14 years in federal prison.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Hines and Leo Wise, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted 15 defendants on federal racketeering and drug conspiracy charges at the Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI), including correctional officers, inmates, and outside “facilitators,” for allegedly paying bribes to correctional officers to smuggle contraband, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison.  The indictment was returned on February 5, 2020, and made public today upon the arrest of 11 of the defendants.  Three of the defendants were arrested earlier this week.  Law enforcement is still seeking outside facilitator, Trinesse Butts.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Robert Green, of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

“Corrupt correctional officers endanger the lives of their co-workers and of the inmates entrusted to their care and supervision,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “They also endanger the entire community, as prisoners can use contraband cell phones to direct criminal activity outside prison walls.  The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out prison corruption and prosecute correctional officers who abuse their positions of trust to facilitate and engage in criminal behavior.”

“The public expects its correctional officers to guard the wall that divides those who are in prison from the community. But the allegations in the indictment show that the defendants were nothing more than corrupt gatekeepers -- allowing the free flow of criminal activity in and out of the prison,”  said Jennifer Boone, Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office of the FBI.  “Today’s charges show that no one in a position of public trust who carries out a criminal conspiracy is beyond the reach of the dedicated agents, officers and detectives from Maryland’s law enforcement agencies.”  

“Nothing matters more than the safety of our citizens, our correctional employees, and the inmates in our custody," said DPSCS Secretary Robert L. Green. "We have worked diligently on this case from the moment we learned of the potential security compromise. And, we'll continue to work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners to maintain secure facilities for our employees and the inmates in our care.”

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

The two-count indictment alleges that from at least 2017 until the present, the COs, inmates, and outside facilitators conspired to smuggle contraband into JCI, including narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, and cell phones, in order to enrich themselves and protect and expand their criminal operation.  According to the indictment, defendant COs accepted or agreed to accept payments from facilitators and/or inmates or engaged in sexual relations with inmates as consideration for smuggling contraband into JCI.  Inmates allegedly acted as both wholesalers and retailers of contraband and in the process made profits that far exceeded the profits that could be made by selling similar drugs on the street.  For example, conspirator inmates could purchase Suboxone strips for approximately $3 each and sell them inside JCI for approximately $50 each, or for a profit of more than 1,000 percent. 

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to smuggle and traffic in narcotics within JCI, including MDMA (commonly referred to as “molly” or ecstasy), buprenorphine (commonly referred to as “Suboxone,” a prescription opioid used to treat heroin addiction), and synthetic cannabinoids (otherwise known as “K2”), as well as other contraband, including cell phones, alcohol, and tobacco.  

According to the indictment, although COs were required to pass through security screening at the entrance to JCI, the COs were able to hide contraband on their persons.  Once the COs had the smuggled contraband inside the facility, they allegedly delivered it to inmates in the kitchens and in bathrooms or closets near where inmates and staff interacted, among other locations.  The indictment alleges that defendant inmates who had jobs that allowed them to move throughout the prison took orders for contraband from inmates and delivered contraband to inmates.  Further, the indictment alleges that defendant COs had sexual relationships with inmates and exchanged sex for contraband.  In addition, these sexual relationships allegedly facilitated smuggling and trafficking relationships between COs and inmates.

According to the indictment, inmates and facilitators paid COs for smuggled contraband in cash, as well as using Cash App, Green Dot cards, and other forms of electronic payments.  Inmate defendants were able to use contraband cell phones or the jail call system to direct outside facilitators to pay corrupt COs directly using the Cash App from within JCI.  Inmate defendants also received payments from inmates for contraband through Green Dot and other forms of electronic payments, often with the assistance of facilitators.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy and 20 years in prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  The arrested defendants will have initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today.

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

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Burden H. Walker and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting this case.

JCI Indictment Defendants

Correctional Officers:       Dominique Booker, Correctional Officer, age 43, of Baltimore;          Chanel Pierce, Correctional Dietary Officer, age 27, of Pikesville, Maryland.   

Inmates:       Page Boyd, age 35;       William Cox, a/k/a Dollar, age 43;       Kenneth Fonseca, a/k/a Bean, age 36;       Marshall Hill, a/k/a Boosie, age 28;          Vernard Majette, a/k/a Nard, age 38; and
      Darnell Smith, a/k/a Hook, age 39.

Facilitators:       Chaz Chriscoe, a/k/a Cheese, age 39, of Owings Mills, Maryland;       Vonda Bolden, age 55, of Baltimore;       Latina Braxton, age 34, of Baltimore;       Trinesse Butts, age 36, of Parkville, Maryland;       Sataya Hall, a/k/a Tia, age 37, of Baltimore;       Laurice Norfleet, age 41, of Taneytown, Maryland; and
      Samantha Washington, a/k/a Pinky, age 28, of Baltimore.

# # #                           

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Demetrios Stavrakis, a/k/a Jimmy, age 54, of Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for an arson conspiracy to damage his business by setting it on fire in order to obtain insurance proceeds.  Judge Hollander also ordered that Stavrakis forfeit $15,081,435.  The federal jury returned the guilty verdict late on October 28, 2019.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “The evidence proved that ‘Jimmy’ Stavrakis conspired to burn down his business in order to defraud his insurance company of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds.  Now he will serve 15 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Criminals who commit arson to obtain insurance proceeds jeopardize their community and first responders, and must be held accountable.”

According to evidence presented at his 7-week trial, beginning in July 2015, Stavrakis made a plan to set fire to commercial property he owned at 234 S. Haven Street in Baltimore, in order to collect insurance proceeds on the property.  The building housed Adcor Industries, Inc., a manufacturing shop owned by Stavrakis since 1991, as well as Adcor Beverage, LLC and other LLC’s owned and created by Stavrakis.  

Testimony at trial revealed that by 2010, Adcor’s business experienced a downturn due to the loss of a contract with Colt Industries.  From 2011 to 2015, Stavrakis’s businesses defaulted on various loans, struggled to pay suppliers resulting in legal action, and sold off profitable divisions of the business to satisfy defaulted loans.  In 2014, Adcor incurred an operating loss of $2,053,427 and its liabilities exceeded its assets by almost $900,000.  Financial records showed that during 2014, Stavrakis liquidated personal assets and injected the proceeds into Adcor to utilize as working capital.  A public accounting firm hired by Adcor to review its financial condition reported to Stavrakis that the balance of cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2014 was inadequate to fund operations through December 31, 2015.  More losses followed, and Adcor was again in default on a line of credit and their monthly operating losses put them on pace to lose approximately $2.9 million for the year.

The evidence proved that on July 28, 2015, just before 6 p.m., Stavrakis used adhesive tape to defeat one of the security features on the front door of the building so that the person or persons setting the fire could enter the building.

According to the trial evidence, at 12:25 a.m. on July 29, 2015, someone disarmed the alarm inside the building by entering the four-digit code.  At 12:33 a.m., an alarm in another part of the building was disarmed.  At approximately 1:30 a.m., the fire was reported to law enforcement by a passerby who saw smoke emanating from the building.  The Baltimore Fire Department responded to extinguish the blaze.  The fire destroyed an office on the shop floor of the building and damaged a portion of the ceiling directly above the office area.  Later on July 29, 2015, Stavrakis contacted a public adjuster firm that his company had previously retained to notify them of the fire and to request their assistance in filing claims with the insurance company. 

Trial evidence proved that from July 29, 2015 through August 5, 2016, the adjusters, acting on behalf of Stavrakis and his companies, submitted insurance claims totaling more than $21 million.  The insurance company paid a total of approximately $15,081,435.  Of that amount, approximately $7.5 million was used to purchase new machinery, purchase parts inventory, restore the building, and for other business expenses.  In addition, insurance proceeds were transferred or used for other expenses, including $600,000 which was transferred to an account in the name of Stavrakis’s wife, after which additional monthly payments of approximately $6,000 followed; approximately $98,499.20 used to purchase a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL 550, titled and registered to Stavrakis; approximately $52,890.55 used to purchase a BMW titled and registered in the name of Stavrakis’s wife; approximately $25,500 used to purchase a 2016 Harley-Davidson Street Glide motorcycle; and approximately $35,087 in watches and jewelry.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judson T. Mihok and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case.

 # # #

Baltimore, Maryland – The Justice Department yesterday announced that it has filed suit against local jurisdictions in the states of California and New Jersey, and King County, Washington, for implementing policies that it alleges violates the “Supremacy Clause” of the Constitution, which provides that the laws of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land.  The Constitution vests the federal government with the sole authority to make and enforce immigration law.  The jurisdictions sued by the Justice Department have passed laws or implemented policies that impede the Department of Homeland Security from deporting or detaining aliens, or from accessing information in state databases.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland supports efforts to prosecute those who commit federal crimes, regardless of their immigration status.

Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Detainers—official requests to hold an inmate pending federal action—are issued every day by federal law enforcement agencies for individuals charged with, or suspected of committing, federal crimes and violations.  When detainers are not honored, the justice system cannot work, and inmates are released into the community where they are free to commit crime, victims are denied the right to justice, and law enforcement officers, who must find and rearrest the suspect, are endangered.  Our immigration laws are part of our justice system.  Failing to honor immigration detainers—at the very least wastes limited law enforcement resources—and worse, can lead to tragic outcomes for law enforcement and victims.  All jurisdictions must uphold the rule of law in order for our system of justice to work.”

Individuals who are suspected of committing federal crimes and violations have certain rights under the Constitution, including individuals brought into federal custody after having a detainer lodged against them. 

Jurisdictions that fail to honor detainers impede the administration of justice.  While cooperation among law enforcement agencies in Maryland is generally excellent, there are some instances where local jurisdictions failed to honor federal detainers, sometimes with tragic consequences.  Josue Rafael Fuentes-Ponce and Joel Ernesto Escobar, two Salvadoran national underage teenagers, were arrested in May 2018 and charged in Prince George’s County with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, participation in gang activity, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted robbery, and other charges.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged immigration detainers with the Prince George’s County Detention Center for both individuals.  Both Fuentes-Ponce and Escobar were released following the conclusion of that case, without the ICE detainer being honored and without any notification provided to ICE.  According to court documents, in May 2019, Fuentes-Ponce and Escobar were again arrested and charged with the MS-13-related murder of a 14-year-old girl.

In another Prince George’s County case, on February 18, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer with the Prince George’s County Detention Center for Guatemalan national Juan Vincente Gomez-Quintana, who was in the United States illegally, after his arrest on local charges.  Gomez-Quintana is a previously convicted felon who had been deported, with prior criminal convictions for identity theft, fraud, multiple DUIs, and trespassing.  ICE also notified the county of an outstanding federal criminal arrest warrant for illegal reentry issued by the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. On May 8, 2019, Prince George’s County released Gomez without honoring the detainer or the federal criminal arrest warrant.  Gomez is still being sought by law enforcement.

On March 26, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Carlos Manuel Murcia-Brizuela, a Salvadoran national in Manassas, Virginia. as a previously deported criminal alien.  On April 9, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a criminal arrest warrant for Murcia on the federal charge of illegal reentry.  On April 11, 2019, Murcia was turned over to the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department pending extradition to Montgomery County, Maryland, due to an outstanding criminal warrant issued by Montgomery County Circuit Court for felony rape and third-degree sex assault.  In addition to notifying Montgomery County of the outstanding federal criminal arrest warrant, an immigration detainer was also placed on Murcia.  Unfortunately, a sexual predator is now free, since neither the federal criminal arrest warrant nor the immigration detainer was honored by Montgomery County, and Murcia was released on July 12, 2019.  Murcia is still being sought by law enforcement.  Some of Murcia’s previous convictions include felony DUI causing injury, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, and a misdemeanor conviction for cruelty towards animals. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland values its relationship with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and we will continue to work with them to arrest and prosecute violent criminals—regardless of immigration status—and remove them from our communities.

The Attorney General’s remarks are available here.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Warren Louis Taylor, Jr., age 48, of Suitland, Maryland, to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  The sentence was imposed on February 10, 2020. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Tim Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to Taylor’s guilty plea, on February 21, 2019, officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department were patrolling the area of an apartment complex in District Heights, Maryland, when they got out of their cars to investigate a strong odor of fresh and burnt marijuana.  They saw two individuals in the back seat of a black Nissan Pathfinder and a cloud of smoke inside the vehicle.  Taylor was seated behind the driver’s seat and a female was seated behind the front passenger’s seat.  As the officers spoke with Taylor, they saw several marijuana cigarettes and loose marijuana and conducted a search of the vehicle.  The officers located a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with seven rounds of .40-caliber ammunition, underneath the driver’s seat, directly in front of where Taylor was sitting.  They also recovered approximately 198 grams of marijuana, $5,755 in cash, and drug distribution paraphernalia.

Taylor admitted that the firearm, drugs and cash belonged to him and that he planned to distribute the marijuana.  Further, Taylor knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as a result of a previous felony drug conviction.

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 also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.        

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Collins and Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced MS-13 gang member Carlos Alas Brizuela, a/k/a “Truco” and “Stewie,” age 29, to 32 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on a federal racketeering charge related to his participation in a violent racketeering conspiracy, specifically MS-13, including two murders, two attempted murders, and a kidnapping.

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

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Chief Edward G. Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

“Brizuela and his fellow MS-13 members committed a horrifying series of violent acts, ravaging communities throughout Maryland,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Brizuela will now serve 32 years in federal prison, where there is no parole - ever.  Federal, state, and local law enforcement will use all the tools at our disposal to arrest and prosecute gang members who prey on our neighbors.  We will not rest until we dismantle this organization to make Maryland safer.”

“The defendant and his conspirators committed numerous criminal violations to include extortion, kidnapping and murder.  This prosecution exemplifies the ruthless violence committed by MS-13 gang members, which threatens the stability and safety of our communities,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone. “While today’s sentence will not bring back those who had their lives taken from them, we hope it provides justice to the victims and their families and shows the FBI’s commitment to continue to work with our law enforcement partners and  be uncompromising in our pursuit to bring these violent criminals to justice.”

“The violence and fear MS-13 inflicts upon the community is unacceptable,” said John Eisert, special agent in charge for HSI Baltimore. “HSI will continue to work towards safer streets through collaboration with our law enforcement partners to combat and dismantle criminal gangs like MS-13.”

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

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

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

According to Brizuela’s plea agreement, beginning in 2015 Brizuela conspired with other MS-13 members and associates to engage in racketeering activity including murders, conspiracies to commit murder, attempted murders, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking, in order to further the interests of the gang.

Specifically, on April 7, 2015, MS-13 members and associates murdered Victim 1, whom they believed to be a rival gang member, with Brizuela’s knowledge and permission.  MS-13 members identified Victim 1 at a restaurant in Frederick, Maryland, then called Brizuela to inform him that they had a potential victim.  Brizuela contacted other gang leaders to get approval to kill Victim 1 and arranged for another gang member to participate in the murder of Victim 1.  MS-13 members lured Victim 1 to a wooded area in Frederick, where they disabled Victim 1 by hitting him in the head with a rock, then struck him repeatedly with a machete and a knife until he was dead.  During the course of the attack, they contacted Brizuela on the phone to confirm that they should complete the murder of Victim 1 and Brizuela confirmed that they should kill Victim 1.  The next day, MS-13 members buried Victim 1 in the woods near the site of the murder, where his body was ultimately recovered.  

Brizuela admitted that on May 10, 2015, he and other MS-13 members kidnapped Victim 2, who had stopped making his required extortion payments to the gang.  Brizuela and the other MS-13 members forced Victim 2 into a car at gunpoint and took him to a wooded area.  Although the plan was to kill Victim 2, Brizuela and other gang members got approval from gang leadership to let Victim 2 live, after he agreed to pay the gang immediately.

In August 2015, MS-13 members and associates sought—and received—the approval of Brizuela and other gang leadership to murder Victim 3, whom they believed to be a rival gang member.  On August 28, 2015, after previously conducting surveillance of the residence where Victim 3 lived with his girlfriend, Victim 4, the MS-13 members and associates entered the apartment and waited there for the victims to return.  After the victims returned to the apartment, three gang members attacked Victim 3 with machetes and knives while restraining and assaulting Victim 4.  Although both victims survived, the attack on Victim 3 left him with both hands nearly severed, and severe wounds to his face and torso.  He still has no use of one hand and limited use of the other.  Following the attempted murder, gang members contacted Brizuela and others to report that Victim 3 had been killed.  

Finally, Brizuela admitted that on August 31, 2015, he and other MS-13 members and associates murdered Victim 5, whom they believed to be a rival gang member.  On that day, Brizuela and other MS-13 gang members were drinking in Wheaton and went to Dunkin Donuts where they saw Victim 5, who was wearing Nike Cortez sneakers.  According to MS-13 rules, Nike Cortez sneakers were only to be worn by gang members.  Brizuela said that he had previously warned Victim 5 about wearing those sneakers.  Victim 5 spit on one of the MS-13 gang members as they walked by, who then punched him in the mouth.  Victim 5 threw a beer on Brizuela and ran.  Brizuela and another gang member chased Victim 5 and stabbed him to death.  Following the homicide, Brizuela and others reported to gang leadership that they had killed a rival gang member.   

A total of 29 defendants have been charged in this case with participating in a racketeering conspiracy and/or other crimes related to their association with MS-13, including 18 defendants charged in the fifth superseding indictment filed on October 21, 2019.  A total of 13 defendants, including Brizuela, have pleaded guilty to crimes related to their participation in MS-13 gang activities.

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

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Darryl Albert Varnum, age 43, of Westminster, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to the federal charge of making a threatening communication, specifically to threatening a member of Congress.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Chief Steven A. Sund of the U.S. Capitol Police.

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur stated, “We take violent threats extremely seriously.  The investigation began immediately upon learning of the threats.  Mr. Varnum was arrested on July 8th and subsequently indicted.”

According to his plea agreement, on June 26, 2019, Varnum called the office of a member of Congress which was located in Florida and left a voicemail message in which he threatened to murder the member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who supported legislation that Varnum opposed.

Varnum faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Capitol Police for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced former Baltimore Police Detective Carmine Vignola, age 35, of Thurmont, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for making false statements to the grand jury, in connection with the planting of evidence at a crime scene.  

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.

“Prosecuting criminals who work in police agencies is essential both to protect our communities and to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.

“The public deserves law enforcement officers committed to serve and protect with honesty and integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone.  “This individual and his conspirators violated their sworn duties to uphold the law, abusing their positions of trust.  Together with our law enforcement partners, FBI Baltimore will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who violate the laws they have sworn to uphold.”

Carmine Vignola joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) as an officer on September 4, 2007, and was promoted to Detective on March 20, 2014.  In March 2014, Vignola served on a Special Enforcement Section (SES) unit assigned to BPD’s Western District.  Officer 2 was Vignola’s partner and Sergeant Keith Gladstone was the officer-in-charge.

According his plea agreement, on the evening of March 26, 2014, Vignola, who was on duty, was having dinner with Gladstone when Gladstone received a call on his cell phone from W.J., who had just run over an arrestee, D.S., in the front yard of a home in Northeast Baltimore.  Gladstone asked Vignola if he had a BB gun.  Vignola advised that he did not and Gladstone asked Vignola to call his partner to ask him if he had a BB gun. Vignola then called Officer 2, who was not working that day, and learned that Officer 2 had a BB gun at his home.  Gladstone and Vignola drove to Officer 2’s home and retrieved the BB gun.  Vignola and Gladstone then drove to the site of D.S.’s arrest on Anntana Avenue and Belair Road in Northeast Baltimore City.  Vignola understood that Gladstone had retrieved the BB gun so that Gladstone could plant it at the scene of D.S.’s arrest in an attempt to justify W.J. running D.S. over.  Once there, Gladstone exited the vehicle and headed toward the scene.  Vignola exited the vehicle but remained near it.  Gladstone subsequently returned to the car, without the BB gun, and he and Vignola left the scene. 

D.S. was subsequently charged in Maryland state court with possession, use, and discharge of a gas or pellet gun, for the BB gun that Gladstone planted at the scene of D.S.’s arrest, and a number of drug offenses.  D.S. was detained on those charges until at least April 2, 2014.  On January 16, 2015, the charges were disposed of by nolle prosequi, which is a form of dismissal.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 1, 2017, W.J. and six other officers who had been members of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force (“GTTF”) were arrested on federal racketeering charges.  Thereafter, it became public that multiple GTTF defendants were cooperating and providing information to the United States in an ongoing investigation. 

In January 2018, Vignola and Gladstone arranged to meet in person.  In order to avoid detection, they arranged the meeting using their wives’ cell phones.  Gladstone arranged for the meeting to take place in a swimming pool, to ensure that Vignola was not wearing a recording device.  Once Gladstone and Vignola were in the swimming pool, Vignola asked Gladstone words to the effect of, “do you have anything to worry about now, you know, since [W.J.] was arrested, do you have any concerns?” Gladstone responded that the only thing he was worried about was the incident on “Bel Air Road,” which was a reference to the arrest of D.S.  Gladstone told Vignola that if he was brought in for questioning by federal law enforcement or prosecutors who had investigated the GTTF, that Vignola should lie about being at the scene and about obtaining the BB gun from Officer 2.  Specifically, Gladstone said to tell investigators that he and Gladstone were there for “scene assessment” and that Gladstone had taken the gun from his, Gladstone’s, trunk.  Vignola knew that neither of those statements were true because they had not provided any scene assessment and Gladstone and Vignola had obtained the BB gun from Officer 2.  

On February 13, 2019, Vignola testified before a federal grand jury in Baltimore that was investigating allegations that the BB gun recovered at the scene of D.S.’s arrest had been planted there by law enforcement.  Vignola falsely testified that at Gladstone’s request he called his partner to see if he had a BB gun, but his partner did not, and that after that Gladstone went into the trunk of his vehicle.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Joseph Kukta, age 43, of Laurel, Delaware, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and tax evasion, in connection with his theft and resale of merchandise being shipped through a commercial mail service. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.

According to his plea agreement, from 2007 through July 30, 2019, Kukta worked as a Senior Manager at the FedEx facility located in Seaford, Delaware.  The facility handled all the FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery packages passing through the Delmarva Peninsula.  As the most senior employee at the facility, Kukta oversaw all operational aspects of the facility and supervised over 100 employees and contractors, earning an annual salary of more than $92,000.

Kukta admitted that beginning in 2009 and continuing until June 2019, he stole packages shipped via FedEx and resold the items to Person A, currently living in Colorado, at approximately 50% of the item’s retail price.  Kukta then transported the stolen items, using his vehicles and trailers, to Person B who resided in Maryland.  Person B is Person A’s father.  From 2012 through 2019 Person A made 275 payments to Kukta totaling more than $1.8 million for merchandise worth approximately $3.6 million that was stolen from FedEx.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Kukta stole packages that contained bulk retail goods and merchandise shipped by suppliers including Sony Electronics, Panasonic, Apple and others, intended for delivery to a Walmart Distribution Center in Smyrna, Delaware.  Beginning in 2012, Kukta’s theft of packages became frequent and consistent, occurring on a weekly basis in certain months.  Kukta identified packages he would steal by accessing FedEx computer systems and reviewing packages that had been loaded onto a FedEx trailer awaiting delivery to the Walmart Distribution Center.  Kukta selected specific packages which he believed, based on the shippers of the packages, contained high-end electronics or other merchandise of value that could be easily resold.  In 2018, Kukta began to also steal packages from FedEx trailers that were loaded for delivery to a Nike Store in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Kukta went to the FedEx facility on Sundays, holidays, or other times when employees were not at the facility, and removed the packages he previously identified from the FedEx trailers.  Kukta attempted to avoid detection by turning off the lights at the facility and blocking certain surveillance cameras with cardboard boxes and other objects.  Kukta loaded the stolen packages into his GMC Yukon or into vehicles operated by FedEx contractors and parked at the facility, then drove the vehicles to his rented storage unit in Seaford, where he unloaded and stored the items.

On June 5, 2019, Kukta learned that law enforcement had subpoenaed surveillance footage from the FedEx facility in Seaford.  Approximately two weeks later, Kukta went to the storage unit and retrieved the remaining stolen items.  Kukta sold that merchandise at an auction house in Lincoln, Delaware.

Kukta also admitted that he evaded paying income taxes on the proceeds of the scheme by failing to report that income on his annual joint federal income tax returns, causing a tax loss to the United States totaling $660,439.  To conceal the income, Kukta provided false information to two banks when they questioned why he was receiving money from Company A (which was controlled by Person A).  As to each bank, Kukta falsely told bank representatives that he had been selling items from his father’s estate, which he knew was false.  Kukta also provided false information to the IRS during a correspondence audit, claiming that the items he had sold on eBay during 2014 were from his father’s estate, not the sale of stolen goods.

Kukta faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for interstate transportation of stolen goods; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for tax evasion.   Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2020 at 9:15 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended IRS-CI and HSI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Paul A. Riley, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Eric Eoin Marques, age 33, of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to advertise child pornography on the dark web.  Marques, a dual national citizen of the United States and Ireland, was extradited by Irish authorities and arrived in the United States on March 23, 2019, to face federal criminal charges filed in Maryland on August 8, 2013. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

“Child pornography is created by documenting the sexual abuse of children,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “This is an egregious case where one individual facilitated the abuse of more than a million new child victims and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web.  We must do everything we can to bring individuals like Marques to justice in order to keep our children safe.”

“The defendant’s anonymous web service hosted dozens of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and spread millions of images of that abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “His guilty plea is proof of the Department’s fierce commitment to rooting out those who hide behind anonymous networks to commit serious child exploitation offenses.”

“Today’s guilty plea validates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stop those who sexually exploit innocent children,” said Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and its international law enforcement partners will remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for the world’s most vulnerable victims harmed at the ruthless hands of others.”

According his plea agreement, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques conspired to advertise child pornography by operating a free, anonymous web hosting service (AHS) located on the “dark web”, an area of the Internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable.  The investigation revealed that the AHS contained over 8.5 million images of child exploitation material and over 1.97 million of these images and/or videos involved victims that were not known by law enforcement.  As of July 12, 2013, one child exploitation website hosted on the hosting service reported nearly 1.4 million files were uploaded and accessible by individuals who visited that hidden service.

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

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

Marques and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Marques will be sentenced to between 15 and 21 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2020 at 2:30 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.       

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

Mr. Hur and Mr. Benczkowski thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Kristi N. O’Malley, and Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.

# # #

A dual national citizen of the United States and Ireland pleaded guilty in federal court in Maryland to conspiracy to advertise child pornography.

Eric Eoin Marques, 33, of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang to conspiracy to advertise child pornography.  In his plea agreement, Marques admitted that between July 24, 2008, and July 29, 2013, he conspired to advertise child pornography by operating an anonymous web hosting service (AHS). 

Marques was extradited to the United States by Irish authorities on March 23, 2019.  He was indicted in a four-count indictment alleging that he conspired to, and did advertise and distribute child pornography, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, by operating the AHS.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 11.

“The defendant’s anonymous web service hosted dozens of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and spread millions of images of that abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “His guilty plea is proof of the department’s fierce commitment to rooting out those who hide behind anonymous networks to commit serious child exploitation offenses.”

“Child pornography is created by documenting the sexual abuse of children,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland.  “This is an egregious case where one individual facilitated the abuse of more than a million new child victims and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web.  We must do everything we can to bring individuals like Marques to justice in order to keep our children safe.”

“Today’s guilty plea validates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stop those who sexually exploit innocent children,” said Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and its international law enforcement partners will remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for the world’s most vulnerable victims harmed at the ruthless hands of others.”

According to court documents, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques operated a free anonymous hosting service located on the “dark web,” an area of the Internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable.  The hosting service hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors, violent sexual abuse and bestiality.  The investigation revealed that the hosting service contained over 8.5 million images of child exploitation material and over 1.97 million of these images and/or videos involved victims that were not known by law enforcement.  As of July 12, 2013, one child exploitation website hosted on the hosting service reported nearly 1.4 million files were uploaded and accessible by individuals who visited that hidden service.

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

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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.   

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

CEOS Deputy Chief Keith A. Becker and Trial Attorney Ralph Paradiso and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley and Thomas M. Sullivan of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.  

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted David Laufer, age 63, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, on five counts of the federal charge of making false statements.  The indictment was returned on December 16, 2019, and was unsealed upon his arrest on January 28, 2020.  Laufer had his initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt and was released pending trial.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the indictment, until May 2019, Laufer worked as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest joint military medical center in the United States.  Walter Reed is located in Bethesda and provides medical services, including orthotic and prosthetic services to U.S. service members and their dependents, including wounded soldiers.  Laufer’s job required him to complete annual Confidential Financial Disclosure forms which required him to report: all sources of outside income greater than $200; any business outside the U.S. Government in which Laufer or his spouse was an employee or consultant, whether or not compensated; any agreements or arrangements concerning past, current, and future employment; and travel-related reimbursement or other gifts totaling more than $350 from any one source during the reporting period.

The indictment alleges that Laufer failed to report financial benefits he received from Person B and Company B, located in Germantown, Maryland and owned, operated, and controlled by Person B.  Company B provided prosthetics and orthotics materials to Walter Reed in return for payments from the government.  According to the indictment, Person B regularly interacted with Laufer about Company B’s business with Walter Reed.  Further, the indictment alleges that Laufer falsely told federal agents that he had never received money, gifts, or sporting event tickets from any vendor doing business before the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department when in fact Laufer had received financial benefits, including travel and sporting event tickets, from Person B and Company B.

In a related case that was recently unsealed, Timothy Hamilton, age 58, of Columbia, Maryland, and an employee in the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics Department from 1991 to 2017, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to acts affecting a financial interest.  Hamilton admitted that beginning in 2009, he allowed Person A to use his Orthotist certification for Person A’s business, Company A.  Hamilton was aware that Company A used his certification to obtain national accreditation and as part of its documentation for Medicare credentialing, which allowed Company A to bill insurers for medical treatment that required the involvement of a certified Orthotist, even though Hamilton was not providing those services in the vast majority of cases.  Hamilton admitted that he received monthly financial payments from Company A from 2009 until October 2015, totaling more than $45,000.  From 2011 to 2015, Company A used Hamilton’s credentials to submit more than 225 fraudulent insurance claims of more than $150,000.

Further, Hamilton admitted receiving more than $15,000 in gift cards, checks, and other benefits such as tickets and lodging, from Company B, which was run by Person B and which had business with Walter Reed’s Prosthetic and Orthotics Department.  During the time that Hamilton was receiving payments from Company A and Company B, Hamilton ordered products on behalf of Walter Reed from both companies.

Hamilton faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and a maximum of one year in prison for acts affecting a financial interest.  Hamilton is awaiting sentencing.

If convicted, Laufer faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the five counts of making a false statement.  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. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DCIS and HHS OIG for their work in the investigation and thanked the FBI, the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General, the Army CID Major Procurement Fraud Unit, and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana Brusca, who are prosecuting these cases.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Devron Lasha Young, Jr., age 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, yesterday to five years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute approximately 75 grams of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl—enough to kill 37,500 people.  Young was charged in federal court as part of a federal-state initiative announced in December 2018 to combat the fentanyl crisis in Maryland. 

Under this new initiative, titled the “Synthetic Opioid Surge,” or “SOS” for short, 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute more cases involving fentanyl as a result of this new program.  The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, is necessary to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of fentanyl.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; 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.

“As a result of the combined efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, Devron Young now faces five years in federal prison, where there are no suspended sentences and no parole, ever.  Drug dealers should be aware that in Baltimore City we are teaming up to arrest and prosecute those who peddle the deadly poison of fentanyl on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We must do everything we can to reduce overdose deaths from this drug and from all opioids.”

According to his guilty plea, on February 22, 2019, Young hailed an illegal taxi at the intersection of North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue in northwest Baltimore, the location of an open-air drug market.  Young offered the driver $10 to drive him a few blocks away, wait while he went into a building, and drive him back to the corner of North and Pennsylvania.  Shortly after Young entered the vehicle, a Baltimore police officer stopped the car for a traffic violation.  The officer asked the driver and Young where they were going.  Young answered that the driver was a friend from school and that she was giving him a ride home.  Neither statement was true.

When the officer asked the driver for her license and registration, she stated that they were in her wallet, which was located in a bag behind the driver’s seat.  With the officer’s permission, she retrieved the bag.  The officer saw that, aside from the driver’s wallet and some personal items, the bag contained only children’s diapers.  The driver then returned the bag to the rear driver-side floor.

The driver produced a learner’s permit, but Young was unable to provide any form of identification.  Young provided his personal information to the officer, who then advised Young and the driver that he was going to tow the vehicle because it was unregistered and uninsured.  The officer returned to his vehicle to run law enforcement database inquiries on the driver and Young.

While the officer was in his patrol car, he observed Young reaching toward the rear passenger floor.  The officer walked back to the vehicle and asked the driver to step out.  He asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, and the driver told him there was not, then consented without hesitation to a search of the vehicle.

While the driver stayed outside the vehicle, the officer radioed for backup, and returned to the car to speak with Young. The officer asked Young if he had anything illegal on his person, which Young denied.  Young then agreed to the officer’s request to perform a protective pat-down outside the vehicle.  However, when the officer opened the door, Young tried to run away.  Before Young could escape, the officer grabbed Young and placed Young under arrest.

Once Young was in custody, the officer searched the vehicle.  He discovered that the bag had been moved to the middle of the vehicle’s back row.  The officer seized the bag and noticed that, on top of the diapers, there was now a brown plastic bag that had not been there before.  The brown plastic bag contained 30 separate packs holding a total of 752 capsules.  The Baltimore Police Department’s Laboratory Section subsequently analyzed the capsules and determined that each contained both fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and her office for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chad Arrington, a/k/a “Chad Focus,” age 32, of Randallstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a scheme to use a company credit card to make over $4.1 million in unauthorized purchases.  

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 his plea agreement, Arrington was employed by Company 1 as a Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”) Specialist from approximately 2011 to August 2018.  As an SEO Specialist, Arrington was responsible for promoting and marketing Company 1’s products and services online.  Company 1 assigned Arrington an American Express company credit card (the “credit card”) after Arrington signed an agreement in which he agreed to use the credit card only for business expenses related to Company 1.

Arrington admitted that from at least January 2015 through August 2018, Arrington and four co-conspirators used the credit card for fraudulent purchases, including to promote his hip-hop artist alter-ego, Chad Focus and Focus Music Entertainment and to make unauthorized purchases that benefitted them each personally. The co-conspirators were from Owings Mills, Maryland; York, Pennsylvania; Alexandria, Virginia; and Sarasota, Florida, respectively.  According to the plea agreement, Arrington used the credit card to make over $1.5 million in unauthorized purchases from entities and accounts controlled by Co-Conspirator 2 and Co-Conspirator 3, and then Co-Conspirator 2 and Co-Conspirator 3, in turn, kicked back hundreds of thousands of dollars to Arrington by funneling cash payments to Arrington and to accounts controlled by Arrington. 

For example, Arrington admitted that he used the credit card to purchase sound equipment, studio kits, instruments, and music technology, which he then used to create an artist alter-ego “Chad Focus,” and produce a number of hip-hop songs through the company he formed, Focus Music Entertainment LLC.  Arrington then used the credit card to make additional unauthorized purchases: from online streaming platforms that offered services for artists to pay to have the platforms artificially increase Arrington’s song play counts on other music platforms; to purchase “likes,” “followers,” “tags,” and “views” across social media and viewing platforms; to purchase services from a company that promoted mixtape videos and singles, his image, and music; and to make unauthorized payments to multiple billboard companies to display images of Arrington and his website throughout the United States and to promote Chad Focus and Focus Music Entertainment LLC.  From January 2015 through August 2018, Arrington charged the credit card over $300,000 for unauthorized international and national travel expenses, hotels, airfares, night life and other miscellaneous expenses for himself and for Co-Conspirators 1 and 2.  In addition, Arrington made over $100,000 in unauthorized purchases of clothing and accessories, including hats that displayed his artist name “Focus,” and other apparel, which he provided to his associates free of charge.  Arrington also admitted that he utilized the credit card to make more than $275,000 in purchases related to a bike-sharing business, including electric bikes, hover boards, and scooters.  Arrington also admitted that he used the credit card for concert tickets, various unauthorized international and national travel expenses, including hotels, airfare, restaurant bills, luxury vehicle rentals, and nightlife expenses, and for travel expenses and airline tickets for the benefit of Co-Conspirators 1 and 2.

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

As detailed in his plea agreement, Arrington will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victim’s losses, $4,142,435.31.

Arrington faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 14, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Mary W. Setzer, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Roger Taylor, a/k/a Milk, age 28, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to the federal charges of conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as Trained To Go (TTG), and to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Taylor, a fugitive since July 2017, was arrested on June 30, 2019.  The racketeering activities to which Taylor pleaded guilty are: narcotics distribution and robberies of other individuals, including rival drug dealers and gang members in TTG territory.  

In a related case, on January 31, 2020, John Lewis Harrison, a/k/a Binky, age 29 and Taurus Tillman, age 30, a/k/a Tosh, both of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the federal charge of assaulting employees of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) while they were detained and being transported to and from the courtroom during their trial. 

The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.

“Roger Taylor and his fellow gang members brought violence and misery to West Baltimore, in the form of murders, armed robberies, and drug dealing.  After his capture as a fugitive from justice, Taylor will now likely spend over a decade in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Criminals who are terrorizing our neighborhoods should be deterred by the reality of years spent in a federal prison far from home—where there is no parole.  Ever.”

According to his plea agreement, Taylor was associated with a drug trafficking organization that operated in the Sandtown neighborhood of West Baltimore.  As part of the conspiracy, each defendant agreed that a conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity.  Taylor was self-identified member of a group, known as the “Young Go Getters” (YGG), which assisted members and associates of the criminal enterprise in their activities.  As of 2014, the organization became known as “Trained To Go” or “TTG.”   

As detailed in his plea agreement, Taylor, who referred to himself as YGG Milk, along with other members of YGG, provided support to TTG in the form of money, drugs, and other assistance.  For example, on January 22, 2016, law enforcement learned that two members of TTG were looking for several individuals that had robbed a member of TTG of a small quantity of narcotics.  The two members of TTG were spotted by law enforcement driving in the area of the 2500 block of West Lafayette Avenue in west Baltimore.  In an effort to escape the police, the occupants of the car fled after crashing into a snow bank.  Investigation revealed the car had been provided to them by Taylor.

On August 10, 2015, Postal Inspectors interdicted four packages addressed to a fictitious addressee in Windsor Mill, Maryland.  Because the address was also a false address, the packages could not be delivered.  Taylor, in an effort to obtain the packages, contacted the post office and requested the packages be re-delivered to a different address in Windsor Mill.  Additional investigation revealed that the four packages contained 9.9 kilograms of cocaine.

During the course of the conspiracy, the quantity of cocaine within the scope of Taylor’s agreement with his co-conspirators and reasonably foreseeable as to Taylor was equivalent to between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine.

Taylor and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Taylor will be sentenced to between 11 and 14 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2020. 

The leader of the gang, Montana Barronette, a/k/a Tana, and Tanner, age 23, and his brother, Terrell Sivells, a/k/a Rell, age 27, both of Baltimore, were each sentenced to life in prison on February 15 and April 26, 2019, respectively.  Co-defendants Brandon Wilson, a/k/a Ali, age 24, and Taurus Tillman, a/k/a Tash, age 30, both of Baltimore, were each sentenced to 25 years in prison on March 1 and May 21, 2019, respectively.  Two other co-defendants, John Harrison, a/k/a Binkie, age 28, and Linton Broughton, a/k/a Marty, age 25, both from Baltimore, were sentenced to life in prison and to 30 years in prison, respectively, on March 15, 2019.  Three other TTG members previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to between five and 25 years in prison.

As detailed in the plea agreements of Harrison and Tillman, from September 17, 2018 through October 31, 2018, a criminal trial was held in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, in the matter of United States v. Barronette, et al.  Harrison and Tillman were both defendants in the case and were detained before and during the trial.  During the trial, members of the U.S. Marshals Service were responsible for transporting the defendants, including Harrison and Tillman, to and from the courtroom.

Harrison and Tillman admitted that on September 21, 2018, they assaulted two Deputy U.S. Marshals and a U.S. District Court Security Officer as they were being escorted from the courtroom during a break in the trial.

Tillman was immediately sentenced to one year in federal prison, consecutive to the 25 years he is already serving for the racketeering conspiracy.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for Harrison on April 29, 2020.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, which includes FBI special agents and task force officers from the Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments.  FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force is responsible for identifying and targeting the most violent gangs in the Baltimore metropolitan area, to address gang violence and the associated homicides in Baltimore.  The vision of the program is to use federal racketeering statutes to disrupt and dismantle significant violent criminal threats and criminal enterprises affecting the safety and well-being of our citizens and our communities.      

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its 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.               

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the ATF, the DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in these investigations.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano, Daniel C. Gardner, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Hanley formerly of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Christopher Paul Hasson, age 50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 160 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on four federal charges, including unlawful possession of unregistered silencers, unlawful possession of firearm silencers unidentified by serial number, possession of firearms by an addict to and unlawful user of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance.  Hasson has been detained since his arrest on February 15, 2019.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Art Walker of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

“Preserving our nation’s security against terrorist threats continues to be the Justice Department’s top priority.  Lives were saved due to the skill and dedication of law enforcement in this case.  Christopher Hasson intended to inflict violence on the basis of his racist and hateful beliefs.  As long as violent extremists take steps to harm innocent people, we will continue to use all of the tools we have to prevent and deter them,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.

“The FBI remains committed to combatting terrorism, both domestic and international, and we remain fully prepared to take those actions necessary to safeguard our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone. “We will use every tool given to us by the Department of Justice and Congress to disrupt Racially Motivated Violent Extremist activity. However, protection of our communities and our nation is a shared responsibility, and we must combat terrorism as a united force against all forms of violent hate.”

According to his plea agreement, Hasson was a Lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard.  Prior to June 2016, Hasson owned a residence and lived in Currituck, North Carolina.  In approximately June 2016, Hasson moved to a residence in Silver Spring, Maryland, and worked at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

As detailed in the government’s sentencing memo and presented to the Court during the sentencing hearing, Christopher Hasson self-identified as a “White Nationalist” for over 30 years and in writings advocated for “focused violence” in order to establish a white homeland.  Review of Hasson’s e-mail accounts, saved documents, text messages, and Internet searches show that he was inspired by racist murderers, stockpiled assault weapons, studied violence, and intended to exact retribution on minorities and those he considered traitors.

Hasson admitted that from at least March 2016 through early February 2019, he used various e-mail accounts, including an overseas encrypted e-mail account, to order Tramadol, which is an opioid, from various illegal Internet-based distributors.  Hasson usually paid for the Tramadol by wiring money to individuals in Mexico, at the direction of the Mexico-based distributor, who then had the Tramadol shipped to Hasson, typically in 100mg pills, at addresses Hasson provided, including his North Carolina and Maryland residences.  Hasson admitted that he then concealed the Tramadol in other packaging at his residence and work and personally took the pills, usually daily, including while he was at work. 

As detailed in his plea agreement, at the time of Hasson’s arrest on February 15, 2019, agents recovered 196 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s backpack.  Search warrants executed the same day recovered 106 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s desk at Coast Guard Headquarters and 122 Tramadol pills from Hasson’s residence.  From Hasson’s residence, law enforcement also recovered the following firearms:  seven rifles; two shotguns; four pistols; two revolvers; an assembled firearm silencer; and a disassembled firearm silencer.  In close proximity to the guns, agents found multiple magazines that could accept more than 15 rounds of ammunition, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition.  Hasson ordered the components of the firearm silencers from a company in California and used a drill to complete and assemble one firearm silencer.  Hasson knew the firearm silencers were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and that they did not have serial numbers, as required by law.

As detailed in court documents, to prepare himself to take action, in addition to the firearms and silencers referenced above, Hasson purchased holsters, knives, magazines, ammunition, handguards, camping supplies, Meals-Ready-to-Eat, steel body armor plates, plate carriers, tactical vests and pouches, firearm repair kits, and smoke grenades.  Hasson also e-mailed to his Coast Guard computer the manifestos of mass murderer Anders Breivik and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, as well as the memoir of Eric Rudolph, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomber, titled “Between the Lines of Drift: The Memoirs of a Militant.”  Hasson referred to those documents in his own writings.  Hasson registered for an online sniper and sharpshooter forum, studied sniper tactics, and purchased high-end scopes and a sniper rifle.  Internet searches performed by Hasson show that he targeted potential victims, including media personalities and current and former elected officials.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the ATF for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked his office’s national security prosecutors, who handled the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Malik Moseley, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Moseley was charged as part of the federal-state initiative announced in December 2018 to combat the fentanyl crisis in Maryland.

Under this initiative, titled the “Synthetic Opioid Surge,” or “SOS” for short, 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute more cases involving fentanyl as a result of this new program.  The use of federal resources and statutes, which carry significant terms of imprisonment, is necessary to prosecute those individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety in distributing lethal doses of fentanyl. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

“Law enforcement partners are working together to arrest and prosecute those who peddle deadly fentanyl on our streets and in our neighborhoods—especially those drug dealers who illegally possess guns,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Drug traffickers are on notice that dealing in fentanyl increases their odds of federal prosecution.  We must do everything we can to reduce overdose deaths from fentanyl and from all opioids.  I am grateful to Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby for providing a cross-designated Assistant State’s Attorney to facilitate and coordinate the review of SOS cases.”

According to Moseley’s guilty plea, in September and October 2018, members of the Baltimore Police Department conducted two controlled purchases of drugs from Moseley at a residence in the 400 block of Freeman Street in South Baltimore.  Law enforcement officers also conducted covert surveillance outside the residence and observed Moseley and another individual engage in suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions in front of the home. 

Based on this information, BPD officers obtained a search warrant for the residence, which they executed on October 17, 2018.  At the time, Moseley had an open arrest warrant from Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  While approaching the residence, the officers observed Moseley standing outside, and they immediately apprehended and arrested him.  In a search of Moseley’s person incident to his arrest, the officers recovered a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with eight rounds of ammunition; a plastic bag containing nine suboxone strips, and $790 in cash.  Moseley had a previous felony conviction and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. 

During the search of the residence, the officers recovered bags containing a total of approximately 47 grams of fentanyl; a bag containing approximately 5 grams of a heroin-fentanyl mixture; drug paraphernalia, including three digital scales with drug residue; razor blades with residue; a glass plate with residue; a pill press with residue; and various drug packaging material.  In addition, law enforcement recovered a gun holster; two remote-control surveillance drones; a home surveillance system with two high-definition cameras; $101 in cash, and $30 in counterfeit currency. 

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina A. Hoffman, who prosecuted the case and thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Hann, a cross-designated Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney, for his assistance.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Christopher Andrew Smith, age 30, of Beltsville, Maryland, after a two-day trial of 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. 

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan of the U.S. Park Police.

According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 5, 2018, Christopher Smith drove a 2011 Nissan Altima on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.  Smith was accompanied by an adult male and that man’s three-year-old daughter.  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 and the male passenger were found partially ejected from the vehicle suffering from critical injuries.  The two adults were evacuated to hospitals by helicopter for treatment.  The three-year-old girl, who was not secured with a car seat or seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and was located in the woods a few feet away.  She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Smith faces a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison for involuntary manslaughter; and a maximum of six months in federal prison each for reckless driving, driving without a license, and failure to place a child in a safety seat.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has not set a date for Smith’s sentencing.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hollis Raphael Weisman and Dwight Draughon, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal jury in Baltimore, today convicted Davon Carter, age 39, and Clifton Mosley, age 41, both of Baltimore, for two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness and one count each of witness retaliation murder and witness tampering murder, related to the murder of Latrina Ashburne, age 41, on May 27, 2016.   Carter was also convicted of a federal narcotics conspiracy charge, two counts of using a cellular telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  Mosley was also convicted of distribution of marijuana.

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

“Justice was done today for the senseless murder of Latrina Ashburne.  We do not tolerate witness tampering, intimidation, or retaliation—period,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “In a tragic turn of events, Carter and Mosley’s efforts to silence a witness resulted in the death of a woman who had absolutely nothing to do with the defendants.  These two defendants now face mandatory life sentences in federal prison.  Let this serve as a warning to anyone who might consider making the foolish choice to murder a witness.” 

“These defendants targeted a person they thought was responsible for blowing the whistle,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone. “The victim was an innocent bystander who lost her life because the defendants chose to take violent steps to protect a criminal.  The FBI seeks justice for all Americans and will not stand by while people like these defendants throw morality aside to prevent witnesses from communicating with law enforcement.”

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

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

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

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

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

Carter and Mosley each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison for each of the two conspiracy counts and for the witness retaliation and witness tampering murder charges. Carter faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and for the narcotics conspiracy, and faces a maximum of eight years in prison for each of the two counts of using a cellular telephone to facilitate the commission of a felony.  Mosley also faces a maximum of five years in prison for distribution of marijuana.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2020 at 10 a.m. for Mosley and at 11 a.m. for Carter.

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

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Anthony Michael Mileo, age 54, of Huntingtown, Maryland, on the federal charge of transportation of child pornography.  The indictment was returned on January 22, 2020, and was unsealed at his initial appearance yesterday.  Mileo is an officer with the Maryland National Capital Park Police Department.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Calvert County State’s Attorney Andrew Rappaport.

According to the indictment, on May 28, 2019, Mileo transported child pornography by computer.  Mileo previously faced related charges in Calvert County, but those charges were dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.

If convicted, Mileo faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for transportation of child pornography.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  At his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, U.S. Magistrate Judge DiGirolamo ordered that Mileo be released 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.       

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore and the Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of the State’s Attorney for Calvert County for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the federal case.

 # # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced William E. Tyler, age 56, of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the illegal transfer and possession of a machine gun.  Tyler is the former Chief of Police in Taneytown, Maryland.  Judge Hollander also ordered that Tyler must forfeit assets obtained as a result of, or used to facilitate the commission of his illegal activities, including the two .223-caliber machine guns that he illegally transferred and possessed.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

“Police officers, no matter their rank, are subject to the same laws as everyone else.  No one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “William Tyler lied to fellow officers in an attempt to cover up his crime.  Now he will serve federal prison time—where there is no parole, ever.”

According to his guilty plea, in 2017 Tyler transferred two machine guns owned by and registered to the Taneytown Police Department to himself and another officer, for their personal use.  According to court documents, Tyler created documents titled a “Bill of Sale,” purporting to sell one of the machine guns to himself for $100, although records were never located to confirm any payment to the Taneytown Police Department.  Tyler did not attempt to report the transfer of the machine guns to the ATF’s National Firearms Act (NFA) Division, which is responsible for maintaining registration and transfer information about all NFA weapons in accordance with federal law, as any such transfer is illegal. 

On January 15, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at the residences of Tyler and the officer and recovered the machine guns.  Tyler was interviewed by the FBI and ATF, and was warned that it is a crime to make a materially false statement or representation to federal agents.  Despite the warning, Tyler lied when he told agents that he had never fired the .223-caliber machine gun recovered in his home and did not know it was automatic, when in fact he had fired the weapon, and as a trained law enforcement officer was well aware that the weapon was automatic.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and ATF for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.\

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – Federal grand juries in Maryland and Delaware have returned indictments charging alleged members of the racially motivated violent extremist group “The Base” with firearms and alien-related charges.  Both federal indictments charge Brian Mark Lemley, Jr., age 33, of Elkton, Maryland, and Newark, Delaware; and Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews, age 27, currently of Newark, Delaware, with firearms and alien-related charges.  A third alleged member of “The Base,” William Garfield Bilbrough IV, age 19, of Denton, Maryland, is charged in the Maryland indictment with alien-related charges. The Delaware indictment also charges Lemley and Mathews with destroying their cellular telephones with intent to obstruct justice.  The Maryland indictment was returned on January 27, 2020 and unsealed today. The Delaware grand jury returned its indictment today.

The indictments were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

The 12-count Maryland indictment charges Lemley and Bilbrough with: conspiring to transport an alien from August 30 through 31, 2019, and with transporting an alien on August 31, 2019; conspiring to transport and harbor an alien on November 2 and 3, 2019; and with transporting an alien and harboring an alien on November 3, 2019.  Lemley is charged with transporting a machine gun in interstate commerce on January 2, 2020; and disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an illegal alien on January 5, 2020 and January 11, 2020.  Lemley and Mathews are charged with being or aiding and abetting an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition on January 5, 2020 and January 11, 2020; and transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony on January 5, 2020 and on January 11, 2020.

The six-count Delaware indictment alleges that Lemley transported an illegal alien, specifically Patrik Jordan Mathews, on November 4, 2019; and that from November 4, 2019 through January 16, 2020, Lemley harbored Mathews, knowing he was an illegal alien.  Further, Lemley and Mathews are charged with being or aiding and abetting an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition from November 28, 2019 through January 4, 2020, and again on January 16, 2020; illegal possession of a machinegun; illegal possession of an unregistered machinegun; and destroying their cellular telephones with the intent to obstruct justice, specifically an investigation conducted by the FBI.

The federal indictments also seek the forfeiture of any property traceable to the offenses charged, including all firearms and ammunition allegedly involved in the commission of the offense, and a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 allegedly used to facilitate the offense.

If convicted, Lemley and Bilbrough each face a maximum sentence of five years for transporting and harboring certain aliens, and 10 years for conspiracy to do so.  Lemley also faces a maximum of five years in prison for transporting a machine gun in interstate commerce, and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an illegal alien.  Lemley and Mathews each face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony offense; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being or aiding and abetting an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition; a maximum of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm; a maximum of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of an unregistered firearm; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

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. 

United States Attorneys Robert K. Hur and David C. Weiss commended the FBI Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and ATF for their work in the investigation, and thanked U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland State Police, and the Delaware State Police for their assistance.  Mr. Hur and Mr. Weiss thanked their offices’ national security prosecutors, who are handling the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Timothy Herndon, age 29, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 22, 2020 to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Timothy Herndon brought danger to our community through the deadly combination of guns and drugs.  Now he likely eight years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

According to the plea agreement, on the morning of May 16, 2019, ATF Special Agents executed a search warrant at Herndon’s residence in Owings Mills.  After being read his Miranda warnings, Herndon told agents that he had placed a firearm in a shoebox in the second-floor bedroom.  Agents recovered that firearm, then searched the rest of the residence.

In the living room, agents recovered one clear bag containing multiple black plastic zip lock baggies of cocaine base (crack) and approximately $2,000 in U.S. currency.  In the kitchen trashcan under the trash bag, they found additional small black zip lock baggies of cocaine base (crack), a black shopping bag containing razor blades, multiple clear plastic bags, and one round of 9-millimeter ammunition.

From underneath the dishwasher, agents recovered the following: three loaded firearms; two clear plastic sandwich bags containing cocaine; additional drug paraphernalia; and a paper bag containing a large amount of United States currency. Agents found a total of nearly $40,000 in cash inside of the residence.

Herndon and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Herndon will be sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for March 27, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Stendig and Lindsey McCulley, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Maximo Gondres-Medrano, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years and one month (121 months) in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on the federal charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and heroin.  Gondres-Medrano was convicted on October 9, 2019, after a three-day jury trial.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“State and federal law enforcement and prosecutors in Baltimore City are working together to arrest and prosecute those who peddle deadly fentanyl on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “I am grateful to Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who shares my resolve and has cross-designated an Assistant State’s Attorney from her office, so that we are effectively using our resources to coordinate our efforts.  We are committed to reducing overdose deaths from fentanyl and from all opioids.”

“The fentanyl this individual was dealing had potential to kill thousands of people. He chose to pursue profit over the lives and livelihoods of the people of Baltimore,” said John Eisert Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent in charge of the Baltimore field office. “HSI is committed to ending the opioid scourge through continued collaboration with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners.”

According to evidence presented at his three-day trial, on September 8, 2017, federal law enforcement prepared an operation to arrest and search Gondres-Medrano based on information that he would be transporting a large quantity of narcotics.  The agents observed Gondres-Medrano leave his residence in the 800 block of Whitelock Avenue, in Northwest Baltimore, carrying a shoebox believed to contain narcotics, and then enter the passenger seat of a vehicle.  The vehicle was stopped and law enforcement recovered the box, which contained a wrapped package of almost 793 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl—a quantity sufficient to kill hundreds of thousands of people.  During the investigation, federal law enforcement learned that on August 24, 2017, Gondres-Medrano received a shipment of suspected narcotics in a commercial mail shipping envelope from Mexico.  Gondres-Medrano used his phone to record a series of instructional videos of himself opening the envelope while he demonstrated how the narcotics were successfully concealed within the envelope so that it would not be detected.  In the videos, Gondres-Medrano filmed himself opening the envelope, peeling back a black film that masked the drugs that came from Mexico, and showing the suspected heroin/fentanyl to viewers. 

In a recorded interview with law enforcement after his arrest, Gondres-Medrano admitted that the August 24, 2017 shipping envelope contained heroin, and provided information about his drug trafficking activity.  Gondres-Medrano admitted that he had multiple sources of supply of heroin and ordered kilogram-sized quantities from them.  Gondres-Medrano testified at trial and denied that he carried the shoebox of narcotics to the car on September 8, 2017, and asserted that he never looked inside the nearly 793 gram package to see that it contained narcotics.  However, on cross examination, he admitted that he had taken delivery of the narcotics, which he knew to contain heroin, from one of his sources of supply in order to deliver it to another individual.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, HSI, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey M. Hann, an Assistant State’s Attorney from the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City who is cross-designated to handle fentanyl and other drug cases in federal court, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek E. Hines, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced David Richison, age 64, of Frederick, Maryland, to 48 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aiding in the filing of a false tax return.  Richison, who owned and operated a payroll processing business, took funds from his clients’ tax escrow account and used them to pay his own personal expenses.  Judge Russell also ordered restitution and forfeiture in the amount of the victims' full loss, which will be determined after a restitution hearing.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham of the Criminal Division of the FBI Washington Field Office.

"After years of deceiving his clients for his own personal benefit, Richison is now feeling the consequences of his despicable actions," said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson.  "We will continue to work with the United States Attorney's Office to pursue justice of those who violate our tax laws, especially those who commit fraud at the expense of others."

According to his plea agreement, Richison owned and operated a Frederick-based payroll processing business, Period Financial, doing business as Period Payroll.  Period Payroll provided payroll processing and payroll tax payment services to businesses in Maryland and Virginia, using special software specifically designed by Richison.  In addition to printing paychecks for client employees, Period Payroll was responsible for calculating the employment taxes owed to federal and state taxing authorities by the client companies and those companies’ employees, as well as preparing and filing the client companies’ employment tax returns. 

Period Payroll clients entrusted Richison with the authority to remove funds directly from their bank accounts to pay their federal and state taxes, as well as to pay fees to Period Payroll.  Richison’s practice was to send the clients a copy of the tax return to be filed and an accounting of the funds to be removed from their accounts and subsequently paid over.  Funds removed from client accounts were placed into an escrow account, which Richison used to make electronic payments to the IRS, generating a unique number for each wire sent on behalf of a client.

Richison admitted that from at least 2012 through 2014, the tax forms prepared and filed by Richison on behalf of Period Payroll clients properly reported the amount of taxes owed, but a corresponding amount of tax deposits was not made with the IRS.  Richison began taking money from the client escrow fund to pay for his own personal and business-related expenses, such as legal fees, rather than paying those funds to the IRS, as he represented to his clients.

For example, in July 2012, Richison transferred $53,000 from the client escrow account to his personal attorney to pay legal fees.  Over the course of 2013 and 2014, the frequency with which Richison failed to pay over client funds to the IRS increased.  When clients received notices from the IRS that their employment taxes had not been paid, Richison provided false explanations for the missed payments and falsely promised to make the payments and cover the penalties and interest.  To further conceal the scheme, Richison used one client’s escrowed funds to pay another client’s debt, penalties, and interest, without informing either client that he was doing so.  In addition, Richison sent e-mails to clients falsely stating that he had made payments to the IRS on their behalf and provided as proof the wire numbers of transfers that he had made on behalf of other clients.  Between approximately February 2013 and December 2014, Richison used approximately $598,365 of client escrow funds to make payments to the IRS to cover the penalties and interest his clients had accrued in order to conceal the fraud and continue to deceive his clients into thinking that Period Payroll was solvent.

By the end of 2014, there were insufficient funds in the client escrow account to cover the mounting debts and Richison closed Period Payroll.  By that time, the difference between the amount taken from clients and reported to have been paid to the IRS per the tax returns filed on behalf of clients, and the actual payments made as required by those returns totaled at least $1,622,481.56.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Washington Field Office for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Delaney, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office today honored 35 police officers and federal agents for outstanding work in support of significant federal violent crime prosecutions.  Recipients included police officers from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, City of Hyattsville, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Prince William County, Virginia, and the University Park Police Department; and federal agents from ATF, DEA, FBI, and HSI.

“We are so grateful for the exceptional work done by law enforcement officers day in and day out, without fanfare or recognition,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Local, state, and federal law enforcement are working together to combat violent crime in Maryland.  The hard work of these law enforcement officers led to dozens of convictions of dangerous criminals.”

The honorees participated in the investigation and prosecution of more than 10 violent crime cases involving more than 55 defendants.  The defendants included armed robbers, gang members, and drug dealers.  A majority of the defendants have previous felony convictions and many are career offenders and/or armed career criminals.

In addition to U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur, agency representatives who participated in today’s awards ceremony included: Acting ATF Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby; FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone; Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge John Eisert; Anne Arundel County Major Ross Passman; City of Hyattsville Police Chief Amal Awad; Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Ronald Smith; Prince William County Police Chief Barry Barnard; and University Park Police Chief Harry Baker.

United States Attorney Robert Hur commended all the honorees for their work on these violent crime investigations.  Mr. Hur thanked the Assistant United States Attorneys who prosecuted the cases and nominated their agents and officers for these awards.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Deandre Laquan Jones, a/k/a “Cuz,” age 27, of Towson, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute drugs near a school, and to being a felon in possession of firearms.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Fentanyl and firearms are a deadly combination, and they are particularly unacceptable near our elementary schools.  We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of convicted felons and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods.  Deandre Jones was a convicted felon who chose to sell drugs and possess guns.  He now likely faces 12 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

According to his guilty plea, from December 2018 to February 2019, Jones distributed fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.  On January 31 and again on February 11, 2019, Jones sold an undercover Baltimore County Police officer two “packs” of heroin—each containing 25 gel capsules—for $375. 

On February 22, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment in Parkville, Maryland, which was rented by Tyrell Curry, Jones’ co-conspirator, and was within 1,000 feet of a Baltimore County elementary school.  Jones used the apartment to distribute fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine.  From the apartment, law enforcement recovered two baggies containing a total of approximately 345 grams of fentanyl, cutting agents, digital scales, two kilogram presses, and bags of packaging materials.  In addition, officers found documents and an identification card belonging to Jones, and two empty .40-caliber extended magazines, from which the BCPD Forensic Services Section recovered a latent print of Jones’ left thumb.  In the living room, officers located a coffee table that had been custom-manufactured to contain a hidden compartment secured by a wireless lock.  Investigators later learned that the table had been purchased by, and shipped to, Deandre Jones at the Parkville apartment.  When the hidden compartment in the table was opened, law enforcement recovered plastic bags containing 16 grams of fentanyl, 175 grams of heroin, 185 grams of crack cocaine, and 173 grams of powder cocaine, as well as a .410-caliber handgun and 19 rounds of .410-caliber ammunition.

That same day, BCPD officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and recovered three iPhones in the bedroom, and an AK-47 loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition in Jones’ nightstand.  The firearm had been reported stolen in October 2018.  In his office, officers found a money counter, $13,700 in cash, a one-kilogram block of fentanyl, a loaded 9mm pistol, which had been reported stolen in April 2017, a book bag that contained eight plastic bags containing a total of 1.9 kilograms of cocaine, and five additional bags containing 138 grams of heroin.  A search of Jones’ vehicles recovered two additional loaded firearms and a fourth iPhone.

A subsequent forensic examination of Jones’ iPhones recovered message between Jones and Curry relating to drug trafficking, including discussions about the Parkville apartment, potential customers, sources of supply, possible police surveillance, and ammunition.

As part of his plea agreement, Jones has agreed to forfeit assets obtained as a result of, or used to facilitate Jones’ drug trafficking, including: $13,708 in cash; a 2013 Lexus GS 350; an AK-47 and 30 7.62x39mm cartridges; a double-action revolver and 19 .410-caliber cartridges; two 9mm pistols and 26 9mm cartridges; and a .40-caliber pistol and 13 .40-caliber cartridges.

Jones and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Jones will be sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. 

Co-defendant Tyrell Daronte Curry, a/k/a “Mike,” age 28, of Baltimore previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI Baltimore and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Christopher J. Romano, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs has awarded $1,178,492.00 in grant funding to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), in partnership with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force (MHTTF), Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention (GOCCP), and Maryland Departments of Human Services and Juvenile Services to support establishment of a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for child and youth victims of human trafficking.

The award will support creation of a statewide labor trafficking multidisciplinary team that will formalize and institutionalize the management of cases in a victim-centered manner, development of a unified statewide training strategy for professionals that includes victim-centered and trauma-informed best practices for handling human trafficking cases involving children and youth, and establishment of a survivor-informed, coordinated service response for children and youth.

“The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to dedicate significant resources to fighting human trafficking,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We urge the public to think of human trafficking victims and survivors during this month, Human Trafficking Awareness Month.  The Department of Justice is proud to support our partners and victims through financial grants and robust prosecutions that hold human traffickers accountable.  We will continue to work with our partners to prosecute those who commit human trafficking crimes, and to support the victims of these cruel and despicable crimes.”

In addition, in 2018, the Office of Justice Programs awarded $562,500 over a three-year period to the Prince George’s County Police Department and the University of Maryland Baltimore (on behalf of the University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center) to support the Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force.  This grant funds three caseworkers to assist with 24/7 crisis response and comprehensive services; additional investigative resources within the Prince George’s County Police Department focused on human trafficking; one full-time additional forensic investigator within the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office dedicated to human trafficking; and one additional Assistant State’s Attorney within the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office dedicated to prosecuting human trafficking.

For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

Additional information about the USAO’s efforts to end human trafficking follows:

1. Human Trafficking Coordinator and Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force (MHTTF)
    Since 2007, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office has designated an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) to serve as Human Trafficking Coordinator for the district.  This AUSA is the point of contact for law enforcement agencies and state prosecutors for human trafficking cases, and serves as the chair of the MHTTF.  In addition, the Office’s Law Enforcement Coordinator, who has been involved in MHTTF since its inception, serves as a point of contact for outreach, training, and enforcement efforts through the MHTTF.
    
   Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Task Force serves to coordinate activities, develop policy, and implement strategic plans to combat human trafficking in Maryland. The MHTTF maintains five active sub-committees: Law Enforcement, Victim Services, Training, Public Outreach and Legislative.
    
   Since its inception in 2007, the MHTTF has sought to raise public awareness and implement best practices in investigations, prosecutions, victim identification, and victim service response. Members have customized practices for the unique circumstances that Maryland faces both as an originating point and as a throughway for human trafficking.  Law enforcement, prosecutors, and providers work together on the MHTTF to take a victim-centered approach: freeing the victim from oppression and rehabilitating the victim as a witness in order to bring traffickers to justice.
    
   The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking and Law Enforcement Coordinators also regularly consult with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies regarding their current activities in investigating human trafficking crimes.  In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in coordination with the MHTTF offers or arranges a wide variety of training to educate law enforcement and other human trafficking professionals. 
    
2. Local Partner Events to Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking

Local partners also have events to increase awareness of and combat human trafficking.  Several of their upcoming events follow:

• The Eastern Shore Human Trafficking Task Force (ESHTTF):  The mission of the ESHTTF is to combat human trafficking by encouraging, supporting, and promoting awareness, prevention, and education throughout the Eastern Shore.  The next public awareness event will take place at the Kent Island Library, 200 Library Circle, Stevensville, MD beginning at 3:00 P.M. Saturday, February 8, 2020 featuring state legislators, a service provider, and a victim/survivor.  Links to the ESHTTF website and Facebook:  www.ESHTTF.org; www.fb.com/ESHTTFMaryland. 
   
• The Frederick County Human Trafficking Response Team:  The mission of the Frederick County Human Trafficking Response Team is to provide a victim-centered, collaborative response to human trafficking in Frederick County to assist in the identification of victims, prosecution of cases, and the availability and use of comprehensive services for victims.  Their website is at https://frederickcountymd.gov/7672/Human-Trafficking-Response-Team. 
• The Anne Arundel County Commission for Women (human trafficking working group):  The Anne Arundel County Commission for Women, through its combatting human trafficking working group, supports the eradication of human trafficking in Anne Arundel County through community awareness, education, advocacy, and efforts to support survivors.  Their website is: https://www.aacounty.org/boards-and-commissions/commission-for-women/index.html
  • Upcoming Events
    • What about the Children? Community Human Trafficking Awareness Presentation: Tuesday, January 28th 2020, 7 – 8:30pm (Doors open at 6:30pm); 8146 Quarterfield Road, Severn, MD 21144; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1495135760637504/
    • 7th Annual Dash 4 Dignity 5K Dash, 1K Freedom Walk, and Community Resource Fair;  Saturday, April 25th 2020; 109 Burns Crossing Road, Severn, MD 21144; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/481052045877666/
       
• The Montgomery County Commission for Women (Human Trafficking Prevention Committee):  Here is the link to the human trafficking prevention committee information in Montgomery County: https://frederickcountymd.gov/7672/Human-Trafficking-Response-Team

 

1. Prosecution of Human Trafficking Cases

        Notable cases prosecuted in 2019 by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office include the following:

United States v. Ryan Russell Parks:  On November 7, 2019, U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston sentenced Ryan Russell Parks, a/k/a Dinero, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 20 years in federal prison, for sex trafficking of a minor and for using the Internet to promote a business enterprise involving prostitution.  A federal jury convicted Parks late on July 18, 2019, after a four-day trial. 

According to the evidence presented at his trial, Parks trafficked two vulnerable minor victims—a 16-year-old girl (Girl 1) and a 15-year-old girl (Girl 2)—for commercial sex.  According to trial testimony, Parks met both girls online.  During communications with Girl 1, Parks learned that she was hungry and had no real place to live, and he offered Girl 1 a place to stay.  In his conversations with Girl 2, Parks learned that she had run away from her foster home.  Parks sent a car to pick up Girl 1 and to bring her to a motel in Woodlawn, Maryland, and within a day, he caused advertisements offering Girl 1 for commercial sex acts, with photos and descriptions of Girl 1, to be posted on a website that marketed commercial sex workers.  Parks stayed with Girl 1 at a motel in Baltimore, along with another woman he was advertising on the Internet for commercial sex.  Parks would leave the room when men would come to the room to have sex with Girl 1, and he would return to the room shortly after the men left the room.  One of Girl 1’s customers returned to the room the next day to rescue her, and took her to live in a different city with his sister.

On November 16, 2017, Parks paid a driver to pick up Girl 2 and bring her to his home.  He talked to her about making money through prostitution, and he took her to the same motel in Baltimore where Parks had harbored Girl 1.  Parks took photographs of Girl 2 and paid for an online advertisement offering Girl 2 for commercial sex.  While law enforcement was investigating the trafficking of the two minor victims, they discovered evidence regarding the extent of Parks’ prostitution business.  Evidence at trial proved that Parks advertised approximately 27 different women and girls for commercial sex.  Parks also paid over $6,000 for hotel rooms in Baltimore County and Baltimore City during the course of his prostitution enterprise.

United States v. Sean Dean:  On October 30, 2019, Sean Dean, age 26, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.  Dean admitted that he conspired to traffic four minor girls to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.  Dean entered his guilty plea on October 29, 2019.

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

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

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

United States v. De’Angelo Johnson:  On October 22, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging De’Angelo Johnson, a/k/a “Cowboy” or “D,” age 31, of Maryland, with sex trafficking and distribution of heroin and cocaine.  According to the indictment, Johnson induced five Maryland victims, all over the age of 18, to engage in commercial sex acts for his own financial benefit, by means of force, fraud, and coercion from August 2018 through May 21, 2019.  The indictment also alleges that all of the sex trafficking victims suffered from serious substance abuse disorders, including addictions to heroin and crack cocaine, and that that Johnson sold the narcotics to the victims.  The indictment further alleges that Johnson posted sex work advertisements of the victims and communicated with potential sex customers often pretending to be the victims.  Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for each of five counts of sex trafficking and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for distribution of controlled substances if convicted.

United States v. Lakeya N. Aldridge, Joshua Lankford and Kevonne L. Murphy: On August 1, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Lakeya N. Aldridge, Joshua Lankford and Kevonne L. Murphy with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and kidnapping, for allegedly forcing a woman to engage in commercial sex acts for the financial benefit of the defendants. 

According to the four-count indictment, from approximately October 1 to October 30, 2018, the defendants conspired to, and engaged in the business of recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, advertising, and maintaining the victim, K.A., an adult female, to engage in commercial sex acts for their financial benefit.  Specifically, the indictment alleges that Aldridge, Lankford, and Murphy rented hotel rooms for the victim to engage in commercial sex acts, as well as transporting the victim to “out calls” to hotel rooms and other locations to engage in commercial sex acts, including transporting her across state lines.  Aldridge allegedly provided narcotics, including heroin, to the victim to recruit, entice, and maintain the victim throughout the course of her engaging in commercial sex acts.  On August 28, 2019, Murphy pled guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy and sentencing currently set for February 28, 2020. 

            The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office deploys many resources in the fight against human trafficking, aimed at investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases; providing support and services for victims; engaging in outreach to law enforcement, prosecutors, non-governmental organizations, and other partners; and educating the community.  We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases to end this devastating crime.

# # #

Baltimore Maryland – Former Maryland State Delegate Cheryl Diane Glenn, age 68, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal honest services wire fraud and bribery charges.  

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.

“As a public official, Cheryl Glenn’s duty was to place the interests of the public above her own.  Instead, she accepted more than $33,000 in bribes in exchange for official actions,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “We trust our elected officials to make decisions in the best interests of the public, not to use their positions of authority to line their own pockets.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI will hold accountable those who betray the public trust for their own greed.”

“Elected officials owe the public their honest services,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Boone. “They should be making decisions and taking action based on what is in the best interest of their constituency, not their pocketbook.  The FBI is dedicated to rooting out public corruption so that the citizens we serve can feel secure that their officials are serving them, not the highest bidder.”

According to her plea agreement, until her resignation on December 18, 2019, Glenn was a Maryland State Delegate representing District 45, which covered portions of Baltimore.  During her tenure, Glenn served as the Chair of the Banking, Consumer Protection, and Commercial Law Subcommittee of the Economic Matters Committee; the Vice Chair of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee; and the Chair of the Baltimore City Delegation, among other roles.

As detailed in her plea agreement, from at least March 4, 2018 through February 11, 2019, Glenn defrauded the citizens of Maryland of the right to her honest services by soliciting and accepting bribes in exchange for her official actions.  Specifically, Glenn accepted $33,750 in bribes from an associate in exchange for voting in favor of a bill to increase the number of medical marijuana grower and processing licenses that were available to an out-of-state company; promising to lead the effort to change the law in order to provide a preference for Maryland residency to in-state medical marijuana license applicants; introducing legislation that decreased the number of years of experience required to be a medical director of an opioid maintenance therapy clinic; and introducing legislation that created a class B alcohol and liquor license in District 45.

Glenn admitted that after a meeting on March 5, 2018 with an associate and two businesspersons, she agreed to use her position as a state legislator to vote for a bill which could favor Company 1 in its pursuit of a medical marijuana license, in exchange for $3,000 in cash, which would be used to pay an outstanding tax bill on her residence.  Glenn subsequently voted for the bill after its Third Reading on March 8, 2018, and again on April 7, 2018, after amendments from the Senate.  The bill passed and on April 20, 2018, the associate provided Glenn with $3,000 in cash during a meeting at a restaurant in Baltimore County.

According to the plea agreement, on June 7, 2018, Glenn and her associate met with another businessperson at a restaurant in Baltimore to discuss medical marijuana licenses.  During the conversation, Glenn told the businessperson that people had asked her how a medical marijuana company had been awarded a medical marijuana growing license without having any high-priced lobbyists.  Glenn responded, “…they know God and Cheryl Glenn.”  A few weeks later, Glenn followed up with the associate to see if the businessperson was “lookin’ for [Glenn] to help him or something?”  The associate confirmed that the businessperson did want Glenn’s help and Glenn asked “…is he going to be makin’ a donation or something?”  On August 10, 2018, the associate told Glenn that the businessperson had offered the associate $10,000 to get Maryland law changed so that local businesses would be given priority for medical marijuana licenses.  The associate offered to split the $10,000 with Glenn, who agreed to introduce legislation to get the law changed in exchange for a payment of $5,000.  In order to get the businessperson to make the $10,000 payment, Glenn subsequently sent the associate an e-mail pledging to take the lead in the effort to get the law changed so that Maryland residents received a preference for medical marijuana licenses.  On August 23, 2018, the associate gave Glenn $5,000 in cash during a meeting at a Baltimore restaurant.

Further, Glenn admitted that on October 18, 2018, she pre-filed legislation to reduce the required experience for medical directors at opioid maintenance therapy clinics in order to receive another $5,000 payment from the businessperson.  The payment was provided on October 22, 2018, and Glenn subsequently introduced the bill on January 9, 2019.  Glenn also agreed to introduce legislation to obtain a liquor license for a restaurant that the businessperson wanted to open in Glenn’s district, in exchange for $20,000, with the initial payment of $5,000 to be made up front and the remaining $15,000 payment when the legislation was introduced.  As stated in the plea agreement, Glenn received the $5,000 payment on December 10, 2018.  On January 28, 2019, Glenn introduced the bill to obtain the liquor license and on February 11, 2019, received a bribe payment of $15,000.

Glenn took steps to conceal her illegal activities, including: agreeing not to deposit bribe payments in her bank account; agreeing to meet in person to discuss the details of bribes rather than discussing them over the phone; and creating a false loan note for the $15,000 bribe payment, falsely stating that the money was a gift and was in no way connected to her position as a State Delegate.  On at least two occasions, Glenn texted an associate who was providing the bribe payments on behalf of the businesses and falsely advised the associate that the bribe payments were short a total of $750, which the associate subsequently provided to Glenn.

Glenn faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for honest services wire fraud and five years in federal prison for the bribery charge.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for May 8, 2020, at 9:30 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Byron Keith Goines, age 25, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the federal charge of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee’s inventory, in connection with the burglary of a Halethorpe, Maryland gun dealer on January 21, 2019.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on January 21, 2019, at 1:08 a.m., Baltimore County police officers were dispatched to a licensed gun dealer, located on Hollins Ferry Road in Halethorpe, in response to a break-in.  When the officers arrived, they found a hole in the roof leading into the vault where the guns were stored.  Surveillance footage indicated that the suspect, later identified as Byron Keith Goines, had used a saw to cut a hole in the roof before dropping into the vault.  The suspect then filled a white trash bag with firearms.  After several failed attempts to remove the trash bag of guns from the vault, the suspect exited through the roof carrying several guns on his person.  When police arrived, a total of six guns had been removed from the vault, littered on the ground behind the store. 

Immediately after the theft, responding officers saw Goines fleeing in the direction of and then hiding inside a nearby warehouse; Goines’ flight was also captured on surveillance video footage.  K9 officers similarly traced a human smell from the direction of the firearms dealer to the warehouse.  Officers eventually entered the warehouse and found Goines inside.  The next day, warehouse employees found two soiled sweatshirts, a soiled pair of pants, and a crowbar in the area where Goines had been hiding. 

Although Goines had successfully disabled one of the firearms dealer’s rear cameras, the neighboring business’s cameras and the cameras inside the vault were still operable.  The footage shows that the shoes worn by the suspect were distinctive high-top Air Jordans.  Those sneakers match the sneakers worn by Goines when he was caught several hours later.  Surveillance video footage captured an individual bearing a tattoo on his wrist attempting to cut the surveillance camera’s wires.  That tattoo also matched a tattoo on Goines’ wrist.  Officers also recovered trash bags that matched those used by Goines in the robbery in the back of the vehicle used to transport Goines to the police station, as well as in the U-Haul that he used that was parked near the firearms dealer. 

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Goldsticker, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Irvin Hudson, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a stolen firearm.  The sentence was imposed on January 17, 2020.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to get guns out of the hands of convicted felons and off of our streets, in order to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods.  Irvin Hudson was a convicted felon who chose to possess a stolen firearm and was arrested after running from a vehicle that had been carjacked.  This combination of facts often proves deadly on our streets.  Hudson now faces 10 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever.  Please, put down the guns and save a life—maybe even your own.”

According to his guilty plea, on the afternoon of November 30, 2018, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to an armed carjacking of a white Honda Accord.  According to the victims of the carjacking, a man approached the driver, who was standing outside the vehicle at a gas station, and pointed a black handgun at him.  The carjacker then told the female in the passenger seat to exit the vehicle, took the driver’s keys, and fled in the vehicle.

That evening, BPD received GPS information about the location of the carjacked vehicle.  Once officers located the vehicle, it sped away.  Officers in the BPD helicopter, known as “Foxtrot,” tracked and relayed the vehicle’s location to officers on the ground.  The vehicle stopped, and the driver and a front passenger exited the vehicle and fled in different directions. 

Officers in Foxtrot tracked the fleeing passenger, later identified as Hudson, relaying his location to ground officers.  The officers in Foxtrot saw Hudson attempt to hide under a truck in an alley and saw him throw a firearm.  Officers immediately went to the location and recovered the firearm—a semi-automatic pistol with a 9 mm cartridge in the chamber.   The firearm’s magazine was missing, but was subsequently located next to the passenger side door of the vehicle where Hudson had exited the vehicle.  The magazine was loaded with four 9mm cartridges.  Hudson admitted that he knew that the firearm was stolen.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the FBI, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Goldsticker and Matthew DellaBetta, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel today sentenced Justin Paul Keener, age 31, of Patuxent River, Maryland, to 25 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, on each of two counts of abusive sexual contact with a child, to be served concurrently.  Judge Hazel also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Keener 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 sexual abuse of a child devastates the victim and their family,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Justin Keener will now have 25 years in federal prison, where there is no parole—ever—to think about the suffering he has inflicted on these innocent children.  This office will continue to prioritize child exploitation cases in order to protect our children from predators like Keener.”

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

According to his guilty plea, in November 2017, while residing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Keener sexually abused a victim who was under the age of 12.  In and before November 2017, Keener sexually abused another victim, also under the age of 12, on multiple occasions.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the NCIS and the FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Christopher Crawford, age 40, of Waldorf, Maryland to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography.  The sentence was imposed on January 15, 2020.  Judge Grimm also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Crawford must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on January 5, 2018, Crawford agreed to a search of his cellular phone as part of an investigation by the Prince George’s County Police Department, revealing videos and images of two minor female victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and documenting Crawford’s sexual abuse of the victims. 

On February 15, 2018, search warrants were executed on Crawford’s residence and a vehicle.  Law enforcement recovered electronic media and devices that contained files depicting the victims engaged in sex acts or simulated sex acts with Crawford, and other sexually explicit images.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Jessica C. Collins, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging three alleged members of the racially motivated violent extremist group “The Base” with firearms and alien-related charges.  The complaint charges Brian Mark Lemley, Jr., age 33, of Elkton, Maryland, and Newark, Delaware, and William Garfield Bilbrough IV, age 19, of Denton, Maryland, with transporting and harboring aliens and conspiring to do so.  Lemley is also charged with transporting a machine gun and disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an alien unlawfully present in the United States.  Further, the complaint charges Lemley and Canadian national Patrik Jordan Mathews, age 27, currently of Newark, Delaware, with transporting a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony.  The complaint also charges Mathews with being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  The complaint was filed January 14, 2020, and was unsealed today upon their arrests by the FBI. 

The defendants are expected to have initial appearances beginning at 2:45 p.m. today in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, 6400 Cherrywood Lane, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Day.  

The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.

According to the criminal complaint, within The Base’s encrypted chat rooms, members have discussed, among other things, recruitment, creating a white ethno-state, committing acts of violence against minority communities (including African-Americans and Jewish-Americans), the organization’s military-style training camps, and ways to make improvised explosive devices.  Lemley previously served as a Cavalry Scout in the United States Army, and as of August 2019, Mathews, a Canadian citizen in the United States illegally, was a combat engineer in the Canadian Army Reserve. 

The affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint alleges that on August 19, 2019, Mathews unlawfully crossed from Canada into the United States near the Manitoba/Minnesota border.  On August 30, 2019, Lemley and Bilbrough allegedly drove from Maryland to Michigan in order to pick up Mathews, and all three men returned to Maryland on August 31, 2019.

As detailed in the criminal complaint, on November 3, 2019, the three men drove from Virginia to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where Bilbrough resided.  Lemley and Mathews then continued to the area of Elkton, Maryland, where Lemley obtained a motel room for Mathews.  The following day, Lemley drove Mathews to Delaware, where Lemley rented an apartment in which the two have resided since that time.

According to the affidavit, during December 2019, Lemley and Mathews used an upper receiver ordered by Lemley, as well as other firearms parts, to make a functioning assault rifle.  Also in December, Lemley, Mathews, and Bilbrough allegedly attempted to manufacture a controlled substance, DMT, at Lemley and Mathews’s apartment.  Furthermore, Lemley, Mathews, and Bilbrough discussed The Base’s activities and spoke about other members of the organization.  Mathews also allegedly showed the assault rifle to Bilbrough, who examined the assault rifle and returned it to Mathews.

In January 2020, according to the affidavit, that Lemley and Mathews purchased approximately 1,650 rounds of 5.56mm and 6.5mm ammunition; traveled from Delaware to a gun range in Maryland, where they shot the assault rifle; and retrieved plate carriers (to support body armor) and at least some of the purchased ammunition from Lemley’s prior residence in Maryland.

If convicted, Lemley and Bilbrough each face a maximum sentence of five years for transporting and harboring certain aliens, and 10 years for conspiracy to do so.  Lemley also faces a maximum of five years in prison for transporting a machine gun in interstate commerce, and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for disposing of a firearm and ammunition to an illegal alien.  Lemley and Mathews each face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony offense.  Finally, Mathews faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  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. 

United States Attorneys Robert K. Hur and David C. Weiss commended the FBI Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and ATF for their work in the investigation, and thanked U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland State Police, and the Delaware State Police for their assistance.  Mr. Hur and Mr. Weiss thanked their offices’ national security prosecutors, who are handling the case.

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