District of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland – On February 14, 2019, David Robinson, age 50, of Baltimore, Maryland, was arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with murder for hire, retaliating against a witness, and commission of a crime while on release.  Robinson, a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated the Frankford Family Pharmacy, pleaded guilty on October 10, 2018, to a federal drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.  Robinson was scheduled for sentencing on those charges today.

The new charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Acting Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

“We have zero tolerance for any effort to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.

“This investigation and subsequent arrest is a perfect example of how pharmaceutical cases that involve doctors or pharmacists have the potential to be just as violent as a street gang case,” said Supervisory Special Agent Todd C. Edwards, spokesman for Drug Enforcement Administration Baltimore District Office.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on October 27, 2018, the Citi-Watch camera system captured a drug transaction, which led to the arrest of an individual, CS-2.  A search of CS-2’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of two shoeboxes containing a total of 35 stock pharmacy bottles of the prescription medications Promethazine and Clonidine. 

CS-2 agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and advised that David Robinson had provided the drugs found in the car.  CS-2 stated that Robinson had provided drugs to CS-2 for the past three years, using prescriptions that Robinson knew were fraudulent.  CS-2 reported that after the search warrant was executed at the pharmacy on June 27, 2017, Robinson began providing CS-2 with case lots of boxes of medications in exchange for cash and that no prescription was required.  Further, CS-2 reported that six months after the raid, Robinson was still ordering pills from his vendors. 

According to the affidavit, after his arrest in 2017, Robinson mentioned the name of a person (“CS-1”) that Robinson believed had cooperated with law enforcement and led to his arrest in the drug conspiracy case, and told CS-2 that, “Jokers got to go.”  CS-2 told law enforcement that Robinson requested CS-2 to assist in the murder of CS-1 and gave CS-2 information about CS-1.  CS-2 told investigators that he/she did not know of anybody that could kill CS-1, but saw a chance to make some money from Robinson.  CS-2 told law enforcement that he/she told Robinson that he/she knew someone who could do the “hit,” and that the fee would be $10,000, with $5,000 as a down payment and $5,000 when CS-1 was killed.  According to the affidavit, in approximately late 2017, Robinson provided CS-2 with $5,000, which CS-2 deposited in the bank and used to pay bills.  According to CS-2, Robinson regularly questioned CS-2 about the progress, but CS-2 would make excuses and tell Robinson that CS-1 was hard to locate.

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

During a controlled purchase on January 24, 2019, CS-2 and Robinson allegedly discussed the murder of CS-1.  CS-2 told Robinson he/she had found someone to commit the murder, but that person wanted additional money to commit the crime.  According to the affidavit, Robinson agreed to pay the person the amount owed.  On February 14, 2019, CS-2 called Robinson and told him that the murder was done and the guy would want his money.  The complaint alleges that Robinson requested proof that the murder had been committed, and CS-2 showed Robinson several photos that appeared to show CS-1 dead.  Robinson allegedly indicated that was the right person and provided CS-2 with additional cash.  After the meeting, law enforcement arrested Robinson and CS-2.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Samika N. Boyd, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Montana Barronette, a/k/a Tana, and Tanner, age 23, of Baltimore, to life in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as Trained To Go (TTG).  The racketeering conspiracy included eight murders—six committed by Barronette—as well as drug trafficking; and witness intimidation.  Barronette and his co-defendants were also convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, and cocaine.  A federal jury convicted Barronette and seven co-defendants on October 31, 2018. 

The sentencing 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; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.

“Montana Barronette led one of the most violent gangs operating in Baltimore City and personally participated in at least six murders,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “He and his fellow gang members terrorized the Sandtown neighborhood in order to profit from the drug trade.  As a result of today’s sentence, justice has been served for his victims and their families.  Federal, state and local law enforcement will continue to work together to remove armed, violent criminals from our neighborhoods and bring them to justice in the federal system, which has no parole—ever.”

“From 2010 to 2017, Montana Barronette was known as the number one trigger puller in Baltimore and the leader of the vicious Trained To Go gang that terrorized the streets of West Baltimore, committing murders – including six by Barronette himself – shootings, armed robberies, drug dealing, and witness intimidation,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.  “Today’s sentence brings Barronette’s murderous career to an end – and brings some measure of justice to his many victims.  I commend our prosecutors, as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, for their tireless pursuit of justice against this violent gang.”

“This case represents the epitome of law enforcement agencies working together to target and dismantle violent street gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson.  “The citizens of Baltimore City and Maryland have the FBI’s commitment that we will work with our local, state and federal partners to attack these dealers and remove violent criminals from their neighborhoods.”

According to the evidence presented at their 24-day trial, Barronette and his co-defendants are all members of TTG, a criminal organization that operated in the Sandtown neighborhood of West Baltimore, whose members engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence including murder, armed robbery, and witness intimidation.  As part of the conspiracy, each defendant agreed that a conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity for TTG. 

The evidence at trial showed that Barronette and co-defendant Terrell Sivells served as the leadership for TTG.  Members and associates of TTG sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and worked to defend their exclusive right to control who sold narcotics in TTG territory.  In addition to coordinating the distribution of heroin, Barronette also coordinated with other gangs, including the “Young Go Getters,” to conduct contract killings.

Specifically, the evidence proved that between May 20, 2010 and January 9, 2017, Barronette, his co-defendants, and other members of TTG committed acts of violence, including eight murders, shootings, armed robbery, and witness intimidation.  The violent acts were intended to further the gang’s activities, protect the gang’s drug territory, and maintain and increase a member’s position within the organization.  Murders were committed in retaliation for individuals robbing TTG members of drugs and drug proceeds, or while TTG members robbed others of their drugs and drug proceeds, as well as in murder-for-hire schemes.  Further, the defendants engaged in witness intimidation through violence or threats of violence, to prevent individuals from cooperating with law enforcement.

The following defendants, all of Baltimore, were also convicted after trial and face a maximum sentence of life in prison on the racketeering and drug conspiracies:

Terrell Sivells, a/k/a Rell, age 27; John Harrison, a/k/a Binkie, age 28; Taurus Tillman, a/k/a Tash, age 29; Linton Broughton, a/k/a Marty, age 25; Dennis Pulley, a/k/a Denmo, age 31; Brandon Wilson, a/k/a Ali, age 24; and
Timothy Floyd, a/k/a Tim Rod, age 28.

Pulley and Wilson each also face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for being felons in possession of a firearm; and a mandatory minimum of five years, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and up to life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Tillman and Sivells also face up to 20 years in prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin.  The defendants remain detained.

Three other TTG members, all of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty.  Brandon Bazemore, a/k/a Man Man, age 25, pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy, including three murders and an attempted murder, as well as to the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.  Co-defendants Hisaun Chatman, age 31, and James Woodfolk, age 20, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and were each sentenced to five years in prison, to be served concurrent to the state sentence each is currently serving. 

Co-defendant Roger Taylor, of Baltimore, is still a fugitive.  Anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Roger Taylor is asked to contact the FBI-Baltimore Field office at (410) 265-8080.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, 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 the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner, Christopher J. Romano, 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.

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A Baltimore, Maryland man was sentenced today to life in prison for conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as Trained To Go (TTG).  The racketeering conspiracy included eight murders, drug trafficking, and witness intimidation. 

The sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Acting Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division;  Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Baltimore District Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.

Montana Barronette, aka Tana, and Tanner, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake for the District of Maryland to serve life in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  The racketeering conspiracy included eight murders – six committed by Barronette – as well as drug trafficking and witness intimidation.  Barronette and his co-defendants were also convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, and cocaine.  A federal jury convicted Barronette and seven co-defendants on Oct. 31, 2018. 

“From 2010 to 2017, Montana Barronette was known as the number one trigger puller in Baltimore and the leader of the vicious Trained To Go gang that terrorized the streets of West Baltimore, committing murders – including six by Barronette himself – shootings, armed robberies, drug dealing, and witness intimidation,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.  “Today’s sentence brings Barronette’s murderous career to an end – and brings some measure of justice to his many victims.  I commend our prosecutors, as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, for their tireless pursuit of justice against this violent gang.”

“Montana Barronette was the leader of one of the most violent gangs operating in Baltimore City and personally participated in at least six murders,” said U.S. Attorney Hur. “As a result of today’s sentence justice has been served for his victims and their families.  Federal, state and local law enforcement will continue to work together to remove armed, violent criminals from our neighborhoods and bring them to justice in the federal system, which has no parole—ever.”

“This case represents the epitome of law enforcement agencies working together to target and dismantle violent street gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Johnson.  “The citizens of Baltimore City and Maryland have the FBI’s commitment that we will work with our local, state and federal partners to attack these dealers and remove violent criminals from their neighborhoods.”

According to the evidence presented at their 24-day trial, Barronette and his co-defendants are all members of TTG, a criminal organization which operated in the Sandtown neighborhood of West Baltimore, whose members engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence including murder, armed robbery, and witness intimidation.  As part of the conspiracy, each defendant agreed that a conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity for TTG. 

The evidence at trial showed that Barronette and co-defendant Terrell Sivells served as the leadership for TTG.  Members and associates of TTG sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and worked to defend their exclusive right to control who sold narcotics in TTG territory.  In addition to coordinating the distribution of heroin, Barronette also coordinated with a criminal group known as the “Young Go Getters,” and others to engage in murder-for-hire schemes on behalf of TTG.

Specifically, the evidence proved that between May 20, 2010 and Jan. 9, 2017, Barronette, his co-defendants, and other members of TTG committed acts of violence, including nine murders, shootings, armed robbery, and witness intimidation.  The violent acts were intended to further the gang’s activities, protect the gang’s drug territory, and maintain and increase a member’s position within the organization.  Murders were committed in retaliation for individuals robbing TTG members of drugs and drug proceeds, or while TTG members robbed others of their drugs and drug proceeds, as well as in murder-for-hire schemes.  Further, the defendants engaged in witness intimidation through violence or threats of violence, to prevent individuals from cooperating with law enforcement.

The following defendants, all of Baltimore, were also convicted after trial and face a maximum sentence of life in prison on the racketeering and drug conspiracies:

Terrell Sivells, aka Rell, 27;

John Harrison, aka Binkie, 28;

Taurus Tillman, aka Tash, 29;

Linton Broughton, aka Marty, 25;

Dennis Pulley, aka Denmo, 31;

Brandon Wilson, aka Ali, 24; and

Timothy Floyd, aka Tim Rod, age 28.

Pulley and Wilson each also face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for being felons in possession of a firearm; and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and up to life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Tillman and Sivells also face up to 20 years in prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin.  The defendants remain detained.

Three other TTG members, all of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty.  Brandon Bazemore, aka Man Man, 25, pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy, including three murders and an attempted murder, as well as to the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.  Co-defendants Hisaun Chatman, 31, and James Woodfolk, 20, pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and were each sentenced to five years in prison, to be served concurrent to the state sentence each is currently serving. 

Co-defendant Roger Taylor, of Baltimore, is still a fugitive.  Anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Roger Taylor is asked to contact the FBI Baltimore Field office at (410) 265-8080.

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

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation was conducted by the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, ATF, DEA, Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.  The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Hanley formerly of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner and Christopher J. Romano of the District of Maryland.

Greenbelt, Maryland – Carjandario Danielle Yarborough, age 35, of Washington, D.C, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, and to murder in furtherance of the conspiracy.  She and federal prosecutors also agreed to recommend to the judge that he impose a sentence of 20 years in prison.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Jesse R. Fong of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Peter Newsham of the Metropolitan Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha N. Braveboy.

According to her plea agreement, from at least January 1, 2016 through February 9, 2019, Carjandario Danielle Yarborough conspired with others to distribute synthetic cannabinoids, and other controlled substances and controlled substance analogues.  Controlled substance analogues are substances that are chemically manufactured to mimic, and create a “high” similar to other drugs.  Yarborough and her co-conspirators obtained synthetic cannabinoids, known by various names, including “Salt,” and sold them in Maryland and other locations, including the District of Columbia and Virginia.  Yarborough and her co-conspirators obtained cash from the drug sales and possessed firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy.  Yarborough and her co-conspirators routinely rented hotel rooms and vehicles to distribute the synthetic cannabinoids.

On September 29 and September 30, 2016, Yarborough and co-conspirator 1, (“CC-1”) rented hotel rooms in Temple Hills, Maryland, to prepare and distribute synthetic cannabinoids.  While at the hotel, Yarborough and CC-1 believed that another co-conspirator, Victim 1, had stolen money from them in connection with the sale of synthetic cannabinoids.  When CC-1 confronted Victim 1 about the suspected theft, Yarborough stabbed Victim 1 in the chest with a knife, killing him. 

After Victim 1 was killed, CC-1 and another co-conspirator removed synthetic cannabinoids and drug proceeds from the hotel room. After the co-conspirators left the hotel room where Victim 1 had been killed, Yarborough called 911 and falsely reported that she had killed Victim 1 in self-defense.

On January 30, 2018, Yarborough and CC-1 sold synthetic cannabinoids to a law enforcement officer.  On February 9, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence where Yarborough and CC-1 lived.  Law enforcement recovered synthetic cannabinoids intended for distribution, a 9mm pistol, a 25-caliber pistol, and $1,640.79 in cash, which was generated from the sale of synthetic cannabinoids.

Yarborough and the government have agreed that 20 years in prison is the appropriate disposition of this case and will recommend that sentence to the Court.  U.S. District Judge Theodore C. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2019 at 9:30.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF, the DEA, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and recognized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore and the Arlington County Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Gregory D. Bernstein, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – William E. Tyler, age 55, of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to the illegal transfer and possession of a machine gun.  Tyler is the former Chief of Police in Taneytown, Maryland.   

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson 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 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.  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. 

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 and did not know it was automatic, when in fact he had fired the weapon.

As a result of his guilty plea, 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.

Tyler faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.  U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.

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 are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced former Baltimore Police Detective Momodu Bondeva Kenton Gondo, age 36, of Owings Mills, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing heroin.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

“This prosecution demonstrates that no one is above the law. When we have evidence of wrongdoing, we will follow that evidence and prosecute you--whether you wear a badge or not,” said Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Momodu Gondo and the other corrupt officers in the GTTF betrayed the public’s trust and dishonored their badge. Their federal prison sentences are just punishment for their crimes”

Momodu Gondo joined the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) on November 29, 2005 and was later assigned to the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), a division of the Baltimore Police Department. According to his plea agreement, Gondo conspired to steal money, property, and narcotics by detaining victims, entering residences, conducting traffic stops, and swearing out false search warrant affidavits. In addition, Gondo prepared and submitted false official incident and arrest reports, reports of property seized from arrestees, and charging documents, which concealed the fact that Gondo and his co-conspirators stole money, property, and narcotics from individuals.

According to his plea agreement, Gondo admitted participating in eight robberies from March 2015 through July 2016.  Gondo robbed civilians whom he detained and in some cases arrested and stole money and drugs from them.  Gondo shared the proceeds with co-defendants and fellow BPD officers Jemell Rayam, Wayne Jenkins, Daniel Hersl, Marcus Taylor, and others, and on other occasions, he kept all of the proceeds for himself.  In each robbery, Gondo was armed with his BPD service firearm, individual victims of the robberies were physically restrained to facilitate the commission of the offense, and he authored false incident reports and other official documents, in some cases in order to conceal his criminal conduct and otherwise obstruct justice.

On October 5, 2015, Gondo and his co-conspirators robbed a drug dealer after Gondo and Rayam placed a tracking device on the victim’s car without court authorization so that they could rob his apartment when he was not home.  Gondo acted as a lookout while Rayam and Glen Kyle Wells entered the victim’s apartment.  Rayam and Wells stole a Rolex watch, a firearm, $12,000 to $14,000 in cash, and at least 800 grams of heroin.  After the robbery, Gondo and his co-conspirators split the money they had stolen.  Wells took the Rolex, the gun, and the drugs and sold some of the drugs.  Rayam also sold some of the drugs and shared proceeds with Gondo.

Gondo admitted to committing multiple robberies with Sergeant Thomas Allers.  For example, on March 11, 2015, Gondo, Rayam, and Allers searched a residence and discovered a large quantity of cash.  Gondo, Rayam, and Allers each took some of the cash.  Gondo took between $8,000 and $10,000. 

Gondo further admitted that he sold a seized gun and marijuana to a drug dealer.  In June 2016, Gondo, Rayam, and Jenkins conducted a car stop and then went to the driver’s residence, without a warrant, and seized a 9mm handgun and a pound of marijuana.  After Jenkins directed the sale of the gun and marijuana in order to repay a debt Rayam owed Jenkins for drugs, Gondo arranged for an associate of his, a drug dealer, to buy the marijuana and handgun. 

On July 8, 2016, Gondo and his co-defendants Hersl and Rayam detained two victims after a car stop.  Gondo stole money from one of the victims. At Jenkins’s direction, Hersl, Rayam, and Gondo transported the two victims to a BPD office to interrogate them.  Jenkins told his co-conspirators to treat him like he was the U.S. Attorney.  After speaking with one of the individuals, Jenkins, Hersl, Gondo, and Rayam then transported both of the victims to their home and robbed them of $20,000.  Jenkins, Hersl, Rayam, and Gondo divided the $20,000. 

In a separate seven-count indictment, Gondo and five co-defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin as part of the Shropshire drug trafficking organization (“DTO”).  Gondo admitted that he provided sensitive law enforcement information to other conspirators in order to help the DTO and protect his co-conspirators. According to his plea agreement, Gondo admitted to providing protection, information and tips to his co-conspirator and co-defendant Antonio Shropshire about how to avoid being arrested.  For example, on March 31, 2016, Gondo alerted Shropshire, who along with his co-conspirators, primarily distributed heroin near the Alameda Shopping Center in Baltimore, that the Drug Enforcement Administration had installed a GPS tracking device on his vehicle.  Shropshire, under Gondo’s instruction, then removed the GPS device and placed it on another vehicle.

According to his plea agreement, Gondo also admitted that he routinely submitted fraudulent individual overtime reports defrauding the Baltimore Police Department and the citizens of Maryland.  On these reports, Gondo falsely certified that he worked his entire regularly assigned shifts, when he did not, and that he worked additional hours for which he received overtime pay, when he had not worked all and in some cases any of those overtime hours.  Gondo also admitted that he submitted false and fraudulent overtime reports on behalf of his co-defendants.

Lastly, Gondo admitted to obstructing law enforcement by alerting his co-defendants about potential investigations of their criminal conduct, coaching them to give false testimony to investigators from the Internal Investigations Division of the BPD, and turning off his body cameras to avoid recording encounters with civilians. 

Former Baltimore Police Sergeant Wayne Earl Jenkins, age 38, of Middle River, Maryland was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, two counts of robbery, destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation, and four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.  Former Detectives Daniel Thomas Hersl, age 49, of Joppa, Maryland and Marcus Roosevelt Taylor, age 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, were convicted after a three-week trial and were each sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, for racketeering conspiracy and racketeering offenses, including overtime fraud, and robbery. Former Sergeant Thomas Allers, age 49, of Linthicum Heights, Maryland was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, for racketeering conspiracy and racketeering offenses, including nine robberies.  Former Detective Jemell Lamar Rayam, age 38, of Owings Mills, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, including multiple robberies, and overtime fraud, and is scheduled for sentencing on March 8, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

Antonio Shropshire, a/k/a Brill, B, and Tony, age 33, to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine relating to the drug trafficking organization in North Baltimore. Co-defendants Alexander Campbell, a/k/a Munch, age 30, and Glen Kyle Wells, a/k/a Lou, and Kyle, age 31, both of Baltimore were sentenced to 196 months and 188 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in the drug trafficking organization. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the DEA, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  U.S. Attorney Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Tyrell Rashad Cauthern, age 30, of Fort Washington, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs, and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Judge Grimm also found that Cauthern committed those crimes while on supervised release for a 2011 federal drug trafficking conviction, revoked Cauthern’s supervised release, and sentenced him to 12 months in prison to be served concurrent to the 10 year sentence.  The sentences were imposed on February 6, 2018.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada 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.         

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “We are determined to reduce the number of drug-related deaths in Maryland, especially opioid overdose deaths.  We’re particularly focusing our attention on those who sell fentanyl, the drug that is killing the most of our citizens, and drug dealers who use guns.  Drug traffickers are on notice that guns and drugs - especially fentanyl - increase their odds of federal prosecution, resulting in long federal sentences without the possibility of parole.”

According to his guilty plea, on October 17, 2017, Prince George’s County Police officers executed a search warrant at Cauthern’s residence and his car.  Officers recovered a 9 mm handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition, $11,368 in cash, crack cocaine, fentanyl, two of Cauthern’s cell phones, and drug paraphernalia.  The drugs were concealed in three containers with false bottoms – an Ajax bottle, Pepsi bottle and Scotch Guard can.  In total, officers seized 75 bags containing 175 grams of fentanyl and 14 bags containing 55 grams of crack cocaine. During the search, officers also located Cauthern’s six-year-old daughter in the residence.

In one of Cauthern’s phones, officers found text messages in which Cauthern used coded language to facilitate drug transactions.  Cauthern was also prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as a result of his previous felony conviction.  Cauthern will forfeit the cash and gun seized during the search on October 17, 2017.

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 Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory D. Bernstein, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Deniro Southern-Robinson, age 21, of Largo, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing a series of armed robberies in which he brandished a gun. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, between December 29, 2016 and January 7, 2017, Southern-Robinson and his co-defendants, Joshua Isaiah Potter and Deandre Denzil Proctor, conspired to commit a series of robberies of businesses.  In each robbery, Southern-Robinson and Proctor entered the locations, brandished a gun, and robbed the employees of the proceeds of the business, while Potter served as a lookout during the robberies and drove the getaway vehicle.

Specifically, in less than two hours in the early morning of December 29, 2016, Southern-Robinson and his accomplices robbed three businesses in Myersville, Frederick, and Bethesda, Maryland.  In each robbery, Southern-Robinson brandished a silver revolver and Proctor brandished a BB gun.  Both men covered their faces with bandanas or masks.  In the first robbery, they confronted an employee and demanded to know where the safe was.  The victim informed them that there was no safe and began pushing one of the robbers before noticing that both appeared to be brandishing firearms.  Southern-Robinson and Proctor emptied the cash registers into their pockets, stealing approximately $517.  As they fled, they threatened to kill the employee if he/she called the police.  In the other two robberies, Southern-Robinson and Proctor confronted employees and demanded they open the cash registers, stealing $232 and $350, respectively.  Potter was the lookout and getaway driver for each robbery.

On January 7, 2017, Potter drove the robbers to a business in Myersville, Maryland.  Southern-Robinson and Proctor entered the business, again brandishing a silver revolver and BB gun, respectively, and wearing masks to cover their faces.  The robbers confronted two store employees, with Proctor pointing the BB gun at the chest of one of the victim store employees, and asked for the safe.  The victim led them to where the safe was located and Southern-Robinson removed cash from the safe and put it in a duffel bag.  Southern-Robinson and Proctor stole approximately $773.  Potter served as the getaway driver after the robbery was completed.

Several minutes later, law enforcement officers saw Potter’s vehicle traveling from the direction of the business and initiated a traffic stop.  Proctor, the front seat passenger, was wearing the same distinctive tiger-striped shoes he had worn in the December 29th robberies.  Law enforcement arrested the defendants and obtained a search warrant for the vehicle.  Law enforcement seized the silver revolver, a .22-caliber loaded with four rounds of ammunition, from the right rear passenger door, where Southern-Robinson had been seated.  From the front passenger floor, where Proctor was sitting, law enforcement recovered black clothing that matched the clothing worn during the robberies, a black BB gun, and the duffel bag that had been used in the robberies.  Law enforcement also recovered $789 from the pouch on the back of the front passenger seat, where Southern-Robinson has been seated, and three cell phones, among other items.  Additional search warrants were executed at the residences of Southern-Robinson and Proctor that recovered additional cash and other clothing worn during the December 29th robberies.

Deandre Denzil Proctor, age 22, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and Joshua Isaiah Potter, age 22, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to their roles in the robberies.  Judge Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Potter on May 3, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. and for Proctor on May 6, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. 

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Cross Border Task Force, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Orneth South, age 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty late on February 6, 2019, to robberies of two armored vehicles – one in Maryland on January 22, 2018, and one in North Carolina on February 9, 2015.  South has a 2007 armed robbery conviction in the Eastern District of New York.

The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina R. Andrew Murray; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Salisbury Police Chief Barbara Duncan.

According to his guilty plea, on January 22, 2018, South and his co-defendants approached the driver of the armored vehicle as he was removing cash cassettes from an ATM machine at a credit union on Mt. Hebron Road in Salisbury, Maryland.  Co-defendant Michael Watts placed a gun to the driver’s head, and disarmed him of his service weapon.  Watts then grabbed the driver by the hair and order him to open the door of the armored vehicle.  After the driver opened the door, South and another co-defendant removed several bags of money from the vehicle, as well as ATM cassettes filled with cash.  Watts then forced the driver into the vehicle, where he used zip ties to secure the driver’s hands.  The robbers then fled with the money, stealing a total of $1,324,288.  The robbers went to the co-defendant’s residence in nearby Princess Anne and divided the stolen money.

On April 20, 1018, South was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a warrant issued as a result of the robbery.  South agreed to talk to investigators and confessed to the robbery on January 22, 2018.

On January 31, 2019, co-defendant Michael Watts, a/k/a “Turtle,” age 42, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to his role in the robbery.  Watts was arrested on May 18, 2018, in Queens, New York on a warrant issued as a result of the robbery.  At the time of his arrest, Watts was wearing approximately $70,000 in jewelry, including a custom turtle pendant, which was purchased with the proceeds of the armored vehicle robbery.  Watts also admitted using his portion of the stolen money to purchase a Mercedes S430 automobile, clothes, two tombstones, and to pay off bills and rent.

At the time of his arrest, South also admitted his involvement in a separate armored vehicle robbery in North Carolina on February 9, 2015.  In that robbery, South and two accomplices pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the guard, stole his handgun and $120,694.25 that had just been retrieved from a nearby restaurant and was in a bag slung over the guard’s shoulder.

As part of their plea agreements, the defendants will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which is at least $1,324,288.

South and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, South will be sentenced to 20 years in prison.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Watts on May 1, 2019 and for South on May 8, 2019, both at 3:00 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.

United States Attorneys Robert K. Hur and R. Andrew Murray commended the FBI’s field offices in Baltimore and Charlotte, the Salisbury Police Department, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur and Mr. Murray thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys P. Michael Cunningham and Paul A. Riley, who are prosecuting the Maryland case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lambert F. Guinn, who handled the North Carolina case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – On February 5, 2019, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Christian Moylan, age 38, of Eden, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for his conviction on attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Judge Bennett also ordered that, upon Moylan’s release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is employed, and where 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; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Field Office; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi of Maryland State Police.

According to the plea agreement, on December 7, 2016, Moylan sent a sexually explicit photograph of a pre-pubescent girl over the internet. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was notified, and the Maryland State Police and HSI initiated an investigation. The investigation revealed that, for several years, Moylan used a fake female identity to communicate with minors using a messaging application. He used this fake identity to meet young girls in various Internet chat rooms, and then would start private online conversations with some of the girls he met online.  Pretending to be a girl, Moylan would initially communicate with the girls he met online about age-appropriate topics, such as cheerleading and school, and then he would gradually engage in more sexually explicit conversations. Between June 26, 2014 and September 2, 2014, Moylan used his computer to send very sexually explicit messages to a 15-year-old girl, and he persuaded, and attempted to persuade the teenager to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. 

Moylan also possessed more than 1,000 images of child pornography, including images that portrayed the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors, including a toddler.

Moylan’s federal sentence will be served concurrently to the state sentence Moylan is currently serving.

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 Attorneys’ 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 HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Duey, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – On February 1, 2019, U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Kenneth M. Smith, age 40, of Randallstown, Maryland, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for two counts of sexual exploitation of a child in which Smith sexually abused a young boy and took photographs on his phone documenting the abuse.  Judge Russell ordered that, upon his release from prison, Smith must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell Morant of ICE Homeland Security Investigations; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office.

According to his plea agreement and other court documents, on September 8, 2015, an electronic communications service reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) that one of its users had uploaded an image of known child pornography and that user’s account was related to others associated with Smith.  It was determined that Smith’s account was active on an image-sharing website that contains child pornography and erotica.  The IP address used to access the account was assigned to Smith’s mother’s residence in Randallstown, Maryland, where he was living at the time.

On October 12, 2015, the Baltimore County Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence and discovered Smith’s laptop, which was powered on and had an anonymous file-sharing platform open on the screen. The file-sharing program was active and downloading child pornography files.  A downloads folder was also open and contained numerous files of child pornography.

During an interview with investigators, Smith admitted to sexually abusing a young boy when he was between five and eight years old, and taking pictures of the abuse with his smartphone. Investigators located the photographs of Smith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the boy.  Smith further admitted to engaging in sexual activity with two other minors, including a young girl in Washington County, Maryland.  In September 2017, Smith was convicted after a trial in Washington County Circuit Court for a third-degree sex offense, and for unnatural or perverted practice.  The minor victim was required to testify at the trial.  In November 2017, Smith was sentenced to 16 years in state prison on those charges.  Smith’s federal sentence will be served concurrent to his state sentence.

Investigators recovered thousands of other videos and images of children being sexually abused, including images and videos of the rape of children, including infants and toddlers.  Smith also used his e-mail accounts to send and receive child pornography.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Jeffrey J. Izant, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Frank Crawford III, age 22, formerly of Virginia, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography in which he enticed a minor victim to send him sexually explicit photos of herself.  Upon his release from prison, Crawford must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans.

According to his plea agreement, over a period of four to five days, Crawford, then 21 years old and enlisted in the U.S. Army, had sexualized discussions with a 14-year-old Maryland victim.  On May 4, 2017, Crawford persuaded the victim to send him sexually explicit images of herself.  Crawford admitted that he and the victim used an interactive live chat service to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Crawford further admitted that he knew the victim was a minor. 

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 Calvert County Sheriff’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland – Reynaldo Alexis Granados-Vasquez, age 23, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to kidnap a victim.  This guilty plea follows the guilty plea earlier this week of co-defendant, Neris Moreno-Martinez, age 22, of West New York, New Jersey, and the guilty plea last week of co-defendant Jose Israel Melendez-Rivera, age 21, of Germantown, Maryland, for their roles in the same conspiracy.  According to court papers, the defendants kidnapped and murdered the victim, whom they believed to be a member of a rival gang.  All three defendants were citizens of El Salvador and unlawfully present in the United States.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Mark P. Sroka of the Gaithersburg Police Department; and the Guttenberg Police Department, New Jersey.

“The convictions of these three defendants, and our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to bring other gang members to justice, demonstrate our unflagging commitment to eliminate MS-13 and its campaign of wanton violence,” said United States Attorney Hur.

According to court papers, including the three plea agreements in this case, all three defendants were in the L.A. clique of MS-13.  Moreno-Martinez lived in New Jersey and was a paro.  Melendez-Rivera, a/k/a “Liar,” lived in Maryland and was an observation.  Reynaldo Alexis Granados-Vasquez, a/k/a “Fuego,” also lived in Maryland and was a paro.

In the summer of 2016, Moreno-Martinez told Melendez-Rivera about the victim, Jordy Mejia (identified as Victim A in the Superseding Indictment), whom Moreno-Martinez alleged was a member of the rival 18th Street Gang.  (There is no evidence suggesting that Mejia in fact was a member of any gang.)  Moreno-Martinez and Melendez-Rivera sought and received approval from certain MS-13 homeboys to murder Mejia.

As part of the conspiracy, on or before October 1, 2016, Moreno-Martinez created a Facebook account in the name of “Shaila Smith.”  Between on or about October 2, 2016, and October 15, 2016, Moreno-Martinez, using Facebook, posed as “Shaila Smith,” which included using the assistance of his minor girlfriend, and expressed to Mejia that “Shaila Smith” was romantically interested in Mejia.  Moreno-Martinez undertook these actions with the knowledge and willful participation of Melendez-Rivera and Granados-Vasquez, with each having the knowledge that the end goal was to trick Mejia into coming to Maryland so that the three co-defendants could murder Mejia.

As further part of the conspiracy, Moreno-Martinez persuaded Mejia to travel from New Jersey to Maryland to meet in person; instructed Mejia regarding when to travel to Maryland and what interstate transportation service to use; and provided Mejia with the address of Melendez-Rivera on Pine Ridge Lane in Germantown, Maryland, as the location where Mejia should travel to meet “Shaila Smith.”

On the morning of October 15, 2016, Moreno-Martinez traveled from New Jersey to Melendez-Rivera’s basement apartment in Maryland.  Later that same day, at the urging of Moreno-Martinez (acting as “Shaila Smith”), Mejia also traveled from New Jersey to Maryland.  Once in Maryland, Mejia was instructed by Moreno-Martinez (acting as “Shaila Smith”) to go to a particular address on Pine Ridge Lane in Germantown, Maryland, which was Melendez-Rivera’s address.

Once Mejia arrived in Maryland, Melendez-Rivera drove Moreno-Martinez and Granados-Vasquez to a residence near a wooded area off Game Preserve Road, where the two were to lay in wait for Mejia.  Melendez-Rivera then drove back toward his apartment, picked up Mejia, and returned to the vicinity of the residence off Game Preserve Road.  When Mejia arrived, Granados-Vasquez and Moreno-Martinez chased Mejia.  Granados-Vasquez first caught up to Mejia, kicking him into a small stream.  Melendez-Rivera and Moreno-Martinez then held Mejia’s head underwater, drowning Mejia.

After murdering Mejia, Melendez-Rivera, Moreno-Martinez, and Granados-Vasquez carried Mejia’s body into the woods nearby, dug a shallow grave, and then each took turns stabbing Mejia’s dead body with two machetes they had brought.

La Mara Salvatrucha, a/k/a the MS-13 gang (“MS-13”), is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, and throughout the United States.  MS-13 is a national and international criminal organization and is one of the largest street gangs in the United States.  Gang members actively recruit members, including juveniles, from communities with a large number of Salvadorian immigrants.

MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rival gangs.  Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by the gang leadership, increased the respect accorded to that member, resulted in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opened the door to a promotion to a leadership position.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 was that its members must attack and kill rivals whenever possible.  Rivals are often referred to as “chavalas.”  One of the main rivals of MS-13 was the 18th Street Gang.

Prospective members who sought to join MS‑13 were required to complete an initiation process.  Individuals who associated with and were friends of the gang were called “paisas.”  Individuals who did favors and other acts for the gang were called “paros.”  Persons being observed by the gang for potential membership were known as “observations.”  Individuals who had advanced to the final level before being “jumped in” were called “chequeos,” or “cheqs.” Chequeos underwent a probationary period during which they were required to commit crimes on behalf of MS-13 to achieve trust and prove their loyalty to the gang.   To join MS‑13 and become a full member or “homeboy,” prospective members were required to complete an initiation process, often referred to as being “jumped in” or “beat in” to the gang.  During that initiation, other members of MS‑13 would beat the new member, usually until a gang member finished counting aloud to the number thirteen, representing the “13” in MS-13.

MS‑13 is an international criminal organization, and is organized in Maryland and elsewhere into “cliques,” that is, smaller groups operating in a specific city or region.  Cliques operated under the umbrella rules of MS‑13.

Melendez-Rivera is scheduled for sentencing on April 25, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Paula Xinis in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, and faces up to life in prison.  Moreno-Martinez is scheduled for sentencing on May 3, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Xinis and faces from 292 months to 365 months in prison.  Granados-Vasquez is scheduled for sentencing on May 13, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Xinis and faces from 240 months to 324 months in prison.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended Homeland Security Investigations; the Montgomery County Police Department; the Gaithersburg Police Department; and the Guttenberg Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Timothy Hagan, who are prosecuting the case.

###

 

Baltimore, Maryland – George Tomasack, age 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to making a series of telephone bomb threats in October 2016 against the Pentagon Tours Office and a CNN news affiliate.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Sung Yi of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, on October 25, 2016, Tomasack made threatening calls to the Pentagon Tours Office and to CNN-Atlanta, in addition to other private and government locations. Tomasack admitted that during the calls he threatened to blow up the locations. Specifically, during the call to the Pentagon Tours Office, Tomasack stated that the call was an “ISIS threat” and “there will be a (unintelligible) at your building in five hours.” On that same day, Tomasack called a CNN news affiliate in Atlanta and stated that “he was associated with ISIS and they were going to blow up a government building.”

Telephone records obtained during the investigation to identify the caller revealed that in addition to the Pentagon, Tomasack called the White House, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, the Department of Justice, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, and television news stations in Baltimore, Ft. Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California.

Tomasack faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for May 3, 2019 at 11 a.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Secret Service – Baltimore Field Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Wallner, who is prosecuting the case.

###

Greenbelt, Maryland –U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Kyle Stephen Thompson, age 33, of Burtonsville, Maryland, to 420 years in federal prison concurrent to the state sentence to be imposed, and lifetime supervised release for his conviction on 18 counts of production of child pornography, involving videos documenting Thompson’s sexual abuse of three young girls, aged 2 to 4.  On September 13, 2018, the federal jury who heard the evidence during his three-day trial returned its guilty verdict on each of the 18 counts after deliberating less than 30 minutes.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “Kyle Thompson’s horrific sexual assaults on young girls would not have stopped without the work of the prosecutors, law enforcement agents, and witnesses in this case.  Today’s sentence is a result of their efforts and ensures that Thompson will never be able to abuse a child again.”

According to the evidence presented at his trial and at today’s sentencing hearing, from May 9, 2015, to January 28, 2017, Thompson sexually assaulted three young girls, each of whom were between two and four years of age at the time of the abuse, in order to produce visual depictions documenting the abuse.  Witnesses testified that on March 17, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence and recovered a Secure Digital (SD) memory card hidden in the laundry room.  During a preliminary on-scene forensic preview of the SD card, law enforcement saw a video depicting child pornography.  According to trial testimony, subsequent forensic analysis of the SD card revealed 18 videos of Thompson sexually abusing the three young girls.

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 Attorneys' 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, Montgomery County Police Department, and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley, Joseph Baldwin, and Kelly O. Hayes, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Chukwuemeka Ekwonna, age 29, of Glenn Dale, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to two counts of  Sex Trafficking of a Minor. Between October 2016 and February 2017, Ekwonna, who at the time was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C., engaged in sexual conduct with two girls, who were 14 and 15 years old, in exchange for money. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Timothy Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Anne Colt Leitess of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“Police officers are sworn to protect our communities, not prey on our youth,” said U.S. Attorney Hur.  “We will continue to work with our partners to bring traffickers to justice and protect our most vulnerable.” 

According to the plea agreement, beginning on or about January 24, 2016, Ekwonna worked as a police officer with MPD in Washington, D.C.  Since 2010, Ekwonna has used an account on Tagged, a social media and dating platform that allows users to search for others based on location and to engage in real-time chat.

Between December 19, 2016, and April 5, 2017, Ekwonna exchanged approximately 200 text and Tagged messages with a 14-year-old girl (referenced in the plea agreement as “Girl 1”).  On several occasions, Ekwonna offered to pay Girl 1 to engage in sex acts with him.  Ekwonna met with Girl 1 and engaged in sex acts with her on at least five occasions, between October 18, 2016, and February 15, 2017.  Ekwonna engaged in illegal sex with the underage girl in different locations in the Annapolis area, including in motel rooms and Ekwonna’s vehicle.  Ekwonna typically paid Girl 1 between $30 and $40 to have sex with him. Messages between Ekwonna and the 14-year-old girl suggest that she was aware that Ekwonna was a police officer.  

On January 9, 2017, Ekwonna exchanged approximately 54 Tagged messages with a second underage girl, who was 15 years old at the time (referenced in the plea agreement as “Girl 2”).  In these messages, Ekwonna offered to pay the 15-year-old girl to engage in sex acts with him.  Ekwonna met Girl 2 in Glen Burnie, where he gave her $80 and engaged in sex acts with her in the back of his car.

Both victims were students in the ninth grade at the time of the offenses.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Ekwonna faces a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 years in prison.  He also will face no fewer than five years of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for May 10, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.

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 of the Task Force 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.

[Suspected instances of human trafficking can be reported to HSI’s tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.]

In addition, this case was prosecuted 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 Attorneys’ 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 Homeland Security Investigations, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Ray D. McKenzie, who are prosecuting the case.

 

###

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Robert Jacob Eberle, age 30, of Lexington Park, Maryland, on federal charges including theft of firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms.  The indictment was returned on December 10, 2018.  Eberle is detained and is scheduled to have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on December 28, 2018.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron.

The indictment alleges that on July 21, 2018, Eberle stole 11 firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.  The guns included seven 9mm-caliber pistols, two .45-caliber pistols, a .40-caliber pistol, and a .380-caliber pistol.  According to the indictment, Eberle had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

If convicted, Eberle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count.  

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

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray D. McKenzie, who is prosecuting the case.

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced David Harris Lavine, age 58, of Rockville, Maryland, today to three years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for bank fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the financial institution, where he served as acting president and later president of a bank affiliate, and for income tax evasion.  Lavine was also ordered to pay $892,541.75 in restitution to the financial institution and $365,228.80 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and to forfeit $503,378.87.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kelly Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Assistant Inspector General Gerald Maye of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.

From March 2010 until January 2011, David Harris Lavine was the acting president of CFG Community Bank.  According to his plea agreement, Lavine admitted that, while acting President, he diverted $100,000 of bank funds to his own benefit. Lavine directed bank employees to wire funds, which Lavine mischaracterized as payments to a mortgage broker on bank loan refinances, to a company that belonged to a friend of Lavine’s.  Lavine lied to the friend about the source of the funds and had the friend pay the $100,000 over to Lavine. 

In January 2011, shortly after Lavine resigned as the acting president of CFG Comminuty Bank to become president of Capital Financial Ventures (CFV), an affiliate of the bank, Lavine devised a scheme to defraud CFG Community Bank, through the re-finance of two bank-owned commercial mortgage loans and the diversion of the Bank’s loan payoffs to his personal benefit and the benefit of Charles Tobias, his co-defendant in this case.

Lavine admitted that in order to execute the scheme to divert loan payoffs, he used his position at CFV to pose as the CEO/President of CFG Community Bank. For example, Lavine invited the borrowers of two loans with balances totaling over $7.5 million, to refinance those loans with other financial institutions for lower mortgages and pay off CFG Community Bank.  At Lavine's direction, the settlement companies sent the mortgage loan payoffs not to CFG Community Bank but to an escrow account managed by Tobias so that Lavine could divert over $775,000.  The records created by Lavine showed one payoff amount to the borrower, but the records Lavine sent to the bank understated the payoff amounts and concealed the fact that Lavine had diverted over $775,000 from the Bank’s loan payoffs.  Lavine divided the fraud proceeds with Tobias.

Lavine also diverted a total of $91,126.56 in insurance premium refunds on one of the commercial loans purchased by the bank to his personal account instead of paying the funds over to the borrower.  Lavine spent over $14,000 of the refunded premium; over $76,000 remained in the custody of the bank.  The bank repaid the full $91,125.56 to the borrower.

Lavine and Tobias owned Capital T Partners Brookfield, LLC, a Maryland limited liability corporation. In the fall of 2011, Lavine and Tobias attempted to realize a profit from a group of non-performing mortgages their company had purchased by "donating" some of the mortgages to a charity as an in-kind donation and taking a charitable deduction on their income tax returns.  Lavine admitted that he and Tobias created a false IRS Form 8283 and false appraisal which they had Ari Gerzowski, a real estate agent and not a licensed appraiser, sign.  As a result of the fraudulent appraisal, Tobias and Lavine received a valuable tax deduction for Capital T Partners Brookfield which would pass through to their personal income tax returns. Lavine and Tobias divided the tax benefits from the $1,032,722 purported charitable deduction they were claiming.  

Lavine also admitted that he failed to report income of more than $176,000 in 2010, and failed to report income of $480,289.44, from the loan fraud proceeds and two stolen insurance refunds in 2011. Lavine underpaid his taxes for 2010, 2011, and 2012 by $365,228.80 based on his failure to report fraud proceeds as income and his fraudulent charitable contribution deduction which sheltered reported income. 

Charles L. Tobias, age 56, of Potomac, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to willfully subscribing to a false tax return, and was sentenced to two years of probation with 8 months of home confinement with electronic monitoring and ordered to pay restitution of $154,438 to the Internal Revenue Service. Ari Gerzowski, age 47, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the willful submission of a materially false document to the Internal Revenue Service and was sentenced to probation.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS, the FBI, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Joyce K. McDonald and Peter J. Martinez, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Greenbelt, Maryland –A federal grand jury returned a seventh superseding indictment on December 17, 2018, charging nine men in connection with a conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.  The seventh superseding indictment adds two new defendants charged with racketeering conspiracy related to their membership in MS-13, and adds four murders as overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants charged in this indictment.

Charged in the seven-count superseding indictment are Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno, a/k/a “Insolente,” and “Trankilo,” age 22, of Landover, Maryland; Michael Eduardo Contreras, a/k/a “Katra,” and “Insoportable,” age 24, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Luis Fernando Orellana-Estrada, a/k/a “Pinguino,” age 19, of Hyattsville, Maryland; Kevin Alexander Soriana-Hernandez, a/k/a “Brocha,” age 19, of Riverdale, Maryland; Carlos Daniel Cardenas-Banegas, a/k/a “Perrico,” age 20, of Riverdale, Maryland; Wilfredo Cardenas-Banegas, a/k/a “Torro,” age 25, of Riverdale, Maryland; Luis Arnoldo Flores-Reyes, a/k/a “Maloso,” aka “Lobo,” age 37, of Arlington, Virginia; Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, a/k/a “Reaper,” age 36, of Long Branch, New Jersey; and Jairo Arnaldo Jacome, a/k/a “Abuelo,” age 36, of Langley Park, Maryland.

The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Hoernke of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Field Division; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Interim Chief Amal Awad of the City of Hyattsville Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

The superseding indictment alleges that from prior to 2015 through at least January 2018, the defendants, as members and associates of MS-13, engaged in a racketeering conspiracy that included extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and robbery.  Jacome was a member and associate of the Langley Park Salvatrucha Clique of MS-13.  All other defendants were members and associates of the Sailors Clique of MS-13. 

Alvarado-Requeno, Contreras, Orellana-Estrada, Soriana-Hernandez, Wilfredo Cardenas-Banegas, Carlos Cardenas-Banegas, and Flores-Reyes were charged in a previous indictment with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise for their involvement in a variety of violent acts committed by the Sailors Clique of MS-13, including multiple murders.

The new defendants and charges added in the seventh superseding indictment include the following:

First, alleged MS-13 members Corea Diaz and Jacome have been added as defendants, and are now charged with RICO conspiracy in the seventh superseding indictment.

Second, the seventh superseding indictment now references four additional murders as overt acts taken in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy:

•           Specifically, the indictment charges that in June 2016, Alvarado-Requeno and Contreras planned with and directed other members and associates of MS-13 to search for and murder gang rivals known as “chavalas” in and around Hyattsville, Maryland.  On June 8, 2016, Alvarado-Requeno and Contreras directed lower-ranking members of MS-13 to murder two individuals who were believed to be members of the rival 18th Street gang.  Pursuant to this plan and as directed by Alvarado-Requeno and Contreras, MS-13members and associates stabbed the two victims to death.

•           Alvarado-Requeno, Contreras, Jacome also are now charged in the 2016 murder of a victim in Germantown, Maryland.  On Dec. 4, 2016, Alvarado-Requeno, Contreras, Jacome and other members and associates of MS-13 traveled to Germantown with a machete and other weapons with the purpose of murdering an individual as punishment for his infractions against the gang.  They stabbed the victim to death, but fled the area leaving the victim’s body near a creek.  The next day, Jacome and other members and associates of MS-13 returned to Germantown to bury the body of the victim.

•           Contreras, Alvarado-Requeno, Flores-Reyes, and Corea-Diaz also are now charged in the 2017 murder of a victim in Lynchburg, Virginia.  On March 27, 2017, Contreras, Alvarado-Requeno, Flores-Reyes, and Corea-Diaz arranged for members and associates of the Sailors Clique to travel from Maryland to Lynchburg for the purpose of murdering an individual in the Lynchburg area.  Flores-Reyes provided the vehicle in which the members and associates drove and called them to provide encouragement to murder the victim.  The victim was murdered that same day in Bedford County, Virginia.  On March 27 and March 28, 2017, multiple individuals were arrested in connection with the murder.  Contreras, Alvarado-Requeno, Flores-Reyes, and Corea-Diaz made phone calls on those dates trying to locate the individuals who had traveled to Virginia to commit the murder.  Two of the participants in the murder escaped from Bedford County and were hidden in Maryland by members and associates of the Sailors Clique.

In addition to the new charges in the RICO conspiracy, Alvarado-Requeno, Contreras, Jacome are charged in the superseding indictment with murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the Dec. 4, 2016 murder.  Alvarado-Requeno is also charged in the superseding indictment with murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering in connection with a Gaithersburg, Maryland murder that took place on June 16, 2016.  Jacome is charged with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion.  All defendants are in custody.

According to the superseding indictment, MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador.  Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, Maryland. 

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski thanked the FBI Washington and Baltimore Field Offices, HSI Baltimore, the DEA Washington Field Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s State’s Attorney’s Office, the Hyattsville Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation.  Mr. Hur and Mr. Benczkowski commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Catherine K. Dick and Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting this case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Two Brazilian citizens residing in Florida have pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges in connection with a scheme to use counterfeit debit and credit cards to purchase merchandise at various retail stores in Maryland and other states.  Lucas Pimenta Diogo Das Gracas, age 23, pleaded guilty today, and his co-conspirator, Diogo Miranda Araujo, age 23, pleaded guilty on December 7, 2018.  Araujo also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for his role in the scheme in Maryland.  Das Gracas also pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit access devices and aggravated identity theft in connection with a separate case pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Another co-conspirator, Victor Andrade Carneiro Brito, pleaded guilty to possession and use of counterfeit access devices and aggravated identity theft in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on October 5, 2018.

The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Sung Yi of the U.S. Secret Service, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Raimund Seifart of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service – Washington Field Office; Colonel Lance Royce of the Naval Support Activity Police Department; and Colonel Woodrow Jones, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.

According to Araujo’s plea agreement, in November 2017, while he was on pretrial release for related Illinois state charges, Araujo traveled from Florida to Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.  Araujo obtained a large number of cloned payment cards as well as fake Brazilian identification cards that were used in fraudulent retail transactions in Maryland and the surrounding area.  On November 19, Araujo was arrested by a Maryland Transportation Authority Police (“MTAP”) officer who conducted a traffic stop of Araujo’s vehicle and learned that Araujo was driving on a suspended license.  A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 164 counterfeit payment cards, four fake Brazilian identification cards displaying the same photo of Araujo but listing four different names, multiple receipts, and several recently purchased items of merchandise, including two laptop computers, six GPS devices, and sports equipment. Merchandise recovered from the vehicle had an approximate total value of $4,355. Most of the counterfeit payment cards displayed names listed among Araujo’s four fake identification cards and were encoded with compromised foreign credit and debit card accounts.

Also in November 2017, Das Gracas, Brito, and another co-conspirator possessed at least 189 counterfeit payments cards, which they used, along with false identification documents, to rent a vehicle and make fraudulent retail purchases in Maryland and surrounding states.  Das Gracas and Brito were arrested in Maryland on November 29, 2017, after they and another co-conspirator made numerous purchases of computers and other merchandise using the counterfeit payment cards.  Law enforcement stopped the vehicle that Das Gracas was driving.  As Das Gracas got out of the vehicle, law enforcement officers observed numerous credit cards inside an open white box on the center console of the vehicle.  All 166 cards found in the vehicle were scanned and found to be counterfeit.  Most of the cards were encoded with foreign credit and debit card accounts.

Araujo further admitted that from May through July 2017, he traveled from Florida to Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois making fraudulent purchases at retailers using counterfeit payment cards.  Specifically, co-conspirators in Florida sent Araujo cloned payment cards, which Araujo would pick up at commercial mail service locations and use at retailers in the area.  On July 29, 2017, after making a number of fraudulent purchases at an Illinois department store, Araujo was arrested.  Illinois law enforcement recovered approximately 197 cloned payment cards and approximately 157 items of merchandise, including cellular phones, small electronics, and other items valued at approximately $48,089.  A search of the laptop computer found in Araujo’s luggage revealed an open document listing approximately 432 credit and debit card account numbers with associated data, and an open American Express webpage. Most of the listed credit and debit card accounts were held by financial institutions located in various foreign countries. 

In connection with the Mississippi case, Das Gracas further admitted that between October 4 and October 14, 2017, Das Gracas and other co-conspirators possessed and installed “shimmer” devices on automated teller machines at financial institutions in Gulfport, Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Long Beach and D’Iberville, Mississippi.  A shimmer device is equipment designed and used to record data surreptitiously from the chip of a credit, debit, or bank card.  On October 18, Das Gracas and other conspirators traveled to ATMs in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to conduct fraudulent cash withdrawals, using the account numbers and personal identification numbers obtained through the use of the previously installed shimmer devices.  A total of approximately 82 payment cards were compromised and information associated with 35 of those cards was subsequently used, resulting in losses of approximately $19,235, as well as an additional $11,358 in losses to the financial institutions to repair and replace ATM card readers damaged by Das Gracas and co-conspirators when installing shimmer devices.

As part of their plea agreements, the defendants will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses.

Das Gracas and Araujo each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for aggravated identity theft.  Das Gracas also faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of counterfeit access devices.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Araujo on March 6, 2019, at 3:00 p.m.; and for Das Gracas on March 21, 2019, at 3:00 p.m.  Brito is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2019, in the Southern District of Florida.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Secret Service Baltimore and Chicago Field Offices, the NCIS, Navy Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the St. Charles, Illinois Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – DeAndre Spencer, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to an armed carjacking. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.

“We are focusing our federal resources to reduce gun violence in Baltimore,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Armed criminals, especially those who brandish a weapon in the commission of a crime, face the very real risk of serving time in federal prison, where there is no parole – ever.”

“Anyone using firearms to inflict violence on law-abiding citizens must be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “ATF’s mission and focus alongside our partners is to identify and stop violent offenders who are committing these crimes.”

According to his plea agreement, on October 26, 2017, the victim was stopped in his car at the intersection of North Duncan Street and East Fairmount Avenue in Baltimore, when Spencer approached and requested a ride.  The victim refused and Spencer pointed a loaded handgun at the victim and demanded that the victim get out of the car.  Spencer then stole the victim’s wallet and cell phone and drove away in the victim’s car.  The victim walked to a nearby school and called 911.  Police arrived and began an investigation into the carjacking.

Later that day, a detective with the Baltimore County Police Department saw Spencer driving the victim’s car.  Spencer was driving through intersections without stopping at stop signs.  The detective began following the car to initiate a traffic stop.  Shortly thereafter, Spencer crashed the car into a light pole and tried to run away.  The detective apprehended Spencer and recovered a loaded handgun from his person. 

Spencer and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Spencer will be sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for March 20, 2019 at 9:15 a.m. 

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

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

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – Kenneth Brian Fischer, age 40, of Westminster, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Sheriff James T. DeWees of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr. of the Fairfax County, Virginia Police; Carroll County State’s Attorney Brian DeLeonardo, and Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh.

According to his plea agreement, Fischer was a resident of Carroll County, Maryland and at the time of the conduct was employed as a teacher by the Carroll County School System.  In August 2017, law enforcement identified Fischer after he communicated with an undercover agent posing as a minor male on a social networking application geared toward gay and bisexual men.  In his chats with the undercover detective, Fischer attempted to arrange a meeting with the detective posing as a minor male, in order to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant at Fischer’s home in Westminster, Maryland and seized various electronic devices.  A search on a cell phone revealed that Fischer had been communicating with five real minors beginning in November 2014 and continuing through his arrest in September 2017.

Fischer admitted that he enticed minor males to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him and took images and videos documenting that conduct.   Fischer also attempted to entice two other minor males to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him.  In addition, Fischer engaged in online chats with at least an additional nine minor males in which he either attempted to or did obtain sexually explicit photos of the minor males at his request.  One minor male was 13 years old at the time the nude photos were exchanged.

Fischer was previously arrested in Westminster, Maryland on related charges and has been in custody since September 13, 2017.

As a consequence of Fischer’s guilty plea, he will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where resides, is an employee, and is a student, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and the laws of the state of his residence.

Fischer and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Fischer will be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 25 years in prison, and will be required to pay a special assessment of $5,000.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2019, at 3:00 p.m.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Fairfax County Police, and the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ayn B. Ducao, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa, age 54, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to three counts of failing to file individual federal tax returns. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson 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.

According to his plea agreement, De Sousa was employed by the Baltimore Police Department beginning in 1998.  De Sousa announced his resignation from BPD on May 15, 2018.  On June 10, 1999, De Sousa submitted an Employee’s Withholding Exemption Certificate (W-4) to the City of Baltimore falsely claiming nine allowances for both federal and state tax purposes.  By virtue of this claim, De Sousa substantially reduced the amount of taxes withheld from his salary each year.  When he filed his federal and state income taxes for calendar years 2008 through 2012, he falsely claimed deductions to which he was not entitled, including for unreimbursed employee expenses when he had no such expenses, mortgage interest deductions and deductions for local property taxes when he did not have a mortgage or own any real property, and business losses when he did not operate any businesses.  By virtue of these improper deductions, De Sousa fraudulently reduced the amount of taxes he owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the State of Maryland.   

De Sousa admitted that for calendar years 2011 and 2012, he did not file tax returns at all and did not do so until 2014.  When he did file returns for those years he falsely claimed unreimbursed employee expenses and donations to charity.  De Sousa also failed to pay penalties and interest on those late-filed returns despite having been told to do so by the IRS.  In addition, as of May 5, 2018, De Sousa had not filed taxes for 2013, 2014 or 2015, despite knowing that he had a legal obligation to do so.  By virtue of the nine allowances he falsely claimed, De Sousa also owed additional money to the United States and the State of Maryland in each of those years, as he also knew.

As a result of De Sousa’s actions, the total combined tax due to the United States and to the State of Maryland is $67,587.72.

As part of his plea agreement, De Sousa is required to pay restitution in that amount, although with payments already made, the amount still owed is $60,645.11.

De Sousa faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, and a $100,000 fine for each count of failure to file a tax return.  U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2019, at 9:15 a.m.

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

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Dontaze Purnell Drake, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland today to 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter.  Judge Hazel also ordered Drake to pay restitution of $12,570.  Drake admitted that he caused a fatal collision on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on September 24, 2017, at the time of which he was speeding, his blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit in Maryland, and he was driving on a suspended license. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Chief Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police.

According to his plea agreement, at approximately 3:00 a.m. on September 24, 2017, Drake caused a fatal collision on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.  Drake was traveling southbound at approximately 33 miles per hour over the posted speed limit when he attempted to pass a vehicle traveling in the right lane.  Drake struck the rear of an SUV traveling in the right lane.  As a result of the collision, one of the four passengers in the SUV was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.  An autopsy determined that the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the crash caused by Drake.

Drake’s blood-alcohol level was .12%, which is above the legal limit in Maryland, and he also had .03 mg/L of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, in his system at the time.  In addition, a search of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration database revealed that Drake’s license had been suspended.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chimaobim Nwachukwu, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury late yesterday returned a second superseding indictment charging 19 Baltimore men for a federal drug conspiracy and related firearms charges.  Charged in the indictment are:

Calvin Matthews, a.k.a. “Billy” and “Wayne,” age 39; Waymond Richard, a.k.a. “Squirt,” “Slim,” and “Thugga,” age 24; Branden Jones, a.k.a. “BR,” age 20; Isadore White, a.k.a. “Hatch” and “Nook,” age 21; Nelson Adibe, a.k.a. “Rock” and “Rockhead,” age 54; Shanee Burtwell, age 35; Murray Ray, a.k.a. “Mario,” age 21; Randolph Evans, a.k.a. “Buddha” and “Booda,” age 26; Nol Johnson, a.k.a. “Pookie,” age 28; Kenneth Jones, a.k.a. “Hammer,” age 26; Darnell Sullivan, a.k.a. “50,” age 23; Yaunike Hilton-Bey, a.k.a. “Neek,” age 21; Elijah Davis, a.k.a. “Gusto,” age 22; Malik Cauthorne, a.k.a. “Smoke,” age 24; Arthur Snowden, a.k.a. “Weechy,” age 38; Devron Towson, age 27; Rashawn Cooper, age 20; Deondre Pederson, a.k.a. “Jim,” age 23; and
Daveon Mcfadden, a.k.a. “Dee,” age 20.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.

“This year, more than twice as many people will die of fentanyl overdoses in Baltimore than of gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “Drug dealing and gun violence often go hand in hand.  We will continue to apply federal resources to prosecute those who use guns to distribute drugs – peddling death and despair in our neighborhoods.”

“Today's announcement is a direct result of the hard work and dedication shared between local and federal authorities in our efforts to combat gang members who distribute dangerous drugs like heroin and fentanyl in our communities,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson. “These charges demonstrate our overall strategy and relentless determination to eradicate the drug-fueled gang violence plaguing our communities.  The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue investigations into individuals and groups who have furthered the scourge of opioids in our communities."

According to the 19-count indictment, the defendants allegedly conspired to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin and 400 grams of fentanyl.  The indictment also alleges that seven of the defendants conspired to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking.  Six of those seven individuals are alleged to be previously convicted felons and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

If convicted, the defendants all face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug conspiracy.  Calvin Matthews, Waymond Richard, Isadore White, Murray Ray, Elijah Davis, Devron Towson, and Rashawn Cooper each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for the firearms conspiracy and all but Ray also face a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Matthews, Richard, Ray, and Cooper face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Finally, Matthews, Richard, Ray, and Cooper each face a maximum of 20 years in prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  The defendants have not yet been scheduled for initial appearances on these charges.

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

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI Baltimore Safe Streets Task Force and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Metcalf and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today ordered Jerome Walter Stephens, age 48, of Baltimore, to pay a $100,000 fine, and sentenced him to serve six months in community confinement and six months in home detention as part of three years of probation, for Extortion Under Color of Official Right related to an extortion scheme.   Judge Blake also ordered Stephens to perform 100 hours of community service.  Stephens, the owner of a Baltimore construction and utilities company, admitted paying bribes to co-defendant Daryl Christopher Wade, age 50, of Rosedale, Maryland, a former Baltimore City Department of Transportation supervisor, and to soliciting bribes from others. 

On November 9, 2018, Judge Blake sentenced Daryl Christopher Wade to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the same charge.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Inspector General Isabel M. Cumming of the Baltimore City Office of Inspector General.

The people of Baltimore expect and deserve integrity from their public officials.  We will hold them, and those who participate in corruption, accountable,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.

Wade was a City of Baltimore employee between 1988 through 2017, most recently with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) as a Construction Project Supervisor II within the DOT’s Street Cut Unit.  The DOT Street Cut Unit helps to monitor and administer fines associated with street cuts and street cut permits. According to the criminal information and the plea agreement, Wade used his official position at DOT to claim that he could void street cut fines in return for payments.

According to their plea agreements, Wade accepted multiple cash payments, including from Stephens, in exchange for claiming that he could erase Baltimore DOT street cut fines.  Baltimore City street cut permits are required for companies who need to impede into a public street, alley, sidewalk, or other right-of-way for purposes of construction.  The street cut permits are valid for 120 days before they expire, and DOT will assess a fine of $50 per day for each street cut not repaired past the expiration date.

Stephens and Wade admitted that they either attempted to or actually did extort other business owners throughout Baltimore.  In one such instance, Person A was the Vice President of a Virginia-based company that provided all phases of underground utility construction and sewer rehabilitation throughout the East Coast and had approximately $55 million in contracts with the City of Baltimore to restore and/or replace water and sewer lines in the City.  In order to complete those contracts, Person A's company conducted street cuts to reach, restore, and/or replace water and sewer lines in Baltimore. 

In January 2016, Person A met with Stephens at one of Person A’s offices, in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  Stephens told Person A that Person A’s company would be receiving $1.3 million in street cut fines from the street cuts unit in the near future.  This was the first that Person A had learned of the $1.3 million in prospective fines.  Stephens told Person A that he had a connection in the street cuts unit that could reduce the $1.3 million in fines by 80%, to $260,000, if Person A paid 20%, a $52,000 bribe, to Stephens’s connection. Stephens also stated something to the effect of: if you want to play, you got to pay.  Person A made clear that he was not interested in paying the $52,000 bribe and would sue the City of Baltimore over the fines if necessary. 

In another instance to which both Stephens and Wade admitted in their respective plea agreements, in February 2016, Person B, a local Baltimore business owner, began renovations on a restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland.  Person B hired Stephens to overhaul the water lines into Person B’s business.  In July 2016, Stephens informed Person B that he (Stephens) would have to cut into the road. Stephens informed Person B that the complete repaving, from curb to curb, had an estimated additional cost to Person B of between approximately $10,000 to approximately $12,000 but said he had a connection "downtown" in the City of Baltimore who could save Person B on the costs associated with completely repaving if Person B was willing to pay a bribe. Due to Person B's limited budget, and the fact that the street had already been cut, Person B agreed to pay a bribe to repave the smaller sections of the road.  Stephens and Wade discussed how much Wade would accept and Wade agreed to a $2,200 bribe.  Person B gave Stephens $2,200 in cash, which Stephens then gave to Wade. 

Finally, according to Wade’s plea agreement, he also took a bribe from Person C, who ran a plumbing and drain construction business in Baltimore, Maryland.  Person C was previously fined approximately $17,000 for street cuts in Baltimore City.  In March 2016, Person C attended a Baltimore City street cut appeal hearing regarding the fine.  Wade stopped the hearing and requested to speak with Person C outside the hearing.  Once outside the hearing, Wade explained to Person C that if Person C helped Wade that he would help Person C.

In early September 2016, Wade met in-person with Person C and agreed to accept $5,000 to remove the fine.  On September 22, 2016, Person C paid Wade the first $3,000 in cash. Wade arrived at the meeting driving a Baltimore City issued government vehicle.  At the direction of Wade, Person C threw the $3,000 into Wade’s Baltimore City government vehicle.  After the money was in his Baltimore City government vehicle, Wade stated “you good for life with me. . . .” and later laughed and further stated to Person C, “we in cahoots now. . . .”

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore City Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Adam Robert Miller, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession, receipt, and distribution of child pornography.  Miller also took sexually explicit images and videos of a minor female beginning when she was 15 years old.  Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Miller will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to the indictment and the facts presented to the Court as part of his guilty plea, in July 2017, Homeland Security Investigations-Baltimore received information from Canadian authorities regarding a user of the KIK secure-messaging application, “amiller89,” who was distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in KIK chatrooms. Canadian authorities learned about the account in the course of a larger investigation of child pornography trafficking by KIK users.  Subscriber information obtained for the IP address used to access the account was identified as belonging to Miller’s father, at the home where they both resided.

On September 13, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Miller’s residence.  Miller waived his rights and spoke with law enforcement, admitting that “amiller89” was his account.  Miller admitted that between May 13, 2015 and September 13, 2017, he uploaded and stored images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his Dropbox accounts.  A search of Miller’s Dropbox accounts revealed that they contained over 300 videos of child pornography.  Data stored on devices seized during the search of Miller’s residence included hundreds of videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, including a prepubescent girl being subjected to sexual bondage. 

In addition, Miller admitted taking sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe, whom the defendant met when Jane Doe was 14 years old.  The images and videos produced by Miller were uncovered on Miller’s devices and were taken when Jane Doe was 15, 16, and 17 years old.  On July 16, 2017, Miller used an encrypted chat application to communicate with another user. During those communications, Miller sent the other user three images of Jane Doe engaged in sexually explicit activity.

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, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who prosecuted the federal case.

# # #

Baltimore, Maryland – Late on December 12, 2018, a federal grand jury returned indictments charging John Lewis Harrison, a/k/a Binky, age 28; Taurus Tillman, age 29, a/k/a Tosh; and Brandon Wilson, a/k/a Ali, age 24, all of Baltimore, Maryland, on 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 indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and United States Marshal for the District of Maryland Johnny Hughes.

“The brave men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service are critical to our justice system and we will not tolerate assaults on them,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.

According to their indictments, from September 17, 2018 through October 31, 2018, a criminal trial was held in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, in the matter of U.S. v. Barronette, et al., before U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake.  Harrison, Tillman, and Wilson were all defendants in the case and were detained before and during the trial.  During the trial, members of the USMS were responsible for transporting the defendants, including Harrison, Tillman, and Wilson, to and from the courtroom.

According to their indictment, on September 21, 2018, Harrison and Tillman 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.

According to his indictment, on October 31, 2018, Wilson assaulted two officers with the Maryland Department of Correction in the Chesapeake Detention Facility as they attempted to search Wilson prior to his being transported to U.S. District Court for the continuation of his trial.

If convicted of these charges, Harrison, Tillman, and Wilson each face a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.  The defendants remain detained pending an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.

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 U.S. Marshals Service for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Romano, who is prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Matthew Dale Bush, age 39, of Grasonville, Maryland, to 110 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit bank larceny, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, and for bank robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.  At Bush’s sentencing on December 11, 2018, Judge Bennett noted that Bush’s conduct was “alarmingly egregious,” and that the high-speed chases “grossly endangered” the public and law enforcement.  Judge Bennett particularly noted, and Bush agreed, that one of the chases extended for over 40 miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Delaware and the other occurred in the heart of Baltimore.

Judge Bennett sentenced Crystal French, a/k/a “Crystal Lynn Bush,” age 34, also of Grasonville, to 20 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit bank larceny, interstate transportation of stolen goods, and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles.  Judge Bennett also ordered Bush and French to pay restitution of $10,341.38.  Bush was sentenced on December 11, 2018, and French was sentenced December 12, 2018.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Queen Anne’s County Sheriff Gary Hoffman.

According to their respective plea agreements, from September 2017 through October 23, 2017, Bush and French conspired to break into retail businesses in order to steal Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and the money contained inside.   The couple admitted that they used stolen vehicles to travel to and from the scenes of the crimes.

In September and October 2017, the couple stole six ATMs that contained over $38,900, and attempted to steal two other ATMs.  As part of the conspiracy, the couple traveled to, and stole from, businesses in: Stevensville, Maryland; Chester, Maryland; Kent County, Delaware; Sterling, Virginia; Broadlands, Virginia; Dover, Delaware; Stevensville, Maryland; and Cambridge, Maryland.  Generally, Bush entered the store wearing a mask, attached a chain or rope to the ATM, and pulled the ATM out of the store through the front glass window.  Bush and French then transported the ATM and its contents to their home in Grasonville, where they hid the proceeds. Bush and French spent the proceeds of the crimes they committed on personal items, including heroin and other illegal narcotics.  Bush and French married on October 14, 2017, during the crime spree.

Law enforcement obtained a state search warrant for Bush and French’s residence.  On October 19, 2017, just prior to the execution of the search warrant, the police saw Bush and French leave the residence in a green Mercedes.  When Bush and French saw a marked Queen Anne’s County patrol vehicle, they sped away.  During the search, police recovered the following evidence: tow straps used to pull the ATM machines from the stores; sledgehammers used to break the glass at the burglaries; masks and clothing worn by the suspects in the surveillance videos at the burglaries; the license plate to one of the stolen pickup trucks, cut into pieces; packaging for “walkie-talkies” used by Bush and French during some of the ATM burglaries; and a van containing several damaged ATM machines.  The police also found French’s cell phone, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun near the bed where Bush slept, and additional shotgun ammunition in the garage.  Bush is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous felony convictions, including 2010 convictions for assault and burglary related to a number of Delaware ATM burglaries.

On October 22, 2017, Bush and French stole a pick-up truck in White Marsh, Maryland, and drove to a gas station in Harford County.  Bush entered the gas station and demanded money, but the clerk refused to give Bush the cash.  Bush and French then drove to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where they left the stolen pick-up truck and stole another pick-up truck.  Bush and French then drove the second stolen pick-up truck to a convenience store in Harford County, Maryland.  Bush and another person, both wearing masks and hats, broke into the convenience store and stole approximately 86 packs of cigarettes.  Later that morning, Bush and French drove to a bank on Bel Air Road in Perry Hall, Maryland.  While French remained in the passenger seat of the truck, Bush entered the bank and displayed a note demanding money to the teller, who complied with Bush’s demands.  Bush stole $4,820, fled the bank, and drove away in the stolen truck.

Officers spotted Bush and French driving away from the bank and attempted a traffic stop.  Bush refused to stop.  He drove away in a reckless manner, fled into Baltimore City, finally crashing into another vehicle.  Bush then got out of the truck, helped French out of the passenger side, and the two ran away, followed by police officers.  Bush and French were caught and arrested.  The cigarettes stolen from the convenience store were found in the stolen truck.

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 HSI, the Maryland State Police, the Delaware State Police, the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriff’s Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Budlow and Sandra Wilkinson, who  prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mark Ian Gaver, age 56, of Bonita Springs, Florida, and previously of Middletown, Maryland, today to 17 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction for eight counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering arising from a scheme in which he obtained over $49 million in bank financing for his company Gaver Technologies, Inc., d/b/a GTI Federal (GTI), using false and fraudulent financial statements, balance sheets, and certifications of outstanding accounts receivable.  Judge Bennett also ordered Gaver to forfeit assets valued at approximately $4.2 million, and pay restitution in the amount of $48,774,308.75.  A federal jury convicted Gaver on August 1, 2018.  Gaver has been in custody since his arrest on November 15, 2017, when he entered the United States from Canada. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Manchak, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Northeast Region.

“Mark Gaver committed a massive fraud to maintain his lavish lifestyle,” said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “This sentence ensures that he will not profit from his crimes and will be held accountable for his years of lies.”

According to the evidence presented at his seven-day trial, in 1998 Gaver formed GTI, an information technology company based in Frederick, Maryland.  Between November 2008 and December 2016, Gaver submitted materially false financial documents to a federally insured bank, including fraudulent audit reports and contract status reports, in order to establish and to obtain successive increases in the line of credit from the lender for GTI.  Based upon the false documentation submitted by Gaver, the lender ultimately extended approximately $49 million in financing to GTI.  The evidence showed that Gaver diverted a large portion of these fraudulently obtained funds to his own personal use.

According to the evidence presented at trial, the bank initially approved an $18.5 million line of credit for GTI in August 2009, when it took over the line of credit from another bank that had previously extended a $16.5 million line of credit to GTI.  This line of credit was subsequently increased eight separate times between March 2010 and March 2016, growing from $18.5 million to a total of $50 million.  On an ongoing monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, and in connection with each request by Gaver for an increase in GTI’s credit line, the bank required GTI to submit specific documentation disclosing the company’s financial performance and condition.  The required documentation included audited annual financial statements, quarterly balance sheets, monthly borrowing base certificates, and monthly accounts receivable aging reports.  The monthly borrowing base certificates required Gaver to certify the amount of GTI’s outstanding accounts receivable, and were used by the bank to establish a maximum borrowing amount for GTI. Under the terms of GTI’s line of credit agreement with the lender, GTI was only allowed to borrow up to 75% to 80% of the total amount of GTI’s outstanding accounts receivable, and the funds loaned by the bank were only to be used by GTI for business purposes. 

The evidence proved that between August 2009 and December 2016, Gaver also submitted Quarterly Contract Status Reports to the bank, which falsely represented that GTI had secured contracts with federal government agencies, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or that overstated the amount of GTI’s ongoing contracts with federal government agencies. 

The evidence showed that some of the funds obtained from the lender were used by Gaver to cover regular business expenses and thereby keep GTI open, but that Gaver also diverted half of the post-2009 loan proceeds – approximately $15 million – to his own personal use.  For example, Gaver used loan proceeds to pay $779,000 for the rental of private planes that he used for non-business purposes, as well as to pay for personal pleasure trips to the Bahamas, France, Germany, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.  Gaver also used the funds to purchase vacation homes, including a 4,000-square-foot condominium with a view of the Gulf of Mexico in Bonita Springs, Florida, which cost $2.275 million.  Gaver also used loan proceeds to purchase a 2012 Maserati Gran Turismo; a 2011 Mercedes Benz SL Roadster; and a private membership at an exclusive golf club located in Naples, Florida that cost $285,000. 

United States Attorney Robert Hur commended the FBI and the FHFA-OIG for their work on the investigation.  Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jefferson M. Gray and Jeffrey J. Izant, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – Khalil Ahmad, age 51, of Hanover, Maryland, pleaded guilty on December 12, 2018, to stalking his estranged wife.  Ahmad admitted that he solicited another individual to have his wife killed after he violated protective orders she had obtained against him, but that he ultimately paid that individual to set her up to appear to be a terrorist and have her arrested instead.  Ahmad further admitted that he paid the same individual to burn down the restaurant Ahmad owned in order for him to collect the insurance. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

According to his plea agreement, Ahmad and the victim were married in July 2015.  Before and after their marriage, the victim lived in Howard County, Maryland, and Ahmad lived separately in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  During their marriage, Ahmad threatened to kill the victim using a firearm.  In April 2018, the victim informed Ahmad that she wanted a divorce.

On April 24, 2018, Ahmad threatened to kill himself.  He drove to the victim’s residence, and in the presence of the victim and her children, poured gasoline over his body.  Ahmad then produced a lighter and threatened to light himself on fire if the victim did not take him back. 

The next day, the victim obtained a temporary protective order in Howard County against Ahmad, which was served on April 25, 2018, and was effective through May 8, 2018.  Ahmad violated the order by contacting the victim by mobile phone on April 29, and May 27, 2018, in Howard County.  Ahmad also violated the order on April 30, 2018, by contacting the victim by mobile phone and by following the victim’s vehicle as she drove in Prince George’s County.  Criminal summonses were issued in Howard County (two counts) and in Prince George’s County (three counts) for violating a protective order. 

To further harass the victim and put her in fear of her life, Ahmad also contacted the victim’s relatives, members of her religious community, and her ex-husband, and advised them that the victim was not a good person and that she was having a romantic relationship with another man; threatened to have the victim’s brother killed in Pakistan; and threatened to have the victim killed if she returned to Pakistan, causing the victim to be afraid to visit her family in Pakistan.

On May 8, 2018, the victim obtained a Final Protective Order from the Circuit Court for Howard County that remains in effect through May 7, 2019.  The order directed Ahmad not to: abuse or threaten to abuse the victim; contact, attempt to contact, or harass the victim in person, in writing, or by any other means; or enter the residence of the victim.  In addition, the order required Ahmad to stay away from the victim’s place of employment.

Ahmad admitted that beginning in May 2018, he solicited an individual (CW) to harass the victim. CW and Ahmad met several times, during which Ahmad expressed a desire to have his wife murdered.  Ahmad subsequently decided to have the victim framed so that she would be arrested as a terrorist because she is from a Middle Eastern country.  The plan was to place a ballistic vest, firearm, bottles of alcohol, and extremist jihad writings in her possession, without her knowledge, and then notify law enforcement to have her arrested.  

On May 10, 2018, following several discussions with Ahmad, CW reported Ahmad’s plan to law enforcement.  Thereafter, at the direction of and/or in the presence of law enforcement, CW’s calls and meetings with Ahmad were recorded.  Ahmad gave CW a total of $5,000 in cash over two separate meetings, as a down payment to have the victim set up to appear to be a terrorist.  Ahmad also provided CW with a photo of the victim, her address, phone numbers, and the last two digits of her Maryland license plate number.  Ahmad made numerous statements to CW that he wanted the victim arrested prior to his June 21 court date in Prince George’s County for violating the protective order.  If the victim were arrested, she could not testify, which would result in the court cases being dismissed. 

The recorded calls and meetings reflect that Ahmad also wanted CW to commit an arson at Ahmad’s business (Allah Rakha Restaurant) so that Ahmad could collect the insurance payout from the fire.  Ahmad advised CW that he recently had raised the amount of insurance on the restaurant by approximately $200,000.  During one of their meetings, CW and Ahmad walked into the kitchen area of the restaurant to view the hot water heater and gas line, and discussed how CW would set the business on fire to make it look like an accident. 

On June 5, 2018, investigators staged a scene involving what appeared to be Anne Arundel County Police Department (AAPD) uniformed police officers and detectives searching the victim’s vehicle on the side of a road.  Photographs were taken of the victim’s vehicle and provided to CW who then went to meet with Ahmad.  CW showed Ahmad the staged photographs and told Ahmad that it was done.  Ahmad told CW that he would pay $2,000 that day, but would pay the remaining $7,000 once Ahmad could verify that the victim had actually been arrested.  Ahmad then drove to a bank, withdrew $2,000 in cash, and handed the money to CW. 

Later that same day, AAPD and FBI investigators went to Ahmad’s residence to conduct a ruse, informing Ahmad that his wife had been arrested and asking Ahmad if investigators could talk to him about his wife.  Ahmad told investigators that his wife had filed a protective order against him and retrieved the file he had in his home.  Ahmad said that he had overheard his wife on the phone at night taking classes about terrorism over the phone and that his wife had attended a terrorist training camp.  Ahmad agreed to meet with investigators at AAPD to talk more about his wife, her activities, and her possible associates.  At the meeting at AAPD, an FBI Urdu-speaking linguist was present for the interview.  Ahmad was provided his Miranda warnings and the FBI linguist translated for Ahmad.  Ahmad spoke to investigators at length about his wife.  Investigators then confronted Ahmad with recorded video of one of his meetings with CW, during which the two discussed the plot to kill his wife, the plan to set her up to look like a terrorist, and the scheme to burn down his restaurant.  Ahmad stated that he wanted CW to make things hard for his wife and to engage in a romantic relationship with her.  Ahmad falsely told investigators that the plot to kill his wife, to set her up to look like a terrorist, and the plan to burn down his restaurant were all CW’s ideas.  

As a result of his guilty plea to the federal stalking charge, the Anne Arundel County, Howard County, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Offices have agreed to dismiss their pending cases against Ahmad.

Ahmad faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for stalking and is subject to removal from the United States upon completion of his sentence.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2019.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Howard County Police Department, the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams; Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy for their assistance in this prosecution.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Sandra Wilkinson, who are prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland today announced a new initiative designed to combat the growing fentanyl overdose crisis in Maryland.  According to statistics for 2018, there are projected to be more than 2,000 fentanyl deaths statewide, and in Baltimore alone there are projected to be at least twice as many fatal fentanyl overdoses as homicides. Under this new initiative, every arrest involving distribution of fentanyl made by law enforcement in Baltimore will be 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 program was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Marilyn Mosby; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle 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.  “More and more people are dying from fentanyl overdoses in Baltimore City and throughout the state.  We must do everything we can to reduce overdose deaths from this drug and from all opioids.”

Individuals charged federally under this initiative may face substantial minimum mandatory sentences, no parole and no suspended sentences, and sentences are often served in federal prisons far from home. For example, a defendant convicted in federal court of distributing 40 grams of fentanyl, enough to kill 20,000 people (just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal), faces at least five years in federal prison.  A defendant convicted of distributing 400 grams of fentanyl faces at least 10 years in federal prison, and if the distribution of fentanyl results in death, the defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Pursuant to this new federal-state initiative to combat the fentanyl crisis in Maryland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office today unveiled three indictments charging four individuals in federal court.  These three inaugural criminal cases targeting dealers of fentanyl are the first to be brought under the new program, with more prosecutions to come.  The federal prosecutions are all being investigated by Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with officers from the Baltimore Police Department and other local law enforcement.  The following defendants are charged federally with conspiracy and with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

 Gari Terrell Miller, age 38, of Clinton, Maryland, faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.  He is detained pending trial; and

 Davon Nelson, age 33, and Terrell Perry, age 34, both of Baltimore, face a maximum of 20 years in prison.  They have not yet had their initial appearances in U.S. District Court, but remain detained on related state charges.

Aubrey Heckstall, age 46, of Baltimore, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.  He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and has not yet had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court.

The fentanyl program announced today is intended to augment our ongoing opioid reduction strategy.  That strategy includes proactive criminal investigations to reach the sources of supply, including those outside Maryland, prosecuting doctors and pharmacists who divert and illegally distribute opioids, as well as public outreach in Maryland communities.  A few noteworthy cases and activities are highlighted below.

Proactive Prosecutions Targeting Sources of Supply

On October 24, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Nevone McCrimmon, age 47, of Edgewood, Maryland; William Elijah, age 51; and Terrance Mobley, age 50, both of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.  According to their indictment and other court documents, the defendants are high-ranking members of a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization that imports and distributes heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs in the Baltimore metropolitan area.  The defendants allegedly obtained drugs from a Miami-based drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa and Tijuana Mexican drug cartels.  To date, law enforcement has seized 20 kilograms of fentanyl and over $500,000 in U.S. currency.  If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. 

On November 15, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Derrell Dixon, age 39, of Columbia, Maryland and Teraino Johnson, age 45, of Baltimore, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.  Dixon was also charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, these defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.

Finally, on October 23, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Narada Michael Walls, age 38, of Salisbury, Maryland, with conspiracy to possess and to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogues resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue and marijuana, and importation of a controlled substance, specifically, a fentanyl analogue, from China.  Fentanyl analogues are chemical compounds designed to have effects similar to fentanyl and can be just as deadly.  In the federal system, the penalties for distribution of analogues are often more severe in an effort to discourage dealers from creating and distributing them illegally.  According to his indictment and other court documents, Walls used an assumed name and a fake email address to purchase methoxyacetyl fentanyl directly from suppliers in China.  The indictment alleges that Walls’ distribution of the product resulted in at least one death. Walls faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison

Doctors and Pharmacists

Earlier this week, licensed pharmacist Richard Daniel Hiller, age 64 of Owings Mills, Maryland was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for conspiracy and for distributing oxycodone, and was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.  Hiller admitted that from 2014 to February 2017, he illegally distributed oxycodone to three women who were addicted to the drug in exchange for sexual favors.  Over the course of the conspiracy, Hiller distributed approximately 20,500 15-milligram oxycodone pills. 

In another case, David Robinson, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2018 to a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam.  Robinson, a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated the Frankford Family Pharmacy, admitted that he dispensed oxycodone and alprazolam outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.  Federal search warrants executed at locations associated with Robinson resulted in the seizure of more than $292,000, a loaded 9mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle with a magazine, and several boxes of ammunition.  Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25, 2019.

Public Outreach

In an effort to increase awareness of the danger of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other opioids, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Drug Enforcement Administration have partnered to deploy billboards in Baltimore that illustrate that even small amounts of opioids are lethal.  The billboard also brings awareness to the fact that more than 2,000 Marylanders will die from opioids in 2018.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a member of the Opioid Task Force and works with local, state, and federal agencies to make people aware of the dangers of opioid abuse and the resources available to assist recovering addicts.

U.S. Attorney Hur thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, the DEA, the Baltimore Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; the Maryland State Police; and the Salisbury Police Department for their work on the cases highlighted above.  Mr. Hur also commended the many dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Assistant State’s Attorneys who are handling these prosecutions. 

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Richard Daniel Hiller, age 64, of Owings Mills, Maryland, formerly a licensed pharmacist, to 40 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, and for distributing oxycodone.  Judge Hollander also ordered Hiller to pay a fine of $15,000.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.

 “Hiller abused his position of trust and exploited women who were addicted to oxycodone to obtain sexual favors.  Those who divert pharmaceutical drugs for illegal purposes further the tragic cycle of addiction and the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.

According to his plea agreement, Hiller was a licensed pharmacist working at a pharmacy in Towson, Maryland.  Hiller admitted that he filled fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone for several women in return for sexual favors.  On numerous occasions between January 2014 and February 2017, Hiller directed two of the women to come to the pharmacy where he worked prior to the opening of the pharmacy.  Hiller would make them engage in sexual intercourse or perform other sexual acts in the rear area of the pharmacy prior to filling their fake prescriptions for oxycodone.

Beginning in 2014, Hiller also distributed oxycodone to a third woman.  In return for distributing oxycodone to her, often without any valid prescription, Hiller would ask the woman to send him nude photos and sexual videos of herself, and allow him to grope and kiss her.  This woman would sometimes use different names to simultaneously obtain oxycodone prescriptions from two doctors.  Hiller would fill both prescriptions knowing they had been fraudulently obtained.  When the woman rejected one of Hiller’s advances, he called the woman’s doctors to notify them that she was fraudulently obtaining prescriptions from both of them.

Hiller filled these prescriptions knowing they were fraudulent and outside the usual course of professional practice.  Hiller would permit the women to fill additional prescriptions for oxycodone before the previous 30-day window had expired.  In an effort to hide the conspiracy, some of the fraudulent prescriptions listed fake names and names of family members.  The women were addicted to oxycodone and would resell many of the pills they obtained from Hiller to maintain their addiction.  Over the course of the conspiracy, Hiller distributed approximately 20,500 15 milligram oxycodone pills.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in these investigations.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Onijah Crighton, age 23, of Chillum, Maryland, today to 57 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the federal charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud more than 100 elderly victims through an advance fee scheme, specifically, by falsely representing that the victims had won a lottery or sweepstakes and demanding taxes or other fees before the victims could receive the prize.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Judge Xinis also ordered that Crighton must pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is $396,157.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Matthew J. DeSarno; and Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division.

“Criminals like Onijah Crighton target vulnerable individuals with these types of advance fee schemes,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur.  “Our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting and deterring elder fraud schemes like this one.”

According to his plea agreement, beginning in April 2013, Crighton and a co-conspirator began contacting Victim 1, an elderly man living in Virginia who suffered from Parkinson’s disease.  Crighton falsely told Victim 1 that he was the second-place winner of the $10 million “grand prize draw” that Publishers Clearing House and the Better Business Bureau sponsored.  Crighton fraudulently represented that the second-place prize was $2.5 million.  Over the following months, Crighton and his co-conspirator contacted Victim 1 hundreds of times, convincing Victim 1 to send the conspirators 44 payments totaling approximately $112,000.  Victim 1 made the payments through Western Union, by adding money to Green Dot cards controlled by Crighton and a co-conspirator, or by sending cash in the mail. 

During the course of the conspiracy, Crighton e-mailed a “leads list provider” to purchase a list of names and personal identification information that Crighton could use to mass-market the lottery scam to elderly individuals across the country.  Crighton and other members of the conspiracy successfully defrauded over 100 elderly victims of at least $396,157. 

Crighton admitted that, beginning in 2012, he also used the personal identifying information of elderly individuals to fraudulently enroll debit cards in their names without their knowledge or consent.  To conceal his involvement in the scheme, Crighton listed a number of different e-mail addresses on the debit card applications, and listed street addresses on the applications that belonged to others involved in the scheme.  In this manner, Crighton enrolled or caused to be enrolled hundreds of debit cards that were applied for using the stolen identities of at least 10 elderly individuals.

The Department of Justice, through its Elder Justice Initiative, which includes the work of many Department components, is working on multiple fronts to protect older Americans from physical, emotional, and financial abuse. The Department has aggressively prosecuted mass mailing fraud schemes, such as Jamaican lottery and psychic scams, many of which target seniors and are international in nature. The Department also launched 10 regional Elder Justice Task Forces across the country, including in Maryland, to enhance the ability of federal, state, and local authorities to work together to combat elder financial fraud and to pursue those nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to their Medicare and Medicaid residents.  The Department actively supports state and local efforts to prevent and combat elder abuse in a variety of ways, including helping older victims and their families by connecting them to available resources, assistance and information on its Elder Justice website: www.elderjustice.gov.

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners also conducted the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history that involved more than 250 defendants and over one million American victims, most of whom were elderly.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Bernstein and Dana J. Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Keith Edward Taylor, age 33, of Kingsville, Maryland, today to 27 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for production of child pornography.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Upon his release from prison, Taylor will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to Taylor’s plea agreement, in 2017, Taylor used an instant-messaging software application to communicate with minors throughout the United States and internationally.  Specifically, Taylor admitted that he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with at least five minor male victims, ranging from 12 to 15 years old, and residing in various states, including Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa, Michigan, and Colorado.  During the course of his conversations with the boys, Taylor typically portrayed himself as a woman.  Taylor repeatedly requested that the boys send sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Taylor sent some of the boys sexually explicit photos of women, falsely claiming that they were photos of himself.

Taylor also used the messaging app to distribute and trade child pornography with adults.  For example, during December 2017, Taylor traded child pornography with a user who sent Taylor a pornographic photo of a child that the user claimed was his own nine-year-old stepchild.  Taylor repeatedly requested sexually explicit video of the child and discussed the other user engaging in sex acts with the child.  Taylor also maintained digital collections of child pornography in multiple cloud storage accounts and electronic devices. 

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, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who prosecuted the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Travis Wilmoth, age 31, of Fayetteville, North Carolina today to nine years in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.  Judge Russell also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Wilmoth must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 

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

According to his plea agreement, on March 2, 2018, the FBI received a telephone call from the mother of a 15-year-old minor female.  She had recently discovered that Wilmoth had been using social media to chat online with her daughter since November 2017, and those conversations had become sexual in February 2018.  With the permission of the girl and her mother, FBI agents took control of the girl’s account and communicated with Wilmoth posing as the minor female.  During the ensuing chats, Wilmoth repeatedly asked the girl to take “naughty” pictures and send them to him.  On March 14, 2108, Wilmoth discussed traveling to Maryland to visit the girl and engaging in sexual acts with her.  Between March 7 and April 11, 2018, Wilmoth sent the girl sexually explicit images and videos of himself.  On May 11, 2018, Wilmoth drove from North Carolina to Maryland to meet with the girl with the intent to engage in sexual activity.  The FBI agent posing as the girl had provided Wilmoth with an address in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Wilmoth arrived at that location with condoms he had previously purchased and was arrested as he approached the front door.

Wilmoth served in the United States Air Force from 2007 to 2016, and at the time of his arrest was serving in the National Guard.

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 for its work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson, who prosecuted the federal case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Ghanian national, Kukua Fosu, age 49, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin. 

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to her plea agreement, Fosu swallowed plastic pellets containing at least 100 grams of heroin, then flew from Accra, Ghana to the United States, checking into a hotel in Beltsville, Maryland on March 8, 2018, for a four-night stay.  While at the hotel, Fosu sold some of the pellets for cash.  After Fosu did not respond to hotel staff on her scheduled check-out date, Fosu was found unresponsive in her room by Prince George’s County Police and Prince George’s County Fire Department personnel and transported to a local hospital.

Between March 12 and 22, 2018, medical staff observed two plastic bags in Fosu’s stool that contained an unknown substance.  An x-ray was taken by hospital staff and four oblong objects were discovered in Fosu’s stomach and anal areas.  Fosu was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where she had emergency surgery to remove the objects, which were confirmed to be four pellets containing heroin.  A subsequent search of Fosu’s hotel room recovered five additional pellets, which lab results confirmed also contained heroin.

Fosu faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for each of the two charges—conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin.  U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the HSI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samika N. Boyd, who is prosecuting the case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – M. Wagdi Attia, M.D., a physician who until April 1, 2018 had a medical practice in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has agreed to pay the United States $400,000 to resolve allegations that from January 1, 2013 through May 31, 2017, Dr. Attia fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for services not rendered.

The settlement agreement was announced today by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services.

The United States contends that during the period January 1, 2013 through May 31, 2017, Dr. Attia billed Medicare for psychotherapy services that were not rendered.  Specifically, the allegation is that Dr. Attia billed Medicare and Medicaid for psychotherapy services that require certain documented amounts of face-to-face service with the patient, even though Dr. Attia’s time-stamped medical records reflected less than the required amount of time.  The United States also contends that Dr. Attia’s medical records failed to reflect the provision of all elements of the psychotherapy service required, and that the use of repetitive, common language from chart to chart raised questions about the nature and extent of the services actually provided.

According to the settlement agreement, Dr. Attia has retired from the practice of medicine, has allowed his medical license to expire, has allowed his Medicare and Medicaid billing privileges to lapse, and has no intention of renewing his license or Medicare/Medicaid billing privileges.

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

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorney Allen Loucks, who handled this case.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Late on November 29, 2018—a few days before she was scheduled to go to trial—Lauren Montillo, age 47, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to tax evasion.   According to her plea agreement, from 2010 through 2015, Montillo and her co-conspirators sought at least $8.7 million in advance fees from foreign and United States victims, purporting to offer access to exotic bank financial instruments.  Victims paid $4,342,540 in advance fees into Hong Kong bank accounts or attorney escrow accounts and received nothing in return.  For tax years 2012 through 2014, Montillo reported no income other than $100, evading a substantial amount of income taxes.  

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson 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.

Montillo and her co-conspirators created shell companies, with associated websites, email addresses, and bank accounts, which they used to perpetrate the fraud.   Specifically, in February 2010, Montillo opened an account with GoDaddy, which provides web-hosting services.  From 2010 to 2015, Montillo and other co-conspirators used GoDaddy to host websites for shell companies such as MLL Holdings, The Bussola Group, Worldwide Escrow Holdings, Ltd., International Insurance of Nebraska, Atlas Investment Bancorp, Entirety Capital, GPF Global, and Atlas-Gayle Trust.  Each of these shell companies had associated email addresses, which Montillo and her co-conspirators opened and used.

Also in 2010, Montillo's father incorporated "Worldwide Escrow Holdings Limited" ("Worldwide Escrow") in Hong Kong and opened a bank account for Worldwide Escrow at the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank (HSBC), Hong Kong with Montillo as a signatory.  Montillo’s father resigned from the company in April 2011.  In March 2011, Montillo and a co-conspirator opened two more bank accounts in Hong Kong, the MLL Holdings and the Skywall bank accounts, also at HSBC.  Montillo and her co-conspirators had on-line access to the Hong Kong bank accounts so that they could conduct banking transactions over the internet.  In 2012, Montillo’s father also opened an escrow account in the name of his mother-in-law, a licensed attorney in Maryland who had stopped practicing law in approximately 2007.  She was not aware that the escrow account had been opened in her name.  The conspirators directed victims to wire-transfer their advance fees into the HSBC, Hong Kong bank accounts or the attorney escrow account.

Montillo’s co-conspirator, Eric Becker, was her former fiancé.  Becker developed, and Montillo edited, websites for the various phony businesses, which purported to offer access to financial instruments, such as standby letters of credit, bank guarantees, bonds, or private placement trading platforms.  Montillo and her co-conspirators had no access to any financial instruments.  For example, Montillo and several co-conspirators obtained advance fee payments from a victim that would purportedly gain access to a private placement trading platform.  The co-conspirators persuaded the victim, through several broker intermediaries, to send $1.7 million to a BB&T bank account in Florida.  BB&T returned the funds to the victim.  The victim, a Mexican national, was told that the funds were returned because the window had closed on the investment opportunity.  Co-conspirators, including Montillo, then informed the victim, through his broker, that they could offer him a private placement trading platform in which he would receive profits and a charitable organization would use its portion of the profits to invest in its projects.  The conspirators directed the victim to send his money to the Worldwide Escrow account at HSBC, Hong Kong.  On May 8, 2012, the victim used his own and his family's funds to send $3,099,990 to the Worldwide Escrow Holdings account.  The conspirators, including Montillo, moved over $2 million of the funds to a bank account opened at Choice Bank in Belize.

To conceal the fraud and to reassure the victim and his brokers, co-conspirators including Montillo, created an insurance policy for a non-existent insurance company called International Insurance of Nebraska, which was back-stopped with a website hosted through Montillo's GoDaddy account.  The insurance policy purported to show that the victim's investment funds would not be at risk because they were fully insured.  In addition, co-conspirators, including Montillo, used her GoDaddy account to host the website wweholdingsltd.com to add an air of legitimacy to Worldwide Escrow Both the insurance company and the private placement trading platform were bogus.

Over the next several years, Montillo and her co-conspirators continued with the advance fee scheme.  The scheme had both foreign and U.S. victims.  To protect her identity, Montillo frequently used the name “Kati Conti” in the frauds and used a “burner phone” so that after the scam was concluded, she could “go dark” and stop communicating with the victims.   In all, the scheme sought at least $8.7 million from victims, and actually obtained $4,342,540. 

For tax years 2012 through 2014, Montillo filed personal tax returns showing no income or $100 in income, and thus no income tax was owed.  Montillo admitted that she was the signatory on bank accounts in the names of limited liability corporations into which victims' funds were wire transferred from Hong Kong, Choice Bank in Belize, the attorney escrow account, and other accounts controlled by co-conspirators. Montillo used the victim funds transferred to the limited liability accounts for living expenses.  Montillo had no accounts in her own name.  Montillo admitted that by failing to report her income for 2012 through 2014 to the Internal Revenue Service, she evaded a substantial amount of income taxes.

As part of her plea agreement, Montillo will be required to forfeit a money judgment in the amount of $849,993.12 and to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which is at least $4,342,540.

Montillo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and 5 years in prison for tax evasion.  U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2019 at 10 a.m.

Three defendants were charged in a related case in the Western District of Texas, James Edward Cox, Kelly Ray Coronado, and Gordon Richard Moscowitz.  They have pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy (Cox and Coronado) and money-laundering conspiracy (Moskowitz) and are scheduled for sentencing on February 6, 2019.  Becker was indicted with Montillo but has since died.  Montillo’s father died in 2016.          

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joyce K. McDonald and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – On December 3, 2018, U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Michelle Sylethia Jordan, a/k/a Michelle Harris and Michelle Welsh, age 49; and her husband, Michael Paul Anthony Welsh, a/k/a Michael A. Welsh and Michael Paul S. Welsh, age 45, both of Laurel, Maryland, to 57 months and 46 months in federal prison, respectively, each followed by three years of supervise release, on conspiracy and wire fraud charges in connection with a foreclosure prevention fraud scheme.  Judge Titus sentenced co-conspirator, Carrol Antonio Jackson, a/k/a Jack Jackson, age 48, of Hinesville, Georgia, to time served, followed by nine months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release.  Finally, Judge Titus ordered that each defendant pay restitution of $491,036.87.  A federal jury convicted the three co-conspirators on June 20, 2018.  After the verdict was announced, Judge Titus ordered that Jordan and Welsh be detained pending sentencing and they were immediately taken into custody.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Richard Parker of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG); Postal Inspector in Charge Peter Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Chief Henry P. Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Sheriff Steve Sikes of the Liberty County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office; and Vernon M. Keenan, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

According to the evidence presented at their eight-day trial, Jordan was chief executive officer and director of MJ Loan Auditor Group, LLC (MJLAG), a limited liability company registered and doing business in Maryland.  Welsh was president and chief executive officer of MJLAG.  Jackson was the owner and manager of CJ Maxx Group LLC, a limited liability company doing business in Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia.

Trial evidence proved that from August 2012 until February 2017, Jordan and Welsh falsely told victim homeowners that, for a fee, MJLAG could help these homeowners modify their mortgage loans and prevent foreclosure of their homes.  Jordan and Welsh falsely represented that MJLAG could help the homeowners get “free and clear” title to their homes, with no debt or liens against the property, and that MJLAG could obtain money from the homeowners’ lenders, typically by suing the lenders.  Jordan and Welsh told homeowners that they needed to purchase one or more “audits” of the homeowners’ mortgage loans in order to uncover fraud and alleged illegal acts committed by the lenders, and that these “audits” could be used as evidence in lawsuits against the lenders and in negotiating for a loan modification.

Witnesses testified that as part of the scheme, Jordan and Welsh had homeowners sign a “contract fee agreement” setting out what fees would be charged for the “audit.”  The contract fee agreement contained the seal of the National Association of Mortgage Underwriters (NAMU), even though the defendants and their companies had no current affiliation with NAMU.  Jordan advised clients to submit baseless complaints about their lender to state and federal agencies, file frivolous lawsuits in local courts, and to stop paying their mortgages.  Jordan further advised MJLAG clients whose homes already were in foreclosure proceedings to file for bankruptcy in order to delay the foreclosure proceedings and as part of the process to prevent foreclosure of the clients’ homes.  Jordan assisted MJLAG clients in filing for bankruptcy, by preparing bankruptcy petitions and related documents and court filings.

The evidence proved that Jordan and Welsh paid Jackson to prepare fraudulent documents purporting to be “Forensic Audit Reports” and “Real Estate Securitization Audits” relating to loans for properties owned by MJLAG clients.  The victim homeowners paid money to MJLAG with the expectation of receiving assistance with modifying their mortgage loans and preventing foreclosure of their homes.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FHFA-OIG, HUD-OIG, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for their work in the investigation, and recognized the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley and Nicolas A. Mitchell, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Boison, who prosecuted the case.

# # #

 

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted James Lorenzo Thomas, Jr., age 32, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, for three counts of armed commercial robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The jury’s verdict was returned on December 3, 2018.

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson 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 evidence presented at his four-day trial, in less than one hour on April 6, 2017, Thomas and a co-defendant robbed businesses in Camp Springs, Clinton, and District Heights, Maryland.  In each robbery the defendants brandished a firearm.  In the first two robberies Thomas and his co-defendant stole cash from the business, and in one robbery also took a victim’s cell phone.  At the location of their last robbery, a game store, Thomas and his co-defendant stole PS4s, virtual reality headsets, and an Xbox – one of which had a GPS tracker that led the police to the robbers less than 20 minutes after they left the store.  The police found Thomas and his co-defendant in the getaway car, surrounded by game consoles and dividing up the cash from the robberies.  The gun used in the robberies was also recovered. 

During the trial, Thomas also attempted to intimidate a witness to prevent the witness from testifying at trial.  As a result, the witness initially would not answer the prosecutor’s questions.  After a short recess, the witness did testify.  A Deputy U.S. Marshal, who heard the attempted intimidation, subsequently testified at the trial as to what the defendant said to the witness.

Thomas faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the three counts of robbery.  He also faces a maximum of life in prison and a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in prison for the first count, and 25 years in prison for each of the two additional counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, all consecutive to any other sentence imposed.  Finally, Thomas faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.   U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for February 28, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.

Co-defendant Nathan Sergio Latimore, age 33, of Camp Springs, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to five robberies, including the three he committed with Thomas.  Judge Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Latimore on December 10, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The U.S. 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 commended the FBI Cross Border Task Force and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan, Jr. and Elizabeth G. Wright, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Ryan Farace, age 34, of Reisterstown, Maryland, today to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and money laundering conspiracies.  The charges arose from a scheme to manufacture and distribute alprazolam tablets, which are typically sold under the brand name “Xanax,” through sales on the dark web in exchange for Bitcoin.  Farace and his co-conspirator, Robert Swain, laundered the drug proceeds through financial transactions designed to conceal the source and ownership of the illegal funds.  Judge Blake ordered that Farace must forfeit a money judgment equal to $5,665,000 and 4,000 Bitcoin.  Farace was also ordered to forfeit assets seized by law enforcement during the execution of search warrants on January 16, 2018, at locations associated with the conspiracies, including approximately $1.5 million in cash, 1.100 bitcoin and approximately $2.5 million in computer equipment.  Robert Swain, age 34, of Freeland, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the money laundering conspiracy and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison at his sentencing on January 25, 2019.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Criminal Investigation; U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland Johnny Hughes; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

“Federal law enforcement and our international partners are working together to find and prosecute those who use the dark web to sell drugs and launder the proceeds of their drug dealing,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “The sentence imposed today demonstrates that committing crimes through the dark web does not protect you from prosecution.  We will find you and we will prosecute you.”

"Those that are facilitating the abuse of controlled dangerous substances are negatively impacting our entire community and will be held accountable,” said Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that IRS-CI will remain vigilant in our investigation of these crimes and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat this type of criminal conduct.”

According to his plea agreement, from November 2013 through June 2017, Farace purchased narcotics manufacturing equipment, including pill presses and counterfeit “Xanax” pill molds, which he used to press loose alprazolam powder into tablet or pill form, to resemble genuine Xanax pills.  Farace solicited orders for the alprazolam pills on dark web marketplaces and sold alprazolam pills directly to buyers in exchange for Bitcoin. 

The dark web is the part of the World Wide Web that requires specific software, configurations or authorization to access, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous.  Dark web marketplaces typically use Bitcoin or other digital currency as the means of payment for their transactions.

Bitcoin is a form of digital currency that does not exist in any physical form.  It is not issued or controlled by any government, bank, or company, but is generated and controlled automatically through computer software operating on a decentralized peer-to-peer network.  Bitcoin can be exchanged for conventional currency, with the exchange rate determined on the open market.

Farace admitted that he communicated with his customers through encrypted electronic messages and shipped the completed pill orders through the U.S. mail.  Farace admitted that the postage for these packages was usually paid using pre-paid debit cards that Farace obtained in the names of, and with the personal identifying information of, other people.  Law enforcement also recovered fake driver’s licenses in the names of those individuals, one bearing Farace’s photograph when they executed a federal search warrant at Farace’s home on January 16, 2018.  Based on data recovered from dark web marketplaces seized by law enforcement, Farace distributed more than 920,000 alprazolam pills between December 2013 and March 2017.

From at least July 2015 until February 2017, Farace and Swain conspired with others to launder the proceeds of the illegal drug sales by conducting financial transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the illegal drug proceeds.   Specifically, Farace used pseudonyms to contact a co-conspirator through dark web marketplaces and encrypted messages in order to exchange Bitcoin he received from his drug trafficking for cash.  The co-conspirator would then mail or ship packages of U.S. currency equivalent to the value of the Bitcoin received, less a fee, to mailing addresses provided by Farace.  To conceal the fact that he was receiving cash, Farace, and later Swain, opened post office boxes at U.S. Post Offices and private rental mailboxes in fake names.  Swain knew that Farace was receiving cash and drugs at these mailboxes and that the cash was the proceeds of Farace’s drug trafficking.  During the course of the conspiracy, Farace received cash totaling more than $5 million, through the mails, which he had exchanged for Bitcoin earned from drug trafficking.  In addition, Farace and Swain drove to New Jersey so that Swain could collect $200,000 in cash that Farace had exchanged for Bitcoin.  During the in-person meeting on February 16, 2017, Swain provided a fictitious name to the individual he met and falsely stated that the Bitcoin and cash were his own.  Farace and Swain later tried unsuccessfully to exchange Bitcoin for $400,000 in cash with the same individual. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Howard, and Anne Arundel County Police Departments for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Trevon Beasley, a/k/a Tre, age 24, of Baltimore, of federal racketeering charges related to his gang crimes, including murders committed by Beasley, related to his membership in the Old York Money Gang (OYMG); a federal drug distribution conspiracy; conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and drug trafficking crime; and eight counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and/or heroin.  OYMG dealt drugs and committed murders in the Waverly neighborhood of Baltimore and sustained itself in part through drug sales, including crack cocaine, as well as through murder and other violent crimes.       

The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to the evidence presented at his 12 day trial and other court documents, from January 2013 to April 2017, Beasley was a member of the OYMG, a violent drug trafficking organization operating in the Waverly neighborhood in the northeastern district of Baltimore.  OYMG is involved in criminal activity including murder, robbery, extortion, burglary, and narcotics trafficking in and around Baltimore.  OYMG is a neighborhood gang, limiting its membership to persons that originate from or live in the Waverly neighborhood, and generally excluding “outsiders.”  The gang extensively and frequently endorsed and promoted its existence through social media accounts and rap music videos, whereby members would display their association and advertise membership and activities of the gang.  The evidence elicited at trial showed that Trevon Beasley occupied a leadership role in the gang, which obtained its revenue from murder for hire and drug distribution.  Witnesses testified that OYMG accepted money for contract killings as part of its business, and that Beasley specifically accepted and executed the contract murder of Tyrone Servance on November 15, 2016.  Witnesses testified that after the homicide, associates of the victim engaged in a war with OYMG over the next weeks, culminating in two additional attempted murders perpetrated by Beasley. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, Beasley and other OYMG members regularly carried firearms to defend the gang’s territory and violently expelled OYMG rivals or antagonists.

Beasley faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy; a maximum of life in prison for the drug conspiracy; a maximum of 10 years in prison for the gun conspiracy; and 20 years in prison for each of the eight drug distribution counts.  U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2019, at 2:00 p.m.

Ten other defendants charged in the case previously pleaded guilty to racketeering and/or drug conspiracy charges.  Darrin Mosley, age 25, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty on November 5, 2018, just before trial was scheduled to begin.  Mosley is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The U.S. 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 commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Metcalf and Michael C. Hanlon, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #

 

Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland today honored 40 police officers and federal agents for outstanding work in the Maryland Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) program that resulted in significant federal violent crime prosecutions.  Recipients included police officers from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Frederick, Greenbelt, Maryland National Capital Park Police, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office; and federal agents from ATF, FBI, and HSI.

“Local, state and federal police and prosecutors are working together to combat violent crime in Maryland. The hard work of these law enforcement officers and prosecutors led to dozens of convictions of dangerous criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “I am grateful to the dedicated and professional staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and to our federal, state, and local partners for the challenging work that they do every day to make Maryland more safe and secure.”

The honorees participated in the investigation and prosecution of more than 17 violent crime cases involving more than 101 defendants, including armed robbers, carjackers, violent gang members, and drug dealers.  A majority of the defendants have previous felony convictions and many are career offenders and/or armed career criminals, which reflects how the PSN program focuses federal resources on the more violent criminals plaguing our communities.

United States Attorney Robert K. 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 for these awards.  A list of awardees is attached to this press release.

The Maryland PSN Program is a joint effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland, and local prosecutors to identify, investigate and prosecute the individuals or organizations driving violent crime.  The program has three primary components: (1) proactive investigations and prosecutions; (2) reactive prosecutions; and (3) training and outreach. 

Proactive PSN investigations use federally-led task forces to investigate gangs, drug trafficking organizations, and robbery crews that have been identified as being connected to past or present acts of violence. Prosecutors then use federal racketeering, drug, firearms, and robbery statutes to prosecute those groups.  As a part of the reactive firearms and violent crime prosecutions, certain firearm, commercial robbery, bank robbery, and carjacking cases are screened to determine whether federal prosecution is warranted.  The last component of the PSN program involves training and outreach.  In conjunction with state prosecutors, the USAO provides training to local law enforcement on a variety of issues. 

The USAO is also seeking creative ways to reach out to the community in an effort to deter violent crime.  PSN partners reach out directly to ex-offenders to prevent recidivism through “call-ins,” making ex-offenders aware of services available to assist them and of the consequences if they re-offend.  In an effort to deter individuals from using firearms to commit crimes, the USAO has also recently sponsored billboards in the Baltimore area that state “Gun Crime = Fed Time, No Parole – Ever.”  The billboards should be up for the next few months.

Since 2017, our partnerships have achieved extraordinary results.  In 2017, a total of 334 defendants were charged in PSN cases.  For 2018, as of November 1, our office has already charged a total of 328 PSN defendants.  The following are just a few examples the extraordinary work our PSN team is doing: 

In June 2017, two more members of the Murdaland Mafia Piru Bloods (“MMP Bloods”) gang were charged with racketeering conspiracy.  This gang plagued their territory in Northwest Baltimore.  The recent new charges brought to 26 the number of alleged MMP gang members and associates charged with murders, assaults, abduction, witness tampering, and with selling heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. Nineteen of 26 defendants have pleaded guilty and 15 of those have been sentenced to between 71 months and 30 years in prison.  A trial date for the remaining defendants is scheduled for March 18, 2019.

In January 2018, three members of the Black Guerilla Family (“BGF”) gang were convicted of federal crimes related to their drug-trafficking activities, including murders, shootings, and armed robberies.  Their sales of cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, and oxycodone plagued the Barclay neighborhood of East Baltimore.  The leader (Gerald Johnson) and the chief enforcer (Kenneth Jones) were each sentenced to life in prison. Six other defendants received between 90 and 378 months in prison.  The last defendant will be sentenced in January 2019.

In June 2018, the ninth member of the Up Da Hill gang in South Baltimore’s Cherry Hill was convicted of charges relating to the gang’s activities, including murder, robberies, and selling cocaine and heroin.  This was one of a series of four gang prosecutions in the Cherry Hill neighborhood; a total of 49 defendants have been charged in these RICO and VICAR cases.

On August 13, 2018, a member of Normandie clique of MS-13 was sentenced to life imprisonment resulting from his conviction at trial of participating in a RICO conspiracy that included three murders and four attempted murders in Prince George’s and Frederick Counties.  The RICO charges included a total of eight members and associates of the Normandie clique.  Sentences for the defendants ranged from twelve years to life in prison.

In September 2018, the leader of West Baltimore’s violent Pedestal Gardens gang was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, and the manager of a related drug organization was sentenced to 12 years in prison, for conspiring to sell heroin and fentanyl.  Members of the organization murdered two suspected rivals and the group brought wholesale quantities of heroin and fentanyl into Baltimore.  A total of 14 individuals were charged in the conspiracy.  Thirteen pleaded guilty and one was convicted after trial.

On September 7, 2018, the leader of the MS-13 Maryland Program and Park View clique pleaded guilty to a violent racketeering conspiracy that included attempted murder.  The RICO charges involve seven members of MS-13 who committed multiple murders, extortion, robbery, assaults, threats of violence, distribution of controlled substances.  Five of the charged defendants, including the former leader of the Weedoms MS-13 clique and members and associates of the Cabanas clique, have pleaded guilty.  Two remaining defendants, the former leader of the Cabanas clique and a member of the Sailors clique, are scheduled for trial in January 2019.

 On October 23, 2018, a defendant who committed a string of ten armed robberies with multiple co-conspirators was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison.  In his guilty plea, the defendant admitted to robberies of convenience stores in Gaithersburg, Derwood, Hyattsville, Gambrills, Kettering, Rockville, Glen Burnie, Millersville, and Morningside, Maryland.  In the course of each of the robberies the defendant brandished a firearm and ordered the victims, convenience store cashiers, to empty the cash registers.  On co-conspirator was sentenced to 9 years in prison, while the other two conspirators have yet to be sentenced.

On October 31, 2018, after 24 days of trial, a federal jury convicted eight members of Trained To Go (TTG), a violent criminal organization which operated in the Sandtown neighborhood of West Baltimore, whose members engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence including murder, armed robbery, and witness intimidation. Their leader, Montana Barronette, was found personally responsible for seven murders, and in all, the jury found the defendants responsible for a total of nine murders in Baltimore.

On November 2, 2018, we brought to justice the killer of three-year-old McKenzie Elliott, who was shot to death as she stood on her front porch, when she was struck by an errant bullet during a gang dispute. Terrell Plummer admitted that he killed McKenzie Elliott, and Tyrone Jamison admitted that he supplied the gun used in the shooting. Both men were members of the Old York Money Gang, a violent gang that operated in the Waverly neighborhood and sustained itself largely through the distribution and sale of drugs, as well as through murder and other violent crimes.

In addition to U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur, agency representatives who participated in today’s awards ceremony included:  ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Baltimore Field Office; ATF Special Agent in Charge Thomas Chittum III of the Washington Field Division; FBI Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson; DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don Hibbert; ICE Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Freddie Taylor; Interim Baltimore Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle; Baltimore City Assistant State’s Attorney Gerald Collins, Chief of the Major Crimes Unit; Baltimore County Police Lieutenant William Vaserlaros; Prince George’s County Police Deputy Chief Jackie Rafterry; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Timothy Altomare; Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers; Maryland National Capital Park Police Chief Stanley Johnson; Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Dave Reitz of the Intelligence Investigative Divisions; Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger; and St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Captain Eric Sweeney.

All the PSN partners—including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office—are utterly committed to working together to reduce violent crime in Maryland.  We identify and target the most dangerous offenders for federal prosecution, bringing to bear the full range of federal investigative resources to make our state’s residents safer.  We are grateful for the partnerships that make these results possible will continue to work tirelessly for the good of the citizens of Maryland.

 

# # #

USAO PSN AWARDS RECIPIENTS 2018

Anne Arundel County Police Department

Det. Daniel DeLorenzo, FBI TFO

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives

SA David Collier
SA Lisa Christy
SA Michael Eldredge
SA Daniel Giblin
SA John Messick
SA Rebecca Tomlinson

Baltimore Police Department

Det. David Azur, ATF TFO
Det. James Bradley, DEA TFO
Det. Christopher Faller, ATF TFO
Det. Jonathan Hayden, ATF TFO
Det. Craig Jester, DEA TFO
Det. John Jendrick, DEA TFO

Baltimore County Police Department

Cpl. Shane Sammons, FBI TFO

Federal Bureau of Investigation

SA Autumn Brown
SA Sean Regan

Frederick Police Department

Det. Jorge Garcia
Det. Steven Petruzzello

Greenbelt Police Department

Det. Daniel Aguilar

Hyattsville Police Department

Det. Sgt. Zachary Nemser

Homeland Security Investigations

SA Francisco Gerardo
SA Aaron Klein
SA Austin Shaver
SA Joseph Simms
SA Jeffrey Wiedenhaft

Maryland National Capital Park Police

Officer Miguel Ureña, ATF TFO

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services

Captain Robert S. Dean

Montgomery County Police Department

Det. Diana Cobo, HSI TFO
Det. Christopher Bush, DEA TFO
Det. Ryan Street, DEA TFO

Prince George's County Police Department

Cpl. Paul A. Dougherty
Sgt. Kenneth E. Doyle
Det. Shane Goudreau, ATF TFO
Lt. Patrick Hampson
Det. Nicole McGowen, ATF TFO
Sgt. Denise L. Shapiro
Det. Wayne Tracey, ATF TFO
Det. Mike Trader, HSI TFO
Sgt. William E. Watts

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office

Det. Cpl. Mark Howard, DEA TFO

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Army Sergeant Maliek Kearney, age 37, of San Antonio, Texas, today to life in federal prison, without the possibility of parole, for traveling to Maryland from South Carolina to murder his wife as part of an elaborate plan that involved the help of his girlfriend.  Judge Russell also ordered Kearney to pay $492,800 in restitution to the family of Karlyn Ramirez.  Kearney was convicted on August 8, 2018, after an 11-day trial of the federal charges of interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in the death of Karlyn Ramirez, and using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Kearney remains detained.  Kearney’s girlfriend, Delores Delgado, previously pleaded guilty in federal court for interstate travel to commit domestic violence resulting in death, in connection with the death of Karlyn Ramirez, and testified against Kearney at his trial.  

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commanding General David P. Glaser of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare.

U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur said, “Maliek Kearney cold-heartedly planned the murder of his wife and placed his four-month-old baby in her dead arms after shooting her several times at close range.  The investigators and prosecutors painstakingly put this case together so that Kearney did not escape justice.  This sentence ensures that Kearney will not be able to harm any other women.  Hopefully, it will also bring the family of Karlyn Ramirez some peace that Kearney has been brought to justice.”

“On the first day the FBI joined this investigation, we committed to bringing the full weight of the Bureau to find who was responsible for Karylan’s death and to serve justice,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson. “We followed all logical leads here in Maryland and several other states, provided specialized expertise, and collectively with the Anne Arundel County Police Department and the U.S. Army CID, we were able to keep our promise. The citizens of Maryland have the FBI’s commitment that we will work with our local, state, and federal partners to remove violent criminals from their neighborhoods.”

“I greatly appreciate the extremely hard work and dedication shown by our detectives, Army CID, The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. From the moment we found Ms. Ramirez and her daughter, nothing has been easy with this case. This investigation is a case study in teamwork and tenacity! We are so gratified to be able to bring Ms. Ramirez justice,” said Anne Arundel County Police Chief Timothy Altomare.

"We are extremely pleased with today's sentencing and sincerely hope in some small way today's outcome helps to give the Ramirez family a bit of closure," said Christopher Grey, spokesman for Army CID. "Our agents, in concert with our other law enforcement partners, worked tirelessly to solve this case and bring the guilty to justice for this despicable crime. It clearly demonstrates no matter how cunning a criminal may think they are, we will uncover the truth,” Grey said.  

According to the evidence presented at Kearney’s 11-day trial, Kearney was married to Karlyn Ramirez, an active-duty soldier of the United States Army assigned to Fort Meade, Maryland, and they had a four-month-old daughter together.  Ramirez was found shot to death in her off-post residence on the morning of August 25, 2015.  The baby, who was still alive, had been placed in the arms of Kearney’s deceased wife.  Based on the evidence, the likely time of death was estimated to be the late evening hours of August 24, 2015. 

Witnesses testified that at the time of Ramirez’s death, the couple had recently separated and Ramirez had obtained a protective order through the Army prohibiting all contact between her and Kearney. 

The evidence presented at trial established that Kearney was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  On August 24, 2015, Kearney finished work in the early afternoon and traveled from South Carolina to Severn, Maryland.  Kearney entered Ramirez’s townhouse using his key and brandished a Taurus .357-caliber revolver.  Ramirez attempted to calm her husband but she reiterated that she did not want to reconcile with him.  Kearney then shot Ramirez three times at close range, killing her.  According to the evidence presented, Kearney then took off her pants and pulled down her underwear in an attempt to make it look like a sexual assault.  He also placed their four-month-old daughter in Ramirez’s arms.

Kearney’s girlfriend, Delores Delgado, testified at trial that she provided the firearm that killed Ramirez and allowed Kearney to drive her car from South Carolina to Maryland to commit the murder.  The evidence at trial proved that Delgado also purchased large gas cans for Kearney to take with him, so that he would not have to stop for gas and risk being seen.  According to witness testimony, during the murder, Kearney’s girlfriend, who lived in Florida at the time, stayed at Kearney’s apartment in South Carolina with his phone and vehicle to create his alibi, so that it would later appear to law enforcement that Kearney had been in South Carolina at the time of the murder.  After the murder, Delgado and a third party went to a waterway in Florida and disposed of the firearm, shell casings, Kearney’s clothing worn during the murder, and the key he used to enter the townhouse.  Delgado, at Kearney’s direction, also dismantled the revolver and took steps to obliterate the serial number.  The firearm was subsequently recovered by law enforcement divers and forensic testing determined that it was indeed the gun used by Kearney to shoot Karlyn Ramirez to death.  

On September 7, 2018, Judge Russell, taking into account her cooperation, sentenced Dolores Delgado, age 33, of San Antonio, Texas, to 204 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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 U.S. 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 commended the FBI Baltimore, Army CID, and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and FBI San Antonio for their assistance.  Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Mitchell Oren Smith, age 28, an Airman in the U.S. Air Force, pleaded guilty today to abusive sexual contact with a child, which occurred while he resided at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Adanto D'Amore, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Joint Base Andrews.

According to his plea agreement, from at least July 22, 2017 and continuing for several months, Smith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a child victim who was under 10 years of age.  In the course of his abuse of the child, Smith also admitted that he photographed the abuse.  Investigators recovered a digital photograph from Smith’s cellular phone documenting his abuse of the victim.  All of these events occurred while Smith resided at Joint Base Andrews.

As part of his plea agreement, Smith will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Smith and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Smith will be sentenced to between 240 and 448 months in prison.  U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for February 15, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. 

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Jennifer R. Sykes, who are prosecuting the federal case.

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Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Dontray Johnson, a/k/a “Gambino,” “Bino,” and “Tray,” age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, on November 27, 2018, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for racketeering and drug conspiracies related to his participation in the gang activities of the Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP), a subset of the Bloods gang.  As part of his gang activities, Johnson admitted committing two murders, and to conspiring to distribute controlled substances. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

“Federal authorities worked with the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments and State’s Attorney’s Offices to dismantle a criminal organization that dealt drugs and despair in Northwest Baltimore and Baltimore County,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.  “This sentence demonstrates that we are committed to removing from our communities the violent gang members that terrorize them.”

“Dontray Johnson supported The Murdaland Mafia Piru gang through murder, acts of violence, and by pushing drugs onto the streets of Baltimore,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Cekada. “He and this gang willfully wreaked havoc on the community and have irreparably damaged the families of their victims. We are glad to see justice served today.

According to Johnson’s plea agreement and court documents, MMP, also known as the “Mob” or “Mobsters,” is a violent subset of the Bloods gang that operates in Maryland and elsewhere.  MMP was modeled after the Italian Mafia, and was organized hierarchically, with “the Don” at the top and various “Bosses,” “Underbosses,” “Capos,” “Lieutenants,” and “Mobsters” underneath.  For many years, MMP has controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, Woodlawn, and Walbrook Junction.  The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, and it frequently attracted drug customers driving from Western Maryland and neighboring states.  MMP’s members enriched themselves through drug trafficking and other criminal activities, and using violence and threats of violence to intimidate or retaliate against witnesses, protect the gang’s territories, enforce debts, and eliminate rivals.

Johnson admits that he was a member of MMP and participated in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activities, including murder, extortion, robbery, witness tampering and retaliation, money laundering, and drug distribution.

Specifically, Johnson admits that on November 22, 2012, he murdered MMP member Antoine Ellis, a/k/a Poopy, in the 200 block of North Forest Park Avenue, because he had shown disloyalty to MMP.  Earlier that day, Johnson had posted a comment to his Facebook account saying “198 n risen,” a reference to that year’s murder tally in Baltimore City.  On September 29, 2015, Johnson murdered MMP member Brian Johnson, a/k/a Nutty B, because he refused to pay gang dues that Johnson was collecting for an MMP member.

As detailed in his plea agreement, on November 1, 2013, Johnson was featured in two rap videos that were posted to a social media website.  The first video, “Boy You Lying,” was posted to enhance the gang’s status, intimidate rivals, and discourage anyone from selling drugs in MMP territory without paying its members.  The second video, “Str8 Mobbin,” was posted to assert the gang’s dominance over its drug territories.  It features Johnson with other MMP members, as well as footage of various MMP drug locations.  Johnson brandishes a firearm in the video.

On July 31, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence in Owings Mills and recovered 28 grams of heroin, 70 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, a bulletproof vest, $1,480 in cash, and an “owe sheet” with a tally of drug debts owed by MMP members and associates.

Finally, Johnson admits that he conspired with other MMP members to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin and 280 grams of crack cocaine, and that he knew that during the conspiracy between one and three kilograms of heroin and between 280 and 840 grams of crack cocaine would be distributed.

In addition to Johnson, eighteen of twenty-six defendants have pleaded guilty in the case.  Trial is scheduled for the remaining members on March 18, 2019.

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 U.S. 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 praised the ATF, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Hoffman and Lauren E. Perry, who are prosecuting the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced bank robbers Donald Marcel Rivers, Jr., age 30; Ashley Nicole Collier, age 31; and Timothy Mclain, age 29; all of Hagerstown, Maryland, to 14 years, 90 months, and 84 months and one day in prison, respectively, each followed by five years, five years, and three years of supervised release, for armed bank robbery and related firearms charges.  Collier and Mclain were sentenced today and Rivers was sentenced on November 19, 2018.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, Chief Paul J. Kifer of the Hagerstown Police Department; and Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore.  

According to their plea agreements, Rivers and his girlfriend, Collier, planned to rob a bank and enlisted Collier’s brother, Mclain.  Specifically, on January 9, 2018, the conspirators robbed a bank located in the 1300 block of Salem Avenue in Hagerstown. The three arrived at the bank in a gray Jeep Cherokee.  Rivers and Mclain, both wearing black face masks, entered the bank while Collier remained in the Jeep as the getaway driver.  Rivers was armed with a loaded 9mm handgun, which he pointed at bank employees and customers inside the bank.  Both men yelled and demanded “hundreds and fifties” from the tellers.  Mclain held a duffle bag for the tellers to put the cash in, while Rivers approached several bank employees and a customer and pointed the firearm at them.  After the tellers put the cash in Mclain’s duffle bag, the two men ran from the bank and jumped into the back seat of the Jeep while Collier sped away.  The robbers stole approximately $6,567 from the bank.

Approximately 20 minutes later, police saw the gray Jeep near the road that runs along the Maryland and Pennsylvania state line.  As the police attempted to stop the Jeep, the passenger side door swung open while the Jeep was in motion.  As the Jeep came to a stop, Rivers jumped out and fled into a nearby cornfield, while the Jeep sped away.  Police caught Rivers, who had $2,860.00 in his pocket.

A short time later, police saw the Jeep again parked in a nearby church parking lot.  About 100 yards away, police saw Mclain and Collier walking on the road and arrested both of them.  Mclain had $2,660.00 and a black face mask in his pocket.  Collier had a 9mm handgun loaded with nine live 9mm rounds of ammunition and $1,070 in her purse.  The 9mm handgun was the same handgun used in the bank robbery, and had previously been reported stolen from the owner in West Virginia.

A search warrant was authorized for the gray Jeep, which was registered to Rivers’ mother.  Inside the Jeep, police located clothing worn by the robbers during the robbery, a black ski mask worn by Rivers during the robbery, a black duffle bag, and plastic cards belonging to Rivers and Collier, including a shooting range badge with Rivers’ name and photograph printed on the front of the card.

According to witnesses and records from the shooting range, on November 6, 2017, Rivers was in possession of firearms and ammunition at the shooting range.  Rivers had a previous felony conviction and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Donald Rivers’ mother, Dianne Rivers, pled guilty to felony obstruction of justice after she destroyed a phone her son used after the robbery.  The grand jury had subpoenaed the phone during the robbery investigation.  On November 9, 2018, Judge Chasanow sentenced Dianne Rivers to 3 months in prison.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the FBI – Frederick, the Hagerstown Police Department, and the Washington County’s Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Duey and Sandra Wilkinson, who prosecuted the case.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Stephen McGrath, age 44, of Rockville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2018, to federal charges of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity in order to produce child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.

According to McGrath’s plea agreement, between June 16 and October 9, 2017, McGrath used Internet-based chat applications “MeetMe” and “KIK” to communicate with six minor female victims, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years old.  In his communications with the victims, McGrath, posing as a female modeling agent, confirmed the ages of the victims and requested photographs, including nude and sexually explicit images, which the victims then sent to McGrath as part of their “modeling evaluation.”  McGrath also admitted that he distributed sexually explicit images of Victim 6, a 14-year-old girl, to two of her male friends, whose account information he had requested from Victim 6.

Subscriber information for the accounts used to communicate with Victim 1 showed that the user connected to each account through the same IP address, which was assigned to McGrath in Rockville.  Law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at McGrath’s residence on October 13, 2017, and seized his cellular phone.  The phone had an application for password-protected digital storage.  McGrath supplied the password, which revealed folders within the application labeled with female names and containing pictures and videos constituting more than 600 images of child pornography, including images of the victims described above.  The KIK application was also found on the phone as well as numerous chat conversations with minor females.

As a result of his guilty plea, McGrath will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

McGrath faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for enticement of a minor in order to produce child pornography; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography.   U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for March 29, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.

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

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI-Baltimore and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County Police Department for its assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who is prosecuting the federal case.

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier James Thomas Woodland, age 49, of Temple Hills, Maryland, to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.  The sentence was imposed on November 19, 2018.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Postal Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Paul L. Bowman of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, from at least September 2016 through April 25, 2017, Woodland delivered drug-laden parcels coming from Nevada and California through the U.S. Mail, to his co-conspirators.  On April 21, 2017, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified several USPS Priority Mail parcels which were suspected to contain illegal narcotics.  On April 24, 2017, after a drug-detection canine positively alerted to the parcels, Inspectors obtained a warrant to search them.

Five of the parcels were addressed to five separate locations in Bethesda, Maryland, that were on the postal route assigned to Woodland.  None of the names listed on the parcels were associated with the addresses on the parcels.  Upon execution of the search warrant, Inspectors discovered that each of the parcels contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine. Each parcel was packaged the same, including a light-blue wax covering with a candle wick and the word “King’s” or the shape of a shamrock stamped into the vacuum-sealed cocaine brick.  The estimated street value of the cocaine was $187,600.

As detailed in Woodland’s plea agreement, postal records confirm that the drug parcels Woodland intercepted often had the same or similar characteristics as the parcels that were interdicted on April 21, 2017.  To alert Woodland that parcels were being sent, Woodland’s co-conspirators typically sent Woodland a text message containing (in whole or part) the address on Woodland’s route and/or a fictional name (i.e., a name not associated with the address on Woodland’s route).  Woodland admitted that when the parcel(s) arrived at the Bethesda Post Office for delivery, he retrieved the parcel(s), notified his co-conspirators by call or text message that he had the parcel(s), marked the parcel(s) as “delivered” using his USPS scanner, and then redirected the parcel(s) to his co-conspirators.                    

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray D. McKenzie and Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the case.

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