District of Maryland

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Daniel Michael Harris, Sr., 44, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 14 years in federal prison for committing four armed robberies while using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).

According to court documents, Harris and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of two businesses in Prince George’s County, one business in Charles County, and one business in Montgomery County.  On March 23, and March 28, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed two convenience stores in Prince George’s County, stealing cash from the registers and several packs of cigarettes.  Harris brandished a pistol-grip shotgun during both robberies.

Then on April 5, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Charles County, stealing cash from the registers and the wallet and phone of a store employee.  Harris also brandished a pistol-grip shotgun and held the store employee at gunpoint while pinning a customer into a wall corner with his forearm.

On April 6, 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators robbed a convenience store in Montgomery County, stealing cash from the register and a store employee’s purse and phone.  Harris also brandished the same pistol-grip shotgun used in the earlier robberies.

Then on April 12, 2023, a PGPD officer observed the getaway vehicle Harris and his co-conspirators used in two of the robberies, resulting in a traffic stop.  The occupants of the vehicle fled and escaped.  Law enforcement recovered several items from the vehicle and submitted the items for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing.  A subsequent DNA report revealed a high stringency match between Harris and a DNA sample from a bottle recovered from the vehicle.

On November 9, 2023, Charles County Sherriff’s Office detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for Harris’s storage unit.  Detectives accessed the storage unit and identified the clothing items Harris wore and the same pistol-grip shotgun he used during the robberies.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes praised the FBI, PGPD, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and MCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who prosecuted the case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced OJ Rashad Green, 36, aka “Ice,” of Accokeek, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl in the Accokeek, Maryland area.   

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).

After a six-day trial in February 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Green, finding him guilty of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl, a controlled substance, on four separate occasions.  According to the evidence presented at trial, from or about January 21, 2022, through September 28, 2022, Green repeatedly distributed fentanyl from a home in the Accokeek area.

Law enforcement arrested Green following a series of controlled purchases arranged by officers. These controlled buys provided evidence that Green was utilizing his home as a fentanyl distribution hub.

At sentencing, federal prosecutors presented additional evidence of the large quantity of fentanyl Green distributed over a period of several years. The prosecution also unveiled Green’s extensive distribution network within and outside of the Accokeek area and how Green exploited fentanyl-addicted individuals to work on his behalf as drug testers and drug runners.   

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Brooke Oki who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced it filed a criminal complaint against Amir Phillip Wilson, 23, of Greenbelt, Maryland, charging him with assaulting Federal law enforcement officers. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaint with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Craig Lustig, National Security Agency (NSA) Police.

On September 24, 2025, an NSA police officer, stationed at a checkpoint, observed a vehicle operated by Wilson approach the NSA campus in Fort Meade, Maryland. The officer saw Wilson drive the vehicle through the checkpoint without presenting the appropriate credentials required to enter the protected property. Eventually, law enforcement attempted to stop Wilson, but he accelerated to upwards of 40 to 50 miles an hour in an attempt to evade the officers.

During the pursuit, Wilson’s vehicle struck two marked NSA police vehicles responding to the scene injuring one of the officers. Upon impacting the second police vehicle at a high rate of speed, Wilson’s vehicle careened into a concrete retaining wall, where it came to a stop. Law enforcement then took Wilson into custody.

Wilson is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on Wednesday, October 1, at 10 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and NSA Police for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. A. Massucco-LaTaif and LaRai Everett who are prosecuting this case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – The United States government secured a default judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, completing the forfeiture of 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts illegally smuggled into the United States.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the judgment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Executive Director Stephen Maloney, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) National Targeting Center.

The smuggled artifacts include amulets, stone figurines, a vase, and an “Old Kingdom Limestone Funerary Statue.”  The Funerary Statue alone is appraised at approximately $6 million U.S. Dollars. It likely originated from an archaeological site in Saqqara or Giza, which are royal cemeteries near the ancient city of Memphis, located in present-day Egypt. CBP officers discovered and seized these ancient artifacts at several international airports in the U.S., where they were in transit from overseas shippers destined for private collectors.

As alleged in the government’s complaint, between August 2020, and April 2021, CBP identified the artifacts while inspecting numerous parcels from overseas shippers transiting through airports in Anchorage, Alaska, Cincinnati, Ohio, and New York City. 

The ultimate destination for at least one of these shipments was a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland.

Shipping paperwork for each parcel that housed artifacts contained deceptive and inaccurate descriptions of their contents, including “home décor,” “stone garden statue,” or “decoration,” and did not state the true origin or value of the ancient artifacts.  Historians and antique appraisers, working with CBP, later confirmed the true nature of each ancient Egyptian artifact. In similar cases, the Justice Department has worked through appropriate channels to return smuggled ancient artifacts to their rightful owners – the people of the country of origin.

“This litigation highlights one of the benefits of civil asset forfeiture and is an important milestone toward eliminating smuggled cultural property from the U.S. art market,” Hayes said. “This office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of ancient artifacts, and will use all available tools, including asset forfeiture, to disrupt illicit trade in antiquities.”

“These ancient artifacts are more than just relics of the past; they are irreplaceable pieces of global cultural heritage that tell the story of human civilization,” Campanella said. “The deceptive practices used to smuggle these treasures into the United States not only violate our import laws but also undermine efforts to preserve and protect the integrity of cultural history. HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who seek to profit from the exploitation of cultural heritage are held accountable. By recovering these artifacts, we’ve helped preserve priceless pieces of history and reaffirmed our commitment to protecting the world’s shared heritage for generations to come.”

“This case exemplifies the fine work of the women and men of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and our National Targeting Center in identifying and dismantling illicit networks that exploit global trade routes,” Maloney said. “The recovery of this ancient Egyptian statue, valued at $6 million, underscores CBP’s commitment to protecting cultural heritage and, working collaboratively with our partners, to identify those who seek to profit from theft and smuggling.”

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Unit for investigating this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven T. Brantley, who litigated the case, along with law clerk Amy Rappole and paralegal Nicole Orlovitz, who provided invaluable support.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury found Philip James Dupree, 41, of Pikesville, Maryland, and Mark Ross Johnson, Jr., 38, of Camp Springs, Maryland, each guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, arson, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. Dupree, a former Fairmount Heights Police Department officer, and Johnson, a former Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) officer, conspired with others to carry out the scheme.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty verdicts with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief George Nader, PGPD.

According to the nine-count indictment, which included charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, arson, and bank fraud, the co-conspirators joined forces to commit two separate fraud schemes.  The schemes involved filing false police reports and falsifying loss claims to obtain and attempt to obtain funds from an insurance company and three different financial institutions. 

As part of the insurance fraud scheme in November 2018, Dupree and Johnson coordinated to burn Johnson’s Ford F450 truck that was experiencing mechanical and electrical problems.  Dupree “discovered” the burning vehicle while on duty in Fairmount Heights and filed an impound report containing false statements regarding the recovery of the truck.

Johnson then used the report number in support of his claim filed with the insurance company for a total loss on the truck.  He also submitted altered telephone records to his insurer to hide that he had a 16-minute conversation with Dupree just before Dupree “discovered” the truck.  A fire investigator, hired by the insurer, testified that the Ford F450 fire was intentionally set, and originated in the passenger compartment of the truck.  The insurer, relying in part on the police report and altered telephone records, paid out more than $68,000 to the lien holder on the truck.

Then from May 2019 until June 2019, Dupree, Johnson, and others conspired to defraud three financial institutions. They coordinated the withdrawal of money from their financial accounts through ATMs so they could fraudulently claim their money was stolen. Then the co-conspirators sought reimbursement from their financial institutions. 

In executing the scheme, Dupree and Johnson coordinated submitting police reports to PGPD. Through these reports, they falsely claimed their debit cards were stolen and then were used to withdraw funds from various ATMs without permission.  One police report, submitted by Dupree to support his claim of a stolen debit card, was a complete fake. The report was never submitted to the Prince George’s County Record Management System. Additionally, the report included the name of a non-existent police officer as the preparer. It also carried over Johnson’s name as the “victim” from the separate report Johnson asked a co-conspirator to generate to submit to his credit union.  The co-conspirators submitted fraudulent claims to the victim financial institutions seeking reimbursement for the purportedly unauthorized ATM withdrawals.

Both Dupree and Johnson are facing up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Additionally, they face at least five years, but up to 20 years, for arson affecting interstate commerce, and up to 30 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.  Judge Lydia Griggsby scheduled Dupree’s sentencing for Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 10 a.m. Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for Monday, February 23, at 1:30 p.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation and praised the Fairmount Heights Police Department for its assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and LaShanta Harris who are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Kamal Khalid, 44, of Pasadena, Maryland, to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pled guilty to conspiracy and securities fraud stemming from his role in an odometer rollback scheme.  Judge Russell previously sentenced Khalid’s younger brother and co-conspirator, Fnu Shahrukh, 31, of Severna Park, Maryland, to 18 months of incarceration for his role in the scheme.   Additionally, Judge Russell ordered both defendants to pay approximately $1.2 million in restitution to their victims.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Administrator Jonathan Morrison, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Khalid and his brother preyed on unsuspecting people simply looking to buy a reliable used car. But instead, these victims were deceived into purchasing vehicles that were well past their prime, so now the perpetrators must face the consequence of their criminal actions,” Hayes said. “We, along with our law-enforcement partners, are committed to protecting consumers from those who target others to deceive them out of their hard-earned money.”

“Odometer fraud is a serious crime that that not only costs consumers billions of dollars every year, but also makes our roads more dangerous. In this case, the co-conspirators lowered the average vehicle’s mileage by 124,000, resulting in consumers grossly overpaying for used vehicles near or past their expected lifespans,” Morrison said. “Buyers were purchasing vehicles without knowing that critical components like brakes, belts, and fluids were long past their service dates. Used car buyers deserve to know the true history of their vehicles before purchase, and we encourage everyone to learn how to identify odometer fraud and protect themselves before signing on the dotted line.”

On April 7, 2025, Shahrukh pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Then on May 28, Khalid pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud. As part of their plea agreements, both Shahrukh and Khalid admitted that between 2016 and 2019, they engaged in a scheme to sell used vehicles with false, low-mileage readings entered on the vehicles’ odometers and titles to unwitting consumers.

The defendants also admitted that they purchased high-mileage vehicles from auto auctions. They then altered the vehicles’ odometers to reflect false, lower mileage readings, and obtained motor-vehicle titles reflecting those false, lower mileages. Shahrukh and Khalid then used the fraudulent title documentation and falsified odometer readings to sell the vehicles both through auto auctions and directly to consumers.

On average, the co-conspirators artificially lowered the vehicles’ mileages by 124,000 miles. The co-conspirators deceived purchasers into believing the vehicles had lower mileages, which enabled them to sell the vehicles at inflated prices. As a result of the scheme, consumers paid more for the vehicles than they likely would have if they knew the true high mileage.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended NHTSA for its work in investigating this case and the Maryland Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles Administration for its assistance.   Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps, District of Maryland, and Senior Litigation Counsel David Sullivan and Trial Attorney Manu J. Sebastian, Justice Department, Consumer Protection Branch, who prosecuted the case.

Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. More information on odometer fraud, including prevention tips, is available on NHTSA’s website. 

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Jermaine Porter, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Porter is currently on federal supervised release for a 2018 conviction for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

On March 3, 2023, BPD’s Northeast District Action Team conducted a traffic stop in the 3900 block of Loch Raven Blvd. Prior to the traffic stop, officers observed Porter moving in his seat, which led them to believe he was hiding something. Officers stopped Porter and removed him from the vehicle. In the vehicle, they found a light blue SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun loaded with eight 9mm rounds of ammunition on the seat directly underneath Porter’s legs.

This is Porter’s second federal felony conviction. Due to his prior felony conviction, Porter is prohibited from possessing a firearm and/or ammunition. Porter is facing a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. District Judge Adam B. Abelson scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, December 16.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keelan Diana who are prosecuting the case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Timothy Darren Proctor, 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 130 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.  On October 7, 2024, a federal jury found Proctor guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

According to evidence presented at trial, on July 10, 2021, officers responded to a Temple Hills, Maryland location to check on a suspicious occupied vehicle parked in the area.  Upon arrival, officers found Proctor unresponsive behind the steering wheel with the windows up and the doors locked. 

Officers banged on the windows to wake Proctor up, and after he eventually woke up, he exited the vehicle. Law enforcement then discovered and retrieved a clear bag hanging from Proctor’s front pocket which contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, officers found a firearm inside the vehicle’s center console. The firearm was loaded with 13 40mm caliber cartridges in the magazine and one in the chamber.  Proctor possessed the firearm in connection with his fentanyl drug trafficking. At the time Proctor possessed the firearm, he was prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions.

Additionally, after arriving at the jail, officers located an additional clear zipped bag containing 29 small clear bags, which also contained fentanyl.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Tyon Bailey, 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).

According to the guilty plea, Bailey led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in and around Baltimore, Maryland that was responsible for trafficking a large quantity of fentanyl. An undercover investigator (UC) purchased 100 grams of fentanyl at a time from the Bailey DTO on multiple occasions, including December 7, 2023; December 21, 2023; and January 18, 2024.

On February 12, 2024, co-defendant Terrell Ridgley crashed his vehicle while driving on I-695. He then met Bailey and another associate at a nearby auto repair shop. Law enforcement engaged the individuals, but Bailey began to flee before tossing a lunchbox that contained a quantity of fentanyl. At the scene, investigators recovered approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of cocaine, and a large quantity of cash and jewelry – all from Bailey. Authorities also recovered a Glock 23 firearm loaded with 23 rounds from a vehicle that Ridgley, Bailey, and the associate were standing around moments before law enforcement engaged them.

Additionally, on the same day, investigators executed search warrants at various locations associated with the DTO, resulting in the seizure of four firearms and more than 60 rounds of ammunition.

As a result of the events on February 12, law enforcement arrested Bailey on state firearm and drug related charges. While detained on pre-trial confinement, Bailey continued to lead his DTO by advising co-defendant Jaron Rhodes, who carried out the objectives of the DTO from the outside. While awaiting trial, Bailey and Rhodes arranged for another sale of fentanyl to the UC. On May 7, Rhodes met with the UC to sell 100 grams of fentanyl.

Federal law enforcement initially indicted Bailey for fentanyl distribution in June 2024. As a result, authorities placed Bailey on 24/7 home confinement. While on home confinement, Bailey continued to lead the DTO. In July 2024, while on federal pre-trial release, Bailey contacted the UC to resume distributing fentanyl.

This case also involved court-authorized wiretap interceptions from the Bailey DTO. While on home confinement, law enforcement intercepted Bailey conducting drug-related discussions with co-defendants Rhodes and Ridgley.

On October 3, investigators executed search warrants at several residences associated with the DTO, resulting in the seizure of approximately $110,000 in cash; 500 grams of fentanyl; a firearm; significant quantity of ammunition; kilo press; digital scale; and money counter.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than a kilogram of fentanyl; six firearms; a significant quantity of ammunition; at least $150,000 in cash; and at least $300,000 worth of jewelry.

Ridgley recently received an 87-month federal prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. Rhodes is slated to receive his sentence on October 15.

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. The Baltimore SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III who is prosecuting the case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted David Funderburk, 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

On November 3, 2023, BPD Southwest District Action Team detectives conducted routine patrols in the 1500 block of W. Baltimore Street.  While patrolling the area, detectives observed Funderburk on the street exhibiting characteristics of an armed person. Law enforcement then saw him enter a local eatery.  As the detectives watched Funderburk through the front window, they saw him bend down around a corner, pull a firearm out of his pocket — a FN Five-seveN 5.7x28mm handgun — and then place it on the floor in the corner of the restaurant.

The detectives then immediately entered the eatery and detained Funderburk. They also recovered the firearm from the corner of the restaurant, which was loaded with 18 rounds of 5.7x28mm ammunition.  This is Funderburk’s fourth federal felony conviction. Because of his prior felony convictions, Funderburk was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Funderburk is facing a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Rigney and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sippel, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Briana Scarborough and for her valuable assistance.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Terry Chen, 25, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with submitting fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance (UI) claims.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2021, and continuing until about September 2022, Chen and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States, the State of Maryland, multiple financial institutions, and multiple individuals, including multiple identity theft victims. The co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent UI benefits claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), Maryland’s agency that is responsible for processing the claims. Chen participated in UI claims resulting in losses exceeding $1 million but less than $1.5 million. Additionally, Chen used debit cards issued in the names of aggravated identity theft victims to obtain UI fraud funds.

Co-conspirators Bryan Nushawn Ruffin, 27, of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Kiara Smith, 28, of Fort Washington, Maryland, were employed by a company that provided professional support services to the MD-DOL to review UI claims and administer UI benefits. As detailed in the plea agreement, Chen and his co-conspirators possessed and used computers that the company issued to Ruffin and Smith to access non-public UI data and databases maintained by the MD-DOL.  Ruffin and Smith then granted Chen and his co-conspirators access to MD-DOL databases which they used to change information on existing UI claims.

This included the contact email address, online account password, and payment method for existing UI claims.  The co-conspirators furthered the scheme by using the identity theft victims’ personal identifying information (PII). They also used their access to the MD-DOL databases to upload and approve documents submitted in support of fraudulent UI claims, remove fraud holds on UI claims, certify weeks for determining UI benefits, and engage in other actions to facilitate the fraudulent UI benefits payments.  During the scheme, the MD-DOL believed they were disbursing UI benefits to debit cards/accounts of UI applicants, but the accounts were allegedly opened and controlled by Chen and his co-conspirators.

Chen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy; a mandatory sentence of two years, consecutive to any other imposed sentence, for aggravated identity theft; and 10 years for possession of a machine gun. Additionally, Chen is facing 20 years for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and life for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Chen’s sentencing is currently set for February 2, 2026, at 10 a.m.

The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI for their work in the investigation along with the MD-DOL for its assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Paul A. Riley, and Joseph L. Wenner, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Terrell Ridgley, 34, of Perry Hall, Maryland, to 87 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release, after his conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).

According to the guilty plea, Ridgley engaged in drug trafficking as part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by co-defendant Tyon Bailey. On multiple occasions in late 2023, and early 2024, an undercover agent purchased quantities of fentanyl from Bailey. Throughout this time, authorities observed Ridgley meeting with Bailey and other DTO members. On January 3, 2024, law enforcement saw Ridgley exit a vehicle carrying what appeared to be controlled dangerous substances in his sweatshirt. After a K-9 scan of Ridgley’s vehicle, authorities discovered the presence of narcotics.

On February 12, Ridgley crashed his vehicle while driving on I-695. He then met Bailey and another associate at a nearby auto repair shop. Law enforcement engaged the individuals and recovered approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of cocaine, and a large quantity of cash and jewelry – all from Bailey. Authorities also recovered a Glock 23 firearm loaded with 23 rounds from a vehicle that Ridgley and the others were around moments before law enforcement engaged them.

In August 2024, law enforcement heard Ridgley — via court-authorized wiretap interceptions — discussing fentanyl distribution with Bailey. Specifically, Ridgley discussed the “blue stuff” stored at Bailey’s residence. Some of the fentanyl the undercover agent purchased from Bailey was in blue-powder form.

On October 3, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ridgley’s Perry Hall residence. While searching the premises, investigators observed Ridgley flushing a purple fentanyl mixture down the toilet, some of which law enforcement salvaged. During the search of the residence, investigators also recovered bags containing a fentanyl mixture in various colors, including purple, blue, and white.

In total, investigators seized more than 400 grams of fentanyl as well as cocaine from Ridgley’s residence. Investigators also recovered cutting agents used to prepare fentanyl for distribution. Ridgley admitted he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. 

Sentencing for co-defendants Tyon Bailey and Jaron Rhodes is scheduled for September 24, and October 15, respectively.

This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. The Baltimore SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III, who is prosecuting the case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal jury convicted three men, Wilson Arturo Constanza-Galdomez, also known as Humilde and Marco Saravia, 26, of El Salvador, Edis Omar Valenzuela-Rodriguez, also known as Little Felon, 24, of Honduras, and Jonathan Pesquera-Puerto, also known as Truney, 24, of Honduras; for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murders, and attempted murders, as well as murder in aid of racketeering.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the convictions with Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, Justice Department, Criminal Division, and Assistant Director Jose A. Perez, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Criminal Investigative Division.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Central America, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere, MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. The defendants, as members and associates of MS-13, were required to commit acts of violence to increase their status and rank within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. In Baltimore City and Baltimore County, MS-13 maintained a rivalry with the 18th Street Gang, among others.

“The MS-13 gang continues to show a total disregard for human life,” Hayes said. “These defendants’ commitment to carrying out multiple vicious attacks and murders, including the killing a 16-year-old girl, is unconscionable. Members of this ruthless, international gang thrive on murdering and terrorizing others, and in this case, did so to advance their standing within this lawless organization. We, along with our law-enforcement partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who commit these despicable crimes and dismantling the violent criminal organizations that terrorize our communities.” 

“Over the course of a few short months, these defendants – seeking to be promoted within the ranks of the designated foreign terrorist organization MS-13 – spread fear through the streets of Baltimore by committing brutal and heinous acts, including the murder of two young women,” Galeotti said. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to prosecuting MS-13 members to the fullest extent of the law in order to eradicate the transnational street gang, obtain a measure of justice for their victims, and restore the safety and security of our communities.”

“The defendants convicted today engaged in excessive and brutal violence as members of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization that routinely shows contempt for the rule of law,” Perez said. “We are proud of the work that has taken these individuals off the streets so that they can no longer harm the community of the greater Baltimore area, and we will continue our nationwide efforts in thwarting MS-13.”

Constanza-Galdomez and Pesquera-Puerto were members or associates of the Carlington Locos Salvatrucha (CALS) clique, and Valenzuela-Rodriguez was a member of the Huntington Criminales Locos Salvatrucha (HCLS) clique. From June 2019 through at least October 2021, the defendants participated in the racketeering activities of MS-13, including two murders, four attempted murders, and witness tampering.

On April 25, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 conspired to assault a man whom they suspected was a rival gang member. That same day, they allegedly assaulted the victim in Baltimore by striking him with machetes multiple times, causing injuries to the victim’s face and arm.

On May 29, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, Pesquera-Puerto, and other members and associates of MS-13 lured Gabriela Gonzalez-Ardon, a 16-year-old girl whom they suspected of associating with rival gang members, to an area near Loch Raven Reservoir in Cockeysville, Maryland. There the defendants and other members and associates of MS-13 struck her with a machete and stabbed her multiple times, murdering her. After the murder, members and associates of MS-13 reported the murder to MS-13 leadership to get credit for participating in the murder and to increase their status within MS-13.

On June 5, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other MS-13 members and associates lured Michelle Tenezaca, whom they suspected was a rival gang member that cooperated with law enforcement, to an area near the CSX Bayview Train Yard in Baltimore, Maryland. There the gang stabbed her 143 times, killing her and leaving her body near the train tracks. After the murder, members and associates of MS-13 reported the murder to MS-13 leadership to get credit for participating in the murder and to increase their status within MS-13.

In June 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13, conspired to murder a man who had disputes with the gang. Therefore, on June 6, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other MS-13 members and associates confronted the man and his girlfriend, the sister of one of the homicide victims, at a library in Baltimore, Maryland. Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 then ordered younger members of the gang to take the woman to an area near the train tracks where Michelle Tenezaca was killed. The younger members of the gang then stabbed the woman over 70 times. Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 then forced the male, at knifepoint to go to Dundalk, Maryland, to murder him. The defendants then attempted to murder the man by stabbing him multiple times with knives. Both victims survived the attacks.

Constanza-Galdomez was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. Valenzuela-Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. Pesquera-Puerto was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and one count of murder in aid of racketeering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshal’s Service, Baltimore County Police Department, and Baltimore City Police Department for their work in the investigation, along with the offices of Ivan J. Bates, Baltimore City State’s Attorney, and Scott Shellenberger, Baltimore County State’s Attorney, for their valuable assistance with this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James Wallner, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorneys Grace Bowen and Chrisopher Taylor, Justice Department – Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, who are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

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

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CORRECTION: an earlier version incorrectly mentioned drug trafficking offenses

Today, a federal jury in Maryland convicted three men, Wilson Arturo Constanza-Galdomez, also known as Humilde and Marco Saravia, 26, of El Salvador, Edis Omar Valenzuela-Rodriguez, also known as Little Felon, 24, of Honduras, and Jonathan Pesquera-Puerto, also known as Truney, 24, of Honduras; for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murders, attempted murders, as well as murder in aid of racketeering.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Central America, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and throughout the United States. In Maryland and elsewhere, MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region. The defendants, as members and associates of MS-13, were required to commit acts of violence to increase their status and rank within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. In Baltimore City and Baltimore County, MS-13 maintained a rivalry with the 18th Street Gang, among others.

“Over the course of a few short months, these defendants – seeking to be promoted within the ranks of the designated foreign terrorist organization MS-13 – spread fear through the streets of Baltimore by committing brutal and heinous acts, including the murder of two young women,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s verdict demonstrates the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to prosecuting MS-13 members to the fullest extent of the law in order to eradicate the transnational street gang, obtain a measure of justice for their victims, and restore the safety and security of our communities.”

“The MS-13 gang continues to show a total disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “These defendants’ commitment to carrying out multiple vicious attacks and murders, including the killing a 16-year-old girl, is unconscionable. Members of this ruthless, international gang thrive on murdering and terrorizing others, and in this case, did so to advance their standing within this lawless organization. We, along with our law-enforcement partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who commit these despicable crimes and dismantling the violent criminal organizations that terrorize our communities.” 

“The defendants convicted today engaged in excessive and brutal violence as members of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization that routinely shows contempt for the rule of law,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We are proud of the work that has taken these individuals off the streets so that they can no longer harm the community of the greater Baltimore area, and we will continue our nationwide efforts in thwarting MS-13.”

Constanza-Galdomez and Pesquera-Puerto were members or associates of the Carlington Locos Salvatrucha (CALS) clique, and Valenzuela-Rodriguez was a member of the Huntington Criminales Locos Salvatrucha (HCLS) clique. From June 2019 through at least October 2021, the defendants participated in the racketeering activities of MS-13, including two murders, four attempted murders, and witness tampering.

On April 25, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 conspired to assault a man whom they suspected was a rival gang member. That same day, they allegedly assaulted the victim in Baltimore by striking him with machetes multiple times, causing injuries to the victim’s face and arm.

On May 29, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, Pesquera-Puerto, and other members and associates of MS-13 lured Gabriela Gonzalez-Ardon, a 16-year-old girl whom they suspected of associating with rival gang members, to an area near Loch Raven Reservoir in Cockeysville, Maryland. There the defendants and other members and associates of MS-13 struck her with a machete and stabbed her multiple times, murdering her. After the murder, members and associates of MS-13 reported the murder to MS-13 leadership to get credit for participating in the murder and to increase their status within MS-13.

On June 5, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other MS-13 members and associates lured Michelle Tenezaca, whom they suspected was a rival gang member that cooperated with law enforcement, to an area near the CSX Bayview Train Yard in Baltimore, Maryland. There the gang stabbed her 143 times, killing her and leaving her body near the train tracks. After the murder, members and associates of MS-13 reported the murder to MS-13 leadership to get credit for participating in the murder and to increase their status within MS-13.

In June 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13, conspired to murder a man who had disputes with the gang. Therefore, on June 6, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other MS-13 members and associates confronted the man and his girlfriend, the sister of one of the homicide victims, at a library in Baltimore, Maryland. Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 then ordered younger members of the gang to take the woman to an area near the train tracks where Michelle Tenezaca was killed. The younger members of the gang then stabbed the woman over 70 times. Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other members and associates of MS-13 then forced the male, at knifepoint to go to Dundalk, Maryland to murder him. The defendants then attempted to murder the man by stabbing him multiple times with knives. Both victims survived the attacks.

Constanza-Galdomez was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. Valenzuela-Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. Pesquera-Puerto was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and one count of murder in aid of racketeering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes made the announcement, and also thank Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger for their offices’ assistance in the case.

The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Grace Bowen and Chrisopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Wallner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland issued a sentencing memo following Nicholas John Roske’s April 8 guilty plea for the attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“This attempt against the life of a Supreme Court Justice was an attack on the entire judicial system that cannot go unpunished,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice condemns political violence and our prosecutors will ensure that this disturbed individual faces severe consequences for his deranged actions.”

The memo asks for a sentence of 30 years.

Please read the full memo linked HERE.

Baltimore, Maryland – Natonia Johnson, 52, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty today, to one count of wire fraud in connection with a bribery scheme that she conducted as a Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) contractor to issue fraudulent unemployment insurance funds.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore.

Unemployment insurance (UI) is a joint state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. UI payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits. This included the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and Lost Wages Assistance Program.

In Maryland, residents seeking UI benefits submit online applications. In the application, applicants must answer specific questions to establish eligibility to receive UI benefits, including their name, Social Security Number (SSN), and mailing address, among other things.  Additionally, the State requires applicants to self-certify that they are unemployed, partially employed, or unable to work for a COVID-19-related reason.  The MD-DOL relies upon the information from the application to determine UI benefits eligibility.

According to the guilty plea, between June 2020 until about November 2021, Johnson executed a scheme to defraud the MD-DOL and United States. Johnson assisted friends, family members, and strangers with fraudulently filing and obtaining UI benefits they were not eligible to receive in exchange for bribes and kickback payments.

Initially, Johnson assisted individuals with uploading fraudulent documents in support of UI claims. She then falsely asserted that these individuals were self-employed. Later, through her employment as a contractor at Company #1, Johnson staffed MD-DOL’s UI call center and gained access to MD-DOL’s internal UI database. Then Johnson used this access to remove flags and holds on various co-conspirators’ UI accounts that established these individuals were ineligible to receive UI benefits. Additionally, Johnson backdated claims, removed fraud holds, and caused MD-DOL to issue additional UI benefits that these co-conspirators were ineligible to receive. In exchange, Johnson received between $200 and $500 from each co-conspirator whose claims she assisted with. Through the scheme, Johnson defrauded the MD-DOL of more than $250,000 in UI claims.

Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2026, at 11 a.m.

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and HSI for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Wenner who is prosecuting the federal case. She also recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Edward McCorkle, 37, of Baltimore County, Maryland, pled guilty today, to one count of wire fraud, in connection with submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.

According to his plea agreement, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through February 2021 in the District of Maryland, McCorkle engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions — including Cross River Bank, and the SBA — to obtain fraudulent loans for various purported businesses that he previously established under the PPP and EIDL program.

McCorkle ultimately fraudulently obtained $523,700 as part of this scheme while attempting to obtain a total of $946,500. He used the fraudulently obtained funds for multiple impermissible purposes, including numerous personal expenses, large cash withdrawals, and to purchase and rehabilitate real estate in Baltimore City.

Specifically, on May 26, 2020, McCorkle and a co-conspirator caused the submission of a fraudulent PPP loan application to Cross River Bank for Real Transitions LLC, a purported business McCorkle controlled. The PPP loan application contained multiple material misrepresentations, including that Real Transitions LLC employed 15 workers for an average monthly payroll of $98,600. This equated to approximately $1,183,000 in total payroll expenses in 2019. 

In support of the loan application, McCorkle included four fabricated 2019 IRS Form 941 Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns for each quarter of the year.  The documents falsely indicated that Real Transitions LLC employed 15 workers and withheld more than $100,000 in federal income taxes in 2019.

But the IRS Forms 941 were not legitimate, as the information within them was false. Real Transitions did not pay any wages to or withhold federal income tax from any employees during the 2019 tax year. Based on the false representations and fraudulent submissions on behalf of McCorkle, and the PPP loan funded, Cross River Bank distributed approximately $246,500 to a Municipal Employees Credit Union (MECU) account that McCorkle controlled.

McCorkle agreed to pay his co-conspirator a kickback payment for helping submit the false application and obtaining the fraudulent PPP loan.  After McCorkle received the PPP loan funds, he provided his co-conspirator with a check in the amount of $49,300, exactly 20 percent of the PPP loan amount.   

In addition to the $49,300 kickback he paid to the co-conspirator, McCorkle also used the fraudulently obtained PPP funds for multiple impermissible purposes under the PPP.  McCorkle used the fraudulently obtained PPP funds to buy and rehabilitate real estate in Baltimore City, pay credit-card expenses, and to make large withdrawals for his own benefit.

On June 5, more than $98,000 was withdrawn from the account in two transactions, including a bank check payable to McCorkle for $49,100.  Then on June 15, two withdrawals totaling more than $28,000 were made from the account. On June 19, a withdrawal of $14,500 was made from the account.  Then McCorkle accessed the remaining loan proceeds via cash withdrawals, debit-card purchases, and other electronic payments in June, July, August, and September. By October 1, the balance sat at approximately $3,400 in the account.

According to his plea agreement, McCorkle also admitted that he obtained more than $227,000 in EIDL funds for a purported business and used those funds for multiple impermissible purposes under the EIDL program.  He used loan proceeds to make mortgage payments for McCorkle’s primary residence, purchases at restaurants and retail stores, and payments to relatives, associates, and co-conspirators.

McCorkle faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by up to three years of supervised release.   U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.  

For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialists Juliette Jarman and Joanna B.N. Huber, for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Wesley Phillip Wilson, Jr., 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pled guilty to several bank robbery offenses and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The string of armed bank robberies occurred in Maryland and Virginia. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Washington, DC Field Office, Criminal Division; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); Chief Douglas W. Keen, Manassas City Police Department; Colonel Peter Newsham, Chief, Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD); and Chief Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). 

According to the guilty plea, between November 19, 2020, and December 7, 2020, Wilson robbed four banks and attempted to rob another. On November 19, Wilson kicked off the spree by robbing approximately $1,570 from a Prince George’s County, Maryland bank. During the robbery, Wilson approached a teller station and handed a teller a note that stated “Don’t Be a Hero. I have a gun. No Dye packs tracers or devices in the bag. Do Not push alarm until I leave! If my scanner goes off someone will die. Only Large Bills. Hurry up!! Stay calm 20,000 Now.” The bank teller initially gave Wilson $500, but he demanded more money, so the teller complied, giving him an additional $1,070.70. 

Then on November 23, Wilson entered an Anne Arundel County, Maryland bank. Wilson approached the teller station and handed the teller a note that stated “Dont Panic. Put all the money in the bag. Don’t hit the panic alarm until I leave or people will die. I have a gun…No dye packs or devices. Your on the clock. Don’t Be A Hero!!” The teller complied, giving Wilson $2,709 before he fled.

On November 25, Wilson attempted to rob a Woodbridge, Virginia bank. Wilson approached the teller’s station asking to make a withdrawal. He then tossed an envelope through the opening of the teller’s plastic shield that stated “I have a gun don’t Panic Do Not push the panic alarm until I leave and No one dies. Give me ALL the money from the drawer.” Wilson then reached into his bag and brandished a black handgun in furtherance of the robbery. In response, the teller handed Wilson a withdrawal slip and responded to the threat by attempting to press the alarm button under the desk. As a result, Wilson fled without obtaining any funds from the bank.

Then on November 28, Wilson entered a Montgomery County, Maryland bank carrying a shopping bag. Wilson approached the teller station and handed over a note that read, “I have a gun. Do not panic. Give me all the money in the drawer.” The teller complied, giving Wilson giving $3,000, which he placed in the shopping bag before fleeing.

On December 7, Wilson entered a Manassas, Virginia bank and approached the teller station. After a brief conversation, Wilson pointed a handgun at the teller, demanding everything in the top drawer. The teller complied giving Wilson the money. Then Wilson approached another bank employee and demanded money. The second employee also complied, emptying a drawer that contained cash and a GPS tracker onto the counter. As the employee put the money into envelopes, a customer entered the bank. Wilson then pointed the handgun at the employee, stating, “You have eight seconds.” He then stuffed approximately $6,135 into a bag before fleeing.

Following the bank robbery, law enforcement utilized the GPS tracker to track the stolen money to a shopping center in Manassas, Virginia. Law enforcement found Wilson and informed him that they were detaining him in connection with the Prince William County bank robbery. As an officer placed his hands behind him, Wilson confessed.  Upon approaching Wilson’s vehicle, law enforcement spotted various piles of stolen cash inside and then officers eventually found additional stolen money in his pocket.

After Wilson’s arrest law enforcement conducted an interview. During the interview, Wilson confessed to the four previous bank robberies and the one attempted bank robbery. Law enforcement searched Wilson’s vehicle where officers discovered proceeds from previous robberies and the Polymer80 9mm handgun and ammunition he used in connection with the robberies.

Wilson is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery charge and a maximum of 25 years for the armed bank robbery and attempted armed bank robbery charges. Additionally, Wilson faces a minimum of five years and maximum of life—consecutive to the bank robbery offenses—for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, PGPD, Anne Arundel County Police Department, MCPD, Manassas City Police Department, PWCPD, and FCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn Williams and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting this case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard, Eastern District of Virginia, for his valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Miami woman with 16 federal charges in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) benefits fraud scheme. Tamika Nicole Jones, 33, of Miami, Florida, is charged with eight counts of wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of mail fraud. The indictment was unsealed following Jones’s arrest in South Florida by Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, DOL-OIG.

As detailed in the indictment, UI is a joint state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. UI payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits. This included the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and the Lost Wages Assistance Program.

In Maryland, residents seeking UI benefits submitted online applications. Applicants answered specific questions to establish eligibility to receive UI benefits, including their name, Social Security Number (SSN), and mailing address, among other things.  Additionally, the State required applicants to self-certify that they were unemployed, partially employed, or unable to work for a COVID-19-related reason.  The Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) relied upon the information from the application to determine UI benefits eligibility. After approval, the MD-DOL typically distributed state and federal UI benefits electronically to a debit card, which claimants could use to withdraw funds and/or make purchases.

As alleged in the indictment, from May 2020 to June 2021, the defendant defrauded State Workforce Agencies, including the MD-DOL, by impersonating victim individuals for the purpose of submitting fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance.  The defendant used victims’ personal identifying information, including name, date of birth, and/or SSN, to submit applications for UI benefits. 

If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire and mail fraud. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison that runs consecutive to any other sentence. 

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Beim who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Jemel Lyles, 43, of Washington, DC, to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $281,947 in restitution, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  In his guilty plea, Lyles admitted to submitting applications for and receiving funds from six fraudulent CARES Act loans. Additionally, Lyles violated his supervised release from a previous federal conviction for obstruction of an audit.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.

According to the guilty plea, between April 2020 through February 2021, while on supervised release for a prior federal felony fraud conviction, Lyles defrauded the SBA and PPP by obtaining six fraudulent PPP loans. In the relevant applications, Lyles inflated the applicant businesses’ number of employees and monthly payroll amounts to fraudulently increase the amount of PPP funds he received.

Lyles also knowingly submitted both false payroll documentation and false tax documents to support the false assertions. Under PPP regulations, Lyles’s prior felony fraud conviction made any business in which he had a reportable ownership interest ineligible to receive PPP funds. Lyles fraudulently obscured either his ownership interest in the applicant businesses or the fact that he would be the immediate recipient and have primary control over the PPP funds to evade this legal restriction.

When Lyles submitted one set of applications, he omitted his reportable interest in the applicant companies Green Capital Construction and Landscape, LLC (Green Capital) and JSL, Investments LLC.  In another set of applications, Lyles used the identity of his then friend and employee to apply for PPP loans in the individual’s name. These loans were then deposited into bank accounts that Lyles was a signatory. Then Lyles proceeded to use PPP funds in impermissible ways, some of which included expenditures such as a home gym, jewelry, child-support payments, personal retail credit accounts, food, and personal financial investments. In total, Lyles defrauded approximately $281,900 in PPP funds from the United States and PPP lenders.

The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Wenner, who is prosecuting the federal case, and recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland - District Chief Judge George Levi Russell, III, sentenced Christopher Lawrence Stouffer, age 39, of Cumberland, Maryland, to 20 years in prison, today, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting two minors.  Additionally, Stouffer must register as a sex offender for life.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; James Elliott, State’s Attorney for Allegany County; and Chief John C. Ralston, Jr., Frostburg State University Police.

According to court documents, over several months, Stouffer used his cellular phone to produce numerous explicit videos of one minor victim beginning when she was 9 years old. Stouffer also installed a covert camera in the bathroom and captured explicit images of another minor victim who was 14.  He then downloaded these files onto a hard drive where he kept a collection of at least 800 video files, including depictions of infants and toddlers. 

This case is 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 justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and Frostburg State University Police for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn and Spencer L. Todd who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Chief Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Gary Hall, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, along with possession of a firearm in a school zone in Baltimore City. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Police Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

On March 5, 2024, BPD received a report about an armed individual in a convenience store. Authorities later identified the individual as Gary Hall, a previously convicted felon. Upon arrival at the convenience store, the responding officer located Hall walking in the direction of Pimlico Elementary School as students were leaving school for the day. The responding officer pursued Hall and identified the handle of a firearm inside of Hall’s inner jacket pocket.

The officer then attempted to stop Hall, but he resisted and engaged in a physical struggle. During the struggle, the officer recovered the loaded firearm from Hall’s inner jacket pocket, but Hall evaded capture. At the time of its recovery, the firearm was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Then on March 6, officers responded to a report of a burglary at a residence located a few blocks away from the convenience store. There, responding officers located and arrested Hall in the basement of the residence.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Tsuei and James Hammond who are prosecuting the case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Ahmed Hussain, 23, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 102 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Boardman also ordered Hussain to pay $557,078 in restitution. The sentence is in connection with Hussain’s convictions on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, stemming from Hussain submitting fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance (UI) claims. Hussain’s sentence also covers Hussain’s convictions on felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charges.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2021, and continuing until at least about September 2022, Hussain and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States, the State of Maryland, multiple financial institutions, and multiple individuals, including identity theft victims. The co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent UI benefits claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), Maryland’s agency that is responsible for processing the claims.  As part of the conspiracy, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $3.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits. Hussain personally participated in UI claims resulting in losses exceeding $550,000. He used debit cards issued in the names of aggravated identity theft victims to obtain UI fraud funds.

Company 1, which provided professional support services to the MD-DOL to review UI claims and administer UI benefits, employed co-conspirators Bryan Nushawn Ruffin, 27, of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Kiara Smith, 28, of Fort Washington, Maryland. As detailed in the plea agreement, Hussain and his co-conspirators possessed and used computers that Company 1 issued to Ruffin and Smith to access non-public UI data and databases maintained by the MD-DOL.  Ruffin and Smith then granted Hussain and his co-conspirators access to MD-DOL databases which they used to change information on existing UI claims.

This included the contact email address, online account password, and payment method for existing UI claims.  The co-conspirators furthered the scheme by using the identity theft victims’ personal identifying information (PII). They also used their access to the MD-DOL databases to upload and approve documents submitted in support of fraudulent UI claims, remove fraud holds on UI claims, certify weeks for determining UI benefits, and engage in other actions to facilitate the fraudulent UI benefits payments.  During the scheme, the MD-DOL believed they were disbursing UI benefits to debit cards/accounts of UI applicants, but the accounts were actually opened and controlled by Hussain and his co-conspirators.

Hussain also admitted that on November 16, 2022, while law enforcement executed a residential search warrant at his home, they found that he knowingly possessed a stolen black Honor Defense 9mm handgun. He possessed the firearm in relation to his drug-trafficking activities. Officers also found 60 pounds of marijuana, drug distribution baggies, and 229 rounds of ammunition of varying calibers in Hussain’s room. Prior to law enforcement finding him in possession of the firearm and ammunition, Hussain had been convicted — and knew he had been convicted — of an offense punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Therefore, Hussain was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. 

Co-Defendants Ruffin, Smith, and Zakria Hussain, 28, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, aka “Oso,” and Lawrence Nathanial Harris, 32, of Temple Hills, Maryland, aka “Manman” and “Biggbank,” already pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG, ATF, FBI, and PGPD, for their work in the investigation and the MD-DOL for its assistance.  Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Paul A. Riley, Joseph L. Wenner, Christopher Sarma, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanay Mitchell who are prosecuting this case. She also recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – Allan Shaw, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to a federal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person charge.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, on December 31, 2024, BPD officers conducted Citi-Watch camera surveillance on the 300 block of Monroe Street in Baltimore. As law enforcement surveilled the block, they saw Shaw offering controlled substances to individuals on the street.  Officers also saw Shaw enter his red Dodge Ram truck multiple times, which was parked on the street.

Law enforcement specifically saw Shaw conduct a hand-to-hand drug transaction in which he removed an orange pill bottle from his coat, opened the bottle to retrieve one or more pills, dropped one or more pills in a customer’s hand, and then accepted money from the customer. Officers then arrested Shaw. When law enforcement searched Shaw, they found an orange prescription bottle consistent in appearance with the bottle seen on the Citi-Watch surveillance.  The bottle contained 18 oxycodone pills.

Additionally, officers searched Shaw’s truck, finding cocaine base, a tan-and-black Polymer80 9mm semi-automatic handgun bearing no serial number, and approximately four rounds of 9mm ammunition.  Due to a prior felony conviction, Shaw is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

At the time of his arrest, Shaw was on supervised release in connection with a separate federal conviction for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person.  As part of his plea agreement, Shaw also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release when he committed another federal crime.

Shaw and the government agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, he will be sentenced to five to eight years in federal prison.  U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson scheduled sentencing for Monday, January 5, 2026, at 10 a.m.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin who is prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced John Hyman, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for two armed commercial robberies and a carjacking in Baltimore County and Baltimore City, Maryland.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Baltimore Field Division; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to his guilty plea, in November 2022, Hyman and two other men committed two armed robberies of two commercial businesses and carjacked a vehicle from an employee.  On November 29, Hyman and his co-defendants entered a 7-Eleven convenience store in East Baltimore.  Upon entering the store, the men brandished a handgun and proceeded to rob the store.

The suspects stole money from the cash register before fleeing the store. Unknown to the suspects, a money tracker was within the stolen money. This alerted the police and enabled them to track the suspects.  Both BPD and BCPD dispatched officers, detectives, and aviation squads to locate the suspects.

After leaving the store, the money tracker showed the suspects traveled to the Stokos carry-out restaurant, approximately 0.6 miles away from the store they robbed.  While at that restaurant, one of the co-conspirators brandished a handgun, confronted a delivery driver, and robbed the man of the keys in his pocket.

Then the men stole money from the store’s cash register and fled the location. BPD and BCPD aviation units soon located two vehicles closely following each other that matched the movements of the money tracker.  The vehicles then separated and attempted to flee police, but law enforcement ultimately apprehended Hyman and the other two men who committed the robberies and carjacking. During the arrests, law enforcement recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson firearm.

Co-defendant Devin Grimes previously pled guilty and received a 10-year sentence. 

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, BCPD, and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. who prosecuted the case.

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

Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Dalonte Ray Jones, 21, of Annapolis, Maryland, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Edward Jackson, Annapolis Police Department (APD).

According to Jones’ guilty plea, on November 11, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Jones’ apartment located in Maryland.  During the search, law enforcement found a Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun, with an extended magazine, in Jones’ bedroom.  The magazine, which is capable of holding 45 rounds of ammunition, was loaded with 17 live rounds.  In 2023, the firearm was reported stolen.  Jones’ DNA, along with the DNA of three other individuals, was on the firearm.

Investigators also searched Jones’ iPhone pursuant to a warrant. Law enforcement uncovered numerous videos of Jones holding a variety of firearms, including the firearm he possessed on November 11.

Jones knew that he had previous felony convictions which prohibited him from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Jones’ prior convictions included a January 2023 conviction for second-degree assault and an April 2023 conviction for second degree assault.  Jones was on probation for the April 2023 assault conviction at the time he possessed the handgun in this case.

Jones faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge.  Judge Brendan A. Hurson scheduled sentencing for Monday, December 8, at 2 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and APD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who is prosecuting the case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Stephen Nicholas Westcott, 35, of Kennedyville, Maryland, charging him with Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, and Illegal Possession of an Unregistered Silencer. Law enforcement arrested Westcott in Manistee County, Michigan, after he fled the state of Maryland to avoid arrest when a warrant was issued in February 2025.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); James A. Dellmyer, State’s Attorney for Cecil County; and Bryan DiGregory, State’s Attorney for Kent County.

According to the 13-count indictment, Westcott produced sexually explicit images of a young child under the age of 5.  Westcott also communicated and distributed child sexual abuse materials over various internet platforms including Snapchat, Discord, and Telegram while maintaining a collection of child sexual abuse material on his personal electronic devices.

If convicted, Westcott faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count of Distribution of Child Pornography. Additionally, Westcott is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count of Possession of Child Pornography and a maximum 10-year sentence for the count of Possession of an Unregistered Silencer.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

This case is also 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.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and MSP for their work in the investigation, and the Manistee County Sheriff's Office and FBI Detroit for their valuable assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Desmond Jones, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty today, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Chief Richard Worley, Baltimore City Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, in 2023, multiple federal agencies partnered to investigate a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing large quantities of cocaine.  In August 2023, investigators learned that Jones, was a member of the DTO.  Investigators identified Jones through his connection with Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1), a California resident and DTO member.

In August 2023, investigators surveilled CC-1’s activities at his Baltimore City residence. From August 15 to August 24, investigators observed numerous drug traffickers, including Jones, meet CC-1 with bags at the Baltimore City residence to participate in drug-trafficking activities.

On August 16, Jones visited the residence and met CC-1 with a weighted-down bag.  The next day, law enforcement observed CC-1 in possession of bulk currency and then investigators surveilled CC-1 drive to a bank where it appeared he made a deposit. Then on August 21, Jones again arrived at the Baltimore residence with another large, weighed-down bag.  When Jones left the residence, the bag was substantially smaller in size.  On August 24, CC-1 left Baltimore. After conducting these surveillances, law enforcement believed that while in Baltimore, Jones provided CC-1 with money for an upcoming drug shipment.

A week after CC-1’s departure, a commercial airline notified investigators that CC-1 was traveling from California to Baltimore again. On August 30, investigators set up a surveillance team at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), where they observed CC-1 arrive, rent a car, and then drive to his Baltimore City residence.

Another group of investigators set up surveillance at Jones’s Timonium, Maryland, stash location. Law enforcement observed co-conspirators carrying large duffle bags of suspected drugs into the stash location. Prior to co-conspirators bringing the duffle bags to the stash location, Jones left the premises in his Dodge Ram. Investigators observed Jones drive to CC-1’s Baltimore City house where he picked up CC-1.  Investigators followed Jones and CC-1 to National Harbor, Maryland, where Jones and CC-1 parked.

CC-1 exited the vehicle and met with another co-conspirator, who arrived in a different car, at the “Park-and-Ride” lot next to the National Harbor.  After the co-conspirators conversed, both vehicles left the lot.  Jones and CC-1 traveled back to Baltimore, as investigators trailed behind, and then eventually arrived at the stash location in Timonium and parked.

Jones and CC-1 exited the Dodge Ram and removed the duffle bags.  While Jones and CC-1 were removing duffle bags, investigators approached the two on foot and observed that one of the duffle bags contained a large tear. Law enforcement saw kilogram packages of drugs inside the bag.  Authorities seized the duffle bags and detained Jones, CC-1, and another individual who was also at the Timonium stash location.

Investigators recovered another duffel bag and a backpack containing a total of 32 individual kilogram packages of cocaine from the stash location.  Additionally, law enforcement discovered equipment used to process bulk drugs, including a kilo press, cutting agents, quick cappers, digital scales, and sifters. They also found two heat-sealed bags of suspected marijuana, cash, and a money counter, along with two firearms. The firearms were a .45 caliber Auto Springfield handgun with an obliterated serial number and a .45 caliber Taurus handgun. Authorities also recovered Jones’s personal documents, including a vehicle registration, bank statement, and mail in his name.

In his plea agreement, Jones agreed that he was involved in possessing 75 kilos of cocaine in furtherance of this drug trafficking conspiracy.  Jones faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, followed by up to lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, at 10 a.m.

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

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, HSI, IRS-CI, BCPD, and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin C. Miner who is prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ron Wardlow, 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, with carjacking, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the three-count indictment, on February 27, 2025, Wardlow committed a carjacking and used, carried, and brandished a Glock 9mm handgun during the crime.

If convicted, Wardlow faces a maximum life sentence in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

Additionally, 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin who is prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Deandrae Stull, 34, of Cambridge, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Chief Richard Worley, Baltimore City Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, in 2023, multiple federal agencies partnered to investigate a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) distributing large quantities of cocaine.  The DTO used various methods to transport bulk quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland.  Stull, a DTO member, and various other co-conspirators, transported cocaine via commercial flights.

The DTO concealed cocaine in “ghost bags” on commercial flights.  The term “ghost bag” is the process of purchasing a flight ticket under a proxy name to a specific destination and then checking the luggage that contains large quantities of narcotics on to the flight without the ticketed passenger.  When the flight reaches its destination, a co-conspirator retrieves the contraband-laden luggage.

During the investigation, law enforcement reviewed the flight records of various DTO members.  As law enforcement analyzed flight records from January 2023 to May 2023, authorities discovered at least 22 ghost-bag flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) were billed directly to Stull’s home address.  Law enforcement also obtained records from the internet providers of the IP addresses used to purchase the 22 ghost-bag flights.  Stull’s cellular phone connected to at least seven IP addresses that were used to purchase seven different ghost-bag flights.  As a result, HSI placed Stull on its flight-watch list. 

On June 14, 2023, United Airlines notified HSI about Stull’s plans to travel from LAX to BWI on June 15.  Notably, “James Davis” was a ticketed passenger on the flight.  Investigators knew the DTO consistently used “James Davis” as a proxy name for ghost-bag flights.  On two occasions, on April 2, and then on April 5, Stull’s home address was listed as the billing address for ghost-bag flights under the name “James Davis.” Additionally, on April 2, Stull was a listed passenger on the same flight as a “James Davis” ghost bag.

Then on June 15, HSI established a surveillance team at BWI prior to Stull’s arrival.  One group of investigators set up at the check-in conveyor with a drug-detection K-9 that scanned luggage from Stull’s flight.  The drug-detection K-9 found the presence of controlled substances emitting from a black suitcase with “James Davis” on the baggage ticket. Authorities sent a photograph of the luggage to the investigative team surveilling Stull’s exit from his flight.

Stull arrived at the baggage carousel and retrieved the black suitcase. Shortly after leaving the baggage claim area, authorities approached Stull, asking him who was the owner of the suitcase.  Stull replied it belong to a friend.  During the encounter, a second drug-detection K-9 arrived, to scan the suitcase. The second K-9 also alerted authorities to the presence of controlled substances.  Law enforcement searched Stull’s suitcase and recovered 15 kilograms of cocaine.  

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

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, HSI, IRS-CI, BCPD, and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin C. Miner who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Terry Allen, 57, of Rosedale, Maryland, to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) – Philadelphia Regional Office; and Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

According to the guilty plea, in 2022, during an investigation into a target, the FBI discovered that the target paid Allen more than $270,000.  Agents later learned that Allen was supplying the FBI target with diverted prescription drugs. As a result, the FBI partnered with the DEA and identified Allen as the leader of a Baltimore-region drug trafficking organization (DTO).  Agents soon learned that from 2022 to 2023, Allen’s DTO flooded the Baltimore community with thousands of diverted oxycodone pills.

The DTO’s members deployed a vast network of pseudo-patients to acquire diverted oxycodone pills.  Pseudo patients are individuals recruited by drug traffickers to enter “pill-mill” clinics with fictitious complaints of pain to receive prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances.  As part of the conspiracy, pseudo-patients gave their oxycodone prescriptions to DTO members in exchange for cash payments or oxycodone.

In February 2023, law enforcement received court authorization to intercept phone calls and text messages from numerous DTO members’ cellular phones.  Intercepted calls revealed that Allen was distributing vast quantities of oxycodone.

On these calls, Allen openly discussed the large quantity of drugs she possessed for redistribution. She acquired her vast supply of oxycodone from her large pseudo-patient network.  Intercepted calls revealed how Allen and her top oxycodone supplier, Co-Conspirator 1, collaborated to manage the pseudo-patients.  Co-Conspirator 1 managed 12 pseudo-patients to acquire oxycodone, which Co-Conspirator 1 then resold to Allen.  During their intercepted calls, Allen and Co-Conspirator 1 discussed inventory; transferred pseudo-patients to pill-mill clinics that would easily refill oxycodone prescriptions or give higher dosages; and arranged for pseudo-patients to pass urine screenings.

Additionally, through the investigation, law enforcement uncovered Allen’s money laundering.  A review of Allen’s bank records revealed she received and spent more than $2 million from 2017 to 2023.  Agents traced Allen’s drug transactions through peer-to-peer applications such as Zelle and Cash App.

In May 2023, agents obtained more than 30 search warrants for residences, vehicles, and persons involved in the investigation.  On May 31, agents searched Allen’s residence, located in Rosedale, Maryland.  As law enforcement searched Allen’s house, she agreed to speak with FBI agents in a separate room. Allen then admitted to using pseudo-patients to acquire oxycodone that she redistributed on the street.

During the search, agents found approximately $39,380; drug ledgers; a calendar with annotations regarding medical appointments for pseudo-patients; distribution quantity of oxycodone pills, suboxone strips, and Adderall pills; a Glock 19 9mm handgun; and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun.  The money and firearms were connected to Allen’s drug trafficking activities.

Authorities arrested Allen, but after her bail hearing, she was released on home detention. In August 2023, while on home detention, law enforcement learned that Allen was distributing oxycodone.  On September 13, law enforcement searched her home and found two pseudo-patients’ prescription-pill bottles, containing 200 oxycodone 20MG pills.

During the investigation, agents obtained Maryland Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) records for all of the DTO’s pseudo-patients’ oxycodone prescriptions.  According to PDMP records, members of the conspiracy illegally re-distributed at least 3,000 kilograms of converted drug weight worth of oxycodone.

Through the conspiracy, Allen sold approximately 4,454 pills, containing 30 milligrams of oxycodone for $45 per pill; approximately 12,835 pills, containing 20 milligrams of oxycodone for $30 per pill; approximately 6,749 pills, containing 15 milligrams of oxycodone for $20 per pill; and approximately 770 pills, containing 30 milligrams of Adderall for $20 per pill.  Allen received approximately $735,860 from selling the pills. In addition to using her residence in Rosedale to distribute drugs, Allen leveraged the proceeds from her drug trafficking activities to pay the mortgage for the property. At Allen’s sentencing, the Court imposed a $735,860 forfeiture money judgement and ordered the forfeiture of Allen’s house in Rosedale, Maryland.

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

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, and BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin C. Miner and Ari D. Evans who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Delantae Phillips, 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person while under a domestic violence restraining order.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the indictment, on May 24, 2025, Phillips knowingly possessed a Glock model 21 semi-automatic handgun loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition. At the time of the offense, Phillips was prohibited from possessing a firearm because the District Court of Baltimore County had issued a Final Protective Order against him.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office — in partnership with our federal, local, and state partners — works hard to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not authorized to carry them. This helps prevent violence and save lives,” Hayes said. “We support prioritizing our residents’ safety and well-being through our commitment to community trust, strategic enforcement, and violence prevention, especially for those experiencing intimate-partner violence.”

“We are committed to working with our state and local partners to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers,” Doerrer said. “Cases like these highlight the excellent work of our local police, local prosecutors, federal agents, and federal prosecutors.”

This indictment follows the U.S. Justice Department’s designation of Baltimore City under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA).  The City of Baltimore — along with 77 other communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia — is focusing on reducing intimate partner firearm violence and prioritizing the prosecution of domestic violence offenders who are prohibited from owning firearms under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g).

In response, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is working closely with its federal, local, and state partners — along with Baltimore City community organizations — to reduce violent crime and enhance public safety. This partnership and coordination between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City of Baltimore ensures that federal resources are leveraged effectively to address intimidate-partner firearm violence.   

An indictment is merely an allegation.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their collaborative efforts in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin and Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett who are prosecuting this case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn. 

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Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Steven Christopher Kelban, 50, of Catonsville, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for possessing child sexual abuse material as a recidivist offender.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

According to his guilty plea, Kelban has two prior child pornography convictions. In 2015, Kelban was convicted of possession of obscene matter of persons under 17 in Shelby County, Alabama. Then in 2016, he was convicted of distributing child pornography in Baltimore County, Maryland.

On November 20, 2023, Kelban was released from prison in Alabama and then returned to Maryland.  He registered as a sex offender in Maryland, as required, on November 21, 2023, listing a Baltimore County address.

Then on November 28, BCPD conducted an online investigation of the BitTorrent network to find offenders sharing child pornography.  Law enforcement found Kelban’s IP address associated with a torrent that contained more than 2,000 files, including at least one of suspected child sexual abuse material.  The IP address matched the device connected to Kelban’s Baltimore County residence, the same address that Kelban used to register as a sex offender one week prior. Additionally, Kelban possessed approximately 150 images and 200 videos of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone.

This case is 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 justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Moshe Gabay, 55, of Baltimore, Maryland, to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment, for filing false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Judge Bredar also ordered Gabay — a Baltimore pharmacy owner — to pay the IRS $1,039,585 in restitution. On the fraudulent tax returns, Gabay underreported his income by more than $3.5 million which meant he owed more than $1 million in taxes.   

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office.

In his guilty plea, Gabay acknowledged that he owned and operated SINU-RX Pharmacy Inc. (SINU-RX), located in Baltimore.  Gabay controlled SINU-RX’s finances and was responsible for directing interactions and providing information to SINU-RX’s bookkeepers and tax preparers.

From tax years 2017 through 2022, Gabay’s tax returns were filed on his behalf. Gabay’s tax returns included Form 1120S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation, for SINU-RX and Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

Prior to the filing of the returns, Gabay intentionally and knowingly provided information to his bookkeepers and tax-return preparers that falsely categorized funds taken from SINU-RX. These funds were listed as business expenses, specifically for the cost of goods sold. But Gabay had diverted these funds to himself for his personal use.  As a result, Gabay underreported his income by more than $3.5 million which meant he owed more than $1 million in taxes.  Pursuant to the guilty plea, Gabay agreed to pay restitution of more than $1 million.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared W. Murphy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Phelps, who prosecuted the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for her valuable assistance.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – James Junior Aliyu, 30, a Nigerian national residing in South Africa at the time of his criminal conduct, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.  Aliyu, who was extradited from South Africa to the United States, is the last of three defendants to plead guilty to his role in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Eight other defendants previously pled guilty in the District of Maryland in separate cases related to the same conspiracy.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore.

On June 24, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Aliyu, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, 30, and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, 31, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.  All three are Nigerian citizens who resided in South Africa at the time of the crimes.  Federal authorities unsealed the indictment on July 6, 2022, upon the defendants’ arrests outside of the U.S. All three were extradited to the United States from outside the country to face their federal charges.

According to his plea agreement, from February 2017 until at least July 2017, Aliyu conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme.  Specifically, Aliyu and his co-conspirators, including co-conspirators residing in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to email accounts associated with individuals and businesses that they targeted. The co-conspirators sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from “spoofed” emails — accounts associated with forged sender addresses — to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by the scheme’s perpetrators, which are called “drop accounts.”

Additionally, during the same timeframe, Aliyu and his co-conspirators plotted to commit money laundering. They conspired to disburse the fraudulently obtained funds into the drop accounts and to other accounts by initiating account transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks, and writing checks to other individuals and entities to hide the true ownership and source of the assets.  As detailed in the plea agreement, the intended loss for transactions Aliyu was directly involved in was at least $4,162,211.65. The actual loss resulting from these transactions was at least $1,570,475.  Aliyu directly controlled at least $1,194,565 of the funds they obtained from victims.

According to the plea agreement, Aliyu is required to pay a money judgment of at least $1,194,565, and restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $2,389,130.  Aliyu is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.  U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Monday, November 24, at 10 a.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, and South African Police Service.  Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Aliyu’s extradition from South Africa.  OIA and the Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group also provided substantial aid in securing the arrest and extradition of both Echefu and Simon-Ebo.  Ms. Hayes also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who is prosecuting the federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Court Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Anissa Maroof, 48, of Potomac, Maryland, to 15 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for distributing and dispensing controlled substances. After she is released from prison, Maroof will serve the first nine months of supervised release on home detention.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).

According to the facts Maroof admitted in her guilty plea, between approximately January 2019 and June 2022, Maroof knowingly caused the distributing and dispensing of Alprazolam (commonly referred to as Xanax), Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (commonly referred to as Adderall), and Buprenorphine. She committed this act with the knowledge that distributing and dispensing the controlled substances were outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

Maroof, a physician who was board certified in addiction psychiatry, owned and operated a medical practice in Bethesda, Maryland. She also had a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number that authorized her to prescribe controlled substances.

Through her medical practice, which was located in Maryland, Maroof provided patients from West Virginia with prescriptions for controlled substances, including Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine.  Maroof prescribed patients combinations of Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine without warning them about the risks of combining these medications.  She also prescribed controlled substances to patients even after they indicated that they were selling their excess supply of controlled substances through illicit channels.

Additionally, Maroof regularly prescribed controlled substances to patients without providing them with therapeutic services.  On numerous occasions, Maroof called in prescriptions to local pharmacies without first seeing the patient, and then she directed the patient to leave cash under her office door in exchange for writing the prescriptions.  She also often advised patients how to split filling their prescriptions between different pharmacies.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and MCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Zachary Anthony Campbell, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty today, to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD), and Chief Charles J. Herring, Towson University Police Department (TUPD).

According to his guilty plea, Campbell sexually abused an 11-year-old victim.  On two occasions, in October 2023 and February 2024, Campbell recorded a video of himself sexually abusing the victim who appeared to be sleeping.  Additionally, on five occasions in 2023 and 2024, Campbell placed a hidden camera in a bathroom and recorded videos of the victim in various stages of undressing.  Campbell saved the sexual-exploitation videos on his phone.    

Campbell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 60 years in federal prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release, for these offenses. Sentencing information is forthcoming.

This case is 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 justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, BPD, and TUPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who is prosecuting the federal case.

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

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Bengi Bernard Knox, 47, of White Plains, Maryland was sentenced by the Honorable Lydia K. Griggsby to nine years, followed by four years of supervised release.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief George Nader of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to the guilty plea entered on February 20, 2025, between at least December 2022 and March 29, 2023, in the District of Maryland and elsewhere, Knox conspired with co-defendants Kevin Lee Simon, Jr. and Malik Marvin Lloyd, and others, to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, a Schedule II controlled substance.

On January 5, 2023, Knox and Lloyd arranged to meet at a location in Washington, D.C.  Lloyd entered Knox’s vehicle and stayed for a few minutes.  Lloyd then exited Knox’s vehicle and was observed by law enforcement to be carrying in his right hand a vial of PCP. The following day, on January 6, 2023, Knox and Lloyd met on Clay Street in Northeast Washington, D.C. to exchange money for the January 5 distribution of PCP.

On February 7, 2023, Simon told Knox about a new source of supply of PCP. In a call, Simon relayed to Knox that the new source of supply said the product was “super crunch.”  Simon proceeded to tell Knox that the source would sell Simon the drug unaltered for $13,500, instead of $12,500 for the drug with some cutting agent. The quoted prices, $12,500 or $13,500 were for a gallon, or 128 ounces, of PCP.

On March 29, 2023, law enforcement with the DEA, ATF and PGPD executed search warrants for Knox’s residence and Knox’s vehicle in White Plains, Maryland.  Law enforcement recovered 60.992 grams of PCP; 23.68 grams of cocaine; and 0.95 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Knox possessed the PCP, cocaine, and heroin/fentanyl with the intent to distribute them.

Law enforcement also recovered a Glock Model 43 9mm pistol containing approximately 6 rounds of 9mm ammunition; approximately 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition; and approximately $2,257 in U.S. currency.  The firearm was located in Knox’s closet, near a bottle of PCP.

On May 29, 2025, Judge Griggsby sentenced Simon to 12 years in prison on related charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of PCP, possession with intent to distribute PCP and cocaine base, and felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

On June 5, 2025, Judge Griggsby sentenced Lloyd to 8 years in prison on related charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of PCP, and possession with intent to distribute PCP and cocaine base.    

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

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, ATF, and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Coreen Mao and Timothy Hagan, who are prosecuting the case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Alfredo Carreon-Lopez, 39, of Rosedale, Maryland, to 20 months and 20 days in federal prison, for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Director Nikita Baker, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.

According to Carreon-Lopez’s plea agreement, he is a national of Mexico who first entered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location. On August 25, 2021, Carreon-Lopez pled guilty to sexually abusing a minor in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Evidence presented during sentencing in the federal case showed that Carreon-Lopez was convicted of sexually abusing a 6-year-old child.

On October 5, 2021, Carreon-Lopez was removed from the U.S. and deported to Mexico. Law enforcement later found Carreon-Lopez in Baltimore City on September 15, 2023. Carreon-Lopez did not have permission to reenter the U.S.

U.S. Attorney Hayes praised ICE-ERO for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood who prosecuted the federal case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Gino Michael Gelormino, 42, of Nottingham, Maryland, to four years in federal prison followed by two years supervised release for being a felon in possession of six ghost guns, a machine gun conversion device, and 1,258 rounds of ammunition.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

As part of ATF and MSP’s investigation into suspected Dead Man Inc. gang members, BCPD authored a state search warrant for Gelormino and his Baltimore County residence. On April 11, 2024, law enforcement executed the warrant with Gelormino present at the residence. Law enforcement searched the residence, recovering six privately manufactured firearms — also known as “ghost guns” — from a locked master bedroom closet. Gelormino’s wife confirmed that only she and Gelormino could access the closet and that all the items belonged to him. Gelormino is a convicted felon and cannot possess firearms or ammunition.

Additionally, three of the firearms were outfitted with loaded, high-capacity magazines along with various attached weapon-mounted lights and a red-dot sight.  Law enforcement also uncovered a 3-D printed machine gun conversion device in the closet. A machine gun conversion device — also known as a “switch”— can convert a firearm from semi-automatic to fully automatic.  Investigators also recovered three ballistic vests, approximately 1,258 cartridges of assorted ammunition, along with paperwork including receipts for orders that match the firearms, firearm parts, and firearm-related accessories recovered, and shipping labels and other firearm-related documents.

This case is part of a Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle violent drug trafficking, money laundering, and transnational criminal organizations to reduce drug-related and/or gang violence in the Baltimore metropolitan and surrounding areas.  The Baltimore Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, MSP, and BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Simpkins who prosecuted the case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Brian Keith Adams, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland to nine years in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release for his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy and distributing methamphetamine.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); and Chief Johnny Jennings, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).

According to the guilty plea, in December of 2023, ATF special agents began investigating Adams after the law enforcement suspected he was trafficking firearms to the Baltimore area from North and South Carolina.  Adams does not hold a federal firearms license and is prohibited from possessing firearms.  Between February and June 2024, Adams sold more than 100 firearms to an undercover agent and more than 100 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine.  The firearms transactions occurred in both Maryland and North Carolina.  During one of the transactions, Adams was armed with a loaded firearm for protection.   

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, USPIS, HSI, MSP, DPSCS, BPD, PGPD, and CMPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Y. Hagan who is prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced the filing of criminal complaints against two illegal aliens in connection with assaults and resisting arrest during encounters with Federal law enforcement.

Adolfo Nimrod Hernandez-Ramos, 42, a Honduran citizen and national, and Tony Marcos Ferreira-Dos Santos, 30, a Brazilian citizen and national, are charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal officers in separate incidents. Both Hernandez-Ramos and Ferreira-Dos are unlawfully present in the United States.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaints with Acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Baltimore Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore.

On June 6, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers possessed information indicating that Hernandez-Ramos entered the United States without inspection, in violation of federal law. As officers conducted surveillance in the area of Hernandez-Ramons’ Catonsville residence, ICE officers observed Hernandez-Ramos exit his residence and get into a vehicle. ICE officers then followed Hernandez-Ramos to a nearby shopping center where he parked his car. When law enforcement approached, Hernandez-Ramos exited his vehicle and began running. An officer attempted to grab Hernandez-Ramos’ arm, but he pulled his arm away and ran inside a store.

While officers attempted to arrest him, Hernandez-Ramos kicked at them, flailed his arms, grabbed a table, and clinched his arms and legs together to prevent arrest. Officers eventually secured one handcuff, but then Hernandez-Ramos grabbed the open handcuff and told an officer, “I’m going to slice your eye out.” Law enforcement ultimately took Hernandez-Ramos into custody. During the confrontation, officers suffered several injuries.

On or about June 8, 2025, two ICE officers arrived at a Wicomico County, Maryland location. The ICE officers — who were both wearing tactical vests with the words “POLICE” on the front and back of the vests — encountered two individuals. The officers recognized one individual as the subject of a final removal order. Law enforcement later identified the second individual as Ferreira-Dos Santos. As the officers approached, both men, including Ferreira-Dos Santos, fled.

After arresting the other person in connection with a final order of removal, ICE officers found Ferreira-Dos Santos.  As officers attempted to apprehend Ferreira-Dos Santos, he resisted arrest and engaged in a physical struggle with the officers.  Eventually, law enforcement took Ferreira-Dos Santos into custody.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO and HSI for their work in this investigation and BCPD for its valuable assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Hanlon and Gerald Collins, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Mills, who are prosecuting these cases.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Ethan King, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement observed surveillance video of King, a previously convicted felon, entering a Baltimore convenience store. While inside the store, King purchased a Glock 19 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device from another individual.

Then on March 15, law enforcement recovered the Glock 19 handgun during a search of King’s residence. When law enforcement recovered the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a machinegun conversion device. Machinegun conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” are designed to convert a semi-automatic Glock-style pistol into a fully automatic firearm.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who prosecuted this case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Baltimore, Maryland – Ethan King, 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

According to the guilty plea, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement observed surveillance video of King, a previously convicted felon, entering a Baltimore convenience store. While inside the store, King purchased a Glock 19 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device from another individual.

Then on March 15, law enforcement recovered the Glock 19 handgun during a search of King’s residence. When law enforcement recovered the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 31 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a machinegun conversion device. Machinegun conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” are designed to convert a semi-automatic Glock-style pistol into a fully automatic firearm.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, ATF, and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tsuei who prosecuted this case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal jury found Donte Williams, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

During the three-day trial, the United States presented evidence that, on September 28, 2022, Williams was sitting in the 500 block of Cumberland Street in Baltimore, Maryland.  BPD officers approached Williams and spoke with him.  As Williams walked away, officers observed a large quantity of suspected narcotics in his pocket.  Law enforcement then arrested Williams, recovering approximately 72 gel caps containing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl from his pocket, and an Arcus Model 98DA 9mm pistol, loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition from his waist band. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to numerous prior convictions,

Williams also possessed approximately $820 in drug trafficking proceeds on him.  After a subsequent search of his vehicle, law enforcement uncovered his identification and an additional 97 blue-and-white gel caps that matched the ones in his pocket which also contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl.

Separately, the jury found Williams not guilty on two counts of alleged firearms possession in relation to a car stop on September 4, 2022.

Williams is facing up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum term of five years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.  The drug trafficking count is punishable by up to 20 years and the unlawful firearm and ammunition count is punishable up to 15 years. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, November 21, at 10 a.m.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stanton Lawyer and Patricia McLane, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Alisha Swiger for her assistance and legal support.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Baltimore, Maryland –Thomasina E. Amponsah, 50, of Baltimore County, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to false statements in connection to health care matters and aggravated identity theft. Amponsah used stolen nursing licenses to obtain employment as a registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse (LPN) but never held a nursing license or credential of her own.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).

According to the plea agreement, beginning in or about September 2019, and continuing until in or about August 2023, Amponsah used stolen nursing credentials and false educational and professional histories. This helped her to obtain health care work as a purported licensed nurse at no less than 40 facilities in Maryland. Most of the facilities served as skilled nursing facilities that provided in-patient rehabilitation and medical treatment centers and were staffed with trained medical professionals.

These facilities billed for services that Amponsah provided to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Other facilities included a Baltimore City public school and multiple nursing homes. Amponsah earned at least $100,000 in wages from working at these facilities with her false credentials.

On or about August 21, 2019, Amponsah submitted a job application to Nursing Facility 1. In her application, Amponsah fraudulently used a Maryland nursing license number issued to Identity Victim T.R.S. She also provided a duplicated picture of Identity Victim T.R.S.’s nursing license to Nursing Facility 1.

Additionally, on her application, Amponsah modified her name to falsely include Identity Victim T.R.S.’s last name as part of her purported name.  In her purported professional and educational history, Amponsah also claimed that she previously served as an LPN supervisor, and that she held a nursing degree from Florida State University, although neither claim was true.

As a result of this fraudulent application, Nursing Facility 1 hired Amponsah as an LPN. Nursing Facility 1 terminated Amponsah after she admitted forging a physician’s signature for Tramadol — an opioid painkiller — on a controlled medication prescription form and then faxing the form to a pharmacy.

Amponsah also admitted she used a second stolen identity to obtain nursing positions. On or about July 18, 2021, Amponsah submitted an online job application to Staffing Agency 1. Nurses who work for Staffing Agency 1 can sign up for nursing shifts at partner facilities. On her Staffing Agency 1 application, Amponsah used a Florida nursing license number that belonged to Identity Victim E.A. She also provided a duplicated picture of Identity Victim E.A.’s nursing license to Staffing Agency 1 and submitted a fictitious resume.

Additionally, Amponsah used her fabricated application to obtain employment in numerous other skilled nursing facilities. In total, between July 18, 2021, and October 9, 2022, Amponsah worked for at least 21 different skilled nursing facilities in connection with her fictitious Staffing Agency 1 application.

Through Staffing Agency 1, Amponsah also obtained several shifts at Nursing Facility 2 in October 2022. During these shifts, Amponsah failed to administer prescribed medication to multiple patients and falsified the corresponding medical records. Although Nursing Facility 2 and Staffing Agency 1 confronted and eventually terminated Amponsah for working as an unlicensed nurse, she continued applying for and accepting employment as a licensed nurse using Identity Victim T.R.S.’s and Identity Victim E.A.’s credentials.

Amponsah faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for false statements related to health care matters, and a mandatory two-year sentence, consecutive to any other imposed sentence, for aggravated identity theft.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Amponsah’s sentencing is currently set for Wednesday, November 12, at 2:30 p.m.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph L. Wenner and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Phelps and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. 

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Court Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Mikiyas Kefyalew, 27, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a Bethesda, Maryland, minor in January 2022.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Shane Todd, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Chief Jason West, Rockville City Police Department (RCPD).

“This case is a heartbreaking example of the horrific impact fentanyl is having on our communities, especially our youth,” Hayes said. “Unfortunately, no sentence can undo the devastating loss suffered by this young victim’s family who will live with the consequences of this defendant’s ruthless actions for the rest of their lives.  Our office and law enforcement partners remain firmly committed to seeking justice for victims of the fentanyl crisis and doing everything in our power to hold fentanyl dealers accountable.”

“Illegal drugs kill people.  Fentanyl kills people,” Todd said. “Criminals like Mr. Kefyalew destroy lots of families by selling deadly illicit drugs, many of which are laced with fentanyl.  What’s even more concerning is that they prey on vulnerable individuals by misleading them into believing they are consuming something different. This sentence reflects our dedication to investigating and holding accountable those criminals responsible for perpetuating opioid addiction and fatal poisonings in our community.  Our job is to ultimately protect the lives of our residents.”

According to court documents, Kefyalew knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and 4-Anilino-N-phenethlpiperdine (“despropionyl fentanyl”) to Victim 1, resulting in Victim 1’s death. Kefyalew distributed the fentanyl in the form of circular, blue pills with “M 30” imprinted on them. This mimics the markings on legitimate pills that one receives from a manufacturer containing oxycodone hydrochloride.

Kefyalew was subject to a higher sentence for knowingly misrepresenting fentanyl as another substance, and for distributing to a vulnerable victim. In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Boardman also ordered Kefyalew to forfeit funds he received from drug dealing, and to pay restitution.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, MCPD, and RCPD for their work in the investigation, and the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Joel Crespo who prosecuted this case.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury found Anthony Nichols, 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. 

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).

During the four-day trial, the United States presented evidence that Nichols dealt drugs in the 500 block of Cumberland Street, Baltimore, Maryland, on May 1, 2023.  BPD officers witnessed Nichols engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions via CitiWatch camera.  Then BPD deployed officers to the 500 block of Cumberland Street to arrest Nichols, but he fled on his bicycle along West North Avenue.

After a short pursuit, law enforcement arrested and searched Nichols. Then law enforcement recovered a loaded Glock firearm strapped to Nichols’ torso, glass vials of cocaine, plastic gel capsules containing a fentanyl and cocaine mixture, and $567 in drug trafficking proceeds.  Nichols was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to numerous prior convictions, including for first degree assault, armed robbery, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. 

Nichols is facing up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum term of five years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.  The drug trafficking count is punishable up to 20 years and the unlawful firearm and ammunition count is punishable up to 15 years.  Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, November 21, at 10 a.m.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, BPD, and BCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ari D. Evans and Calvin C. Miner, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Drew Murray for his assistance and legal support.

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

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Baltimore, Maryland –The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (USAO-MD) announced that it obtained a judgment of $1,407,493.23 against Dr. Richard Akoto, M.D., a family medical doctor, and his practice, Richard O. Akoto, M.D. PC, located in Takoma Park, Maryland.  The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland found that Akoto submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to the Medicare program in connection with his use of auricular stimulation (P-Stim) devices.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the judgment with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).

In his practice, Dr. Akoto used a P-stim device to treat patients for pain.  A P-Stim device provides electrical acupuncture to treat pain symptoms and is applied externally to the patient, generally behind the patient’s ear using an adhesive to hold the device in place.  Acupuncture, electrical or otherwise, is not reimbursable by Medicare.  The United States filed a complaint against Dr. Akoto alleging he falsely billed Medicare using a code for an implantable neurostimulator device, which is surgically implanted into a patient and typically performed by a surgeon in an operating room.  Dr. Akoto fraudulently billed Medicare for this complex neurosurgical procedure numerous times from approximately January 17, 2019 to May 1, 2019.

“Dr. Akoto knowingly submitted false claims by billing non-invasive P-Stim devices as surgical implants—an unconscionable and blatant misrepresentation to exploit the Medicare system,” Hayes said.  “This type of fraud not only wastes taxpayer dollars, it also undermines trust in our healthcare system.  The U.S. Attorney’s office is committed to continuing to work with our partners to identify and eliminate this kind of waste and abuse of our federal health care programs.”

“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare enrollees is required of all health care providers participating in the program,” Dixon said. “HHS-OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to evaluate and pursue inaccurate billings related to P-Stim and similar devices.”

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Thomas F. Corcoran, Chief, USAO-MD Civil Division, and Investigator Ann Thiel, for their investigation and litigation of this case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – Lawrence Nathanial Harris, 33, of Temple Hills Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with submitting fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance (UI) claims.  Additionally, in a separate case, he pled guilty to possession of a machine gun, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).

According to the plea agreement, beginning in at least January 2021, and continuing until about September 2023, Harris and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States, the State of Maryland, multiple financial institutions, and multiple individuals, including identity theft victims. The co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent UI benefits claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), Maryland’s agency that is responsible for processing the claims. Harris participated in submitting UI claims resulting in losses exceeding $550,000, but less than $1.5 million, and he used debit cards issued in the names of aggravated identity theft victims to obtain UI fraud funds.

Company 1, which provided professional support services to the MD-DOL to review UI claims and administer UI benefits, employed co-conspirators Bryan Nushawn Ruffin, 27, of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Kiara Smith, 27, of Fort Washington, Maryland. As detailed in the plea agreement, Harris and his co-conspirators possessed and used computers that Company 1 issued to Ruffin and Smith to access non-public UI data and databases maintained by the MD-DOL.  Ruffin and Smith then granted Harris and his co-conspirators access to MD-DOL databases which they used to change information on existing UI claims.

This included the contact email address, online account password, and payment method for existing UI claims.  The co-conspirators furthered the scheme by using the identity theft victims’ personal identifying information (PII). They also used their access to the MD-DOL databases to upload and approve documents submitted in support of fraudulent UI claims, remove fraud holds on UI claims, certify weeks for determining UI benefits, and engage in other actions to facilitate the fraudulent UI benefits payments.  During the scheme, MD-DOL believed it was disbursing UI benefits to the of UI applicants’ debit cards/accounts, but Harris and his co-conspirators allegedly opened and controlled those accounts.

Harris also admitted that on November 16, 2022, while law enforcement executed a residential search warrant at his home, he threw a firearm and a bag of marijuana from his room.  He possessed this firearm in furtherance of his drug-trafficking activities.  Law enforcement then searched an attic in the residence that Harris had access to.  Authorities found three additional firearms, including one that functioned as a machinegun, stored in the attic.  Harris knew that the firearm functioned as a machine gun.  Law enforcement also recovered approximately 37 pounds of marijuana that Harris intended to distribute.

Harris faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, a mandatory sentence of two years — consecutive to any other imposed sentence — for aggravated identity theft, 10 years for possession of a machine gun, 20 years for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and life for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Harris’s sentencing is set for Thursday, November 6, at 2 p.m.

The District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG, ATF, FBI, and PGPD, for their work in the investigation and the MD-DOL for its assistance.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Paul A. Riley, Joseph L. Wenner, Christopher Sarma, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanay Mitchell, who are prosecuting this case. She also recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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