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Department of Justice

Virginia Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Removals Of Voter Registrations Virginia Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Removals Of Voter Registrations
Virginia Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Removals Of Voter Registrations Virginia is appealing to the country's highest court to allow the state to remove hundreds of suspected noncitizen voters. Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that on Sunday night, the state filed an emergency stay with the US Supreme Court after a federal judge restored approximately 1,600 voters that had been purged from the voter roll under an order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. It’s commonsense: noncitizens shouldn’t be on our voter rolls. Thank you @JasonMiyaresVA for filing immediately with the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency appeal of the order for Virginia to put over 1…
VA Lawmakers Seeing Red After 'Politically-Motivated Stunt' To Reinstate Hundreds Of Voters VA Lawmakers Seeing Red After 'Politically-Motivated Stunt' To Reinstate Hundreds Of Voters
VA Lawmakers Seeing Red After 'Politically-Motivated Stunt' To Reinstate Hundreds Of Voters Elected officials in Virginia are seeing fire after a federal judge ordered the state to reinstate hundreds of noncitizens back onto voter rolls days before Election Day. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and AG Jason Miyares both issued statements following the ruling, which allows voters previously removed from the rolls to be reinstated following a federal lawsuit. "Let’s be clear about what just happened: only 11 days before a Presidential election, a federal judge ordered Virginia to reinstate over 1,500 individuals–who self-identified themselves as noncitizens–back onto the voter rolls," t…
DOJ Reaches $100M Settlement With Owners, Managers Of Vessel That Destroyed Key Bridge DOJ Reaches $100M Settlement With Owners, Managers Of Vessel That Destroyed Key Bridge
DOJ Reaches $100M Settlement With Owners, Managers Of Vessel That Destroyed Key Bridge The owners and managers of the ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year in Baltimore have reached a settlement exceeding $100 million to offset the government's costs, federal authorities announced late on Thursday. Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, which owned and operated the DALI vessel that struck the bridge earlier this year, has agreed to pay a $101,980,000 settlement to resolve a civil claim filed earlier this year. The crash dismantled the bridge, and caused chaos for the Port of Baltimore and left several workers dea…
Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors
Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors The Maryland scammer believed to be a part of an international organized crime ring targeting elderly residents will face decades in prison, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. Ravinklejeet Mathon pleaded guilty this week and will face 40 years behind bars after scheming to steal three one-kilo gold bars with an estimated value of nearly $230,000 from an elderly man in Silver Spring. "The scam is believed to be part of an international organized crime ring," prosecutors said. "Similar Gold Bar Scams have been reported here in Montgomery County and across the United…
Clinton Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant In DC Learns His Fate Clinton Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant In DC Learns His Fate
Clinton Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant In DC Learns His Fate The Maryland man who set an apartment on fire with an infant inside and killed his child's mother and grandmother in Southeast DC more than three years ago may spend the rest of his life in prison. Clinton resident Keenan Turner, 35, was sentenced to 68 years in prison in connection to the April 2021 murders of Wanda and Ebony Wright, the shooting of a third victim, and the attempted murder of an infant when he set the fire, federal authorities announced. Prosecutors say that Turner's intention in committing the offenses was "solely to avoid paying child support."  They had been pushi…
Virginia Protester Who Painted 'HAMAS IS COMING' On Statue Outside Union Station Charged: Feds Virginia Protester Who Painted 'HAMAS IS COMING' On Statue Outside Union Station Charged: Feds
Virginia Protester Who Painted 'Hamas IS Coming' On Statue Outside Union Station Charged: Feds A Virginia man who defaced federal property at Columbus Circle with spray paint outside Union Station in Northeast DC during a pro-Gaza demonstration has been arrested, federal authorities announced. Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, was the latest to be charged on Friday for allegedly spray-painting the monument in July. Department of Justice According to court documents, on Wednesday, July 24, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle in Northeast DC, directly in front of Union Station. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. that afternoon, demonstrators i…
Honduran National Convicted Of Assaulting Charles County Resident Back In Custody: ICE Honduran National Convicted Of Assaulting Charles County Resident Back In Custody: ICE
Honduran National Convicted Of Assaulting Charles County Resident Back In Custody: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore apprehended a 26-year-old Honduran national in Charles County after he was convicted of assaulting his victim in Maryland, authorities announced. Evin Obdulio Ponce-Guillen was taken into custody in Waldorf late last month after police learned that he made his way into the country illegally following an arrest in September 2023, when he was charged with second-degree assault. Ponce-Guillen was arrested on Sept. 5, 2023, and convicted on the charge on Friday, April 5, when he was sentenced to five years in prison. The court then suspended t…
Maryland Suing Ship Owners, Managers Over Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore: AG Maryland Suing Ship Owners, Managers Over Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore: AG
Maryland Suing Ship Owners, Managers Over Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore: AG The Maryland Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the owners and operators of the DALI cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year in Baltimore. On Tuesday, AG Anthony Brown announced that his agency has filed a lawsuit targeting the owners – Grace Ocean Private Limited –and managers – Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. – of the M/V DALI for causing the March collision that dismantled the bridge and caused chaos for the Port of Baltimore. Brown said that since the fatal collapse - which claimed the lives of six people - has impacted Maryl…
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say A Jersey Shore bank will pay more than $15 million in a settlement for racially discriminatory lending practices known as redlining, authorities said. OceanFirst Bank agreed to the settlement to resolve the accusations that date back to 2018, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. The Toms River-based bank was accused of redlining in predominantly non-white neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $15 million settlement came after the Department of Justice launched its Combating Redlining Initiative in October 2021, aiming to s…
Maryland Man Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced To Become Sex Workers: Feds Maryland Man Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced To Become Sex Workers: Feds
Maryland Man Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced To Become Sex Workers: Feds A 36-year-old Maryland man who used women's' drug dependency to compel them to participate in commercial sex work for him up and down the East Coast is facing prison time, federal authorities announced. William O’Neil Murray III pleaded guilty on Monday, Aug. 12 to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion over the course of several months in several states. At least three women were involved. According to court documents, between December 2021 and July 2022, Murray was involved in the multi-state sex trafficking operation, using women he would coerce by using their drug dependency…
Maryland Man Murdered Ex-Girlfriend, Grandmother Of Child He Attempted To Kill In DC: Feds Maryland Man Murdered Ex-Girlfriend, Grandmother Of Child He Attempted To Kill In DC: Feds
Maryland Man Murdered Ex-Girlfriend, Grandmother Of Child He Attempted To Kill In DC: Feds A Maryland man who was found complicit in the deaths of two people in Southeast DC in April 2021 is facing a lifetime behind bars, federal authorities announced. On Friday, a DC Superior Court jury returned a guilty verdict against Clinton resident Keanan Turner, 34, in connection to the murders of Wanda and Ebony Wright in the 2300 block of Good Hope Court SE three years ago. Metropolitan Police Department Prosecutors say that Ebony Wright was in a relationship with Turner when she became pregnant.  Turner asked her to terminate the pregnancy, and when she declined, he st…
'Grievous Felon:' Illegal Migrant With Lengthy Rap Sheet Arrested In Maryland: ICE 'Grievous Felon:' Illegal Migrant With Lengthy Rap Sheet Arrested In Maryland: ICE
'Grievous Felon:' Illegal Migrant With Lengthy Rap Sheet Arrested In Maryland: ICE A 25-year-old national of Chad has been arrested for his role in an alleged murder and weapons offenses throughout Maryland after being released, federal authorities announced. US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says that Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers took Hisseine Gombo-Tchouli into custody near his Silver Spring home after being convicted of accessory after the fact of first-degree murder and was later released. According to investigators, Gombo-Tchouli legally entered the country in September 2005 at Dulles International Airport in Virginia; howev…
Man Who Sodomized Boy Eight Years Ago In Virginia Captured In El Salvador: Police Man Who Sodomized Boy Eight Years Ago In Virginia Captured In El Salvador: Police
Man Who Sodomized Boy Eight Years Ago In Virginia Captured In El Salvador: Police A Virginia man who fled the country after allegedly sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy over the course of nearly two years has been extradited back to the country to face charges, police say. Nelson Romero-Quijada, 54, made it nearly six years before being apprehended in El Salvador and extradited to Prince William County in connection to an August 2018 sexual assault investigation.  Detectives began to investigate a sexual assault in 2018 when the boy came forward to report that he had been abused in the 7900 block of Community Drive in Manassas between October 2014 and July 2016 b…
Former DC Corrections Officer Gets Prison Time For Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say Former DC Corrections Officer Gets Prison Time For Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say
Former DC Corrections Officer Gets Prison Time For Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say A former District of Columbia Department of Corrections officer who assaulted a handcuffed inmate will be spending time on the other side of the bars after admitting to using unreasonable force  Marcus Bias, 28, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law after being charged late last year for an alleged incident more than three years ago. On Friday, the DOJ announced that he has been sentenced to 42 months in prison. “Like any other law enforcement officer, the defendant had a duty to protect the constitutional rights of anyone who w…
Toddlers, Infants Among Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Images In Capital Region Man's Possession Toddlers, Infants Among Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Images In Capital Region Man's Possession
Toddlers, Infants Among Hundreds Of Child Sex Abuse Images In Capital Region Man's Possession A 26-year-old man from the region faces years in federal prison after he was caught with hundreds of images depicting child sex abuse. Greene County resident Drew Caswell, of Cairo, pleaded guilty to receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography in Albany federal court on Wednesday, May 29. According to prosecutors, Caswell confessed to using a file-hosting service to download child pornography and then shared numerous photos and videos on X, formerly Twitter. He also admitted to possessing illicit images on his cell phone, including nearly 300 pictures and videos of toddlers…
Capital Region Child Predator Admits Blackmailing Kids Into Sending Nude Images Capital Region Child Predator Admits Blackmailing Kids Into Sending Nude Images
Capital Region Child Predator Admits Blackmailing Kids Into Sending Nude Images A convicted child sex abuser from the region will spend decades in federal prison after confessing that he blackmailed young kids into sending nude images. Rensselaer County resident Zachary Cota, age 31, of Castleton-on-Hudson, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography in Albany federal court on Friday, May 10. According to prosecutors, Cota admitted to using SnapChat to get three children to send him nude photos. Two of the victims were 8 and 13 years old. Once the children provided the requested photos, he reportedly threatened to reveal what they had done in order to get more illic…
Stafford High School Grad Devon Davati Dies Unexpectedly, 29 Stafford High School Grad Devon Davati Dies Unexpectedly, 29
Stafford High School Grad Devon Davati Dies Unexpectedly, 29 Devon Davati, a Virginia native, died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 18, his obituary says. He was 29 years old. A King George native, Devon graduated from Stafford High School in 2012 before going on to earn his bachelors of science from the Southern New Hampshire University, his obituary says. Devon worked for CGI Federal in Falls Church, in the legal area for the Department of Justice supporting the Bureau of Immigration Appeals, according to his obit. Services are scheduled for Sunday, April 28 at the Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service. Click here for service information and …
Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say
Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Federal prosecutors are pursuing child pornography charges against a man from the region after he allegedly sent and received numerous illicit images of children.  Taykwun Smoaks, age 32, of Albany, was arraigned on charges that he distributed, received, and possessed child pornography in Albany federal court on Friday, April 12. According to investigators, Smoaks sent and received images and videos of child pornography over the internet between February and March 2023. The illicit images were reportedly found on both his computer and an external hard drive. If convicted, he face…
Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images
Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Years in federal prison await a man from the region who confessed to blackmailing underage girls into sending him sexually explicit images. Richard Nejame, age 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of receiving and attempting to receive child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 11. Prosecutors said Nejame messaged several underage girls on social media apps, including Snapchat, while pretending to be a teenage boy between October 2022 and May 2023. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he then convinced the girls to take nude pictures and videos of…
Trio Involved In Fatal Shooting Of 17-Year-Old In Northwest DC Get Prison Time Trio Involved In Fatal Shooting Of 17-Year-Old In Northwest DC Get Prison Time
Trio Involved In Fatal Shooting Of 17-Year-Old In Northwest DC Get Prison Time Three men were given prison time for their roles in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old in Northwest DC in 2020, authorities announced. Two District residents and a man from Maryland are all heading to prison after admitting to their roles in the fatal shooting of Taijhon Wyatt that also left another person injured, according to the Department of Justice. Those charged:  Trey Prillerman, 19, of Washington, DC; Nelfy Hernandez, 20, of Washington, DC; Deandre Levy, 22, of Gaithersburg.  Court documents state that at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2020, Wyatt was walking …
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison After confessing that he posed as a teenager in order to trick underage girls into sending naked pictures, a man from the region will spend decades in prison. Schenectady resident Thomas Ullman, age 47, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars in Albany federal court on Thursday, March 28. It followed his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child. Federal prosecutors said Ullman posed as a teenage boy on a dating website for teens and convinced multiple underage girls to text and video chat with him between March 2020 and June 2021. He then instructed the girls, some as young as 13, to en…
NY 'Sugar Daddy' Admits Traveling To Virginia For Sex With 14-Year-Old: Feds NY 'Sugar Daddy' Admits Traveling To Virginia For Sex With 14-Year-Old: Feds
NY 'Sugar Daddy' Admits Traveling To Virginia For Sex With 14-Year-Old: Feds A 27-year-old New York man admitted to driving eight hours to Virginia for sex with a 14-year-old girl, his "sugar baby," federal authorities said. Derrick Loi, of Lakeville, NY this week pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia. In February 2023, Loi met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg on Twitter (now known as X), and, in the early morning hours of Feb. 14, 2023, began chatting with her on Discord, the attorney's office said citing court documents. Loi told the young girl not on…
Convicted MS-13 Killer Sentenced In NJ Murder Plot Convicted MS-13 Killer Sentenced In NJ Murder Plot
Convicted MS-13 Killer Sentenced In NJ Murder Plot 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A member of an MS-13 clique who just began serving 40 years in federal prison for a murder in Virginia was sentenced to 10 years for his role in a failed plot to kill a rival in Hudson County. The plea-bargained sentence approved by a federal judge in Newark on Thursday, March 21, won’t require Jose Gimenez-Lobos, a 33-year-old Salvadoran national, to serve more time. It will run concurrently. Gimenez-Lobos and two companions were ordered by a high-ranking member of La Mara Salvatrucha to execute a member of the rival 18th Street gang from the Maryland/Virginia area, U.S. Attorney …
Virginia Man Studying Law In PA Busted Sharing Child Porn With Undercover Agent In DC: Feds Virginia Man Studying Law In PA Busted Sharing Child Porn With Undercover Agent In DC: Feds
Virginia Man Studying Law In PA Busted Sharing Child Porn With Undercover Agent In DC: Feds A Virginia man is facing federal charges in DC for allegedly distributing child porn while he was a law student in Pennsylvania, authorities say. Andrey Chun Sarmiento, 24, of Hallwood, has been indicted in DC on charges after he was busted by a member of the Metropolitan Police Department-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force who went undercover, according to the DOJ. The indictment states that on Tuesday, Feb. 13, Chun Sarmiento sent various video files depicting men engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minors through an encrypted instant messaging app. On that day, investiga…
Four Charged In Connection To Death Of Navy SEAL From Maryland Trying to Board Ship In Yemen Four Charged In Connection To Death Of Navy SEAL From Maryland Trying to Board Ship In Yemen
Four Charged In Connection To Death Of Navy SEAL From Maryland Trying to Board Ship In Yemen Four foreign nationals reportedly shipping Iranian-made weapons have been charged in connection to the death of two US Navy SEALs - one of whom was from Maryland - who were killed attempting to board their ship during an operation in Yemen last month. The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that a criminal complaint has been unsealed charging four suspects after US naval forces interdicted a vessel in the Arabian Sea that was transporting suspected Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. Among the SEALs killed was Marylander Special Operator First Class Christopher J. Cham…
Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer
Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer A man from the region could spend decades behind bars after being found with thousands of images depicting child sex abuse. Albany County resident Scott Weinbloom, age 49, of Latham, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, Feb. 1. According to prosecutors, a search of Weinbloom’s Latham residence in May 2022 turned up 1,300 photos and 1,500 videos of child pornography that had been stored on a USB flash drive. Investigators also found two computers that had been used to store and view the illicit images. Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in federal…
Predator Who Sent Nude Pic To FBI Agent Posing 9-Year-Old Girl In Virginia Cops To Crime Predator Who Sent Nude Pic To FBI Agent Posing 9-Year-Old Girl In Virginia Cops To Crime
Predator Who Sent Nude Pic To FBI Agent Posing 9-Year-Old Girl In Virginia Cops To Crime A 30-year-old man from North Carolina who made an illicit deal with an undercover officer posing as the father of a 9-year-old girl Virginia has admitted to the crime. William "Willy' Alexander Korthals, 30, of Beaufort, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor after he targeted minors online, including one in Virginia - or so he thought. Federal authorities say that Korthals sent at least one nude photo to an employee of the FBI who he believed to be a 9-year-old girl, not an undercover agent investigating his actions online.  According to court …
Truck Driver Who Preyed On Young Girl For Years To Spend Decades In Maryland Prison: Feds Truck Driver Who Preyed On Young Girl For Years To Spend Decades In Maryland Prison: Feds
Truck Driver Who Preyed On Young Girl For Years To Spend Decades In Maryland Prison: Feds A truck driver who spent years preying on a young girl will spend decades behind bars in Maryland. Jose Hilario Aldana-Moreno, 37, of Baltimore, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, followed by 40 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography, US Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron announced on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Aldana-Moreno was a truck driver who frequently traveled for work, court documents say. On at least five occasions between 2014 and 2020, Aldana-Moreno “engaged in video chats with the victim and convinced the v…
Iranian, Canadian Nationals Accused Of Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting Maryland Residents: DOJ Iranian, Canadian Nationals Accused Of Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting Maryland Residents: DOJ
Iranian, Canadian Nationals Accused Of Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting Maryland Residents: DOJ Three men are facing charges for their alleged roles in a murder conspiracy targeting a pair of residents in Maryland who fled Iran, the Department of Justice announced on Monday afternoon. One Iranian and two Canadian nationals have been indicted and charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire plot, officials say, and the target of their "job" was two people in Maryland. Those charged:  Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49; Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43; Adam Richard Pearson, 29. Officials say that the three would use an encrypted messaging servi…
Comedian Kathy Griffin Set To Perform Stand-Up Show In Westchester Comedian Kathy Griffin Set To Perform Stand-Up Show In Westchester
Comedian Kathy Griffin Set To Perform Stand-Up Show In Westchester Comedian Kathy Griffin will swing through New York on her second US tour since being “canceled” in the wake of her infamous photo scandal. The 63-year-old Emmy winner is set to perform two shows in the Empire State as part of her new stand-up tour, “My Life on the PTSD List.” Griffin will first play in Westchester County, at Tarrytown’s Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22. After that she’ll appear on Long Island, at Huntington’s Paramount theater at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 24. It marks the second major US tour for Griffin since she was all but blacklisted from the entertainment in…
Haitian Man Busted On Rape, Assault Charges In Boston To Be Sent Home: Feds Haitian Man Busted On Rape, Assault Charges In Boston To Be Sent Home: Feds
Haitian Man Busted On Rape, Assault Charges In Boston To Be Sent Home: Feds A Haitian man, who was arrested by Boston police in connection with raping a disabled person, has been nabbed by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston. The 31-year-old man arrived in Brownsville, Texas, in December 2022, but he didn’t have the proper documents to stay in the country, according to ERO Boston. He was then ordered to appear before the Department of Justice (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in Boston. Related: Brazilian Fugitive Convicted Of Rape Nabbed In Malden The Haitian native was arrested in September 2023 on charges of rape and indecen…