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Department of Justice

FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government.  The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…
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…
Father Of Newborn Sentenced For Killing Baby's Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Kid In DC: Feds Father Of Newborn Sentenced For Killing Baby's Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Kid In DC: Feds
Father Of Newborn Sentenced For Killing Baby's Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Kid In DC: Feds 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…
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…
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 …
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 …
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…
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 …
Fairfax County Biz Owner Hid Lambo, Bentley, Helicopter In $1M+ Tax Evasion Scheme: Feds Fairfax County Biz Owner Hid Lambo, Bentley, Helicopter In $1M+ Tax Evasion Scheme: Feds
Fairfax County Biz Owner Hid Lambo, Bentley, Helicopter In $1M+ Tax Evasion Scheme: Feds A Northern Virginia business owner was charged in a federal indictment with income tax evasion and failure to pay employment taxes. Rick Tariq Rahim, 55, of Great Falls, began taking steps to evade the IRS' efforts to collect more than $1 million in federal income taxes he owed between 2004 and 2011, beginning in at least 2012, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber, said. In November 2016, Rahim submitted a false form to the IRS that omitted valuable assets he owned, including a helicopter, a 2006 Bentley, a 2008 Lamborghini, and real property, the own…
Abductor Who Raped Child Walking To School At Gunpoint In Southeast DC Sentenced: DOJ Abductor Who Raped Child Walking To School At Gunpoint In Southeast DC Sentenced: DOJ
Abductor Who Raped Child Walking To School At Gunpoint In Southeast DC Sentenced: DOJ Justice has been served after a malicious rapist who taunted his prepubescent victim after sexually abusing her while she was walking to school in Southeast DC. District resident Marquette Johnson, 42, a convicted felon, was sentenced to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty in July to first-degree sexual abuse while armed and first-degree child sexual abuse while armed, authorities announced. In November 2005, prosecutors say that Johnson approached a 12-year-old girl as she was walking to school, pointing a weapon at her and ordering her to get into his minivan while threatening to kil…
Government Contractor With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ Government Contractor With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ
Government Contractor With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ A government contractor living in Maryland has been accused of espionage by federal officials in Washington, DC, authorities announced. Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a naturalized US citizen from Ethiopia who lives in Silver Spring is facing series charges for allegedly conspiring with a foreign government, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday. Lemma worked as an IT administrator for the Department of State and as a Management Analyst for the Department of Justice, which led to him being granted a "TOP SECRET" security clearance and access to classified systems. Prosecutors sa…
Two Charged For Roles In Death Of Aspiring Rapper Visiting Friends In Southeast DC: Police Two Charged For Roles In Death Of Aspiring Rapper Visiting Friends In Southeast DC: Police
Two Charged For Roles In Death Of Aspiring Rapper Visiting Friends In Southeast DC: Police Several suspects have been arrested in connection to an aspiring rap artist who was shot and killed in Southeast DC three years ago. On Sunday, June 14, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found 21-year-old Albert Smith suffering multiple gunshot wounds before he was rushed to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. The Tennessee native was an up-and-coming rapper in the South who traveled to DC with seven friends to meet up with friends - including those who are charged with killing him. In July, the Department of Justice announced that Temple Hills resident Johnny…
Sexual Abuser Admits To Abducting Girl In At Gunpoint, Assaulting Her In Minivan Sexual Abuser Admits To Abducting Girl In At Gunpoint, Assaulting Her In Minivan
Sexual Abuser Admits To Abducting Girl In At Gunpoint, Assaulting Her In Minivan The man who threatened a 12-year-old girl with a pistol who he then sexually assaulted before dropping her off near her school has copped to the crime, federal authorities announced on Tuesday. District resident Marquette Johnson, 42, will likely spend decades in prison after admitting to the harrowing kidnapping and sexual assault of a child who was on her way to school nearly a decade ago.  In November 2005, prosecutors said that Johnson abducted his victim at gunpoint in DC as she was walking to school, pointing the weapon at her and instructing her to get into the van or else he would …
Raging Gunman Who Shot Ex's Pregnant Friend In DC Closet Convicted: Feds Raging Gunman Who Shot Ex's Pregnant Friend In DC Closet Convicted: Feds
Raging Gunman Who Shot Ex's Pregnant Friend In DC Closet Convicted: Feds A District man who went on a rampage while targeting a former paramour is facing time behind bars after being convicted of assault with the intent to kill a pregnant woman he shot in the back of the head in Southeast DC. Joshua Hemphill, 32, was convicted this week on a host of charges for a 2018 shooting when he attacked an ex who was in the company of a friend during a “fit of rage,” federal prosecutors say. On Sept. 21, 2018, Hemphill went to a home where his ex was staying with her friend, and during an outburst, he fired a shot into the door of the apartment and burst his way into th…
Man Who Assaulted Congresswoman, Police In DC Cops To Crime Man Who Assaulted Congresswoman, Police In DC Cops To Crime
Man Who Assaulted Congresswoman, Police In DC Cops To Crime The Washington, DC man who assaulted a Congresswoman in the elevator of her apartment building admitted to attacking her earlier this year, federal authorities announced. Kendrid Hamlin, 26, was arrested and charged with simple assault following an attack on Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig on Thursday, Feb. 9 inside an H Street building in Northeast, DC.  This week, the Department of Justice announced that Hamlin pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer. "According to Hamlin’s admissions in court, he willfully assaulted a member of the House of Representati…
Woman 'Sexually Attracted To Children' Gets Prison Time For Toddler Porn In MD Woman 'Sexually Attracted To Children' Gets Prison Time For Toddler Porn In MD
Woman 'Sexually Attracted To Children' Gets Prison Time For Toddler Porn In MD Federal officials say that a woman who claimed to be sexually attracted to children will spend years behind bars after being busted with a host of child porn files following an investigation that was launched by a man in Washington, DC. Shemara Shay Mack-Smith, 42, of Accokeek, was sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by 120 months of supervised release for the distribution of child pornography, federal authorities announced. Mack-Smith set her own downfall in motion in late April 2020, when a concerned citizen who met her at a home in DC alerted the police that she had showed him c…
Special Police Officer Admits To Slapping Handcuffed Suspect In DC Special Police Officer Admits To Slapping Handcuffed Suspect In DC
Special Police Officer Admits To Slapping Handcuffed Suspect In DC Federal officials announced that a former special police officer from Maryland will avoid prison time after admitting to abusing his power and violating a suspect's civil rights. Oxon Hill resident Brandon Greenfield-Logan, 33, pleaded guilty this week in US District Court to one count of deprivation of rights under the color of law for violating the rights of a handcuffed prison, according to the Department of Justice. According to his plea agreement, in September 2021, Greenfield-Logan was working as a special police officer, and while in full uniform and vested with police powers, was ca…
Plank-Wielding MD Man Who Assaulted Police During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Heading To Prison Plank-Wielding MD Man Who Assaulted Police During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Heading To Prison
Plank-Wielding MD Man Who Assaulted Police During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Heading To Prison The Maryland man who joined his stepfather during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol two years ago will have plenty of time to think about his actions on that fateful day. Fallston resident Jacob Michael Therres, 25, who assaulted officers during the Washington, DC breach, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon during the violent incident. In addition to his prison term, Therres, who stormed the Capitol with his stepfather Douglas Wyatt, 49, also of Fallston, was …
Turtle Trafficker In VA Admits To Role In International Smuggling Scheme: Feds Turtle Trafficker In VA Admits To Role In International Smuggling Scheme: Feds
Turtle Trafficker In VA Admits To Role In International Smuggling Scheme: Feds An elaborate turtle smuggling and trafficking ring orchestrated by a Virginia man has been broken up, federal officials announced this week. Louisa resident Stanlee Fazi, 41, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria to trafficking turtles out of Fredericksburg in violation of the Lacey Act, according to the Department of Justice. As part of his guilty plea, Fazi admitted that between July 2017 and June 2020, he illegally collected eastern box turtles from the wild and sold them on at least 27 occasions to buyers across the country. The scheme involved Fazi collecting payments using Fa…
Public Pool Pervert Arraigned For Alleged Child Sexual Abuse In DC Public Pool Pervert Arraigned For Alleged Child Sexual Abuse In DC
Public Pool Pervert Arraigned For Alleged Child Sexual Abuse In DC A 35-year-old man who allegedly got touchy with children at a public pool in Washington, DC is facing federal charges, authorities announced. District resident Gary Jones was arraigned this week on charges stemming from an incident at the Anacostia Pool in August last year when he allegedly touched a child inappropriately. Prosecutors say that on at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 18, 2022, Jones entered the shower room at the pool. When two children entered the shower area, they observed Jones wearing underwear that exposed him to them while he rubbed his “private part” in front of them,…
Gun-Toting MD Insurrectionist Convicted Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot In DC Gun-Toting MD Insurrectionist Convicted Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot In DC
Gun-Toting MD Insurrectionist Convicted Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot In DC Federal officials say that a handgun-wielding Maryland man will face years in prison for bringing a loaded weapon to the US Capitol and loitering for seven hours during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot in Washington, DC. Christopher Alberts, 35, was convicted this week on a host of felony and misdemeanor charges for his role during the breach of the US Capitol that left several people dead or injured, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday, April 20. Alberts came to the Capitol ready for a fight, donning a body armor vest with metal plates, a two-way radio complete with a throat mic, and a m…
Civil War Reenactor Who Brought Pipe Bomb To Fake Gunfight Admits Guilt In VA Civil War Reenactor Who Brought Pipe Bomb To Fake Gunfight Admits Guilt In VA
Civil War Reenactor Who Brought Pipe Bomb To Fake Gunfight Admits Guilt In VA A Civil War reenactor who brought a pipe bomb to a fake gun fight is facing a decade behind bars after admitting to a nefarious scheme to further some questionable causes, federal authorities announced. Winchester resident Gerald Leonard Drake, 63, pleaded guilty to mailing threatening letters and planting a pipe bomb at the Cedar Creek Battlefield in Middletown during a reenactment event in 2017. Prosecutors said that in the correspondence that was sent to multiple victims and at least two newspapers, Drake purported to be a member of Antifa and threatened harm, including referencing the v…