Tag:

Conspiracy

MD Fugitives Captured In Takedown Of $100K Target Store Theft Ring In VA: Sheriff MD Fugitives Captured In Takedown Of $100K Target Store Theft Ring In VA: Sheriff
MD Fugitives Captured In Takedown Of $100K Target Store Theft Ring In VA: Sheriff A trio of Maryland men accused of stealing $100,000 worth of merchandise across multiple towns were arrested in Virginia. Stafford County Sheriff deputies responding to Target at Stafford Market Place around 11:45 a.m. Thursday, April 18 were met by a group of men hiding skin care items in a large bin, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Among the men were Wilbur Sibert, 58, of Hyattsville, MD; Delbert Henry, 47, of Frederick, MD; and Canbrin Smith, 31, of Upper Marlboro, MD, police said. As deputies arrived, the trio fled out a fire exit with the stolen items. The …
Shady Concert Venue Operator, Bar Owner Sentenced For Bribing DC Tax Official: Feds Shady Concert Venue Operator, Bar Owner Sentenced For Bribing DC Tax Official: Feds
Shady Concert Venue Operator, Bar Owner Sentenced For Bribing DC Tax Official: Feds Two men are heading to prison for their roles in separate conspiracies to evade tax obligations through bribes to a former DC Office of Tax and Revenue employee. Andre De Moya, 51, of Temple Hills, and District resident Davoud Jafari, 72, will possibly spend years behind bars for their respective roles in multi-year schemes, federal authorities announced on Thursday. Specifically, De Moya was sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Jafari was hit with 24 months for their roles in the schemes. In both schemes, the bribe payments and communications were facilitated by middleman Anthony Merri…
Teen Who Opened Fire On Female Passenger In Arlington Arrested, Others Sought: Cops Teen Who Opened Fire On Female Passenger In Arlington Arrested, Others Sought: Cops
Teen Who Opened Fire On Female Passenger In Arlington Arrested, Others Sought: Cops An 18-year-old man who was one of four people who opened fire on a vehicle last week in Arlington has been arrested, while three others remain at large, police said. Darnell Moore, Jr., of Arlington, and three other individuals approached a vehicle at S. Kemper Road and S. Oxford Street and began firing at it around 1: p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, county police said. The female passenger and the vehicle were struck. The driver continued to the 4000 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive where officers found them and began rendering aid to the victim. The victim suffered non-life-threatening…
Former FBI Special Agent From MD, DC Realtor Get Prison Time For Bribery Scheme Former FBI Special Agent From MD, DC Realtor Get Prison Time For Bribery Scheme
Former FBI Special Agent From MD, DC Realtor Get Prison Time For Bribery Scheme A former FBI special agent found himself on the wrong side of the law after conspiring with a DC real estate developer to share confidential information, authorities announced. David Paitsel, 42, formerly of Prince George's County, and Brian Bailey, a DC real estate developer have both been sentenced to years in prison and ordered to pay hefty fines for their roles in the schemes involving confidential details held by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development.  Paitsel, who now lives in North Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months, while Bailey, of Upper Marlboro, was hit wi…
Shady Nightclub Owner Convicted Of Bribing Tax Officials In DC For Years Shady Nightclub Owner Convicted Of Bribing Tax Officials In DC For Years
Shady Nightclub Owner Convicted Of Bribing Tax Officials In DC For Years A nightclub owner in Washington, DC who paid off officials for years will face time in prison after being convicted of the scheme, federal authorities announced. District resident Davoud Jafari, 72, was found guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and wire-fraud offenses following a scheme where he bribed former DC Tax Official Vincent Slater to avoid paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes related to the operation of Zeba Bar and Grill in Columbia Heights. According to prosecutors, between October 2012 and December 2017, Jafari collected 10 percent of purchases for sales and tax purposes,…
Dognappers Scheme To Steal Back Animal They Gave Up In VA: Police Dognappers Scheme To Steal Back Animal They Gave Up In VA: Police
Dognappers Scheme To Steal Back Animal They Gave Up In VA: Police A pair of dognappers are facing charges in Loudoun County after breaking into a Leesburg home and taking back a puppy they let go of last year, police say. Dabryn Norris, 22, of Brambleton and Taylor Ward, 21, of Leesburg were arrested in the past week following a scheme and burglary to steal a dog after Ward previously voluntarily surrendered custody of the animal. Last month, a homeowner reported that a person forced his way into their home while they weren't home and stole their dog, Gelato. No other items were taken, including a second dog who was also inside at the time. Norris and W…
Teens Beat Man Unconscious For Sneakers In Stafford County; Fail To Flee From Sheriff Teens Beat Man Unconscious For Sneakers In Stafford County; Fail To Flee From Sheriff
Teens Beat Man Unconscious For Sneakers In Stafford County; Fail To Flee From Sheriff Three teens who beat their victim unconscious and stole his shoes during a vicious assault at a Stafford County apartment complex were tracked down by sheriff’s deputies who pulled out all the stops to get their suspects, officials say. Members of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office were called to diffuse an assault in progress on Providence Street after witnesses reported three suspects had chased a person through the apartment complex. The three suspects - all wearing hoodies, Adidas pants, and ski masks - eventually caught up to their victim and beat him until he was unconscious, kicked…
Heard But Not Seen: Nigerian National Nabbed In $250,000 Audiobooks Scheme, NJ Feds Say Heard But Not Seen: Nigerian National Nabbed In $250,000 Audiobooks Scheme, NJ Feds Say
Heard But Not Seen: Nigerian National Nabbed In $250,000 Audiobooks Scheme, NJ Feds Say A Nigerian national living in Bangladesh contracted with more than 600 voice actors to produce audiobooks of written works that he didn't hold the rights to, federal authorities in New Jersey charged. Anyanwu Benjamin Chizitere, 30, of Enugu, Nigeria, was part of a group that collected more than $250,000 by infringing on the copyright of a Newark-based company and its authors, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Chizitere worked for a financial services business that provided online money transfer and digital payment services to the company, the U.S. attorney said. He po…
Pair Faces Life In Prison For Using Explosive Device To Rob 7-Eleven ATMs In DMV Region Pair Faces Life In Prison For Using Explosive Device To Rob 7-Eleven ATMs In DMV Region
Pair Faces Life In Prison For Using Explosive Device To Rob 7-Eleven ATMs In DMV Region Two men are facing federal charges in Maryland for an explosive scheme that saw them set fire to convenience stores in an effort to rob ATMs, according to officials. Stephen Kennedy, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, and Donnell Kelly, 33, of Washington, DC, have been charged on a 10-count indictment by a federal grand jury on a host of charges following a yearlong conspiracy. Prosecutors say that between January 2021 and January 2022, the pair conspired to commit arsons at 7-Eleven stores so that they could obtain cash contained in ATMs inside the stores.  Specifically, the indictment …
Ringleader Of Gun Trafficking Operation From NY To VA Gets Prison Time: Feds Ringleader Of Gun Trafficking Operation From NY To VA Gets Prison Time: Feds
Ringleader Of Gun Trafficking Operation From NY To VA Gets Prison Time: Feds Federal authorities announced that a Brooklyn man will spend years behind bars for orchestrating a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic guns and ammunition up and down I-95 between Virginia and New York. Joseph Alexander Johnson, 38, has been sentenced to 72 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and aiding and abetting a straw purchase firearm transaction, both of which were part of a larger gun trafficking conspiracy. According to prosecutors, Johnson spearheaded the interstate straw purchasing and trafficking conspiracy, where members were responsible for the illegal…
Drug Dealer Who Conspired With Wife To Sell Deadly Drugs In VA Gets Nine Years In Prison Drug Dealer Who Conspired With Wife To Sell Deadly Drugs In VA Gets Nine Years In Prison
Drug Dealer Who Conspired With Wife To Sell Deadly Drugs In VA Gets Nine Years In Prison Federal officials announced that a man who flooded parts of Virginia with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine while conspiring with his wife and two others will spend nearly a decade behind bars. Fahid Rashid, 32, of Culpeper, was sentenced this week to nine years in federal prison for his role in a drug distribution ring that sold multiple kilograms of meth and thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, according to officials. Prosecutors say that beginning in June 2020 and continuing through April 2021, Rashid and his cohorts used multiple addresses in Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Fai…
FRAGRANT OFFENSE: Five 'Scent-enced' In $1.3M NJ Perfume Heist FRAGRANT OFFENSE: Five 'Scent-enced' In $1.3M NJ Perfume Heist
Fragrant Offense: Five 'Scent-enced' In $1.3M NJ Perfume Heist Five men who boosted more than $1.3 million worth of perfume from a New Jersey warehouse are headed to federal prison. The Florida quintet had gotten away with two tractor-trailers full of stolen fragrances – which they transported home – then were caught when tried again in East Brunswick several months later. All five refused plea deals, went to trial in U.S. District Court in Trenton and were convicted last April of transporting stolen property in interstate commerce and conspiracy.  Sentenced on Tuesday, Jan. 10, were Carlos Duvergel, 58, of Miami Gardens, Florida, who got 33…
Former DC Police Officers Guilty Of Pursuit That Killed New Father Former DC Police Officers Guilty Of Pursuit That Killed New Father
Former DC Police Officers Guilty Of Pursuit That Killed New Father Two former members of the Metropolitan Police Department have been convicted for their roles in the fatal pursuit of 20-year-old new father Karon Hylton-Brown in 2020. Officer Terence Sutton, 38, and former Lt. Andrew Zabavsky were both found guilty by a US District Court jury in DC on multiple charges in connection to a police pursuit on Oct. 23, 2020, in Northwest Washington that ended in Hylton-Brown’s death. According to prosecutors, the jury determined that Sutton caused Hylton-Brown’s death by driving a police vehicle “in conscious disregard for an extreme risk of death or serious bod…
Fraudster Admits To Posing As Bail Bondsman As Part Of $800K Elder Fraud Scam In Virginia Fraudster Admits To Posing As Bail Bondsman As Part Of $800K Elder Fraud Scam In Virginia
Fraudster Admits To Posing As Bail Bondsman As Part Of $800K Elder Fraud Scam In Virginia Authorities announced that a 64-year-old man has admitted to his role in an $800,000 elder fraud scam where he targeted victims in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the surrounding regions. Michael Odell Anderson, 64, of Crystal Beach, Florida, and Dun Lorring, Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in relation to his participation in an elder fraud scam, the Department of Justice announced this week. Between April 2020 and December 2020, officials said that Anderson conspired with others to persuade elderly victims to give them thousands of dollars u…
Virginia Residents Arrested In Home Invasion Robbery On Jersey Shore: Prosecutor Virginia Residents Arrested In Home Invasion Robbery On Jersey Shore: Prosecutor
Virginia Residents Arrested In Home Invasion Robbery On Jersey Shore: Prosecutor A pair of Virginia residents has been arrested and charged with conspiring to orchestrate an armed home invasion and robbery in Marlboro Township, authorities said. Acori Knox, 21, of Hampton, VA, and Lauren McNeil, 24, of Newport News, VA, are each charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit burglary, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, and second-degree attempted burglary, they said. Knox is additionally charged with first-degree attempted robbery, second-degree eluding police, and three second-degree weapons offenses, according to Acting Monmouth Coun…
13 Chinese Nationals Charged With Multiple Acts Of Espionage By Feds In Washington, NJ, NY 13 Chinese Nationals Charged With Multiple Acts Of Espionage By Feds In Washington, NJ, NY
13 Chinese Nationals Charged With Multiple Acts Of Espionage By Feds In Washington, NJ, NY Thirteen people, including members of China’s security and intelligence services, have been charged with trying to recruit professors and others in the United States to act as agents for their country, federal authorities in New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC announced. Tales of international intrigue include allegations that the defendants plotted to steal documents from a federal prosecutor's office to subvert a criminal investigation into a major Chinese company. Some of them are also charged in a spy-versus-spy encounter involving a $41,000 bribe in Bitcoin paid to an American…
Former FBI Agent From Maryland Convicted Of Bribery, Conspiracy Scheme With DC Realtor Former FBI Agent From Maryland Convicted Of Bribery, Conspiracy Scheme With DC Realtor
Former FBI Agent From Maryland Convicted Of Bribery, Conspiracy Scheme With DC Realtor A former FBI agent and real estate developer have been convicted of federal bribery and conspiracy charges, the Department of Justice announced. The former agent, David Paitsel, 41, of Upper Marlboro in Maryland, and Brian Bailey, 52, a real estate developer formerly based in Washington, DC, were found guilty following a trial in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, according to officials. Specifically, Bailey was found guilty of two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy for giving thousands of dollars in bribes to a program specialist with the District of Columbia D…
'NFL' Gang Leader, Member Admit To Murder, Drug Distribution In Virginia: Feds 'NFL' Gang Leader, Member Admit To Murder, Drug Distribution In Virginia: Feds
'NFL' Gang Leader, Member Admit To Murder, Drug Distribution In Virginia: Feds A leader and member of a Maryland “NFL” gang are expected to be sentenced to decades in prison after admitting to a wide-ranging conspiracy that included murder and drug distribution charges. Gang leader Gregory Butler - also known as “Gotti,” “Sags,” and “Little Dick,” 31, and member James Henry Roberts, also known as “Bub,” 32, both of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise related to their activities in the NFL gang. Federal prosecutors said that the gang operated in the Edmondson Village area in Southwest Baltimore, specifically, Normandy, Fr…
US Army Major, Doctor Wife In Maryland Accused Of Sharing Military Medical Info With Russia US Army Major, Doctor Wife In Maryland Accused Of Sharing Military Medical Info With Russia
US Army Major, Doctor Wife In Maryland Accused Of Sharing Military Medical Info With Russia A US Army doctor and his anesthesiologist wife from Maryland are facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to assist Russia with its conflict overseas with Ukraine, according to the Department of Justice. Rockville residents Anna Gabrielian, 36, and Jamie Lee Henry, 39, have been charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy for the alleged disclosure of individually identifiable health information (IIHI), authorities announced on Thursday, Sept. 29. Prosecutors noted that Gabrielian is an anesthesiologist working in Maryland, and Henry is a major in the US Army who held Secret-lev…
Armed Robbery Trio From Virginia Beach In Police Custody Armed Robbery Trio From Virginia Beach In Police Custody
Armed Robbery Trio From Virginia Beach In Police Custody A group of three men were arrested for robbing a victim while armed, Virginia Beach police said.At around 7 p.m. on August 24, officers responded to the scene in the 3600 block of Chase Court, where a victim was robbed while sitting in their vehicle, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department. The three armed suspects approached the individual's car, which was parked in their driveway, and proceeded to assault the victim and steal property, authorities reported. The trio fled the scene, but police were able to locate their vehicle shortly after, law enforcement said. Lashun Bradshaw…
Former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Worker Sentenced For Fraudulent License Scheme Former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Worker Sentenced For Fraudulent License Scheme
Former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Worker Sentenced For Fraudulent License Scheme A former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) employee will spend months behind bars after being sentenced for providing fraudulent driver's licenses to unqualified motorists - many in the country illegally - who were willing to pay a fee, federal authorities announced. Harwood resident Marion Rose Payne, 55, was sentenced in US District Court to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to produce and transfer identification documents without lawful authority, specifically, Maryland driver’s licenses. In addition to her sentence, Payne was als…
Maryland Woman Convicted Of Fraudulently Obtaining Husband's Military Disability Benefits Maryland Woman Convicted Of Fraudulently Obtaining Husband's Military Disability Benefits
Maryland Woman Convicted Of Fraudulently Obtaining Husband's Military Disability Benefits A scammer in Maryland is facing prison time after being convicted of scheming with her daughter to fraudulently obtain military disability benefits from the federal government, the Department of Justice announced. Lexington Park resident Mary Francis Biggs, 65, was convicted by a jury this week for conspiracy to commit theft of government property and for theft of government property in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain additional military disability benefits for her husband from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). During the scheme, prosecutors said that be…
MURDER FOR HIRE: NJ Man Recorded Trying To Hire Hit Man To Kill Teenage Girl, FBI Says MURDER FOR HIRE: NJ Man Recorded Trying To Hire Hit Man To Kill Teenage Girl, FBI Says
Murder FOR Hire: NJ Man Recorded Trying To Hire Hit Man To Kill Teenage Girl, FBI Says A New Jersey man was secretly recorded trying to hire a hitman to kill a 13-year-old in Texas, federal authorities said. Armando Conceicao, 57, of Newark is charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to commit murder for hire and causing another person to travel interstate with the intent to do so, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said Tuesday.  Conceicao's alleged motivation wasn't addressed in the indictment on file in U.S. District Court in Newark. It does say that Conceicao gave an unidentified man the girl's photo and address in San Antonio as well as ca…
MS-13 Members Found Guilty In Brutal Murders Of 2 Teens In Falls Church: DOJ MS-13 Members Found Guilty In Brutal Murders Of 2 Teens In Falls Church: DOJ
MS-13 Members Found Guilty In Brutal Murders Of 2 Teens In Falls Church: DOJ Five members of the violent international gang MS-13 were convicted of kidnapping and murdering two Fairfax County teenagers in 2016, prosecutors said. The boys were found in shallow graves at a Falls Church park seven months after they disappeared. An Alexandria jury last week found the men guilty of killing 17-year-old Edvin Escobar Mendez and 14-year-old Sergio Anthony Arita Triminio, the Department of Justice said. The convicted killers now face life sentences in federal prison.  MS-13 members killed Mendez in August 2016 because they believed he was a spy for the rival 1…
Repeat Offender in Stafford County Had Many People Do A Double Take Repeat Offender in Stafford County Had Many People Do A Double Take
Repeat Offender in Stafford County Had Many People Do A Double Take A woman accused of stealing from a store and crashing into a school bus became a minor celebrity earlier this year after her description generated dozens of tips for the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. An incident last week has some people feeling déjà vu. Deputies arrested Victoria Myers on Tuesday, June 7, after employees at a Stafford Walmart became suspicious of the 23-year-old and called police, the Sheriff's Office said. Meyers filled her cart with expensive electronics and hovered around the exits, according to a press release. Deputies were waiting for her when …