Month: August 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Statues and Artifacts Were Sold by Antiquities Dealer Douglas Latchford to Collectors and a Museum in the United States

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Three Others Earlier Pleaded Guilty in the Investigation

            WASHINGTON – Mekhi Truesdale, 19, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to two counts of armed robbery for his role in a series of armed robberies that took place during the fall of 2020 in Northwest Washington, admitting to two crimes in a 10-day period. He is the fourth defendant to plead guilty to charges involving multiple robberies.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Christopher Stock, Acting Chief of the U.S. Park Police, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Truesdale pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of eight to 10 years in prison, consistent with the Court’s voluntary sentencing guidelines. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for Oct. 7, 2022

            According to plea documents, on Oct. 22, 2020, at approximately 9:45 p.m., a woman was walking in the area of Belt Road and Harrison Street NW when Truesdale and an accomplice approached her. Truesdale told the woman he had a gun and demanded her cellphone and phone passcode. He lifted his sweatshirt to reveal a black semi-automatic handgun. The woman handed over her cellphone, passcode, and wallet. About 45 minutes later, the cellphone was used to transfer $500 to Truesdale via a Venmo account. The next morning, an unsuccessful attempt was made to transfer more than $12,000 to various Venmo accounts held by Truesdale and others.

            Another robbery took place on Nov. 1, 2020. At approximately 1:05 a.m., a man and woman were getting into a vehicle that was parked in the 1400 block of 22^nd Street NW. Truesdale and an accomplice approached them and demanded their cellphones, phone passcodes, wallets, and keys. The accomplice pointed a silver revolver, and the man and woman turned over their cellphone, wallets, and keys. The woman also turned over her Apple AirPods. Truesdale and the accomplice then ordered the man and woman to get into the car, which they locked using the stolen car keys. They then fled. Less than 15 minutes later, $20 was transferred from one of the victims’ accounts and an attempt was made to transfer another $50. 

            Three others pleaded guilty on July 13, 2022, to charges in the investigation, and all are awaiting sentencing. They include:

• William Bell, 20, of Washington, D.C. Bell pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of attempted robbery for two hold-ups on Oct. 17, 2020, and Oct. 21, 2020. The first took place near the intersection of 22nd Street and Virginia Avenue NW, and the second in the area of the 1200 block of W Street NW.

• Dave Harding, 20 of Washington, D.C. Harding pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of robbery, for two hold-ups, both on Oct. 31, 2020, including one at Fort Reno Park and another in the 3100 block of P Street NW.  

• Jada Winder, 19, of Greenbelt, Maryland. She pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving stolen property involving the transfers from victims’ accounts.

            Truesdale was arrested in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 5, 2020, following a foot chase in the Georgetown area. Bell was arrested Nov. 30, 2021, in San Luis Obispo, Calif., by the U.S. Marshals Service. Harding was arrested on April 8, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Winder was arrested in Greenbelt on Nov. 24, 2021. 

            This case was investigated by MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force, and the U.S. Park Police.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Metro Transit Police Department and the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.

            In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Acting Chief Stock, and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those investigating the case from MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, and USPP, as well as for the assistance of the Deputy U.S. Marshals involved in locating the defendants.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Alesha Matthews Yette. 

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Charles R. Jones who investigated and prosecuted the case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter who investigated the case prior to indictment.

 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The United States of America has been authorized to seize an Airbus A319-100 (the Airbus) owned and controlled by sanctioned Russian oligarch Andrei Skoch, pursuant to a seizure warrant from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which found that the airplane is subject to seizure and forfeiture based on probable cause of violation of the federal anti-money laundering laws.

According to the seizure warrant and affidavit sworn out today:

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (NEA), and Executive Orders Issued by the President of the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Andrei Skoch as a Specially Designated National (SDN) on or about April 6, 2018 “for being an official of the Government of the Russian Federation,” “a deputy of the Russian Federation’s State Duma,” and because of his “longstanding ties to Russian organized criminal groups, including time spent leading one such enterprise.” After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, OFAC issued further sanctions against Skoch and his assets. On or about March 24, 2022, OFAC designated Skoch and other members of the Duma for “support[ing] the Kremlin’s efforts to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” On or about June 2, 2022, OFAC identified the Airbus as blocked property in which Skoch had an interest. 

Skoch is the beneficial owner of the Airbus through a series of shell companies and trusts tied to his romantic partner. After OFAC designated Skoch in or about April 2018 and continuing through in or about at least in or about 2021, U.S. dollar transactions were made to pay for the registration of the Airbus in Aruba and for aviation insurance premiums for the Airbus, each of which was a necessary expense to maintain and operate the Airbus. 

The Airbus (pictured below), bearing tail number P4-MGU and serial number 5445, is believed to be worth more than $90 million.

U.S. Attorney Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided valuable assistance in this investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Naftalis and Nicholas S. Bradley for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the investigation. 

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

McALLEN, Texas – A 25-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in Monte Alto has been ordered to federal prison after admitting to possessing with intent to distribute 140 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Jose Maria Hernandez-Alvarez pleaded guilty Dec. 3, 2021.

Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Hernandez to serve a 70-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his/h imprisonment.  

On Sept. 8, 2021, law enforcement was conducting surveillance which led to a traffic stop. At that time, Hernandez gave consent for a search of his car.

Authorities soon discovered approximately 15.5 kilograms of meth in an Igloo ice chest in the trunk of his vehicle. Hernandez claimed ownership of the narcotics and admitted he had more drugs stored at his residence. A search at that location resulted in the discovery of an additional 123.5 kilograms of meth.

Hernandez stated he had been living in the United States for three months and, during that time, had received three shipments of meth from Mexico.

The estimated street value of the meth is $490,000.

Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Donald Robert Smith (27, Tampa) with two Hobbs Act robberies and brandishing a firearm during the commission of those robberies. If convicted, Smith faces up to 20 years for each robbery. The firearm charges will carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 7 years, and up to, life in prison consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.

According to the complaint, on August 1, 2022, Smith robbed a restaurant in Tampa. While the restaurant employee was preparing a soft drink for Smith, Smith pointed a firearm at the employee and demanded money. Two days later, on August 3, 2022, Smith robbed a retail establishment in Tampa. He approached a store employee who was at the cash register, pointed a firearm at them, and demanded money from the register.

This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.          

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.