Month: July 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON — A North Carolina man was sentenced today for assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Matthew Jason Beddingfield, 22, of Middlesex, North Carolina, was sentenced to 38 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol.

            Beddingfield pleaded guilty, on Feb. 16, 2023, to the felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 12:58 p.m., Beddingfield jumped over a barricade and charged toward a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers who were near the scaffolding that had previously been erected outside the southwest side of the building. A crowd surrounded the officers. At approximately 1:06 p.m., Beddingfield attacked the officers, jabbing at them with a metal flagpole he had brought with him. Soon thereafter, Beddingfield can be seen throwing a metal rod at law enforcement. He remained on the restricted grounds, moving about, before entering the Capitol at approximately 2:38 p.m. through a door on the upper west terrace.

            Once inside the Capitol, Beddingfield made his way to the Rotunda before joining a group of rioters who attempted to storm the Senate wing. Beddingfield was towards the front of the rioters and assisted the crowd’s push against police officers. Beddingfield and the other rioters returned to the Rotunda after a chemical irritant was deployed. He continued walking around the Capitol and entered the office of then-Congressman Kevin McCarthy before finally leaving the Capitol at approximately 3:07 p.m. Court documents say that Beddingfield spent approximately 30 minutes inside the Capitol and about two hours on the restricted grounds.

            According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, when Beddingfield committed these acts, he was on conditions of pretrial release in Johnston County, North Carolina, while awaiting trial there on a charge of attempted murder.

            Additionally, before the events of January 6, and specifically on November 17, 2020, Beddingfield wrote to an unidentified Instagram user, “Anyone who is in antifa deserves a slow death. They are literally communists.” Nearly a year after the events at the Capitol, on January 19, 2022, Beddingfield wrote to an unidentified Instagram user, “I’d like to reclaim America and it is fine if a few of my peoples enemies are ‘hurt’ in the process.”

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Charlotte Field Office’s Raleigh Resident Agency and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 30 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,069 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.           

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Brandon Brown, 33, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to a 10-year prison term for strangling his ex-girlfriend and then trying to dissuade her from participating in the pending criminal investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Brown pleaded guilty, on March 3, 2023, to one count of aggravated assault, and one count of obstructing justice.

            According to the government’s evidence, on April 19, 2022, Brown and his on-again, off-again intimate partner got into an argument about whether they had been cheating on each other. During the argument, the defendant strangled his partner with sufficient force that she “blacked out.” Brown’s actions caused the defendant to lose her vision and become unconscious, creating a grave risk of death. A week later, despite being held in custody, Brown contacted his partner from the D.C. Jail to try and persuade her not to come to court or participate in the criminal investigation.  

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Garcia Clarke, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Robert Platt, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Lee, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON — A Missouri man was sentenced today for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Cale Douglas Clayton, 42, of Drexel, Missouri, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol.

            Clayton pleaded guilty, on March 10, 2023, to the felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Clayton traveled from his home in Drexel to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally and afterward walked to the north side of the Capitol building. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Clayton was present at the upper west terrace as law enforcement began to clear the area and protestors began to clash with police. While protestors were pushing against police, Clayton picked up a police baton that had been dropped by an officer. Clayton then forcibly grabbed a riot shield held by a police officer.

            Later, at approximately 4:28 p.m., Clayton made his way to another confrontation between police and protestors.  At this time, police attempted to recover the baton from Clayton. In response, Clayton forcibly made contact with a police officer by grabbing the face shield of the officer’s helmet and pushing the officer backward.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department, Arlington County, Virginia Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 30 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,069 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.           

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Isaiah Anderson, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a violent drug trafficking organization, involving 16 other defendants, whose members are charged in a drug distribution conspiracy involving fentanyl, cocaine base, other illegal drugs, illegal firearms. Anderson pleaded guilty, on November 29, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Fentanyl; using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense; and possession of contraband in prison.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Emily Odom, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge SAC Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to court documents, in the Spring of 2020, MPD, FBI, ATF, and DEA began conducting an investigation into a drug trafficking operation, centered around a multi-unit apartment building, located in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest, Washington, D.C. The investigation revealed that between May 2020 and late-September 2020, at 1319 5th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. members of the conspiracy, including the defendant, distributed narcotics on a near daily basis, primarily in the foyer outside of certain apartments, as well as in the courtyard adjacent to the building’s front entrance. During the conspiracy, the defendant sold Fentanyl for approximately $80/gram and had numerous repeat customers. It is estimated the group distributed multiple kilograms of Fentanyl in the relevant time period.

            “This case is another example of the multi-agency efforts underway to rid our district of dangerous drug trafficking crews and the violence they bring,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The strategy works.  In the six months after these arrests, no violent crimes were reported in the territory the defendants previously occupied, and calls for sounds of gunshots dramatically decreased (by 94%). Nearly two years later, calls for the sounds of gunshots were still down 57%. We are going to prioritize these kinds of investigations, so those thinking of joining similar crews should think hard about whether they want to sacrifice their freedom.”

            “The success of Operation Lincoln Westmoreland was a result of strong collaboration between the FBI and our federal and local partners,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Odom. “Together we arrested over a dozen subjects; recovered numerous weapons, including seven ghost guns; and seized fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and promethazine, leaving Shaw safer for everyone who lives and works in the neighborhood.”

            On August 5, 2020, Anderson and another co-conspirator purchased a 2017 Infiniti Q60 for $32,690 in cash. Anderson provided the car dealership with trash bags full of small denomination bills for the purchase. On August 12, 2020, Anderson was driving that car with co-conspirator Michael Robinson in the vehicle. The Infiniti was involved in a traffic crash with an MPD vehicle. Anderson fled the scene but was apprehended a short time later. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a Glock 30, Gen4 .45 caliber firearm, loaded with 11 rounds in the magazine and 1 round in the chamber; a digital scale; approximately 100 empty Ziplock bags; $3,567.99 in U.S. Currency; and suspected cocaine base, Fentanyl, and marijuana. Anderson admitted that he possessed the narcotics on August 12, 2020, with the intent to redistribute them to others as part of the conspiracy. He also admitted that his role in the conspiracy included the distribution and the possession with the intent to distribute at least 400 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Fentanyl.

            On or about August 25, 2021, the Defendant, while an inmate being held without bond in this case in the custody of the United States Marshal at the Central Detention Facility (CDF) located at 1901 D Street, S.E., Washington, D.C., possessed on his person a five-inch piece of metal sharpened to a point on one end and wrapped in cloth on the other end that was designed or intended to be used as a weapon. In September 2021, while also incarcerated in this case in the custody of the United States Marshal at the CDF, the Defendant possessed an operating cellular telephone to access, and communicate through, Instagram, a social media platform.

            Other members of the conspiracy who have pleaded guilty to drug and/or gun offenses and have been sentenced include:

NAME	SENTENCE
Isaiah Anderson	120 months in prison; 36 months SR
Tyree Marshall	84 months in prison; 36 months SR
Daeshawn Brown	51 months in prison; 36 months SR
Taquan Canarte	53 months in prison; 36 months SR
Shahn Giles	60 months in prison; 36 months SR
Xavier Harris	110 months in prison; 60 months SR
Jovanta Little	42 months in prison; 36 months SR
Mikeal Matthews	94 months in prison; 60 months SR
Kevon Maynor	63 months in prison; 48 months SR
Michael Robinson	96 months in prison; 36 months SR
Jaden Smith	46 months in prison; 36 months SR
Takisha Ganeous	96 months in prison; 48 months SR
Maurice Glasgow	Pleaded guilty; Awaiting sentencing

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge Linden, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge Forget, and Interim Chief Benedict, commended the work of the detectives and patrol officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, the agents from FBI and DEA, and the agents and DNA lab personnel from the  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.  Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney George Eliopoulos and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher, with the office’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Charles Johnson, 29, of Washington, D.C., was convicted today of multiple counts of first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, multiple counts of first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, second degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, attempted first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and assault. The verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), follows a 5-day trial in Superior Court in the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 6, 2023.

            According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on multiple occasions between November 2019 and September 2021, Johnson sexually abused a child who was nine and ten years old at the time of the assaults. Johnson subjected the child to sexual acts and repeatedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him. Johnson, who is an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, resided in the home with the victim and took advantage of occasions when he was left in a position of supervision and care over her.

            Johnson faces the potential of life imprisonment without the opportunity of release. If he were to be released, Johnson would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Jones and Reshawn Johnson, Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson, Victim/Witness Coordinators Donna Proctor, Nikiya Burnette, Katina Adams-Washington, and Tonya Jones, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Kathleen Houck, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.