Month: September 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Shot Victim in Back After Confrontation Over Drug Sales to Victim’s Father

            WASHINGTON – Shaka Haltiwanger, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and related charges stemming from the brazen mid-morning killing of Anthony Kelley in the lobby of an apartment building in Southeast Washington.  The sentenced was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            A jury found Haltiwanger guilty on March 22, 2023. In addition to the 24-year prison term, the Honorable Rainey Brandt ordered three years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, just before 11:30 a.m. on September 10, 2021, 39-year old Anthony Kelley arrived at his father’s apartment building at 1400 29^th Street SE, to take his father—who had suffered a stroke and could not drive—to the grocery store. When Mr. Kelley entered his father’s apartment, he found Haltiwanger on the living room couch.   Haltiwanger had been regularly selling crack cocaine to Mr. Kelley’s father. Mr. Kelley confronted Haltiwanger and physically removed him from the apartment. Haltiwanger and Mr. Kelley continued to argue in the hallway and stairwell of the apartment building until Mr. Kelley separated himself and began to walk away toward the building’s front door. Haltiwanger then removed a 9 mm “ghost gun,” equipped with a 50-round magazine drum, from his backpack and shot Mr. Kelley once in the back. The gun jammed after the first shot, and Haltiwanger fled the scene. Haltiwanger and others then proceeded to call multiple eyewitnesses to the shooting more than a dozen times using blocked phone numbers while the eyewitnesses were speaking to law enforcement on scene.

            Haltiwanger was arrested for the murder of Mr. Kelley on September 30, 2021, and has been in custody since. At the time of the murder, Haltiwanger was on pretrial release for a pending gun and drug case in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Section, and Dan Lenerz of the Appellate Section; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Robert Cephas, Marlon Hernandez, and Lesley Slade; Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarrity and Grazy Rivera; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.  

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Charles R. Jones, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Graham Hauck, 50, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty today—for the second time in approximately four months—to stealing money from his clients. In May 2023, Hauck pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from one former client. Following that guilty plea, additional clients contacted the government to report that Hauck had stolen from them, too. Hauck even stole money from one client after his May 2023 guilty plea. In total, he misappropriated more than $2 million from eight clients. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

            On May 10, 2023, Hauck pleaded guilty to wire fraud, which carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Today, he pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison. As part of his plea agreements, Hauck must pay full restitution to the victims. He also will be liable for forfeiture money judgments. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras accepted both of Hauck’s guilty pleas.  Judge Contreras revoked Hauck’s bond last Thursday after he learned that Hauck had stolen money from one victim following the entry of his May guilty plea. Sentencing is scheduled in both cases for Feb. 28, 2024.

            Hauck served as president and CEO of Hauck & Associates, Inc., (H&A) a trade association management firm based in Washington, D.C. The victim organizations retained H&A to serve as their management company. Hauck used his access to their financial accounts to steal more than $2 million from the eight victims.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with assistance from Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart and Marsha Cannon, and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Catherine Chae.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON — A Maryland man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions 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.

            Steven Patrick Cook, 24, of Bethesda, Maryland, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with two felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Cook is charged with several misdemeanors, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.

            Cook was arrested in Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, and made his initial appearance today in the District of Columbia.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Cook was identified via multiple body-worn camera footage and open-source videos as among the crowd of rioters on the West Plaza of the U.S. Capitol. At 2:28 p.m., three individuals linked arms and marched into the police line on the West Plaza, breaking the line. Cook followed soon after and began pushing and hitting police officers. Cook grabbed an officer’s baton and punched another.

            As Cook continued his assault on the police, the line broke and officers retreated into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. Cook followed close behind, entering the Tunnel at approximately 2:43 p.m. Cook quickly made his way deeper into the Tunnel, left, and returned at 3:02 p.m. When he returned, Cook took a gas mask from a nearby rioter, put it on, and ran back into the Tunnel, bull-rushing the police line and grabbing an officer’s baton.

            Cook eventually left the area at about 3:05 p.m., only to return once more to participate in a coordinated push against the police with other rioters. Cook ultimately left the Tunnel area at 4:08 p.m.

            This case is being 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 District of Maryland.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing. 

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

            A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.