Month: September 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – John Maurice West, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to serve 57 months in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on June 27, 2022, aboard a Metrorail train and in the 1700 block of 8th Street NW.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            West pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  He was sentenced by the Honorable Jia M. Cobb.  Following his prison term, West will be placed on three years of supervised release.

            According to court papers, on June 27, 2022, West threatened another man with a gun while aboard a Metrorail train at the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metro Station.  The victim disembarked at the next station and reported the offense.  Surveillance footage revealed that West exited the Metro at the Shaw–Howard University station and ran into the 1700 block of 8th Street NW, in the District’s Shaw neighborhood.  Surveillance footage also depicted West in and around the entryway of an apartment building in that block moments before his arrest.  Police canvassed the area and found a loaded, semi-automatic handgun concealed in a drainage pipe.  Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked both the handgun and its magazine to West. 

            Federal law prohibits West from possessing a firearm because, in 2014, he was convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed with a firearm.

            West was arrested on June 27, 2022, and has remained in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Anzallo, and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit and Metropolitan Police Departments.  They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Thomas G. Strong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON — An Indiana man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges 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.

            Gregory Mijares, 41, of Crown Point, Indiana, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of civil disorder. Mijares is also charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds.

            Mijares was arrested today in Crown Point, Indiana, and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Indiana.

            According to court documents, Mijares traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest the election and attend a rally held that day in support of the former President on Jan. 6, 2021. Following the rally, Mijares began walking with the crowd toward the U.S. Capitol and entered the grounds, wearing a gas mask. Mijares eventually made his way to the Lower West Terrace as he pursued retreating police officers. As officers attempted to fall back into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, Mijares stood in their path and raised a flag over his head. Officers then attempted to remove Mijares from their path, and a physical altercation ensued between officers and Mijares.

            Capitol CCTV shows that Mijares was one of the first rioters to pursue police into the Tunnel, entering the archway at approximately 2:41 p.m. Body-worn camera footage and open-source video show Mijares as he approached a set of glass doors that police previously locked behind them as they moved further into the Tunnel. Moments later, rioters smashed one of the panes of glass in the doors. Mijares then held up his middle finger at officers before pulling open the now-broken door for others to push forward. Mijares then approached a second set of Tunnel doors just behind the first and pulled one open for his fellow rioters. Officers attempted to push Mijares back using a riot shield, and he responded by taking a step back and slamming his body into the shield.

            Other rioters then swarmed Mijares at the police line and began physically fighting officers as Mijares continued pushing against the riot shield. At some point, an officer struck Mijares with a baton while he was facing the shield wall. Mijares attempted to block the baton by raising his arms up in front of his head, eventually grabbing the baton.

            Mijares remained at the front of the line, pushing against police, until approximately 2:45 p.m. At approximately 2:52 p.m., Mijares exited the Tunnel only to reenter at about 3:11 p.m. Mijares then joined other rioters in a coordinated pushing “heave ho” effort against the police line for approximately several minutes.

            Between about 3:12 p.m. and 3:13 p.m., Mijares assisted other rioters in coordinating the passing of riot shields that had been taken from the police. Mijares then pushed further toward the front of the mob and engaged in another “heave ho” effort against the police line. After participating in this “heave ho,” Mijares made his way back to the Tunnel entranceway, where he exited at approximately 3:19 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 Northern District of Indiana.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis 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 1,146 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

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

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Extradited from Jamaica to Answer Eight-Count Indictment

            WASHINGTON – Sereika Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, 36, of Jamaica, appeared in U.S. federal court today and was arraigned on an eight-count indictment charging her with creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U.S. victims into paying fees and disclosing personal identifying information, sensitive information, and identity documents to obtain debt relief, which did not actually exist. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Sally Luttrell Assistant Inspector General for Investigations U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General

            On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count sealed indictment charging Savariau with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2018, Savariau conspired with others to profit from fees paid by victims of fraudulent debt relief companies.  The indictment alleges that conspirators created and operated fraudulent businesses and websites that marketed and sold fraudulent debt relief services to members of the public. Conspirators fraudulently misrepresented that members of the public could apply for and obtains thousands of dollars’ worth of debt relief on their outstanding, unpaid bills in the form of grants, all in exchange for payment of a service processing fee. Conspirators also claimed that the purported debt relief was funded and administered by the U.S. government. Through their false representations, Savariau and her co-conspirators are alleged to have induced or attempted to induce victims throughout the United States to pay over a million dollars’ worth of service processing fees to Savariau and her co-conspirators via Western Union, Money Gram, PayPal, and other payment mechanisms.

            Savariau arrived in the D.C. metropolitan area on Thursday after being extradited from Jamaica. At today’s initial appearance, the Honorable Zia M. Faruqui ordered that she be held without bond pending her next hearing, which is scheduled for September 20, 2023.

            An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Savariau. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Louisa Becker and Ashley Pungello, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.