Former Maryland Police Officer Convicted of Obstruction of Justice Related to Sex with Teen in Custody

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal judge this week convicted a former Fairmount Heights, Maryland, police officer on one count of obstructing justice by writing a false police report.

U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman for the District of Maryland found Martique Vanderpool guilty following a 3-day bench trial that ended on Oct. 24. The judge found that former officer Vanderpool falsified a police report with intent to impede an investigation into an incident on Sept. 6-7, 2019, during which he and another officer arrested a 19-year-old woman and took her in handcuffs to the locked and otherwise-empty Fairmount Heights police station, where the officers uncuffed her and Vanderpool told her to “make this right” before having sex with her while she was in custody.

“Martique Vanderpool obstructed justice to cover up his own serious police misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This former officer’s conduct is a betrayal both of the young woman who was in his care and of the entire law enforcement profession. With this verdict comes accountability for his crime.”

“When those sworn to uphold the law choose instead to violate it, it undermines the very foundation of our society,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Martique Vanderpool abused his power and violated his oath as a police officer. He betrayed the community that put their trust in him and will now face the consequences of his actions.”

According to evidence at trial and findings of fact made by the judge, Vanderpool and his partner, former Officer Phillip Dupree arrested the young woman for speeding and learned that she was rushing to get to her young son, who had been injured in an accident. Upon learning that the young woman had only a learner’s permit, Dupree asked her to get out of the car, at which point the young woman had a panic attack and Dupree took her to the ground and handcuffed her. In “an apparent state of mental distress,” the handcuffed young woman ran into the street and then banged her head on the side of the car she had been driving.

The officers had the car towed from the scene and transported the young woman to the Fairmount Heights police station, even though the station had no holding cell or booking facilities and officers were not supposed to take prisoners there. The officers took the young woman inside, in handcuffs, and then removed the cuffs. Vanderpool told her “We gotta make this right,” and then had sex with her on a couch in the main room of the station. Afterward, the officers drove the young woman to a tow lot where the car, which was registered to someone else, was returned to her.

According to the judge’s findings, Vanderpool then falsified an incident report to create a misleading impression that the officers and the young woman never left the scene of the traffic stop and that the car was returned to the registered owner. The report purposely omitted that the officers took the young woman from the scene to the police station; that Vanderpool had sex with her; and that the officers caused the car to be towed and later coordinated the release of the car to her. The report also purposely misstated that the car was returned to the registered owner.

The judge, in finding that the false report was intended to interfere with an investigation that was within the jurisdiction of the FBI, noted that the young woman was a teenager, was slight of build, was in a state of panic, was forced to the ground by an officer, had her car towed, said that she needed to get to her son, was taken in handcuffs to the police station and was told to “make this right.”

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2025. Vanderpool faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Vanderpool’s partner, Phillip Dupree, was recently convicted in an unrelated case of committing a federal criminal civil rights violation by using unreasonable force during an unrelated arrest.

The FBI Baltimore Field Office investigated the case.

Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Betsy Hutson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. 

Justice Department to Monitor Polls in 27 States for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department announced today that it plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election.

The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.

For the general election, the department will monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws on Election Day in 86 jurisdictions, including:

  • Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
  • Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
  • Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
  • North Slope Borough, Alaska;
  • Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska;
  • Apache County, Arizona;
  • Maricopa County, Arizona;
  • Pima County, Arizona;
  • Yuma County, Arizona;
  • San Joaquin County, California;
  • Broward County, Florida;
  • Miami-Dade County, Florida;
  • Orange County, Florida;
  • Osceola County, Florida;
  • Cobb County, Georgia;
  • DeKalb County, Georgia;
  • Fulton County, Georgia;
  • Gwinnett County, Georgia;
  • Macon-Bibb County, Georgia;
  • Jefferson County, Kentucky;
  • Kenton County, Kentucky;
  • City of Everett, Massachusetts;
  • City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
  • City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
  • City of Lowell, Massachusetts;
  • City of Malden, Massachusetts;
  • City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
  • City of Quincy, Massachusetts;
  • City of Salem, Massachusetts;
  • Prince George’s County, Maryland;
  • City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
  • City of Detroit, Michigan;
  • City of Flint, Michigan;
  • City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
  • City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
  • City of Warren, Michigan;
  • Hennepin County, Minnesota;
  • City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
  • Ramsey County, Minnesota;
  • Covington County, Mississippi;
  • Scott County, Mississippi;
  • Warren County, Mississippi;
  • City of St. Louis, Missouri;
  • Blaine County, Montana;
  • Alamance County, North Carolina;
  • Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
  • Wake County, North Carolina;
  • Bergen County, New Jersey;
  • Middlesex County, New Jersey;
  • Union County, New Jersey;
  • Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
  • Cibola County, New Mexico;
  • Clark County, Nevada;
  • Queens, New York;
  • Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
  • Portage County, Ohio;
  • Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
  • Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
  • Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
  • City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
  • City of Providence, Rhode Island;
  • City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island;
  • Charleston County, South Carolina;
  • Bennett County, South Dakota;
  • Jackson County, South Dakota;
  • Minnehaha County, South Dakota;
  • Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
  • Atascosa County, Texas;
  • Bexar County, Texas;
  • Dallas County, Texas;
  • Frio County, Texas;
  • Harris County, Texas;
  • Hays County, Texas;
  • Palo Pinto County, Texas;
  • Waller County, Texas;
  • San Juan County, Utah;
  • Hanover County, Virginia;
  • Henrico County, Virginia;
  • Loudoun County, Virginia;
  • City of Manassas, Virginia;
  • City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
  • Prince William County, Virginia;
  • Town of Lawrence (Rusk County), Wisconsin;
  • City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
  • Town of Thornapple, Wisconsin; and
  • City of Wausau, Wisconsin.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, other department divisions, U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. Throughout Election Day, division personnel will maintain contact with state and local election officials.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931.

Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov.

Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.

More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.

Readout of Director Rachel Rossi’s Trip to Northern California

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice traveled to San Francisco to deliver the keynote address at the Pathways to Justice Conference, a statewide legal services conference held every three years. The engagement included meetings on access to justice issues and initiatives happening in Northern California.

Opening the visit, Director Rossi participated in a listening session hosted by the California Community Justice Workers Working Group, a group of legal aid and access to justice leaders aiming to leverage professional support from nonlawyers to support legal service providers in delivering legal assistance to underserved and marginalized communities. Director Rossi delivered brief opening remarks and then heard from working group members on its proposed recommendations for a community justice worker program in California. The presentation was followed by a discussion with legal aid leaders from across California.

Tuesday morning, Director Rossi delivered the keynote address for the Pathways to Justice Conference convened by the State Bar of California, the Legal Aid Association of California and the California Judicial Council. The conference convenes nonprofit legal service providers, private bar pro bono volunteers and staff from court departments and self-help centers from across the state to discuss access to justice topics. In her remarks, Director Rossi highlighted Office for Access to Justice initiatives and focused on the need to foster collaboration between state, local and federal access to justice stakeholders.

Following the keynote, Director Rossi met with leadership from the Legal Aid Association of California, a statewide membership organization of over 100 legal aid providers. In the meeting, Director Rossi listened to the most pressing issues facing California’s legal aid community and discussed support for efforts to increase interagency collaboration at the state level in the pursuit of access to justice.

That afternoon, Director Rossi attended a roundtable discussion with Bay Area public defense chiefs and leadership, including from San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Solano and Marin County, California offices. Director Rossi shared information about Access to Justice Office resources including the Public Defense Resource Hub and the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable federal funding digital resource. The discussion included the challenges confronting public defense professionals in Northern California such as lack of resources, caseload and workload challenges, recruitment and retention concerns and the unique resource needs for specialized and effective youth defense representation. The roundtable also touched on best practices and innovative public defense strategies spearheaded across bay area offices, including their advocacy and policy work, creative recruitment strategies and holistic representation models.

Director Rossi then met with Prisoner Legal Services to discuss their work providing civil legal assistance to individuals incarcerated locally. She highlighted the pilot program launched by the Office for Access to Justice in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which similarly provides civil legal services to adults in federal custody, including through the first medical-legal partnership in a federal prison in the United States. They discussed future collaboration and sharing of best practices.

Director Rossi also met with the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California to discuss implementation of the Report and Recommendations Concerning Access to Counsel at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Pretrial Facilities, unique issues facing Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys, and other issues facing federal defenders in the district. Closing the trip, Director Rossi met with U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California.

Director Rossi delivered the keynote address for the 2024 Pathways to Justice Conference in San Francisco. 
Director Rossi and Bay Area public defense chiefs and leadership.
Director Rossi and Office for Access to Justice staff met with representatives from Prisoner Legal Services. 

Defense News: U.S., Egyptian Navies Conduct Bilateral Exercise in Red Sea

Source: United States Navy

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and Egyptian Navy El-Suez-class corvette ENS Abu Qir (F941) conducted a bilateral exercise in the Red Sea, Oct. 19.

The passing exercise occurred after Stockdale’s port visit to Safaga, Egypt, where Cmdr. Lauren Johnson, commanding officer of Stockdale, and Egyptian Navy Commodore Ramy Ahmed Ismael Mohamed, commander, Red Sea Naval Base, held a senior leadership exchange to strengthen interoperability between the U.S. and Egyptian Navy in the Red Sea.

“Stockdale and Abu Qir sailing together showcases U.S. and Egypt’s partnership and commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and security of the seas,” said Johnson. “This exercise was a fitting conclusion to Stockdale’s time in Egypt, where we were graciously hosted by the base commander and our crew was able to enjoy much deserved liberty. We look forward to supporting our nations’ continuing relationship.”

Meeting at sea, Stockdale and Abu Qir coordinated close quarters maneuvers and tactical communication to strengthen interoperability and enhance bilateral cooperation. An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, attached Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71, deployed aboard Stockdale, conducted flight quarters during the exercise.

The passing exercise highlights the strength of the U.S.-Egyptian military cooperation and historic partnership, which plays a leading role in stability and security in the region.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water space and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb.

Join the conversation with U.S. Central Command on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CENTCOM/.

Find more news from Stockdale at https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ddg106/.

Defense News: USS John S. McCain Returns Home from Deployment

Source: United States Navy

EVERETT, Washington – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) returned to Naval Station Everett, Oct. 31, 2024 following an eight-month deployment with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) to the U.S. 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

“I am incredibly proud of the dedication, resilience, and professionalism shown by our team throughout this deployment,” said Cmdr. Parina Somnhot, commanding officer of John S. McCain. “Our Sailors always answered the call and helped ensure mission success.”

John S. McCain deployed in March and operated both independently and as part of the TRSCG. The TRCSG deployed to the Indo-Pacific region to support regional security and stability, to keep sea lanes open, and to reassure our allies and partners of the U.S. Navy’s unwavering commitment to the region. The strike group was later ordered to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to strengthen U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.

John S. McCain conducted various exercises with foreign navies, strengthening important relationships with allies and partners. These exercises enhanced warfighting readiness, interoperability, and maritime coordination between allies and partners.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, and expeditionary strike groups.

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is comprised of Carrier Strike Group 9 staff, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23 staff, the flagship Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, and DESRON 23 ships that include guided-missile destroyers USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), USS Russell (DDG 59) and John S. McCain.

An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations – from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information on John S. McCain, please visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ddg56/.