Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Raekwon Sutton, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty, on October 3, 2023, of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted person, and three counts of felony threats, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            The charges stem from a March 19, 2022 shooting in Southeast Washington. The verdict was returned by a jury sitting in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2023.

            According to the government’s evidence, Sutton went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment armed with a handgun. In a fit of rage, he fired ten rounds at the front door of the apartment while two family members were inside. A few hours before the shooting, Sutton sent multiple text messages and voice messages threatening to shoot at the apartment. Shortly after the shooting, Sutton sent additional messages threatening to return to the apartment and fire additional shots. 

            In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, 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. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) employee Tyrone Hunter, 52, of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, with two counts of extortion under color of official right and two counts of bribery concerning federal programs.  Hunter, whose job duties included responsibility for the disposal of WMATA surplus property, allegedly demanded and accepted cash payments from a WMATA surplus customer in exchange for giving that customer favorable treatment in two surplus property sales.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and WMATA Inspector General Rene Febles. Hunter made an initial appearance today in the District of Columbia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxilla A. Upadhyaya.

            According to the indictment, WMATA permits customers to conduct vehicle inspections free of charge but does not allow test drives. All WMATA surplus property sales are “as is” with no refunds. Hunter, an Investment Recovery Administrator for WMATA’s Office of Property Reutilization and Disposition Services, demanded that a WMATA customer pay him in exchange for the opportunity to fully inspect and test drive WMATA paratransit vans – which were offered for sale as surplus property – before bidding on them.

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

            This case is being investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the WMATA Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Christopher Tyler, 46, of Washington, D.C., was presented in Superior Court today on charges of first-degree felony murder while armed stemming from the homicide of 24-year-old Nolan Edwards, on July 7, 2023, in the Benning neighborhood, in Northeast, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Tyler was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe in Courtroom C-10, in D.C. Superior Court, where he entered a plea of not guilty. The court heard arguments and found probable cause to believe that the defendant committed first degree felony murder while armed. The court held the defendant without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for November 30, 2023, before Judge Michael O’Keefe. 

            An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

            In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – On Oct. 2, the United States transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds of ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces. This ammunition had been seized by U.S. Central Command naval forces from a flagless vessel in the Arabian Sea enroute from Iran and destined for Yemen, where sanctioned groups including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directly support the Houthi movement. The Department of Justice then filed a civil forfeiture action against the seized munitions, resulting in a July 20, 2023, order by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia transferring title to the United States.

            “With this weapons transfer, the Justice Department’s forfeiture actions against one authoritarian regime are now directly supporting the Ukrainian people’s fight against another authoritarian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to use every legal authority at our disposal to support Ukraine in their fight for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.”

            “Our office will continue to use all the tools in our arsenal to disrupt the IRGC’s efforts to sow discord,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The transfer of these assets to the Ukrainian armed forces will now aid an important partner in its fight against unwarranted aggression.”

            “The forfeiture and transfer of a major ammunition cache, once destined to serve the Iranian regime’s destabilizing efforts abroad, represents the Justice Department’s commitment to countering authoritarian aggression around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.  “Together, with partner agencies and departments, we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure the nation’s security by vigorously enforcing U.S. sanctions and imposing costs on hostile regimes in accordance with the rule of law.”

            According to court documents in the civil forfeiture action, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command seized the ammunition and other munitions on or about Dec. 1, 2022.

            The documents alleged a sophisticated scheme by the IRGC to clandestinely ship weapons and munitions to entities contrary to U.S. interests.

            The government’s forfeiture action was part of a larger investigation of an Iranian weapons-smuggling network. The network was involved in the illicit trafficking of advanced conventional weapons systems and components by sanctioned Iranian entities that directly support military action by the Houthi movement in Yemen and the Iranian regime’s campaign of terrorist activities throughout the region.

            The HSI Washington Field Office and the DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are leading the larger investigation of the Iranian weapons-smuggling network, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in conducting the seizure.

            Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen, Brian P. Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Anna D. Walker for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section litigated the case, with support from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Angela De Falco.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Gregory Bournes Jr., 31, of Lancaster, Va., and Dream Jackson, 30, of Riverdale, Ga., pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge for trafficking over 80 firearms into the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

            Bournes and Jackson pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the defendants detained pending their sentencing hearing, which he scheduled for Dec. 8, 2023.

            According to court papers, from February 2021 through February 2022, Bournes and Jackson—who were in a romantic relationship at the time—conspired to purchase firearms from licensed dealers in the States of Georgia and Texas and to transport and transfer the firearms to the District of Columbia and elsewhere, for the purpose of unlawfully reselling the firearms for profit. In total, Bournes and Jackson purchased over 80 firearms, which they then sold to others.  As part of their guilty pleas, Bournes and Jackson each admitted that they knew or had to reason to believe that their conduct would result in prohibited persons receiving firearms.

            In March 2023, following their indictment by a federal grand jury, Bournes and Jackson were arrested in Georgia—where they both resided at the time—pursuant to warrants issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The defendants were released on their personal recognizance pending trial.  Following their guilty plea today, the government moved for their detention pending sentencing. Judge Lamberth granted the government’s motion, and both defendants are now in custody. 

            Bournes and Jackson face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            Most of the firearms trafficked by Bournes and Jackson remain unaccounted for, and law enforcement in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area continue to recover the trafficked firearms in connection with criminal activity. One firearm, which Bournes purchased in Georgia in November 2021 and then resold for profit, was recently used in the commission of an attempted murder in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

            In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Assistant in Charge Kailimai commended the work of those who investigated the case from the ATF’s Washington Field Division. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong and Paralegal Specialists Karla Núñez and Tiffany Robinson.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Pattison, who indicted and are prosecuting the matter.