Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man was found guilty in the District of Columbia today of felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. 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 presidential election.

            Patrick Alonzo Stedman, 35, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, was found guilty of five charges, including one felony count and four misdemeanor counts, following a trial before U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Stedman was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, a felony, as well as four misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.

            According to evidence presented during the trial, Stedman traveled from New Jersey to Washington, D.C., and entered the Capitol building for over 40 minutes on Jan. 6, 2021. In a series of posts to his Twitter page, Stedman detailed his travel to D.C. and his involvement in the Capitol breach and riots.  

            In one post on Jan. 6, 2021, Stedman posted an image from inside the Capitol building, stating, “I can tell you having been in the Capitol these videos the MSM (mainstream media) is showing of fights between cops and protestors are unlike any of the dynamics I saw. Does this look like a “tense” scene to you?” In another post, Stedman posted, “[s]hots fired, guns drawn by guards.”

            In a series of live-streamed videos posted to Twitter on Jan. 6, 2021, Stedman discusses the details of his presence inside the U.S. Capitol, including sitting in Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s office, stating, “I was pretty much in the first wave, and we broke down the doors and climbed up the back part of the Capitol building and got all the way into the chambers.”

            Stedman’s obstruction charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering all factors and the U.S. Sentencing guidelines. Stedman is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2023.

            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 New Jersey.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Philadelphia’s South Jersey Resident Agency. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 29 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 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

Good afternoon. Today, an indictment was unsealed charging Donald J. Trump with felony violations of our national security laws as well as participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice.

This indictment was voted by a grand jury of citizens in the Southern District of Florida, and I invite everyone to read it in full to understand the scope and the gravity of the crimes charged.

The men and women of the United States intelligence community and our armed forces dedicate their lives to protecting our nation and its people. Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and they must be enforced. Violations of those laws put our country at risk.

Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice. And our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world. We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone. Applying those laws. Collecting facts. That’s what determines the outcome of an investigation. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The prosecutors in my office are among the most talented and experienced in the Department of Justice. They have investigated this case hewing to the highest ethical standards. And they will continue to do so as this case proceeds.

It’s very important for me to note that the defendants in this case must be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. To that end, my office will seek a speedy trial in this matter. Consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused. We very much look forward to presenting our case to a jury of citizens in the Southern District of Florida.

In conclusion. I would like to thank the dedicated public servants of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with whom my office is conducting this investigation and who worked tirelessly every day upholding the rule of law in our country. I’m deeply proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Thank you very much.   

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Demarcus Barnett, 20, of Washington, D.C., was arrested yesterday for second degree murder while armed, stemming from the shooting death of 62-year-old Lasanta Qumar McGill, on June 8, 2023, in the Westminster neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department announced. 

            Mr. Barnett was arraigned today in Superior Court in the District of Columbia, where he entered a not guilty plea. The court found probable cause that the defendant committed the murder and held him without bond pending a preliminary hearing on June 20, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Raffinan.  

            An arrest on a complaint 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.

            In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Graves 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

A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted a Texas pharmacist today for conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense opioids and maintaining a drug-involved premises.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from May 2018 to August 2019, Sokari “Momma” Bobmanuel, 63, of Houston, was the owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Cornerstone Rx Pharmacy, which illegally distributed nearly 160,000 opioid pills, including oxycodone and hydrocodone. Bobmanuel, through Cornerstone, distributed controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice, and without a legitimate medical purpose, to individuals who bought prescriptions in the names of other people. These individuals then sold the pills they bought from Cornerstone on the black market. Bobmanuel charged exorbitant prices for her pills – often over $1,000 for a single oxycodone prescription – generating over $1 million from the scheme.

The jury convicted Bobmanuel on one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20 and she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

To date, 11 other defendants, including a physician and two nurse practitioners, have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the DEA Houston Division, and Special Agent in Charge James Smith of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement.

The DEA Houston Division and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Emily Petro, Monica Cooper, Ariel Glasner, and Courtney Chester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman for the Southern District of Texas is handling forfeiture.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Justice Department announced today that it has joined with Erie County, New York, to request that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York terminate the consent decree regarding the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility. The county successfully achieved substantial compliance with the decree and maintained compliance for more than 18 months, as required by the decree. If the U.S. District Court grants the parties’ joint motion, it will end federal compliance monitoring and return oversight of the facilities back to the county.

“Under the consent decree, Erie County made fundamental improvements to conditions in the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Although the Erie County facilities continue to face the same challenges as other jails in caring and treating for people with serious medical and mental health issues, more than a decade of hard work has significantly improved how care and treatment is provided inside these facilities. The Civil Rights Division will continue to prioritize addressing and improving conditions inside jails and prisons across the country.”

The department brought this case under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which prohibits a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run correctional facilities. Specifically, the department found systemic deficiencies related to suicide prevention, medical care and mental health care which resulted in preventable death of incarcerated individuals. The facilities also had fundamentally inadequate policies and practices related to the use of force and the protection of incarcerated individuals from violence and sexual misconduct. These problems were exacerbated by a flawed housing classification system.

Since the District Court entered the consent decree in August 2011, the county has made substantial progress in the facilities’ medical and mental health programs, protection of incarcerated individuals from harm, and environmental health and safety. For example:

• The county has established a Medical Review Committee that oversees the implementation of medical policies and procedures, performs quarterly quality management reviews of the sick call process and analyzes medical data to ensure access to quality care.
• The county has developed a Stabilization Treatment Unit designed for the therapeutic benefit of individuals with serious mental illness. In addition, the county has implemented provisions of the consent decree requiring constant observation and frequent assessments by mental health professionals for individuals requiring a crisis level of care, who may be at risk of suicide. This program is overseen by a constant observation treatment team, which reviews the cases of all individuals in the program as well as those recently discharged.
• The county implemented a detox program administered by a nurse practitioner with specialized training on the management of this high-risk population. The detox program recently added a Medication-Assisted Treatment program, which addresses potentially life-threatening risks for individuals experiencing opiate withdrawal.
• The county appointed a senior-level staff person to serve as the sexual abuse prevention coordinator and supervise improvements in policies, staff training and education of incarcerated individuals.
• The county improved its staff training on use of force, and all uses of force are now reported to the New York State Commission of Correction. These reports are then reviewed by an independent auditor to ensure they are consistent with accepted correctional practices.

Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Individuals who believe their civil rights may have been violated may file a complaint at www.civilrights.justice.gov.