U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron
Recent News About U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron
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Maryland man sentenced for possession of ammunition and controlled substances
On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Honorable Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Boie Barry, age 32, of Hyattsville, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Barry was convicted for possession of ammunition by a felon and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
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Maryland man sentenced over $250K Covid fraud scheme
Baltimore, Maryland – Senior United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Ayaz Qureshi, age 55, of Severna Park, Maryland to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, in connection with a conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting financial institutions, relating to more than $250,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) benefits. PPP benefits were a program created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance...
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Former finance department employee pleads guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and bribery scheme
Joseph Gillespie, age 35, of Baltimore City, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a scheme to defraud a financial institution and the United States Small Business Administration in order to obtain fraudulent loans under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program for various purported businesses. The defendant also admitted to engaging in a bribery scheme for over eight years, whereby, in exchange for bribes from various property owners in Baltimore City (the “City”), he would use his official position as an...
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Nigerian national extradited from Ghana over alleged $7.5 million charity fraud
Olusegun Samson Adejorin, a Nigerian national, was extradited from Ghana and arrived in the United States on August 30, 2024, to face federal charges for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer related to a $7.5 million scheme to defraud two charitable organizations. Adejorin had his initial appearance on August 30, 2024, and is currently detained pending trial.
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Maryland man sentenced for defrauding over $3.5 million in CARES Act loans
On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, the Honorable Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Rudolph Brooks, age 48, of Cheltenham, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining over $3.5 million in COVID-19 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. The court also ordered Brooks to forfeit all property and assets derived from his criminal activity, including a 2018 Tesla Model 3, property located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and at least $2,231,141.49 from 17 bank accounts...
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Maryland U.S. Attorneys join nationwide effort for November federal elections
Baltimore, Maryland – Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Bijon A. Mostoufi and Joseph Wenner will lead the efforts of his office in supporting the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election. AUSAs Mostoufi and Wenner have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Maryland. In this capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of election day complaints involving...
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Baltimore County man sentenced for over $1.8 million bank fraud scheme
U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Damilola Ojo, 31, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, to 48 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for his involvement in a bank fraud scheme exceeding $1.8 million. Ojo also admitted to obtaining a fraudulent $475,000 COVID-19 CARES Act loan. He was ordered to forfeit $20,000 and pay restitution of $546,000.
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Baltimore felon sentenced to four years for illegal firearm possession
Jermaine Washington, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on July 19, 2024, to a federal charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to serve four years in federal prison.
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University agrees $500K settlement over undisclosed foreign support in federal grants
The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) has agreed to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to disclose current and pending support from foreign sources for faculty members who were principal investigators (PIs) or co-PIs of federal research grant proposals.
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Former NSA contractor sentenced to prison for time and attendance fraud
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Jacky Lynn McComber, of Elkridge, Maryland, to thirteen months in federal prison and ordered her to pay $176,913 in restitution for submitting false invoices to the National Security Agency (NSA) for overstating her hours worked on a contract and for making false statements to investigators from the NSA’s Office of the Inspector General (NSA-OIG).
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Former Baltimore police officer sentenced for drug distribution and firearm possession
On June 28, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Steven Umberto Angelini, a former member of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), to two and a half years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and oxycodone and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence includes conditions such as drug treatment.
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Frederick County man sentenced to twelve years for armed robberies
Baltimore, Maryland – On Friday, June 21, 2024, United States District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Anthony Young, age 38, of Jefferson, Maryland, to twelve years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robberies of an American Legion Post and a bank in Frederick County, Maryland.
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Baltimore man sentenced to fourteen years for armed robberies across multiple counties
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Brendan A. Hurson today sentenced Gary Leon Holloway, age 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, to fourteen years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for the armed robberies of cellphone stores located in Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore County, Maryland.