US Attorney Pirro

Official account of Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Privacy policy:

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Stephens deliberately sought out vulnerable minors online, traded in images documenting their exploitation, and gained access to a child in person.

My office will not relent in pursuing predators who target our community’s children, and we remain committed to protecting them.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Tevon Stephens, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 216 months in prison in connection with his distribution of child sexual abuse material and his sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl, announced @USAttyPirro.
https://t.co/GVyH6HRjNQ

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

This is Ice, the defenseless Husky who was stolen and executed. We indicted three defendants for their roles in a calculated scheme to terrorize and extort his owner.

As alleged in our indictment, these defendants conspired to intimidate and coerce the victim over a dispute involving a vehicle, ultimately taking his innocent dog hostage and executing him.

We will speak for Ice and for all the dogs who cannot speak for themselves. Animal cruelty and violent extortion are serious federal crimes, and my office will pursue accountability to the fullest extent of the law.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Antwon Sockwell, 36, a resident of Washington, D.C., Keith Packer, 35, a resident of Suitland, Maryland, and Tierra Love, 38, a resident of Suitland, Maryland, were charged in a five-count indictment on September 18th that was unsealed today in federal court in Washington, D.C., announced @USAttyPirro.

The indictment includes charges for animal crushing, conspiracy, interstate communications with the intent to extort, interstate stalking, and the use or carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

I am proud of the deep expertise our prosecutors bring to human trafficking cases. Their exceptional work is a key reason we hold a 100% conviction rate in these prosecutions. With FBI agents embedded in our office, we have strengthened both our commitment to eradicating human trafficking and the successful results we are seeing in court.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

A federal jury in the District of Columbia convicted Devontee Parker, 38, of Dallas, today for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, interstate transportation for purpose of prostitution, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering, announced @USAttyPirro.
https://t.co/cMWZweR8Hs

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

President Trump has prioritized the elimination of fraud, waste, and abuse involving federal agencies and programs.

This new Fraud and Asset Recovery Division will reinforce and consolidate our resources to hold fraudsters accountable and recover taxpayer dollars.

We are sending a clear message: those who cheat the federal government will face decisive, coordinated action.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Today, @USAttyPirro announced the creation of the Fraud and Asset Recovery Division, a specialized unit dedicated to investigating and pursuing fraud cases, with a particular focus on the False Claims Act.

The new division marks a significant expansion of federal civil fraud enforcement capacity in the nation’s capital. Recent years have seen record setting False Claims Act recoveries and qui tam lawsuits.

By creating a new division with AUSAs and support staff devoted to investigating and litigating cases involving all types of fraud against the government, this office will be a premier destination to fight rampant fraud in the epicenter of the federal government.

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

This summer, we took the fight to those driving violence in Washington, D.C.

• 60+ defendants indicted
• 160+ kilograms of illegal drugs seized
• 533 firearms seized from criminals
• 28 known gang members arrested

We’re targeting the drivers of violence, dismantling drug networks, and holding accountable those who endanger our communities.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Today, @USAttyPirro announced significant outcomes from her multi-agency summer crackdowns aimed at reducing violent crime and dismantling narcotics trafficking networks throughout the District.

Over the summer months, federal prosecutors partnered closely with the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, and additional agencies to focus resources on individuals driving violence and drug distribution in D.C. neighborhoods.

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Fleming lied about his company’s operations, lied about how the money would be used, and then lied again to have the loan forgiven, all so he could build himself a new home with pandemic relief funds meant to save struggling small businesses. My office will continue to hold accountable anyone who treated disaster relief programs as a personal piggy bank.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Preston Fleming, 68, of Ducula, Georgia was sentenced today to 6-months of home confinement in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $170,000 in COVID-19 disaster relief loans for a trucking company that had ceased operating years earlier, announced @USAttyPirro.

Fleming was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay the total remaining balance of fraudulently obtained funds.
https://t.co/3XKZwpDXH4

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Padding call lengths, recycling notes, and billing Medicaid for care that never happened isn’t healthcare—it’s organized theft. Vera Nyiawung was trusted to oversee care for vulnerable youth but instead used her position to validate fake records and facilitate a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. My office will relentlessly prosecute those who exploit public healthcare programs for personal gain.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Vera Nyiawung, 34, a registered nurse from Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a $14 million health care fraud scheme that billed D.C. Medicaid for mental health services that were never provided or were grossly inflated, announced @USAttyPirro.
https://t.co/xgOPpfavjK

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Fraud against taxpayer‑funded programs will not be ignored, excused, or allowed to persist in the dark. Mr. Price is going to prison and is ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution. The days when individuals could hide behind complex billing schemes to steal from the American taxpayer are over. My office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who abuse the public’s trust and ensure they are held fully accountable.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Today, @USAttyPirro announced that Steven A. Price, 70, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for conspiring to defraud D.C. Medicaid of $3.4 million.
https://t.co/w9tHyKRiun

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Ms. Matthews deserved safety, dignity, and peace—rights that Michael Garrett repeatedly stole from her. Especially given the fact that a prior judge gave Garrett compassionate release from prison on another assault charge against her, which allowed him the opportunity to come out and kill Sylvia. Nothing will bring back Sylvia, but today’s sentence delivers a measure of justice and ensures the defendant will no longer pose a threat to anyone in our community.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Michael Garrett, 70, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison, in D.C. Superior Court in connection with the December 3, 2021, murder of Sylvia Matthews, announced @USAttyPirro.
https://t.co/hBFFQyWLPP

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Trafficking fentanyl, a lethal poison, is inherently dangerous, but combining bulk narcotics with armed carjacking shows a reckless contempt for public safety. We will not allow violent drug traffickers to treat D.C. as their personal escape route or poison our community with their deadly narcotics. This plea ensures Dajuane Goode will be held accountable for the chaos he created.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Dajuane Goode, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in connection with his possession of fentanyl in the 900 block of Franklin Street in Northeast D.C., announced @USAttyPirro.
https://t.co/sfbp3vsTKj

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Fan Yang abused her corporate position by tipping confidential, market‑moving information about a multi‑billion‑dollar acquisition, fueling an insider trading scheme that gave herself, her husband Jing Tian, and others an unfair advantage over the investing public. Insider trading destroys confidence in our markets. We are committed to safeguarding market integrity and ensuring that individuals who exploit their access for personal gain are held fully accountable.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Fan Yang, also known as "Jocelyn Yang," 35, and her husband, Jing Tian, 36, of Carmel, Indiana, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to charges arising from an insider trading conspiracy, announced @USAttyPirro.
 https://t.co/nEV1mSAk0u

[Congressman Zach Nunn @ZachNunn]

Scammers halfway around the world are coming after Iowans’ life savings.

@USAttyPirro and I are fighting back. ⬇️

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Chinese transnational criminals are orchestrating a massive transfer of generational wealth from Americans to criminal networks overseas.

That’s why I launched the Scam Center Strike Force—to freeze stolen funds, dismantle these international syndicates, and protect American families.

https://t.co/6tpYVtfwXd

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Today’s indictment underscores my office’s unwavering commitment to protecting the public from illegal drug trafficking operations that threaten the safety of our communities. The defendant built a sophisticated online distribution network that delivered illicit substances directly into our neighborhoods, including proximity to Catholic University. This conduct endangers students, families, and the broader community, and it will be met with decisive action.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Perry Young, owner and operator of the website “Forest Floor DC,” was charged in an indictment unsealed today for alleged drug trafficking operations involving illegal narcotics, including DMT, MDMA, marijuana, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, conducted near The Catholic University of America, announced @USAttyPirro.
https://t.co/2uXZWWvsU4

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Knowing full well he was barred from possessing a firearm, Joseph Knight shot one woman seven times and later shot another woman three times after pistol‑whipping her. This defendant posed a grave danger to our community, and he is now headed where he belongs: prison.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Today, @USAttyPirro announced that Joseph Knight, 32, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 120 months in prison in connection with two separate shootings and his unlawful possession of firearms as a convicted felon.
https://t.co/C6lvLca50M

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

Jamarea Grant conspired with his uncle to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. He will now join his uncle behind bars for their attempt to exploit the government for personal gain. Fraud will not be tolerated, especially when those entrusted with government authority use their positions to commit it.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Jamarea Grant, 33, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison in connection with a kickback scheme in which he and his uncle, Kirk Perry, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director, conspired to bill the federal government nearly $400,000 for work that Grant did not actually perform, announced @USAttyPirro along with @AAGMcDonald and @OIGUSDA.
https://t.co/Lw6RBLa4NQ

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Thanks to today’s actions against the Chinese run Xinbi Guarantee network and the restraining of $52 million in a single day, the Scam Center Strike Force counter has officially reached $938 Million in total restrained funds.

We remain relentless in dismantling transnational crime, holding operators accountable, and protecting Americans' hard-earned assets. ⚖️

[U.S. Department of Justice @TheJusticeDept]

.@USAttyPirro for @USAO_DC today on the Scam Center Strike Force Seizures and Expansion announcements:

"My office along with Secret Service and FBI partners are going to continue to fight this surge. We're taking down the networks. It should be no surprise these networks are spreading across the globe...We will not stop until we put an end to this."

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

🚨10AM ET🚨 @USAttyPirro will hold a press conference to announce major Scam Center Strike Force seizures and enforcement.

Tune in live here⬇️
https://t.co/eLfD0HZ4QI

[US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro]

If you build a cybercrime empire, we will find you, dismantle your operation, and hold you accountable. This defendant led an international network that preyed on victims through deception, invaded their privacy, and stole hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Working with our partners at the FBI and IRS-CI, we will continue to hunt down the criminals who weaponize technology to steal from innocent people.

[U.S. Attorney DC @USAO_DC]

Malone Lam, 22, a citizen of Singapore and recent resident of Miami, pleaded guilty today in connection with his role as ringleader of an international cybercrime conspiracy that used social engineering to steal and launder cryptocurrency valued at more than $245 million, announced @USAttyPirro.