Twin Brothers Sentenced on Bribery Charges, Following Arrests in Undercover Sting

Approached Two Police Officers in Hopes of Getting Drug Case Dismissed

WASHINGTON—Two Northeast Washington men, Larry Moody and his twin brother, Garry Moody, were sentenced today to prison terms for bribery of a public official, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

The 39-year-old brothers were sentenced this morning by the Honorable Judge Richard W. Roberts in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Larry Moody also was sentenced for possession with intent to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.

Larry Moody was sentenced to 30 months’ incarceration on the bribery charge and an additional 90 months on the narcotics charge, for a total of 10 years in prison. Garry Moody was sentenced to 21 months of incarceration for the bribery charge, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. Both men pled guilty to the charges in October 2010.

According to the government's proffer of evidence at the plea hearing, Larry Moody was arrested Feb. 12, 2009 after he was observed by undercover officers from the Metropolitan Police Department preparing to sell heroin to two men in the 1200 block of I Street SE. He was charged in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia with possession with intent to distribute heroin. Thereafter, Larry Moody conspired with his brother Garry to approach two other MPD officers for the purpose of offering them money in exchange for their assistance in obtaining the dismissal of the narcotics case against Larry Moody in Superior Court.

The two MPD officers who were approached by the Moody brothers contacted the FBI and advised agents of the brothers' bribery scheme. Working in conjunction with the FBI agents, the police officers participated in an undercover sting operation. On March 5, 2009, one of the undercover MPD officers met with Garry Moody at a restaurant in Northwest Washington, during which Garry Moody paid the officer $8,000 in cash for the purpose of obtaining the dismissal of his brother's narcotics case.

In announcing the sentencings, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin and Chief Lanier praised the work of MPD Officers Sherrie Forrester and Michael Jewel, as well as FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officer Scott Brown. They also praised the work of employees in the U.S. Attorney's Office, including former paralegal Mia Beamon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven B. Wasserman and Kenneth Whitted, who indicted and prosecuted the case.