Cockeysville Man Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Pornography

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Leo Aragon Evans, age 56, of Cockeysville, Maryland, today to 292 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for producing and possessing child pornography. Judge Hollander also ordered that upon his release from prison, Evans must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to Evans’ plea agreement, on January 10, 2011, a 9-year-old female reported to Baltimore County Police that Evans had repeatedly sexually abused her over the past year. These acts occurred while the victim and another 10-year-old girl were under Evans’ care, sometimes at his home.

The next day, Baltimore County Police searched Evans’ residence and seized a video camcorder and two tapes. Review of the tapes revealed that both depicted images of the 9- and 10-year-old girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In the first video, Evans is heard directing one of the victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he videotapes the abuse. In the second video, Evans filmed the girls in the bathtub, telling them to stand up so he can film their naked bodies.

Further investigation revealed that Evans had been the subject of three prior investigations involving the sexual abuse of three other minor girls.

On January 19, 2011, a woman reported to the Baltimore County Police that she had used the key she had to Evans’ apartment to retrieve her personal belongings and had discovered two “massagers,” or sexual devices, that matched the description provided to police by one of the minor victims. On April 16 and 17, 2011, a family member entered Evans’ apartment, with his permission, to search for family photos and other items of sentimental value, while Evans was detained at the Baltimore County Detention Center. The family member found a baggie containing photos of three of the prepubescent girls, including photos of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The photographs of one of the victims matched the description of the photographs that she reported to police in 2003, which had been taken of her seven years earlier.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, HSI, Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the case.

Member of Two Heroin Organizations That Operated in the Baltimore Area Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Kenya Salik Montgomery, age 40, of Baltimore, to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. Montgomery previously pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin from two separate indictments.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Maryland-Delaware Division; Assistant Director in Charge James W. McJunkin of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Washington Field Office; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld, III; Major Michael Kundrat, Senior Commander of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; Michael A. Pristoop, Chief of the Annapolis Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief James Teare, Sr.; Colonel Marcus Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Special Agent in Charge Ava Cooper-Davis of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to her guilty plea, as part of a long term investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into a heroin drug trafficking organization, calls intercepted over Christian Gettis’ phone revealed that the Gettis distributed significant quantities of heroin to others in Baltimore metropolitan area. Kenya Salik Montgomery purchased heroin from Gettis and resold the heroin to her own customers. The drug trafficking organization also used a location that was less than 1,000 feet from a charter school in Baltimore City to process and distribute heroin. The investigation revealed that the conspirators distributed heroin in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, and a housing project in Annapolis.

According to Montgomery’s plea agreement, on May 11, 2010, Gettis received a call from Montgomery and arranged for Montgomery to pick up heroin from him at a clothing store on North Avenue in Baltimore where Gettis worked. Approximately 30 minutes later, FBI agents saw Montgomery drive into the parking lot and enter the store, leave the store a short time later, and drive away. Officers performed a traffic stop of Montgomery’s vehicle a short time later and recovered a small amount of heroin from Montgomery. On June 22, 2010, Gettis received text messages from Montgomery complaining that she was receiving negative feedback from her customers regarding the quality and consistency of heroin she had purchased from Gettis.

In the second case, Montgomery was also overheard discussing drug transactions with a co-conspirator as part of a separate FBI investigation. For example, according to Montgomery’s plea agreement, on February 18, 2011, the co-conspirator called Montgomery and arranged for Montgomery to sell heroin to another individual, to whom the co-conspirator is overheard speaking in the background. On March 1, 2011, Montgomery called the co-conspirator and told him that her customers were satisfied with the quality of heroin she had sold to them, which she had obtained from the co-conspirator.

In each conspiracy, Montgomery admitted that she conspired with others to distribute between one and three kilograms of heroin.

To date, 27 defendants have pleaded guilty to their participation in the Gettis drug trafficking conspiracy. Judge Motz previously sentenced Christian Devlon Gettis a/k/a “Cutty Rock,” “C,” and “Chris,” age 39, of Baltimore, the leader of a heroin distribution organization, to 16 years in prison and sentenced co-defendant and heroin supplier Charles C. Guy, a/k/a “Captain,” “Beloved,” “B,” “Billy,” “Billy Guy,” “Gary Peterson,” and “Damon Lamont Hackett,” age 43, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, to 17 years in prison, after both pleaded guilty.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and FBI agents in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington, D.C.; the Baltimore Police Department; MdTA Police; the Annapolis Police Department; the Anne Arundel County Police Department; the Maryland State Police; FBI agents in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; the DEA; and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the searches and the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Ayn B. Ducao and Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted both of these Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force cases.

Cockeysville Man Pleads Guilty to Producing and Possessing Child Pornography

BALTIMORE—Leo Aragon Evans, age 56, of Cockeysville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to producing and possessing child pornography.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to Evans’ plea agreement, on January 10, 2011, a nine-year-old female reported to Baltimore County Police that Evans had repeatedly sexually abused her over the past year. These acts occurred while the victim and a 10-year-old girl were under Evans’ care, sometimes at his home.

The next day, Baltimore County Police searched Evans’ residence and seized a video camcorder and two tapes. Review of the tapes revealed that both depicted images of the nine- and 10-year-old girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In the first video, Evans is heard directing one of the victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he videotapes the abuse. In the second video, Evans filmed the girls in the bathtub, telling them to stand up so he can film their naked bodies.

Further investigation revealed that Evans had been the subject of three prior investigations involving the sexual abuse of three other minor girls.

On January 19, 2011, a woman reported to the Baltimore County Police that she had used the key she had to Evans’ apartment to retrieve her personal belongings and had discovered two “massagers,” or sexual devices that matched the description provided to police by one of the minor victims. On April 16 and 17, 2011, a family member entered Evans’ apartment, with his permission, to search for family photos and other items of sentimental value, while Evans was detained at the Baltimore County Detention Center. The family member found a baggie containing photos of three of the prepubescent girls, including photos of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The photographs of one of the victims matched the description of the photographs that she reported to police in 2003, which had been taken of her seven years earlier.

As part of his plea agreement, Evans must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Evans faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography, and a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Ellen B. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. Evans remains detained.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, HSI, Baltimore County Police Department and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who is prosecuting the case.

Convicted Felon Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives

Investigation in Baltimore County Child Abuse Case Led to Discovery of Guns and Explosives

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Timothy Ray Berry, age 38, of Owings Mills, Maryland, today to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and for possession of explosives by a felon.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge Debbie D. Bullock of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives-Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to Berry’s plea agreement, on February 13, 2011, Berry assaulted a minor by shooting him in the leg with a BB-gun. On February 24, 2011, Baltimore County Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit executed a search warrant at Berry’s apartment as part of the investigation into the assault. Police recovered the BB-gun used in the assault, as well as a loaded 9mm handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, three boxes of ammunition, handcuffs, brass knuckles, other BB-guns, airsoft pistols, and a stun gun. Police also observed several improvised explosive devices, including C-4 explosive material; and a clear plastic container with gray powder and a M-800 pyrotechnic device inside, secured with a white lid with a burnt hole in the center.

A second search warrant was then obtained for the apartment by the Baltimore County Police Hazardous Devices Team for evidence relating to the manufacture of illegal improvised explosives. Police recovered items commonly used in the production of illegal improvised explosives, including, among other things: containers of potassium nitrate and potassium chlorate, smokeless shotgun powder, model rocket igniters and motors, pool chemicals, various fuse materials, PVC and metal pipe of varying lengths, and pipe fittings. Also recovered were numerous books related to firearms and the manufacture of illegal improvised explosives. Berry had underlined and starred book titles including, “Clear Your Record & Own a Gun” and “How to Lose Your X-Wife Forever.” Berry’s computer was also seized and a subsequent forensic analysis revealed that less than a month before, Berry had searched online for how to make homemade C-4 and how to fabricate tags for Maryland license plates.

On March 1, 2011, following Berry’s arrest and detention on state charges related to child abuse, reckless endangerment, and gun possession, and with knowledge of the imminent federal investigation, Berry called another individual from jail and instructed that person to “burn” the “other books” and to get rid of “anything that looks like it could be suspect.”

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Baltimore County Police Department, and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Rachel M. Yasser, who prosecuted the case.

Joppa Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg sentenced Larry W. Warner, Jr., age 33, of Joppa, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by supervised release for life, for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Judge Legg also ordered that upon his release from prison Warner must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to his plea agreement, in September and November, 2010, Warner posted advertisements in an online website seeking girls’ underwear for Warner to use in an act which Warner described in a sexually explicit manner. A Baltimore County detective responded to the ads, in one instance representing that he was the father of a minor girl, and in the second instance representing that he was a prepubescent minor girl. In each case, Warner engaged in graphic sexual conversations and sent sexually explicit electronic photos of children or himself to the undercover detective.

On November 3, 2010, Warner agreed to travel to a Baltimore County hotel to have sexual contact with what he thought was the minor daughter of the undercover detective, but Warner later cancelled the meeting, stating that his father was in the hospital.

In October and November of 2010, Warner posted additional online ads wherein he offered free babysitting services for young children while also describing his own build, genitalia and sexual tendencies.

After several sexually explicit online conversations with the undercover detective, on November 30, 2010, Warner arranged to meet the supposed minor girl and her younger sister in Essex, Maryland, in order to engage in sexual activity. On December 1, 2010, Warner drove to the meeting place and was arrested by Baltimore County Police officers.

On December 2, 2010, Baltimore County Police officers executed a search warrant at Warner’s home and recovered a personal computer containing numerous images of child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at www.justice.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, ICE-HIS; the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Crooks, who prosecuted the case.

Robber Exiled to Over 10 Years in Prison

Robbed a Grocery/Deli and Robbed the Same Towson Liquor Store Twice

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Edward Sample, age 27, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 123 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for three armed robberies.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to Sample’s plea agreement, on October 20, 2009, Sample robbed a liquor store in Towson, while he possessed a loaded revolver. According to the plea, after pretending to be interested in purchasing a can of malt liquor, Sample demanded that the clerk hand over the money from the store’s register. After emptying the store’s two registers, the clerk gave Sample the money and laid down on the floor behind the counter. Sample then left with the money. On January 5, 2010, Sample robbed a grocery/deli in Baltimore with two co-conspirators, one of whom possessed a Walther .32 caliber pistol. On January 19, 2010, Sample and co-conspirator Aaron Davis robbed a liquor store in Towson. During the robbery, Davis grabbed the store clerk, placed a the same Walther .32 caliber pistol used in the previous robbery, to the clerk’s head and demanded money. Davis threatened to kill the clerk if he did not give Davis the money in the store register. The clerk emptied the register, gave the money to Davis, then laid down on the floor behind the counter. A second clerk entered the store while the robbery was in progress. Sample began shouting at the second clerk to get in the back of the store and lie down on the ground. The second clerk emptied another cash register, gave the money to Sample and laid down on the floor. Davis and Sample left the store with the money.

During the robberies of the liquor store, Sample was seen on the store’s security camera wearing a distinctive maroon sweatshirt and his fingerprint was found on the can of malt liquor he left on the counter after the first robbery. During the robbery of the grocery/deli, Sample was seen on the store’s security camera wearing a blue and white striped polo shirt and green jacket. At the time of his arrest, Sample was wearing the same maroon sweatshirt he wore in the liquor store robberies, and a search of his home recovered the blue and white polo shirt, green jacket and the Walther .32 caliber pistol used in the last two robberies.

Aaron Davis, age 26, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to the second robbery of the liquor store where Davis pointed a gun at and threatened to kill a store clerk. Davis was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in this investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin M. Block, who prosecuted the case.

Final Defendant in Pawn Shop Case Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Sell $20 Million Worth of Stolen Merchandise

BALTIMORE—William Cooper Jr., age 38, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen goods. With today’s plea, all 16 defendants have been convicted of their roles in the scheme.

On December 9, 2011, a federal jury convicted co-defendant Jared Baroloto, age 38, of Monkton, Maryland, of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines, a money laundering conspiracy and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.

Today’s guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel S. Cortez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Washington Division; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeannine A. Hammett of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

According to his plea agreement, from 2007 to March 2010, Cooper admitted that he and others were involved in the purchase and sale of mass quantities of stolen over-the-counter medications, health and beauty aid products, gift cards, DVDs, tools and other merchandise. Pawn shops purchased large amounts of stolen items from shoplifters, also known as “boosters.” The boosters would steal products from Target, Safeway, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s and other retailers in Maryland and other states. Investigators observed boosters bringing in large bags full of stolen material. The stolen items often had retail security labels and merchandise tags still on the products.

According to testimony at his three week trial, co-defendant Jared Baraloto would obtain stolen material from pawn shops, including shops owned by other co-conspirators. Baraloto often had his workers bring the stolen material from the pawn shops to TS Liquidators, where the items would be cleaned and prepared for shipment in interstate commerce. Co-conspirator Jerome Stal paid Baraloto approximately $1.8 million for his stolen materials. Baraloto and Stal later opened Blue Diamond Jewelry and Loan, a pawn shop located at 3438 Annapolis Road in Halethorpe, Maryland, where they also purchased some of the stolen goods, deliberately ignoring obvious evidence that the items were stolen.

Cooper was employed by defendants Jared Ezra and Spencer Garonzik, among others, and received some of the stolen products at We Buy Pawn Shop, Shine Corner Pawn Shop and other locations. Cooper coordinated with several “boosters” the purchase and drop-off of the stolen items at the pawn shops for which he worked. Cooper also purchased presumably stolen material at We Buy from an undercover agent. Cooper knew that many of the indicted defendants participated in the scheme. Some of the defendants also had on-line auction sites, such as eBay and Amazon.com, where they would sell the stolen products far below normal retail value. Cooper was one of the defendants who maintained such an eBay account. The stolen products were then delivered to unsuspecting customers by mail. Cooper and other defendants received payment using PayPal accounts and through financial institutions in Maryland.

On March 25, 2010, agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Baltimore County Police Department and the FBI executed search warrants at We Buy, Shine Corner, TS Liquidators and the pawn shops in this case. Agents recovered in total well over $1 million in stolen merchandise, approximately $1 million in bank accounts and over $140,000 in cash from these shops.

Although the entire conspiracy involved approximately $20 million in stolen merchandise, at least $400,000 but less than $1 million in stolen products was reasonably foreseeable to Cooper.

Cooper faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 13, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg. No date has been set for Baroloto’s sentencing.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Baltimore County Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore Police Department; and Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation for their work in this investigation and commended Assistant United States Attorneys Sujit Raman, Barbara S. Sale and Sean O’Connell, who are prosecuting the case.

Baltimore Bank Robber Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Troy Antoine Boatwright, age 37, of Baltimore, today to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for committing a bank robbery using a dangerous weapon.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to his guilty plea, on June 8, 2009 Boatwright entered the Wachovia Bank located at 582 Frederick Avenue in Catonsville, Maryland and demanded money from a teller. Boatwright took $3,246 from the teller and left. On March 11, 2010, Boatwright entered the 1st Mariner Bank located at 7007 Security Blvd. in Woodlawn, Maryland. As he ordered a teller to give him money, he lifted up his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a large black automatic handgun. Boatwright took $3,500 from the teller and fled. Later investigation revealed that the gun was in fact a nail gun taped to look like an automatic handgun. Digital surveillance later confirmed the identity of Boatwright as the robber at both banks, and his fingerprints were also recovered at the scene of the second robbery.

Approximately three hours after the March 11, 2010 robbery, members of the Regional Auto Theft Task Force attempted to stop two men, later identified as Boatwright and a relative, who were driving a car. The car had been reported carjacked from an elderly woman at a parking lot by two men generally fitting the description of Boatwright and his relative. After a brief chase, Boatwright and the other man were arrested. Agents searched the car and seized a nail gun and a plastic bag used in the second robbery.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Regional Auto Theft Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Miller Yasser, who prosecuted the case.

Baltimore Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Using the Internet to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct

BALTIMORE, MD—U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Jamie Paul Lybrand, age 25, of Baltimore, today to 10 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for using the Internet to entice a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Judge Quarles also ordered that upon his release from prison, Lybrand must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Homeland Security Investigations; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to Lybrand’s plea agreement, on February 25 and March 4, 2010, an undercover Baltimore County Police detective responded to two separate sex-related ads on a website titled “Seeking Daddy/Son Combo...” and “Seeking Real Daddy/Son Combo.” Lybrand admitted that he placed both ads and that he called and exchanged e-mails with what he thought was the father of a 12-year-old boy. In the e-mails, Lybrand discussed meeting with the father and son in order for Lybrand to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the “son.” In addition, Lybrand sent images of child pornography depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adult male(s) to the undercover detective.

On March 16, 2010, Lybrand arranged a meeting at a hotel in Baltimore County with what he thought was the father of a 12-year-old boy. Lybrand went to the meeting place. The detective, still in an undercover capacity, informed Lybrand that the 12-year-old child was in the bathroom. Lybrand removed his clothing and lay in the bed in the hotel room. A few minutes later, members of the Baltimore County Police Department entered the room and arrested Lybrand.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Details about Maryland’s program are available at www.justice.gov/usao/md/Safe-Childhood/index.html.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the Baltimore County Police Department, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley and Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case.