Washington, D.C., Police Officer Indicted for Tax Fraud

An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia that charges a Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer with obstructing and impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and evading his federal income taxes for 2009 and 2010, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to the indictment, Jamal A. Adams, also known as Ishmeal Heru-Bey, failed to file federal income tax returns for 2005 through 2012 while he was employed as a MPD officer and earning income.  During this time period, Adams submitted IRS forms falsely claiming to be exempt from federal income tax withholding to the MPD.  In 2010, he filed false documents signed under the penalties of perjury with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia in which he failed to report the tax debts that he owed to the IRS.

If convicted, Adams faces a total statutory maximum sentence of 13 years in prison, plus a fine of up to $250,000 per count of conviction.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan and Erin Pulice of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Marshals Escapee Captured in Washington, D.C.

Alexandria, VA – Escapee Wossen Assaye is back in U.S. Marshals custody. Assaye was captured today in Washington, D.C., following his escape from Inova Fairfax hospital, where he was in custody, while being treated for injuries suffered in an apparent suicide attempt Friday while at the William G. Truesdale Detention Center in Alexandria, Virginia.

At approximately 3:15 a.m. today, Assaye overpowered one of the security guards, taking her firearm before fleeing the hospital barefoot and wearing a hospital gown. He carjacked two vehicles and was on the run for nearly eight hours before his capture by Metropolitan Police. The guard’s firearm has been recovered. An investigation into the incident continues. The Fairfax County Police Department, Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, Alexandria Sheriff’s Office and other local and federal law enforcement agencies were instrumental in the pursuit and capture of Assaye. The community through social media provided the tip that led to Assaye’s capture.

When necessary, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) contracts with private guard services to provide security based on the needs of districts. The private guard service contracted by the USMS to provide security for Wossen Assaye was Allied Protection Service. The USMS entered the contract with this private contract service in January 2014; the contract is effective through September 2018.

For operational security reasons we cannot provide specific details on methods of prisoner transport or security procedures when handling prisoners. We continuously review our policies and procedures to ensure we employ best practices in prisoner handling.

Six Hour Standoff in North Carolina Ends in Arrest by U.S. Marshals and Durham Police Department

Durham, NC – On January 28, 2015, at around 10:00 PM the Durham Police Department responded to a disturbance at the 100 block of Woodcrest in Durham. As officers arrived on the scene, multiple shell casings were visible in the street and driveway of the residence. A male later to be identified as Linwood Fred Clay, a 26 Year old, black male, allegedly entered an occupied residence, physically grabbed one victim and put a pistol to another victim’s head. At that point it is alleged that Clay fired several shots at another occupant standing at the top of the stairwell. Clay then allegedly ran out of the house and jumped into the passenger seat of a vehicle and fled the scene. A multitude of warrants were issued for Clay by the Durham Police Department: Assault With a Deadly Weapon Intent To Kill, Discharge Weapon Into Occupied Property, Second Degree Kidnapping, Break & Enter Into Building-Intent to Terrorize, and Possession of Firearm by Felon.

On March 30, 2015, at 5:42 PM, Clay, was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Joint Fugitive Task Force (JFTF) and the Durham Police Department. Members of the JFTF developed and verified information leading to Clay’s whereabouts. The JFTF attempted to arrest Clay around noon at a residence in the 800 block of Brye Street in Durham. However, upon entry Clay barricaded himself in the attic and refused to come out. JFTF quickly surrounded the residence. Officers determined that Clay was armed and considered homicidal and suicidal. JFTF requested the assistance of the Durham Police Department’s Hostage Negotiators and the Selective Enforcement Team. Clay surrendered shortly thereafter due to the extraordinary efforts of the JFTF and the Durham Police Department. Clay was transported to the Durham Police Department were he is currently being held.

The U.S. Marshals Joint Fugitive Task Force for the Middle District of North Carolina is comprised of investigators from the U.S. Marshals Service, Chapel Hill Police Department, Durham Police Department, Greensboro Police Department, High Point Police Department, Winston-Salem Police Department, Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Department of Community Corrections – Probation & Parole.