Former Rockcastle County Deputy Sheriff Indicted for Using Excessive Force Against Arrestee and for Obstructing Justice

A federal grand jury in London, Kentucky, today returned a two-count indictment charging Brandon McIntosh, a former deputy of the Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office, with violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force against him and then filing a false report to obstruct the investigation of that assault.

The indictment alleges that on Nov. 6, 2016, McIntosh assaulted P.D., an arrestee, using a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury to P.D.  The indictment further alleges that McIntosh filed a report falsely stating that, as McIntosh approached P.D., P.D. became very combative and that McIntosh used the least amount of force to get P.D. under control.

If convicted, McIntosh faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on the civil rights charge and twenty years on the obstruction charge.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Hydee Hawkins of the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

Worcester Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MOHAMED H. ABDI, also known as “Vic,” 26, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 135 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for sex trafficking.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between late December 2016 and January 5, 2017, ABDI and his girlfriend used threats, force and coercion to cause a female victim to engage in prostitution.  ABDI and his girlfriend advertised the victim’s prostitution services on Backpage.com and other websites, rented Connecticut hotel rooms where the victim engaged in prostitution, and transported the victim to engage in sexual acts with customers at the hotels and private residences in Connecticut and elsewhere.  In addition, ABDI provided the victim with heroin, but withheld the drug from the victim until after she provided sexual services to additional customers.  ABDI and his girlfriend also warned the victim not to contact police and made threats against the victim and her child.

ABDI has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on January 5, 2017.  On April 4, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

As a condition of his supervised release, ABDI will be required to register as a sex offender.

This matter was investigated by the Connecticut Human Trafficking Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department and the Worcester Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.

U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Tolland and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office for their cooperation and assistance in the prosecution of this matter.

South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Wire Fraud Charge, Admits Using Forged Deeds to Steal Homes

Defendant Sold Two Homes in the District of Columbia, Using Fake Identifications

            WASHINGTON – Robert McCloud, 39, most recently of Warrenville, S.C., pled guilty today to a federal wire fraud charge stemming from a real estate scheme in which he and others used forged deeds and fake driver’s licenses to fraudulently transfer ownership of District of Columbia homes from the rightful owners.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            McCloud pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, McCloud faces a likely range of 27 to 33 months in prison and a fine of up to $60,000. He also has agreed to pay $200,488 in restitution to two title insurance companies, as well as a forfeiture money judgment of $57,965. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, McCloud and others identified vacant or seemingly abandoned residential properties in the District of Columbia, and then prepared and filed forged deeds with the District of Columbia’s Recorder of Deeds transferring the properties into fictitious names. Next, they agreed to sell these properties to legitimate purchasers and arranged with unsuspecting title and escrow companies to finalize the sale and transfer ownership. Finally, they shared the fraudulently-obtained sales proceeds amongst themselves.

            In his guilty plea, McCloud admitted taking part in two such fraudulent transactions within a two-month period of 2015, which generated a total of $580,482 in proceeds.

            In the first, in April 2015, McCloud filed a forged Intra-Family deed with the District of Columbia’s Recorder of Deeds purporting to show that a home in the unit block of K Street NW was transferred from the true owners to a fictitious person.  The true owners, who owned the home outright without any mortgage liens, did not sign the deed and did not give anyone permission to transfer their home. McCloud then appeared at the title company pretending to be the owner in order to close the transaction, presenting a California driver’s license with his photograph but in the name of the fictitious person, signing the settlement documents and selling the property. The title company sent by wire transfer $195,527 to a bank account opened in the name of the fictitious person. McCloud withdrew approximately $43,000 of the funds before the crime was discovered; the rest of the funds were returned to the title company.

            In the second transaction, in May 2015, a conspirator arranged for a forged deed with respect to another home, in the 6400 block of 16th Street NW, to be filed with the Recorder of Deeds. As with the other property, the true owners, who owned the home outright without any mortgage liens, did not sign the deed and did not give anyone permission to sell the residence. In June 2015, McCloud appeared at the title company pretending to be the owner and using another fake California driver’s license with his photograph.  He again signed the settlement documents in the fictitious name. The title company sent by wire transfer $384,955 to a bank account opened in the name of the fictitious person. McCloud was arrested the following day.

            Although McCloud received $580,482 in proceeds from his wire fraud scheme regarding both real properties, law enforcement seized a total of $369,990, which was later administratively forfeited.  These forfeited funds, and the partial return of funds to the title company from the K Street transaction, reduced the amount owed in forfeiture to $57,965, which is the amount of the forfeiture money judgment.

            The harm caused to the owners, buyers, and title companies was covered by title insurance; the restitution amount of $200,488 is the amount due and owing to the title insurance companies after giving credit to the forfeited funds, which were returned to the victims.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Stephanie Miller, former Paralegal Specialist Christopher Toms, Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys, and Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who is prosecuting the case.