DC man sentenced to 22 years in prison for role in armed robberies of Maryland cell phone stores

BALTIMORE, MD—A Washington, D.C. man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in robbing four cell phone stores across Maryland at gunpoint, officials say. Xavier Jones, 26, was involved in robberies at Verizon and AT&T stores in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Prince George’s County, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. During the robberies, Jones and his accomplices […]

Russian cybercrime group behind $16M Phobos ransomware attacks busted

BALTIMORE, MD—The US Department of Justice announced the unsealing of criminal charges against two Russian nationals, Roman Berezhnoy, 33, and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov, 39, this week. They are accused of operating a cybercrime group that used Phobos ransomware to attack over 1,000 organizations worldwide, earning more than $16 million in ransom payments. Berezhnoy and Glebov are alleged to have been […]

Baltimore man faces federal charges after flying drone over M&T Bank Stadium during NFL Wild Card game

BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore man is facing federal charges after he illegally flew a drone over M&T Bank Stadium last month. A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Alexis Perez Suarez, 43, of Baltimore, on federal felony charges related to flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the Ravens’ National Football League Wild Card Game on January 11, 2025. […]

Man who used AI to impersonate BCPS principal arrested on child pornography charges

BALTIMORE, MD—The man who used artificial intelligence to fake the voice of Pikesville High School’s principal in a racist tirade last year has been arrested on child pornography charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has filed a federal criminal complaint charging Dazhon Darien, 32, of Baltimore, with sexual exploitation of a child and receiving child sexual […]

Former Gilman teacher sentenced to 35 years in prison for child sexual abuse

BALTIMORE, MD—A former Gilman teacher will be spending more than three decades behind bars. This week, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Christopher Kenji Bendann, 40, of Baltimore, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. After a three-day trial, on August 28, 2024, a federal jury found the defendant guilty of five counts of sexual […]

Harford County man convicted of sexual assault on Baltimore cruise ship

BALTIMORE, MD—A Harford County man has been found guilty of sexual assault while aboard a cruise ship. After a two-week trial, a federal jury found Jalen Thomas Kelley, 22, Abingdon, Maryland, guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and assault within the territorial jurisdiction. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced the verdict with Special Agent […]

Two biotech CEOs convicted in fraud scheme involving COVID-19 drug

BALTIMORE, MD—Two CEOs were convicted by a federal jury in Maryland for a scheme to defraud investors about a drug being developed to treat HIV and COVID-19, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Nader Pourhassan, 61, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Kazem Kazempour, 71, of Potomac, Maryland, were found guilty of the scheme involving CytoDyn Inc., a publicly traded […]