U.S. Department
of Justice
U.S. Attorney's Office Honors 200 Officers and Agents For Outstanding Work in Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office tonight honored about 200 law enforcement officers, agents and investigators for their outstanding work on dozens of cases that led to the convictions of murderers, terrorists, sexual predators, drug dealers, and other criminals. The event, at the Cannon House Office Building, drew a large crowd of prosecutors and others from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as leaders of numerous law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips said the Office’s 33rd Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony recognized the exceptional work performed by honorees on a wide variety of investigations, including those involving violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, fraud and public corruption and national security matters. The efforts represent only a small portion of the remarkable work performed by law enforcement on behalf of the community.
“The many men and women being honored tonight exemplify the professionalism, dedication and commitment to public service shown by law enforcement throughout our community each and every day,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Their work has led to the arrest and prosecution of criminals operating here and overseas. This ceremony is a way to express our appreciation to the officers and agents on the front lines of justice.”
The ceremony honored the achievements of people from 20 agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI=s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement partners. Their efforts led to convictions in nearly 50 cases that had an impact locally, nationally, and internationally.
The honorees included a team from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Montgomery County, Md. Police Department that conducted the investigation of Eric Justin Toth, a former private school teacher and camp counselor who ultimately pled guilty to federal child pornography and other charges. Toth left Washington, D.C., in 2008, amid an investigation that began with the discovery of pornographic images on a school camera that had been in his possession. He was apprehended in 2013 in Nicaragua, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A team of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department was honored for the apprehension of a man responsible for a shooting on a busy public street that killed one man and wounded another. Bernard Fleming is now serving a 35-year prison sentence for shooting the victims on July 7, 2012 in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW. Ballistics evidence indicated that Fleming fired at least 11 shots at the group. The gunfire killed Michael Jones, 30.
Another MPD team was recognized for work leading to the arrests of the three men responsible for the Aug. 17, 2012 attack of a man in a robbery near the Eastern Market. One of the defendants, Tommy Branch, struck the victim in the head, causing a splintering fracture to his skull. The men stole the victim’s iPhone, keys, and a credit card, and then fled.
The ceremony also recognized an FBI team that conducted an 18-month-long investigation that led to the dismantling of a major cocaine distribution network in the Washington, D.C. area. The investigation led to large seizures of cocaine, firearms and cash, and the prosecution of 27 people connected to the drug operation. One of the key suppliers, Darnell Antonio Parker, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for his role in the network.
Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office honored agents and officers from several law enforcement agencies who responded on Sept. 16, 2013 to reports of an active shooter at the Washington Navy Yard. The gunman, Aaron Alexis, killed 12 people and wounded four others before he was fatally shot in a confrontation with law enforcement. The honorees included agents and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Naval Support Activity, Washington; the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Park Police.