Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Prosecutions During Lapse in Federal Appropriations

Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced convictions, indictments, plea agreements and sentencings that the District of Maryland secured in connection with several cases the office prosecuted during the recent lapse in federal appropriations.

“During the recent lapse in appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland continued to steadfastly carry out its essential mission,” Hayes said. “Our Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff remained unwavering in pursuing cases that protected public safety, upheld the rule of law, and served the interests of justice.  I am grateful for their professionalism and dedication during this period, and we look forward to continuing to carry out our responsibilities with the same diligence and commitment now that normal operations are restored.”

A summary of several notable cases is below.

October 2025

 David Donnell Fulton, 32, of York, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. During a search of Fulton’s home, law enforcement seized several devices and found Fulton with an image of a 7-year-old victim, as well as multiple images of commercially available child sex abuse material. 

U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, 43, aka “Mike Khatiwala,” of Voorhees, New Jersey, to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, in connection with his role supervising a multi-million-dollar bank fraud conspiracy. This is Khatiwala’s second federal conviction and sentencing for bank fraud charges. 

A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jamari James David Leverett, 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material.  According to the eight-count indictment, Leverett used multiple online profiles on various social media and gaming platforms to meet and extort minors across the U.S.

A federal jury convicted Fode Sitafa Mara, 40, of Takoma Park, Maryland, on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse perpetrated against two minors, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of obstruction. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mara, on multiple occasions, forcibly raped two teenage Burkinabé girls at his Embassy-leased residence in Ouagadougou.

U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Lester Massey, Jr., 42, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, to 30 months in federal prison for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. According to the evidence presented at trial, on August 11, 2023, ATF agents, with the assistance of PGPD officers, executed a court-ordered search-and-seizure warrant at Massey’s residence. During the search, law enforcement located and recovered 243 live rounds of ammunition throughout the apartment.

Lawrence Earl Smith, Jr., 51, of Perry Hall, Maryland, pled guilty to federal wire fraud and tax evasion charges. While serving as a Baltimore City School Police Officer and Dunbar High School football coach, Smith created and executed a scheme to submit fraudulent overtime slips. Smith received overtime payments, totaling more than $200,000, for time that he never worked. He also evaded paying more than $60,000 in federal income taxes for 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Duane Watts, 46, and Donna Jones, 59, both of Baltimore, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme. According to both guilty pleas, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Watts, Jones, and other co-conspirators, engaged in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, in connection with an UI fraud scheme.

November 2025

U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Donzell Lernard Campbell, 44, of Laurel, Maryland, to 110 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On February 27, 2024, Campbell pled guilty to federal possession of a machine gun, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of ammunition charges.

U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Jayre Reaves, 48, of Ellicott City, Maryland, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, in connection with a mail fraud scheme.  Judge Maddox also ordered Reaves to forfeit $615,000 and pay $614,000 in restitution.

U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Jennifer Tinker, 42, of Ellicott City, Maryland, to 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, in connection with Tinker’s embezzlement of more than $1.1 million from two separate employers. Tinker used the funds that she stole from Real Estate Agency 1 to pay for luxury goods and personal expenditures such as vacations, Taylor Swift tickets, and five different vehicles.

Jackson Traylor, 27, of Dania Beach, Florida, pled guilty to one count of utilizing a telecommunications device without disclosing his identity with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass.  According to public filings, between July 9, 2024, and April 10, 2025, Traylor — using a series of different phone numbers — sent more than 10 Antisemitic and harassing messages to a Jewish individual who is originally from Maryland. 

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md  and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.