During the month of May, detectives received complaints from citizens and information from fellow officers about possible prostitution activity in the 400 block of North Summit Avenue.  During the course of the investigation several males responding to the solicitation of females were identified.  Based on the information a search and seizure warrant was obtained.

As a result of the warrant several items such as condoms, advertising calling cards and over $3,000 in U.S. currency plus a quantity of cocaine was recovered.

The women who prostituted themselves would come from surrounding states for an undisclosed amount of time and then return back home when they were done.

Hernandez, Lira-Gomez, and Puertas are currently being held at the Montgomery County Detention Center without bond. 

      Preliminary investigation revealed that vehicle 1, was stopped/parked in lane #4 E/B I 695 @ Rt. 2. The driver of vehicle 2, Steven Patrick Celey, 31, attempted evasive maneuvers however was unsuccessful and struck vehicle 1.  The impact forced the Saturn off the roadway. The driver of vehicle 1 received fatal injuries as a result of the collision and was pronounced deceased on the scene.  Mr. Celey was transported to Baltimore Washington Medical Center and administered a test for blood.  The MSP Crash Team and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded to the scene. The Anne Arundel County States Attorney’s Office was contacted. Notification of the next of kin is pending, which is why the identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time.

The investigation and the roadway clean-up resulted in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 695 being closed for approximately five hours with the assistance of State Highway Administration.

On December 31, 2011, a hiker lost in Gambrill State Park was located and rescued by helicopters from the Maryland State Police Aviation Command and the United States Park Police, with support from the Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue Team. A State Police helicopter crew located the hiker with information provided by Frederick County Emergency Communications and with the aid of night vision equipment. Of note, the State Police helicopter crew located the hiker after “seeing” the faint glow from the hiker’s cellular phone using the night vision equipment. Due to difficulty directing the hiker to safety, members of the ATR team were lowered to the victim, using the rescue hoist on the State Police aircraft, with the assistance of high intensity lighting from the U.S. Park Police helicopter. The Frederick County ATR members then used GPS to escort the hiker out of the park to safety. The hiker was located uninjured and did not require medical attention.

John T.C. Yeh, the owner of Viable, a Rockville, Md., company, and his brother, Joseph Yeh, the former vice president for corporate strategy, were also ordered to pay $20 million in restitution to the FCC. Viable pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and was ordered to forfeit $20 million and pay $20 million in restitution to the FCC.

John Yeh, 64, Joseph Yeh, 66, and Viable were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton, N.J. Both executives were indicted on Nov. 19, 2009, along with Viable and other employees of Viable, and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud in October 2010. In connection with their sentencings, both men admitted to defrauding at least $20 million from the FCC’s Video Relay Service (VRS), a program designed to pay for services for the hearing disabled.

John Yeh and Joseph Yeh admitted that beginning in approximately fall 2007, they conspired with others to pay individuals to make fraudulent VRS phone calls using Viable’s VRS service. According to court documents, both men paid employees of Viable, who then paid others to make the fraudulent phone calls. Viable then submitted the fraudulent call minutes to the FCC and was paid approximately $390 per hour for all VRS calls that Viable processed.

VRS is an online video translation service that allows people with hearing disabilities to communicate with hearing individuals through the use of interpreters and Web cameras. A person with a hearing disability who wants to communicate with a hearing person can do so by contacting a VRS provider through an audio and video Internet connection. The VRS provider, in turn, employs a video interpreter to view and interpret the hearing disabled person’s signed conversation and relay the signed conversation orally to a hearing person. VRS is funded by fees assessed by telecommunications providers to telephone customers, and is provided at no cost to the VRS user.

MTPD detectives have linked McIntosh to at least four robberies within the Suitland station parking garage in recent months. In each case, customers were approached by a man who displayed a gun and demanded property. No one was injured in any of the incidents.

McIntosh was arrested October 16 aboard a Green Line train following a non-Metro-related armed robbery at a business near U Street Station. McIntosh matched a suspect description provided by Metropolitan Police and was subsequently arrested at Waterfront Station. Once in custody, MTPD officers recognized that McIntosh matched the description of the suspect wanted in the series of robberies at Suitland. Several victims of the Suitland garage incidents were able to positively identify McIntosh.

Additional charges are pending.

Metro Transit Police routinely work with local police agencies to enhance the security of riders. Local police departments provide supplemental patrols of parking lots, stations and bus bays throughout Metro’s service area. In Prince George’s County, MTPD and PGPD conduct high-visibility patrols in all Metrorail stations in the county.

Crime on Metro, including crimes committed in Metro parking facilities has decreased in the first six months of 2011 compared with 2010, with robberies falling from 540 to 449 in the January to June period.

The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

According to their plea agreements, Diggs and Valentine agreed with Moreno and Mejia that while acting in their capacity as Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers at accident scenes, Diggs and Valentine would contact Moreno and Majestic for towing and repair services for vehicles even though Majestic was not an authorized tow company for the City of Baltimore. In exchange, Mejia or Moreno would pay Diggs and Valentine up to $300 for each vehicle that arrived at Majestic. Diggs and Valentine referred vehicles on a regular basis to Majestic in exchange for payment, usually by contacting Moreno via cellular telephone.

Specifically, while on the scene of an accident, Diggs and Valentine would contact Moreno and provide him with the details of the accident, including the type and extent of damage to the car or cars, insurance information and contact information for the car’s owner. It was agreed that the defendants, while performing their official duties as a police officer, would persuade accident victims to allow their cars to be towed or otherwise delivered to Majestic by telling the victims that Majestic could tow the car, provide repair services, help with the insurance claim, assist in getting a rental car, and waive the owner’s deductible. The defendants advised accident victims that they should not call their insurance company until after they spoke to Moreno.

Valentine also recruited multiple other BPD officers to participate in the conspiracy and extortion scheme. From January to September 2010, Moreno or Mejia paid Valentine by check a total of $14,400 for vehicles that he had referred to Majestic. In September 2010, Moreno and Mejia paid Valentine in cash rather than by checks.

In February 2010, Diggs and Moreno agreed that Moreno would inflict damage upon Digg’s personal vehicle, so that Diggs could make a claim with his insurance company. Diggs’ car had been scratched with a key, and Diggs allowed Moreno to scratch both sides of the car. Diggs filed an insurance claim for the scratched area and his insurance company paid Majestic $2,809 to fix the scratches.

Diggs understood and agreed that Moreno and Mejia would create additional damage to other vehicles in order to increase the vehicle insurance claims, thereby increasing the net profit for Majestic as well as covering both the cash bribe payment to Diggs and the payment of the vehicle owner’s deductible. Diggs falsified police reports indicating that some vehicles had more damage than they actually had so that Moreno could add more damage to the vehicle once it got to Majestic.

Between March 2010 and February 2011, Moreno and Mejia paid Diggs first by check and then in cash a total of $5,050 for vehicles that he had referred to Majestic. Those payments, plus the cost of the additional damages that Moreno and others inflicted upon various accident vehicles in the form of insurance claims paid by the various insurance companies, caused a total loss of between $120,000 and $200,000. The exact amount of loss will be determined at sentencing.

Both defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy, and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,0000 or twice the amount of the gross gain or loss derived from or caused by the offense, for extortion under color of official right. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for both Diggs and Valentine on March 12, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., respectively.

Moreno and Mejia pleaded guilty to the extortion conspiracy and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison at their sentencing on November 18, 2011 at 10:30 and 9:15 a.m., respectively. A total of nine police officers have pleaded guilty to the extortion conspiracy to date.

via FBI

Neil MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Daniel Murray, Arlington County Deputy Chief of Police, made the announcement after the sentencing by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

“Mr. Kweme trolled social networking sites and then lured and groomed a juvenile girl into his prostitution business,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Sex trafficking—especially of minors—is a heinous crime and has long-term psychological consequences for the victims. My office and the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force are committed to catching sex traffickers before they can enslave more victims and bringing these predators to justice.”

“Recruiting, exploiting, and transporting juveniles for the purpose of underage prostitution is among the lowest forms of human conduct,” said FBI ADIC McJunkin. “It’s a sad reality that people prey on our children. As a community, we must be aware of our children’s interactions and report sexual abuse so that we can bring criminals to justice.”

“This is another example of a successful collaboration between local and federal law enforcement,” said Deputy Chief Murray. “Our primary goal is protecting our communities, and that is achieved more rapidly when area agencies work together.”

According to evidence presented in court, Kweme used the Internet to advertise women as prostitutes for his business. In February 2011, Kweme recruited a 16-year-old female to work as a prostitute after meeting her on an online social network targeted at teens, where he falsely claimed to be in his mid-20s. On Valentine’s Day, Kweme and the teenage victim began an intimate relationship and Kweme took sexually suggestive photographs of her, which he later used to advertise her as a prostitute on the Internet. From March to May 2011, Kweme prostituted the victim in northern Virginia and Maryland. When clients paid the teenage girl for sexual acts she performed, she turned over the money to Kweme, who would give her a percentage of the fee charged to the client.

Kweme was arrested by the Arlington County Police Department on June 1, 2011, and pled guilty on July 29, 2011. After serving his prison sentence, Kweme will serve a term of five years on supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by the Arlington County Police Department and the FBI’s Northern Virginia Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Morris Parker and Mary Daly are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies—along with nongovernmental organizations—dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes.

The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Elton Malone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations, Special Investigations Branch.

According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, Cheng Yi Liang, 57, of Gaithersburg, Md., has been employed as a chemist since 1996 at the FDA’s Office of New Drug Quality Assessment (NDQA). Through his work at NDQA, Liang had access to the FDA’s password-protected internal tracking system for new drug applications, known as the Document Archiving, Reporting and Regulatory Tracking System (DARRTS), which is used to manage, track, receive and report on new drug applications. Liang reviewed DARRTS for information relating to the progression of experimental drugs through the FDA approval process. Much of the information accessible on the DARRTS system constituted material, non-public information regarding pharmaceutical companies that had submitted their experimental drugs to the FDA for review.

“Mr. Liang used inside information about pharmaceutical companies—information he had access to solely because of his position at the FDA—to pocket millions in illicit profits,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “In a shocking abuse of trust, Mr. Liang exploited his position as a chemist in the FDA’s Office of New Drug Quality Assessment to cash in, using the accounts of relatives and acquaintances to hide his illegal trading. Now, like many others on Wall Street and elsewhere, he is facing the significant consequences of trading stocks on inside information.”

“Those who use privileged and valuable information for personal gain, break the trust placed in them as a government employee and the integrity of the research they conduct on behalf of the U.S. government,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “This case is the result of long hours and hard work by the FBI and HHS-OIG special agents who are tasked with enforcing laws and regulations designed to ensure the fair operation of our financial markets.”

“Profiting based on sensitive, insider information is not only illegal, but taints the image of thousands of hard-working government employees,” said Special Agent in Charge Malone of the HHS-OIG Special Investigations Branch. “We will continue to insist that federal government employee conduct be held to the highest of standards.”

Liang admitted that from approximately July 2006 through March 2011, he used the inside information he learned from DARRTS and other sources to trade in the securities of pharmaceutical companies. Liang used accounts of relatives, including his son, and acquaintances to execute the trades (referred to as the controlled accounts). When the inside information was positive about a company’s product, Liang used the controlled accounts to purchase securities. When the inside information was negative, Liang would make trades in anticipation of the stocks’ downward movement. Liang admitted that he used these controlled accounts to execute trades to profit from the change in the company’s share price after the FDA’s action was made public, resulting in total profits and losses avoided of more than $3.7 million.

For example, on May 21, 2010, the FDA accepted Clinical Data Inc.’s application for Viibryd, an anti-depressant. According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2011, HHS-OIG installed software on Liang’s work computer, allowing it to collect screen shots from that computer, which revealed Liang regularly accessed the DARRTS system and reviewed information regarding Clinical Data’s drug Viibryd. Between Jan. 6, 2011, and Jan. 20, 2011, Liang purchased a total of 46,875 shares of Clinical Data stock using the controlled accounts. After the markets closed on Friday, Jan. 21, 2011, news of the FDA’s approval of Viibryd was reported. Clinical Data’s stock, which had closed that day at approximately $15.03 per share opened the following Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, at approximately $24.76 per share. Liang then sold all 46,875 shares of Clinical Data stock in the controlled accounts, netting a total profit of approximately $384,300.

During the time he was employed by the FDA, Mr. Liang was required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure form disclosing, among other things, investment assets with a value greater than $1,000 and sources of income greater than $200. During the time period of his insider trading scheme, Liang annually filed these forms and failed to disclose using the controlled accounts or his income from the illicit securities trading.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. The maximum penalty for the securities fraud count is 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million, or twice the gross gain from the offense. The maximum penalty for the false statement count is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

As part of his plea agreement, Liang has agreed to forfeit $3,776,152, including a home and condominium in Montgomery County, Md., along with funds held in 10 bank or investment accounts.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently pursuing civil charges against Liang and several accounts he controlled. That action is still pending.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kevin Muhlendorf and Thomas Hall of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Salem for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Attorney Pamela J. Hicks of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the HHS-OIG.

This case is an example of the close coordination between the Department of Justice and the SEC. The department recognizes the substantial assistance of the SEC, specifically the Market Abuse Unit of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, which conducted its own investigation and referred the conduct to the department.

Once completed, the new Bike & Ride—essentially a 2,400-square-foot room with steel mesh walls—will provide a bright, access-controlled area for locking bikes up to 120 bikes. If successful, the facility’s capacity can be expanded in a future phase.

Currently, about one-third of customers who park at College Park Station travel short distances (less than three miles) by car. Only about one percent travel to the station by bike, a percentage Metro hopes to increase once the new facility is completed.

“We want to do everything we can to encourage bike access to the Metro system,” said Nat Bottingheimer, Metro’s Assistant General Manager of Planning. “By providing customers with enhanced security and convenience, our hope is that more College Park customers will consider bike access.”

“The cycling community is extremely pleased to see Metro taking its planning efforts to improve bicycle access to the next stage by starting work on a new type of bike parking solution,” said Shane Farthing, Executive Director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. “We look forward to seeing this facility open and well-used in the near future, and we hope that the lessons learned in College Park can be used to provide better, safer bicycle parking options throughout the system.”

Constructed using see-through steel mesh walls, the facility will feature bright lighting, multiple cameras and card-controlled access. Customers who sign up for bike parking will receive an access card or fob that allows them to enter. Customers using the new Bike & Ride will be charged a nominal fee (about 3-5 cents per hour). Free racks will continue to be available at the station.

The facility is being constructed within the existing College Park parking garage, using a space on the southeast corner of the building that was originally programmed for retail use.

Bike & Ride Features

24-hour card controlled access
Capacity for up to 120 bikes
Docking space for oversized bikes
Enclosed space provides protection from weather
Security features, including steel mesh walls, cameras, lighting
Emergency egress door and intercom
Construction is expected to be completed by early 2012.

For more information, check out PlanItMetro.

The recovered body has not been positively identified, but is tentatively believed to be Mary L. Lagerquist, 78, of Sequim, Washington. She was deceased when her body was located at about 9:00 a.m. today in the water off the southern point of Smith Island.

The male victim is identified as Lanson, C. Ross, III, 48, of the 400-block of Broad Creek Drive, Ft. Washington, MD. Ross, the pilot of the plane and son of the female victim, was treated and released overnight at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Ross told State Police investigators overnight that he was piloting his single-engine aircraft when it lost power and he crashed into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay while attempting to reach Smith Island. He said both he and his mother were able to exit the plane after it crashed and before it sank. He was attempting to swim to Smith Island with his mother when he said she passed away. Ross said he continued swimming and was able to reach Smith Island about 8:00 p.m. yesterday.

At about 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police helicopter Trooper 4, from Salisbury, was dispatched for an aerial search of the Chesapeake Bay off Somerset County. Officials at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station called the State Police Aviation Command dispatch center and said they had been talking with a pilot who reported trouble with his aircraft and said he was trying to make it to Smith Island. His small plane had disappeared from radar about three miles off the southwest side of Smith Island, according to Pax River officials

The US Coast Guard joined the State Police search by dispatching an aircraft and vessel into the area. Officers from the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to assist in the search with two of their boats. A second Maryland State Police helicopter, Trooper 7 from St. Mary’s County, also joined in the search.

The preliminary State Police investigation indicates Ross flew his mother in his two-seater plane from Hyde Field in Clinton, Md., yesterday to Tangier Island. After visiting the island, they were beginning their trip back to Hyde Field when the pilot began experiencing problems with the plane. He radioed the Patuxent River Naval Air Station and informed them he would try to reach Smith Island. He told State Police he was forced to land the plane in the water and that it sank rapidly.

Ross said his mother was injured in the crash, but after exiting the aircraft she was swimming with him as he attempted to help her swim in the direction of Smith Island. Ross said after about a mile of swimming in rough water with waves three to five feet high, his mother passed away. Ross continued on and was able to reach the island.

State Police have notified officials with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Those agencies will be responsible for investigating the cause of the crash. The plane has not been located or recovered at this time.

The victim is identified as Saleem N. Abdullah, 53.  He was an inmate at the Western Correctional Institution in Cresaptown.  A preliminary ruling today from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner indicates the victim’s manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was asphyxiation.  Additional forensic tests are being conducted.

A suspect in the murder is being held, but is not being identified at this time because he has not been charged.  The suspect is an inmate at the same prison.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators responded to the Western Correctional Institution last night after notification from Division of Correction officials that an inmate had been found dead in the prison.  State Police homicide investigators are being assisted by investigators from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigative Unit.

The preliminary investigation indicates that just before 8:30 p.m. yesterday, a correctional officer was delivering mail to cells in Housing Unit 4, which is a segregation unit at the prison.  The officer approached the victim’s cell and called for him to respond to the door to collect mail.  The victim did not respond, but instead, his cellmate came to the door.

The officer called for assistance and officers entered the cell to check the welfare of the victim.  The victim was found lying on his bunk and was unresponsive. Officers and a nurse began immediate CPR and initiated a rescue response.  The victim was transported by a Cresaptown ambulance to the Cumberland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Maryland State Police crime scene technicians processed the victim’s cell.  Investigators interviewed inmates and staff throughout last night and today.

Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be presented to the Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office for review and the determination of criminal charges.  No charges have been filed at this time.  The investigation is continuing.

Questions regarding inmate sentences or related information should be directed to the Maryland Division of Correction.

Free transportation will be provided from seven locations throughout the county. Registration is not required and the event is free. The Bohrer Activity Center is located at 506 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, next to Gaithersburg High School.

For more information, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HRD or call Tanya Jones at 240-777-4151.

GREENBELT, MD—Nicolas Kantartzis, age 62, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a six-year scheme to fraudulently obtain payments from over 200 victims, including federal government agencies, a homeless shelter, banks, and airlines, for toll-free phone calls placed from his payphones.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Inspector General Brian D. Miller of the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General; and Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“For more than six years, Nicolas Kantartzis stole millions of dollars in fraudulent profits by programming payphones he controlled to dial hundreds of toll-free numbers,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “There were no actual callers, but owners of the toll-free numbers, including many government agencies, were required by law to pay Mr. Kantartzis 49 cents for each sham call.”

GSA Inspector General Brian Miller said, “By auto-dialing, this fraudster exploited a public service and essentially, ‘dialed for taxpayer dollars.’”

According to his plea agreement, Kantartzis and Federal Telephone Corporation Inc.(FTCI), a company he owned and operated, controlled approximately 165 payphones located at businesses and on the streets in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, Maryland and in the District of Columbia, including locations in Kensington, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Hyattsville and Rockville, Maryland.

Federal regulations require that each owner of a toll-free phone number pay the owner of a payphone $.494 for each completed toll-free call placed from his payphone. This payment is commonly called “dial around compensation.”

From January 2005 to July 2011, Kantartzis used a computer service to program his payphones to robotically place repeated phone calls to toll-free numbers to obtain the $.494 dial around compensation fee for each phone call. He programmed toll-free calls to between 200 and 250 victims, including the U.S. General Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as Dell Computer, the District of Columbia Homeless Shelter Hotline, financial institutions, and airlines. Kantartzis fraudulently received at least $4 million in dial around compensation paid by victims of his scheme.

Kantartzis programmed his payphones to call toll-free numbers in a repeating pattern, consisting of blocks of 10 calls within three minutes followed by five hours of no toll-free calls. These calls typically lasted only a few seconds. For example, in January 2008 Kantartzis programmed his payphone located at Super Dollar on Georgia Avenue in Washington, D.C. to make 2,669 outgoing calls, of which 1,688 (63 percent) were to toll-free numbers. Of the 1,688 toll-free calls, 93 percent lasted 10 seconds or less. Surveillance at some of the Kantartzis’ programmed phones showed that no user was physically placing a call at the payphone at the time the calls were made and in fact, calls were made after the business was closed and locked.

As part of his plea agreement, Kantartzis has agreed to forfeit to the United States all payphones owned by him and FTCI, $2,886,158 held in investment and bank accounts, and funds received in the future as a result of the fraud scheme.

Kantartzis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled sentencing for January 4, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the GSA and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Christen A. Sproule, who is prosecuting the case.

“This extension of Woodfield Road is a short road with a huge impact on the Damascus community,” said Leggett. “The road is about enhancing the livability of one of our faster growing communities and providing easier access to jobs, services and programs.”

The project also reconstructed and widened a 2,000-foot portion of Ridge Road from 500 feet south of Woodfield Road to 1,500 feet north of Woodfield Road. This portion of Ridge Road now has two, 12-foot wide travel lanes, two, four-foot wide paved shoulders and an auxiliary left turn lane at the intersection with Woodfield Road.

“Damascus, and the commuters who travel through Damascus, have waited a long time for the construction of Woodfield Road Extended to provide some relief to the traffic congestion that clogs Route 27 at peak hours,” said County Councilmember Craig Rice, who represents District 2 that includes the Damascus area. “The opening of this section of roadway will help significantly. I want to thank all those from the State and County transportation departments who persisted to make this plan a reality. The residents of northern Montgomery County will immediately benefit from the hard work that went into this project.”

The new road extension is a 28-foot wide curbed roadway with two, 14-foot wide lanes. A separate eight-foot wide bikeway/shared use path was built along Woodfield Road Extended and along Ridge Road.

Safety improvements were an important part of the project and included vertical realignment of Ridge Road for better sight distances. Faith Lane was also realigned to intersect Woodfield Road at a point south of Ridge Road.

Environmental features include construction of six acres of offsite reforestation area, 1.3 acres of offsite wetlands and three storm water management facilities.

In addition to the bikeway, the project also includes traffic signals, streetlights, crosswalks, bus stops and Americans with Disabilities Act ramps to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

The project took about two years and cost $5.9 million. The construction contractor was Kibler Construction Company, Inc. and the design consultant was Wallace, Montgomery & Associates, LLP.

Three men, two of whom are 24 and one who is 22, were victims of the assault.  None of the men were struck by

The suspect vehicle is described only as a 1990’s green Chevrolet Malibu.
There were multiple suspects in the Malibu, but the only description given is for one in the backseat.  He is described only as a light-complected African American male.

Shortly after 4:00 a.m. today, Maryland State Police at the College Park Barrack were notified by U.S. Park Police of a call for shots fired at a vehicle on Rt. 50.  Troopers responded and contacted the victims.

The preliminary investigation indicates the three victims were traveling eastbound on Rt. 50 in lane one, in the area of Rt. 201, Kenilworth Avenue, in a 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.  They said the suspect vehicle pulled in front of them in lane one and, for unknown reasons, a male in the back seat was staring at them.  The driver of the victims’ car said he pulled into lane two and passed the Malibu.

After passing the Malibu, the victims said they heard multiple gunshots.  In fear for their lives, the victims sped away until a flat tire caused them to stop in the area of Rt. 202 and 75th Avenue, which is when they called 911 and were connected with U.S. Park Police.

An examination of the victims’ car showed it had been struck by apparent gunfire in the bottom left bumper and the center of the trunk.  Troopers returned to the scene of the shooting on Rt. 50 near Rt. 201 and recovered shell casings consistent with a semi-automatic handgun.

State Police issued a lookout to law enforcement in the region.  Anyone who may have been traveling eastbound on Rt. 50 in the area of Rt. 201 and Rt. 202 about 4:00 a.m. today, or who may have information about the suspect vehicle, is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the College Park Barrack at 301-345-3101.  Calls may be kept confidential.

The accused is identified as Alexis D. Simpson, 19, who is a student at Bowie State University and resides on campus.  She is from District Heights, Md.  She is charged with first degree murder, second degree murder, and first degree assault.  She is being held in the Prince George’s County Detention Center without bond.

The victim is identified as Dominique T. Frazier, 18, who was a student at Bowie State University and resided on campus.  She was from Washington, D.C.

____________________________________

Previous Information

(BOWIE, MD) – One student is dead and another is in police custody as Maryland State Police continue the investigation into a fatal stabbing that occurred last night at Bowie State University.

The victim is identified as Dominique T. Frazier, 18, who was a student at Bowie State University and resided on campus. She was from Washington, D.C.

The suspect is in Maryland State Police custody, but will not be identified until charges are filed against her. She is a 19-year-old student at Bowie State University and was a roommate of the deceased. She is from District Heights, Md.

Police have confirmed that this incident was isolated to one residential apartment on campus and the situation is contained. The campus of Bowie State University is safe and there is no continuing threat.

Just after 8:00 p.m. yesterday, Prince George’s County Police received a 911 call for a cutting in the Christa McAuliffe Residential Community building on the campus of Bowie State University, in the 14000-block of Jericho Park Rd., Bowie, Md. University police officers were also notified and were the first to arrive on the scene outside of the apartment style residence on the second floor of the residential community.

Bowie State University Police Department officers found the victim in the hallway. She was bleeding from the upper torso and was unconscious. Officers rendered emergency care until EMS units from the Prince George’s County Fire Department arrived. EMS units transported the victim to Prince George’s Hospital Center where she was pronounced dead at about 8:44 p.m.

Detectives from the Prince George’s County Homicide Unit responded to the scene and initiated an investigation. Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation, with continuing assistance from the Prince George’s County Police Department detectives.

At about midnight, the suspect turned herself in to officers at the Prince George’s County Police Department District 3. She was turned over to the custody of the Maryland State Police where she will remain until charges are filed later today.

Maryland State Police investigators and Bowie State University Police Department officers remain on the scene in the second floor of the residential building. Investigators will be obtaining a search warrant before processing the scene for evidence later today. The victim’s body will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and suspect became involved in an argument in their suite that escalated into a physical confrontation. Investigators are continuing to interview witnesses. No one else was injured in the assault.

The investigation is continuing.

The victim was identified on Monday as Alice E. Davis, 55, of the 3500-block of Allen Road, Eden, Md.  Her body had been found on September 11th, in a wooded area in the 13000-block of Loretto Road, Princess Anne, Md.  She had been missing from her home since September 5, 2011.

An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore has revealed the victim’s cause of death was blunt force trauma.  The trauma had been sustained on the back of the victim’s head.  The item used to inflict the trauma has yet to be identified.  Doctors ruled the victim’s manner of death was homicide.

Maryland State Police investigators have returned to the scene today where the victim’s body was located.  They are conducting an additional search of the area for any evidence that may still be there.

Investigators from the State Police Homicide Unit are working in cooperation with the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigation, which was handling the original missing person investigation.  The investigation is continuing.

More than 45 firefighters responded to the fire at the height of operations. Fire Investigators on the scene conducted an origin and cause investigation. An examination of the scene revealed a fire that remained contained to the room of origin. The kitchen housed the washer and dryer. The fire originated in the electrical wiring feeding the electric dryer. The fire is listed as accidental and was caused by an unknown malfunction or failure of the 220 electrical plug/outlet to the dryer. The estimated damage is nearly $125, 000.

Montgomery County Firefighters will be conducting an “After the Fire” door-to-door outreach campaign in an effort to check smoke alarms and talk to residents about fire safety.

To use pay-by-cell, first-time patrons register for the program once by going online anytime to www.mc.goparknow.com or calling 301-830-7074. Parkers set up an account and indicate which credit card will be used for the parking charges. The step-by-step instructions, printed on each meter, direct parkers to:

• Use a cell phone to call 301-830-7074.

• Or, send a text message to 32075.

• Follow the phone/text prompts to enter the meter location number (located on the meter decal).

• Select the amount of time desired for parking.

The patron then receives voice and text messages confirming the start of the parking session. A 35-cent transaction fee will be charged in addition to the parking fee.

Pay-by-cell provides many conveniences to parkers. Those who use the payment system get a text message reminder that their parking time is about to expire. Patrons can extend parking time remotely and view transactions online. Parkers can stop a parking session upon returning to a vehicle, so they only pay for the parking time they have used.

MobileNOW! LLC is the County’s contractor for the pay-by-cell program and a tenant of the Rockville Innovation Center, part of the Montgomery County Business Innovation Network. Operating under the County’s Department of Economic Development, the network helps small and emerging technology, biotech, pharmaceutical and professional services firms succeed by offering turnkey office and/or wet lab space, fully integrated conference rooms and key resource and support services. In addition to Rockville, the network includes four other centers — Shady Grove, downtown Silver Spring, Wheaton and the Germantown campus of Montgomery College.

For more information on the pay-by-cell initiative, or to register for an account, go to the Division of Parking’s website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot.