Maryland man pleads guilty to human trafficking

HARRISONBURG, VA – William O'Neil Murray III, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. His conviction stems from exploiting the drug addictions of at least three women to coerce them into commercial sex work.

According to court documents, Murray's operation ran from December 2021 to July 2022 in several states, including Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey and Florida. He meticulously managed victims' access to narcotics, maintained control by being the sole provider of the drugs and exploited their addiction to force compliance with his demands.

Victims were forced into commercial sex acts arranged through websites such as Skipthegames.com. Murray set the dates, prices and locations and kept all the proceeds. He imposed strict rules on them, required constant communication during dates and severely restricted their freedom of movement.

U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, along with Stanley M. Meador of the FBI's Richmond office and Colonel Gary T. Settle of the Virginia State Police, announced the guilty plea and emphasized coordinated efforts to combat this serious exploitation.

Maryland man pleads guilty to human trafficking

HARRISONBURG, VA – William O'Neil Murray III, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. His conviction stems from exploiting the drug addictions of at least three women to coerce them into commercial sex work.

According to court documents, Murray's operation ran from December 2021 to July 2022 in several states, including Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey and Florida. He meticulously managed victims' access to narcotics, maintained control by being the sole provider of the drugs and exploited their addiction to force compliance with his demands.

Victims were forced into commercial sex acts arranged through websites such as Skipthegames.com. Murray set the dates, prices and locations and kept all the proceeds. He imposed strict rules on them, required constant communication during dates and severely restricted their freedom of movement.

U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, along with Stanley M. Meador of the FBI's Richmond office and Colonel Gary T. Settle of the Virginia State Police, announced the guilty plea and emphasized coordinated efforts to combat this serious exploitation.
Maryland man pleads guilty to assaulting police during Capitol riot

WASHINGTON – Uliyahu Haya, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on police officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The hearing was held before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, who scheduled sentencing for January 17, 2025.

According to court documents, Haya traveled to Washington, D.C. that day and entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing entrance at approximately 2:14 p.m. He passed through several key areas, including the Crypt, Statuary Hall and the Speaker of the House Lobby.

The altercation occurred at approximately 2:55 p.m. as officers from the Metropolitan Police Department attempted to disperse rioters through the doors of the House of Lords. Haya joined the brawl by physically confronting an officer and pushing him back several feet.

Haya was arrested on August 26, 2021, in Fairfax, Virginia. His case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice's National Security Division, with assistance from several other federal and local agencies.

Since the events of January 6, more than 1,488 people nationwide have been charged in connection with the Capitol breach, with nearly 550 charged with assault or obstruction of law enforcement. Investigations into the day's events are ongoing.
Pennsylvania man sentenced to 12 years in prison for drug and weapons offenses

PITTSBURGH, PA – Reginald Bernard Blunt, a 32-year-old resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for several federal offenses, including drug trafficking and weapons possession. The sentence was announced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced.

Blunt's convictions include possession of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine and fentanyl mixture with the intent to resell, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. These charges stem from a Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police investigation into a drug trafficking organization in McKees Rocks in which Blunt was identified as a major participant.

On June 14, 2023, while executing a federal search warrant at Blunt's residence, authorities discovered a backpack in his bedroom containing two prescription pill bottles with his name on it, a loaded handgun with 17 rounds of ammunition, and a “Glock switch” that could convert the weapon into a fully automatic weapon. In addition, approximately 60 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and methamphetamine, 20 grams of pure fentanyl, approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and $4,300 in cash were seized.

The investigation also uncovered traffic surveillance camera footage from an incident on May 16, 2023, showing Blunt brandishing a firearm during a public confrontation between an adult male and a child. That confrontation and ensuing altercation resulted in the recovery of the firearm used by Blunt, who has prior convictions for drug trafficking and weapons offenses, which prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.