U.S. Attorney Bill Powell speaking at the Martinsburg U.S. Attorney Awards Ceremony







MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight law enforcement representatives were recognized today for their outstanding work in the greater Martinsburg area.

U.S. Attorney Bill Powell recognized the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputy Colleen Thompson, FBI Special Agent Ellen Duffy, ATF Special Agent Seth Cox, the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, West Virginia State Police Sergeant Jeff Chumley, FBI Special Agent Peter Olinits, and FBI Special Agent Lauren Koscho with U.S. Attorney Awards for their contributions to create safer communities.

“It is my great honor to recognize those in law enforcement who go above and beyond to protect our children, our community and our national security.  Notwithstanding the turbulent times, important work was being done.  Those honored today never seek recognition, but it is important to let the public know about the accomplishments of our law enforcement members.  I thank each and every one of them for their continued service,” said Powell.  

Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputy Colleen Thompson was honored for her tireless work in getting a child predator off the streets. Deputy Thompson pushed through many obstacles to ensure that Paul Hamilton paid for his crimes against a juvenile. Hamilton pled guilty to a child pornography charge and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his crimes. When released from prison, Hamilton will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for the rest of his life. Deputy Thompson doesn’t typically take on cases involving crimes against children, but she refused to stop until Hamilton was off the streets. 

FBI Special Agent Ellen Duffy is receiving an award for her efforts in moving the Hamilton case forward in the federal court system, working with Deputy Thompson. Special Agent Duffy’s commitment to protecting children shows in her daily work. She has been a key to putting many other child pornography perpetrators behind bars. Agent Duffy helped secure a 27-year sentence against Alan Williams for child pornography charges. Her work on the Jasper and Christine Shook cases was also exemplary. 

ATF Special Agent Seth Cox was recognized for his work in dismantling a complex firearms trafficking scheme involving Shauntae Placko, Sean Placko, and Roger Williams. Special Agent Cox’s efforts stopped the trafficking of dozens of firearms into the Washington, D.C. area. He was integral in securing a combined 12 years in prison for the three defendants. 

The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force was the key to dismantling a large drug trafficking ring dubbed the triple Crown Crew. The Triple Crown Crew investigation is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case that led to the indictment of thirty-three people and prosecution of eight cases. The Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force completed nearly a yearlong investigation into the trafficking of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The drugs were distributed throughout the eastern panhandle to include Jefferson and Berkeley Counties in West Virginia. Because of their efforts, 11 of the defendants have pled guilty and were sentenced to a combined 248 months in prison. Another seven defendants have admitted guilt and are awaiting sentencing. The other cases are still pending. 

The Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force was honored for helped bring down a drug trafficking ring dubbed Operation Mountaintop. This case arises out of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation into the distribution of crystal methamphetamine by various individuals in the area of Mineral County, West Virginia and elsewhere. Giovanni Geonard Ingersoll, also known as Mike Avery, and Victor Witcher transported pounds of crystal methamphetamine from the Akron, Ohio area into the Mineral County, West Virginia area. This was a well put together case that involved a large investment of investigative time and resources.  The dismantling of the drug operation had a widespread impact in Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Randolph counties.  As a result, two of the defendants have been sentenced to a combined 360 months in prison. Two other defendants have admitted guilt and awaiting sentencing.

West Virginia State Police Sergeant Jeff Chumley was recognized for his work in ensuring that the very things that were used to commit a child pornography crime stayed out of the hands of the offender. Christopher Oden was prosecuted by both the state of West Virginia and our office for possessing sexually explicit images of minor victims. As part of the investigation, West Virginia State Police seized various property from Mr. Oden, including a laptop computer, a phone, and a camera. After his prosecution was complete, Mr. Oden wanted his property back, with special emphasis on the laptop. Sgt. Chumley’s efforts went above and beyond to make sure that Oden’s laptop, phone, and camera weren’t returned to him.

FBI Special Agent Peter Olinits and FBI Special Agent Lauren Koscho spent tireless hours and traveled hundreds of miles in the eight-month investigation into Elizabeth Jo Shirley, an American citizen and resident of Hedgesville, West Virginia, who has worked in the United States Intelligence Community for over two decades. The investigation involved approximately 72 records subpoenas, testimony from four grand jury witnesses, three 2703(d) Orders, and 16 search warrants (a residence, a storage unit, a vehicle, various electronic devices, and various electronic accounts). Shirley has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing. 

The ceremony was held at the Berkeley County Council Chambers and included remarks from U.S. Attorney Bill Powell and the presence of many local, state and federal law enforcement leaders from throughout West Virginia. 

Other ceremonies are planned in Wheeling and Clarksburg to honor more recipients of the U.S. Attorney Awards.

 

WASHINGTON – Elizabeth Jo Shirley, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, has admitted to unlawfully retaining a document containing national defense information and committing international parental kidnapping, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney William J. Powell for the Northern District of West Virginia announced.

Shirley, 46, pled guilty to one count of “Willful Retention of National Defense Information” and one count of “International Parental Kidnapping.”  Shirley admitted to unlawfully retaining a National Security Agency (NSA) document containing information classified at the TOP SECRET/SECRET COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (“TS/SCI”) level relating to the national defense that outlines intelligence information regarding a foreign government’s military and political issues.  Shirley also admitted to removing her child, of whom she was the non-custodial parent, to Mexico with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of the custodial father’s parental rights.

“When Shirley took classified information from her work with the Intelligence Community and later fled to Mexico, she violated the confidence placed in her by the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “She doubled down on this betrayal when she sought to offer classified information to the Russian government.  We are grateful for our law enforcement partners’ timely work to locate and arrest the defendant in Mexico.  Given Shirley’s troubling conduct after fleeing the United States, the damage to national security could have been far greater had law enforcement not acted swiftly.  Shirley will now be held accountable for betraying the trust of the American people.”

“High level security clearance requires a commensurate level of trust.  Shirley breached that trust and attempted to put our country at risk.  National security is one of our highest priorities and always will be.  Shirley will now face the consequences of her actions,” said William J. Powell.

"Federal government employees and contractors with high level security clearances pledge to protect classified information from foreign adversaries. It's an essential responsibility in guarding our country’s national security," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. "Ms. Shirley had a duty to safeguard classified information. Instead, she chose to break the law and trust placed in her and made plans to pass national defense information to Russian officials, which could have put our citizens at risk. The FBI does not take these violations lightly and will work to hold wrongdoers accountable to keep our country safe."

Shirley served on active duty with the United States Air Force, and in August 1994, the Air Force granted Shirley her first TS/SCI security clearance.  After leaving active duty, Shirley served in the United States Air Force Reserves and later in the United States Navy Reserves.  While serving in the Air Force, she worked on assignments with the NSA.  From May 2001 to August 2012, Shirley held various positions with the United States Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, and at least five different cleared defense contractors.  In connection with these positions, Shirley held TOP SECRET/SCI security clearances at various times.

In July 2019, Shirley took her six-year-old daughter to Mexico with the intent to make contact with representatives of the Government of Russia to request resettlement in a country that would not extradite her to the United States.  Shirley took with her to Mexico national defense information, which she had unlawfully retained.  While in Mexico, Shirley prepared a written message to Russian Government officials, referencing “an urgent need” to have “items shipped from the USA related to [her] life’s work before they are seized and destroyed.”

On Aug. 13, 2019, the United States Marshals Service and Mexican law enforcement located Shirley and her daughter at a hotel in Mexico City.  Mexican authorities arrested Shirley pursuant to an arrest warrant the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) had obtained on a charge of concealment of a minor from a custodian.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) subsequently executed search warrants on numerous of Shirley’s electronic devices, including devices she took to Mexico in July 2019 and devices the FBI seized from her Martinsburg storage unit in August 2019.  Pursuant to the search of the storage unit, the FBI located the NSA document underlying the Willful Retention of National Defense Information offense.  In addition, pursuant to searches of the electronic devices, the FBI found an Office of Naval Intelligence PowerPoint presentation containing information classified at the SECRET level and messages Shirley had drafted to Russian Government officials while in Mexico, the latter of which the Central Intelligence Agency has determined to include information classified at the SECRET level.

Shirley faces up to ten years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the national security charge and up to three years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000 for the kidnapping charge.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Lara K. Omps-Botteicher and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon with the Department of Justice’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, National Security Division, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.  The FBI and WVSP investigated.  The Webster County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office cooperated in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.