Date: 03-05-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Madani Ilara Tejan

Case Number:

Judge: Deborah K. Chasanow

Court: The United States Court for the District of Maryland

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office for Greenbelt

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Greenbelt, Maryland criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Use of a Firearm in Connection With a Murder and a Robbery and for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy.

Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Use of a Firearm in Connection With a Murder and a Robbery, and for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy

U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Madani Ilara Tejan, a/k/a “Malik,” “Mylik,” and “Dani,” age 31, of Washington, D.C., to 50 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for using a firearm in connection with murder and robbery, and for a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Tejan was convicted of those charges on February 17, 2023, after a nine-day trial.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department; Director Corenne Labbé of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections; and Director Thomas N. Faust of the D.C. Department of Corrections.

According to the evidence presented at this nine-day trial, on October 3, 2018, Tejan met with a drug customer, to whom Tejan had arranged to sell drugs. During the meeting, Tejan shot and killed the drug customer (Victim 1), then stole the Victim 1’s car, wallet, and other personal items. On October 20, 2018, a search warrant was executed at a residence in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, associated with Tejan and law enforcement recovered Victim 1’s wallet, two bags of marijuana and a prepaid cellular phone. Investigation revealed that the prepaid phone had been in contact with the Victim 1’s phone several times on October 3, 2018 and was used interchangeably with Tejan’s registered phone to communicate with Victim 1 in the hours before his murder. Additionally, 1,013 fentanyl pills were seized from Tejan while he was residing in a government-run residential facility. Tejan’s social media accounts and phone messages revealed that he distributed fentanyl marketed as oxycodone as well as other prescription drugs and marijuana to multiple individuals, including Victim 1.

At a hearing held on February 27, 2024, the Court found that Tejan was also involved with the murder of Victim 2, which occurred on October 15, 2018. According to court documents and information provided at motions hearings, Victim 2 drove Tejan to his meeting with Victim 1 and was a witness to Victim 1’s murder. Witnesses reported that on October 15, 2018, the day of Victim 2’s murder, Tejan spent the day with Victim 2. Later that day, Tejan left with Victim 2 to sell marijuana in Washington, D.C., where Victim 2 was found shot to death. A ride sharing application showed that Tejan was picked up just minutes after Victim 2’s murder one block from where Victim 2 was found dead.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri commended the FBI and the Baltimore Cross-Border Task Force, the DEA, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections, and the D.C. Department of Corrections, for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes and Trial Attorney Gerald A. A. Collins of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, who prosecuted the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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