Dagmawi Tefera Amanuel, Suraphel Ayalew, Makwanint Abebe Ayele, et al.
Indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery
October 1, 2009

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Holding a Criminal Term
Grand Jury Sworn in on May 15, 2009

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. DAGMAWI TEFERA AMANUEL, SURAPHEL AYALEW, MEKWANINT ABEBE AYELE, SOLOMON TAMEGN AYELA, IYASU BAZEZEW, DEREJE TAYE DEJENE, AMBACHEW A. DEMSSIE, BIRHANU SHOA GEBREGZIABHER, DEREGE GEMECHU, TURA BURKA GEMEDA, ERMIAS ASFAW GETACHEW, SALAHADIN ABUBEKER HAGOS, BAHIRU GETACHEW HAILEGEBREAL, TADESSE MAMO HAILEYESSUS, OMAR H. HASSEN, MICHAEL MOLLA HUNACHEW, ISHAQ SANI HUSSEN, OMAR M. HUSSEN, ABUDAWOD ALI HUSSIEN, NEBIL MUSTEFA ISMAEL, GEORGE SEYOUM KEBEDE, ABBA-YOHANNES DETAMO LAILAGO, ASHENAFI TEFERA METAW,, FEYSAL JEMAL MOHAMED, ISMAEL OMDURMAN, ETANA ENGEDA SHUREMU, YITBAREK SYUME, YONAS TADESSE, ESMAEL ABDULBASIT TAHIR, ZELALEM ABABU TAREKEJN, DULA TILAHUN, FASIL REGASSA WAKJIRA, DANIEL WOLDETENSAY, YOHANNES GURMU WONDIMU,

CRIMINAL NO. C.R.-09-253
UNDER SEAL

VIOLATION: 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy to Commit Bribery);
18 U.S.C. § 2 (Aiding and Abetting, Causing an Act to be Done)

ASHENAFI TESFAYE WORKU, ABEBAW NIGUSSIE YEHUALA, and AMEZENE A. ZEWDIE, Defendants.

INDICTMENT

The Grand Jury charges that:

COUNT ONE

Introduction

1. The District of Columbia Taxicab Commission ("DCTC") regulates the operation of taxicabs in Washington, D.C. The DCTC, among other things, establishes criteria, standards, and requirements for taxicab licensing, including the licensing of owners, operators, companies, associations, and fleets. It also sets licensing fees. The DCTC comprises seven commissioners and a chair.

2. In order to be licensed to operate a taxicab in the District of Columbia, one must do the following: (1) successfully complete a course offered at the University of the District of Columbia, which includes a test; (2) pass the DCTC's hack test; and (3) pass medical and criminal checks.

3. Public Official Number One became chairperson of the DCTC on or about July 7, 2007. As part of his official duties, Public Official Number One (the "Chairperson") performed the following acts among others:

(a) the Chairperson had authority and influence over the issuance of licenses to operate multi-vehicle taxicab companies in the District of Columbia;

(b) the Chairperson had authority and influence over the issuance of individual District of Columbia taxicab operator licenses which, when issued, authorized individuals to operate taxicabs in the District of Columbia;

(c) the Chairperson could recommend to the Council of the District of Columbia and

(d) the Chairperson could present positions to the Council of the District of Columbia and others in opposition to proposed legislation affecting the taxicab industry in Washington, D.C.

The Conspiracy

6. From between on or about September 3, 2009, until on or about September 28, 2009, the exact dates being unknown to the grand jury, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, defendants DAGMAWI TEFERA AMANUEL, SURAPHEL AYALEW, MEKWANINT ABEBE AYELE, SOLOMON TAMEGN AYELA, IYASU BAZEZEW, DEREJE TAYE DEJENE, AMBACHEW A. DEMSSIE, BIRHANU SHOA GEBREGZIABHER, DEREGE GEMECHU, TURA BURKA GEMEDA, ERMIAS ASFAW GETACHEW, SALAHADIN ABUBEKER HAGOS, BAHIRU GETACHEW HAILEGEBREAL, TADESSE MAMO HAILEYESSUS, OMAR H. HASSEN, MICHAEL MOLLA HUNACHEW, ISHAQ SANI HUSSEN, OMAR M. HUSSEN, ABUDAWOD AL! HUSSIEN, NEBIL MUSTEFA ISMAEL, GEORGE SEYOUM KEBEDE, ABBA-YOHANNES DETAMO LAILAGO, ASHENAFI TEFERA METAW, FEYSAL JEMAL MOHAMED, ISMAEL OMDURMAN, ETANA ENGEDA SHUREMU, YITBAREK SYUME, YONAS TADESSE, ESMAEL ABDULBASIT TAHIR, ZELALEM ABABU TAREKEJN, DULA TILAHUN, FASIL REGASSA WAKJIRA, DANIEL WOLDETENSAY, YOHANNES GURMU WONDIMU, ASHENAFI TESFAYE WORKU, ABEBAW NIGUSSIE YEHUALA, and AMEZENE A. ZEWDIE (the "DEFENDANTS"), and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, knowingly and willfully conspired and agreed together and with each other, and with other persons both known and unknown to the grand jury, to commit the following offense against the United States: that is to directly and indirectly, corruptly give, offer, and promise things of value to the Chairperson, with intent to influence official acts, that is the DEFENDANTS agreed to give cash in various amounts to the Chairperson in return for his agreement to issue taxicab operator licenses to the DEFENDANTS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 201(b) (Bribery of a Public Official).

A Goal of the Conspiracy

7. It was a goal of the conspiracy to obtain corruptly and illegally licenses to operate taxicabs in the District of Columbia from the Chairperson in exchange for cash.

Manner and Means of the Conspiracy

8. The DEFENDANTS and other unindicted coconspirators, both known and unknown to the Grand Jury, used the following manner and means among others to accomplish the object of the conspiracy:

(a) It was part of the conspiracy that the DEFENDANTS would and did play different roles in the conspiracy, and took upon themselves different tasks and participated in the conduct of the organization through various criminal acts. The DEFENDANTS made themselves and their services available at various times throughout the life of the conspiracy and participated in activities required to obtain corruptly licenses to operate taxicabs in the District of Columbia. Some of the roles assumed and carried out by YITBAREK SYUME and SURAPHEL AYALEW and other unindicted coconspirators both known and unknown to the grand jury included, among others, recruiting and organizing co-conspirators who wanted to obtain corruptly taxicab operator licenses; collecting approximately $110,000 in cash to be used for bribe payments to the Chairperson; and instructing co-conspirators as to when, where, and how cash payments should be made to the Chairperson.

(b) It was further part of the conspiracy that YITBAREK SYUME and SURAPHEL AYALEW collected and forwarded to the Chairperson applications of coconspirators who wanted to obtain corruptly taxicab operators licenses.

(c) It was further part of the conspiracy that the DEFENDANTS met the Chairperson to provide fingerprints and photographs in conjunction with attempting to obtain corruptly taxicab operator licenses, at which time they also paid cash to the Chairperson for the operator licenses.

Overt Acts

9. In furtherance of the conspiracy and in order to achieve the goals thereof, the DEFENDANTS and others, known and unknown to the grand jury, within the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, committed overt acts, including, but not limited to the following:

(1) On or about September 3, 2009, YITBAREK SYUME and SURAPHEL AYALEW met the Chairperson, at which time they discussed the method by which they would obtain corruptly taxicab operator licences, including the preparation of applications, the location for meetings, and the amount of the bribes to be paid to the Chairperson.

(2) On or about September 11, 2009, YITBAREK SYUME, SURAPHEL AYALEW, TADESSE MAMO HAILEYESSUS, ASHENAFI TEFERA METAW, MEKWANINT ABEBE AYELE, MICHAEL MOLLA HUNACHEW, ISHAQ SANI HUSSEN, ABBA-YOHANNES DETAMO LAILAGO, ABUDAWOD ALI HUSSIEN, ETANA ENGEDA SHUREMU, OMAR H. HASSEN, FASIL REGASSA WAKJIRA, ESMAEL ABDULBASIT TAHIR, DULA TILAHUN, TURA BURKA GEMEDA, YOHANNES GURMU WONDIMU, and IYASU BAZEZEW met the Chairperson, at which time they paid cash to him for taxicab operator licenses that they were attempting to obtain corruptly.

(3) On or about September 18, 2009, YITBAREK SYUME gave the Chairperson approximately $51,000 in cash as partial payment for taxicab operator licenses that he and the other co-conspirators were attempting to obtain corruptly.

(4) On or about September 18, 2009, YITBAREK SYUME, DEREGE GEMECHU, ERMIAS ASFAW GETACHEW, SALAHADIN ABUBEKER HAGOS, YONAS TADESSE, AMEZENE A. ZEWDIE, BIRHANU SHOA GEBREGZIABHER, DEREJETAYE DEJENE, DAGMAWI TEFERA AMANUEL, ASHENAFI TESFAYE WORKU, OMAR M. HUSSEN, and GEORGE SEYOUM KEBEDE met the Chairperson, at which time they paid cash to him for the taxicab operator licenses that they were attempting to obtain corruptly,

(5) On or about September 20, 2009, YITBAREK SYUME, ISMAEL OMDURMAN,SOLOMON TAMEGN AYELA, DANIEL WOLDETENSAY, NEBIL MUSTEFA ISMAEL, FEYSAL JEMAL MOHAMED, AMBACHEW A. DEMSSIE, ABEBAW NIGUSSIE YEHUALA, BAHIRU GETACHEW HAILEGEBREAL, and ZELALEM ABABU TAREKEJN met the Chairperson, at which time they paid him for taxicab operator licenses that they were attempting to obtain corruptly.

(6) On or about September 21, 2009, YITBAREK SYUME gave the Chairperson approximately $40,000 in cash as partial payment for taxicab operator licenses that he and the other co-conspirators were attempting to obtain corruptly.

(7) On or about September 27, 2009, SURAPHEL AYALEW met the Chairperson at which time he discussed the logistics for the receipt of taxicab operator licenses by himself and the other co-conspirators.

(8) On or about September 28, 2009, YITBAREK SPUME met the Chairperson at which time he discussed the logistics for the receipt of taxicab operator licences by himself and the other co-conspirators.

(Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, Aiding and Abetting, Causing an Act to be Done, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 2)

A TRUE BILL:

___________________
FOREPERSON

___________________
Acting United State Attorney of the United States in and for the District of Columbia

Dagmawi Tefera Amanuel, Suraphel Ayalew, Makwanint Abebe Ayele, et al. Indictment for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery October 1, 2009