MARYLAND
Man sought in assaults: Montgomery County police are trying to identify a man who they believe has approached and sexually assaulted four girls in the county this month, officials said.
Investigators believe the same man assaulted the girls, ages 12 to 17, in the Bethesda, Rockville and North Potomac areas.
Montgomery police released this sketch.
|
|
A 17-year-old was walking in the 11200 block of Old Georgetown Road about 4 p.m. Feb. 1 when a man walked past her, then reached out and touched her chest.
On Feb. 15, just after 5 p.m., a man blocked the path of a 16-year-old as she walked near Greenplace Terrace and Elmwood Court in Rockville. When the teenager stopped, the man reached under her dress. He may have fled in a forest-green Jeep Wrangler or small sport-utility vehicle.
About 8 a.m. Feb. 21, a 17-year-old was waiting at a bus stop in the 5500 block of Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda when a man approached her from behind and reached under her jacket.
On Feb. 22 about 3 p.m., a 12-year-old girl walking near Saddle River Drive and Bergenfeld Road in North Potomac was asked by a man to get into a green Jeep Cherokee. The girl ran, and the man left the area, police said.
Police describe the suspect as a white man in his late teens to late twenties, 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 150 to 170 pounds. In two incidents, victims described him as having blond hair, and in one incident a victim said he had a beard.
VIRGINIA
Police impersonation: Alexandria authorities charged a Charlottesville man with impersonating a police officer during a phony traffic stop in mid-December, officials said.
Investigators believe Steven W. Shifflett, 51, used his dark blue Ford Crown Victoria to stop a 61-year-old retired police officer in the 4200 block of Seminary Road about 5:30 a.m. Dec. 16. A warrant was issued for Shifflett on Feb. 18, and Charlottesville police arrested him that day.
Alexandria officials said they are investigating whether Shifflett may have stopped other drivers in the area and are looking for assistance from the public. Anyone with information may call 703-838-4444.
Couple sentenced: A Northern Virginia neurologist and his wife each were sentenced yesterday to 41 months in prison for their roles in a scheme that federal prosecutors said cheated the government and private health insurance plans.
Abdorasool Janati, 58, and his wife, Forouzandeh Janati, 57, were convicted last year in U.S. District Court in Alexandria of 61 counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty called the prosecution of the Great Falls couple "a warning to all who are tempted to steal precious health care resources.''
Abdorasool Janati was the primary physician at the Neurological Institute of Northern Virginia, in Woodbridge and Alexandria. Forouzandeh Janati was his office manager. Prosecutors said the Janatis inflated their invoices and billed for services not rendered.
Compiled from reports by staff writers.
