A Montgomery County Circuit Court judge on Thursday sentenced 39‑year‑old Eric Tataw to six months in jail and five years of probation for disturbing the peace after a series of unruly house parties at his home in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The sentence is suspended while Tataw stays in federal custody on separate bank‑fraud and terrorism charges.

Local impact of the parties

Neighbors testified that the gatherings turned their neighborhood into a “living hell.” Jung Lee, who lives next door, described people using residents’ yards as bathrooms, fireworks being set off, and hired armed guards demanding payment for street parking. Three witnesses described fearing for their lives during the events.

The court also heard that Tataw was once accused of raping an attendee at a pool party, though that charge was later dismissed.

Federal terrorism allegations

Tataw remains at the Chesapeake Federal Detention Center in Baltimore. Federal prosecutors allege he tried to funnel money, weapons, and personnel to a Cameroonian separatist organization known as the Cameroonian Diaspora, which supports armed groups in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon seeking to create an independent state called “Ambazonia.” The fighters, often called the “Amba Boys,” have been linked to attacks on military and civilian targets.

According to the indictment, Tataw began assisting the group in 2018, providing financial support and encouraging violent tactics such as murder, kidnapping, and mutilation. Court documents say he referred to the practice of cutting off limbs as “Garriing” and called himself the “Garri Master.”

Bank‑fraud guilty plea

In April, Tataw pleaded guilty to bank fraud for obtaining fraudulent COVID‑19 relief loans for his company, National Telegraph LLC. He admitted to submitting false payroll, revenue, and employee numbers to secure $163,302 in Paycheck Protection Program funds, most of which he used for personal expenses. He also sought an additional $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. In total, he attempted to fraudulently obtain about $313,302, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.

Tataw also admitted to obstructing justice by providing fabricated documents to a grand‑jury witness and instructing her to present them to the grand jury.

Next steps

While the state sentence addresses the local disturbance, Tataw is still awaiting sentencing on his federal bank‑fraud plea and has not yet stood trial on the terrorism charges. His case underscores the intersection of local public‑order concerns with broader national security investigations.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.