Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
California drug trafficker sentenced to over eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California woman was sentenced today to eight years and eight months in prison for her part in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in September 2022, Lily Marlene Contreras Lopez, 35, took over the drug-trafficking business of her romantic partner, who was arrested on firearms and narcotics charges in California. One of her customers was Chase Scott Jones, 27, who supplied drugs to Sean Michael Johnson, 26, a long-time supplier of narcotics to customers across the nation.
Law enforcement learned that, dating back to at least May 2020, Johnson had sold tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to an individual in Virginia. An undercover officer contacted Johnson to gauge his fentanyl drug supply. Law enforcement made a total of six controlled purchases from the conspiracy beginning in January 2023. Johnson negotiated the controlled purchases with the undercover officer and sent the details to Jones, who then sourced most of the drugs from Contreras Lopez.
The fifth and six controlled purchases were conducted in person in California. The sixth deal involved 100 pounds of meth and 10 kilograms of fentanyl powder. On Dec. 6, 2023, before the deal took place, Contreras Lopez distributed the meth to Jones. Jones then proceeded to the deal location, with Contreras Lopez waiting nearby to complete the transactions. After Jones distributed the meth to the undercover officer, both Jones and Contreras Lopez were arrested.
During searches of Contreras Lopez’s apartment and storage, law enforcement recovered two kilograms of fentanyl powder, five handguns, a digital scale, a money counter, several empty promethazine bottles, and drug ledgers.
On Feb. 29, Johnson pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and meth. Johnson was sentenced on May 29 to eight years and six months in prison.
On Feb. 4, Jones pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and meth. Jones was sentenced on June 6 to 10 years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Carter prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-46.
Maryland felon pleads guilty to federal firearm crime in VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Feb. 27, officers with the Arlington County Police Department and a United States Marshals Service Task Force took Christian Lamont Thompson, 40, of Waldorf, into custody at a hotel in Arlington County on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation following a drug distribution conviction in the District of Columbia. As officers placed Thompson into custody, crack cocaine fell from his pants. During a search of Thompson’s room, investigators recovered a vial of PCP, plastic baggies, $680, suspected marijuana, and a loaded handgun with an affixed laser sight.
As a previously convicted felon, Thompson cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21. He faces a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charles “Andy” Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.
USMS provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-113.
Leader of international malvertising and ransomware schemes extradited from Poland to face cybercrime chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – WASHINGTON – A Belarussian and Ukrainian national charged in the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark, New Jersey, today after being extradited from Poland.
As alleged in court documents unsealed today, Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multi-year cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim Internet users through online advertisements — so-called “malvertising” — and other means from October 2013 through March 2022. In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
“This case reemphasizes the importance of both cybersecurity and our crucial law enforcement partnerships worldwide,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Online threats emerge within the digital ecosystem among those who exploit the very tools that help us connect and collaborate. In turn, we must maximize our investigative collaborations globally to address those threats. This investigation demonstrates the positive results of leveraging international partnerships to combat international crimes.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cyber criminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising’, to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas.”
“This arrest underscores a long-term investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with foreign, domestic and private partners, of cybercrime organizations that allegedly distributed the notorious Angler Exploit Kit, conducted malvertising, and operated the Ransom Cartel ransomware organization,” said Assistant Director of Investigations Brian Lambert of the U.S. Secret Service. “Cybercriminals should know that even if they attempt to hide their criminal conduct behind the anonymity of the internet that eventually, through the dedication of international law enforcement professionals, they will be apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively impose costs on cybercriminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our partners both overseas and in the states to identify and dismantle cyber threats, and to pursue those criminals who attempt to target and defraud victims in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
District of New Jersey Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey, from October 2013 through March 2022, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and others in Ukraine and elsewhere used malvertising and other means to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of unsuspecting Internet users in the United States and elsewhere. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate, but often redirected victim Internet users who viewed or accessed the advertisements to malicious sites and servers that sought to defraud the users or delivered malware to the users’ devices. The conspirators’ scheme caused unsuspecting Internet users to be forcibly redirected to malicious content on millions of occasions, and defrauded and attempted to defraud various U.S.-based companies involved in the sale and distribution of legitimate online advertisements.
One strain of malware that Silnikau and others allegedly took a leading role in disseminating was the Angler Exploit Kit, which targeted web-based vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and associated plug-ins. At times during the scheme, the Angler Exploit Kit was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices. The conspirators also allegedly enabled the delivery of “scareware” ads that displayed false messages claiming to have identified a virus or other issue with a victim Internet user’s device. The messages then attempted to deceive the victim into buying or downloading dangerous software, providing remote access to the device, or disclosing personal identifying or financial information.
For years, the conspirators tricked advertising companies into delivering their malvertising campaigns by using dozens of online personas and fictitious entities to pose as legitimate advertising companies. They also developed and used sophisticated technologies and computer code to refine their malvertisements, malware, and computer infrastructure so as to conceal the malicious nature of their advertising.
As alleged, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and conspirators used multiple strategies to profit from their widespread hacking and wire fraud scheme, including by using accounts on predominantly Russian cybercrime forums to sell to cybercriminals access to the compromised devices of victim Internet users (so-called “loads” or “bots”), as well as information stolen from victims and recorded in “logs,” such as banking information and login credentials, to enable further efforts to defraud the victim Internet users or deliver additional malware to their devices.
Eastern District of Virginia Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau was the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain, created in 2021. Silnikau allegedly had been a member of Russian-speaking cybercrime forums since at least 2005 and was a member of the notorious cybercrime website Direct Connection from 2011 to 2016, when the site was shuttered after the arrest of its administrator.
Beginning in May 2021, Silnikau allegedly developed a ransomware operation and began recruiting participants from cybercrime forums. On various occasions, Silnikau allegedly distributed information and tools to Ransom Cartel participants, including information about compromised computers, such as stolen credentials, and tools such as those designed to encrypt or “lock” compromised computers. Silnikau also allegedly established and maintained a hidden website where he and his co-conspirators could monitor and control ransomware attacks; communicate with each other; communicate with victims, including sending and negotiating payment demands; and manage distribution of funds between co-conspirators.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Silnikau allegedly executed a ransomware attack on a company based in New York, and on March 5, 2022, Ransom Cartel ransomware was deployed against a company based in California. The hackers removed confidential data without authorization and demanded a monetary payment to refrain from releasing the victim’s data.
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In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov face maximum penalties of 27 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years in prison for computer fraud conspiracy, counts, and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count.
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and two counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI Kansas City Field Office are investigating the charges in the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the charges in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department also appreciates the extensive cooperation and coordination by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over the course of several years, as well as significant support provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Cyber Department and Prosecutor General’s Office; Guardia Civil of Spain, Spanish Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Audiencia Nacional; Policia Judiciaria of Portugal; Germany—Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Berlin; and Polish authorities, in particular assistance provided by Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau, Border Guard, Ministry of Justice, and National Prosecutors Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Keim and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fasanello, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, for the District of New Jersey and Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat, Cyber Operations International Liaison Louisa K. Becker, and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting Silnikau and his co-defendants in the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, for New Jersey, and Christopher Oakley for the District of Kansas also provided substantial assistance to the New Jersey case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Silnikau and the collection of evidence.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-108.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Two Iranian nationals and one Pakistani national indicted for providing material support to terroristsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A superseding indictment was returned yesterday charging two Iranian citizens, brothers Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), and one Pakistani citizen, Muhammad Pahlawan, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program resulting in death and conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving weapons of mass destruction resulting in death. Pahlawan is currently awaiting trial, while Shahab and Yunus remain at large.
According to court documents, Shahab and Yunus work for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Muhammad Pahlawan, 48, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a smuggling vessel, known as a dhow, named the “Yunus,” which is owned by Shahab.
Pahlawan allegedly worked with Shahab to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages, and Shahab paid Pahlawan in Iranian Rials from a bank account in Shahab’s name. Pahlawan allegedly arranged to receive payments from Shahab and Yunus in Iran and distribute the money to his family and others.
On Jan. 11, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard, boarded the dhow off the coast of Somalia. Two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the interdiction.
As alleged, the U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan. During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team allegedly located and seized what is believed to be Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. Preliminary analysis of the advanced conventional weaponry indicates that it includes critical components for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, to include a warhead and propulsion and guidance components. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is allegedly consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
In addition to the charges described above, Pahlawan is charged with providing materially false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s captain, and witness intimidation for threatening one of the crewmembers on the dhow.
Pahlawan, Shahab, and Yunus all face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lesley Woods of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-41.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Two Iranian Nationals and One Pakistani National Indicted for Providing Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Note: View the superseding indictment here.
A superseding indictment was returned yesterday charging two Iranian citizens, brothers Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab) and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunis), and one Pakistani citizen, Muhammad Pahlawan, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program resulting in death and conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving weapons of mass destruction resulting in death. Pahlawan is currently awaiting trial, while Shahab and Yunus remain at large.
According to the court documents, Shahab and Yunus work for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Pahlawan, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a smuggling vessel known as a dhow, named the “Yunus,” which is owned by Shahab.
Pahlawan allegedly worked with Shahab to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages, and Shahab paid Pahlawan in Iranian Rials from a bank account in Shahab’s name. Pahlawan allegedly arranged to receive payments from Shahab and Yunus in Iran and distribute the money to his family and others.
On the night of Jan. 11, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard, boarded the dhow off the coast of Somalia. Two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the interdiction.
As alleged, the U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan. During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team allegedly located and seized what is believed to be Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. Preliminary analysis of the advanced conventional weaponry indicates that it includes critical components for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, including to include a warhead and propulsion and guidance components. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is allegedly consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
In addition to the charges described above, Pahlawan is charged with providing materially false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s captain and witness intimidation for threatening one of the crewmembers on the dhow.
If convicted, Pahlawan, Shahab and Yunus all face maximum penalties of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lesley Woods of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Washington man who scammed pandemic relief programs sentenced to over five years in prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington man was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for wire fraud.
According to court documents, from at least June 2020 through at least June 2021, Clayton Rosenberg, aka Kenneth Clayton and Kobe, 31, and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent applications to defraud multiple COVID-19 relief programs. Rosenberg used these stolen funds to increase his typical lifestyle, including luxury vehicle purchases and $1,800 for beard care products.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance expeditiously to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for such expenses as making payroll payments to remain afloat. Federal programs also expanded unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility and increased unemployment benefits during the pandemic to assist those who lost their jobs or were otherwise unable to work through no fault of their own.
Rosenberg and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted at least 16 fraudulent PPP loan applications for businesses or purported businesses. In the applications, Rosenberg and his co-conspirators grossly inflated employee numbers and monthly payroll costs. They also created and submitted false tax returns and fake bank statements in support of the applications.
After the financial institutions approved and funded the loan applications, the business owners would share the loan proceeds with Rosenberg and his co-conspirators. During this time, Rosenberg and a co-conspirator controlled various shell companies to which the business owners often would transfer a percentage of the PPP loan proceeds. The payout of these fraudulent PPP loans and the wire fraud conspiracy caused a total loss of at least $9.3 million, of which Rosenberg received at least $1,666,290.
Rosenberg and his co-conspirators also submitted fraudulent UI applications using other individuals' personal identifying information (PII) that they obtained online. The benefits were issued on prepaid debit cards mailed to addresses the conspirators listed on the applications. Along with individuals' PII, the conspirators included false information in the applications and certifications, including false employment and wage history as well as false contact information. Rosenberg applied for and received over $110,308 in UI and pandemic unemployment assistance benefits.
Rosenberg also possessed device-making equipment in his residence, including equipment to create fraudulent documents, black check paper, card stock for IDs, holograms used for passports and driver licenses, at least six fraudulent Social Security cards, and at least eight fake driver licenses. Rosenberg made at least two fake Burkina Faso passports and at least one unauthorized United States passport.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration (SSA) - Office of Inspector General (OIG) Philadelphia Field Division; Charles “Andy” Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police; Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jason J. Scalzo, Special Agent in Charge of the Electronic Crimes Unit for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Zachary H. Ray prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-61.
Foreign national sentenced for transporting over 15 kilograms of cocaine from Texas to VirginiaRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today to four years and four months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, on Nov. 15, 2023, Jesus Alejandro Ibarra-Morales, 30, had crossed into the United States at the Veteran's International Bridge-Los Tomates Port of Entry at Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, using his border crossing card, and driving a Chevrolet Suburban with Mexico license plates. Ibarra-Morales then picked up two car dollies, the axles of which were packed with 15 bricks of cocaine, with a total weight of over 15 kilograms.
Law enforcement agents received information that a shipment of narcotics was being transported from Texas to Richmond, Virginia, and on Nov. 27, 2023, agents learned that the Suburban was near the drop location in Richmond. Agents stopped the vehicle and identified Ibarra-Morales as the driver. A drug detection canine alerted to the presence of illegal controlled substances on the car dollies and a search of the axles resulted in the recovery of the cocaine.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-24.
Former Primis Bank manager sentenced to federal prison $2.4M embezzlement schemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Weems man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for designing and executing a scheme over the course of 15 years to defraud his employer, a local financial institution, by issuing fraudulent loans to other individuals and using the loan proceeds for himself.
According to court documents, James Stevens, 47, was employed at Primis Bank (formerly known as Sonabank, Eastern VA Bank, and Southside Bank) from 2000 to June 2023 as a Commercial Lender, Branch Manager, and Assistant Branch Manager. As a Commercial Lender for Primis, Stevens had the authority to issue loans on behalf of the bank, as well as the ability to open and access customer accounts and transfer funds into and out of customer accounts.
Beginning in 2008, and continuing through June 2023, Stevens exploited his position of trust at Primis Bank to issue numerous fraudulent loans—on behalf of his unwitting bank employer—in the names and using the identities of numerous other individuals. Stevens would often create fraudulent documentation to support these loan applications, using the personal information of multiple Primis Bank customers in the process. Stevens would then use proceeds of these fraudulently issued loans to make payments on other previously-issued fraudulent loans, to pay himself, or to pay others. Through this loan scheme, Stevens caused a loss to Primis Bank of more than $2.3 million.
Stevens also exploited his personal relationship with one Primis Bank customer to access the customer’s personal savings and checking accounts and to withdraw funds from the customer’s accounts. Stevens used his access to the customer’s accounts to change the mailing address on the accounts so that the bank customer remained unaware of the thefts, which eventually totaled more than $97,000. Altogether, the frauds and thefts perpetrated by Stevens resulted in a total loss to Primis Bank of $2,477,643.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Robert Day prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-10.
Hampton landlord racially harassed and evicted tenants, then used their identities to defraud COVID relief programsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and race-based interference with housing and employment.
According to court documents, David L. Merryman, 59, owns 39 rental properties in Newport News and 23 more in Hampton. Many of Merryman’s rental properties were in poor condition and located in low-income neighborhoods. He primarily rented the properties to underprivileged African American tenants with limited credit and housing options.
From 2019 through at least January 2024, Merryman engaged in a multifaceted scheme that included obtaining rent relief benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as fraudulently obtaining large initial payments in the form of security deposits, prepaid rent, and other fees for rental homes that were in poor repair. Merryman implied to prospective tenants that he would lease the rentals for longer tenancy terms but intended to evict them as quickly as possible to restart the cycle of fraud and collect more high initial payments from new tenants.
On several occasions, Merryman harassed his minority tenants with slurs, comments about slavery, mocking comments, death threats, and other assaultive conduct related to their race, all in violation of their right to occupy and lease a dwelling free from racially motivated harassment, threats, and force. He also interfered with at least one victim’s right to enjoy employment free from racial threats and assaultive conduct.
Merryman fabricated lease documents, often with incorrect information related to the tenants, and backdated documents before forging tenants’ signatures and falsely representing that he was authorized to act on their behalf.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, state and federal governments made rent relief benefits available to those struggling during the national health crisis. Merryman filed fraudulent rent relief applications and used his tenants' names and personal information without their consent and forged their signatures. In many cases, he obtained significant sums of rent relief without telling the tenants, even evicting, or seeking to evict, the very same tenants for unpaid rent. To obtain housing-assistance payments from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Merryman also made false representations about the condition of his rental properties and whether he was receiving other payments that would be duplicative of federally funded rental assistance.
Merryman also defrauded tenants by obtaining money and property from them under false pretenses, primarily through false representations that he would repair his properties to induce tenants to pay significant upfront fees for neglected, even uninhabitable, properties that he never intended to improve.
For example, a tenant, identified as L.G., made requests for necessary repairs to the home she was renting, to which Merryman repeatedly made racially derogatory responses. In April 2019, Merryman threatened to turn L.G. and her children into “potting soil.” L.G. obtained a protective order against Merryman, who then responded by, among other things, parking his vehicle just outside the prohibited radius of the order and intimidating L.G. and her family.
Another tenant, identified as E.P., regularly paid Merryman rent from 2015 until she was laid off from her job in 2021 during the pandemic after suffering medical problems resulting in her hospitalization. On May 10, 2021, Merryman applied to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for approximately $15,100 in rent relief benefits for E.P. and forged her signature, all without her consent. Despite obtaining those benefits for E.P., Merryman evicted her, citing her unpaid rent. E.P. then lost all her belongings when Merryman sent a crew to remove them from her home and tow her car when she was hospitalized.
After Merryman failed to complete a driveway construction project, the customer hired a concrete construction business owner, identified as E.S., to finish the job. E.S. had worked in the concrete construction business for more than 40 years. On July 8, 2020, shortly after E.S. finished the project, he received a call from Merryman, who repeatedly threatened him. E.S. obtained a protective order against Merryman, after which, in March 2021, Merryman came to a different jobsite where E.S. was working and stared at him and his team.
Merryman is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18. He faces up to twenty years in prison for wire fraud, up to one year in prison on both the race-based interference with housing count and the race-based interference with employment count, and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rae Oliver Davis, Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General; and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Mack Coleman, Julie D. Podlesni, and Brian J. Samuels are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-4.
Dale City man found with drugs, firearms, and an extensive shoe collectionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dale City man pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Jan. 18, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service’s Capital Area Regional Task Force located Sirri Webb, 40, for whom they had an arrest warrant, in an apartment in Lorton. The apartment was rented in the name of another person who did not know Webb was using the apartment, had not given Webb permission to use the apartment, and gave law enforcement consent to enter the apartment. After knocking and announcing their presence several times with no response, law enforcement entered the apartment, defeating a brace securing the door from the inside.
As law enforcement apprehended Webb, officers observed in plain view a scale with white residue, loose baggies, loose ammunition on the floor, a shotgun resting against a wall, various drugs, large quantities of cash, and a collection of size 12 shoes. Officers seized 745 grams of cocaine, 526 grams of cocaine base, 20 Oxycodone pills, 42 grams of N,N-Dimethylpentylon, a .357 caliber handgun, three 9mm handguns, a .40 caliber handgun, a .38 caliber handgun, an AK47, a 12-gauge shotgun, assorted ammunition, a high-capacity drum magazine, a bulletproof vest, a frame device for stabilized shooting, and $7,080.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge and a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison to be served consecutively with any other term of imprisonment for the firearm charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-66.
Arlington man convicted for illegally obtaining healthcare records and trying to cover up his crimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury in Alexandria convicted an Arlington man today on charges of obtaining another person’s healthcare information and destroying evidence in a federal investigation.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from 2017 to 2019, Trent James Russell, 34, was employed by an organ donation coordination entity, which allowed him access to certain electronic medical records. In Jan. 2019, Russell remotely accessed the medical records of a federal official and took a screenshot of the official’s protected health information.
After Russell learned his access was disabled on Feb. 10, 2019, he reformatted his computer two days later in an attempt to destroy evidence and obstruct the investigation. When FBI agents interviewed Russell on Feb. 21, 2019, Russell falsely stated that his cellphone had been stolen.
Russell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Nov. 7. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Laura D. Withers are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-195.
Richmond man caught with machinegun sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to a year and nine months in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun.
According to court documents, on March 25, 2023, Sterling Alexander Davis, 21, failed to stop at the intersection of Orcutt Lane and Kimrod Road and Richmond police performed a traffic stop. Davis told officers there were no firearms in the vehicle, but officers recognized the two passengers in the back seat and knew that they had possessed firearms in previous encounters. The officers checked both backseat passengers and found firearms in their pants.
The officers then performed a protective sweep of the vehicle for additional weapons and located a 9mm handgun under the driver seat. The handgun was equipped with a laser guide and an extended magazine. The firearm also included a machinegun conversion device (MCD) that rendered it capable of fully automatic fire, meeting the legal definition of a machinegun.
After Davis was arrested, law enforcement executed a search warrant on his cellphone. The search revealed text messages dating back two years in which Davis discussed buying and selling MCDs, claiming he had both the “built-in” and the “regular” type that replace the backplate of the firearm.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-32.
Virginia Beach man exploited children through social media and sold child sex abuse materialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to coercion and enticement of minors.
According to court documents, in September 2022, law enforcement interviewed Witness 1 (W-1), who admitted that he used Telegram to purchase child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a Telegram user later identified as Shannon Ashley Robbins, 50. W-1 and Robbins negotiated the price of multiple sales of CSAM and used Cash App for W-1 to pay Robbins.
Robbins asked W-1 questions to assess the age range of victims W-1 preferred. After W-1 sent $100 to Robbins using Cash App, Robbins sent several images and videos of CSAM via Telegram. The approximate age range of the depicted victims is 12 to 14 years of age. W-1 identified one boy of whom he requested more CSAM. Robbins told W-1 that his collection of this boy was “290 pieces” and told W-1 to make Robbins an offer. Robbins sold the lot for $100 and sent to W-1 14 images and six videos depicting a victim of 12 to 13 years of age. Robbins and W-1 conducted at least two other transactions for CSAM.
On Sept. 8, 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTipline report indicating a user had saved, shared, or uploaded four files of suspected CSAM, which was confirmed by NCMEC. On Sept. 19, 2022, NCMEC received another CyberTipline report relating to the same IP address of the Sept. 8, 2022, report. In this second report, 17 files of suspected CSAM were identified. The IP address was assigned with Robbins’ residence in Virginia Beach.
Robbins created multiple accounts on social media both to evade detection and to deceive multiple child victims by assuming false identities. Beginning at least as early as 2021 and continuing until the date of his arrest on Oct. 25, 2023, Robbins engaged with numerous juvenile victims to entice or coerce them into producing CSAM. As Robbins approached minor victims on social media, he presented himself as a minor, sometimes female, other times male. At times Robbins sent CSAM to the minor victims, either to create the impression that Robbins and the victims were mutual participants or to demonstrate the poses Robbins preferred. Robbins used Cash App to pay a 12-year-old victim to produce and send CSAM to Robbins.
The material Robbins sold to W-1 included 135 sexually explicit images and 153 sexually explicit videos depicting one of the victims Robbins engaged through social media and enticed or coerced to produce CSAM.
Robbins was acquainted with two of his victims, each of whom lived near him. Between July 11 and Oct. 24, 2023, Robbins exchanged approximately 1,775 text messages with one of these victims. Between May 21 and Oct. 24, 2023, Robbins exchanged approximately 3,958 text messages with the other victim. He spent time with them when no other adult was present and frequently allowed them to spend time in his garage, where the victims played darts and socialized. Robbins took the victims on outings to Bass Pro Shops and to Busch Gardens with no other adult present. Robbins previously coached a local travel baseball team.
Law enforcement seized Robbins’ cellphone on Oct. 25, 2023. On the phone, Robbins possessed a large volume of CSAM image and video files.
Robbins is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-20.
Former Office of Emergency Medical Services Associate Director pleads guilty to embezzling $4 million from the Virginia Department of HealthRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Midlothian man pled guilty yesterday to mail fraud, federal program theft, and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to misappropriate millions of dollars from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
According to court documents, beginning on Aug. 10, 2013, Adam Lamar Harrell, 41, was an employee of VDH and on Sept. 10, 2019, became the Associate Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). As OEMS’s Associate Director, Harrell was responsible for managing Virginia’s emergency response programs, epidemiology research, and the information technology systems that Virginia’s emergency medical service providers rely on, among other responsibilities.
Harrell used his position to direct payments from VDH to a company he registered and controlled, Strategic Tech Innovations, LLC. Harrell concealed his ownership of and affiliation with Strategic Tech from VDH and OEMS, and used this entity to embezzle funds from his employer through two separate means.
From January 2021 through May 2023, Harrell created 15 fraudulent invoices for services and technology that Strategic Tech would purportedly provide to OEMS. Harrell set exorbitant and non-market prices for the various line items on the invoices, knowing the vast majority of those items would not be provided by Strategic Tech. Without OEMS’s knowledge or approval, Harrell would submit these fraudulent invoices to the Western Virginia EMS Council (WVEMS), a regional emergency medical services council that serves as a pass-through for OEMS payments to vendors. Each of these invoices were paid by WVEMS with OEMS funds. By directing the invoices to WVEMS instead of Accounts Payable at OEMS, Harrell circumvented the requirement that Strategic Tech be approved as a vendor to VDH and OEMS and evaded scrutiny by the Accounts Payable department. As the Associate Director of OEMS, Harrell was able to unilaterally approve the same fraudulent Strategic Tech invoices he drafted.
Harrell deposited each of the checks he illegally received from WVEMS into the Strategic Tech checking account he controlled and used the funds for personal expenses, including the purchase of real estate, luxury vehicles, dozens of firearms, and jewelry. In total, Harrell received $4,337,395 in OEMS funds.
On March 9, 2021, Harrell filed a joint federal income tax return with his spouse for tax year 2020. On the IRS Form Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, Harrell reported being the sole proprietor of Strategic Tech, reporting $193,076 in gross receipts. He falsely reported expenses for Strategic Tech of $200,340, for a net loss of $7,264, fraudulently lowering his taxable income and generating a refund of $934. Harrell then ceased reporting any income from Strategic Tech on the federal income tax returns he filed for tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023. From November 2020 through March 2024, Harrell evaded a total of $1,880,287.34 in income taxes.
Harrell is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Summer L. Speight accepted the plea.
The Virginia State Police and the Office of the State Inspector General provided significant assistance in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Kashan Pathan are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-92.
Financial fraudster and gang member sentenced after shooting led to discoveryRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced yesterday to four years and nine months in prison for aggravated identity theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and defrauding a COVID relief program.
According to court documents, in May 2021, Marquell Lamont Moon, 31, who is a member of the Crips gang, fired approximately 27 rounds at a victim while the victim’s 3-year-old child was with him. At least one of the rounds struck the victim’s left hand. Law enforcement in Chesapeake later pursued Moon, who attempted to flee in a vehicle at high speed but crashed into a residence, fled the vehicle, and discarded a black backpack and other objects as he ran. Law enforcement recovered $8,275.66 and a stolen .45 semiautomatic handgun from Moon’s vehicle.
Moon was previously convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, reckless driving, resisting arrest, and forging credit cards. As a previously convicted felon, Moon cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Law enforcement also recovered evidence that Moon was engaged in a financial fraud scheme. Among the items recovered from Moon’s vehicle and backpack were credit and bank cards, a card embossing machine, a notebook detailing the fraudulent scheme, and correspondence with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). A total of 34 cards were either in another person’s name or there was no name associated with the card. There were also 28 blank debit/credit cards with no identifying information on the magnetic strip.
Moon fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits that had been expanded and initiated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moon unlawfully obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of 10 individuals and used that information to fraudulently apply to VEC for unemployment insurance benefits totaling $112,633. The notebook detailed the steps for committing fraudulent requests and documenting the PII of the individuals whose identities Moon used to apply for the funds. Federal agents across several states located and interviewed the PII victims and determined that they did not know Moon and had not filed for unemployment insurance in Virginia. One victim was deceased. Another victim was too apprehensive to even comply with law enforcement.
In addition to applying for benefits in the victims’ names, Moon used VEC's online portal to enter weekly re-certifications attesting that the applicants were ready and willing to work during the week and actively seeking employment. One of the identity theft victims could not have been willing to work during the week and actively seeking employment because he was deceased. Another victim was not willing to work during the week and actively seeking employment because he was retired.
Moon is currently incarcerated for malicious wounding.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton D. LaForge and Amanda L. Cheney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-35.
Richmond felon sentenced for drug trafficking while on probation for prior firearm convictionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to three years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents, on Sept. 23, 2021, Samuel Tarry, 27, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years and six months suspended for a period of five years, conditioned on Tarry’s good behavior. Tarry was released from prison on Feb. 22, 2022. Because Tarry was a confirmed member of the 13th Gang, he was assigned to a specialized probation officer.
Less than a year later, detectives with the Richmond Police Department conducted a search of Tarry’s residence, which he shared with his girlfriend and their 5-year-old child. Detectives recovered several items, including a semiautomatic firearm and associated ammunition, 75 grams of heroin, and a ledger of account names, money movement, cash deposits, and credit and debit cards in the names of multiple people.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office prosecuted the case.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-2.
Maryland man pleads guilty to illegally purchasing firearms in VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pled guilty today to making false statements to federal firearms licensees (FFLs) while purchasing firearms in Virginia.
According to court documents, between Aug. 30, 2021, and Nov. 10, 2022, Jalen Jabrielle Sweet, 24, resided in College Park, Maryland. During that time, Sweet purchased 20 firearms from FFLs in Virginia. For each of these firearm purchases, Sweet completed an ATF Form 4473, as required by federal law. In total, Sweet completed a total of 15 ATF Form 4473s, and on each of the forms Sweet listed his current address as an apartment in Woodbridge, Virginia. The Woodbridge address Sweet used on the forms was his father’s address, where Sweet only stayed periodically.
Sweet signed and dated each form by hand, certifying that his answers were “true, correct, and complete” and acknowledged that “making any false… written statement or exhibiting any false or misrepresented identification with respect to this transaction, is a crime punishable as a felony under Federal law[.]”
One of the firearms Sweet purchased using the false address was a Glock 43x pistol, purchased from Trojan Arms & Tactical Inc., at the Dulles Expo in Chantilly, Virginia, on Jan. 2, 2022. That firearm was recovered by law enforcement in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the possession of another individual on Feb. 9, 2023.
Sweet is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-36.
Former science director for the Office of Naval Research Global sentenced to 25 years in prison for child sexual exploitation convictionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A cleared research scientist at U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and former Assistant Professor at George Mason University was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for receiving, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and coercion and enticement of minors.
According to court documents, in November 2021, Daniel Marc Lofaro, 40, of Fairfax, engaged with a victim, identified as Minor 1, who was then 12 years old, on a social media app, telling the victim he was 22 years old. Lofaro told the victim in graphic detail how he would have sex with the victim and continued to entice and exploit the child even when the victim hardly responded. Lofaro requested nude images of the victim and asked the victim to join him in video chats.
In 2019, Lofaro engaged with a 14-year-old victim, identified as Minor 2, through an online dating app. Lofaro chatted with the victim on various social media and messaging apps and had voice and video calls with the victim. On multiple occasions, Lofaro asked the victim to send him sexually explicit pictures and videos. At Lofaro’s request, in February 2022, the victim created a sexually explicit video and sent it to Lofaro. Minor 2 told law enforcement that Lofaro asked for the victim’s address so he could visit the victim, and that the victim stopped talking to the defendant because he was asking the victim to send him photographs every day, even when the child was at school. Lofaro last reached out to Minor 2 on May 18, 2022, the morning law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence.
Lofaro collected CSAM for nearly a decade, amassing approximately 600 CSAM images and videos on two laptop computers. These files include images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the rape of a toddler and prepubescent children.
Between at least August 2021 and February 2022, Lofaro distributed and received numerous CSAM files through social media. Lofaro was a member of multiple social media groups dedicated to discussing sexual abuse of children and exchanging CSAM. Lofaro frequently discussed with other users his sexual interest in children and the sexual abuse of children in real life. On Feb. 5, 2022, Lofaro chatted with another individual about his sexual abuse of a minor relative while the child slept, and that he was “looking for someone who has a daughter that they are willing to share.”
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Brian Platt, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McKenzie Hightower, a Trial Attorney for the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-156.
Note: This release was revised on July 26, 2024, to reflect that Daniel Marc Lofaro is not a current George Mason University employee. He has not worked for the university since May 2021.
Newport News fraudster pleads guilty after stealing service member’s identityRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News woman pled guilty today to using a service member’s identity to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, in late 2022, Ceara Smith, 25, was in contact with a victim, identified as “A.D.,” an active-duty member of the United States Air Force. Smith represented to A.D., who is a musician, that she was a music concert promoter and led A.D. to believe that he would have the opportunity to perform as an opening act at a concert. A.D. was instructed to pay a fee and to provide his personal information. When A.D. was unable to complete the fee payment using peer-to-peer payment applications, he provided his username and password for PayPal to allow her to make the payment. A.D. was never hired to perform at a concert as promised.
In 2022, Smith contacted A.D. again, claiming to be an ambassador for car rental company Turo, telling A.D. that if he completed a training program with Turo, they would both benefit financially. Smith offered to complete the training program on A.D.’s behalf. A.D. created an online account with Turo, submitted his debit card banking information, and uploaded a photograph of his driver license. A.D. then provided his Turo username and password to Smith, who told A.D. to expect a payment between $10,000 and $20,000. He never received any payment.
In January 2023, Smith submitted an online inquiry in A.D.’s name to purchase a 2015 Dodge Charger from Your Kar Company in Norfolk. Impersonating A.D., Smith attempted to secure funding to purchase the vehicle through the regular financing used by Your Kar Company and through secondary financing options but was unsuccessful. Instead, on Jan. 10, 2023, Smith electronically submitted to Langley Federal Credit Union (LFCU) a vehicle loan application in the amount of $25,005 using A.D.’s name and other personal identifying information (PII), including his social security number, driver license number, and date of birth.
At various times between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, 2023, Smith contacted LCFU and Your Kar Company pretending to be A.D. or an LFCU employee. Smith repeatedly used deception and misrepresentations to fraudulently provide authorizations and to avoid having to appear in person for identity verification. The car loan application ultimately was approved by LFCU and received by Your Kar Company. Pretending to be A.D., Smith completed the paperwork for purchasing the 2015 Dodge Charger online and over the phone and, pretending to be A.D.’s sister, dropped off the paperwork and took possession of the car.
On Jan. 17, 2023, Smith applied for and received two credit cards and a debit card with LFCU in A.D.’s name. Smith immediately took an $800 cash advance on one of the cards and then used another card to make several purchases. She attempted to use another card to make a purchase, but the card was declined as suspected fraud. The following day, Smith impersonated A.D. to request that LFCU issue new credit cards. LFCU issued new cards as requested and, over the next two days, Smith used one of those credit cards to make several more purchases and to take two additional cash advances in the amounts of $500 and $400.
When that credit card was flagged for suspected fraud, Smith contacted LFCU to attempt to unblock the card and again impersonated both A.D. and LFCU employees. On Jan. 20, 2023, LFCU was able to contact the real A.D. and informed him that he may have been the victim of identity theft. On March 20, 2023, an LFCU collections representative attempted to contact A.D. at the phone number on file, which was used by Smith, because no payments had been made to either credit card issued in A.D.’s name. Smith, pretending to be A.D., expressed concern that the credit cards had been blocked and asked when they could be used again, claiming that A.D. was going to be deployed soon.
On June 23, 2023, LFCU repossessed the 2015 Dodge Charger after payments were not made on the loan obtained in A.D.’s name. LFCU provided permission for law enforcement to search the vehicle, and law enforcement recovered from the Dodge Charger, among other items, a debit card in A.D.’s name, receipts from purchases made on May 17 and 20, 2023, using a debit card in A.D.’s name, a FedEx package addressed to A.D. at an address in Hampton, and a photograph of Smith and an unknown individual.
Smith pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and a mandatory term of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, to be served consecutively with any other term of imprisonment imposed. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-45.
Woodbridge man convicted again for possessing child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Woodbridge man today on charges of receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 23, 2023, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at the residence of Matthew Scott Rocco, 38. At the time of the search, Rocco was on federal supervised release for a 2017 conviction in the Eastern District of Virginia for possession of CSAM. HSI agents and officers from the United States Probation Department encountered Rocco on the driveway exiting the garage of the residence and located a cellphone in his back pocket.
The phone was seized and manually and forensically searched. In the notes section of the phone, darknet addresses were listed, most of which providing links to child pornography. The phone contained a download history in the “My Files DB” database showing filenames indicative of CSAM and thumbnail images of Rocco’s personal documents, such as payroll records and CSAM among other files. A folder titled “Balalaika_1,” contained ten videos, downloaded on Feb. 16 and 17, 2023, each depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The phone kept a history of what videos had been played that included files indicative of CSAM. The files Rocco accessed included CSAM ranging from Jan. 23, 2023, to April 21, 2023, two days before the date of the federal search. The search also revealed that several files with names indicative of CSAM were viewed on the phone using an external drive.
Rocco faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on Oct. 31. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff returned the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Prinz, a Trial Attorney with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-25.
North Chesterfield drug trafficker returning to prison for 15 years for drug trafficking and firearms convictionsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A North Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, in 2020, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Richmond and Petersburg areas. Law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin from conspirators who were charged and convicted of narcotics trafficking. Those conspirators, and others, identified Curtis James Dickerson, 55, as the narcotics supplier for the organization.
Dickerson was the leader of this large-scale drug trafficking organization and was responsible for conspiring to distribute and distributing 40 kilograms of heroin, 40 kilograms of fentanyl, and 10 kilograms of cocaine in the two-years leading up to his arrest. He also maintained premises for drug packaging and distribution.
In September 2022, investigators searched one of Dickerson’s residences. In addition to finding distribution quantities of fentanyl and heroin, investigators recovered industrial mixers with cocaine residue, digital scales, money counters, respirators that are worn while packaging fentanyl, a hydraulic press used to repackage narcotics, gloves with fentanyl residue, seven cellphones, a satellite phone, jewelry, and multiple high-end vehicles.
Investigators also recovered a .223 caliber semiautomatic handgun along with two 30-round magazines, a 45-round magazine, and assorted ammunition from a safe hidden inside a wall in Dickerson’s bedroom. Dickerson has two prior drug trafficking convictions, including a prior federal conviction in the Eastern District of Virginia for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, Dickerson cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The Virginia State Police assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea and Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-37.
Final defendant sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in a fentanyl and firearm trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Sterling woman was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine and straw purchasing firearms and ammunition for convicted felons.
From at least June 2022 through August 2023, Kaitlyn Marie Hammond, 26, her husband Carrington Hammond, 30, and co-conspirator Mohamed Amine Haddou, 29, received frequent and large shipments of drugs through USPS, UPS, and FedEx from suppliers Aaron Mitchell and Iram Leyva in Arizona, and redistributed them throughout Virginia. The drugs included cocaine, powdered fentanyl, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl each month.
Law enforcement identified at least 19 such packages mailed by Mitchell and Leyva to Carrington Hammond, Haddou, and Kaitlyn Hammond. On average, Mitchell and Leyva sent packages twice per month, with each package containing 10,000 to 20,000 fentanyl pills and one to two kilograms of cocaine. On at least one occasion in late July 2023, Kaitlyn Hammond coordinated and received a shipment containing 50,000 fentanyl pills from Mitchell.
On August 10, 2023, federal authorities searched an apartment Kaitlyn Hammond shared with Haddou in Alexandria while Carrington Hammond was incarcerated. During the search, law enforcement seized 2.2 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 50,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, and 2.5 kilograms of marijuana. Most of the fentanyl pills also contained xylazine. Authorities also found a loaded CZ Scorpion assault weapon that had been purchased by Kaitlyn Hammond next to the drug stash.
After the August 2023 search and before her arrest, Kaitlyn Hammond attempted to intimidate another witness from speaking with law enforcement.
During the drug trafficking conspiracy, Kaitlyn Hammond, who possessed a concealed carry permit that allowed her to purchase multiple firearms on the same day, purchased numerous firearms that she and Carrington Hammond possessed in furtherance of the conspiracy. Kaitlyn Hammond knew that Carrington Hammond, for whom she was purchasing the firearms, was a convicted felon and had pending drug and firearms charges in Maryland and, therefore, could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Kaitlyn Hammond also purchased firearms that she and Carrington Hammond resold for profit, some of which were later recovered in connection with criminal activity or from individuals prohibited from possessing them. A semi-automatic pistol was recovered from a domestic violence kidnapping incident just 10 days after it was purchased by Kaitlyn Hammond from a firearms dealer in Virginia. Another semi-automatic pistol Kaitlyn Hammond purchased from a firearms dealer in Virginia was recovered following the arrest of a drug trafficker, who was a convicted felon, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. When law enforcement seized the firearm, it was equipped with an extended magazine and 12 rounds of ammunition.
Carrington Hammond pled guilty on Oct. 24, 2023, to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced on Feb. 13 to 15 years in prison.
Haddou pled guilty on Oct. 31, 2023, to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 10 years in prison. Mitchell pled guilty on Nov. 1, 2023, to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 14 years in prison. Leyva pled guilty on March 20 to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced on June 11 to 15 years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Raul Pedroso, Interim Alexandria Chief of Police; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin S. Starr and Heather D. Call prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-166 (Carrington Hammond), 1:23-cr-169 (Haddou), 1:23-cr-175 (Mitchell), 1:24-cr-45 (Leyva) and 1:24-cr-86 (Kaitlyn Hammond).
Serial fraudster sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for scamming student insurance programRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman was sentenced today to two years and two months in prison for repeatedly submitting fraudulent health insurance claims and illegally collecting $128,748 in payments to which she was not entitled.
According to court documents, in 2018, Khin Phoo Ngon, aka Karen Ngon and Kyaw Zaw Ni, 27, was a student at George Washington University and enrolled in a study-abroad program in Sydney, Australia. Ngon purchased a health insurance policy through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), a company that provides health insurance for study-abroad students and educational travel groups. Under CISI’s policies, when students pay out-of-pocket for health-related costs abroad, they can submit claims for reimbursement along with an image of the claim and proof of payment.
On Nov. 13, 2018, Ngon submitted a fraudulent claim for reimbursement for an appendectomy, purportedly performed at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, along with a forged invoice for $107,368.31 in Australian currency (approximately $79,715 U.S.). The claimed dates of service were Oct. 28-29, 2018, during which time Ngon was in the United States. CISI paid the claim.
In 2019, Ngon enrolled in another study-abroad program, this time in Zurich, Switzerland. Ngon traveled to Switzerland, but withdrew from the program and returned to the United States on June 10, 2019. Prior to returning, however, Ngon submitted a fraudulent claim to CISI for treatment for a “minor heart attack,” along with a forged invoice from University Hospital of Zurich for 48,670 Swiss francs (approximately $49,029 U.S.). Ngon received treatment at University Hospital of Zurich, but the actual payment was 800 Swiss francs. CISI paid the claim, and Ngon used proceeds from the second reimbursement to pay restitution in a prior criminal case in which she committed fraud and identity theft.
Ngon later purchased a second policy through CISI. On July 23, 2019, she submitted a fraudulent claim, asserting that she had had her appendix removed again at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, along with a forged invoice for $152,368.31 Australian (approximately $106,606 U.S.). The claimed dates of service were July 14-15, 2019, and, again, Ngon was in the United States on the purported dates of service. This time, CISI denied the claim.
On Dec. 18, 2019, Ngon submitted a fourth claim, this time for emergency dental care in Brussels, Belgium, along with forged records indicating she had paid €15,175 to a dentist and €3,719 to a pharmacy (approximately $21,040 U.S.). The claimed date of service was Dec. 16, 2019, on which date Ngon was in the United States. CISI denied this claim as well.
Additionally, Ngon recently pled guilty to fraud and identity theft charges in the District of Columbia in connection with a scheme she engaged in to defraud a pandemic relief program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District of Columbia implemented the STAY DC program, a means-tested program to provide financial relief to qualifying renters experiencing financial hardship. Beginning in 2021, Ngon submitted fraudulent applications for relief through the program, four times in her own name and three times in the names of others, including one person who did not live in Washington, resulting in program payouts that cost the District of Columbia more than $246,000. On April 23, Ngon pled guilty in the D.C. Superior Court to six charges related to the fraud on STAY DC. Sentencing in that case is set for Aug. 9.
After Ngon pleaded guilty to the charges in the Eastern District of Virginia and in Washington, D.C., she directed her sister to create websites in her own name with false information about her educational, professional, and philanthropic history. One of the websites purported to be for a fictitious charity founded by the defendant to provide food and other aid to the people of Myanmar, and advertised “partnership opportunities,” including the opportunity to make “financial contributions.” At sentencing, Ngon acknowledged this additional deceptive conduct.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-62.
Portsmouth Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Possessing Fentanyl and FirearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, the investigation into Carlton Jamel Dillard, 40, began on December 31, 2022, when a Portsmouth ambulance found an unconscious male who was suffering from gunshot wounds in the middle of Randolph Street. The male was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Police discovered the crime scene to be at 1700 Atlanta Avenue with several spent cartridge casings. During the investigation, the police learned that the victim had a conflict with another narcotics distributor, identified as “Mel,” who detectives determined was Carlton Jamel Dillard. A witness stated that Dillard arrived in an unknown vehicle as a passenger with an unknown driver in front of 1700 Atlanta Avenue. Dillard and the driver approached on foot and started firing shots at the victim.
Based on this information, on January 1, 2023, a felony arrest warrant for homicide was issued in the City of Portsmouth for Dillard, and police attempted to located him. Two days later, law enforcement found Dillard, took him into custody, and searched him incident to arrest. On his person, law enforcement recovered eight capsules of fentanyl and keys to a parked SUV. Within plain view, detectives observed a 9mm ammunition box in the back seat of the SUV and a digital scale. Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for the SUV and, from within the vehicle, recovered a loaded black CZ 75 P-01 semi-automatic pistol, four clear plastic bags, cocaine, a digital scale, and ammunition from the back seat. After being advised of his rights, Dillard admitted to shooting the victim with the firearm recovered during the search.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan M. Montoya prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-64.
Multiple-Time Convicted Felon and Former U.S. Postal Service Carrier Sentenced for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for theft of mail by a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee.
According to court documents, Terell Taylor, 40, a USPS employee and postal carrier assigned to deliver mail in Richmond from at least April 2023 through December 2023, stole mail entrusted to his care on multiple occasions. Taylor then sold stolen mail in bulk to a co-conspirator in exchange for cash. For instance, on November 29, 2023, Taylor removed mail from the mail stream in his USPS vehicle and placed the mail in two black trash bags. Then, Taylor sold the two black trash bags for $300.
Taylor was a multiple-time convicted felon, with over 20 prior convictions for felony theft-related offenses. He also had prior convictions for eluding police and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Taylor is no longer employed by the USPS.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-28.
Repeat Fraudster Sentenced for Leading Pandemic Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman was sentenced today to five years in prison for identity theft and leading a conspiracy to defraud the government and financial institutions for pandemic-related loans and other benefits.
According to court documents, Lapondia Wallace, 53, was responsible for at least 22 fraudulent pandemic loan applications and five additional fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. This fraud resulted in more than $250,000 in loss to the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Wallace withdrew substantial amounts of the fraud proceeds as U.S. currency before they could be seized and spent the money on gambling, travel, and luxury retail items like clothing and shoes.
Wallace has at least fifteen prior convictions for fraud, forgery, and related offenses, including a 2021 federal conviction for mail fraud. She committed the pandemic fraud at issue while under court supervision for her prior federal conviction for mail fraud. In her prior federal case, Wallace and her co-conspirators repeatedly filed fraudulent insurance claims.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-66.
Williamsburg man sentenced for soliciting sex with a minorRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Williamsburg man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempted online coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, during an undercover operation targeting child exploitation and human trafficking, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer from Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent posed as a female interested in sexual activity and “cash” on a website commonly used for escorts and adult services. On May 25, 2023, the agent was contacted via text message by Nico Mariano Villegas, 32. Believing he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl, Villegas arranged to meet her in Norfolk and pay her $150 for oral sex.
After exchanging photographs, including several pictures of himself, Villegas drove to the location where they had agreed to meet. When law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop by activating their emergency lights and blocking Villegas’ vehicle, Villegas accelerated forward, striking the police vehicles, and later abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. An HSI Task Force Officer from the Virginia State Police eventually located Villegas hiding behind a nearby retail store and arrested him.
HSI investigators discovered copies of the conversations and identified child sexual abuse material on Villegas’ phone.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mozzi prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-120.
Washington felon sentenced for illegally purchasing ammunition in VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington man was sentenced yesterday to a year and six months in prison for illegally acquiring ammunition after a previous felony firearm conviction.
According to court documents, April 13, 2023, Kiyel Tyquello Kearney, aka “KhiGlock,” and “Glock,” 20, was convicted in the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County, Maryland, of unlawful possession of a loaded handgun in a vehicle. Approximately three weeks following his Maryland conviction, on May 3, 2023, Kearney traveled to Arlington and purchased ammunition from a federally licensed gun store. As a previously convicted felon, Kearney could not legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-4.
Chesapeake men sentenced for armed robbery of letter carrier and cashing stolen checks and money ordersRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Chesapeake men were sentenced to prison for bank fraud, identity theft, and armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier.
According to court documents, on Dec. 18, 2022, Postal Inspectors along with the Chesapeake Police Department (CPD) conducted surveillance at the Chesapeake Main Post Office. They observed a vehicle arriving at 11:37 p.m. Two people exited the vehicle and used an arrow key to access the blue mail collection boxes while the driver, Isaiah J. Card, 24, remained in the vehicle. An arrow key is a U.S. Postal key with an engraved symbol and a serial number. Arrow keys open various types of mailboxes in a specific area, including blue collection boxes and apartment panel mailboxes.
When the two individuals who stole mail from the collection boxes ran back to the vehicle, law enforcement prevented the vehicle from leaving. While Postal Inspectors detained Card, CPD pursued the other two individuals, who fled on foot. The fleeing suspects abandoned their bag filled with approximately 250 pieces of stolen mail. CPD was able to locate one of the two, Dahnico Jharon McCoy, aka Donny, 22. Officers also found clothing McCoy discarded as he fled, which included the same distinct jacket seen in at least five prior collection box break-ins.
A search of the vehicle revealed numerous stolen checks and Western Union Money Orders that had been stolen from previous mail heists. Some of the money orders had been “washed" and made out in McCoy and Card’s names. These forged money orders contained the names and account numbers of various victims who had their mail stolen.
On April 19, 2023, Card and McCoy traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, and, while armed with a firearm, robbed a mail carrier for another arrow key. McCoy made a motion indicating to the mail carrier that he possessed a firearm, and the pair fled. On April 20, 2023, mail from a number of postal boxes in the Raleigh area was stolen using that arrow key. On April 27, 2023, a traffic stop was conducted on their vehicle and Card and McCoy were arrested. A search of their vehicle revealed the stolen arrow key, a handgun, and at least 180 stolen checks, some of which had already been washed.
On Feb. 8, 2024, McCoy and Card pled guilty to possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. On June 21, McCoy was sentenced to seven years in prison. Card was sentenced today to seven years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ajay Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-20.
Armed career criminal sentenced for straw purchasing 19 firearmsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for making false statements to illegally straw-purchase firearms.
According to court documents, Dartanguia Antonious Lee, aka Donte, Dante, Dionte, Snoop, Snookie and Bully, 42, is an armed career criminal with several previous felony convictions, including serious drug crimes and five convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon. Beginning in December 2019 and continuing until March 2020, Lee used his girlfriend as a straw-purchaser to obtain at least 19 firearms from four federally licensed firearms dealers. As a previously convicted felon, Lee cannot purchase or possess firearms or ammunition. Lee often transferred the firearms to other convicted felons who could not purchase their own. Some of those firearms have already been recovered by law enforcement.
Lee was apprehended in Greensboro, North Carolina, in September 2022, months after his federal indictment in Virginia. He was apprehended as part of a drug trafficking investigation that involved multiple firearms. Lee still faces pending charges in North Carolina.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-44.
Purcellville man sentenced for paying Philippine sex trafficker to sexually abuse children on live webcamsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Purcellville man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his sexual exploitation of five children and his receipt and possession of thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Raymond Lee Chavez, 70, was a consultant on issues related to climate change and served international clients, including the United Nations. Between April 2017 and April 2022, Chavez purchased at least 15 livestreaming webcam shows involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of five prepubescent children from child sex traffickers based in the Philippines. Chavez recorded segments of several livestreams with his cell phone and saved the videos to his external hard drives.
Chavez and the traffickers communicated to arrange times for the shows, negotiate payment, and discuss the sex acts that Chavez wanted the children to perform. Often, prior to the start of the livestream, Chavez had a video call with the trafficker to preview the child. During this preview, Chavez asked the trafficker to display the child and confirm the child would perform certain sex acts. Once Chavez paid, the trafficker livestreamed the sexual abuse of the child, and on at least one occasion multiple children at once, being abused and performing sex acts. Chavez often wanted the children to wear makeup and “sexy stockings.” During the sexual abuse, Chavez continued to communicate with the trafficker and gave specific instructions about what he wanted to see the children do.
During a search of his residence on March 1, 2023, law enforcement found six different electronic devices containing more than 5,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Chavez had collected the CSAM between February 2003 and July 2022. The CSAM included depictions of the sexual abuse of toddlers and other prepubescent children. Chavez also used his computer to conduct numerous internet searches related to child prostitution and sex tourism in foreign countries. For example, in July and August 2012, Chavez searched for “child prostitution in cambodia 2012” and “xanax and viagra purchase in cambodia.” Chavez’s passport shows that he was issued, and used, a visa to visit Cambodia between July 27, 2012, and August 27, 2012.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-180.
Portsmouth drug trafficker sentenced for illegally possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for being a felon in possession of multiple firearms.
According to court documents, on April 24, 2023, officers with Portsmouth Special Investigations Unit arrested Ryan Patrick Duggan, 41, on outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions, in the parking lot of a Motel 6 located in downtown Portsmouth.
At the time of the arrest, Duggan was working on a red moped in the parking lot. Law enforcement had observed Duggan in and around two BMW vehicles and a motorcycle. The moped and motorcycle were later identified as having been stolen. A law enforcement K-9 alerted on both BMW vehicles.
Law enforcement obtained search warrants for the BMW vehicles and Duggan’s room at the Motel 6. In the room, investigators found a 9mm handgun with no serial number, ammunition, and suspected narcotics. The handgun was equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), enabling the handgun to operate as a fully automatic firearm.
One of the BMW vehicles displayed a North Carolina rear license plate that was not associated with it. Detectives searched the vehicle and recovered ammunition, a loaded magazine, a pill bottle containing suspected narcotics, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .223 rifle, a .726 rifle, and a 9mm pistol with a collapsible stock. The suspected narcotics were later determined to be 13 pills of gabapentin, .5328 grams of methamphetamine, and 10.9 grams of fentanyl.
Duggan has nine previous felony convictions. As a previously convicted felon, Duggan cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Cheney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Miller, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-80.
Dumfries businesswoman sentenced for employment tax crimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries woman was sentenced today to one year and three months in prison and payment of $950,100.18 in restitution of for not paying employment taxes to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gail Jones, 57, was a co-owner who also served as Director, Vice President and President of S&G Property Management Inc. (S&G), a parcel delivery service. Between 2013 and 2018, Jones caused income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes to be withheld from S&G’s employees. However, Jones did not pay those withholdings to the IRS as she was required to do. Moreover, to thwart potential IRS levies and other collection activities, Jones opened new bank accounts using other individuals’ social security numbers, as well as new Employer Identification Numbers, and variations of her business’ name. Between December 2016 and December 2018, she withdrew over $450,000 in cash from business bank accounts in lieu of paying the taxes owed.
In total, Jones caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $950,000.
Additionally, Jones fraudulently applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, which were part of a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans to certain businesses to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Jones applied for the loans even though S&G was no longer operating. She fraudulently received $20,800 in loans.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Marissa Brodney of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-50.
Child rapist sentenced for receiving child pornography and assaulting a federal officerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national who raped a 13-year-old victim was sentenced today to five years in prison for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, Jhoan Esau Lemus Ramos, 23, illegally entered the United States in 2021. In February 2022, Lemus Ramos contacted a 13-year-old girl through SnapChat. In March 2022, Lemus Ramos met the victim in a parking lot in Herndon. When the victim attempted to resist Lemus Ramos’ sexual advances, he forcibly raped her.
For the next several months through at least August 2022, Lemus Ramos repeatedly asked the victim for nude or semi-nude photographs. She eventually complied and sent the photos via cellphone. When she wanted to stop interacting with him, he used the photos to threaten her and force her to have sex with him. The threats only stopped when the victim contacted Herndon Police for help.
A forensic examination revealed messages between him and the victim as well as CSAM.
On Jan. 4, 2024, Deportation Officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., arrived at Lemus Ramos’ residence in Springfield with a warrant for his arrest. As they attempted to arrest Lemus Ramos, he struck an officer in the face, causing an injury that required stitches and left a lasting scar.
This is the second federal conviction for assaulting, resisting, and impeding an ICE officer in the Eastern District of Virginia this year. On Jan. 4, Jose Reyes Rubio pled guilty for causing injury to an ICE officer during an arrest in Woodbridge.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Liana Castano, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sehar Sabir and April Russo prosecuted the case, with assistance from Special Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Cohn.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-34.
Aldie man charged in multi-million dollar investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an Aldie man with wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions relating to his scheme to defraud dozens of investors in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Missouri, and elsewhere, causing millions of dollars in losses.
According to court documents, Babu Ramaraj, 46, and his wife owned DAB Inspection and Consulting Services, LLC (DAB), a small home contractor with modest revenues doing patio and deck projects. Ramaraj allegedly stated that DAB had lucrative contracts with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and others, and was a joint venture partner on a Washington DC Water Clean Rivers Project, for tens of millions of dollars each, supposedly to perform engineering inspection work on huge infrastructure projects. As alleged in the indictment, Ramaraj claimed he needed to make large upfront bond payments to secure the work but could not obtain bank financing because of the relative youth of DAB as a company and the speed with which DAB needed to secure the funding, which was supposedly not feasible with banks.
In support of his claims, Ramaraj allegedly supplied to victims falsified contract award letters, invoices, DAB financial records, and other documents to induce dozens of investors to loan DAB more than $20 million in aggregate. In reality, according to the indictment, Ramaraj forged the contract documents and the supposed bonds were never paid.
From January 2020 through May 2024, Ramaraj allegedly pitched individuals, including members of his Loudon County cricket league, the opportunity to loan DAB money at high interest rates, annualized at over 100% in some instances. Using money from later investors, Ramaraj allegedly paid initial investors the promised returns to entice them to continue investing and to recruit other friends and family to invest.
Instead of paying for the promised bonds, according to the indictment Ramaraj electronically transferred investor funds to his and his spouse’s online brokerage accounts to engage in securities trades, wired over $1 million to accounts in India in his spouse’s name, purchased several automobiles, obtained real properties, and made other payments to fund his lifestyle.
If convicted, Ramaraj faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and up to 10 years in prison for each count of unlawful monetary transactions.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Jehmal T. Hudson, Chair of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, made the announcement.
Ramaraj was arrested on a criminal complaint and ordered detained pending trial before Senior United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg is prosecuting the case.
Anyone who may have been a victim in this case or who may have information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the FBI’s Washington Field Office at (202) 278-2000 or the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Information may also be submitted online using FBI’s electronic tips form at https://tips.fbi.gov.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-147.
Two Virginia men plead guilty to trafficking in fake IDsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men pled guilty today to importing, manufacturing, and trafficking fraudulent identity documents.
According to court documents, Arya Ebrahimi, 28, of Gainesville, and Tarik Sayed Metwally, 31, of Fairfax, imported high-quality counterfeit driver licenses and identification cards from China to the United States. Ebrahimi and Metwally operated an online enterprise using various websites, including apexsfakes.com and fakeyourdrank.com, to sell counterfeit IDs.
Ebrahimi opened bank accounts in the name of Top Notch IT Services, Inc., and Apex Tech Services, Inc., through which customers deposited payments through such payment platforms as Zelle. To receive shipments of fake IDs from China, they used fraudulent IDs and fake names. Ebrahimi rented a box in Manassas under the name Brian Padilla using a fake Illinois driver license and a box in Gainesville under the name Jordan Kalan using a fake North Carolina driver license. Metwally rented a box in Fairfax under the name Omar Mustafa using a fake Illinois driver license and a box in Vienna under the name Ahmed Mohammed using another fake Illinois driver license.
The fraudulent identification documents were sold to individuals across the United States. In addition to individuals who wanted to appear 21-years-old or older, some customers were foreign nationals, others had criminal histories for fraud and firearms convictions, and one individual who used a fake ID to operate a scheme to sell stolen vehicles. Ebrahimi and Metwally made or procured thousands of fake identification documents. Their criminal enterprise continued until at least July 2020. On Aug. 8, 2022, Ebrahimi knowingly engaged in a financial transaction of criminally derived property in the transfer of $29,736.83.
Ebrahimi is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18 and faces up to 15 years in prison for trafficking in false identification documents and 10 years in prison for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. Metwally is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4 and faces up to 15 years in prison for trafficking in false identification documents. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph D. G. Castro are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-53.
WikiLeaks Founder Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain and Disclose Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
Julian P. Assange, 52, the founder of WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty today to conspiring with Chelsea Manning, at that time a U.S. Army intelligence analyst, to unlawfully obtain and disclose classified documents relating to the national defense. After obtaining classified national defense information from Manning, and aware of the harm that dissemination of such national defense information would cause, Assange disclosed this information on WikiLeaks.
The guilty plea concludes a criminal matter that dates back to March 2018, when Assange was first indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia. There, and in superseding indictments, Assange was charged with conspiring with Manning, then a “Top Secret” U.S. security clearance holder, to further Manning’s unlawful acquisition and transmission of bulk classified information, including Manning’s use of a government computer to illegally download hundreds of thousands of classified documents and transmit them without authorization to WikiLeaks.
Assange was detained in the United Kingdom based on the U.S. charges for the last 62 months, while he contested extradition. As part of the plea agreement, Assange was transported to the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to enter his felony guilty plea and be sentenced on the morning of June 26 (Saipan local time) in a U.S. courtroom, with the venue reflecting Assange’s opposition to traveling to the continental United States to enter his guilty plea and the proximity of this federal U.S. District Court to Assange’s country of citizenship, Australia, to which he will return. At today’s proceeding, Assange admitted to his role in the conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act and received a court-imposed 62-month time-served sentence, reflecting the time he served in U.K. prison as a result of the U.S. charges. Following the imposition of sentence, he will depart the United States for his native Australia. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Assange is prohibited from returning to the United States without permission.
Beginning in late 2009, Assange and WikiLeaks actively solicited United States classified information, including by publishing a list of “Most Wanted Leaks” that sought, among other things, bulk classified documents. As set forth in the public charging documents, Assange actively solicited and recruited people who had access, authorized or otherwise, to classified information and were willing to provide that information to him and WikiLeaks—and also solicited hackers who could obtain unauthorized access to classified information through computer network intrusions. Assange publicly encouraged his prospective recruits to obtain the information he desired by any means necessary, including hacking and theft, and to send that information to Assange at WikiLeaks.
Between January 2010 and May 2010, in the course of the conspiracy with Assange, Manning used U.S. government computer systems to download hundreds of thousands of documents and reports, many of them classified at the SECRET level and relating to the national defense, which signified that unauthorized disclosure could cause serious damage to United States national security. In total, Manning downloaded four nearly complete U.S. government databases that contained, among other things, approximately 90,000 Afghanistan war-related significant activity reports, 400,000 Iraq war-related significant activity reports, 800 Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF GTMO) detainee assessment briefs, and 250,000 U.S. Department of State cables. Manning also downloaded files regarding rules of engagement in the Iraq war, most of which were classified at the SECRET level and which delineated the circumstances and limitations under which United States forces would initiate or conduct combat engagement with other forces.
After downloading digital reams of classified documents and files, Manning electronically sent them to Assange to be publicly posted on WikiLeaks’s website. During Manning’s bulk exfiltration and passage of classified materials to WikiLeaks, Manning and Assange communicated regularly via online platforms about Manning’s progress and what classified information Assange wanted. For example, after sending the classified JTF GTMO detainee assessment briefs to Assange, Manning told Assange “thats [sic] all I really have got left.” To encourage Manning to continue to take classified documents from the United States and provide them to Assange and WikiLeaks without authorization, Assange replied, “curious eyes never run dry in my experience.”
In or about 2010 and 2011, Assange publicly disclosed via the WikiLeaks website hundreds of thousands of documents that Manning had taken without authorization and given to him, including approximately 75,000 Afghanistan war-related significant activity reports, classified up to the Secret level; 400,000 Iraq war-related significant activity reports, classified up to the Secret level; 800 JTF GTMO detainee assessment briefs, classified up to the Secret level; and over 100,000 State Department cables, some of which were classified up to the Secret level.
Unlike news organizations that published redacted versions of some of the classified documents that Assange obtained from Manning and then shared with those organizations, Assange and WikiLeaks disclosed many of the raw classified documents without removing any personally identifying information. Specifically, in many instances, the classified documents Manning unlawfully provided to Assange were later released publicly by Assange and WikiLeaks in a raw or unredacted form that placed individuals who had assisted the U.S. government at great personal risk. Assange’s decision to reveal the names of human sources illegally shared with him by Manning created a grave and imminent risk to human life. For example, the State Department cables that WikiLeaks disseminated included information from journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates, and political dissidents who had chosen to provide information to the United States in confidence at significant risk to their own safety. By publicly releasing these documents without redacting the names of human sources or other identifying information, Assange subjected these individuals to serious harm and arbitrary detention. Assange even acknowledged in public statements that he knew that publicly disclosing unredacted classified documents containing the names and other identifying information of people who had shared information with the U.S. government in confidence could put those people at risk of harm.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Assange’s arrest and in litigating Assange’s extradition. The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service, National Extradition Unit (and its predecessor in the Metropolitan Police Service), and Central Authority also provided significant assistance to the extradition proceedings over the past five years. Logistical support was also provided by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency’s Joint International Crime Centre, U.K. law enforcement agencies, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES), U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia handled the case. U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson for the District of Guam and NMI, CES Deputy Chief Matthew McKenzie, and National Security Cyber Section Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery represented the United States in the NMI proceedings. CES Trial Attorneys Nicholas Hunter and Adam Small, and Trial Attorney Rachel Yasser and Legal Advisor/International Affairs Coordinator Amanda June Chadwick of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance.
Link to Criminal Information
Link to Plea Agreement
Hampton cocaine trafficker pleads guilty to federal drug and firearm crimesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to cocaine trafficking and illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2024, an officer with the Newport News Police Department (NNPD) observed Erick Allen Osby, 29, showing a firearm to another individual in a parking lot on Warwick Boulevard. Osby then walked back to his vehicle and placed the firearm on the front passenger seat, then walked across Warwick. The officer confirmed that the firearm was in the vehicle and notified uniformed officers, who were on the other side of Warwick for an unrelated matter.
As officers observed Osby interacting with another individual, they noticed a partially concealed handgun in Osby’s pants pocket. An officer approached Osby, but before contact could be made, Osby ran back across Warwick toward his vehicle. During the short foot pursuit, Osby threw a cellphone and a loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun into the median before being apprehended.
Investigators recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun from the vehicle, as well as a shotgun cartridge, two digital scales, and assorted drug paraphernalia. They also recovered 20.72 grams of cocaine from Osby’s pocket. As a previously convicted felon, Osby cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Osby pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison for the drug charge and a consecutive sentence of a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for the firearm charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf is prosecuting the case.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 24-cr-26.
Chesterfield couple sentenced for forcing victim to labor for years at their gas station and convenience storeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield couple was sentenced today for compelling the labor of the man’s younger cousin at their gas station and convenience store for over three years. The couple has since divorced.
Harmanpreet Singh, 31, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison and Kulbir Kaur, 43, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.
“The defendants exploited their relationship with the victim to lure him to the United States with false promises that they would help enroll him in school, and then subjected him to physical and mental abuse to keep him working for their own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentence should send a strong message that human trafficking will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable.”
“The crimes committed by these defendants are not merely violations of the law; they are an affront to humanity,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These defendants preyed on the victim’s earnest desire to attain an education and improve his life. Instead, they deprived him of the most basic human needs and robbed him of his freedom. We remain steadfastly committed to securing justice for victims of human trafficking.”
“The defendants lured the victim to travel from India to Virginia to work at their gas station where they exploited him for over three years,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will continue to work in all communities to stop forced labor trafficking and the psychological and physical violence that comes with it.”
Following a two-week trial in January, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Virginia convicted Singh and Kaur of conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, harboring for financial gain, and document servitude. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that, in 2018, the defendants enticed the victim, Singh’s cousin and then a minor, to travel to the United States from India with false promises of helping enroll him in school. After arriving in the United States, the defendants took the victim’s immigration documents and instead forced him to provide labor and services at Singh’s store for over three years, between March 2018 and May 2021.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Singh and Kaur compelled the victim to work at the store — including cleaning, cooking, stocking and handling the cash register and store records — between 12 to 17 hours a day, nearly every day, for minimal pay. Singh and Kaur used various coercive means, including subjecting the victim to physical abuse and, at times, degrading living conditions to compel him to continue working.
The evidence showed that the defendants left the victim at the store to sleep in a back office for days at a time on multiple occasions, limited his access to food, refused to provide medical care or education, used surveillance equipment to monitor the victim both at the store and in their home, refused his requests to return to India and made him overstay his visa. The defendants also forced the victim to marry Kaur and used that marriage to threaten to take the victim’s family’s properties or falsely report him to the police if he left. The evidence showed that Singh pulled the victim’s hair, slapped and kicked him when he requested his immigration documents back and tried to leave and, on three different occasions, threatened the victim with a revolver for trying to take a day off and for trying to leave.
The FBI Richmond Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Peter S. Duffey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-92.
Midlothian man pleads guilty to federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Midlothian man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Oct. 22, 2022, Chesterfield County Police officers were looking for a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee, which they located on Branchs Woods Lane in Chesterfield County. Officers observed Matthew Chambliss Coleman, 42, jump out of the front passenger seat and run through the front and then back yard of a nearby home. As Coleman was running through the back yard, he threw a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, which officers later recovered. Coleman attempted to hide in another yard, but aerial surveillance guided officers to his location and Coleman was arrested.
Coleman was previously convicted of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. As a convicted felon, Coleman cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Coleman is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Lt. Col. Brad Badgerow, Acting Chief of Chesterfield County Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, assisted in the prosecution of this case.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-134.
Hampton man pleads guilty to recording videos of minors in amusement park restroomRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2021, Corey Thomas Mason, 29, used a cell phone to record two videos of exposed minors in a restroom stall at an amusement park.
On Feb. 8, 2022, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Police Department requested assistance from the Naval Investigative Criminal Service (NCIS) with conducting a review of Mason’s cellphone relating to a video voyeurism that had recently occurred on NNSY in Portsmouth. Investigators conducted a digital forensic extraction on Mason’s cellphone. An initial review of the cellphone extraction revealed several suspected recordings of males while utilizing bathroom stalls. On Feb. 14, 2022, further review identified the two videos of minors.
On April 13, 2022, NCIS obtained a federal search warrant to review the forensic extraction and found 141 voyeuristic videos taken in what appear to be bathroom stalls, including the two videos of minors.
Mason is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 18 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Heck is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-48.
This release was edited on June 22, 2024, to reflect that the defendant pled guilty to possession of CSAM, not production.
Colorado man pleads guilty in crypto investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Colorado man pled guilty today to wire fraud relating to his scheme to fleece investors through a series of misrepresentations and high-pressure tactics.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2023, Robert Wesley Robb, 46, advertised on a social media chat an opportunity to invest in a Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) cryptocurrency trading bot. Robb invited individuals that had “$100-$200k+ sitting around” and wanted to “participate in some next-level MEV stuff” to send him a direct message to learn more.
On Sept. 7, 2023, Investor A, a resident of Brambleton, Virginia, sent a direct message to Robb and discussed the opportunity. Robb told Investor A that the investment must total at least $100,000 and described the MEV bot as capable of delivering very high returns. Robb insisted that Investor A must invest within a “day or two,” because he expected the bot to be operational “soon (likely early next week).”
Robb provided Investor A an Ethereum virtual currency address to send his initial investment and on Sept. 8, 2023, Investor A sent Robb $100,000.
On Oct 27, 2023, Robb falsely told Investor A that a new investor was interested in making a $300,000 investment that would dilute Investor A’s profits, and that he was giving Investor A the chance to make an additional investment to insulate Investor A from dilution. In truth, Robb had already spent Investor A’s initial investment on personal expenses. On Oct. 28, 2023, Investor A sent an additional $50,000 to Robb’s Ethereum virtual currency address.
On Nov. 8, 2023, Robb falsely claimed that the bot had not yet conducted any transactions because it was still “warming up.” Investor A requested a refund from Robb because there were neither any returns nor evidence Robb had created the MEV bot.
The government’s investigation identified more than ten investors in Robb’s scheme alleging losses totaling more than $2.2 million. Despite Robb’s representations that investor funds would be used as trading capital for the MEV bot, they were funneled instead to Robb’s virtual currency exchange accounts and bank accounts. The vast majority of the funds were used for personal expenses, including airline tickets, vacations, gambling, cars, and other luxury items. For example, Robb used $204,423 to lease an executive suite at the Denver Broncos’ Mile High Stadium, $117,570 to purchase a 2023 Jeep Wagoneer, and $46,914 to send his girlfriend and her extended family to a resort in the Bahamas.
Robb is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 2 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Katherine E. Rumbaugh are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-141.
Woodbridge fentanyl dealer pleads guilty in death of teenage victimRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pled guilty today to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2022, Maurice Lamont Gordon, 37, sold counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a 15-year-old victim. The victim and another individual walked to Gordon’s apartment to purchase “percs,” a street name for Percocet or counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and made to resemble Percocet and other legitimate oxycodone pills. The victim provided money to the other individual to make the purchase and was provided with his share of the “percs” sold by Gordon. After the purchase, the victim returned home and never left.
The following day, the victim was found nonresponsive in his home and was pronounced dead by Prince William County Emergency Medical Services. Officers with the Prince William County Police Department found narcotics paraphernalia near the victim’s body, including burnt aluminum foil with fentanyl residue. The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the victim died of Accidental Fentanyl Intoxication after an autopsy found fentanyl and despropionylfentanyl, a metabolite of fentanyl, in the victim’s blood with no other drugs or alcohol present.
On Oct. 12, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Gordon’s residence. During the search, law enforcement seized marijuana, cocaine, a large quantity of counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl, a Polymer 80 semi-automatic “ghost gun” bearing no serial number, and ammunition. The seized pills totaled over 1,100 and weighed approximately 130 grams.
Gordon is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 3 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr assisted in the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-138.
Two Virginia prisoners sentenced for pandemic unemployment scamRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A previously incarcerated Chesapeake man and a state prisoner were sentenced for their participation in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, the federal government expanded and extended unemployment benefits for impacted workers. At that time, Raton J. Tharp, 37, was an inmate at Wallens Ridge State Prison in Virginia. Tharp and George Napoleon Cuffee Jr., 31, conspired to apply for benefits and use the personal identifying information of others to make applications in their names for benefits for which they did not qualify.
Tharp provided the information of other Wallens Ridge inmates to Cuffee, who used that information when he was not incarcerated to apply for fraudulent unemployment benefits in those inmates’ names. Cuffee also provided false information in the applications, including, for example, false addresses, telephone numbers, email accounts, and last employers. Last employers were sometimes completely fabricated, such as “Napoleon Homes,” borrowing from Cuffee’s middle name.
In addition to the scheme with Tharp, Cuffee also unlawfully obtained and used the information of six non-inmates for fraudulent unemployment claims. They did not have knowledge or agree to their information being used.
From Aug. 12, 2020, to Oct. 28, 2020, Cuffee was incarcerated at the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office Correctional Center. During that time, he directed associates who were not incarcerated to continue recertifying the fraudulent claims to ensure the payments were uninterrupted.
Cuffee also fraudulently filed his own unemployment claim. Cuffee falsely stated his occupation as “real estate broker,” and attested that he could not work due to COVID-19 quarantines. For his own claim, Cuffee received $18,162, of which $2,906 covered time during which Cuffee was incarcerated.
Cuffee and Tharp coordinated how to split and distribute the proceeds of the fraud. Cuffee and Tharp were not truthful with the inmates about the claims’ true value, and agreed to keep a large portion of claim proceeds for themselves. The conspiracy resulted in eight successful claims for $75,960 using other inmates’ information filed by Cuffee, and six more claims for $81,362 using non-inmate information, for a total of $187,928.
Tharp pled guilty on Jan. 25 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 28, he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Cuffee pled guilty on Feb. 2 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today to five years and eight months in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Ajay Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:3-cr-103.
MS-13 members and associates sentenced for racketeering and narcotics conspiracies and four murdersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The last defendant of the six La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members who were convicted at two separate federal trials was sentenced today. The six defendants were sentenced for racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and offenses related to the murders of four men in 2019.
According to court documents and evidence presented in the two trials, the six defendants were members of MS-13’s Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS), which operated in Northern Virginia and elsewhere for years. From at least 2017 through 2020, MS-13 members and associates regularly travelled to and from Long Island, New York, for the purpose of obtaining cocaine from Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez, STLS’s leader in the United States. From there, MS-13 members would transport the cocaine to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to be sold in nightclubs and bars. STLS used the proceeds of their cocaine sales to purchase more cocaine to sell, to buy weapons, and to support other MS-13 members in the United States and El Salvador.
“These defendants—members of the violent MS-13 gang—sold drugs to fuel the gang’s business, surveilled and tracked rival gang members, and even murdered innocent victims, all to increase the grip that MS-13 had on the community,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With today’s sentencing, we are holding these defendants accountable for the havoc they wreaked. The Criminal Division, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, is committed to combatting violent criminal organizations that victimize our communities.”
In the spring of 2019, Menjivar and Melvin Canales Saldana, STLS’s second-in-command in the United States, ordered members to begin committing murders so that the junior members could rise in rank within MS-13 and amplify STLS’s prestige and control. In June 2019, three MS-13 members, including Cristian Arevalo Arias and Carlos Turcios Villatoro, lured Victim 1 and Victim 2 to a wooded area and murdered them by shooting and stabbing the victims. The MS-13 members believed Victim 1 belonged to a rival gang, and then murdered Victim 2 to avoid leaving any witnesses to Victim 1’s murder.
“MS-13 represents a cycle of death in our society that cannot be tolerated and must be eradicated. MS-13 sells the poisons that destroy communities, families, and lives, and uses the profits to purchase the weapons they use to kill our people in the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is why federal, state, and local law enforcement employ a coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic approach to systematically dismantle these organizations and end their ability to do harm.”
In August 2019, Canales ordered an MS-13 member to provide Arevalo with a firearm so that Arevalo, Manilester Andrade Rivas, and other MS-13 members could find and kill any rival gang member. Arevalo, Andrade, and others travelled to the Glen Arbor Apartments in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the hopes of encountering and murdering a rival. They encountered Victim 3, and Arevalo shot him to death.
In September 2019, Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado travelled to Woodbridge from New York and spent hours driving around Northern Virginia and Maryland with two other MS-13 members, looking for a rival gang member to murder at random so that they could rise in rank. Unable to find a rival, the group finally decided to murder Victim 4, whom they observed walking home from a 7-Eleven in Dumfries, Virginia. Aguilera and another MS-13 member shot Victim 4 multiple times, killing him.
“Today’s sentencing is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to bringing an end to violent transnational criminal enterprises like MS-13,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “If you engage in racketeering in the advancement of distributing narcotics, rest assured that we will not stop until you face the consequences of your actions.”
“Members of MS-13 spread fear and violence throughout the country—often through senseless murders—but their control is not limitless,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “As evidenced by this case, the FBI will pursue individuals or groups who traffic in violence. We vow to continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational gangs that terrorize our neighborhoods.”
Multiple MS-13 members and associates pleaded guilty prior to trial. Below is additional information about the defendants, all of whom are Salvadoran nationals, who were convicted at trial and have been sentenced.
Name
Age
Residing in
Convictions
Sentence
Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez
32
New York
Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death
Multiple life sentences
Melvin Canales Saldana
32
New York
Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution
Multiple life sentences
Cristian Arevalo Arias
28
Virginia
Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing; cocaine distribution
Multiple life sentences
Carlos Turcios Villatoro
26
Maryland
Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing
Multiple life sentences
Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado
28
New York
Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death
Multiple life sentences
Manilester Andrade Rivas
34
Virginia
Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution
14 years in prison
The FBI and Prince William County Police Department investigated the case, with significant assistance from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Prince William County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Northern Virginia Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshal Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Cain for the Eastern District of Virginia and Deputy Chief Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, Operation City of Bridges. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-260.
MS-13 Members and Associates Sentenced for Racketeering and Narcotics Conspiracies and Four MurdersRead the Press Release
The last defendant of the six La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members who were convicted at two separate federal trials was sentenced today. The six defendants were sentenced for racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and offenses related to the murders of four men in 2019.
According to court documents and evidence presented in the two trials, the six defendants were members of MS-13’s Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS), which operated in Northern Virginia and elsewhere for years. From at least 2017 through 2020, MS-13 members and associates regularly travelled to and from Long Island, New York, for the purpose of obtaining cocaine from Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez, STLS’s leader in the United States. From there, MS-13 members would transport the cocaine to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to be sold in nightclubs and bars. STLS used the proceeds of their cocaine sales to purchase more cocaine to sell, buy weapons, and support other MS-13 members in the United States and El Salvador.
“These defendants—members of the violent MS-13 gang—sold drugs to fuel the gang’s business, surveilled and tracked rival gang members, and even murdered innocent victims, all to increase the grip that MS-13 had on the community,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With today’s sentencing, we are holding these defendants accountable for the havoc they wreaked. The Criminal Division, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, is committed to combating violent criminal organizations that victimize our communities.”
In the spring of 2019, Menjivar and Melvin Canales Saldana, STLS’s second-in-command in the United States, ordered members to begin committing murders so that the junior members could rise in rank within MS-13 and amplify STLS’s prestige and control. In June 2019, three MS-13 members, including Cristian Arevalo Arias and Carlos Turcios Villatoro, lured Victim 1 and Victim 2 to a wooded area and murdered them by shooting and stabbing the victims. The MS-13 members believed Victim 1 belonged to a rival gang, and then murdered Victim 2 to avoid leaving any witnesses to Victim 1’s murder.
“MS-13 represents a cycle of death in our society that cannot be tolerated and must be eradicated. MS-13 sells the poisons that destroy communities, families, and lives, and uses the profits to purchase the weapons they use to kill our people in the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is why federal, state, and local law enforcement employ a coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic approach to systematically dismantle these organizations and end their ability to do harm.”
In August 2019, Canales ordered an MS-13 member to provide Arevalo with a firearm so that Arevalo, Manilester Andrade Rivas, and other MS-13 members could find and and kill any rival gang member. Arevalo, Andrade, and others travelled to the Glen Arbor Apartments in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the hopes of encountering and murdering a rival. They encountered Victim 3 and Arevalo shot him to death.
In September 2019, Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado travelled to Woodbridge from New York and spent hours driving around Northern Virginia and Maryland with two other MS-13 members, looking for a rival gang member to murder at random so that they could rise in rank. Unable to find a rival, the group finally decided to murder Victim 4, whom they observed walking home from a 7-Eleven in Dumfries, Virginia. Aguilera and another MS-13 member shot Victim 4 multiple times, killing him.
“Today’s sentencing is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to bringing an end to violent transnational criminal enterprises like MS-13,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “If you engage in racketeering in the advancement of distributing narcotics, rest assured that we will not stop until you face the consequences of your actions.”
“Members of MS-13 spread fear and violence throughout the country—often through senseless murders—but their control is not limitless,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “As evidenced by this case, the FBI will pursue individuals or groups who traffic in violence. We vow to continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational gangs that terrorize our neighborhoods.”
Multiple MS-13 members and associates pleaded guilty prior to trial. Below is additional information about the defendants, all of whom are Salvadoran nationals, who were convicted at trial and have been sentenced.
Name
Age
Residing in
Convictions
Sentence
Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez
32
New York
Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death
Multiple life sentences
Melvin Canales Saldana
32
New York
Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution
Multiple life sentences
Cristian Arevalo Arias
28
Virginia
Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing; cocaine distribution
Multiple life sentences
Carlos Turcios Villatoro
26
Maryland
Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing
Multiple life sentences
Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado
28
New York
Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death
Multiple life sentences
Manilester Andrade Rivas
34
Virginia
Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution
14 years in prison
The FBI and Prince William County Police Department investigated the case, with significant assistance from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Prince William County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Northern Virginia Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshal Service.
Deputy Chief Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Cain for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, Operation City of Bridges. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Fredericksburg man pleads guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in defrauding a federal COVID-19 relief program.
According to court documents, in September 2017, Sherman Green Jr., 34, incorporated the business entity Green Information Solutions LLC (“GIS”) and later opened business banking accounts for GIS at Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU). In May 2020, a co-conspirator told Green about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans backed by the Small Business Administration to certain businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Green and his co-conspirator prepared and submitted a PPP loan application to Atlantic Union Bank on behalf of GIS with the assistance of a senior bank officer at Atlantic Union Bank.
In the loan application, Green represented that he was the President/CEO of the company, and falsely claimed that GIS employed seven employees with an average monthly payroll of $78,215.41. Based on these false representations, Atlantic Union Bank awarded GIS a first-draw PPP loan in the amount of $195,500, which was deposited into an Atlantic Union Bank account in the name of GIS on May 11, 2020. Green then purchased a series of cashier’s checks drawn on the money from the fraudulently obtained PPP loan and deposited them into GIS’s NFCU business checking account. Although the memo lines on two of the cashier’s checks referred to “payroll” or other business expenses, GIS did not have any employees or any legitimate business expenses. Between May 2020 and March 2021, Green transferred $81,131.60 from GIS’s NFCU business checking account to his personal bank accounts.
In March 2021, Green and his co-conspirator collaborated again to electronically submit a second-draw PPP loan application to Atlantic Union Bank on behalf of GIS. In this application, Green fraudulently claimed that GIS had five employees with an average monthly payroll of approximately $57,486, and had gross receipts of approximately $1,000,500 in 2019 and $700,000 in 2020. Based on these misrepresentations, Atlantic Union Bank awarded GIS a second-draw PPP loan in the amount of $143,715. Green set up payroll and expense accounts for GIS at Atlantic Union Bank and transferred the second-draw funds into them. Green then used those funds for other purposes, such as payment to Ford Motor Credit, and transferred funds into his personal accounts.
To conceal his misuse of the PPP loans, Green set up a Quickbooks account in which transfers falsely appeared as “payroll” in bank statements. From June 15 to July 15 in 2021, Green made seven such transactions knowing they involved criminally derived property and were not being used for payroll.
Green is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stephen Ravas, Acting Inspector General for AmeriCorp; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; John Perez, Special Agent in Charge, Headquarters Operations, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Michael J. Missal, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge for the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Heidi B. Gesch are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-122.
Washington man caught at Arlington mall pleads guilty to federal drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington man pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Sept. 6, 2023, while conducting vehicle checks at the Pentagon City Fashion Centre garage, an Arlington County Police officer observed a vehicle speeding through the garage before parking in a handicap spot without a handicap sticker. The vehicle was registered to Willie Gene Thorne, 29, who had at least one outstanding arrest warrant from Pennsylvania.
The officer inspected the vehicle and noticed a patch of aluminum foil with burn marks, a large bag of a white, powdery substance, two straws and a plastic bag containing several small baggies. The officer called for additional officers to assist.
When Thorne returned to his vehicle, he initially resisted arrest before complying when threatened with a taser. In his waistband, Thorne had a loaded, stolen 9mm handgun. A search of the vehicle revealed, among other items, a bag containing 91 grams of fentanyl, a digital scale, a razor blade, and approximately 84 baggies. Thorne also had a straw with residue and approximately 100 baggies in his pants pocket.
Thorne is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6 and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Charles “Andy” Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Carter is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-123.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia recognizes World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, joined national, state, local, and Tribal leaders today in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). Since 2006, WEAAD has been commemorated to promote awareness and increases understanding of the many forms of elder abuse as well as the resources available to those at risk.
Highlighting the partnership between law enforcement and the public, U.S. Attorney Aber emphasized the importance of awareness and education.
“We know the devastating effects of elder abuse on individuals and families,” said U.S. Attorney Aber. “The best tools we have to protect ourselves and those we care for are awareness and information. We must understand not just the evolving tactics used to do harm, but also the resources available to those at risk. The Justice Department remains committed both to prosecuting offenders and to providing the programs and assistance people need to defend against and recover from abuse.”
Elder abuse is an act that knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causes or creates a serious risk of harm to an older person by a family member, caregiver, or other person in a trust relationship. Such harm may be financial, physical, sexual, or psychological. According to a new report from the FBI, scams targeting individuals aged 60 and older caused over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023—an 11% increase over 2022. The Justice Department maintains a variety of programs and initiatives to combat elder abuse.
The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force marshals federal and state agencies working collaboratively to investigate and prosecute foreign-based schemes that target older Americans. In addition to aggressively investigating the individuals, organizations, and networks responsible for these crimes, this initiative provides the public with information to guard against both traditional scams, like tech support fraud, as well as trending schemes, such as romance scams.
Using one scam to perpetrate or conceal another, some fraudsters rely on money mules to move the proceeds of their illegal activity. Preying on the good will or financial vulnerability of their targets, scammers recruit people, many times older victims, to participate in schemes to move money in ways that avoid notice. The Money Mule Initiative identifies and addresses money mule activity to disrupt these fraud schemes, and helps people to recognize and avoid participation in perpetuating fraud.
To help older individuals and their families identify and avoid fraudulent activity, the Justice Department provides Senior Scam Alerts with information about the tactics used in specific schemes. For example, in Social Security Administration Impostor schemes, scammers impersonate government administrators and falsely report suspicious activity to request that the victims provide their Social Security number for confirmation. In Tech Support scams, fraudsters contact victims, sometimes through internet pop-up messages, to warn about non-existent computer problems, ask that the victim give them remote access to their computer, and identify a non-existent problem, then demand large sums of money for unnecessary services. In Lottery scams, telemarketers falsely notify victims that they have won a sweepstakes and tell them they must first pay fees for shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes before they can claim their prizes.
To learn more about the department’s elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page.
The Eastern District of Virginia continues to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute elder abuse crimes.
For example, Howard Lee Stith pleaded guilty to defrauding elderly homeowners in the Richmond Metro area by appearing at their homes and claiming that their slate roofs needed extensive repairs, but ultimately performed minimal work and charged exorbitant fees. On May 14, 2024, Stith was sentenced to seven years in prison. On May 15, 2024, Sunyu Qian pleaded guilty to conning elderly victims into purchasing gift cards that he used to acquire high-value items. Qian used approximately $1.1 million through unauthorized access. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8.
To report elder fraud, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
Hampton felon returning to prison for federal firearm convictionRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on July 9, 2023, Jerry Stull, 56, was involved in an argument with a security guard outside the Alley nightclub in Newport News. During the argument, Stull lifted his shirt, pointed at the guard, and then ran away. When the guard shouted that Stull had a gun, a nearby Newport News Police officer pursued and apprehended Stull. Stull was in possession of a 9mm handgun.
Stull has numerous previous convictions, including multiple grand larcenies, assault and battery, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of controlled substances, child neglect, and five DUIs, and was on supervised probation when he was arrested on July 9, 2023. As a previously convicted felon, Stull cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alyssa Levey-Weinstein and Marcus Johnson assisted in the prosecution of this case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-89.