Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Richmond Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms from Virginia Firearms DealersRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty yesterday to federal firearm charges for conspiring to straw purchase firearms from licensed firearms dealers throughout Virginia.
According to court documents, Tre’Shawn N. Brooks, 22, purchased firearms in 2021 from licensed firearms dealers and falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer of each firearm. In reality, Brooks purchased the firearms on behalf of at least four other individuals, who specified for Brooks which firearms Brooks was to purchase. Brooks in turn sold these firearms to co-conspirators. On at least three separate occasions, Brooks purchased firearms for minor-aged individuals who, as Brooks well knew, were not eligible to legally purchase firearms. On another occasion, Brooks purchased a firearm for another individual and the Richmond Police Department eventually recovered this firearm while executing a search warrant as part of a homicide investigation. As part of his plea agreement, Brooks consented to the forfeiture of nine firearms that law enforcement recovered during the investigation.
Brooks is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. Senior District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Stephen E. Anthony 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. 3:22-cr-110.
Chesapeake Man Sentenced for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 17.5 years in prison for transportation of child pornography.
According to court documents, in November 2020, Anthony Kandalepas, 20, drove to Florida to pick up a 14-year-old girl and bring her to Chesapeake. The victim was the subject of a Marchman Order in Florida for drug and alcohol abuse. They stayed with the defendant's grandparents in their attic. While there, the defendant and the 14-year-old engaged in sex and the defendant recorded it. He then assisted the victim in selling the images online using various social media platforms. The pair then drove to upstate New York, where the Otswego County Sheriff’s Office found Kandalepas and the victim. Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Albany and Norfolk Offices then joined the investigation.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. HSI Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Significant assistance was provided by the Otswego County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case.
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
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. 2:21-cr-136.
Virginia Landlords to Pay $225,000 for Alleged Violations of the SCRARead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Justice Department today announced that two Virginia landlords have agreed to pay $225,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by obtaining unlawful court judgments against military tenants at the Hideaway at Greenbrier Luxury Apartment Homes in Chesapeake and the Chase Arbor Apartments in Virginia Beach.
The department launched its investigation after a Navy legal assistance attorney reported that the owner of the Hideaway at Greenbrier had obtained an eviction default judgment against a servicemember after filing an affidavit that falsely stated that she was not in military service. Under the SCRA, if a landlord files a civil lawsuit against a tenant and the tenant does not appear in court, the landlord must file an affidavit with the court stating whether the tenant is in the military before seeking a judgment. If the affidavit says that the tenant is in military service, the court cannot enter judgment until it appoints an attorney to represent the servicemember. The court must also postpone the case for at least 90 days.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the department alleges that the owners of the Hideaway at Greenbrier and Chase Arbor Apartments filed false affidavits and failed to file affidavits of military service, as required by the SCRA, prior to obtaining improper judgments against numerous servicemembers. The properties are affiliated with one another and used the same law firm to file eviction claims in Virginia state courts.
The department alleges that the properties’ owners knew or should have known that the affidavits that were filed were inaccurate because their files contained information that would have allowed them to easily verify their tenants’ military status. Landlords and lenders can also verify an individual’s military status by searching the Defense Manpower Data Center’s free publicly available website and by reviewing their files to identify applications, military leave and earnings statements, or military orders indicating military status.
“Eviction judgments seriously jeopardize a servicemember’s ability to find and obtain affordable housing and negatively impact the financial readiness of our armed forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will vigorously pursue any landlord that obtains eviction judgments against servicemembers by misrepresenting their military status to the court.”
“A servicemember’s military career is adversely affected by a judgment, which affects the military’s readiness,” said Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing companies that obtain default judgments against servicemembers by misrepresenting a servicemember’s military status or by failing to file an affidavit of military service, as required by the SCRA.”
Under the proposed consent order, which still must be approved by the court, the owners of the two properties will pay $162,971 to affected servicemembers and a $62,029 civil penalty to the United States. The order also requires the owners to vacate the eviction judgments, repair the servicemembers’ credit, provide SCRA training to their employees, and develop new policies and procedures consistent with the SCRA. The owners must also reimburse affected servicemembers for any amounts collected pursuant to an unlawful judgment.
This matter was handled jointly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $476 million in monetary relief for over 121,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil.
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.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination by a court of liability
Goochland Powhatan Community Services Agrees to Settle Americans with Disabilities Act ComplaintRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Goochland Powhatan Community Services (GPCS), which is the Community Service Board and local government mental health agency for Goochland and Powhatan Counties.
The settlement agreement resolves allegations that GPCS failed to furnish sign language interpreting services during multiple consequential and complex interactions with an individual who is deaf during a 33-month period, including monthly interactions when GPCS personnel were supposed to assess the individual for, among other things, previously unidentified risks, injuries, needs, or other changes in status, and the individual was supposed to have an opportunity to provide meaningful input and feedback about the services being provided. In Virginia, Community Service Boards, like GPCS, provide a continuum of community-based education, prevention, crisis intervention, counseling and rehabilitation to individuals, families and groups in need of mental health, intellectual and developmental disability, and/or substance use disorder services, including support coordination services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Entities covered by the ADA, such as state and local government agencies, are required to furnish appropriate auxiliary aid or services, including sign language interpreter services, when providing to people with communication disabilities. Ensuring that such services are provided is especially important for communication-intensive programs that human and social service providers offer to the public.
To resolve this complaint, GPCS agreed to adopt new ADA policies. These policies will make their services accessible to individuals with communication disabilities, including those who require the services of a sign language interpreter, by requiring GPCS to designate an ADA Administrator who will be responsible for ensuring the agency’s compliance with the ADA; requiring GPCS to enter into agreements with sign language interpreting service providers to provide their services to individuals who need them; and requiring GPCS to provide training for its personnel on the ADA’s effective communication requirements.
This resolution is particularly significant because Community Service Boards in Virginia are essential to ensuring that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are able to receive community-based services and be integrated into their communities, and individuals who are deaf are entitled to have access to such services.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Gordon, who is the Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The civil claims settled by this ADA agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA including Effective Communication, a Business Brief on Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings and ADA Update: A Primer for State and Local Governments. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
2022 marks the ADA’s 32nd anniversary. The Justice Department continues to advance the nation's goal of equal opportunity, integration, full participation, inclusion, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. Through its enforcement and technical assistance tools, the Justice Department strives to eliminate unlawful discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Two Norfolk Methamphetamine Distributors ConvictedRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young convicted a Norfolk man and woman yesterday on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, opening a drug-involved premises, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession of firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and being convicted felons in possession of firearms.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Vicente Andres, 61, and Margaret Sutton 51, operated a meth house on Danwood Drive in the City of Norfolk where they stored and sold methamphetamine and marijuana imported from Central California to Virginia, where they also possessed firearms in furtherance their drug trafficking activities. A search warrant executed on April 21, 2021, resulted in the recovery of about 10 pounds of pure methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, 3 firearms, and currency from the illegal sale of narcotics. The government presented evidence that established Andres had used the premises as a base of his methamphetamine operations for several years, and that Sutton joined his meth operation in early 2021.
Andres and Sutton face a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of life in prison on the drug and gun charges when sentenced on December 15. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account 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 Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young announced his verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock and Matthew J. Heck 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. 2:21-cr-74.
Leading ISIS Media Figure and Foreign Fighter Sentenced to Life ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Saudi-born Canadian citizen was sentenced today to life imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death.
According to court documents, Mohammed Khalifa, aka Abu Ridwan Al-Kanadi and Abu Muthanna Al-Muhajir, 39, served in prominent roles within ISIS starting in 2013 and continuing until his capture by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January 2019, following a firefight between ISIS fighters and the SDF. In addition to serving as a fighter and personally executing two Syrian soldiers on behalf of ISIS, Khalifa served as a lead translator in ISIS’s propaganda production and the English-speaking narrator on multiple violent ISIS videos.
In the spring of 2013, Khalifa traveled to Syria with the intent of becoming a foreign fighter and ultimately joining ISIS. In or around November 2013, he joined ISIS and swore allegiance to then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In early 2014, he was recruited to join ISIS’s media department due, in part, to his language abilities as a fluent English and Arabic speaker. Starting in 2016, Khalifa directed various supporter networks that assisted in the translation, production, and dissemination of propaganda released under various ISIS media brands in order to reach Western audiences. He worked within the ISIS media operation until late 2018.
Khalifa provided the narration and translation for approximately 15 videos created and distributed by ISIS. The productions narrated by Khalifa include two of the most influential and exceptionally violent ISIS propaganda videos: “Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun,” distributed on September 19, 2014, and “Flames of War II: Until the Final Hour,” distributed on November 29, 2017. The videos depict glamorized portrayals of ISIS and its fighters as well as scenes of violence, including depictions of unarmed prisoners being executed, footage of ISIS attacks and fighting, and depictions of ISIS attacks in the United States.
The ISIS “Flames of War” videos include scenes of Khalifa executing a different Syrian soldier in each of the two videos. In the final scenes of both videos, a masked Khalifa speaks to the camera and is then seen executing a kneeling Syrian soldier while other masked ISIS members also shoot the prisoners kneeling in front of each of them.
During the time Khalifa was a prominent member of ISIS, the terrorist organization was conducting a brutal hostage-taking and ransom demand campaign involving journalists and humanitarian aid workers who came to Syria from across the globe. Between August 19, 2014, and February 6, 2015, ISIS killed eight American, British, and Japanese citizens in Syria as part of the hostage scheme.
In January 2019, Khalifa engaged in fighting on behalf of ISIS and attacked an SDF position in Abu Badran, Syria. Khalifa, alone and armed with three grenades and an AK-47, threw a grenade on the roof of a house where SDF soldiers were standing. The grenade detonated and Khalifa ran into the house and attempted to go to the roof, but an SDF soldier was firing from the stairs. Khalifa began firing at the SDF soldier and attempted to use all three of his grenades during the attack. Khalifa fired most of his ammunition during the assault before his AK-47 jammed. Khalifa surrendered to the SDF on or about January 13, 2019. He was transferred to the custody of the FBI last year and brought to the Eastern District of Virginia, where he had his initial appearance on October 4, 2021. Khalifa pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death, on December 10, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Fitzpatrick, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs and Aidan Taft Grano-Mickelson, all from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Trial Attorney Alicia H. Cook of the Justice Department prosecuted 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. 1:21-cr-271.
Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to over 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Sterling man was sentenced today to 162 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, Salahudin Mitchell, 39, distributed fentanyl in the Petersburg area and elsewhere. In late 2020, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Virginia State Police, and Petersburg Bureau of Police became aware of Mitchell’s drug trafficking activities. Between April 2021 and October 2021, a series of nine controlled purchases of fentanyl were made from Mitchell. In November 2021, Mitchell was arrested and a search warrant was executed for his residence. At that time, a distribution quantity of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine were recovered from inside his residence, along with cash and a scale used to weigh narcotics.
Mitchell pleaded guilty in March to one count of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl. In all, Mitchell was held responsible for distributing approximately 270 grams of fentanyl and 2 kilograms of heroin during the one-year time period that preceded his arrest. In October 2021, Mitchell, who was previously convicted in federal court for conspiring to distribute cocaine and sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment in the federal Bureau of Prisons, possessed and sold a Walther PPQ .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, despite being prohibited from possessing any firearms at all.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, and Travis Christian, Chief, Petersburg Bureau of Police made the announcement after sentencing by Senior United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller 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. 3:22-cr-7.
Violent Felon Sentenced for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Oct. 6, 2017, Demetrius Antwon McGregor, 37, was arrested on a warrant in front of his apartment by members of the Norfolk Police Department Fugitive Unit and a Deputy U.S. Marshal. They recovered a loaded Sig Sauer handgun from his waistband. McGregor is a 9-time convicted violent felon, with prior convictions for both malicious and unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, attempted robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery as well as four convictions for maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle.
As part of an investigation into his involvement in a suspected murder, investigators obtained a search warrant for McGregor’s apartment, where he was staying with his mother, and found in the bedroom closet 18 bags of cocaine; two assault rifles, one of which was loaded and had been reported stolen; four additional large-capacity magazines; dozens of rounds of .45 and 9mm caliber ammunition; and two digital scales. The investigators also recovered from under the bedroom mattress a Sig Sauer .45 caliber magazine designed for the gun taken from his waistband, two additional digital scales sitting out in the open on top of a cabinet, and shoes that McGregor had previously photographed himself wearing and had posted on his Facebook page along with multiple photos of himself standing in front of his residence months before the arrest and search. The .45 caliber ammunition from the closet and in the magazine under the mattress matched the brand of the ammunition in the handgun recovered from McGregor.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. Chief District Judge Davis.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Joseph E. DePadilla 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. 2:19-cr-34.
Former Federal Employee Pleads Guilty to $2M Unemployment Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Pleasant Hill, California, woman pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to defraud multiple state workforce agencies of COVID-19 pandemic-related benefits intended for unemployed workers.
According to court documents, from April 2020 through at least March 2021, Heather Huffman, 52, worked with co-conspirators to defraud the Virginia Employment Commission, the Washington State Employment Security Department, and the California Employment Development Department of unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits by submitting materially false and misleading applications in the names of identity theft victims, witting co-conspirators, and inmates of various correctional facilities. Huffman and her co-conspirators included materially false information on the applications, including false employment and wage history and false contact information, such as physical and mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, that did not, in fact, belong to the purported applicants.
The conspirators took several actions in furtherance of the conspiracy. For instance, they obtained and shared among themselves the personal identifying information of identity theft victims and inmates, created and maintained email accounts purportedly belonging to the ostensible applicants, and falsified and forged various documents – including state and federal wage and tax forms – to substantiate the false information in the UI applications they submitted. Once their fraudulent UI applications were approved, the conspirators would, on a weekly basis, file false certifications of unemployment status, resulting in the dispersal of additional UI benefits by state workforce agencies.
During the course of the conspiracy, Huffman was employed as a registered nurse at the Veteran Affairs Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center in Richmond. Huffman used VA assets to further the conspirators’ scheme and artifice to defraud by utilizing her work computer to submit false and misleading UI applications to state workforce agencies, among other things. In total, Huffman and her co-conspirators obtained over $2,000,000 in UI benefits intended for unemployed workers. Huffman is the fourth and final member of the conspiracy to plead guilty.
Huffman is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29. She faces a maximum sentence of 32 years and a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-conspirators Sheldon L. Huffman, Anthowan Daniels, and Dorothea Rosado have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and will be sentenced in November 2022.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Troy Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, DC Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Michael J. Missal, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Cooke, Kashan Pathan and Michael Moore 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. 3:22-cr-8.
Former Member of the National Guard Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm While Engaging in Violent Extremist Online DiscussionsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A former member of the National Guard was sentenced today to 4 years and 9 months in prison for unlawfully possessing several firearms while also using illegal controlled substances.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2020, Francis Harker, 22, of Norfolk, and an associate discussed “interrupting an unjust stop” by trapping law enforcement at a shopping mall in Virginia Beach. Harker obtained a semi-automatic rifle the same day as that discussion, and falsely stated on the required purchase paperwork that he was not an unlawful user of any controlled substances, when in fact, he used illegal drugs, including LSD. The following year, he purchased a handgun and made the same false statement.
In a court authorized search on November 2021, the FBI found firearms and illegal drugs at his residence, as well as approximately 100 blank COVID-19 vaccination cards. Harker, who was a member of the National Guard, took the cards from the National Guard and mailed them to associates across the country. Harker’s electronic devices and social media accounts contained statements espousing violence towards law enforcement, extremism, and white supremacy. Images he possessed include an image emblazoned with the words “Rape the Cops,” an image of himself doing a Hitler salute, and imagery stating, “there is no god but Hitler.” Harker also admitted to interacting online with members of a group called “The Base”, which the defendant described as a “group interested in terrorism.” Also found during the search was a backpack in the trunk of Harker’s car that contained components for several Molotov cocktails.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Depadilla and 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. 2:21-cr-132.
Jury Convicts Felon for Drug Trafficking Crimes and Gloucester County ShootingRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Gloucester County man yesterday on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in August 2020, Nathan DeAlbert. Mattocks, 37, a previously convicted felon, was arrested after the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call from an individual reporting that he was being shot at by a person following in another vehicle while driving on a main road in Gloucester County. Following an investigation, law enforcement identified a vehicle matching the description in which Mattocks was an occupant. Officers arrested Mattocks and discovered “Roxacet 30” pills containing fentanyl and a semi-automatic pistol in the vicinity of the crime scene connected to Mattocks.
Further investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); Gloucester County Sherriff’s Office; and other local law enforcement partners revealed Mattocks’ history of dealing heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana within the Middle Peninsula region.
Mattocks was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute schedule I and II controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute schedule I and II controlled substances, discharge of a firearm in relation to or in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession and carrying of a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking crime, tampering with a witness, retaliating against a witness, and obstruction of justice, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 29. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Darrell W. Warren, Jr., Gloucester County Sheriff, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kaplan 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. 4:21-cr-6.
Three Individuals Plead Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Benefits for Virginia Prison InmatesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Three individuals pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to use the personal identifying information (PII) of Virginia prison inmates in order to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment benefits.
According to court documents, Veldreka L. Crockett, 31, of Hopewell, pleaded guilty today, the last of the three defendants in the conspiracy to enter a guilty plea. Crockett was an employee of a company contracted by the Commonwealth of Virginia to provide services related to the Commonwealth's management of its Medicaid program. In this capacity, Crockett worked to determine the Medicaid eligibility of incarcerated individuals in the Commonwealth.
At the same time, in 2020 and 2021, Crockett conspired with at least two other inmates at Virginia correctional institutions – Clarence Stith III, 38, of Lawrenceville Correctional Center in Lawrenceville, and Andre C. Mason, Jr., 35, of Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt – to collect the PII of other Virginia inmates. After receiving the inmate information from her co-defendants, Crockett used it to file pandemic unemployment claims on behalf of at least 30 inmates with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). The defendants caused the VEC to disburse approximately $318,727 in fraudulent pandemic-related unemployment benefits. The VEC was able to reclaim $25,920 of the disbursed funds after discovering the fraud.
In order for the claims to be successful, Crockett and her co-conspirators included numerous false statements about the inmates’ addresses, last employers, and employment statuses, including that they were unable to work because of the pandemic. In truth, the inmates could not work and did not qualify for unemployment benefits because they were incarcerated. Crockett and her co-conspirators also filed weekly re-certifications for unemployment claims to ensure that the VEC would continue to pay benefits. Such UI claims caused the VEC to create and send pre-paid debit cards in the name of the Virginia inmates to addresses designated by Crockett and her co-conspirators.
Crockett coordinated with Stith and Mason to ensure that Crockett would receive the pre-paid debit cards in the name of Virginia inmates so that Crockett could take a portion of the funds. As part of the scheme, Crockett also transferred funds from these pre-paid debit cards to Stith via Stith's prison commissary account and to individuals designated by Mason.
Crockett pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum sentence of 32 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years when sentenced on October 20. Stith pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum sentence of 32 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years when sentenced on October 20. Mason pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison when sentenced on October 13. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth 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 Nos. 3:22-cr-32.
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme Involving Professional Athletes and a PPP Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others in separate fraud schemes to defraud the IRS and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Seir Robinson Havana, 46, was the Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. Havana engaged in a conspiracy to commit two sets of fraud schemes using Mana Tax.
First, from May of 2019 through November 2021, Havana conspired with Quin Ngoc Rudin, 45, of California, and others to prepare and file with the IRS a series of false and fraudulent income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fabricated business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. Havana and his co-conspirators represented to the professional athletes that Quin Rudin had specialized knowledge their prior tax professionals lacked and that Mana Tax could obtain large refunds for the athletes. The co-conspirators also told the professional athletes that Mana Tax could amend prior year tax returns to correct purported errors made by the athletes’ previous accountants to get additional refunds they were not entitled to receive. Mana Tax then charged the athletes a fee of 30% of the resulting refund. To conceal the payments, Havana directed the athletes to send the fee to shell entities he controlled. In all, Havana collected more than $3.1 million in fees from the professional athletes.
From April of 2020 through December of 2021, Havana and his co-conspirators also used Mana Tax to apply for PPP on behalf of a number of small businesses, shell entities controlled by the co-conspirators themselves with few or no employees, and business entities controlled by others. To obtain the PPP loans to which the applicants were not entitled, the co-conspirators grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs claimed on the PPP loan applications and submitted fabricated tax returns in support of the applications. Some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them, and some of the businesses were not eligible for PPP loans because they had no payroll expenses or had not been in operation during the relevant time period.
In exchange for processing the applications, Mana Tax charged a fee of 30% of the value of the loan obtained. To conceal this fee, Havana and his co-conspirators directed the businesses to pay the fee through cashier’s checks and to falsely note on the memo lines of the checks that the funds were related to payroll. The cashier’s checks were deposited into accounts controlled by Havana, who then transferred the funds to other bank accounts to further hide the source of the funds.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million from bank accounts containing PPP loan fraud proceeds controlled by Havana and others. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks worth approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns, and a portion of the fees charged for obtaining fraudulent PPP loans. The two schemes resulted in total losses to the government of more than $25 million.
Havana pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit wire fraud, as well as to one count of money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and 20 years in prison for money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On May 13, Rudin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for September 14.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Darrell J. Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen, and Assistant Chief of the Justice Department’s Tax Division David Zisserson prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided assistance with this investigation.
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. 1:22-cr-116.
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty in Multimillion Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme Involving Professional Athletes and Fraudulent PPP Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others in fraud schemes to defraud the IRS and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal loans initiative designed to help businesses pay their employees and meet expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Seir Robinson Havana, 46, was the Vice President/Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mana Tax Services, a tax preparation business in the Los Angeles area. Havana engaged in a conspiracy to commit two sets of fraud schemes using Mana Tax.
First, from May 2019 through November 2021, Havana conspired with Quin Ngoc Rudin and others to prepare and file with the IRS a series of false and fraudulent income tax returns on behalf of at least nine professional athletes. The false tax returns reported fabricated business and personal losses to generate refunds the athletes were not entitled to receive. Havana and his co-conspirators represented to the professional athletes that Quin Rudin had specialized knowledge their prior tax professionals lacked and that Mana Tax could obtain large refunds for the athletes. The co-conspirators also told the professional athletes that Mana Tax could amend prior year tax returns to correct purported errors made by the athletes’ previous accountants to get additional refunds they were not entitled to receive. Mana Tax then charged the athletes a fee of 30% of the resulting refund. To conceal the payments, Havana directed the athletes to send the fee to shell entities he controlled. In all, Havana collected more than $3.1 million in fees from the professional athletes.
From April 2020 through December 2021, Havana and his co-conspirators also used Mana Tax to apply for PPP loans on behalf of a number of small businesses, shell entities with few or no employees controlled by the co-conspirators, and business entities controlled by others. The co-conspirators grossly inflated the number of employees and monthly payroll costs claimed on the PPP loan applications and submitted fabricated tax returns in support of the applications. Some of the business owners never saw their loan applications before Mana Tax filed them, and some of the businesses were not eligible for PPP loans because they had no payroll expenses or had not been in operation during the relevant time period.
In exchange for processing the applications, Mana Tax charged a fee of 30% of the value of the loan received. To conceal this fee, Havana and his co-conspirators directed the businesses to pay the fee through cashier’s checks and to falsely note on the memo lines of the checks that the funds were related to payroll. The cashier’s checks were deposited into accounts controlled by Havana, who then transferred the funds to other bank accounts to further hide the source of the funds.
During the investigation, the government seized more than $11.8 million from bank accounts containing PPP loan fraud proceeds controlled by Havana and others. In addition, Havana surrendered cashier’s checks worth approximately $5.6 million, representing a portion of the fees charged to professional athletes for the preparation of their false tax returns, and a portion of the fees charged for obtaining fraudulent PPP loans. The two schemes resulted in total losses of more than $25 million.
Havana is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 9. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charges and 20 years in prison for money laundering. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On May 13, Rudin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation made the announcement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.
Two Convicted Felons Plead Guilty to Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Chesapeake men pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing firearms as convicted felons.
According to court documents, from October 2021 through January 2022, Brian Ellis, 28, and Raymond Wyche, 30, were buying and selling firearms as convicted felons. Wyche was serving a federal term of supervised release from a previous federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
A search of Wyche’s phone revealed numerous text messages between Wyche, Ellis, and others about buying and selling various firearm. The text messages often included pictures and even videos of the firearms. In one text message, Ellis informed Wyche that he bought a Glock pistol. Shortly thereafter a search warrant was executed at Ellis’ residence and a Glock pistol was recovered amongst his other personal effects. In another text message Wyche was attempting to sell a Glock pistol to another individual, the text message included a picture of the gun with the serial number being visible. The Norfolk Police Department recovered this same gun after conducting a high-speed of chase of several juveniles. The gun was found in their automobile.
Wyche is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Ellis is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16. He also faces a maximum sentence of 10 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Muhr 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. 2:22-cr-55.
Richmond Community College Director Sentenced for Stealing Student Financial Aid FundsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a six-year scheme to defraud the United States Department of Education and the Commonwealth of Virginia of at least $230,000 in student financial aid funds.
According to court documents, from 2006 through 2017, Kiesha Pope, 48, was the Director of Financial Aid at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (“Reynolds”), a public community college servicing the greater Richmond area. From 2011 through 2017, Pope was involved in a scheme to defraud the Department of Education, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Reynolds of educational funds. Pope used her financial aid office access to manufacture or boost financial aid eligibility for individuals, often her family members, who were not in fact eligible for financial aid. Thereafter, Pope directed at least four such co-conspirators to send her the majority of these financial aid funds. Pope spent financial aid funds on her personal expenses, such as a vacation on Disney Cruise Line, retail shopping, and expenses for her daughter.
To execute the scheme, Pope fraudulently overrode Reynolds' internal automated controls to manually place her co-conspirators in a status that guaranteed their continued receipt of financial aid funds. For instance, Pope used her access to the Reynolds financial aid systems to procure financial aid for her son from 2011 through 2017, knowing very well that her son was not attending Reynolds. In another instance, Pope procured financial aid for her ex-fiancé while that individual - a purported student at Reynolds - was actually serving a term of incarceration.
When confronted in September 2017 by Reynolds leadership about her relationship with various academically ineligible students, Pope lied to the official, denying that she had a relationship with her co-conspirators. To conceal the lie, Pope thereafter falsified supporting justification to substantiate the high financial aid amounts she had facilitated for her co-conspirators. In one instance, Pope forged medical documents reflecting that her goddaughter was failing to meet academic eligibility due to a breast cancer diagnosis, knowing full well that her goddaughter did not, in fact, have breast cancer.
In October 2017, Reynolds leadership again confronted Pope about her relationship with various academically ineligible students that Reynolds had realized were receiving high amounts of financial aid. In that conversation, Pope again lied, claiming not to know these students—despite the fact that those students were, in fact, Pope's son, goddaughter, and cousin. When pressed for supporting documentation that would justify Pope’s financial aid structuring, Pope abruptly resigned from Reynolds.
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; Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Virginia; and Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Region of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College for its extensive and diligent cooperation with and assistance to the investigation.
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. 3:22-cr-9.
Career Criminal Offender Sentenced for Dealing Drugs with a FirearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm with a fifty-round drum magazine in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, on Aug. 10, 2021, Nakia Lamont Platt, 29, was found unconscious behind the wheel of a vehicle parked at a gas station pump. Norfolk Police Department officers responding to a call for service observed a bag of cocaine on Platt’s lap. On the floorboard, near Platt’s feet, they also found a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol.
Platt was classified at sentencing as a career offender based on his prior convictions in state court for attempted robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and multiple drug felonies.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 2:21-cr-127.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar COVID-19 Loan Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Stockbridge, Georgia, woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with others to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent disaster-related loan applications in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents, Nikki Mitchum, 44, participated in a conspiracy to obtain disaster-related loan benefits in the form of Small Business Administration (SBA) sponsored Economic Injury Disaster loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. These programs, initiated and expanded under the Cares Act, are designed to provide support for small businesses for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nikki Mitchum and her co-conspirators, including Malik Mitchum, 26, and Jenna Mitchum, 25, of Hampton, submitted fraudulent claims for government benefits in the name of businesses that they falsely represented were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between March 2020 and May 2021, 12 fraudulent applications for pandemic-related loan benefits were submitted using Nikki Mitchum’s information that contained false statements and misrepresentations about their income, employment, and claimed business entities. Nikki Mitchum is further linked to four other fraudulent loan applications by the IP address used to submit the applications. Finally, Nikki Mitchum is connected with 17 fraudulent loan applications submitted by other co-conspirators who paid kickbacks in an approximate amount of $204,000 to the companies owned and operated by Nikki Mitchum.
Malik and Jenna Mitchum previously pleaded guilty and were linked to more than $5.1 million in intended loss and caused more than $1.4 million in actual loss to the United States and participating financial institutions. Nikki Mitchum has agreed to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution to the United States for actual losses from her role in the conspiracy and is linked with intended fraud loss of more than $4 million.
Nikki Mitchum pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Malik and Jenna Mitchum pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. They both face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Malik and Jenna Mitchum are scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman 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. 4:21-cr-85 and 4:22-cr-47.
Woman Sentenced for Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Port Clinton, Ohio, woman was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, in 2020, Ashley Kolhoff, 22, produced sexually explicit images of the minor victim and posted them to a website dedicated to facilitating child exploitation. Over the course of multiple days, Kolhoff distributed the images of the victim to nine other members of the website while she engaged in a series of graphic conversations discussing the users’ desire to sexually abuse the victim.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Trial Attorney Whitney Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger for the Eastern District of Virginia 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 epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.
Ohio Woman Sentenced for Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Port Clinton, Ohio, woman was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, in 2020, Ashley Kolhoff, 22, produced sexually explicit images of the minor victim and posted them to a website dedicated to facilitating child exploitation. Over the course of multiple days, Kolhoff distributed the images of the victim to nine other members of the website while she engaged in a series of graphic conversations discussing the users’ desire to sexually abuse the victim.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal 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 Leonie M. Brinkema.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Kramer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger 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
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
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-158.
Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth on the DarknetRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man was sentenced today to 52 months for conspiring to distribute between 15 and 45 kilograms of pills containing methamphetamine via the darknet.
According to court documents, from about May 2019 through December 2019, Tyler Pham, 39, conspired to distribute peach tablets advertised as Adderall, but in fact containing methamphetamine, nationwide through the U.S. mail. Pham used the moniker “addy4cheap” on darknet markets, the Empire Market and Cryptonia. Between August 2019 and December 2019, law enforcement agents conducted 20 controlled purchases from “addy4cheap” on both markets for a total of 767 peach tablets received, weighing approximately 268 grams total.
On Dec. 9, 2019, search warrants were executed at Pham and his co-conspirators’ residences, including the homes of Lien Kim Thi Phan, 37, Fairfax, and Hon Lam Luk, 35, Chantilly. In the home of Phan and Pham, agents found 95 peach tablets, and in Luk’s residence, investigators found over 6,000 peach tablets weighing approximately 2.2 kilograms, all of which resembled those advertised on “addy4cheap” and those received by law enforcement through controlled purchases.
As of Dec. 10, 2019, “addy4cheap” had completed 3,665 sales on the Empire Market and received 2,568 reviews. Based on these reviews, “addy4cheap” had received approximately $482,572.10 in sales for an approximate 44,872 pills sold. As of Nov. 7, 2019, “addy4cheap” had fulfilled 140 transactions on Cryptonia.
Pham’s six co-conspirators- Phan and Duong Nguyen, 29, of Springfield; Son Nguyen, 36, of Annandale; Dat Nguyen, 37 of Alexandria; Trieu Hoang, 39, of Springfield; along with Luk- all previously entered guilty pleas in connection with the conspiracy and were sentenced to over 13 years in prison combined.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; Tira Hayward, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bibeane Metsch and Jay V. Prabhu are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, FBI analysts, and task force partners, including special agents and inspectors of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and detectives from local assisting police agencies. The task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious Dark Web marketplaces, and the vendors operating on the marketplaces who are engaged in the illegal acquisition and distribution of controlled substances, to include fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other opioids.
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-66, and related cases 1:20-cr-24, 1:20-cr-29, 1:20-cr-32, 1:20-cr-155, 1:20-cr-265; 1:20-cr- 266.
Owners of Skilled Nursing Facilities Agree to Settle Americans with Disabilities Act ComplaintRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the owners of Carrington Place of the Tappahannock (CPOT), which is located in Tappahannock. CPOT’s owners also have an interest in 12 other nursing facilities, and the remedial terms of the settlement agreement apply to each of these nursing facilities.
The settlement agreement resolves allegations that CPOT had denied admission to an individual who is deaf because she would need sign language interpreting services while at CPOT. The ADA prohibits covered entities from excluding individuals with disabilities from their services because they require auxiliary aid or services, such as a sign language interpreter. In addition to making significant changes to the policies and procedures at their nursing facilities, the owners of CPOT also agreed to pay $40,000 to the resident who it denied admission and a $50,000 civil penalty.
To resolve this complaint, the nursing facilities’ owners agreed to adopt new ADA policies at all 13 of the nursing facilities in which they have an interest: (1) Essex Rehabilitation & Care Center, LLC d/b/a Carrington Place at Tappahannock; (2) Essex Rehabilitation & Care Center, LLC d/b/a Tappahannock Post Acute Care; (3) LA First Street, LLC d/b/a Springhill Post Acute & Memory Care; (4) LA Westfork, LLC d/b/a White Oak Post Acute Care; (5) LA Old Hammond HWY, LLC d/b/a Pines Retirement Center of Baton Rouge; (6) LA Park Manor, LLC d/b/a Lafrenier Assisted Living and Memory Care; (7) Cplace Zachary ALF, LLC d/b/a Oakwood Village; (8) East Lake Rehab & Care Center, LLC d/b/a Trinity Regional Rehab Center; (9) Cplace of St. Pete, LLC d/b/a St. Pete Post Acute Care; (10) Birdmont Health Care, LLC d/b/a Carrington Place at Wytheville; (11) Botetourt health Care, LLC d/b/a Botetourt Post Acute Care; (12) Norfolk Area Senior Care, LLC d/b/a Chesapeake Post Acute Care; and (13) Cambridge Sierra Holdings, LLC d/b/a Reche Canyon Regional Rehab Center.
These policies will make the facilities’ services accessible to individuals with communication disabilities, including those who require the services of a sign language interpreter; require designation of ADA Administrators, who will be responsible for ensuring each facility’s compliance with the ADA; require the facilities to enter into agreements with sign language interpreting service providers to provide services to individuals who need them; and provide training for the facilities’ personnel on the ADA’s effective communication requirements.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Gordon, who is the Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The civil claims settled by this ADA agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, including Effective Communication and a Business Brief on Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Member of $3M COVID-19 Loan Fraud Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that involved the submission of at least 63 fraudulent loan applications to obtain COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to which he and his co-defendants were not entitled.
According to court documents, between April and December of 2020, Foad “David” Darakhshan, 47, conspired with his girlfriend, Haleh Farshi, 44, of Ashburn, and his brothers and their friends to submit falsified loan applications in order to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through banks and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration. The defendants used multiple shell entities they controlled to apply for PPPs and EIDLs and falsified IRS tax forms submitted to lenders. They engaged in a group WhatsApp chat devoted to executing the fraud scheme, openly discussing falsifying documents and inflating the numbers of employees, company revenues, and payroll figures in order to induce lenders to make the loans.
Altogether, the defendants wrongfully obtained over $3 million in loan proceeds. They submitted at least 63 loan applications, of which 17 were approved, the remainder being denied. Foad Darakhshan received over $1.5 million of the overall proceeds of the scheme. The group used the proceeds to invest in the stock market, fund a home construction project, travel to Cancun, purchase a vehicle, and pay for other personal expenses.
The U.S. government recovered over $1 million of the total scheme proceeds through seizure warrants, and Foad Darakhshan is ordered to pay full restitution.
Haleh Farshi; Farough Darakhshan, 39, of Great Falls; Fouzi Darakhshan, 36, of Falls Church; Shoughi Darakhshan, 30, of McLean; and Marcus Gharib, 29, of Tysons, all previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. They are scheduled to be sentenced between July and September.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; 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 sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case with assistance from the Asset Recovery Unit.
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-267.
Hampton Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Loan Fraud While in BOP Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for falsely applying for loans intended to grant COVID-19 relief to small businesses.
According to court documents, in August 2020 and January and February 2021, Marlon McKnight, 44, falsely applied for four loans administered by the Small Business Administration. He applied for three Economic Injury Disaster Loans and one Paycheck Protection Program loan using false information, including false business names, income, and employee information, as well as a false tax return. McKnight sought over $100,000 in loans and obtained approximately $35,000. McKnight used the $35,000 obtained to pay his personal expenses, contrary to the purposes for these loans. McKnight submitted certain false applications from a halfway house and others after just being released from the Bureau of Prisons.
McKnight had been incarcerated because this instance of fraud came directly on the heels of a previous federal fraud scheme wherein McKnight, his wife, and several others victimized banks and stole individual identities. McKnight had been sentenced to 30 months for that scheme and ordered to pay nearly $100,000 in restitution. In addition to the 27-month sentence, McKnight was sentenced to an additional four months of consecutive incarceration for his violation of supervised release from his prior case.
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 Tira Hayward, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated under the leadership and coordination of the Newport News Financial Crimes 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 No. 4:21-cr-71.
Felon Previously Convicted of Shooting into an Occupied Home Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man and self-avowed member of the Bloods Gang was sentenced today to six and a half years in prison for possession of a firearm after being convicted of discharging a firearm in a public space on two separate occasions.
According to court documents, Alexander O’Neal Jackson, 36, was arrested on September 25, 2021, after he shot a firearm six times into a loaded parking lot at the St. Luke’s Apartment Complex on September 23. One of his bullets struck the vehicle transporting a mother and her minor son. Another bullet struck the apartment sliding door of another woman while she and her three children were inside. When arrested, Jackson was found in possession of a Taurus PT709, 9mm semiautomatic pistol.
An expert firearm and toolmark examiner conducted microscopic comparisons of test-fired cartridge cases fired from the pistol with the cartridge cases recovered from the apartment complex. The analysis confirmed that the cartridges were fired from the defendant’s pistol.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Colonel Eric D. English, Chief of Police for Henrico County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Simon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 3:21-cr-142.
Former College Football Player Sentenced for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for conspiracy to make false statements in connection with 45 firearm transactions.
“Less than two weeks ago, the President signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which among other things increases the penalties for firearm traffickers and introduces new laws to address the proliferation of illegal firearms. Congress and the American people have spoken: we will not tolerate firearm traffickers, straw purchasers, and felons in possession of guns,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those who traffic illegal firearms, like this defendant, are fueling the fires of gun violence, and with our law enforcement partners we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to profit from these crimes.”
“Today’s announcement sends a clear message of accountability because we know all too well that purchasing firearms for people other than yourself can yield deadly consequences. We at ATF continue to work diligently to ensure that people who violate established firearm related laws and commit acts of violence like those involved in this investigation will not be tolerated. I am proud that our agents worked collaboratively with the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure justice was served,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson. “The ATF Washington Field Division will continue to collaborate with our partners to ensure citizens are protected against those who violate federal firearm laws which ultimately may negatively affect our communities.”
According to court documents, from June 2019 through June 2020, Kevin Staton, Jr., 24, engaged in the business of buying and selling 45 firearms without a license. To buy the firearms he trafficked, Staton made false official statements on ATF forms. Staton claimed he was the actual buyer of the firearms, but, in truth, he was purchasing the firearms for other individuals or with the intent to quickly resell them. Staton would coordinate with co-conspirators to identify firearms for purchase through online firearm marketplaces.
When Staton, a two-time All-American college football player, was interviewed by ATF agents, he told them that “Guns are like money.”
One of the firearms Staton was convicted of trafficking was recovered seven months after his purchase in Philadelphia and was connected to a homicide on March 21, 2020; a shooting involving multiple victims on May 28, 2020; and a shooting into a residence on May 30, 2020. Other firearms Staton trafficked were recovered throughout the country in connection with other homicides and shootings, and in the possession of convicted felons.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 2:21-cr-141.
Jury Finds MS-13 Members Guilty of Roles in Murdering Two JuvenilesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Five members of the transnational street gang La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, were convicted late yesterday by a federal jury for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of two adolescent boys in 2016.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, MS-13 gang members Elmer Zelaya Martinez, Ronald Herrera Contreras, Henry Zelaya Martinez, Pablo Velasco Barrera, and Duglas Ramirez Ferrera, along with their co-conspirators, targeted E.E.E.M., a 17-year-old resident of Falls Church, who they erroneously suspected was a member of the rival 18th Street gang. On the night of August 28, 2016, the gang lured E.E.E.M. to Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Fairfax County under the pretense that there was going to be a gang meeting there. Instead, in a wooded area of the park, gang members restrained, attacked, and killed E.E.E.M., stabbing and chopping him more than 100 times with knives, a machete, and a pickaxe. Afterwards, the gang broke one of E.E.E.M.’s legs so that his body would fit into the pre-dug hole that was nearby.
Court records and evidence presented at trial also established that the same gang members, along with their co-conspirators, targeted S.A.A.T., a 14-year-old resident of Alexandria, who they erroneously suspected was a police informant. On the evening of September 26, 2016, the gang told S.A.A.T. that there was going to be a gang meeting later that night and encouraged him to attend. Not long thereafter, S.A.A.T. went outside in his pajamas, telling his mother he was just taking out the trash. Eventually, several gang members picked up S.A.A.T. and drove him to the same park where they had killed E.E.E.M. The gang members restrained, attacked, and killed S.A.A.T., stabbing and chopping him with knives, machetes, and a pickaxe. They also filmed the murder with a cell phone so that they could prove to gang leaders in the United States and in El Salvador that they deserved to be promoted in rank. Once S.A.A.T. was dead, the gang broke his legs and tied him up with his own pajama pants so that he would fit into the shallow grave that was dug for him that night.
To date, a total of 17 defendants have been charged in this case. Of those, five defendants went to trial and were convicted of all charges. Nine defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial. See the table below for additional information on the defendants who were convicted at trial.
Name
Age
Country of Origin
Convictions
Sentencing Info
Elmer Zelaya Martinez
31
El Salvador
Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity; conspiracy to kidnap; murder in aid of racketeering activity; kidnapping resulting in death
Faces mandatory life
Ronald Herrera Contreras
24
El Salvador
Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity; conspiracy to kidnap; murder in aid of racketeering activity; kidnapping resulting in death
Faces mandatory life
Henry Zelaya Martinez
28
El Salvador
Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity; conspiracy to kidnap; murder in aid of racketeering activity; kidnapping resulting in death
Faces mandatory life
Pablo Velasco Barrera
24
El Salvador
Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity; conspiracy to kidnap; murder in aid of racketeering activity; kidnapping resulting in death
Faces mandatory life
Duglas Ramirez Ferrera
25
El Salvador
Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity; conspiracy to kidnap; murder in aid of racketeering activity; kidnapping resulting in death
Faces mandatory life
Each of the defendants convicted today faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering activity and for kidnapping resulting in death, in addition to the sentences they receive for conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering activity and conspiracy to kidnap, the maximum sentences for which are ten years and life, respectively. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the verdict.
The FBI Washington Field Office, the Fairfax County Police Department, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Washington Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Alexandria Police Department, the Prince William County Police Department, the Montgomery County (MD) Police Department, and the Marin County (CA) Sheriff’s Office provided significant assistance on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca H. Bellows, Alexander E. Blanchard, and Cristina C. Stam are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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. 1:18-cr-123.
Woodbridge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm and over 14,500 Counterfeit Pills Containing FentanylRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, between the end of November and beginning of December 2021, Keyshone Stephan Hogan, 24, worked with a co-conspirator to distribute counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl from a hotel room in Manassas. On December 2, 2021, Hogan was arrested after he and his co-conspirator exited the hotel and entered Hogan’s car in the hotel parking lot. At the time of his arrest, Hogan was concealing a loaded Glock handgun in his waistband. Law enforcement recovered over 250 counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl from Hogan’s driver side door and several boxes of ammunition from the trunk of the vehicle.
A search of the hotel room, registered under Hogan’s name, revealed over 14,000 counterfeit Percocet pills containing over 1,500 grams of fentanyl in 14 plastic zipper bags. Two loaded mini Draco AK47 pistols and one loaded micro Draco AK47 pistol were in the hotel room. After his arrest and during processing at the local jail, Hogan was found to be hiding an additional 50 counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl in his pants.
Hogan is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker 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. 1:22-cr-104.
Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to 27 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material in his home.
According to court documents, on or about March 20, 2021, Jason Woolwine, 44, produced a video of himself sexually abusing a four-year-old victim. Woolwine’s exploits were discovered during the child pornography investigation of John Stanley Zelinsky. Zelinsky, 70, of Newport News, confessed to FBI agents that he and Woolwine were romantically involved, shared their sexual fantasies about children over instant messaging application services, and showed federal agents the video he received from Woolwine with the toddler.
The FBI immediately began its investigation into Woolwine and confirmed the information from Zelinsky. Despite Woolwine’s use of anti-forensic evidence destruction software, forensic examination was able to retrieve images of child pornography from Woolwine’s cellular phone, to include the self-produced video with the young boy inside Woolwine’s home.
Zelinsky pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and received a sentence of 7 years’ imprisonment on April 26. On November 5, 2021, Woolwine pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. Woolwine received a sentence of 27 years for his crime.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf 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 epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Child Exploitation Task Force (NCETF). The NCETF is composed of FBI agents and detectives from the Chesapeake Police Department, Hampton Police Division, and Newport News Police Department. Assistance in this matter was also provided by federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. Tips regarding child exploitation can be provided to the task force at 1-800-CALL-FBI or 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. 4:21-cr-46.
United States Seizes Six Websites Providing Illegal Access to Copyrighted MusicRead the Press Release
Note: View the Government of Brazil's announcement here.
The Justice Department announced today the seizure of six websites as part of ongoing efforts by the Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to combat copyright infringement.
According to court records, unsealed today, the United States obtained court authorization to seize six domain names pending forfeiture. Four of those domains – “Corourbanos.com,” “Corourbano.com,” “Pautamp3.com,” and “SIMP3.com” – were registered with a U.S.-based registry, while two domains – “flowactivo.co” and “Mp3Teca.ws” – were registered through a U.S.-based domain registrar. According to court documents, law enforcement identified these six domains as being used to distribute copyrighted material without the authorization of the copyright holders. A law enforcement investigation confirmed that copyright-protected music content was present and available for streaming or downloading on each of these six websites from the Eastern District of Virginia.
The seizure of these six domains by the government will prevent third parties from streaming and downloading copyright-protected content from these sites. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by the federal government, and visitors will be redirected to another site for additional information.
The seizure of the domain names was announced by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of HSI Washington, D.C.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers in these matters.
Operation 404.4 is the result of collaborative efforts between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; the Government of Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security Cyber Laboratory; numerous Brazilian State police forces; HSI Washington, D.C.; HSI Attaché Brasilia, Brazil; the Department of Justice’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Advisor and Agent in São Paulo, the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT); the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center; the UK Intellectual Property Office; and the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit.
Leader of Oxycodone Distribution Network Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Front Royal woman pleaded guilty today to being the ringleader of a decade-long oxycodone distribution network, sourcing high-dosage oxycodone pills from a doctor in Arlington.
According to court documents, Candie Marie Calix, 40, nominally worked as an office manager for a physician in Arlington, referred to in court records as Doctor-1. Between 2012 and 2022, Doctor-1 prescribed Calix nearly 40,000 oxycodone 30-mg pills and more than 9,000 oxycodone 15-mg pills. Doctor-1 also prescribed similar quantities of oxycodone 30-mg and 15-mg pills to Calix’s relatives, including her mother, grandparents, great-grandmother, brother, and husband. These quantities were far in excess of therapeutic doses, and Calix personally distributed or directed others to distribute most of the pills that Doctor-1 prescribed to Calix and her family members.
Calix functioned as the gatekeeper to Doctor-1; she recruited individuals she knew from around Front Royal to be “patients” of Doctor-1 and obtain large quantities of oxycodone. These “patients,” in turn, typically kicked back the oxycodone 30-mg pills they were prescribed to Calix to redistribute, and kept the oxycodone 15-mg pills for their own use. Calix recruited at least 12 individuals to be “patients” of Doctor-1.
Calix and her co-conspirators used coded language to refer to the pills they distributed, for example, referring to oxycodone 30-mg pills as “tickets,” “blueberries,” or “muffins.” The co-conspirators typically sold oxycodone 30-mg pills at a cost of $25 per pill, and over the course of the conspiracy, generated at least $5,000 per month in profits.
Two of Calix’s co-conspirators, Kendall Sovereign, 56, and Jessica Talbott, 35, both of Front Royal, also pleaded guilty to their involvement in the conspiracy. Sovereign and Talbott are both scheduled to be sentenced on September 21.
Calix is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28. She 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principle mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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. 1:22-cr-115.
EDVA Seizes Six Websites Providing Illegal Access to Copyrighted MusicRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of six websites as part of ongoing efforts by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Justice to combat copyright infringement.
According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize six domain names pending forfeiture. Four of those domains – Corourbanos.com, Corourbano.com, Pautamp3.com, and SIMP3.com – were registered with a U.S.-based registry, while two domains – flowactivo.co and Mp3Teca.ws – were registered through a U.S.-based domain registrar. According to court documents, law enforcement identified these six domains as being used to distribute copyrighted material without the authorization of the copyright holders. A law enforcement investigation confirmed that copyright-protected music content was present and available for streaming or downloading on each of these six websites from the Eastern District of Virginia.
The seizure of these six domains by the government will prevent third parties from streaming and downloading copyright-protected content from these sites. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by the federal government, and visitors will be redirected to another site for additional information.
The seizure of the domain names was announced by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers in these matters.
Operation 404.4 is the result of collaborative efforts between the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern for the District of Virginia; the Government of Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security Cyber Laboratory; numerous Brazilian State police forces; HSI Washington DC; HSI Attaché Brasilia, Brazil; the Department of Justice’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Advisor and Agent in São Paulo, the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center; the UK Intellectual Property Office; and the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit.
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. 1:22-SW-330 and 1:22-SW-331.
Jury Convicts Seven MS-13 Members and Associates of Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A jury convicted seven MS-13 gang members and associates on charges of sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14 and other child sexual exploitation offenses.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2018, the 13-year-old victim ran away from a youth home in northern Virginia. Shortly after running away, the victim was introduced to members of MS-13. Members of the gang told her they would be her family and protect her if she joined the gang. Gang members then beat the victim 26 times with a baseball bat as part of a gang initiation. Gang members then sex trafficked her in Virginia and Maryland using the currency of cash and drugs. In one instance while in Virginia, men lined up to have sex with the victim in a wooded area behind two of the defendants’ apartment complex. She was also harbored in various apartments in Northern Virginia where men paid her and her handlers cash for sex.
The victim was later beaten again with a bat 26 times as a form of gang punishment. Shortly after the second bat beating, the victim was transported to Maryland, where she was sold to numerous gang members and other customers in exchange for cash and drugs, including cocaine. Law enforcement recovered photographs and videos of the victim being sexually exploited, along with numerous social media messages regarding the trafficking and sexual exploitation of her.
Below is a list of individuals convicted and their charges:
Name, Age
Hometown
Charges of Conviction
Moises Zeyala-Veliz, 26
Woodbridge, VA
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to sex traffic a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines for purposes of illegal sexual activity
Jose Eliezar Molina-Veliz, 22
Woodbridge, VA
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to sex traffic a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines for purposes of illegal sexual activity
Santos Ernesto Gutierrez Castro, 22
Woodbridge, VA
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to sex traffic a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines for purposes of illegal sexual activity
Luis Alberto Gonzales, 33
Greenbelt, MD
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14 and via force, fraud, and coercion; Conspiracy to sex traffic a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines for purposes of illegal sexual activity
Reina Elizabeth Hernandez, 50
Hyattsville, MD
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14
Gilberto Morales, 34
Hyattsville, MD
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to sex traffic a minor under the age of 14
Jonathan Rafael Zeyala-Veliz,
26
Hyattsville, MD
Sex trafficking a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to sex traffic a minor under the age of 14; Conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines for purposes of illegal sexual activity
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ incarceration with a maximum penalty of life in prison. Their sentencing dates are currently set for November 10. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Cain, Seth Schlessinger, and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
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. 1:20-cr-196.
Sex Offender Convicted of Escape from the Bureau of Prisons and Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal judge convicted an Illinois man yesterday on charges of escaping from the Bureau of Prisons and failing to register and update a sex offender registration.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Francis David Sherman, Sr., aka "Robert Copeland Shields", 65, was convicted of rape in Peoria County, Illinois, in 1981. He was also convicted of deviate sexual assault in Douglas County, Missouri, in 1998. Both convictions required the defendant to register in a sex offender registry every 90 days for the course of his life. In 2010, he was convicted in the Western District of Virginia of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle and access device fraud. He received a sentence of 144 months in the Bureau of Prisons. In 2020, he was transferred to the James River Residential Reentry Center in Newport News. On or about October 27, 2020, he signed out of the Bureau of Prisons facility to go to work and never returned. On July 7, 2021, he was arrested in Escambia County, Florida, by members of a fugitive task force with Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He last registered as a sex offender in Virginia on August 3, 2020. Under federal law, a sex offender must register and keep the registration current where the offender resides. He failed to register as a sex offender in Florida and update his registration in Virginia. The Virginia Department of State Police maintains the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry.
Sherman was convicted of escape from custody and failure to register and update a sex offender registration and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when sentenced on October 20. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the verdict.
Special thanks to the U.S. Marshal Service and Escambia County Sherriff’s Office for their assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Devon Heath are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://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. 4:21-cr-51.
Newport News Pharmacy Agrees to Pay Civil Penalty under the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Hidenwood Pharmacy, Inc., located in Newport News, and its owner, Anne Hutchens, of Seaport, have agreed to pay $125,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from alleged record-keeping violations associated with controlled substances.
The government alleged that the Hidenwood Pharmacy failed to comply with various recordkeeping requirements under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) mandated for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrants who handle controlled substances. The alleged violations included the failure to validate DEA registrations, resulting in prescriptions being dispensed under invalid or incorrect DEA numbers; failure to maintain records of distributions with the required information; failure to maintain a current self-certification in violation of the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005 and to provide documentation of employee self-certifications; failure to display the warning notice regarding pseudoephedrine purchases on the electronic signature device; and failure to maintain a system to detect orders of unusual size or frequency.
The recordkeeping requirements under the CSA are designed to protect the health and safety of the public from dangers posed by highly addictive or dangerous controlled substances, such as opioids, being diverted into the illicit market, while also ensuring that patients have access to pharmaceutical controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes. In a separate agreement with the DEA Diversion Group, Hidenwood Pharmacy agreed to take a number of measures to prevent the violations from reoccurring.
The resolution obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the DEA, Washington Division, Norfolk District Office.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker.
The civil claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Newport News Police Officer Arrested on Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a sergeant with the Newport News Police Department with three counts of the sexual exploitation of a child.
According to allegations in the indictment, Michael Nicholas Covey, 39, of Newport News, used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed last week, in a separate investigation, child sexual assault images were found on a convicted sex offenders’ electronic devices in Cincinnati, Ohio. Those images were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria. During the analysis of the images, NCMEC determined that the images may have been produced in Newport News. NCMEC forwarded the information to the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SOVA ICAC) who, in turn, contacted the FBI. Agents with the FBI were able to identify the child depicted in the images. Further investigation led the agents to the defendant, Michael Nicholas Covey. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Friday, June 10.
Covey is charged with the sexual exploitation of a child. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and maximum penalty of 30 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Peter G. Osyf 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. 4:22-cr-48.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Government Official Pleads Guilty to Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A General Services Administration (GSA) Contracting Official pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes.
According to court documents, beginning in approximately December of 2015 and continuing through August 2019, Charles W. Jones, 59, of Staunton, accepted bribes from government contractors in return for awarding federal contracts to Contractors USA and SDC Contracting LLC. Jones was employed as a Supervisory Construction Control Representative with the GSA in Richmond. He had responsibility for the management and oversight of construction and renovation projects at certain federal buildings throughout the Norfolk, Richmond, and Alexandria areas, including federal courthouses. Jones received bribes totally $411,192.00 from the President of Contractors USA Inc., in exchange for awarding them federal construction projects. In October of 2019, Jones received a cash payment from the President of SDC Contracting LLC in exchange for awarding a contract valued at approximately $1,369,501.00
The Presidents of Contractors USA, Inc., and SDC Contracting LLC have previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. Federal District Court in Norfolk to related charges.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9. He faces a maximum 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Eric D. Radwick, Special Agent in Charge of the GSA Office of Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Division; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).; and Greg Gross, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Heck 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. 2:22-cr-66.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of a “Ghost Gun”Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and possessing a firearm during drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from in or around May 2020 through December 2021, Justice Edward Ansah, 26, conspired with others to distribute counterfeit, pressed pills containing fentanyl. During the conspiracy, the defendant sold hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills to customers in northern Virginia. At the time of his arrest in December of 2021, Ansah was carrying a privately manufactured 9mm firearm devoid of a serial number or other unique identifier, aka “ghost gun”. A search of Ansah’s two residences in Manassas revealed over 6,700 grams of fentanyl, over 1450 grams of cocaine, and tens of thousands of grams of marijuana and THC products. The search also resulted in the discovery of two additional privately manufactured firearms devoid of serial numbers, two pistols, one rifle, various ammunition, and over $28,000 in cash. Ansah had previously been convicted of a felony offense in Virginia and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of this offense.
Ansah is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, 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 Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker 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. 1:22-cr-88.
American Woman Who Led ISIS Battalion Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A United States citizen pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Virginia to organizing and leading an all-female military battalion in Syria on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Allison Fluke-Ekren, aka “Allison Ekren,” aka “Umm Mohammed al-Amriki,” and aka “Umm Mohammed,” 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled overseas and, from in or about September 2011 through in or about May 2019, engaged in terrorism-related activities in multiple countries, including Syria, Libya, and Iraq. Fluke-Ekren ultimately served as the leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, where she trained women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts. Over 100 women and young girls, including as young as 10 or 11-years-old, received military training from Fluke-Ekren in Syria on behalf of ISIS.
In or around 2008, Fluke-Ekren departed the United States and moved to Egypt with her second husband, a now-deceased former member of the terrorist organization Ansar al-Sharia. Fluke-Ekren resided in Egypt until in or around 2011, at which point she moved to Libya. Near the end of 2011, Fluke-Ekren resided with her second husband, among others, in Benghazi, Libya. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Fluke-Ekren’s second husband claimed that he removed at least one box of documents and at least one electronic device from the U.S. compound in Benghazi. He brought the items to the residence where he resided with Fluke-Ekren and others at that time. Fluke-Ekren assisted her second husband with reviewing and summarizing the contents of the stolen U.S. government documents. The stolen documents and electronic device, along with the summaries that Fluke-Ekren helped prepare, were provided to the leadership of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi.
In or around late 2012, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband, and others traveled from Libya to Turkey. Shortly thereafter, they traveled from Turkey to Syria. After approximately six weeks, Fluke-Ekren returned to Turkey while her second husband remained in Syria. Fluke-Ekren’s second husband ascended through the ranks of ISIS and ultimately became the “emir” (leader) of ISIS snipers in Syria. In or around mid-2014, Fluke-Ekren and others were smuggled back into Syria. While residing in Syria, Fluke-Ekren told a witness about her desire to conduct an attack in the United States. To conduct the attack, Fluke-Ekren explained that she could go to a shopping mall in the United States, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure, and detonate the explosives in the vehicle with a cell phone triggering device. Fluke-Ekren also spoke about learning how to make bombs and explosives. Fluke-Ekren further said that she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack had occurred on United States soil instead.
In 2014, ISIS officials sent a female member of ISIS, who traveled from Central America, to Ablah, Syria, where she resided in an adjoining residence to Fluke-Ekren for approximately 18 days. This witness visited Fluke-Ekren at her residence in Syria on multiple occasions. During those visits, Fluke-Ekren discussed ideas for an attack involving the use of explosives on the campus of a U.S.-based college in the Midwest.
In or around 2015, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband, and others moved from Syria to Mosul, Iraq, where they temporarily resided inside an ISIS-controlled compound within the University of Mosul. When Fluke-Ekren arrived in Mosul, she met with ISIS personnel who were in charge of homes for widowed women whose husbands died while fighting for ISIS. Fluke-Ekren assisted the ISIS personnel by providing ideas for how the homes should function and operate.
In or around mid-2016, Fluke-Ekren led and organized an effort to establish a Women’s Center in Raqqa, Syria. Fluke-Ekren obtained authorization from the “Wali,” the ISIS-appointed mayor of Raqqa, in order to establish the Center. There, Fluke-Ekren and others provided medical services, educational services about the Islamic State, child care, and various training to women and young girls. As the Center’s leader, Fluke-Ekren also provided and assisted other female ISIS members in providing training to numerous women and young girls on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and explosive suicide belts.
In or around late 2016, the ISIS “Wali” of Raqqa approved the creation of the “Khatiba Nusaybah” – a military battalion to be comprised solely of female ISIS members. The Khatiba Nusaybah began operations on behalf of the terrorist organization in or around February 2017. Fluke-Ekren’s main objective as the leader and organizer of the Khatiba Nusaybah battalion was to teach female ISIS members how to defend themselves against ISIS’s enemies, including helping male fighters defend ISIS-controlled Raqqa. Fluke-Ekren sought to motivate her trainees by explaining how female fighters can ensure the Islamic State is kept alive by “helping ISIS expand and to remain” through the use of weapons, including automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts packed with explosives. In addition, witnesses with first-hand knowledge stated that the Khatiba Nusaybah also provided certain members with instruction on physical training including martial arts, medical training, VBIED driving courses, ISIS religious classes, and how to pack and prep a “go bag” with rifles and other military supplies.
In 2018, Fluke-Ekren informed another witness that she had instructed an individual in Syria to send a message to one of her family members stating that Fluke-Ekren was dead so that the U.S. government would not attempt to locate her. Fluke-Ekren informed this same witness that it was important to kill the “kuffar” (disbelievers) and die as martyrs on behalf of ISIS in Syria. Fluke-Ekren was located outside the United States since on or about January 8, 2011, until she was transferred in custody to the Eastern District of Virginia on January 28.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant United States Attorney John Gibbs from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the National Security Division.
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. 1:22-cr-92.
American Woman Who Led ISIS Battalion Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A U.S. citizen pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Virginia to organizing and leading an all-female military battalion in Syria on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Allison Fluke-Ekren, aka Allison Ekren, aka Umm Mohammed al-Amriki and aka Umm Mohammed, 42, a former resident of Kansas, traveled overseas and from in or about September 2011 through in or about May 2019, engaged in terrorism-related activities in multiple countries, including Syria, Libya and Iraq. Fluke-Ekren ultimately served as the leader and organizer of an ISIS military battalion, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah, where she trained women on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide belts. Over 100 women and young girls, including as young as 10 or 11-years-old, received military training from Fluke-Ekren in Syria on behalf of ISIS.
In or around 2008, Fluke-Ekren departed the United States and moved to Egypt with her second husband, a now-deceased former member of the terrorist organization Ansar al-Sharia. Fluke-Ekren resided in Egypt until in or around 2011, at which point she moved to Libya. Near the end of 2011, Fluke-Ekren resided with her second husband, among others, in Benghazi, Libya. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Fluke-Ekren’s second husband claimed that he removed at least one box of documents and at least one electronic device from the U.S. compound in Benghazi. He brought the items to the residence where he resided with Fluke-Ekren and others at that time. Fluke-Ekren assisted her second husband with reviewing and summarizing the contents of the stolen U.S. government documents. The stolen documents and electronic device, along with the summaries that Fluke-Ekren helped prepare, were provided to the leadership of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi.
In or around late 2012, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband and others traveled from Libya to Turkey. Shortly thereafter, they traveled from Turkey to Syria. After approximately six weeks, Fluke-Ekren returned to Turkey while her second husband remained in Syria. Fluke-Ekren’s second husband ascended through the ranks of ISIS and ultimately became the “emir” (leader) of ISIS snipers in Syria. In or around mid-2014, Fluke-Ekren and others were smuggled back into Syria. While residing in Syria, Fluke-Ekren told a witness about her desire to conduct an attack in the United States. To conduct the attack, Fluke-Ekren explained that she could go to a shopping mall in the United States, park a vehicle full of explosives in the basement or parking garage level of the structure, and detonate the explosives in the vehicle with a cell phone triggering device. Fluke-Ekren also spoke about learning how to make bombs and explosives. Fluke-Ekren further said that she considered any attack that did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources. Fluke-Ekren would hear about external attacks taking place in countries outside the United States and would comment that she wished the attack had occurred on U.S. soil instead.
In 2014, ISIS officials sent a female member of ISIS, who traveled from Central America, to Ablah, Syria, where she resided in an adjoining residence to Fluke-Ekren for approximately 18 days. This witness visited Fluke-Ekren at her residence in Syria on multiple occasions. During those visits, Fluke-Ekren discussed ideas for an attack involving the use of explosives on the campus of a U.S.-based college in the Midwest.
In or around 2015, Fluke-Ekren, her second husband, and others moved from Syria to Mosul, Iraq, where they temporarily resided inside an ISIS-controlled compound within the University of Mosul. When Fluke-Ekren arrived in Mosul, she met with ISIS personnel who were in charge of homes for widowed women whose husbands died while fighting for ISIS. Fluke-Ekren assisted the ISIS personnel by providing ideas for how the homes should function and operate.
In or around mid-2016, Fluke-Ekren led and organized an effort to establish a Women’s Center in Raqqa, Syria. Fluke-Ekren obtained authorization from the “Wali”, the ISIS-appointed mayor of Raqqa, in order to establish the center. There, Fluke-Ekren and others provided medical services, educational services about the Islamic State, childcare, and various training to women and young girls. As the center’s leader, Fluke-Ekren also provided and assisted other female ISIS members in providing training to numerous women and young girls on the use of automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and explosive suicide belts.
In or around late 2016, the ISIS “Wali” of Raqqa approved the creation of the “Khatiba Nusaybah” – a military battalion to be comprised solely of female ISIS members. The Khatiba Nusaybah began operations on behalf of the terrorist organization in or around February 2017. Fluke-Ekren’s main objective as the leader and organizer of the Khatiba Nusaybah battalion was to teach female ISIS members how to defend themselves against ISIS’s enemies, including helping male fighters defend ISIS-controlled Raqqa. Fluke-Ekren sought to motivate her trainees by explaining how female fighters can ensure the Islamic State is kept alive by “helping ISIS expand and to remain” through the use of weapons, including automatic firing AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and suicide belts packed with explosives. In addition, witnesses with first-hand knowledge stated that the Khatiba Nusaybah also provided certain members with instruction on physical training including martial arts, medical training, VBIED driving courses, ISIS religious classes, and how to pack and prep a “go bag” with rifles and other military supplies.
In 2018, Fluke-Ekren informed another witness that she had instructed an individual in Syria to send a message to one of her family members stating that Fluke-Ekren was dead so that the U.S. government would not attempt to locate her. Fluke-Ekren informed this same witness that it was important to kill the “kuffar” (disbelievers) and die as martyrs on behalf of ISIS in Syria. Fluke-Ekren was located outside the United States since on or about Jan. 8, 2011, until she was transferred in custody to the Eastern District of Virginia on Jan. 28.
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 Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 25. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibbs for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Operator of Multiple PACs Pleads Guilty to False Reporting to FECRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The former owner and operator of seven political action committees (PACs) pleaded guilty today to making a false statement in connection with PAC expenses reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
According to court documents, Tyler D. Whitney, 33, of Austin, Texas, formed and operated the PACs beginning in mid-2012. Whitney also owned and operated Amagi Strategies, a consulting corporation, and Amagi Imports, an affiliated business. Between 2012 and 2018, Whitney operated each of the PACs by creating and managing a PAC-related website; purchasing e-mail lists of potential contributors; utilizing vendors that provided blast e-mail services to send mass emails to potential contributors; used urgent language in e-mail solicitations to potential donors for to solicit contributions; and representing to potential donors that contributions would be used to support or oppose a particular candidate or cause via “voter outreach” and “advertising.”
During this time, Whitney spent a small portion of the donated funds to benefit the political candidates or causes the PACs represented they were going to support or oppose. He also transferred a large portion of the donated funds from the PACs to his consulting company, Amagi Strategies, or withdrew the money as cash. Whitney used funds in bank accounts for Amagi Strategies to either pay himself, pay for personal expenses, or pay for services such as website management, e-mail list purchases or rentals, and blast e-mail services to raise additional funds via e-mail solicitations. Whitney filed and caused to be filed FEC reports that, among other things, were false as to amounts, dates, and descriptions of expenditures and disbursements by the PACs, including payments made to Amagi Imports.
For instance, in July 2016, Whitney transferred $10,000 from one of his PACs to Amagi Strategies. On the same day, Whitney transferred $9,000 from Amagi Strategies to Amagi Imports and then $8,787.73 from Amagi Imports to an international shipping company. Whitney’s PAC did not report this $10,000 payment on its FEC reports for 2016 and 2017. However, in January 2018, Whitney caused the PAC’s treasurer to file an amended FEC quarterly report for the PAC that falsely disclosed the $10,000 payment as “PAC Management Fees.”
Whitney pleaded guilty to making a false statement. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26 and faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen and Senior Litigation Counsel Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity 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. 1:22-cr-73.
Norfolk Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm Used in a Killing on Interstate 264Read the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court in 2017 of multiple felonies: malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and abduction.
According to court documents, Curtis Hathaway, 27, was involved in a shooting on I-264 in Norfolk on November 17, 2020, which resulted in the death of another driver. The decedent’s car approached Hathaway’s from the rear. The decedent began to shoot at Hathaway, striking his vehicle and Hathaway in the leg. Hathaway returned fire from the driver’s seat while driving down the interstate. The decedent was shot in the head and died.
After the shooting, the police located Hathaway at his sister’s residence in Virginia Beach. When the police arrived, they saw that Hathaway had a bullet wound in his leg and his car had multiple bullet holes and contained several spent cartridge casings. Hathaway attempted to flee from the police but was caught and detained. Police found a firearm in the bushes outside his sister’s residence. An analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) linked the firearm located in the bushes to the discharged casings in Hathaway’s car, and a subsequent forensic analysis confirmed they had been fired by the weapon. Hathaway also had gunshot primer residue on his hands, indicating he recently discharged a firearm. Also, in July 2021, Hathaway was caught by police with another semi-automatic handgun.
Hathaway is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21. He faces a maximum of 10 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Stolle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bosse 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. 2:22-cr-24.
McLean Man Sentenced for Role in Call Center Tech Support Fraud ScamRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man was sentenced today to 3 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud more than 1,300 victims out of $1.6 million in connection with a call center scam.
According to court documents, Bruhaspaty Prasad, 33, conspired with several other individuals primarily based in India at a call center to carry out a tech support scheme that primarily affected elderly victims. The defendant’s co-conspirators contacted the victims through unsolicited telephone calls and pop-up notifications on their computers claiming, in part, that the victims needed assistance to remove malware from their computers. In other instances, the call center employees pretended to be associated with companies like Amazon and Microsoft and falsely led the victims to believe that there were issues with their online accounts. The victims were duped into signing contracts for technical support services that were never rendered. Once the victims agreed to pay for services, they were frequently contacted again for additional services and charged additional fees.
Prasad, as the primary U.S.-based conspirator, was responsible for creating several businesses that purported to offer technical support to clients. During the life of the conspiracy, Prasad opened three businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia, all of which received the fraudulently obtained proceeds of the scheme. Prasad was the sole signatory on the bank accounts for the entities he created. He was also responsible for transferring a significant portion of the fraud proceeds to his co-conspirators in India. Prasad continued operating these businesses and obtaining victims’ funds even after personally receiving several complaints and negative online reviews. Rather than closing the business entirely, Prasad continued to open businesses to allow the fraud scheme to proceed.
From April 2016 through September 2021, more than 1,300 individuals were defrauded. The victims suffered losses totaling more than $1.6 million.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Amazon provided law enforcement with substantial assistance during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamar K. Walker and Kaitlin Cooke prosecuted the case.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans.
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. 1:22-cr-40.
Paralegal Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of Funds from Law Firm Trust AccountRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Midlothian woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to embezzle funds from the trust account of the law firm where she worked.
According to court documents, from at least September 2, 2015, through December 5, 2017, Lindsey Epps Passmore, 38, was a paralegal at a Richmond area law firm that specialized in real estate law. That firm held loan proceeds in an escrow account for a private lender to Passmore’s co-defendant, Joshua Brian Romano, 39, of Chesterfield, who was involved with the purchase, rehabilitation, and sale of homes around Richmond. The loan proceeds were earmarked for Romano to use them only for the purchase of purchase and rehabilitation of specific properties, and only with the lender’s express approval for each disbursement. In order to cover this up, Passmore sent the lender emails that falsely reported the balances held in escrow for these properties.
Passmore disbursed a total of $1,206,953.27 of the lender’s funds held in escrow for Romano’s projects without receiving the lender’s approval or by misleading the lender about how the funds were to be used. The funds were then allegedly used by Romano for purposes outside the scope of the agreements with the lender.
Passmore is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18. She 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Romano is scheduled to face a trial by jury on October 17, 2022. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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 U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore 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. 3:22-cr-26.
Sixth Defendant in $3 Million COVID-19 Fraud Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Falls Church man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire fraud, bank fraud and to make false statements on loan applications in connection with COVID-relief loans.
According to court documents, Fouzi Darakhshan, 36, conspired with his brothers and their friends to submit falsified loan applications in order to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through banks and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration. Altogether, the defendants wrongfully obtained over $3 million in loan proceeds. They submitted at least 63 loan applications, of which 17 were approved.
The defendants used multiple shell entities they controlled to apply for PPPs and EIDLs and falsified IRS tax forms submitted to lenders. They engaged in a group WhatsApp chat devoted to executing the fraud scheme, openly discussing falsifying documents and inflating the numbers of employees, company revenues, and payroll figures in order to induce lenders to make the loans.
Foad Darakhshan, 46, of McLean; Haleh Farshi, 44, of Ashburn; Farough Darakhshan, 39, of Great Falls; Shoughi Darakhshan, 30, of McLean; and Marcus Gharib, 29, of Tysons all previously pleaded guilty for their involvement in the conspiracy.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced beginning in July and concluding in September. They face up to 5 years in prison, full restitution, and forfeiture. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge for the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted today’s plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg 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. 1:22-cr-22.
Richmond Man Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $1 million in funds intended for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
According to court documents, from April 2020 to April 2021, Moe Ayemen Mathews, 51, with the assistance of his co-conspirator, submitted at least 38 fraudulent PPP loan applications to financial institutions for businesses the conspirators claimed to own and operate. In their first draw PPP applications, the conspirators falsely certified that the information and supporting documentation provided was true and accurate when, in fact, the applications contained false statements, false certifications, and fabricated tax documents. For instance, the conspirators repeatedly inflated or fabricated the average monthly payroll and number of employees working for their purported businesses, and they submitted fabricated tax documents to substantiate the false information provided in their PPP applications. Once their fraudulent applications were approved, the conspirators did not use the funds in accordance with the program’s requirements.
Additionally, after their first draw PPP applications were approved and funded, the conspirators submitted fraudulent second draw PPP applications predicated on their fraudulently-obtained first draw PPP loans. When submitting the second draw PPP applications for their purported businesses, the conspirators concealed the fact that they had intentionally and knowingly submitted false and misleading first draw PPP applications. Once these second-draw applications were approved, the conspirators used the loan proceeds contrary to the program’s requirements.
Mathews is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 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 taking into account 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; Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA); and Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), made the announcement after Senior U.S. Districy Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the Virginia State Corporation Commission for their assistance with this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kashan Pathan 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. 3:22-cr-44.
Man Sentenced for Trafficking Kilos of Fentanyl-like Substance and Possessing Four Semiautomatic WeaponsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for trafficking over two (2) kilograms of a potent fentanyl analogue known as parafluorofentanyl while in possession of four semiautomatic weapons, including one equipped with an extended magazine.
According to court documents, Troy Deon Allen, 31, sold fentanyl and parafluorofentanyl to a confidential source three times between June 14, 2021, and August 19, 2021. Parafluorofentanyl is a fentanyl analogue that is similar to fentanyl but is much stronger. Investigators from ATF and Prince George County Police Department obtained and executed a search warrant at Allen’s residence in North Dinwiddie. After entering the residence, they found Allen in the bathroom attempting to flush parafluorofentanyl down the toilet.
During the search of Allen’s residence, law enforcement recovered over two kilograms of para-fluorofentanyl, 128 grams of acetyl fentanyl, 53 grams of methamphetamine, and 14 pounds of marijuana. They also recovered Allen’s cellular telephone, over $20,000, and four loaded semi-automatic firearms — a Glock, Model 45, 9mm; a Glock, Model 42, .380 caliber; an Alex Pro Firearm, Model APF-15, multi-caliber, semi-automatic pistol; and a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P Shield EZ, 9mm, semi-automatic. Allen was a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any firearms.
At Allen’s sentencing, the Court received evidence obtained from Allen’s cellular telephone under a search warrant. Among that evidence were messages discussing drug trafficking and buying and exchanging firearms with a juvenile. Several messages also discussed Allen’s knowledge and potential involvement in a July 4, 2021, homicide at a park in Hopewell where an 18-year old was killed during a shootout.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division, and Colonel W. Keith Early, Chief of Police for Prince George County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Simon 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. 3:21-cr-143.
Darknet Vendor of Fentanyl-Laced Pills Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Tampa, Florida, man pleaded guilty today to distributing fentanyl on the darknet.
According to court documents, from August 2021 to February 2022, Akshay Ram Kancharla, 26, ran the darknet moniker OnlyTheFinest on darknet marketsToRRez and Dark0de Reborn. He advertised and sold nationwide pressed Oxycodone containing fentanyl, pressed Xanax, pressed Adderall, and THC resin. On ToRRez market, Kancharla sold over $73,096 in controlled substances and completed over 264 transactions by December 21, 2021, which included sales of 7,375 pressed Oxycodone pills. On Dark0de Reborn, which Kancharla joined after ToRRez market went down, he sold over $39,793 in controlled substances, which included rated orders for 3,975 pressed Oxycodone pills sold.
The darknet, also called TOR network or darkweb, is a portion of the Internet that hosts darkmarkets, or hidden commercial websites. A darkmarket operates as a black market, selling or brokering transactions involving legal products as well as drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods.
Between October 2021 and February 2022, law enforcement made controlled purchases from OnlyTheFinest, which included 710 pressed Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl shipped to the Eastern District of Virginia. On February 17, 2022, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence. Therein, agents found marijuana as well as a large quantity of pressed Oxycodone pills weighing approximately 2.38 kilograms resembling those obtained through controlled purchases that tested positive for fentanyl and pressed Xanax bars weighing approximately 437.5 grams. Law enforcement also seized $30,140 in U.S. currency and agents observed the defendant’s cryptocurrency Ethereum wallet on his laptop that contain approximately 2.444 in Bitcoin.
Kancharla is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4. 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch is prosecuting the case.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and task force partners, including special agents and officers of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and detectives from local assisting police agencies. The task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious Dark Web marketplaces, and the vendors operating on the marketplaces who are engaged in the illegal acquisition and distribution of controlled substances, to include fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other opioids.
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. 1:22-cr-75.
Chesterfield Man Pleads Guilty to $1.3 Million Tax FraudRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man pleaded guilty today to failing to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll taxes that were deducted from his employees’ paychecks.
According to court documents, from at least 2014 to 2018, David Corey Warren, 47, failed to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes from three different companies owned by his family. Warren served as the Director of Operations for Transitional Adult Residential Center, Transitional Home Care, and Elkridge Gathering Center, companies providing group homes, home care nurses, and daycare center services for mentally disabled adults in Chesterfield and Richmond. As Director of Operations, Warren was responsible for withholding the required Medicare, Social Security, and federal income taxes from his employees’ wages, and paying that amount over to the IRS. Warren also had an obligation to file Form 941s, the Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, but failed to file accurate returns with respect to each of those businesses.
Warren used a third-party payroll company for various payroll services, including the preparation of Forms 941. Despite receiving accurate Forms 941 from the payroll company, Warren consistently evaded his responsibilities to the IRS by deliberately and significantly underreporting the true value of the employment taxes due by filing Forms 941s that were different than those prepared by the payroll company, not paying over any employment taxes in some quarters, paying over only some of the employment taxes due in some quarters, or failing to report the employment taxes via Form 941 altogether in other quarters.
Over the course of four years, Warren failed to pay over $1.3 million in taxes to the IRS.
Rather than paying the amounts his businesses owed to the IRS, Warren used those withheld monies to fund his and his family’s personal living expenses, which included travel to the Caribbean, golf club memberships, private basketball lessons, luxury clothing, and accessories.
Warren is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Darrell J. Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Jordan-Detamore and Thomas A. Garnett 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. 3:22-cr-059.
Chesterfield County Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield County man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for producing child pornography.
According to court documents, beginning in December 2015 and continuing over several years, Joshua Clayton Brady, 36, made sexually explicit videos with multiple female victims between the ages of 14 and 16 using the internet application Skype. Brady met these victims on various dating websites, falsely representing himself as a member of one of two wealthy families in the United Kingdom and the United States. Brady sometimes threatened to expose the victims’ activities on those websites to their parents to coerce their participation in the sexual activity. Several years after recording one victim, Brady reapproached that victim when she was a college freshman. Brady then induced the victim to wire him money and allow him to use the victim’s credit cards by threatening to release the videos he had made previously. Brady engaged in similar conduct with adult women he had met on-line.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel E. Fishel prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
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. 3:21-cr-17.