Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking 26 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
According to court documents, Cornelius Maurice King, Jr., 25, working with co-conspirator Yeakain Yabu Koroma, 26, bought dozens of firearms and then resold them to third parties to turn a profit. Between January and June 2018, King and Koroma resold 26 firearms. Neither King nor Koroma were licensed to sell firearms.
“King illegally trafficked 26 firearms, and the vast majority of those firearms are still out on the street,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Cases like this are representative of precisely why we have partnered with the ATF, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and the Western District of Virginia on Project Guardian-DMV. We are determined and committed to investigating and enforcing firearms violations not just against the end user, but also against the illicit source of supply. Under Attorney General Barr’s leadership, Project Guardian remains a top Department of Justice priority as we enter 2020.”
Koroma is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema on February 7.
“The crime King committed has far-reaching effects. Trafficked firearms represent a danger to our community because they can end up in the hands of convicted felons, violent criminals, and many other kinds of people who are prohibited from having firearms,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division. “We will continue to work diligently alongside our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to fulfill the mission of Project Guardian by targeting offenders like King and getting illegally trafficked guns off the street.”
Below is a table that includes the make, model, caliber, and type of firearm illegally trafficked by King.
Make
Model
Caliber
Type
Glock
G30
.45
Pistol (x2)
Remington
RP9
9mm
Pistol
Glock
G27
.40
Pistol (x2)
American Tactical
AR15
5.56mm
Pistol (x2)
Glock
G23
.40
Pistol
Smith & Wesson
SD40VE
.40
Pistol (x2)
Taurus
Millennium G2
9mm
Pistol
Mini Draco
AK
7.62mm
Pistol (x2)
Springfield
XD
9mm
Pistol
Glock
G19
9mm
Pistol
Glock
G26
9mm
Pistol
Hi-Point
3895TS Carbine
.380
Rifle
Glock
G36
.45
Pistol
Mossberg
LR
.22
Pistol
Smith & Wesson
M&P45 Shield
.45
Pistol
Taurus
Millennium PT111
9mm
Pistol
Glock
G17
9mm
Pistol
Smith & Wesson
M&P9c
9mm
Pistol (x2)
Glock
G22c
.40
Pistol
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
.40
Pistol
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-315.
Man Sentenced for Embezzling $3 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for embezzling over $3.2 million from his employer.
According to court documents, Reginald Zayas, 49, of Upper Marlboro, was the Controller at a Virginia-based company. Over the course of almost four years, Zayas embezzled over $3.2 million from the company by unlawfully transferring funds from the company’s bank account to his own bank account, and he then often transferred the money from his account to others. Zayas transferred over $300,000 to accounts controlled by his wife, his girlfriend, and the mother of one of his children.
Zayas used the laundered money to pay for his own personal expenses, including exorbitant credit card bills, car payments, dining expenses and entertainment, and private school tuition.
In addition to the prison sentence, Zayas was also ordered to pay full restitution and forfeiture.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; and Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Stam and William Fitzpatrick 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. 1:19-cr-297.
Fraudster Sentenced for Scamming 350 Victims over Seven YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Colombian national was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for his leadership of a seven-year fraud and identity theft conspiracy that victimized more than 350 people and caused losses of nearly $2 million.
“Alberto Cortes Gomez’s crime was successful precisely because it targeted one of the most admirable qualities of its hundreds of victims: their desire to help others,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Cortes Gomez and his co-conspirators targeted innocent retail shoppers by feigning questions or a need for assistance, thus exploiting those victims’ generosity and willingness to give their time and attention to a total stranger. In doing so, Cortes Gomez and his co-conspirators broke society’s trust in a particularly pernicious way, by relying on the best in people in order to do them harm.”
According to court documents, Cortes Gomez, 39, orchestrated a nationwide scheme that targeted unsuspecting retail shoppers in order to steal their credit cards and other identity information. Cortes Gomez would travel from Florida to locations with high volumes of retail activity, such as the I-95 corridor through Virginia. While at a retail location, Cortes Gomez and co-conspirators would distract shoppers with questions seeking assistance, and other conspirators would steal the shoppers’ wallets. After altering means of identification to show the victims’ names but pictures of those working with Cortes Gomez, Cortes Gomez would direct purchases of expensive electronics and other retail goods. The members of the conspiracy would then ship the goods for resale.
“Cortes Gomez exhibited vicious and predatory greed, turning theft into a moneymaking operation at the expense of ordinary people,” said Raymond Villanueva, Washington D.C. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge. “HSI is committed to investigating fraudsters like Cortes Gomez, whose crimes impacted hundreds of unsuspecting victims.”
“Cortes Gomez planned, schemed, and defrauded hundreds of innocent people for his own personal gain,” said Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “I'd like to thank the men and women of the FBI who work hard every day to identify and apprehend those responsible for breaking the public's trust and taking advantage of people’s altruistic instincts to steal from them.”
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan S. Faulconer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Grimes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-189.
Air Force Colonel Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An active duty Air Force colonel was sentenced today to five years in prison for receiving images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents and admissions made in connection to his plea agreement, Colonel Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, received and attempted to receive child pornography through the Internet. Visconi used an online bulletin board dedicated to the sharing of child pornography that operated on the anonymous Tor network to download child pornography. A forensic review of his laptop showed that Visconi downloaded and viewed numerous child pornographic images and videos.
Visconi also used his cell phone to create hundreds of pictures focused on the clothed buttocks of minor girls. In a smaller subset of these pictures, Visconi appeared to take “upskirting” images of some of the girls. It does not appear that any of the girls were aware that pictures were being taken.
In addition to his prison sentence, Visconi was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution to the identified victim, and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service by speaking or writing about his experience and conviction.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendelynn E. Bills prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-258.
Air Force Colonel Sentenced for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
An Air Force colonel was sentenced today to five years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for receiving child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, between November 2015 and June 2016, Mark Visconi, 48, received and attempted to receive child pornography using the Internet. Visconi used an online bulletin board dedicated to the sharing of child pornography that operated on the anonymous Tor network to download child pornography. A forensic review of his laptop showed that Visconi downloaded and viewed numerous child pornography images and videos. Visconi previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 4, 2019.
Visconi also admitted to using his cell phone to create hundreds of apparently surreptitious pictures that were focused on the clothed buttocks of minor girls, including images that appear to have been taken with a camera angled upward underneath a minor’s skirt or loose shorts so as to depict or attempt to depict the minor’s underwear.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Youngest Member of Murderous Family Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 52 years in prison for his role in multiple carjackings, including one that resulted in a death.
According to court documents, Philip Friend, 36, was the youngest member of an entire family (a mother and her three sons; plus a cousin and some associates), who created a plan to steal a semi-trailer truck from an interstate trucker. They planned to travel to McAllen, Texas, where they would pick up a load of marijuana to distribute on the East Coast. In March 1999, the group attempted to hijack the truck of their first victim, Soren Cornforth, who they found sleeping in his truck as he waited to deliver potatoes from Idaho to a produce company in Richmond. When Cornforth strongly resisted, the Friends shot and killed him without taking his truck. About six weeks later, the Friends hijacked another independent trucker, John Cummings, stealing his rig. Philip Friend beat Cummings so viciously that he was maimed and lost his ability to work as a trucker. Two weeks later, in April 1999, the Friend clan carjacked their third victim, an independent trucker named Sam Lam, murdering him and taking his rig to Texas in search of marijuana.
Friend, who was just shy of 16 years old during this killing spree, originally pleaded guilty in 2000. Federal sentencing guidelines called for a mandatory life sentence, which he received. Years later, Friend’s case was sent back to the district court for resentencing after the Supreme Court held that a mandatory life sentence for a juvenile offender was unconstitutional.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood 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. 3:99-cr-201.
Multi-Kilogram Heroin and Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, Kimberly Massenburg, 45, served as a go-between for a kilogram weight dealer of heroin and a kilogram weight dealer of cocaine. The two dealers would exchange tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine and heroin through Massenburg at a time. In October 2018, Massenburg was arrested in Hampton after she was found in possession of a kilogram of cocaine. After being released on bond, Massenburg kept in contact with both dealers and organized a meeting between them so that they could continue to exchange drugs directly with one another.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Cookout. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Hudson, Amy E. Cross, and Peter G. Osyf 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. 4:19-cr-047.
Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Drugs on Dark WebRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A former Richmond man pleaded guilty today to distribution of drugs similar to fentanyl.
According to court documents, Mark Faulkner, 36, was identified as part of a multi-agency federal investigation into illegal drug sales on “dark web” market places. Marketplaces on the dark web, like AlphaBay, Dream, and Hansa, function as a place where a wide variety of illegal goods and services, including narcotics, firearms, child pornography, stolen credit card numbers, and counterfeit identity documents, can be bought and sold with greater anonymity than on the traditional Internet.
In 2017, investigators with HSI and USPIS conducted online undercover operations targeting the importation and distribution of drugs on these dark web marketplaces. In addition to making covert online purchases of drugs, investigators also operated a cash-for-Bitcoin exchange business, through which they received Bitcoin from drug vendors in return for bulk cash that investigators shipped back to the drug vendors as part of the investigative process.
Faulkner used the vendor name CHANG1927 to advertise Adderall and fentanyl products on multiple dark markets. Investigators identified Faulkner through Bitcoin exchange transactions and three purchases of drugs that were advertised as fentanyl. Forensic testing later determined that the substance was actually cyclopropyl fentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl. Controlled substance analogues have chemical structures that are substantially similar, and have similar effects on the central nervous system as the controlled substances.
Faulkner pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance analogue and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood 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. 3:19-cr-177.
Man Pleads Guilty to Opioid Overdose Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Northern Virginia resident pleaded guilty today to distribution of heroin that resulted in the death of a Leesburg man in March 2016.
According to court documents, John Jacob Stapleton, 33, who most recently resided in Fort Pierce, Florida, regularly obtained illegal opioids from sources of supply that he and others distributed to customers within Loudoun County and the greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. In March 2016, Stapleton distributed heroin that resulted in the death of E.L., a former Loudoun County resident. A forensic toxicologist determined that E.L.’s blood and vitreous humor each contained a combination of morphine and 6-acetylmorhpine, and a forensic pathologist determined that E.L. died of heroin poisoning. Further investigation by law enforcement officials revealed that E.L. overdosed on heroin that another individual obtained directly from Stapleton.
Stapleton pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury and death. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on April 17. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff; and Gregory C. Brown, Leesburg Chief of Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Peters and Raj Parekh are prosecuting the case.
This matter was investigated by the Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets/HIDTA Task Force which is composed of Agents and Task Force Officers from the Leesburg PD, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County Police, the Alexandria City Police, the Vienna Police Department, the Herndon Police Department, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, and in cooperation with the DEA, ATF and USMS.
The task force’s mission is to effectively identify, disrupt and dismantle the most egregious gangs and criminal enterprises engaged in violence and narcotics distribution within Northern Virginia.
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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-340.
Four-Time Felon Sentenced to Prison for Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced today to over nine years in prison for supplying over 770 grams of heroin to a distributer between March 2017 and December 2017.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Moten, 46, provided approximately 770 grams of heroin to an individual for redistribution. This individual then dealt out the heroin to others, including to an undercover law enforcement officer, and totaled a profit of over $60,000. Moten is a career offender with four prior drug related felony convictions.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karolina Klyuchnikova prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-325.
Former Attorney Sentenced for $1.6 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former attorney was sentenced today to 88 months in prison for conspiring to defraud Virginia State Senator Richard Saslaw’s campaign account, a Canadian business, and an organization intended to support college students with autism and other intellectual disabilities out of more than $1.6 million.
According to court documents, David H. Miller, 71, of Fairfax, conspired with his wife, Linda Diane Wallis, to defraud three categories of victims from 2011 to 2014. First, Miller conspired with Wallis to create two fake law firms, Federal Legal Associates and The Straile Group. Miller and Wallis used the fake law firms to fraudulently bill Miller’s employer, SkyLink Air and Logistic Support, Inc. (SkyLink), a Canadian based aviation company that maintained an office in Dulles, for legal work that was never actually performed. Miller and Wallis caused over $360,000 in losses to SkyLink.
Second, Miller and Wallis embezzled more than $650,000 from the campaign account of Senator Saslaw. From June 2013 to September 2014, Wallis served as the treasurer of the Saslaw for State Senate campaign. During that time, Wallis issued over 70 fraudulent checks from the Saslaw for State Senate campaign bank account, which totaled at approximately $653,000. All of the checks were issued without the knowledge or permission of Senator Saslaw or his campaign staff, and were ultimately deposited into accounts that were controlled by Miller or Wallis.
Third, Miller and Wallis misappropriated funds for an autism organization, which Miller co-founded and for which Wallis served as the Executive Director. The organization, known as The Community College Consortium on Autism and Intellectual Disabilities (CCCAID), claimed to provide assistance to community colleges to develop programs for individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities. Between April 2010 and April 2013, community colleges located around the country and an individual donated around $780,000 to CCCAID. The funds contributed to CCCAID were supposed to be used to further the mission of the organization and not to enrich Miller or Wallis. Despite these restrictions, from 2011 to 2014, Miller and Wallis embezzled over $600,000 from CCCAID’s bank account and used the money to pay their own personal expenses.
Miller and Wallis laundered the proceeds of their crimes through multiple bank accounts and ultimately spent the funds on lavish personal expenses, such as mortgage payments on a million-dollar home in Fairfax, renovations to an oceanfront property in Bethany Beach, Delaware, fee payments to a country club, and travel on private aircraft from Manassas to Jamaica for a family vacation at a luxury oceanfront resort.
Miller’s co-conspirator and wife, Linda Diane Wallis, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than four years in prison on March 18, 2016.
In addition to the prison sentence, Miller was ordered to pay $1,640,655 in restitution, and ordered to forfeit the same amount.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye, Samantha P. Bateman, Karen L. Taylor, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-213.
Russian National Pleads Guilty to Running Online Criminal MarketplaceRead the Press Release
A Russian national pleaded guilty today to charges related to his operation of two websites devoted to the facilitation of payment card fraud, computer hacking and other crimes.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Matthew S. Miller of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Aleksei Burkov, 29, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III to access device fraud and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, identity theft, wire and access device fraud and money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2020.
According to court documents, Burkov ran a website called “Cardplanet” that sold payment card numbers (e.g., debit and credit cards) that had been stolen primarily through computer intrusions. Many of the cards offered for sale belonged to U.S. citizens. The stolen credit card data sold on Burkov’s site has resulted in over $20 million in fraudulent purchases made on U.S. credit cards.
Additionally, Burkov ran another website that served as an invite-only club where elite cybercriminals could advertise stolen goods, such as personal identifying information and malicious software, and criminal services, such as money laundering and hacking services. To obtain membership in Burkov’s cybercrime forum, prospective members needed three existing members to “vouch” for their good reputation among cybercriminals and to provide a sum of money, normally $5,000, as insurance. These measures were designed to keep law enforcement from accessing Burkov’s cybercrime forum and to ensure that members of the forum honored any deals made while conducting business on the forum.
Burkov was arrested at Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in December 2015. An Israeli district court approved his extradition in 2017. He was extradited to the United States from Israel on Nov. 11, 2019, after appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court and the Israeli High Court of Justice were denied.
Trial Attorney Laura Fong of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer and Alexander P. Berrang of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Israel.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Russian National Pleads Guilty to Running Online Criminal MarketplaceRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Russian national pleaded guilty today to charges related to his operation of two websites devoted to the facilitation of payment card fraud, computer hacking, and other crimes.
According to court documents, Aleksei Burkov, 29, ran a website called “Cardplanet” that sold payment card numbers (e.g., debit and credit cards) that had been stolen primarily through computer intrusions. Many of the cards offered for sale belonged to United States citizens. The stolen credit card data sold on Burkov’s site has resulted in over $20 million in fraudulent purchases made on United States credit cards.
Additionally, Burkov ran another website that served as an invite-only club where elite cybercriminals could advertise stolen goods, such as personal identifying information and malicious software, and criminal services, such as money laundering and hacking services. To obtain membership in Burkov’s cybercrime forum, prospective members needed three existing members to “vouch” for their good reputation among cybercriminals and to provide a sum of money, normally $5,000, as insurance. These measures were designed to keep law enforcement from accessing Burkov’s cybercrime forum and to ensure that members of the forum honored any deals made while conducting business on the forum.
Burkov was arrested at Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in December 2015. An Israeli district court approved his extradition in 2017. He was extradited to the United States from Israel on Nov. 11, 2019, after appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court and the Israeli High Court of Justice were denied.
Burkov pleaded guilty to access device fraud and conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, identity theft, wire and access device fraud, and money laundering, and faces a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison when sentenced on May 8. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Matthew S. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer and Alexander P. Berrang are prosecuting the case, along with Trial Attorney Laura Fong of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Israel.
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. 1:15-cr-245.
Man Pleads Guilty to Making Illegal Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland political consultant pleaded guilty today to conspiring to funnel more than $15,000 through straw donors into a campaign for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to court documents, Charles O’Neil, 33, was the Vice President of Strategic Campaign Group, Inc., a political consulting company located in Arlington from January to October 2015.
O’Neil and his co-conspirators, including Kelley Rogers, Scott Mackenzie, and another co-conspirator, facilitated unlawful campaign contributions from a company, through eleven straw donors, to a campaign. The campaign was for a candidate running for an Indiana seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The co-conspirator was the vice president and general counsel of a company; a gaming corporation based in Indianapolis, IN. The co-conspirator transferred funds from their company to bank accounts that were associated with Strategic Campaign Group, Inc. O’Neil and his co-conspirators used more than $15,000 of the transferred funds to reimburse straw donors who, at the direction of O’Neil, Rogers, and other conspirators, contributed more than $15,000 to the campaign.
O’Neil and his co-conspirators made these transfers to evade the restrictions of corporate contributions to campaigns, to evade the limits placed on money that individuals could contribution to a campaign, and to disguise the fact that the gaming corporation was the true source of the funds.
O’Neil pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make conduit contributions and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen and Trial Attorneys Bill Gullotta and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) are prosecuting the case.
Former PIN attorney Molly Gaston provided significant assistance in 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. 1:20-cr-010.
DynCorp Pays $1.5M to Resolve Kickback AllegationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – DynCorp International, LLC (DynCorp), located in McLean, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle civil fraud allegations involving two former DynCorp officials, Wesley Aaron Struble and Jose Rivera, who solicited and accepted kickbacks from an Iraqi subcontractor in connection with DynCorp’s lease of property for its operations in Baghdad, Iraq on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
Struble and Rivera previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to violating the Anti-Kickback Act for their role in soliciting and accepting at least $390,000 in cash kickbacks from the Al-Qarat Company in exchange for influencing DynCorp’s lease of property in Baghdad at a lease amount higher than the previous lease. The lease costs were included with services for international civilian policing that DynCorp billed under a U.S. Department of State contract in 2011 and 2012.
The settlement resolves the alleged liability of DynCorp for violation of civil penalties under the Anti-Kickback Act and the civil False Claims Act arising out of Struble’s and Rivera’s fraudulent conduct while employed by DynCorp.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of State Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Roushdy. The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act 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.
Political Consultant Sentenced for Fraud Involving Scam PACsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland political consultant was sentenced to three years in prison today followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions through several scam political action committees (PACs) that he founded and advertised as supporting candidates for office and other political causes.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Kelley Rogers, 56, of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia. In addition to the prison sentence, Rogers was ordered to pay $491,299 in restitution and to forfeit at least $208,954 in proceeds obtained from his offense.
According to admissions Rogers made in connection with his guilty plea, from August 2012 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the defendant operated multiple PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce (CSF), Conservative Majority Fund and Tea Party Majority Fund. In that role, the defendant engaged vendors to send e-mail solicitations and make telemarketing phone calls to prospective donors seeking political contributions to his PACs. Rogers approved the text and other content of all solicitations, and determined how CSF spent the contributions individual donors gave in response to the solicitations.
During the course of his scheme, Rogers solicited contributions from the general public for his PACs based on materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. For example, in or around 2013, Rogers, working with an email vendor, represented through CSF that money contributed by donors would be used to support the campaigns of a candidate for governor and a candidate for attorney general of Virginia through, among other things, get-out-the-vote efforts and the hiring of attorneys to ensure the integrity of the elections. In or around 2014, Rogers represented that donations to the PAC would be spent on assistance and support for military veterans. In truth and in fact, the defendant never intended to spend, and never actually spent, any of the money raised by Rogers’s PACs on get-out-the-vote efforts or lawyers to protect the integrity of the 2013 Virginia and Attorney General elections, or on assistance and support for military veterans. Instead, the defendant spent nearly all of the money raised from donors to benefit himself, his associates, and his PACs, including by pouring the majority of donor money into the solicitation of more donations.
In addition to the misrepresentations that Rogers made to donors, Rogers and others fraudulently billed his PACs for services that were not performed, thereby misappropriating donor money that had been contributed to the PACs by individuals across the country. Rogers and his associates also made false statements to the Federal Election Commission about how they were spending PAC money.
Finally, Rogers admitted that he and several others also participated in a scheme to use conduits (straw donors) to make contributions to a candidate running to represent a district in the United States House of Representatives that exceeded the limits placed on individual campaign contributions under federal law.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Bill Gullotta and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Former PIN attorney Molly Gaston provided significant assistance in the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Scheme to Solicit Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Contributions to Scam-PacsRead the Press Release
A Maryland political consultant was sentenced to three years in prison today followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions through several scam political action committees (PACs) that he founded and advertised as supporting candidates for office and other political causes.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Kelley Rogers, 56, of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia. In addition to the prison sentence, Rogers was ordered to pay $491,299 in restitution and to forfeit at least $208,954 in proceeds obtained from his offense.
According to admissions Rogers made in connection with his guilty plea, from August 2012 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the defendant operated multiple PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce (CSF), Conservative Majority Fund and Tea Party Majority Fund. In that role, the defendant engaged vendors to send e-mail solicitations and make telemarketing phone calls to prospective donors seeking political contributions to his PACs. Rogers approved the text and other content of all solicitations, and determined how CSF spent the contributions individual donors gave in response to the solicitations.
During the course of his scheme, Rogers solicited contributions from the general public for his PACs based on materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. For example, in or around 2013, Rogers, working with an email vendor, represented through CSF that money contributed by donors would be used to support the campaigns of a candidate for governor and a candidate for attorney general of Virginia through, among other things, get-out-the-vote efforts and the hiring of attorneys to ensure the integrity of the elections. In or around 2014, Rogers represented that donations to the PAC would be spent on assistance and support for military veterans. In truth and in fact, the defendant never intended to spend, and never actually spent, any of the money raised by Rogers’s PACs on get-out-the-vote efforts or lawyers to protect the integrity of the 2013 Virginia and Attorney General elections, or on assistance and support for military veterans. Instead, the defendant spent nearly all of the money raised from donors to benefit himself, his associates, and his PACs, including by pouring the majority of donor money into the solicitation of more donations.
In addition to the misrepresentations that Rogers made to donors, Rogers and others fraudulently billed his PACs for services that were not performed, thereby misappropriating donor money that had been contributed to the PACs by individuals across the country. Rogers and his associates also made false statements to the Federal Election Commission about how they were spending PAC money.
Finally, Rogers admitted that he and several others also participated in a scheme to use conduits (straw donors) to make contributions to a candidate running to represent a district in the United States House of Representatives that exceeded the limits placed on individual campaign contributions under federal law.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Bill Gullotta and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Former PIN attorney Molly Gaston provided significant assistance in the case.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Convicted Child Sexual Abuser Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An illegal alien from El Salvador, who recently was convicted in state court of taking indecent liberties with a child, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after he previously was deported in 2004.
“Carrero Alas illegally entered the United States, was deported at taxpayer expense, then returned illegally a second time and was convicted of sexually abusing a child,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to make these cases a priority and will work closely with our local and state partners to not only promote the rule of law, but also protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
According to court documents, Oscar Saul Carrero Alas, 37, a citizen of El Salvador, was removed from the United States in October 2004, after having illegally entered the country by crossing the Rio Grande River. Carrero Alas reentered the United States, again without permission, and he subsequently was arrested in Prince William County in January 2018 for violations of state law. In June 2019, Carrero Alas was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship, possession of cocaine, and obscene exhibition, all in violation of Virginia law.
“This individual received due process in immigration court and was removed to his home country but chose to flout that decision and return to the U.S. and victimize a child,” said Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removals Operations (ERO) Washington D.C. “ICE is committed, alongside our law enforcement partners, to upholding our shared public safety mission.”
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Grady prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-318.
Psychiatrist Sentenced to Prison for Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach doctor was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare, and other health care benefits programs out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Additionally, Udaya K. Shetty, 64, agreed to pay over $1 million to settle related civil claims.
According to court documents, was a licensed psychiatrist practicing medicine at his own practice, Behavioral & Neuropsychiatric Group. Beginning in 2013, Shetty created a scheme by which he could overbill healthcare benefit programs by seeing patients for only five to 10 minutes, but then billing for services that were on average 41 to 63 minutes long. Shetty instructed his staff to often double, triple, or even quadruple book appointment times. The fraud became apparent when investigators discovered that on dozens of instances Shetty would need more than 24 hours a day of working to perform the services for which he billed.
In 2017, Shetty closed his own practice and joined another psychiatric practice, Quietly Radiant Psychiatric Services. While there Shetty, and one of his former employees, Mary Otto, engaged in a similar scheme. Although other Quietly Radiant staff members were responsible for billing, Shetty directed Otto to access the billing system and change all of his billing data to a higher billing rate. Otto complied and changed the data without the knowledge of Quietly Radiant’s staff. As a result of their actions, Shetty and Otto defrauded various healthcare benefit programs of more than $450,000. Otto pled guilty for her role in the scheme and was sentenced to 15 months in prison on January 10.
In regards to the civil settlement, Shetty agreed to pay $1,078,000 to the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia to resolve his liability under the False Claims Act and the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act for submitting or causing the submission of false claims to the Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE programs.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare P. Wuerker handled the civil 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-089.
Multi-Kilo Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mecklenburg County man was sentenced today to more than 15 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over 27 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, Vincent Maurice Lewis, 45, arranged for the delivery of 28 kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Virginia. On May 30, 2019, a tractor-trailer that originated in Texas and was driven by co-defendant Jorge Enrique Suarez, delivered the cocaine to Lewis in Brodnax. Lewis had received multiple shipments of cocaine from the suppliers in Texas and had distributed at least 71 kilograms of cocaine starting before January 2018 and through his arrest in May 2019.
Suarez was sentenced to 36 months in prison in December 2019.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Swan Song. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-089.
Man Sentenced for Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to over 19 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.
According to court documents, in September 2018, Dante Jermel Davis, 40, was the subject of a court-authorized surveillance of his telephone communications by law enforcement. Law enforcement heard a series of phone conversations concerning the imminent delivery of controlled substances by another party to Davis. The investigators detained Rawl Christopher Stennett after he was seen carrying a backpack and entering the lobby of an apartment building in downtown Norfolk, where Davis’ maintained a “stash” apartment. The investigators discovered five kilograms of cocaine inside Stennett’s backpack. The agents then detained Davis’ outside his “stash” apartment. Pursuant to a search warrant, the agents searched Davis’ apartment and discovered approximately 397 grams of heroin, 14 grams of cocaine, over $160,000 in cash, two digital scales, and a money counting machine. The investigators also searched Davis’ other residence in Virginia Beach, and discovered $100,000 in cash, a Glock 9mm pistol, ammunition, marijuana, and another money-counting machine. Davis has a previous conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute from 2010.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Jim O’Sullivan, Chesapeake Sheriff; and Michael A. Moore, Portsmouth Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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. 2:18-cr-158-3.
Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Lorton man pleaded guilty today to straw purchasing a firearm.
“Every straw purchased firearm is a gun that can wind up in the hands of a prohibited person,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to use federal firearms laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for their role in trafficking illegally purchased firearms. As I recently stated, the violation is our threshold—one straw purchased firearm on one occasion will be prosecuted. I want to commend the ATF for their leadership and commitment to investigating these important cases.”
According to court documents, Daquan Anthony Poindexter, 22, straw purchased a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in Eastern Virginia for another individual. In making the purchase, Poindexter represented himself as the true buyer of the firearm, but immediately after he received the firearm he transferred it to the straw purchaser and was paid for making the purchase.
“This investigation demonstrates how criminals abuse laws governing firearm purchases,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Straw purchased firearms can end up in the hands of violent offenders and prohibited persons. If you lie when you buy a firearm, you will be held accountable.”
Poindexter pleaded guilty to making false statements with respect to the purchase of a firearm and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on April 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.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano 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. 1:20-cr-004.
Silent No More Overdose Symposium Brings Experts to VCURead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Over 160 law enforcement, medical, education, and community services professionals gathered today at Virginia Commonwealth University for the Silent No More Overdose Symposium.
“The coming together of this highly respected and accomplished group of professionals is incredibly impressive, but there is still much more work to be done,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We must remain vigilant in our enforcement efforts, continue to raise awareness in our communities, educate our children on the dangers of illicit narcotics, and work across the entire suite of law enforcement efforts to keep these dangerous drugs from hitting the streets.”
The symposium brought together law enforcement experts from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DEA, Virginia State Police, New Jersey State Police, and Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services; and Medical and education experts from VCU Medical Center, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Virginia Poison Center, Virginia State Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Forensic Science, Department of Veterans Affairs, and others.
“Today is the time to engage our individual expertise and capabilities in order to benefit the greater good of Virginia,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “No single one of us has all the answers. We have to collectively find new solutions to the opioid crisis, and find new ways to help one another so we can save more lives, and ultimately, save our communities.”
The symposium featured expert panels focused on the development of cross-jurisdictional multi-disciplinary working groups, the impact on emergency rooms and morgues, fatal drug overdose trends and statewide epidemiology statistics, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area management coordination, opioid overdose surveillance, data sharing platforms, and several others.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington D.C. man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in addition to armed drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Phillip Thurston Mace, 38, sold heroin and fentanyl to an undercover police detective in Fairfax county during the course of several months. Mace also purchased two Glock handguns. He was arrested shortly after taking possession of the handguns.
In October 2018, an individual was arrested for shoplifting in Fairfax County. During the search, law enforcement discovered the individual to be in possession of heroin. The individual agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and provide assistance in the investigation of the Mace drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement conducted multiple controlled buys of drugs from Mace. In September 2019, an undercover detective met with Mace where 28 grams of heroin and 28 grams of fentanyl were given to the undercover detective, in return the officer gave Mace over $3,000 and a toolbox with two Glock handguns. After this transaction, Mace noticed an undercover police vehicle and fled from the scene. He was arrested shortly afterwards and officers recovered the firearms.
Mace pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years to life in prison when sentenced on April 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.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, and Jesse R. Fong, 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. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary 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. 1:19-cr-341.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two foreign nationals made court appearances today in connection with their respective charges for illegally re-entering the United States.
“Both of these defendants have shown a complete lack of respect for the laws of this country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case represents an all too common scenario here in the Eastern District of Virginia: A defendant illegally enters the United States and then commits additional crimes while here illegally. This criminal conduct creates serious public safety risks for our communities, and has the full attention of my office and our law enforcement partners.”
In Norfolk federal court, Jorge Sormiento-Rodriguez, 46, of Honduras, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for illegal reentry. Sormiento-Rodriguez illegally entered the United States sometime before 2010. He was arrested and convicted in 2010 for driving under the influence (DUI) in Norfolk, and again in 2011 for possession of narcotics but was deported prior to the adjudication on that charge. Sometime prior to December 2018, Sormiento-Rodriguez again illegally entered the United States. In December 2018, he was arrested in Norfolk for another DUI and possession of narcotics. He was convicted of the DUI and both narcotic charges in June 2019.
In Richmond, Reynaldo Ostorga-Rodriguez, 42, of El Salvador, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. According to court documents, Ostorga-Rodriguez was first apprehended by Border Patrol in December 2004 along the border and allowed to return to Mexico. He then attempted to illegally enter the United States two more times and was apprehended and returned to Mexico. He later illegally entered the United States in February 2006, and in March 2006 he was arrested by the Chesterfield County Police for DUI. He was convicted and sentenced for both offenses. In May 2006, Ostorga-Rodriguez was arrested by the Virginia State Police for the felony violation DUI, convicted, and sentenced to three years in prison. He was released following completion of the sentence. In June 2010, Ostorga-Rodriguez was again arrested by the Chesterfield County Police for another DUI and related offenses, was convicted, and sentenced to five years in prison. Following completion of his sentence, on May 22, 2012, ICE removed him to El Salvador.
On an unknown date, Ostorga-Rodriguez again illegally reentered the United States. In October 2019, Ostorga-Rodriguez was arrested by the Richmond Police for DWI. He was later released from the Richmond City Jail without notification to ICE. In November 2019, Deportation Officers apprehended Ostorga-Rodriguez in a vehicle stop. Ostorga-Rodriguez was positively identified and taken into ICE custody. On Nov. 20, 2019, a federal grand jury returned the indictment to which the defendant pleaded guilty.
Ostorga-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal following a felony conviction, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 14. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and S. David Schiller are prosecuting the cases.
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. 2:18-cr-192 (Sormiento-Rodriguez) and 3:19-cr-166 (Ostorga-Rodriguez).
Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man with citizenship in Lebanon and the United States pleaded guilty today to a two-count criminal information charging him with child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents, George A. Nader, 60, admitted that he arranged to transport a 14-year-old boy from Europe to Dulles International Airport for purposes of illegal sexual conduct in early 2000. Nader had met the boy in Prague, Czech Republic, and later brought him to his residence in Washington, D.C. Nader also admitted that, in September 2012, he possessed or accessed with intent to view video images of child sexual abuse while he was in New York. In exchange for the plea, the government agreed to dismiss an indictment involving similar charges returned in the Eastern District of Virginia in July 2019.
Nader pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor boy for purposes of illegal conduct and one count of possession of child pornography, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years when sentenced on April 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.
Nader had been previously been convicted of transporting child pornography into the Eastern District of Virginia in 1991.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu is prosecuting the case.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of FBI agents and local, state and federal partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance to the 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. 1:19-cr-201.
Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Purchasing 31 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today for conspiracy to straw purchase 31 firearms.
“The Eastern District of Virginia continues to put straw purchasers on notice: If you abuse federal firearms purchasing laws, you will be prosecuted for your felonious conduct,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Subjecting individuals who choose to straw purchase firearms to federal felony prosecution is just and necessary to ensure that convicted straw purchasers can never again purchase firearms for others.”
According to court documents, Emmanuel Ndjongo, 21, and his then-girlfriend, Alexus Jordon, conspired to straw purchase 31 firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees in Virginia. Jordon purchased six of the firearms at FFLs in Virginia. Ndjongo used Jordon’s name to order the remaining firearms online from an FFL located in North Carolina, and had these firearms shipped to various FFLs in Virginia. Once the firearms arrived in Virginia, Jordon picked up the firearm deliveries from the FFLs, and gave them to Ndjongo, who sought to sell the firearms to other individuals. Local law enforcement in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, have recovered two of the firearms unlawfully purchased during this conspiracy; both of which had altered or destroyed serial numbers.
“People who criminally abuse the process of purchasing firearms put all of our citizens at risk,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Guns obtained through straw purchasing end up in the hands of violent criminals who pose a significant threat to our communities and law enforcement officers. ATF will continue to target these offenders and the people they traffic firearms to, as well as leveraging the partnerships we have through Project Guardian to maximize our efforts.”
Ndjongo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison when sentenced on March 27. 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.
Jordon pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2019, to conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas U. Murphy II and Philip Alito 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. 1:19-cr-343.
Co-Owner of Gas Station Pleads Guilty to Distributing SpiceRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Gainesville man pleaded guilty today to selling synthetic cannabinoids—commonly known as “spice” or “K2”—from the gas station he owned and operated with his business partner in Fauquier County.
“Spice is a toxic mix of dangerous chemicals that can be deadly,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These chemicals can mimic the effects of PCP, a powerful and dangerous hallucinogenic. Many people wrongly assume spice is innocuous, and it is often our young people who fall victim to these illegal drugs, obtaining them at gas stations and convenience stores without any idea how dangerous they can be.”
According to court documents, Nasser A. Latif, 70, and his business partner have sold spice from their gas station, located in Warrenton, since 2012. Latif and his partner primarily sold 5-gram packets of spice, packaged in silver pouches bearing various logos, brand names, or images; including “Scooby Doo,” “Diablo,” “Bizarro,” and “24 Monkey.” The spice cost at least $53 per packet.
“We appreciate the tremendous working relationships with our law enforcement partners that resulted in holding these perpetrators accountable,” said Sheriff Robert P. Mosier of Fauquier County. “This investigation has undoubtedly saved lives by getting these synthetic or “designer drugs” off the street, which were responsible for medical occurrences, some even requiring hospitalizations. We will always work with vigilance for the continued protection of our community from those that would exploit the weaknesses associated with addictions.”
“For years, these individuals sold their illicit products in our community, profiting from their toxic and deadly goods,” said Raymond Villanueva, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. field office. “HSI is committed to taking individuals peddling dangerous substances off our streets.”
In December 2017, law enforcement seized more than seven kilograms of spice, as well as nearly $300,000 in cash from Latif’s residence, as well as approximately $118,000 from the gas station’s business account.
Latif pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, Schedule I controlled substances and controlled substance analogues. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on March 27. 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.
This case was prosecuted as part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Scary Spice. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert P. Mosier, Fauquier County Sheriff; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Bibeane Metsch 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. 1:20-cr-001.
Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery and Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 28 years in prison for robbery affecting commerce, using, carrying, brandishing a firearm during the robbery, and three separate instances of armed drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Tajh Rodgers, 30, previously pleaded guilty for working with an accomplice to commit a violent armed robbery of a Sprint Store in Colonial Heights in January 2019. During the robbery, Rodgers and his co-conspirator held two employees hostage in the back of the store at gunpoint, and attempted to tie up the employees and threatened to kill them if they notified police. Due to a time-delay lock on the store’s safe, the robbers had to wait several minutes for the safe to open, and a customer entered the store. The robbers let one of the employees go to assist the customer, along with a warning that the employee would be killed if they tried to alert the customer about the crime. Soon after the customer left, the time-delay lock on the safe opened, allowing the robbers to steal a total of 72 items valued at approximately $25,000.
The investigation led to the identification of Rodgers as a suspect, as well as his connection to another drug trafficking investigation in Norfolk where the defendant engaged in several armed drug transactions during which he sold fentanyl, crack cocaine, and firearms to cooperating sources. In December 2018, Rodgers sold cocaine base, fentanyl, and a .38 caliber revolver to cooperating sources. A month later, he sold two bundles of fentanyl and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. During both drug transactions, Rodgers was armed with the same .40 caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol that he carried during the armed robbery of the Sprint Store.
After identifying Rodgers as the robbery suspect, investigators obtained a search warrant for his residence in Norfolk. During the search in January 2019, officers recovered the .40 caliber pistol, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, various items connected to the Sprint Store robbery, distribution quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, crack cocaine, and a plastic safe containing a digital scale with suspected narcotics residue and packaging material.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. 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.
Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Colonel Jeffrey W. Faries, Chief of Colonial Heights Police; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gill, Kenneth Simon, and William B. Jackson 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. 3:19-cr-111.
Medical Doctor Arrested on Charges of Illegal Distribution of AdderallRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax medical doctor was arrested today on charges of illegally diverting Adderall.
According to allegations included in the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Dr. Gurpreet Singh Bajwa, 48, of Oakton, operated a medical practice in Fairfax. During a 21-month period between January 2017 and September 2018, Bajwa allegedly issued approximately 15,000 controlled substance prescriptions to more than 1,000 patients—a total of more than 700 prescriptions per month. Several local pharmacies had flagged Bajwa and would no longer fill prescriptions from him. The Virginia Department of Health Professions had previously suspended his medical license in 2012 for issues related to his prescription practices.
Beginning in summer 2018, two undercover law enforcement officers posed as patients and made appointments to see Bajwa. At each visit, Bajwa allegedly prescribed the undercover officers a 30-day supply of Adderall—despite the undercover officers not having a need for the medication. One of the officers told Bajwa that she was a fitness model and needed Adderall for her workouts, which is not a legitimate use for the substance. The undercover officer also asked Bajwa to prescribe her extra pills that she could give to a “friend” and he readily agreed.
Bajwa is charged with illegal distribution of Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh 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. 1:20-MJ-3.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that crossed most of South Hampton Roads.
According to court documents, Ingram Cox, 35, regularly received heroin from co-defendant Kyam Washington, which Cox then sold to local drug dealers and users. The group imported bulk amounts of heroin from out-of-state sources, and at times used a common cell phone number that buyers would call to order drugs. Narcotics, multiple firearms, a bullet-proof vest, a commercial money counter, and nearly $100,000 were seized during search warrants of houses used by members of the conspiracy.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation View Crew. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Kelvin Wright, Chief of the Chesapeake Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse, Joseph E. DePadilla, and John F. Butler 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-006.
Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Drug Related MurderRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to life in prison for use of a firearm resulting in death, drug conspiracy, attempted possession with intent to distribute ecstasy, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Damontaze Tillery is an admitted gang member with a history of violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As a previously convicted felon, Tillery was prohibited from possessing a firearm when he murdered Javon Stephenson during a drug deal. Together with our law enforcement partners we are targeting areas where firearms and the drug trade are fueling violence and endangering the safety of those communities. I want to thank the prosecutors who brought this matter to trial, the ATF and the Newport News Police Department for their outstanding work on this case.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Damontaze Montrell Tillery, 24, arranged a trade of a firearm for ecstasy, provided by victim Javon Stephenson. In July 2018, Stephenson travelled from Virginia Beach to downtown Newport News to conduct the transaction with Tillery. During the trade, Tillery murdered Stephenson. Stephenson was unarmed and still in possession of ecstasy when he was found in his vehicle. The victim’s foot was still on the gas pedal when he was found, causing the tires to spin until a bystander turned the vehicle off. An off-duty Newport News firefighter responded after seeing the smoke coming from the vehicle, and upon approaching the vehicle, realized Stephenson had a gunshot wound to the chest. Stephenson was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Firearms in the hands of criminals and anyone with violent intentions create a major threat to our communities,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “This defendant’s callous behavior not only threated the safety of citizens in Newport News, but led to a loss of life. ATF and our law enforcement partners remain committed to stopping violent crime and bringing criminals to justice.”
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Howard J. Zlotnick 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. 4:19-cr-031.
Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Prince William County man pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
According to court documents, Michael Tutwiler, 38, was found in possession of numerous firearms and several firearm silencers after a conviction. ATF was conducting an investigation into the illegal importation of firearm silencers, and through that investigation determined that Tutwiler had likely received firearm silencers shipped from China through the mail. Based on their investigation, agents of the ATF and HSI executed a federal search warrant at Tutwiler’s residence in October 2019. They found several firearm silencers, over 30 firearms, and assorted ammunition at various places in Tutwiler’s home and garage.
Tutwiler pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on March 26. 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.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Duffey is prosecuting the case.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service provided significant 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. 3:18-cr-163.
Four Cuban Nationals Plead Guilty to Gas Pump Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Four Cuban men from Florida have pleaded guilty to charges that included conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Jorge Bello Fuentes, 30, Guillermo Bello Fuentes, 33, Yariel Monsibaez Ruiz, 28, and Pedro Emilio Duran, 40, among others, placed skimming devices on gas pumps located in the Eastern District of Virginia. The skimming devices were capable of recording the credit cards, bank card numbers, and PINs of the customers that used their cards at gas pumps. In April and May 2018, using the stolen card information, the codefendants traveled between various locations like Harris Teeter stores to withdraw money from the victims’ bank accounts and purchase prepaid debit cards.
Jorge Bello Fuentes pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on April 23. Co-defendant Guillermo Bello Fuentes pleaded guilty on January 7 to the same charges and is scheduled for sentencing on April 28. Co-defendant Yariel Monsibaez Ruiz pleaded guilty on January 7 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on April 28. Co-defendant Pedro Emilio Duran pleaded guilty on Dec. 13, 2019, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on March 18. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and David L. Doughty, Jr., Northampton County Sheriff, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the pleas. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and Kevin P. Hudson 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. 2:19-cr-109.
Doctor Who Conspired with Internet Pharmacy Organization to Unlawfully Sell Prescription Drugs Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Norfolk man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to unlawfully sell prescription drugs to consumers without valid prescriptions, the Department of Justice announced today.
According to court documents, from October 2007 to September 2010, Lawrence B. Ryan, 48, who was then a physician, conspired with RX Limited, an internet pharmacy organization, to sell prescription drugs without valid prescriptions to consumers in the United States. RX Limited sold these prescription drugs, including Fioricet (which contains butalbital, a barbiturate that is a controlled substance), carisoprodol (Soma), tramadol (Ultram), Viagra, Cialis, and others, using a network of its own websites and websites registered and operated by affiliates. RX Limited sent Ryan drug orders for “approval” as a participating physician. These drugs were sold to customers without a valid prescription, because there was no legitimate doctor-patient relationship between Ryan and the customers. Specifically, there was no face-to-face contact, no physical examination, no taking of patient histories, and no checking of the accuracy of information provided by the customers, including qualifying medical conditions. The drugs sold were accordingly misbranded because they were introduced into interstate commerce without valid prescriptions.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting consumers from unscrupulous medical professionals who assist others to unlawfully sell potentially harmful and addictive drugs to American consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
During the time he worked as a participating physician for RX Limited, Ryan approved more than 158,000 illegal drug orders. Ryan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller, sitting in the Eastern District of Virginia’s Norfolk Division, accepted the plea. Ryan faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on April 6, 2020.
Senior Litigation Counsel Linda I. Marks of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are the prosecutors for the case. The Minnesota office of the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, and the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm PurchasesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – An Alexandria man and a Virginia Beach man were sentenced to prison today for illegally buying and possessing firearms, and for possessing firearms while involved in drug-trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, Ernest Dwayne Riley, 32, and Kaleb Raine Reiter, 22, were prohibited persons who purchased guns at different times from Julio Pino, a former U.S. Navy sailor who was sentenced in March 2019 for trafficking at least 60 firearms.
Riley was sentenced to more than four years in prison, while Reiter was sentenced to 10 years.
At the time Riley bought a gun from Pino, he had been convicted in Maryland of a misdemeanor punishable by 10 years in prison. He also purchased multiple hollow-point rounds of ammunition from Pino. Several months later, Riley attempted to purchase a gun at a federally licensed gun store and lied on the form about his prohibited status. While processing Riley’s gun application, the gun store clerk discovered Riley’s conviction and turned him down.
Riley was arrested in July 2019 during a traffic stop. His $60,000 Range Rover had a “Ghost Tag”—a license plate that does not come back on file when it is entered into DMV and police databases. Riley also provided the arresting officer with a fraudulent vehicle registration. The officer recovered from Riley’s SUV yet another handgun—this one loaded with an extended magazine—THC oil, and prescription pills inside a pill bottle with the label torn off.
Evidence recovered from Riley’s phone and subpoenaed from his financial accounts showed that for the last few years, he was making hundreds of thousands of dollars trafficking marijuana and THC oil from California into Hampton Roads—the same brand of THC oil recovered from his vehicle.
And at the time Reiter purchased a gun from Pino, he was drug user, including heroin, Xanax, and marijuana. Police later recovered that gun lying next to several MDA baggies while searching Reiter’s van during his arrest—he was wanted for assaulting and attempting to abduct someone driving next to him while both were stopped at a major Virginia Beach intersection in the middle of the day and, hours later, pointing that gun at his ex-girlfriend and her mother.
A year later, Reiter directed a teenage girl to steal a handgun from her stepfather. He then traded cocaine to the girl in exchange for the stolen gun.
Two months after that, Reiter brandished a third gun, pointing it at the victim of a vehicle accident he was involved in. A police officer later arrested him while in possession of that gun, Xanax, and a digital scale after receiving complaints that he had passed out in a booth at a local restaurant.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson 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-124.
Former UVA Football Player Sentenced for $10 Million FraudRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A former University of Virginia football player was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for a $10 million investment fraud scheme and a separate loan fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Merrill Robertson Jr., 39, of Chesterfield, started Cavalier Union Investments, LLC, and Black Bull Wealth Management, LLC, with co-conspirator Sherman Carl Vaughn. From 2008-2016, Robertson and Vaughn solicited individuals to invest money in private investment funds that they managed, as well as distinct investment opportunities that they proposed. Robertson identified potential investors through various contacts; including contacts he developed playing football at Fork Union Military Academy, the University of Virginia, and in the National Football League, while Vaughn focused on developing investment opportunities.
Among other things, Robertson led investors to believe he was an experienced investment advisor, that his company was qualified to serve as a custodian of retirement accounts, that investor money was deposited into individual tax-deferred retirement accounts, and that investor money was secured by tangible cash-producing assets owned by his company.
As a result of this conspiracy, Robertson and Vaughn fraudulently obtained more than $10 million from over 60 investors, spending much of the money on their own personal living expenses, including mortgage and car payments, school tuitions, spa visits, restaurants, department stores, and vacations.
By 2015, Robertson and his partner had spent most of the money they collected from investors. Robertson was then unable to raise new investor capital. So Robertson approached Cavalier investors and other friends and offered to help them get loans in exchange for a portion of the loan proceeds. Mr. Robertson and others then caused falsified loan applications to be submitted to various banks and credit unions on behalf of these individuals, which included false statements about the borrower’s personal financial status, the real purpose of the loan, and whether the loan was secured by collateral. In doing so, Robertson and others obtained nearly $250,000 through falsified loan applications to at least 5 financial institutions.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Lee Martin, Stephen E Anthony, and 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. 3:16-cr-133.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Straw Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to one year in prison for straw purchasing a firearm.
“Straw purchasing a firearm is a federal crime with serious consequences,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We are doubling down on our efforts across the DMV to prosecute any and all straw purchasing cases. It should send a strong message to those who would come into Virginia to illegally purchase firearms – Don’t lie and buy for the other guy. You will be prosecuted.”
According to court documents, in January 2017, Robert Marshall, 25, and another individual visited a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) in Woodbridge. The individual spent several minutes examining firearms, left the store, and then Marshall attempted to purchase one of the firearms examined by individual. Marshall paid for a semi-automatic pistol capable of accepting a large capacity magazine, and returned the next day to complete ATF paperwork and undergo a background check. After completing the sale, FFL staff members immediately reported the sale to law enforcement as a possible straw purchase. Law enforcement officers located Marshall the same day, and Marshall claimed that he was no longer in possession of the firearm. Marshall admitted to being paid by the individual and another person to purchase the firearm, and that he had not answered the questions on the ATF form truthfully.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Harp prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-240.
Man Sentenced for Heroin Distribution Leading to Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for conspiring to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin, which led to the overdose death of at least one individual.
According to court documents, George Addae, 26, directed a heroin trafficking conspiracy from 2016 through September 2018. Addae obtained wholesale quantities of heroin and repackaged the drug into capsules. He arranged heroin sales with his customers through electronic communications and directed his co-conspirators to deliver the narcotics. On April 2, 2018, Addae personally distributed a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to a man in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County. That man ingested the drug and died from mixed drug intoxication.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Addae was also ordered to forfeit $100,000.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler, Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum prosecuted the case.
This investigation was led by the Fairfax County Police and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets/HIDTA Task Force. This task force is composed of FBI Agents and Task Force Officers from the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County Police, the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexandria City Police, the Leesburg Police, the Herndon Police, the Vienna Police, and works in conjunction with the ATF, USMS, HSI and other local, state and federal agencies throughout Northern Virginia. The task force investigates the most egregious and violent criminal gangs and street crews operating in the Capital Region.
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. 1:19-cr-188.
Heroin Stash House Operator Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Dujuan Walters, 34, maintained a stash house at his residence in Newport News, at the direction of co-conspirators. Walters and his co-conspirators used his residence to store heroin, fentanyl, a hydraulic press, and other equipment used in the preparation and distribution of controlled substances. In December 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Walters’s residence, where they recovered the aforementioned items, as well as a kilogram of heroin, additional black tar heroin, and liquid fentanyl.
Walters pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and a quantity of fentanyl and faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment when sentenced on April 17, 2020. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after Magistrate U.S. District Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy E. Cross, Peter G. Osyf, and Kevin P. Hudson are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Cookout. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to 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. 4:19-cr-47.
Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in a money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Michael Bernard Bagley, 51, owned and operated Jellyfish Partners LLC, which he described as a private intelligence company in the Washington, D.C., area that provided operational support to its clients, primarily in Mexico. In January, law enforcement received information that Bagley was recommended as an individual who was capable of laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. Bagley met on several occasions with individuals he believed were affiliated with a Mexican cartel to discuss his ability and willingness to launder what he believed were the proceeds of drug sales.
To effectuate his scheme, Bagley provided the purported cartel associates with a “Capital Banking Plan,” which described how Bagley would launder over $20 million in drug proceeds through another company. In February, Bagley met with the purported cartel associates and again reiterated his desire to launder the funds and claimed he would take a 10 percent commission on all funds he laundered. In April, in Alexandria, Bagley accepted $50,000 in cash he believed was proceeds from the sale of drugs. Bagley ultimately transferred $45,000 from a bank account in the name of Jellyfish Partners LLC to an account Bagley believed was controlled by the cartel. In May, Bagley again received $100,000 in cash to launder. Over the following weeks, Bagley deposited $90,000 in purported Mexican cartel-controlled funds via a combination of cash deposits, ACH deposits, and a wire transfer. Bagley further claimed that he was also working with the “number one guy” of El Mayo, the leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel. In June, Bagley received another $101,000 to launder.
In total, Bagley accepted $251,000 in funds he believed to be the proceeds of drug sales from a cartel.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director 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. Attorneys Jamar K. Walker and Karen L. Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-263.
Ex-Hampton Police Detective Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A former Hampton police detective pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Deangelo Freeman, 31 conspired with local drug dealers while he was a detective in the Special Investigations Unit of the Hampton Police Division. Specifically, Freeman was associated with a number of individuals who were selling large quantities of cocaine. These individuals included Alex Burnett who owned 9Rounds Gym in Hampton Town Center. Freeman admitted to providing information to Burnett about an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Freeman learned of this information while serving as a narcotics detective and participating in the investigation of Burnett. The information provided by Freeman included the identity of a confidential informant. Freeman provided the information to compromise the investigation and to help Burnett’s drug distribution activities.
Freeman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison when sentenced on April 23, 2020. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement. after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting the case.
The Hampton Police Division has fully cooperated and provided significant assistance with this investigation. The Idaho State Police provided assistance with the arrest of Freeman in Idaho.
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. 4:17-cr-111.
Man Convicted of Receiving and Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Virginia Beach man today on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to court records and evidence presented at the bench trial, Augustin Dante Ezequiel Arce, 30, of Virginia Beach, was identified sharing images of child sexual abuse over a peer-to-peer network throughout 2017 and the first part of 2018. An Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force officer with the Harrisonburg Police Department downloaded images of child sexual abuse in an undercover capacity from Arce’s mobile devices. In August 2018, Arce was indicted by a federal grand jury. After being asked to turn himself in, Arce fled the district and was found several months later in southern California, living in a tent.
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.
Ezequiel Arce faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 2, 2020. 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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen declared the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and Daniel P. Shean are prosecuting the case.
The Harrisonburg Police Department provided significant assistance in the 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. 2:18-cr-121.
Richmond Mail Carrier Sentenced for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 13 months in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for packages believed to contain marijuana that had been sent through the United States mails.
According to court documents, Christopher Grant, 59, accepted multiple bribes over a nearly one-year period from several different individuals while working as a U.S. mail carrier. In exchange, Grant gave those individuals at least 20 suspected marijuana parcels, all of which had been shipped from other states to vacant addresses and false aliases along Grant’s route. One such parcel was intercepted, searched, and found to contain over 11 pounds of marijuana. To hide his crimes, Grant attempted to alter U.S. Postal Service tracking records to falsely show that he had delivered the packages as addressed. Grant was confronted after surveillance recordings showed him accepting five cash bribes from individuals receiving the suspected marijuana parcels.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Imari Niles, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin G. Cooke 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. 3:19-cr-125.
Owner of Purported U.K. Investment Firm and Two Richmond-Area Men Charged for Roles in Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a purported investment company based in the United Kingdom and two alleged co-conspirators were charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday for their alleged participation in an investment fraud scheme by which they allegedly stole at least $6.2 million from victim investors.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Inspector in Charge Delany De Leon-Colón of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group and Special Agent in Charge David Archey of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office made the announcement.
Brian Michael Bridge, 46, of London, England, the owner of Chimera Group Ltd.; James Michael Johnson, 68, of Richmond, Virginia; and James Leonard Smith, 54, of Midlothian, Virginia, were each charged in an indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Johnson and Smith made their initial appearances in Richmond today. Bridge remains at large.
The indictment alleges that Bridge – working with Johnson and Smith in the Richmond area – operated a worldwide scheme through Chimera Group Ltd. The scheme operated as an advance fee scheme which involved the defendants as promoters who promised to pay the victims a sum of money at a later date in exchange for an upfront advanced payment. Among other misrepresentations, Bridge, Johnson and Smith allegedly told potential victims that their principal payments would be protected based on letters of credit and other documents that purported to be from a large financial institution. However, these letters were fabricated, the indictment alleges. The indictment also alleges that the defendants used escrow attorneys who were themselves part of the scheme in order to give the victims the appearance that their money would remain secure until the defendants’ promises had been kept. Upon receiving the victims’ funds, those attorneys immediately forwarded the money out of their escrow accounts to the defendants and affiliated individuals, the indictment alleges.
The indictment alleges that the defendants stole at least $6.2 million from their victims.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group and FBI’s Richmond Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the Securities Division of the Virginia State Corporation Commission also provided assistance.
Operation High Tide Results in 20 Convictions on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Federal and local law enforcement officials today announced the results of Operation High Tide, a proactive, large-scale narcotics and firearms trafficking investigation that focused on high-impact targets driving crime in some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in Hampton Roads.
In early September, over 100 law enforcement agents, officers, and other personnel executed Operation High Tide, which resulted in the arrests of nearly two dozen individuals involved in selling drugs and guns in Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth.
To date, Operation High Tide has resulted in 20 convictions and the recovery of approximately 78 firearms, over 7 kilograms of cocaine, nearly a kilogram of crack cocaine, over 625 grams of heroin, over 100 grams of fentanyl, 75 grams of acetyl fentanyl, 12 pounds of marijuana, 621 grams of hash oil, 24 grams of MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), 120 grams of methamphetamine, and over $560,000 in cash. The narcotics seized have a street value of nearly $1 million.
“Armed criminals are the principal players involved in the deadly cycles of drug turf battles and gang conflicts that deprive our neighborhoods and families of the peace and security they deserve,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Operation High Tide is the latest highly-coordinated effort from federal, state, and local law enforcement to tackle violent crime in Hampton Roads. Further, this operation is emblematic of Attorney General Barr’s Project Guardian, which was announced last month and focuses on those who use firearms during narcotics trafficking and the trafficking of firearms. Through this operation, we are making our strong partnership known and felt in Hampton Roads, as we apprehend and remove from the streets those individuals who have committed serious offenses and put the safety of our communities in danger. This coordinated operation reflects the skilled and brave work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and is part of a law enforcement surge in this priority enforcement area for EDVA.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiated Operation High Tide in collaboration with the Chesapeake and Norfolk Police Departments and the Virginia State Police. The operation identified individuals throughout Hampton Roads who were illegally selling firearms, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and other narcotics.
“This investigation focused on the most violent offenders in the Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Portsmouth communities,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “ATF’s priority is reducing violent crime. Criminals often utilize firearms as tools of their trade causing harm to our communities. This case illustrates ATF’s commitment to effective law enforcement partnerships and dedication to keeping our cities safe.”
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.
Below is a table which lists the name, age, hometown, and respective charge(s) to which each defendant pleaded guilty.
Name, Age
Hometown
Charges
Sentencing
Brian D. Best, 34
Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Feb. 27, 2020
Antisha Carrington, 25
Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana
Feb. 21, 2020
Kawanta D. Epps, 40
Norfolk
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana; Distribution of Heroin
Feb. 19, 2020
Anthony L. Green, 48
Chesapeake
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana; Distribution of Heroin
March 12, 2020
Corey L. Jones, 50
Portsmouth
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Feb. 19, 2020
Dominic D. Jones, 26
Portsmouth
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Feb. 11, 2020
Malcolm D. Jones, Sr., 45
Portsmouth
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Distribution of Heroin, Fentanyl; Distribution of Acetyl Fentanyl
Feb. 5, 2020
Shon E. Melton, 30
Portsmouth
Distribution of Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; Possession of an Unregistered National Firearms Act Firearm
March 26, 2020
Gary Norfleet, 52
Chesapeake
Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Feb. 11, 2020
Jermaine C. Parker, 35
Chesapeake
Distribution of Fentanyl; 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Feb. 3, 2020
Corey S. Reed, 38
Norfolk
Distribution of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
Jan. 9, 2020
Jameel M. Simmons, 37
Portsmouth
Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Jan. 23, 2020
Jelami M. Smith, 43
Portsmouth
Distribution of Heroin
Feb. 2, 2020
Robert B. Spruill, 39
Chesapeake
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess Methamphetamine
Feb. 27, 2020
Hasheed Mills, 25
Portsmouth
Distribution of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; Distribution of Cocaine
Feb. 28, 2020
Tajh Rodgers, 29
Portsmouth
Robbery Affecting Commerce; Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and 3 counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Jan. 9, 2020
Glenn Farris, 36
Norfolk
Using a Communication Facility to Commit, Cause, and Facilitate the Distribution of Controlled Substances
Feb. 12, 2020
Malcom Jones, Jr., 25
Portsmouth
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin
Feb. 18, 2020
Raewkon A. Pierce, 24
Portsmouth
Distribution of Cocaine
March 16, 2020
Johnnie Ross, 29
Portsmouth
Distribution of Fentanyl
March 31, 2020
G. Zachery Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; Greg Underwood, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, and Nancy Parr, Chesapeake Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF’s Norfolk Field Office, the Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Portsmouth Police Departments, and the Virginia State Police, with the assistance of the FBI, DEA, NCIS, and the U.S. Marshals.
Attorneys from the Drug and Violent Crime Unit of the Norfolk Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Kristin G. Bird, Andrew C. Bosse, John F. Butler, Megan M. Cowles, Sherrie Capotosto, Kevin M. Comstock, Joseph E. DePadilla, William B. Jackson, Darryl Mitchell, and William D. Muhr are prosecuting the cases.
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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:19-CR-111; 2:19-CR-80, 141, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 154, 155; and 2:18-CR-138.
Illegal Alien with 7 DUI Convictions Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today 13 months in prison for illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien.
“Juan Navarro-Hernandez has a staggering seven DUI convictions,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is precisely the type of defendant and criminal immigration case we are focused on here in EDVA. Those who illegally enter the United States, and then choose to commit further crimes here, pose a great danger to the safety of our communities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and immigration authorities to prosecute and remove these criminals from our communities.”
According to court documents, Juan Navarro-Hernandez, 50, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was deported from the United States at taxpayer expense in February 2001. Sometime later, Navarro-Hernandez snuck back into the United States again, and on May 19, 2019, Navarro-Hernandez was found unlawfully in the United States when he was arrested by Chesapeake Police for driving under the influence (DUI). Navarro-Hernandez has a total of seven convictions in state court for DUI.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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-111.
Former Newport News Teacher Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A former teacher with the Newport News school system was sentenced today to five years in prison for receiving and uploading images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, in March of 2018, Michael Scott Porter, 51, of Newport News, uploaded images of child sexual abuse to a Microsoft OneDrive account. Microsoft reported the incident to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) consistent with federal law. Search warrants were subsequently obtained for the account and home of Porter, and during the search, law enforcement discovered over 2400 images of child sexual abuse in the Microsoft OneDrive account as well as on other devices in Porter’s home.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel 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. 4:19-cr-74.
Virginia Tax Lobbyist Sentenced to Prison for Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
An Alexandria, Virginia, tax lobbyist was sentenced to one year in prison today for willfully filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents, attorney James F. Miller, 67, underreported his gross income on his 2010 through 2014 tax returns by more than $2.2 million. Miller, a tax policy lobbyist and former employee of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, filed multiple false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These returns omitted partnership income he received from two law firms and the gross receipts he received from his own lobbying firm. The total tax loss resulting from Miller’s fraudulent conduct was more than $730,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, ordered Miller to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution to the United States in the amount of $735,933.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Terwilliger commended agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant United State Attorney Ryan S. Faulconer from the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Terri-Lei O’Malley of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Two Computer Programmers Plead Guilty in Connection with Operating Two of the Biggest Illegal Movie and Television Show Streaming Services in the United StatesRead the Press Release
A resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty yesterday to multiple criminal copyright and money laundering charges related to his running of iStreamItAll, one of the biggest illegal television show and movie streaming services in the United States, and to his working as a computer programmer with co-defendants to help build Jetflicks, a similarly large illegal television show streaming service. Today, a second defendant, who also resides in Las Vegas, pleaded guilty in the same court to a criminal copyright charge for his work as a computer programmer for Jetflicks.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement today.
Darryl Julius Polo, aka djppimp, 36, pleaded guilty yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, one count of criminal copyright infringement by distributing a copyrighted work being prepared for commercial distribution, one count of copyright infringement by reproduction or distribution, one count of copyright infringement by public performance and one count of money laundering. In a separate proceeding today, co-defendant Luis Angel Villarino, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement. Sentencing for both defendants will be before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia, with Polo’s on March 13, 2020, and Villarino’s on March 20, 2020.
According to Polo’s plea agreement, Polo ran a site called iStreamItAll (ISIA), an online, subscription-based service headquartered in Las Vegas that permitted users to stream and download copyrighted television programs and movies without the permission of the relevant copyright owners. Polo admitted that he reproduced tens of thousands of copyrighted television episodes and movies without authorization, and streamed and distributed the infringing programs to thousands of paid subscribers located throughout the U.S. Specifically, Polo admitted that ISIA offered more than 118,479 different television episodes and 10,980 individual movies. In fact, according to the plea agreement, ISIA had more content than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon Prime, and Polo sent out emails to potential subscribers highlighting ISIA’s huge catalog of works and urging them to cancel those licensed services and subscribe to ISIA instead.
According to Polo’s plea agreement, Polo obtained infringing television programs and movies from pirate sites around the world—including some of the globe’s biggest torrent and Usenet NZB sites specializing in infringing content—using various automated computer scripts that ran 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Specifically, Polo used sophisticated computer programming to scour global pirate sites for new illegal content; to download, process, and store these works; and then make the shows and movies available on servers in Canada to ISIA subscribers for streaming and downloading. Polo also admitted to running several other piracy services—including a Usenet NZB indexing site called SmackDownOnYou—and earning over $1 million from his piracy operations.
In addition, in Polo’s and Villarino’s plea agreements, they each admitted that they separately worked as computer programmers at Jetflicks, another online, subscription-based service headquartered in Las Vegas that permitted users to stream and, at times, download copyrighted television programs without the permission of the relevant copyright owners. According to both plea agreements, Polo, Villarino and their co-conspirators at Jetflicks reproduced tens of thousands of copyrighted television episodes without authorization, and streamed and distributed the infringing programs to tens of thousands of paid subscribers located throughout the U.S.
Both Polo and Villarino also admitted that at Jetflicks they and their co-conspirators used automated software programs and other tools to locate, download, process and store illegal content, and then quickly make those television programs available on servers in the U.S. and Canada to Jetflicks subscribers for streaming and/or downloading.
In addition, as set forth in Polo’s and Villarino’s plea agreements, both Jetflicks and ISIA were not only available to subscribers over the internet but were specifically designed to work on many different types of devices, platforms and software including myriad varieties of computer operating systems, smartphones, tablets, smart televisions, video game consoles, digital media players, set-top boxes and web browsers.
The other defendants in the case are scheduled to go to trial starting on Feb. 3, 2020.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office conducted the investigation. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Berrang of the Eastern District of Virginia and are prosecuting the case. The CCIPS Cybercrime Lab provided significant assistance.