Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Founder of “Closed Mouth Gang” Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession of a firearm while being a convicted felon.
According to court documents, in February, Richmond Police encountered Gary Garrison, 25, trespassing in the Creighton Court area of Richmond. Officers were aware that Garrison was a felon and member of the “Closed Mouth Gang” (CMG), a gang based in Creighton Court. As officers approached in their patrol vehicle, they observed a bulge in Garrison’s jacket pocket as he tried to turn his body away from them. One of the officers exited the vehicle to approach Garrison when he began to flee. Officers made chase and apprehended Garrison, finding a stolen firearm in his jacket pocket. Following his arrest, Garrison admitted to having started CMG in 2016, and identified his brother, Gregory Garrison, as a member of the gang.
Approximately one week after Garrison was arrested, fellow gang members and brothers Todd Jones, Jr., and Tod’Quan Jones, shot an individual that they erroneously believed had alerted police to Garrison carrying the firearm. Prior to that shooting and while Garrison was in Richmond City Jail, Garrison called the Joneses and they discussed whether the shooting victim had caused Garrison’s arrest. While still on the phone call, the Joneses told Garrison that they were looking at the victim right then. Garrison encouraged the men to shoot the victim in retaliation for Garrison’s arrest.
During the sentencing, the Court found that Garrison founded CMG and that he condoned the Joneses’ shooting the victim.
The Jones brothers have each been found guilty in state court of malicious wounding and gang participation relative to the shooting. Gregory Garrison pleaded guilty to carjacking on August 2, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12.
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, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and William C. Smith, Interim Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony 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-64.
Couple Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 26 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge couple has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking at least 26 firearms.
According to court documents, Cornelius Maurice King. Jr., 25, and Yeakain Yabu Koroma, 26, worked together to buy dozens of firearms and then resell them to third parties to turn a profit. In total, between January and June 2018, King and Koroma resold 26 firearms. Neither King nor Koroma were licensed to sell firearms.
Koroma pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of engaging in the dealing of firearms without a license and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 7, 2020. King pleaded guilty on October 18 to the same charge and will be sentenced on Jan. 31, 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.
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 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. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles 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-315 and 1:19-cr-327.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Cocaine in VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty today to bringing more than a kilogram of cocaine into Virginia for local redistribution.
According to court documents, Jowie Ortiz Vazquez, 34, of Stamford, was the cocaine supplier for Derek Norman, a dealer in Woodbridge. Starting in and around early 2019, Ortiz Vazquez traveled from Connecticut to Virginia every three to four weeks to sell cocaine to Norman and other customers. In May, Ortiz Vazquez traveled to Norman’s residence for the purpose of conducting a 600-gram cocaine deal. After he was observed entering and then leaving Norman’s residence, law enforcement stopped Ortiz Vazquez’s vehicle and found him in possession of approximately one kilogram of cocaine, a money-counting machine, and over $23,000 in cash.
Ortiz Vazquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years when sentenced on Jan. 24, 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; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga 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. 1:19-cr-311.
Former UVA Football Player Convicted of $10 Million FraudRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a former University of Virginia football player late yesterday of his role in a $10 million fraud scheme.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, 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. And Robertson was 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 by submitting falsified loan applications to at least 5 financial institutions.
Robertson was convicted of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 330 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 3, 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.
U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Lee Martin, Stephen E. Anthony, and Kenneth Simon are prosecuting the case.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS – Criminal Investigations investigated 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 is 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.
D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty today to supplying fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, to a D.C. government employee who was selling it to customers outside his government office.
According to court documents, Ronald Maxwell Gorham, 61, supplied fentanyl and heroin to Darrell Pope from at least March 2019 through September 24, when the two men were arrested. Gorham “fronted” the drugs to Pope at a cost of $80 or $85 per gram. Pope, in turn, sold the fentanyl or heroin back to his customers for $100 per gram and repaid Gorham with the proceeds. Gorham and Pope used coded language to talk about drugs, referring to heroin or fentanyl as jerseys, wings, or helmets. When the quality of drugs was not very good, Pope told Gorham that “the color of the paint” was no good, or that the “crabs” were no good and he needed “another bushel.”
Fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, is a Schedule II synthetic opioid that is often combined with heroin or other substances to increase potency or add an opioid effect to an otherwise non-opioid drug. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioid-related deaths have increased dramatically since 2013. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2018, 32,000 persons in the United States died from overdosing on synthetic opioids.
Gorham is charged with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 40 years when sentenced on Feb. 21, 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, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.
The Prince William County Police Department provided significant assistance with this case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-320.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Straw Purchaser Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Purchasing 20 FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for making false statements to acquire firearms.
According to court documents, between November 2018 and April 2019, Quayshawn Shymel Simmons, 29, of Baltimore, straw purchased 20 firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees in Virginia using a false address in Hampton and then transported the firearms to Washington, D.C. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. recovered five of the firearms Simmons purchased from other individuals, including a felon, a prohibited person, and/or individuals in possession of large quantities of illegal narcotics. The other firearms have not been recovered.
“Simmons’ criminal conduct perfectly encapsulates the dangerous problem of illegally purchased firearms being trafficked from Virginia,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This prosecution is part of our increased effort to thwart firearms trafficking from Virginia into Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. 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.”
“Those who buy firearms in Virginia just to turn around and sell them illegally in Washington, D.C., as Simmons did here, are not simply committing paperwork violations,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “They are placing firearms directly in the hands of persons prohibited from possessing them, often violent criminals who pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities. ATF is fully committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to swiftly identify and shut down illegal firearms trafficking such as this that would otherwise fuel the Iron Pipeline.”
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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II 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. 1:19-cr-181.
Man Sentenced Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Richmond man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin in the Central Virginia region and making a false declaration to a federal Grand Jury.
According to court documents, from approximately 2015 through October 2017, Gregory Stacey, 38, participated in a multi-state heroin trafficking conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, Stacey brokered multiple drug deals between a New York source of supply and two Central Virginia area drug dealers. In addition, Stacey arranged meetings between co-conspirators, assisted in the transportation of the New York source of supply to drug deals, assisted in the packaging of heroin, and distributed heroin on behalf of his co-conspirators. During the course of the conspiracy, Stacey distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin.
In October 2017, the United States subpoenaed Stacey to testify before the federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. While under oath at the federal Grand Jury, Stacey made a false material declaration about his co-conspirator’s possession of heroin.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik S. Siebert and Peter S. Duffey 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-73.
Former High School Teacher Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former South Carolina high school teacher was sentenced today to six years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute child pornography.
According to court documents, Eric Michael Hartley, 37, of Fort Mill, used various internet applications, including Kik and Dropbox, to send and receive child pornography. One of the individuals with whom Hartley traded child pornography was Jeramy Routh, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute child pornography in May. Routh and Hartley discussed trading exploitative images of children, including infants and toddlers, and did in fact exchange images and videos as well as access to cloud based accounts of child psixornography.
On September 27, Routh was sentenced to 90 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
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 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 Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell 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-170. Information on Jeramy Routh’s case can be located on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-142.
Former Norfolk Sheriff Indicted on Public Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a former Sheriff of the City of Norfolk with defrauding the citizens of Norfolk through a bribery scheme.
According to allegations in the indictment, Robert McCabe, 61, who currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Gerard Boyle, 64, of Franklin, Tennessee, engaged in an illicit quid pro quo relationship while McCabe was the Sheriff of the City of Norfolk. During most of the time covered in the indictment, Boyle was the Chief Executive Officer of Correct Care Solutions, a company that he founded and which contracted with the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office to provide medical services to the inmates at the Norfolk City Jail.
According to allegations in the indictment, between about January 2004 and December 2016, Boyle provided McCabe with cash, travel, a loan, entertainment, gift cards, personal gifts and campaign contributions, in exchange for official actions that favored Boyle’s company in connection with the medical services contract, including contract extensions and renewals, as well as inside bidding information.
The indictment also alleges that McCabe engaged in a similar illicit quid pro quo relationship with the unnamed Chief Executive Officer of a Louisiana-based company that provided food services management to the Norfolk City Jail.
McCabe is charged with eleven counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, obtaining property under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Boyle is charged with six counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Boyle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. 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 Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. O’Boyle, Alan M. Salsbury, and Randy C. Stoker 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-171.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Convicted Murderer Sentenced for Drug and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
“Willie Hardy, Jr., has a significant and lengthy criminal history of violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “In addition to being convicted of murder, he has been convicted of multiple other violent offenses, including violence against women. This is precisely the type of criminal that needed the attention of federal law enforcement and significant time in prison. I have no doubt that Newport News is safer with Hardy off the streets and behind bars.”
According to court documents, Willie M. Hardy, Jr., 47, engaged in drug trafficking while armed and while on federal supervision. In May 2018, Newport News Police Department received information that Hardy was trafficking drugs while armed out of a residence in Newport News. At the time, Hardy was on federal supervision for a September 2009 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and felon in possession of a firearm. In February 2018, Hardy stopped communicating with his probation officer, and a federal arrest warrant was issued for Hardy in March 2018. Based upon the information investigators received, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence in May 2018. After executing the search warrant, law enforcement recovered two firearms, marijuana and heroin from within the residence. Investigators interviewed Hardy, who confessed that he distributed marijuana and within the last five weeks had been middlemanning heroin. Hardy also admitted to receiving both firearms.
“This case demonstrates ATF’s commitment to supporting our law enforcement partners with investigative leads generated by our National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN),” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “This cutting edge technology matches ballistic evidence to crime scenes, helping law enforcement identify suspects and solve crimes much faster than is otherwise possible. Tools like NIBIN are crucial to the safety of our communities because they allow law enforcement to swiftly remove violent offenders like Hardy from our streets.”
While in custody on firearms and drug charges, Hardy attempted to obstruct justice by making jail calls to see if someone else who was not a felon would take responsibility for the firearm, and even contemplated having someone write an affidavit on his behalf.
After a four day jury trial, Hardy was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
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; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan M. Cowles prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-77.
Treasurer of Political Action Committees Pleads Guilty to Filing False Reports with Federal Election CommissionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arlington political consultant who served as the treasurer of multiple Political Action Committees (PACs) pleaded guilty today to lying to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about approximately $32,500 in payments of PAC money that he directed to himself and a close friend.
According to court documents, Scott Buchanan Mackenzie, 66, from 2011 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, Mackenzie was the treasurer of approximately 52 PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund, Tea Party Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund. In that role, Mackenzie was responsible for complying with campaign finance laws and regulations and for filing accurate disclosure reports with the FEC that detailed the PACs’ true income and expenditures.
Person A was a resident of Winchester, Virginia, who had a personal relationship with Mackenzie and with whom Mackenzie shared a joint bank account. Between October 2011 and June 2014, Mackenzie caused approximately $32,500 in payments to Person A from bank accounts belonging to Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund. Mackenzie falsely reported to the FEC that Person A received these payments for work that Person A had purportedly provided to Conservative StrikeForce and Conservative Majority Fund. In fact, as Mackenzie knew, Person A—an umbrella retailer with no experience in political fundraising—did not provide any of the purported services to these PACs. The funds were deposited into the bank account that Mackenzie shared with Person A.
In addition, Mackenzie also made false statements to the FEC to conceal the unlawful use of funds raised by Conservative Majority Fund and Tea Party Majority Fund to pay at least $172,200 in legal fees that Conservative StrikeForce and affiliated companies had incurred from a civil lawsuit brought by a former gubernatorial candidate for Virginia.
Finally, Mackenzie admitted that he participated in a scheme to use conduits (also known as straw donors) to make contributions to candidates running for federal public office. Mackenzie used conduits to make these contributions in order to evade limits that federal law placed on individual campaign contributions, as well as prohibitions against corporate contributions.
As part of his guilty plea, Mackenzie agreed to pay $172,200 in restitution to victims of his scheme to illegally funnel money between PACs to pay legal fees.
Mackenzie pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the FEC and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 21, 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; Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, 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 trial 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. 1:19-cr-309.
Treasurer of Multiple Political Action Committees Pleads Guilty to Filing False Reports with the FECRead the Press Release
A Virginia political consultant who served as the treasurer of multiple Political Action Committees (PACs) pleaded guilty today to lying to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about more than $32,000 in payments of PAC money that he directed to himself and a close friend.
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.
Scott Buchanan Mackenzie, 66, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the FEC before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2020, before Judge O’Grady.
According to admissions Mackenzie made in connection with his guilty plea, from 2011 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, Mackenzie was the treasurer of approximately 52 PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund, Tea Party Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund. In that role, Mackenzie was responsible for complying with campaign finance laws and regulations and for filing accurate disclosure reports with the FEC that detailed the PACs’ true income and expenditures.
Person A was a resident of Winchester, Virginia, who had a personal relationship with Mackenzie and with whom Mackenzie shared a joint bank account. Between October 2011 and June 2014, Mackenzie caused approximately $32,500 in payments to Person A from bank accounts belonging to Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund. Mackenzie falsely reported to the FEC that Person A received these payments for work that Person A had purportedly provided to Conservative StrikeForce and Conservative Majority Fund. In fact, as Mackenzie knew, Person A—an umbrella retailer with no experience in political fundraising—did not provide any of the purported services to these PACs. The funds were deposited into the bank account that Mackenzie shared with Person A.
In addition, Mackenzie also made false statements to the FEC to conceal the unlawful use of funds raised by Conservative Majority Fund and Tea Party Majority Fund to pay at least $172,200 in legal fees that Conservative StrikeForce and affiliated companies had incurred from a civil lawsuit brought by a former gubernatorial candidate for Virginia.
Finally, Mackenzie admitted that he participated in a scheme to use conduits (also known as straw donors) to make contributions to candidates running for federal public office. Mackenzie used conduits to make these contributions in order to evade limits that federal law placed on individual campaign contributions, as well as prohibitions against corporate contributions.
As part of his guilty plea, Mackenzie agreed to pay $172,200 in restitution to victims of his scheme to illegally funnel money between PACs to pay legal fees.
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.
Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery and Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to the armed robbery of Sprint store in Colonial Heights and three separate instances of armed drug trafficking in Norfolk.
According to court documents, Tajh Rodgers, 29, admitting to working with an accomplice to commit a violent armed robbery of a Sprint Store in Colonial Heights in January. During the robbery, Rodgers and his co-conspirator ordered two employees to the back of the store at gunpoint, where the robbers forced them to lie on the floor. Due to a time-delay lock on the store’s safe, the robbers had to wait several minutes for the safe to open. While waiting, they attempted to tie up the employees and threatened to kill them if they attempted to notify the police. Soon thereafter, a customer entered the store, and the robbers let one of the employees go to assist the customer, along with a warning that he would be killed if he 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 number of new phones and electronics from the store. A total of 72 items valued at approximately $25,000 were stolen from the store.
The investigation led to the identification of Rodgers as a suspect, and his connection to another drug trafficking investigation in Norfolk where he engaged in several armed drug transactions during which he sold fentanyl, crack cocaine, and firearms to cooperating sources. Specifically, on Dec. 13, 2018, Rodgers sold cocaine base, fentanyl, and a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver to cooperating sources. On January 3, he sold two bundles of fentanyl and a 9mm Springfield semi-automatic pistol to cooperating sources. 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 the location he was living at in Norfolk. During the search on January 10, officers recovered the .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, various items connected to the Sprint store robbery, and a number of items connected to Rodgers’ ongoing drug trafficking, including distribution quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, crack cocaine, and a plastic safe containing a digital scale with suspected narcotics residue and packaging material.
Rodgers pleaded guilty to robbery affecting commerce, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a robbery, and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. For the robbery offense, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. For the firearms charges, he faces a mandatory minimum of 22 years, and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on Jan. 9, 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; 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.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-111.
High Society Hit Squad Member Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A member of the criminal street gang H$2X (an acronym for “High Society Hit Squad”) was sentenced today to over 12 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
“We have taken a stand in Petersburg against the scourge of drug trafficking and related violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We have surged federal investigative and prosecutorial resources to Petersburg to root out criminal activity, and our partnerships with Chief Miller and the Petersburg Police, the ATF, along with other law enforcement entities are critical to this effort. Today’s sentencing of Miles “Buc J” Johnson should serve as a very clear indicator of what happens when you turn your back on your community, choose the easy way out of dealing drugs, and destroy the youth you claim to want to support.”
In 2017, in response to an increased level of violence that was taking place in Petersburg, ATF agents and members of the Petersburg Bureau of Police, began an investigation into the trafficking of firearms and narcotics, as well as other violent criminal activity. A group of individuals, who were later identified as members of H$2X, were suspected of being involved in trafficking narcotics and firearms.
“This investigation highlights ATF's partnership with Petersburg Police and our commitment to making our communities safer,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime. When firearms are diverted to the illicit market, they often become tools of the trade for criminals. If you traffic in firearms or use firearms to commit other crimes, ATF is fully dedicated to bringing you to justice.”
Miles Johnson, aka “Buck J”, 39, is a member of H$2X. According to court documents, between March 2017 and February 2019, the investigation revealed that Johnson had distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin in the Petersburg metropolitan area and elsewhere.
“My top priority is the safety of the citizens of Petersburg and cleaning up our streets,” said Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police. “As shown in this case, my department works closely with our law enforcement partners to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and keep dangerous drugs out of our community. If you violate the law or if you harm our community, the Petersburg Police will use every tool at our disposal to see that you are held accountable.”
In March 2019, one dozen individuals, including Johnson, were indicted on various firearms and drug trafficking charges.
Below is a table containing information on defendants charged in this investigation.
Name, Age
Hometown
Charge(s)
Sentence
Armon Lee, 26
Warfield
Sale or Disposal of a Firearm to a Convicted Felon; Distribution of Cocaine
120 months
Terrell Dean Johnson, 30
Petersburg
Distribution of Cocaine
57 months
Titus Maurice Lee, 44
Petersburg
Distribution of Cocaine; Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; Sale or Disposal of a Firearm to a Convicted Felon
192 months
Autrelle Malik Waddell, 22
Petersburg
Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; Sale or Disposal of a Firearm to a Convicted Felon
108 months
Miles Owanga Johnson, 39
Petersburg
Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl
151 months
Charles Lee Avery, 44
Petersburg
Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
96 months
Tyrell Jakahree Allen, 26
Prince George
Distribution of Cocaine
36 months
John Pruitte
Chesterfield. VA
Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin
18 months
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea-Miller and Kenneth Simon 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. 3:19-cr-36.
Man Sentenced for Smuggling Firearms and Ammunition to HondurasRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arlington man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in the trafficking of firearms to his native country of Honduras.
According to court documents, in October 2018, Chris Rodriguez, 57, attempted to smuggle a firearm and 247 rounds of ammunition out of the United States, concealed in a bucket of roofing tar destined for Honduras. An inspection of the container by U.S. Customs and Border Protection using an X-Ray machine, showed the firearm and ammunition inside the bucket of tar. Further investigation revealed that Rodriguez purchased 26 firearms and illegally smuggled them to Honduras. Rodriguez would then travel to Honduras and sell the firearms on the street.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Casey Durst, Director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Baltimore Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. and Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section 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-153.
Convicted Child Sexual Abuser Sentenced for Illegally ReentryRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An illegal alien who has a previous conviction for aggravated sexual battery of a child, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States.
According to court documents, Eliseo Garcia-Gordillo, 38, a citizen of Honduras, entered the United States three times between 1999 and 2007, and was twice removed from the United States during that time. Sometime after his most recent removal in 2007, Garcia-Gordillo again reentered the United States without permission, and was found in February 2017 when he was arrested in Prince William County. In June 2019, Garcia-Gordillo was convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child under the age of 13.
“Eliseo Garcia-Gordillo has illegally entered the United States on four occasions, and has recently been convicted of sexually abusing an innocent child,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Individuals like Garcia-Gordillo, who are here illegally and committing serious crimes, represent a clear threat to the safety and security of our communities. This case is representative of precisely why we have committed to prioritizing criminal immigration enforcement cases across the Eastern District of Virginia.”
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 Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh 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. 1:18-cr-134.
Jury Convicts Businessman of $1.4 Million Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a North Carolina man late yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud for his role in orchestrating a scheme that caused over $1.4 million in losses to multiple victims.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Anthony Eric Mitchell, 52, of Charlotte, was one of the two managing principals of a company called Aura Exchange LLC (AURA). Mitchell and his co-conspirator Armando Almirall, through AURA, promised their clients that they could help obtain funding for a host of business purposes, such as real estate transactions and television projects. Instead, Mitchell and Almirall spent large portions of their clients’ funds on personal expenses, including trips to casinos, concert tickets, stays at beach resorts, cash withdrawals and wire transfers.
In order to induce the victims to provide AURA with money, Mitchell and Almirall made a host of fraudulent misrepresentations, including representing to clients that they were guaranteed to receive their initial equity deposits back when, in fact, none of the victims ever received any money from AURA. Mitchell and Almirall claimed that AURA had offices in Zurich, London, and New York when no such offices existed. Mitchell also claimed to victims and their associates that AURA was a widely-successful global company that was backed by the assets of billionaires when, in reality, AURA had never closed a deal for a single client.
Mitchell and Almirall also maintained a website for AURA that contained a number of misrepresentations, including claims that AURA was an industry leader in a number of fields, that AURA was an international business with access to hundreds of financiers, and that AURA could turn around funding to its clients in as little as 24 hours. AURA never made any money for any of its clients, and in fact, victims of the fraud suffered losses of at least $1.6 million.
Mitchell’s business partner and co-conspirator, Armando Almirall, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 63 months in prison in February.
Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of conviction when sentenced on Jan. 3, 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, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamar K. Walker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg 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-101.
British Shipping Company Sentenced for Role in Smuggling SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A British shipping company pleaded guilty yesterday and was ordered to forfeit $175,000 for smuggling into the United States over 100 undeclared wildlife items, including items protected by the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Keith Foster, 61, of Upperville, operated an antique store in Middleburg known as The Outpost. In December 2018, Foster and his business pleaded guilty to selling items that constituted or contained parts of endangered species and other wildlife illegally imported into the United States. According to court documents, Foster imported the wildlife items through a British shipping company, Thasi Limited, doing business as The British Shop (TBS). TBS employees in England helped Foster hide his wildlife imports from the Fish and Wildlife Service, which included items such as sea turtle shell, sawfish blades, crocodile skin bags, coral, and mounted birds of prey.
Between 2013 and 2018, TBS (on behalf of Foster) shipped from England to the United States at least 35 separate cargo shipments of merchandise for resale at The Outpost, which contained wildlife and wildlife parts of a market value that was more than $250,000 but less than $500,000. The wildlife within those shipments was not properly declared to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upon import. To conceal the existence of wildlife pieces in the shipments, such wildlife pieces were, at Foster's direction, often labeled by TBS employees in a generic manner that failed to signal the true nature of the items.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Edward Grace, Assistant Director of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg 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-281.
Woman Convicted of Sexual Battery of a Child Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bolivian woman who was recently convicted of aggravated sexual battery of a child family member was sentenced today to more than a year in prison for illegally reentering the United States.
“This case is yet another example of an individual who is here in the United States illegally and committing serious crimes,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Not only did Siles reenter this country illegally, but she used her time here to sexually abuse a vulnerable child. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these criminal immigration cases, especially those with defendants like Siles that pose a significant threat to the most vulnerable in our communities.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lourdes Terrazas Siles, 39, is a native and citizen of Bolivia. Terrazas Siles was previously removed from the United States in 2000, after she attempted to enter the United States with a fraudulent passport. Sometime thereafter, Terrazas Siles reentered the United States without permission to do so. She was found in the United States in August 2016, when she was arrested for felony aggravated sexual battery by a parent, step-parent, grandparent, or step-grandparent of a victim at least 13 but less than 18 years of age. She was convicted in Virginia on aggravated sexual battery charges in June 2017.
“This woman attempted to thwart our immigration laws first by entering illegally and again by returning after she was removed,” said Lyle Boelens, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). “Her choice to return was not only a crime in itself, it gave her the opportunity to victimize the child she was meant to care for.”
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting 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 Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh prosecuted the case. This case was previously handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Kraft.
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-127.
Man Sentenced for Sexually Abusing a Child and Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Williamsburg man was sentenced today to six years in prison for travelling to North Carolina to sexually abuse a child, and receiving child pornography from a child in Nebraska.
According to court documents, Derek Thomas, 26, met Jane Doe #1 online and began a relationship during the summer of 2018 when she was 14 years old. During the summer, both Jane Doe #1 and Thomas sent nude images of themselves to one another over social media platforms. Eventually, Thomas travelled to North Carolina to engage in sexual activities with the child. Also, during the summer of 2018, he met Jane Doe #2 on-line. They sent nude images of themselves to one another. Thomas knew the age of each victim prior to engaging in criminal activity with the children.
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 Rebecca Beach Smith. 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-12.
Inmate Led Sex and Drug Trafficking Ring from State Prison CellRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to organizing and running a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and commercial sex ring from his state prison cell.
“Gaines directed a drug and sex trafficking organization from the confines of his state prison cell,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His crime was brazen, dangerous, manipulative, and inflicted untold mental, emotional, and physical harm on some of our community’s most vulnerable individuals.”
According to court documents, Foster Shane Gaines, 42, was serving an eight-year sentence in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for prostituting an adult woman. Beginning in approximately 2016, Gaines launched a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine from a source of supply in California to co-conspirators in the Tidewater area. Using cellphones smuggled into prison, Gaines directed co-conspirators in California, Nevada, and elsewhere to mail parcels of methamphetamine to co-conspirators in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Petersburg, and elsewhere. Once the methamphetamine was distributed to customers that Gaines, at times, personally arranged using his contraband cellphones, the co-conspirators returned the proceeds from the sales to Gaines and his confederates by way of prepaid stored value cards or bulk cash sent through the mail.
“Gaines didn’t learn his lesson. Even though he was already serving a prison sentence in California, he brazenly used contraband cell phones to lead a meth and sex trafficking conspiracy while incarcerated,” said Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Norfolk. “Thanks to HSI and our law enforcement partners, we were able to take down this drug and sex trafficking ring and rescue multiple minor victims.”
In addition to his methamphetamine trafficking, Gaines also organized and led a commercial sex ring that at times involved approximately 10 adult females and two juvenile girls. Again using his smuggled cellphones, Gaines recruited women and girls to work as prostitutes by contacting them over various social media platforms. In exchange for 40 to 50 percent of their commercial sex proceeds, Gaines created online advertisements for commercial sex, rented hotel and motel rooms, communicated with customers, organized transportation, and otherwise managed their commercial sex activities. Gaines also arranged for a professional photographer to take sexually suggestive photographs of some women for use in the commercial sex advertisements he created for them, and frequently directed his co-conspirators to provide cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other drugs to the women and girls prostituting. As with the proceeds from the methamphetamine sales, Gaines directed that the women and girls transmit their commercial sex proceeds to him through bulk cash mailings or prepaid stored value cards.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is determined to protect Postal employees and thwart illegal and dangerous use of the U.S. Mail,” said Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Postal Inspectors will work with our law enforcement partners to pursue anyone, even those already incarcerated, who corrupt the U.S. Postal Service to further their criminal enterprises.”
Gaines pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice,” and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and sex trafficking of a child. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on Jan. 31, 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.
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, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darryl J. Mitchell and V. Kathleen Dougherty 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. 2:18-cr-143-1.
Henrico Police Athletic League Agrees to Settle ADA ComplaintRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Henrico Police Athletic League, (Henrico PAL), which is a chapter of the National Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Inc., has agreed to pay $5,000 to one child, provide tuition-free enrollment in its summer camp program to a second child, and take remedial action to resolve two complaints that Henrico PAL failed to modify its policies, practices, and procedures to allow children with diabetes to attend its programs.
The allegations involved two children with Type I diabetes. When Henrico PAL was informed that the children had Type I diabetes and would need help with blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration, and other diabetes care tasks, it allegedly informed one parent that her child could no longer attend its after school program and informed another parent that her child could not attend its summer camp program.
“My office is committed to ensuring that children with disabilities have the same access to child care programs as their peers without disabilities,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Quality child care is essential to allowing parents to work or go to school. We are pleased that Henrico PAL has agreed to take steps to ensure that all of its programs will provide appropriate modifications to its policies, practices, and procedures to allow children with diabetes to attend its programs.”
The Henrico PAL serves over 2,500 youth each year through its after school and summer camp programs throughout Henrico County.
To resolve these complaints, Henrico PAL has agreed to adopt policies that will make its services accessible to children with diabetes; designate an ADA Administrator, who will be responsible for ensuring Henrico PAL’s compliance with the ADA; provide assistance with diabetes care tasks for children who need it; and provide training for its personnel on the ADA’s requirements and child-specific care for each child with diabetes.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Gordon, who is the Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The civil claims settled by this Americans with Disabilities Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, including Commonly Asked Questions About Child Care Centers and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Justice Department has a toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health has published a guide entitled Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel. ADA complaints may be filed by email to: [email protected].
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.
Firearms and Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for trafficking narcotics and firearms.
“Armon Lee trafficked 21 firearms, including some that had obliterated serial numbers, to a felon he knew was prohibited from possessing them,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Lee knew that the guns were being sold for a nefarious purpose, and obliterated a number of serial numbers in an attempt to impede law enforcement’s ability to trace the firearms back to him. This successful investigation and prosecution is a testament to our terrific partnership with the ATF, and a reflection of our commitment to aggressively pursuing firearms traffickers in the Eastern District.”
According to court documents, Armon Lee, 26, was charged in a criminal indictment with seventeen counts of sale or disposal of firearms to a convicted felon and with distribution of “crack” cocaine between May 2018 and August 2018. In all, Lee trafficked 21 firearms to a felon who he knew was prohibited from possessing firearms. Four of the firearms that Lee sold had been previously reported stolen; seven of the firearms Lee trafficked were high capacity firearms in that each was capable of holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition; two of the firearms Lee sold had their serial numbers obliterated. The criminal indictment also charged Lee with four counts of distribution or aiding and abetting in the distribution of “crack” cocaine. In July 2018, Lee pleaded guilty to three of the counts set forth in the indictment, and was held responsible not only for illegally trafficking 21 firearms, but also for the distribution of more than 50 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.”
“Lee thought he could operate under the radar in Petersburg and evade detection. He was wrong,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “ATF is putting all criminals engaged in firearms and narcotics trafficking on notice that we will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Petersburg Police Department, to see to it that these dangerous individuals are brought to justice and held accountable under the law for their crimes. No longer will they threaten the safety and wellbeing of innocent citizens.”
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-037.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to one and a half years in prison for straw purchasing a firearm.
According to court documents, Treyshard Jackson-Cooper, 25, was introduced to an individual from a Maryland Bike Crew who asked him to purchase a firearm for him, specifically a Glock, Model 30, semi-automatic pistol. In October 2018, Jackson-Cooper went to Superior Pawn, a licensed dealer of firearms, located in Hampton, and purchased the requested firearm. During the transaction, Jackson-Cooper completed an ATF Form 4473. Question 11(a) on ATF Form 4473 asks whether the individual filling out the form is the “actual transferee/buyer of the firearm.” Jackson-Cooper answered this question in the affirmative, though he subsequently admitted that he was not and knew he was not the actual transferee/buyer at the time he purchased the firearm and filled out the form.
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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. 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. 4:19-cr-48.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for distributing cocaine and heroin while possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, Lorenzo Golden, 35, admitted that he had agreed to distribute and distributed more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than a kilogram of heroin, including two heroin sales to law enforcement in February and March 2018. Golden took over a residence in the 400 block of East Pembroke Avenue and used the residence to distribute cocaine and heroin. In July 2018, law enforcement executed search warrants on the residence and a storage unit connected to Golden. They recovered scales, cellular phones, five firearms, ammunition, packaging materials and other items used in the sale of drugs.
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, Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, and Anton Bell, Hampton Commonwealth Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Cross 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. 4:18-cr-90.
Defense Intelligence Agency Employee Arrested for Leaking Classified Information to JournalistsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today on charges related to his alleged disclosure of classified national defense information (NDI) to two journalists in 2018 and 2019.
“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with TOP SECRET information related to the national defense of our country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Frese allegedly violated that trust, the oath he swore to uphold, and is charged with engaging in dastardly and felonious conduct at the expense of our country. This indictment should serve as a clear reminder to all of those similarly entrusted with National Defense Information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic, it is criminal.”
Henry Kyle Frese, 30, of Alexandria, is a DIA employee and holds a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information U.S. government security clearance. According to court documents, between mid-April and early May 2018, Frese allegedly accessed classified intelligence reports, some of which were unrelated to his job duties, and provided TOP SECRET information regarding a foreign country’s weapons systems to a journalist (Journalist 1).
According to court documents, Frese and Journalist 1 had the same residential address from August 2017 through August 2018 and, based on reviews of Frese’s and Journalist 1’s public social media pages, it appears that they were involved in a romantic relationship for some or all of that period of time. The unauthorized disclosure of TOP SECRET information could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security of the United States.
“As laid out in today’s indictment, Frese was caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Frese betrayed the trust placed in him by the American people—a betrayal that risked harming the national security of this country. This is one of six unauthorized disclosure cases the Department has charged in just over two years, and we will continue in our efforts to punish and deter this behavior.”
According to the indictment, a week after Frese accessed one of the intelligence reports (Intelligence Report 1) for the second time, Journalist 1 wrote to Frese on April 27, 2018, and asked whether he would be willing to speak with another journalist (Journalist 2). Frese stated that he was “down” to help Journalist 2 if it helped Journalist 1 because he wanted to see Journalist 1 “progress.”
As alleged, in that same communication, Frese and Journalist 1 also discussed a story that Journalist 1 was working on, the subject matter of which was the topic of Intelligence Report 1. Several days after that communication, Frese searched on a classified United States government computer system for terms related to the topics contained in Intelligence Report 1. According to the indictment, in the hours after searching for terms related to the topic of Intelligence Report 1, Frese spoke by telephone with both Journalist 1 (twice) and Journalist 2, and within approximately a half hour after Frese’s conversations with the two journalists, Journalist 1 published an article (Article 1) through News Outlet 1, which contained NDI from Intelligence Report 1 classified at the TOP SECRET//SCI level.
“Mr. Frese allegedly disclosed highly classified national defense information, which puts our country and people at risk,” said Alan E. Kohler Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division. “He violated his oath to serve and protect the United States. The men and women of the FBI work hard every day to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution - we will not stand by while trusted government employees violate that trust in such an egregious way.”
In addition, as alleged in the indictment, on Sept. 24, 2019, Frese was captured on court-authorized surveillance of his cell phone orally transmitting classified NDI to Journalist 2. These disclosures contained NDI classified at the SECRET level, meaning that the unauthorized disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to cause serious harm to the national security of the United States.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Frese with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh and Trial Attorney Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-304.
Defense Intelligence Agency Employee Arrested for Leaking Classified Information to JournalistsRead the Press Release
An employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today on charges related to his alleged disclosure of classified national defense information (NDI) to two journalists in 2018 and 2019.
“As laid out in today’s indictment, Frese was caught red-handed disclosing sensitive national security information for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Frese betrayed the trust placed in him by the American people—a betrayal that risked harming the national security of this country. This is one of six unauthorized disclosure cases the Department has charged in just over two years, and we will continue in our efforts to punish and deter this behavior.”
Henry Kyle Frese, 30, of Alexandria, is a DIA employee and holds a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information U.S. government security clearance. According to court documents, between mid-April and early May 2018, Frese allegedly accessed classified intelligence reports, some of which were unrelated to his job duties, and provided TOP SECRET information regarding a foreign country’s weapons systems to a journalist (Journalist 1). According to court documents, Frese and Journalist 1 had the same residential address from August 2017 through August 2018 and, based on reviews of Frese’s and Journalist 1’s public social media pages, it appears that they were involved in a romantic relationship for some or all of that period of time. The unauthorized disclosure of TOP SECRET information could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security of the United States.
According to the indictment, a week after Frese accessed one of the intelligence reports (Intelligence Report 1) for the second time, Journalist 1 wrote to Frese on April 27, 2018, and asked whether he would be willing to speak with another journalist (Journalist 2). Frese stated that he was “down” to help Journalist 2 if it helped Journalist 1 because he wanted to see Journalist 1 “progress.”
As alleged, in that same communication, Frese and Journalist 1 also discussed a story that Journalist 1 was working on, the subject matter of which was the topic of Intelligence Report 1. Several days after that communication, Frese searched on a classified United States government computer system for terms related to the topics contained in Intelligence Report 1. According to the indictment, in the hours after searching for terms related to the topic of Intelligence Report 1, Frese spoke by telephone with both Journalist 1 (twice) and Journalist 2, and within approximately a half hour after Frese’s conversations with the two journalists, Journalist 1 published an article (Article 1) through News Outlet 1, which contained NDI from Intelligence Report 1 classified at the TOP SECRET//SCI level.
In addition, as alleged in the indictment, on Sept. 24, 2019, Frese was captured on court-authorized surveillance of his cell phone orally transmitting classified NDI to Journalist 2. These disclosures contained NDI classified at the SECRET level, meaning that the unauthorized disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to cause serious harm to the national security of the United States.
“Henry Kyle Frese was entrusted with TOP SECRET information related to the national defense of our country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Frese allegedly violated that trust, the oath he swore to uphold, and is charged with engaging in dastardly and felonious conduct at the expense of our country. This indictment should serve as a clear reminder to all of those similarly entrusted with National Defense Information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic, it is criminal.”
"Mr. Frese allegedly disclosed highly classified national defense information, which puts our country and people at risk," said Alan E. Kohler Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division. "He violated his oath to serve and protect the United States. The men and women of the FBI work hard every day to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution - we will not stand by while trusted government employees violate that trust in such an egregious way."
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Frese with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danya E. Atiyeh and Trial Attorney Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Department of Justice Reaches Agreement Resolving Investigation of Virginia Department of Corrections over Religious Practice PoliciesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it reached an agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia to resolve its investigation of the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC), pursuant to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §2000cc. The investigation and agreement addressed VDOC’s five-person minimum for group worship and religious activities, its policy of preventing prisoners from attending religious services if they missed services in the past, and its restrictions on access to the religious diet.
“This settlement will ensure that men and women in VDOC’s custody can practice their religions consistent with their sincerely held beliefs, including through group worship and an appropriate religious diet,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “We commend the Commonwealth for its willingness to make changes to further its commitment to rehabilitating prisoners and preparing them for reentry into their communities.”
“The right to worship and engage in religious activities within correctional facilities is protected by the Constitution and federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen for the Western District of Virginia. “We are pleased that the VDOC recognizes this and is taking appropriate steps to ensure that individuals under its supervision are better able to exercise this fundamental right.”
“We are pleased that the Commonwealth of Virginia has reached this agreement with the Department involving the VDOC,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This settlement makes certain that those in VDOC installations will be able to exercise their religious beliefs, whatever they may be, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.”
Before signing the agreement, VDOC made policy changes addressing all three issues. The new policy (1) removes the five-person minimum requirement for religious services and activities; (2) prohibits removal from the religious diet for failing to pick up a minimum number of common fare meal trays per month; and (3) removes the requirement that prisoners regularly attend services in order to remain eligible to attend religious services and activities.
Under the agreement, VDOC affirmed the importance of protecting the rights of men and women in its custody to engage in religious practice and acknowledged that the policy revisions are consistent with its goals. As part of its implementation efforts, VDOC will provide training to staff and chaplains involved in implementing the revised policy.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. Those interested in finding out more about RLUIPA may visit https://www.justice.gov/crt/religious-land-use-and-institutionalized-persons-act-0. The Department of Justice issued a Report on the Tenth Anniversary of RLUIPA in 2010, and an Update on RLUIPA Enforcement in 2016.
Woman Sentenced to Prison for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A woman formerly from McLean was sentenced today to more than four years in prison for stealing the identity of a woman from Alexandria, who had been her housemate.
According to court documents, Sau Hoong Lee, 66 years old, is a native of Malaysia. Since first entering the United States at least 18 years ago, she has accumulated numerous convictions related to identity theft. Preying on other women with whom she either lived or ingratiated herself, Lee resided in this country under a series of assumed identities. Each of Lee’s identity theft schemes was built on the prior scheme’s foundation, as Lee would often introduce herself to her newest victim under the assumed name of her last victim.
In 2012, using the name of Cindy Tran (a housemate of Lee and a victim of the Lee’s earlier identity theft in California), Lee met and befriended Cindy Lin, and then stole her driver's license. Between 2014 and 2017, Lee used the identity of “Cindy Lin” to raise funds, travel around the country, and engage in various businesses, including multiple EIGC subsidiaries. Under the identity of Cindy Lin, Lee raised funds and engaged in negotiations in 2016 to purchase a controlling interest in Monumental Sports, owner of the Washington Wizards.
Using the identity of Cindy Lin, Lee convinced individuals including YD, WH, and Alan Perez, to borrow money to purchase nine Porsche and six Ferrari automobiles in their names (with purchase prices totaling more than $2 million), but for her use, in return for her promise to give them money in excess of the vehicle payments.
In June 2014, Lee was stopped for speeding in McLean, in a 2013 Ferrari, registered to WH. In September 2014, she was stopped for speeding on the Dulles Toll Road in a 2014 Porsche, registered to YD. In July 2015, she was stopped by Maryland State Police in Talbot County, while driving a 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo, registered to WH. In November 2015, she was stopped by Fairfax County Police on the Dulles Toll Road, while driving a 2016 Ferrari, registered to WH. During each of the traffic stops, Lee provided to the police the Virginia driver’s license of Cindy Lin.
In June 2016, Lee was stopped by an officer of the Sheriff’s Office in Brunswick County, while driving a 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo registered to Alan Perez. During the traffic stop, Lee provided the police officer the Virginia driver’s license of Cindy Lin.
According to Perez's letter to the Court, he was close friends with Lee and even lived with her. Perez told the Court that she reduced him and his family to financial ruin by convincing him and his parents to give her money for various activities, investments, sign over properties and buy exotic cars.
In 2017, FBI agents executed a warrant on Lee’s $14,000/month rental apartment in Los Angeles, and found there the Virginia driver’s license of Cindy Lin.
Upon her release from a California state prison in 2006, after conviction for an identity fraud offense, Lee was turned over to custody of federal immigration authorities. To avoid removal from the United States, Lee requested asylum. Under the name Sau Hoong Lee, and on the basis of an application which claimed that she had never used any other name, Lee was granted deferral of removal from the United States.
According to evidence received from the government of Malaysia, a 66-year-old woman by the name of Sau Hoong Lee reported to Malaysian authorities that her identity was being used by a woman in America. Today, Lee admitted in Court that she was born Siew Im Cheah in 1959, and started using the name Sau Hoong Lee about 20 years ago.
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. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Attias 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-62.
State Department Contracting Officer Convicted of Bribery and Procurement FraudRead the Press Release
A contracting officer with the U.S. Department of State was convicted today of conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud and making false statements.
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, Special Agent in Charge Marc Meyer of the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Zaldy N. Sabino, 60, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was convicted of 13 counts of conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud and making false statements. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 14, 2020.
Sabino was indicted in April 2019. According to the indictment, between November 2012 and early 2017, Sabino and the owner of a Turkish construction firm allegedly engaged in a bribery and procurement fraud scheme in which Sabino received at least $239,300 in cash payments from the Turkish owner while Sabino supervised multi-million dollar construction contracts awarded to the Turkish owner’s business partners and while Sabino made over a half million dollars in structured cash deposits into his personal bank accounts. Sabino allegedly concealed his unlawful relationship by, among other things, making false statements on financial disclosure forms and during his background reinvestigation.
The Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, led by Steve A. Linick, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Hanly of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $3 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to embezzling money from his employer, a Virginia business.
According to court documents, Reginald Zayas, 48, of Upper Marlboro, was the Controller at a Virginia-based company. Over the course of almost four years, Zayas embezzled approximately $3.2 million from the company. Zayas embezzled the money 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 used the laundered money to pay for his own personal expenses.
Zayas pleaded guilty to violating the Travel Act and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 31, 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, 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 Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. 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.
Fraudsters Sentenced for Standby Letters of Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Michigan man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in running an advanced fee scheme involving phony Standby Letters of Credit supposedly issued by European banks. His co-defendant, also from Michigan, was sentenced to a lesser term.
According to court documents, Samuel John Abraham, 62, of Novi, and Kenneth Ross Thomas, 52, of Westland, conspired to defraud individuals and businesses desperate for credit by promising to arrange substantial lines of credit from European banks. In exchange for an up-front deposit of approximately $150,000 into an escrow account, Abraham, operating as Advanced Funding Group, using aliases such as “J. Samuel Ibrahim” and “Jamal S. Ibrahim,” and also posing as an attorney calling himself “John Wynn,” claimed that he could “lease” for clients a Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC) from a European Bank in the “face amount” of approximately $100 million. Of this large sum, clients were promised they could simply keep approximately $20 million as a “non-recourse loan.” A supposed “monetizer” would then use the remainder of the funds over the course of the year-long lease of the SBLC in order to engage in lucrative overseas trades (also known as “platform trading”), which would supposedly generate profits sufficient to repay the entire SBLC.
As part of the scheme, clients were directed to wire money to Escrow Agent Kenneth Thomas of “K. Thomas and Company Escrow Services.” In reality, the money was wired to the personal checking account of Kenneth Thomas, who was not an escrow agent, and who acted as Abraham’s chauffeur. Thomas promptly provided most of the money to Abraham. According to the Superseding Indictment, Abraham then spent large sums of the money gambling at the Motor City Casino in Detroit, and on vehicles and a condominium. According to the Superseding Indictment, Abraham took in approximately $1.2 million in proceeds from the fraud. Victims resided in Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Alaska, New York, South Dakota, Peru, Australia, and other locations.
Standby Letters of Credit, as marketed by the defendants, do not exist and have long been the subject of public service announcements by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Abraham has a prior federal conviction and also a permanent injunction entered against him by the SEC for operating the same scheme.
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 sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant Russell L. Carlberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen 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-111.
Fake Lawyer Sentenced for Defrauding Members of Immigrant Communities in Northern VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to two years in prison and ordered to pay $332,000 in restitution to 35 victims for posing as a lawyer in order to defraud numerous car accident victims who were members of immigrant communities in Northern Virginia and elsewhere.
According to court documents, Tuan Duc Nguyen, 55, of Garden Grove, falsely held himself out to car accident victims and insurance companies alike as a lawyer for over four years. In the course of his scheme, Nguyen told victims he would represent their interests and they would receive settlement proceeds from insurance companies. But instead of disbursing funds to the victims, Nguyen kept the money for himself. Nguyen carried out the scheme by providing false address information to settling insurance companies so that the victims would not learn of the settlement and by signing documents with false signatures. When victims contacted Nguyen to inquire about the status of their claims, Nguyen often deceived them by stating that negotiations were ongoing when, in fact, the claims had already been settled and Nguyen had stolen the money.
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 sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dober and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer 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. 1:18-cr-329.
D.C. Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies, CarjackingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced today to nearly 30 years in prison for his participation in three armed robberies and an armed carjacking.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Lamont Kortez Gaines, 29, participated in the armed robbery of an Advance America Cash Advance store in Alexandria and two 7-Eleven convenience stores in Arlington. During the robberies, a semi-automatic, submachine-gun style pistol with an extended and loaded magazine was brandished at the businesses’ employees. Additionally, Gaines participated in an armed carjacking in Alexandria. Three of Gaines’ co-conspirators—Andrew Bernard Duncan, 28, Desmar Rashad Gayles, 27, and Anton Durrell Harris, 29, all of Washington, D.C.—previously pleaded guilty to charges of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and each was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
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.
This case was investigated by the Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of FBI Special Agents, and task force officers from the Arlington County Police, the Alexandria City Police, the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County Police, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, the Leesburg Police Department, the Herndon Police Department, the Fairfax City Police, and the Vienna Police, and works in partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service. The task force worked cooperatively and extensively with the City of Alexandria Police, Arlington County Police, and the Prince George’s County Police, Maryland, on this investigation. The task force is charged with identifying, investigating, disrupting and bringing to justice the most violent and egregious criminal enterprises and actors impacting the National Capital Region.
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 sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Blanchard and Rebeca H. Bellows prosecuted the case.
Alexandria Police Department, Arlington County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during this investigation and prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-106.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican citizen was sentenced today to one and a half years in prison for illegally reentering the United States subsequent to removal for an aggravated felony conviction.
“Gonzalez-Granillo committed burglary and a sex offense involving a minor victim, was deported at taxpayer expense, and then illegally returned to the country,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His criminal actions have shown a complete disrespect for our nation’s laws and borders. Individuals like Gonzalez-Granillo represent a clear threat to the safety and security of our communities, and as such we will continue to prioritize criminal immigration enforcement cases across the Eastern District of Virginia.”
According to court documents, Marcos Gonzalez-Granillo, 40, originally illegally entered the United States in 1997. In 2002, he was convicted in state court in North Carolina of attempted second-degree rape and first-degree burglary, an aggravated felony. He was removed from the country at taxpayer expense in 2007 after serving his state prison sentence. Gonzalez-Granillo was next encountered by law enforcement authorities in Norfolk in 2019, when he was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender under Virginia law.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Lyle A. Boelens, Acting 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 Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel P. Shean and Elizabeth M. Yusi 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-75.
Attorney Convicted of Embezzling over $1.5 Million from Virginia Senator, Canadian Business, and Autism OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Fairfax attorney today on charges of conspiring to defraud and to launder fraud proceeds totaling over $1.5 million, including funds embezzled from Virginia State Senator Richard Saslaw’s campaign account, a Canadian business, and an organization intended to support students with autism and other intellectual disabilities.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, David H. Miller, 70, conspired with his wife, Linda Diane Wallis, to defraud three categories of victims from 2011 through 2014. First, Miller, an attorney, conspired with Wallis to create two fake law firms, Federal Legal Associates and The Straile Group. Miller and Wallis used the two 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 purported legal work that was never actually performed. Miller and Wallis caused approximately $368,400 in losses to SkyLink.
Second, Miller and Wallis embezzled approximately $653,000 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 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 from 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 approximately $783,000 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 through 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, including mortgage payments on a million-dollar home in Fairfax, renovations to an oceanfront property owned by Miller in Bethany Beach, Delaware, dues payments to the Country Club of Fairfax, and travel on private aircraft from Manassas to Montego Bay, 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 56 months in prison on Mar. 18, 2016.
Miller faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on each of ten counts of conviction when sentenced on Jan. 24, 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, and Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the verdict. Assistants U.S. Uzo E. Asonye and Samantha P. Bateman 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. 1:17-cr-213.
Air Force Colonel Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Air Force Colonel pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, between November 2015 and June 2016, Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, 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.
According to court documents, Visconi 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.
Visconi pleaded guilty to receiving and attempting to receive child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 31, 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.
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, Marc Meyer, Special Agent In Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, 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 Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Trial Attorney of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Gwendelynn Bills 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-258.
Air Force Colonel Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
An Air Force colonel pled guilty today to 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, Special Agent In Charge Marc Meyer of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, between November 2015 and June 2016, Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, Virginia, 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.
Separately, the plea documents also note that Visconi 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.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III for the Eastern District of Virginia scheduled the sentencing for Jan. 31, 2020.
The case was investigated by HSI. 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.
Woman Sentenced for Helping to Plan Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman was sentenced today to nearly 13 years in prison for aiding and abetting multiple robberies, and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during one of those robberies.
According to court documents, Christina Pilgrim, 37, met Ali Cousins, Jr. around the year 2017 when Cousins brought his son to Pilgrim’s daycare center which she operated out of her home. The two entered into a romantic relationship shortly after meeting. Pilgrim was married at the time. While also operating the daycare center, Pilgrim worked at the Dollar Tree at 8920 Patterson Avenue, Henrico. So, when Cousins began to suffer financial difficulties in 2018, Pilgrim suggested to him that he could rob the Dollar Tree where she worked. She assured him that the business would be easy to rob. Cousins decided to rob the store and relied on information Pilgrim provided, particularly the store employees who would work on a given night and the location of safes and cameras in the store, to carry out the robberies. Additionally, Pilgrim provided Cousins access to a firearm that her husband owned and left in her home which Cousins could use during the robberies. Cousins would rob the store five times between the months of March and September 2018.
During one robbery which occurred in August 2018, Pilgrim informed Cousins that the store manager to the Dollar Tree would make the nightly bank deposit at a nearby Wells Fargo bank. Cousins decided that he would rob the store manager as the manager made the deposit, and Pilgrim drove Cousins to the Wells Fargo to wait for the store manager to arrive. Pilgrim watched as the store manager left the Dollar Tree and informed Cousins when the manager was on his way to the bank. When the manager arrived, Cousins completed the robbery and Pilgrim picked Cousins up afterward.
For the last robbery in September 2018, Pilgrim provided Cousins access to her husband’s vehicle which Cousins used to complete the robbery. Cousins and an accomplice, Bryant Williams, then traveled to the Dollar Tree and entered the store just before closing. Pilgrim, who was working at the store at the time, saw Cousins and Williams arrive and enter the restroom of the store to wait for the right opportunity to complete the robbery. While Cousins and Williams waited, Pilgrim sent text messages to Cousins regarding others in the store being suspicious of them when they came to the store. Soon after that text message, Cousins and Williams completed the robbery and fled the store. Law enforcement would arrest Cousins the same night and would arrest Williams several months later.
Cousins pleaded guilty and admitted to having committed the five robberies. Also, Williams, and another accomplice, Anthony Simmons, who Cousins recruited for the first robbery, pleaded guilty to their roles in the individual robberies they performed with Cousins.
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, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony 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-50.
Man Sentenced for Distributing Cocaine and Heroin in Hampton RoadsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced yesterday to over seven years in prison after for distributing cocaine and heroin in Hampton Roads.
According to court documents, in May a federal jury convicted Erick Allen Osby, 24, of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.
In September 2018, Osby, who had active warrants for his arrest regarding narcotics distribution charges out of Hampton at the time, was observed by law enforcement approaching multiple vehicles parked in a residential area of 72nd Street in Newport News and acting in a manner consistent with drug trafficking. Osby appeared to be distributing and receiving items to and from a white shoulder bag that he was wearing. Upon entering the back seat of one of the vehicles, law enforcement moved in and arrested Osby. Inside the white shoulder bag was a bag of heroin, suspected narcotics packaging material, and Osby’s identification card. A bag of cocaine was also found on top of the shoulder bag and Osby had nearly $2,000 in cash and a digital scale on his person.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney 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-9.
Man Sentenced for Bank and Identity FraudRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to nearly five years in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Christopher Nelson, aka Fabian Ellington III, 42, was part of a group that defrauded the Virginia Credit Union (VACU), a federally insured financial institution, through a sophisticated scheme. In the first step, Nelson, doing business as Financial Solutions, LLC, and others, recruited and paid financially needy individuals to open bank accounts, in their own name, and thereafter turn over to Nelson and his conspirators, the account numbers, debit cards, PINs, and starter checks associated with the new accounts.
In the next step, Nelson and his conspirators would then deposit fraudulent checks into the newly-opened accounts to inflate the account balances. Shortly after the deposits, Nelson or a conspirator would go to an ATM machine or drive-up window, and fraudulently use the debit cards to withdraw currency generated by the fraudulently inflated balances. Nelson and his conspirators also would use the debit cards to purchase items at commercial establishments. After the financial institution detected the scheme and deactivated a fraudulent account, Nelson simply opened a new fraudulent account in the name of a new person, and continued the scheme.
The loss sustained by the Virginia Credit Union was approximately $40,000 from the Spring 2017 until June 2018.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jerald W. Page, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Maguire 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. 3:18-cr-09.
Former Assistant Manager of Virginia Beach Tax Service Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk woman was sentenced yesterday to more than four years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to prepare false tax returns for her customers.
According to court documents, Tinesha L. Bert, 33, was the assistant manager of a now-closed, Virginia Beach-based tax preparation service known as Express Tax Preparation Services. From December 2014 to February 2016, Bert was responsible for using false information in her customers’ tax returns in order to generate a higher refund amount. In some cases, she falsely stated that the customer had dependent children so that the customer would qualify for beneficial tax credits. She also filed returns using the names and social security numbers of real persons without their knowledge. The court found that she was responsible for a tax loss of approximately $174,000. Last month, the manager of the tax business, Markita D. Simon, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy C. Stoker 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-149.
Dentist Sentenced for Running Prescription Opioid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach dentist was sentenced today to nearly eight and a half years in prison for conspiracy to distribute prescription opioids and muscle relaxant pills without a legitimate medical purpose.
According to court documents, Gary Hartman, 48, has been a licensed dentist in Virginia since 2002. From 2014 to 2018, Hartman was involved in an elaborate scheme to prescribe opioids such as hydrocodone and oxycodone pills for his personal use and the use of his co-conspirators, who fell into three different categories of individuals. The first category of co-conspirators were close friends of Hartman since high school. Hartman would write prescriptions for oxycodone to his friends without a legitimate medical purpose, the friends would fill the prescriptions, bring back most of the pills for Hartman’s personal use and keep the remainder for their personal use.
The second category of co-conspirators was another dentist. Hartman and the other dentist would write prescriptions to each other for oxycodone and muscle relaxants for the personal use of Hartman and the other dentist.
The third category of co-conspirators were people who were impoverished. Hartman would promise to perform free dental work on these individuals in exchange for the service of filling prescriptions of oxycodone pills written by Hartman and bringing the pills back to Hartman for his personal use. This conspiracy involved 766 prescriptions written for non-medical reasons and almost 40,000 oxycodone pills.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty 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-48.
Former NNS Inspector Plead Guilty to Falsely Certifying WeldsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Suffolk man pleaded guilty today to making a false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, in November 2012, Joseph Powell, 29, was hired by Newport News Shipbuilding to be a Non-Destructive Test (NDT) Inspector, in Newport News. As an NDT Inspector, Powell performed weld inspections on vessels such as Virginia Class Submarines and Aircraft Carriers. Powell had extensive training on and familiarity with the proper protocol for types of weld inspections. To track and ensure quality control with inspections, NDT Inspectors certify their inspections using NNS’s Electronic Record System (“ERS”). ERS falls within the jurisdiction of the United States Navy and the Department of Defense.
In June 2016, NNS received information that Powell appeared to have certified the inspection of a weld joint in ERS without conducting the requisite inspection protocol. As a result of this information, NNS initiated an inquiry/inspection. Various welds certified by Powell in ERS subsequently were investigated by NNS in June 2016, which led to the identification of additional welds that were not in acceptable condition for inspection, did not contain the required physical markings indicating an inspection had been completed, nor had residue or powder on or around the job from the inspection equipment.
Numerous NDT weld joints certified by Powell in ERS were re-inspected. The re-inspections revealed that a number of weld joints previously certified by Powell as being satisfactory were, in the opinion of the personnel who did the re-inspections, in fact, unsatisfactory, as these weld joints contained indications or defects subject to rejection, and specifically required repair by a welder. Powell agreed, for sentencing purposes, that the estimated loss to the United States attributable to his false certifications of weld inspections from in or about December 2015 through June 2016 is approximately $43,500.
Powell pleaded guilty to false statements and faces a maximum of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 15, 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, Cliff Everton, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, and Robert Craig, Special Agent in Charge for Defense Criminal Investigative Service Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-40.
Media Advisory – Tri-Cities Violent Crime SummitRead the Press Release
WHAT: Federal, state, and local law enforcement leaders and community partners will hold the Tri-Cities Violent Crime Summit today at Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Petersburg.
WHERE: Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 2223 S Crater Rd, Petersburg, VA 23805
WHEN: Media check in at 2:45 p.m.
DETAILS: Members of the media are invited to attend the final wrap-up of the event from approximately 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Audio and video recording is permitted.
Following the wrap-up, co-hosts of the summit will hold a brief press conference and take questions. After the press conference, select law enforcement officials will be available for one-on-one interviews. Community partners may also be available for one-on-one interviews.
RSVP: Please RSVP by Noon today to: [email protected]
CO-HOSTS: G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police; Kamran Afzal, Chief of Hopewell Police; Jeffrey W. Faries, Chief of Colonial Heights Police; Cheryl J. Wilson, Petersburg Commonwealth’s Attorney; Richard K. Newman, Hopewell Commonwealth’s Attorney; Alfred Gray Collins, III, Colonial Heights Commonwealth’s Attorney.
LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS: Virginia State Police; Prince George County Police; Prince George County Commonwealth’s Attorney; Chesterfield County Police; Chesterfield County Commonwealth’s Attorney; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; FBI’s Richmond Field Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement; Virginia State University Police; Richard Bland College Police; Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman pleaded guilty today to straw purchasing multiple firearms.
According to court documents, Joni Maria Metcalf, 34, straw purchased five firearms from federal firearm licensees on behalf of a man she was dating at the time and his friend. These individuals provided Metcalf with money and instructions on how to purchase the firearms. Police in Washington, D.C. recovered one of the illegally purchased firearms from her boyfriend’s friend, 11 days after Metcalf straw purchased the firearm.
Metcalf pleaded guilty to making false statements with respect to the purchase of firearms and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 24, 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.
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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini 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-286.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced for Card-Cracking SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to over five years in prison for conspiring to defraud several banks and identity theft.
According to court documents, Troy Murchison, 23, conspired with several others for more than three-and-a-half years to defraud at least five different banks by depositing counterfeit payroll checks and other worthless financial instruments into dozens of compromised bank accounts and then quickly withdrawing the credited funds. Murchison used social media to recruit at least 40 accountholders of different financial institutions to provide their debit cards and PINs in exchange for promised payment. Murchison then created counterfeit payroll checks purportedly issued by more than a dozen local businesses, which he and others acting on his instruction then deposited into the compromised accounts.
These deposits fraudulently induced the targeted financial institutions to credit thousands of dollars to those accounts, which Murchison and others immediately withdrew. Between 2014 and 2017, Murchison and others deposited over 100 worthless checks and money orders totaling more than $95,000 into at least 40 compromised accounts and successfully withdrew nearly $40,000 of the credited proceeds. During that same period, Murchison was charged in three separate state cases for conduct related to this conspiracy. Murchison was on probation, awaiting trial, and a fugitive in these cases when he was ultimately arrested in November 2017.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. 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. 3:18-cr-122.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Cyber SabotageRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to two years in prison for illegally accessing his former employer’s network systems, stealing critical servers and information, and causing a loss of over $1.1 million.
According to court documents, Barrence Anthony, 40, of Waldorf, was a systems engineer for Federated IT, a federal contractor that was providing technology services for the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. After being tipped that his employment was going to be terminated, Anthony engaged in a scheme to sabotage Federated IT’s contract with the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps including by deleting all user and administrator accounts except his to give him sole access to network systems, changing domain name registration information, deleting numerous files belonging to Federated IT, and unlawfully sharing proprietary information belonging to Federated IT with his personal accounts.
Anthony was an insider who intimately knew the victim company’s network and infrastructure. He specifically targeted his actions to do harm to one of the company’s most lucrative contracts with the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. The proprietary information that Anthony took was specifically built for the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps and the victim company assigned it a value of over $1 million. The cyber sabotage also disrupted a Chaplaincy Resource Management Course in Jackson, South Carolina, impacting 19 chaplain corps students.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Edward LaBarge, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Cybercrime Unit, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Smith III 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-166.
Former Pharmacy Owner Sentenced for Prescription Medication FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former pharmacy owner was sentenced today to four years in prison for fraudulently filling and dispensing thousands of prescription medications, including opioids, outside the usual course of professional practice.
“Chowdhury blithely violated his position of trust,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Chowdhury’s warped business philosophy led him to illegally distribute a significant number of prescription medications, including dangerous, addictive opioids. Moreover, his reckless actions add to the financial cost of health care as he fraudulently billed at least $500,000 to health insurance programs for prescriptions that were never filled.”
According to court documents, Latif Mohamed Chowdhury, aka Gulam Latif Chaudhury, 29, operated and controlled two now-defunct pharmacies known as Alexandria Care Pharmacy LLC (ACP-1) and Alexandria Care Pharmacy Store #2 LLC (ACP-2). Chowdhury has never been a licensed pharmacist and has no medical qualifications. Nonetheless, between August 2015 and February 2016, Chowdhury fraudulently operated ACP-1 and ACP-2 by personally filling and dispensing thousands of dosage units of medications, including opioids, without a licensed pharmacist on-site. Chowdhury used the identities of licensed pharmacists, without their permission, to carry out his scheme.
“Chowdhury used his trusted position to enrich himself at the expense of others," said Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office. “Today's sentencing makes it clear that the illegal distribution of opioids will not be tolerated. The FBI will work closely with our partners to continue to investigate allegations of healthcare fraud.”
Chowdhury admitted to fraudulently billing health insurance benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for refills of prescription medications that were not delivered to customers even though his pharmacies received payment for these prescriptions. Chowdhury also submitted fraudulent health insurance claims in the names of pharmacy customers for medications that were not authorized by any physician, and were not dispensed to any of the customers, in order to enrich himself through illicit profits generated by ACP-1 and ACP-2.
“We are committed to protecting the public and the people of Virginia,” said Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division. “We will continue to track down and bring to justice criminals who are fueling the opiate crisis at every level including pill writers, pill fillers, and drug dealers in the area.”
In addition, Chowdhury dispensed Schedule II controlled substances in the names of minors, including children as young as 7 and 8-years-old, outside the usual course of professional practice. During the execution of a search warrant, a loaded Colt .38-caliber firearm that belonged to Chowdhury was located in plain view on the pharmacy department shelves.
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, Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), 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 U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raj Parekh and Monika Moore 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-203.
Man Convicted of Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Newport News man late yesterday on charges of Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Antoine Dion Harris, aka “Fattwan,” 31, robbed a Hampton ABC Liquor Store in February 2019. Harris walked into the store, picked up a bottle of Hennessey liquor from the shelf, and before the victim could ring up the purchase, Harris pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at the victim and told her that she had 30 seconds to give him all of her money before he began counting down. The victim complied with Harris’s demands and Harris ultimately got away with $88 and the bottle of Hennessey.
Harris faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on Jan. 14, 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.
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, Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith accepted the verdict. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor and Assistant U.S. Attorney 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-65.