Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
“Keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons is a top priority,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is a public safety and law enforcement safety issue that I am 100 percent committed to. We will continue to aggressively pursue these cases and work with our partners at the ATF to remove violent criminals like Mitchell from our communities.”
According to court documents, Sean Gregory Mitchell, 45, unlawfully possessed a firearm in June 2016, when Newport News police officers were on bike patrol at Mitchell’s apartment complex and detected the odor of marijuana. Officers subsequently obtained a search warrant for the apartment, and located a semi-automatic handgun with a loaded magazine, a small bag of marijuana, a scale, and three small bags of cocaine base.
This is Mitchell’s third federal conviction. He was previously convicted of felon in possession of a firearm in 1997, and distribution of cocaine base and use of a communication facility in the distribution of cocaine base in 2003 in federal court. Mitchell’s prior state convictions include assault and battery, trespassing, unlawful wounding, and possession of marijuana.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, 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 Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Cowles 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-82.
Three Virginia Drug Traffickers Sentenced for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Three drug traffickers have been sentenced to a combined 17 years in prison for participating in a lengthy and extensive drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Devin McCoy Rawls, 28, of Portsmouth, along with Robert William Little III, 70, and Cynthia Mosley Fox, 51, both of Emporia, were members of a drug trafficking organization which operated in Emporia and the surrounding area dating back to 2013. During the conspiracy, these defendants along with several other co-conspirators, distributed large amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin and marijuana to hundreds of customers in Southeast Virginia.
Rawls and Little were sentenced on Tuesday to over seven years, and five years, respectively, and Fox was sentenced today to over four years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Bulls Eye. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 is 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-22.
Jury Convicts Man for Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Woodbridge man today for his role in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
“Sex traffickers often prey upon the most vulnerable victims in our society,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The victims were targeted specifically because Rhymes knew they were vulnerable and that he could exploit them, and he used fear, coercion, and control to force them into a form of modern-day slavery. We are grateful to the jury for their time and attention to this difficult case, and to our trial team and investigative partners for their terrific work in pursuit of justice for the victims in this case.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Cornell Devore Rhymes, 32, conspired with others, including but not limited to Justin Robinson and Markus Plummer, who have been previously convicted, to forcibly sex traffic young women during the Summer of 2017. The jury found that Rhymes used tactics such as non-consensual sex, cocaine and violence to keep these and other young women prostituting for their benefit.
Rhymes was convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Prior to trial, Rhymes pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Rhymes faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 15, 2019. 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, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, and Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney Dougherty Russell and Raizza Ty 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 is 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-22 (Rhymes), and 1:17-cr-310 (Robinson and Plummer).
Two Convicted Felons Charged with Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging two Hampton Roads men with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Convicted felons who possess firearms present a significant danger to the safety of our law enforcement partners and the communities they serve,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who have forfeited their Second Amendment rights due to felony conviction. Together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners we are committed to removing illegally possessed firearms from our streets.”
According to allegations in the first indictment, Mark E. Monroe, 48, of Newport News, came into contact with Newport New Police as an occupant of a vehicle parked in an apartment complex. When officers approached the vehicle, Monroe rolled the window down and officers immediately noticed a firearm on the seat under Monroe’s leg. Monroe was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
According to allegations in the second indictment, Sequia Kerr, 43, of Yorktown, came into contact with Newport News Police after two men reported that Kerr brandished a firearm and ran toward them. Officers recovered a firearm hidden in a trashcan at the scene, and Kerr admitted that he put the firearm in the trashcan when he learned that officers were coming.
Each man is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and if convicted each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of a renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bob Bradenham and Megan M. Cowles 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
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.
Suffolk Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release for receiving images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, Christopher Howerton, 33, was identified by both the Virginia Beach Police Department and Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force as having distributed images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct (SEC) from 2016 through 2017 via peer-to-peer file-sharing software. In December 2017, a federal search warrant was conducted at his residence in Suffolk. A forensic analysis of Howerton’s electronic media seized during the search warrant revealed numerous images and videos of minors engaging in SEC.
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 Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 is 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-51.
Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl.
According to court documents, Glenn Murphy, 38, sold a total of three ounces of heroin to the Portsmouth Police during an undercover operation. After a subsequent attempt to sell heroin to the police, Murphy placed under arrest and searched. The police found four baggies containing various drugs, including two baggies containing 78 grams of Fentanyl, one baggie containing 12 grams of a Fentanyl derivative, and one baggie containing 28 grams of cocaine.
Murphy pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 12, 2019. 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 Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-145.
Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to the statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court documents, Wesley Paul Hadsell, 40, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2015. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Hadsell admitted that on Dec. 23, 2013, he purchased ammunition at Bob’s Gun Shop in Norfolk and that on Dec. 31, 2013, he took that ammunition to a gun range in Chesapeake, where he and other individuals used some of the ammunition. Hadsell retained possession of approximately 80 rounds of ammunition after the trip to the range. Hadsell has at least 10 prior convictions for crimes ranging from burglary and bank robbery to felonious restraint.
Hadsell was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2016, pursuant to the Armed Career Criminal Act, which increased the statutory maximum for the crime. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals returned the case for resentencing after holding that one of Hadsell’s prior burglary convictions did not count as an Armed Career Criminal predicate offense, which reset the statutory maximum penalty to 10 years.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Bosse 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:15-cr-116.
Jury Convicts Moroccan Man of Assault on Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Moroccan man yesterday on charges of assaulting federal law enforcement officers and failure to depart the United States.
“These ICE officers were carrying out a lawful judicial order to deport a convicted felon,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This verdict shows that we will not tolerate this kind of violent attack on law enforcement officers. The United States Attorney’s Office will protect those who are sworn to protect us.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Zakaria Taoufik, 40, a citizen of Morocco, was being deported from Dulles International Airport pursuant to a valid final order of removal issued by a U.S. immigration judge because of a prior aggravated felony conviction. Three ICE deportation officers were assigned to accompany Taoufik back to Morocco. Taoufik told the airline pilot that he would not let himself be deported, and that he would fight and make the flight uncomfortable for everyone. Once on the aircraft, Taoufik screamed that he could not be deported, that he would not allow himself to be taken back to Morocco, issued threats against the officers, and took violent and aggressive actions to prevent his deportation, including shattering the entertainment screen on the seatback in front of him by slamming his head into the screen, attempting to head-butt two of the officers, attempting to bite an officer, and deliberately spitting in the face of an officer. Because of his disruptive actions, Taoufik and the ICE officers were ordered off the aircraft. This was Taoufik’s second successful attempt to prevent his deportation, as he had foiled an earlier attempt to deport him from Atlanta in October 2017.
Taoufik faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 25, 2019. 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, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the verdict. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Reilly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Hill 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 is 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-73.
Florida Businessman Pleads Guilty to Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida businessman pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for orchestrating a scheme that caused over $1 million in losses to multiple victims.
According to court documents, Armando Almirall, 37, of Oviedo, was one of the managing principals of a company called Aura Exchange LLC (AURA). Almirall and his co-conspirators, 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, Almirall and his co-conspirators spent large portions of their clients’ funds on personal expenses, cash withdrawals and wire transfers with the clients’ knowledge or consent. In order to induce the victims to provide AURA with money, Almirall and his co-conspirators 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. Almirall claimed that AURA had offices in Zurich, London, and New York when no such offices existed. Almirall also provided clients with fraudulent bank documents showing that AURA could obtain millions (and in one instance, billions) in funds for their clients. In total, the victims suffered losses of at least $1.6 million.
Almirall pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 8, 2019. 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 Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamar K. Walker 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 is 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-392.
Felon Sentenced for Stockpiling Firearms and Attempting to Obstruct JusticeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced today to more than eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of more than a dozen firearms and attempting to obstruct justice.
According to court documents, Richard Allen Patterson, 47, a previously convicted felon, conspired with his wife to stockpile in their home at least 23 rifles, shotguns, and handguns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Once they learned that ATF was investigating them, they attempted to cover up their crimes by lying to federal authorities, tampering with witnesses, including their own teenage daughters, hiding evidence, and attempting to fabricate evidence to exonerate Patterson. One egregious obstruction example was when Patterson had his wife change the registered address of their business weeks after ATF executed a search warrant for the property and then moved to suppress the warrant because ATF included the “wrong” address in it.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of a renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-114.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Counterfeit Currency OffensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man from the Washington, D.C. area pleaded guilty today to possessing multiple firearms as a convicted felon and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes.
According to court documents, Kevin Bushrod, 31, purchased two AR-15 semiautomatic rifles in June from an individual who was unaware that Bushrod had previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses. Bushrod used an alias during the transaction, which occurred in Alexandria, and paid for the firearms using, in part, counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes.
Less than one week later, on June 14, the Leesburg Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Bushrod’s Mercedes Benz vehicle in Leesburg. Bushrod fled in his vehicle while an officer was speaking on the phone with Bushrod’s federal Probation Officer. While being pursued by law enforcement, Bushrod began driving in an aggressive and dangerous manner, and his reckless driving forced other vehicles to take evasive actions to keep from being struck. Bushrod then jumped out of his vehicle without turning it off and continued to flee on foot, to include scaling a fence and falling 25 to 30 feet into a wooded area. Bushrod was finally apprehended near an abandoned outbuilding deep within the wooded area, where law enforcement officers and a K-9 established a security perimeter.
Following a court-authorized search of Bushrod’s Mercedes Benz vehicle, law enforcement located a Smith & Wesson AR-15 semiautomatic rifle that Bushrod previously purchased with counterfeit currency, and a loaded FNX-9 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Bushrod’s vehicle also contained, among other items, a stash of counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, additional ammunition, a knife, multiple baggies containing suspected cocaine, digital scales, and five cell phones.
Bushrod faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the counterfeit currency charge and 10 years in prison on the firearms charge when sentenced on Jan. 25, 2019. 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), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of a renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, Gregory C. Brown, Chief of Leesburg Police, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Significant investigative assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets/HIDTA Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh 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 is 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-395.
Violent Felon Sentenced for Possession of Firearm with Large Capacity MagazineRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
“Toatley is exactly the type of individual who poses a serious danger to the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect us,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Toatley has a long criminal history which includes aggravated assault for shooting a person, another aggravated assault for forcing a person out of his home at gun-point, drug offenses, and false imprisonment. Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we are committed to removing violent individuals like Toatley from our communities.”
According to court documents, police were called to a residence in Richmond by the occupant who said a male was threatening her and her children, the male was on his way to the caller’s home, and the male was known to carry a firearm. When the responding officer arrived, he saw Gerald Toatley, 38, at the door of the residence. Toatley acknowledged a conflict with the resident, but dismissed it as a “misunderstanding.” When the officer asked for identify information, Toatley attempted to flee, but fell to the ground. As the officer tried to assist him, Toatley threw the officer to the ground and ran. During his flight, Toatley hid a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a barbeque grill in a neighboring yard. Shortly thereafter, the officer arrested Toatley, who resisted being placed in handcuffs. The officer then recovered the firearm, which had Toatley’s DNA on it. The Court enhanced defendant’s sentence because the gun had a large capacity magazine, capable of holding sixteen rounds of ammunition.
“Gun crime is a scourge on our communities and holds good people hostage in their own homes,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to take violent criminals like Gerald Toatley off our streets and put them behind bars where they belong. I hope this serves as a warning to other armed criminals that when they are caught, they will be met with swift, predictable consequences.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Holli R. Wood and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. 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 is 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-53.
New York Man Sentenced for Drug and Gun ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for a long-term heroin, methamphetamine, and gun-running conspiracy.
According to court documents, Shannon Poulson, 40, imported heroin and methamphetamine into Hampton Roads from out-of-state sources over a three-year period, and sold the drugs or traded them for guns. Poulson trafficked dozens of guns back to New York, where he sold them illicitly for a substantial profit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Bosse 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 is 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-49.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man pleaded guilty today to felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Kenneth Pressley, 44, was a passenger in a vehicle that fled from Newport News Police officers on May 8, 2018, when officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Pressley ran from the vehicle and into the backyard of a residence on 23rd Street in Newport News. An officer followed Pressley and observed him in the backyard bent over at the waist and heard the firearm discharge. After Pressley was taken into custody, officers recovered a Glock 23 .40 caliber firearm, containing 12 rounds of ammunition, as well as the bullet Pressley discharged on scene. Pressley was previously convicted of two counts of attempted malicious wounding, malicious discharge of a firearm into an occupied building, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Pressley pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 15, 2019. 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, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan M. Cowles 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 is 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-71.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An admitted MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Oscar Melendez, aka Creeper, 29, of Alexandria, possessed ammunition after having been convicted of multiple felonies involving possession of a controlled dangerous substance and credit card fraud. Law enforcement recovered the bullets from his residence while investigating crimes committed by the criminal gang MS-13. During a Mirandized interview, Melendez admitted to possessing the ammunition and to being a member of MS-13.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, and J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen C. Cain prosecuted the case.
Mitigating MS-13’s presence in the National Capital Region is a joint effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Several Department of Justice law enforcement components, to include the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Forces and Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces, DEA, USMS, and ATF, along with the Department of Homeland Security, have dedicated significant resources to this effort.
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-245.
Jamaican Man Sentenced for International Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Jamaican man was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for his role in transporting 15 kilograms of cocaine from South Carolina to Virginia, as a drug courier for a Panamanian drug trafficking organization (DTO).
According to court documents, in February 2016, Oraine Lawson, 26, and a co-conspirator traveled from Brooklyn to Charleston, South Carolina, for the purpose of receiving a shipment of cocaine. On the same day, law enforcement intercepted 15 kilograms of cocaine on a commercial shipping vessel at the Port of Charleston sent by the Panamanian DTO. The next day, Lawson obtained a bag containing 15 kilograms of cocaine in Charleston from a co-conspirator while under surveillance of law enforcement. Upon taking possession of the cocaine, Lawson and his co-conspirator boarded a commercial bus line and traveled to the Eastern District of Virginia, where law enforcement ultimately executed a drug interdiction operation. During the stop of the bus, law enforcement surveillance observed Lawson’s co-conspirator hide the bag containing the 15 kilograms of cocaine under a seat inside the bus. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers seized the bag containing the 15 kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Brother’s Grimm. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Robert Murphy, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration-Atlanta Division, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, Christopher Healy, Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charlotte, Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, and Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police, 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 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-108.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession after Posting Facebook Live VideoRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Timothy Cureton, 29, was seen by Richmond police officers in a Facebook live video posted on January 25, displaying a brown handgun with an extended magazine. Officers suspected that Cureton stayed at an apartment in Creighton Court. Just five days later, on January 30, officers received information that individuals were storing illegal narcotics at an apartment in Creighton Court. During execution of a search warrant, officers located two firearms in a bedroom closet. One of those firearms was a brown Glock handgun, consistent with the firearm Cureton displayed in the Facebook live video. Inside the same bedroom of the residence, officers located Cureton’s social security card and a document with Cureton’s name on it.
Cureton pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on February 5, 2019. 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 Thomas L. Chittum, III, 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 John A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield 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 is 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-108.
Ex-Probation Officer Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former probation officer pleaded guilty today to obstructing a federal grand jury investigation into armed drug traffickers and gang members.
According to court documents, Abass Conteh, 28, of Dumfries, served as a Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Officer working in Prince William County in 2017. As part of his duties, Conteh met with law enforcement officers and discussed ongoing criminal investigations, including with a Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) gang detective. During the course of 2017, Conteh used his cell phone and social media accounts to convey confidential law enforcement information about ongoing federal investigations into drug traffickers and gang members. Conteh learned this information from the PWCPD detective and other sources. During these communications, Conteh provided advice to individuals under investigation on how to avoid being prosecuted.
For example, Conteh, informed his cousin Nasiru Carew, a multi-time convicted felon, that federal law enforcement were investigating the individuals who supplied local rappers with guns, money, and drugs. Conteh revealed further information to Carew he learned from the PWCPD detective, including that the “FEDS got they eye on Shy Glizzy and GG etc. The FEDS are investigating MS-13 and the [expletive] supplying the guns, the drugs, and money.”
In March 2017, Conteh informed Carew that federal law enforcement were investigating Tarvell Vandiver, who was the leader of the Imperial Gangsta Blood gang. Carew later passed this information to Vandiver, who he had conspired with to distribute controlled substances.
In December 2017, the PWCPD Detective informed Conteh that federal law enforcement were investigating Alpha Kamara and his sources of supply for narcotics. Shortly thereafter, Conteh revealed the information to Carew and later another individual. Conteh wrote, “[The PWCPD detective] brought All their names up. He never brought their names up until Alpha got womped. The feds goal is to find the supplier for the guns and drugs… They can’t do [expletive] to nobody if alpha [Kamara] don’t snitch”.
In January 2018, Kamara pleaded guilty to being an armed drug trafficker (1:18-cr-12). In April, Carew pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking offense (1:18-cr-8). In May, Vandiver pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearms offenses (1:18-cr-16).
Conteh pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 22, 2019. 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.
Conteh, Carew, Vandiver, and Kamara were prosecuted as part of Operation Tin Panda, which has resulted in 44 federal convictions and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye and Carina A. Cuellar 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-367.
Businessman Pleads Guilty to Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A local businessman pleaded guilty today to charges of orchestrating a multi-year investment fraud scheme causing at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to dozens of victims.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Amrit Jaswant Singh Chahal, 30, of Fairfax, operated an investment fraud scheme through The Kane Capital Investment Group, LLC (Kane Capital), a company he established and operated. Chahal executed this fraud through falsely representing that Kane Capital had earned returns of roughly 28 to 34 percent annually, when in fact, Chahal had suffered substantial losses in managing investors’ funds. Chahal also created falsified brokerage statements to conceal the losses he had sustained and siphoned off some of his investors’ funds by transferring the money to accounts he controlled or by spending the funds on personal items. When investors asked for returns on their investment, Chahal frequently used money from newer investors to pay disbursements to older investors, without disclosing this fact to his investors.
Chahal pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of securities and commodities fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 25 years in prison on the securities and commodities fraud count when sentenced on Feb. 8, 2019. 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 Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Burke and Jamar K. Walker are prosecuting the case.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission provided significant assistance with this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-152.
Businessman Pleads Guilty to Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A local businessman pleaded guilty today to charges of orchestrating a multi-year investment fraud scheme causing at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to dozens of victims.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Amrit Jaswant Singh Chahal, 30, of Fairfax, operated an investment fraud scheme through The Kane Capital Investment Group, LLC (Kane Capital), a company he established and operated. Chahal executed this fraud through falsely representing that Kane Capital had earned returns of roughly 28 to 34 percent annually, when in fact, Chahal had suffered substantial losses in managing investors’ funds. Chahal also created falsified brokerage statements to conceal the losses he had sustained and siphoned off some of his investors’ funds by transferring the money to accounts he controlled or by spending the funds on personal items. When investors asked for returns on their investment, Chahal frequently used money from newer investors to pay disbursements to older investors, without disclosing this fact to his investors.
Chahal pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of securities and commodities fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 25 years in prison on the securities and commodities fraud count when sentenced on Feb. 8, 2019. 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 Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Burke and Jamar K. Walker are prosecuting the case.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission provided significant assistance with this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-152.
U.S. Attorney Announcement on 2018 Midterm Elections - RichmondRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Maguire will lead the efforts here in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.
Maguire has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Richmond Division of the Eastern District of Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said Terwilliger. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Terwilliger stated that Maguire will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (804) 819-5400.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” said Terwilliger. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (804) 261-1044.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
U.S. Attorney Announcement on 2018 Midterm Elections - Norfolk and Newport NewsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy C. Stoker will lead the efforts here in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.
Stoker has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Norfolk and Newport News Divisions of the Eastern District of Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said Terwilliger. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Terwilliger stated that Stoker will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (757) 441-6331.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” said Terwilliger. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (757) 455-0100.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
U.S. Attorney Announcement on 2018 Midterm Elections - AlexandriaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Gillis will lead the efforts here in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.
Gillis has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Alexandria Division of the Eastern District of Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” said Terwilliger. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Terwilliger stated that Gillis will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (703) 299-3700.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” said Terwilliger. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (202) 278-2000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Firearms Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a firearms trafficking scheme.
According to court documents, Jason Fields, 28, illegally purchased a total of 13 firearms in 10 separate transactions on three different days in the summer of 2016 from federally licensed firearms dealers. For each transaction, Fields represented on forms required for the transactions that he was the true purchaser of the firearms, when he was actually purchasing the firearms for other individuals. Fields later told authorities that the individuals told him they were from Washington, D.C., which would have made their transactions in Virginia illegal.
At sentencing, the Court applied a sentencing enhancement, finding that Fields knew or should have known that the individuals for whom he obtained the firearms intended to dispose of the firearms unlawfully. Indeed, three of the firearms were subsequently recovered by police officers in Richmond, Prince George County, Maryland; and Washington, D.C. The other 10 firearms have not been recovered.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, 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 Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. 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 is 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-43.
Woman Convicted of Defrauding USDA’s Summer Food Service ProgramRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Hampton woman today for her role in a fraud conspiracy related to a federally funded summer food service program.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Shaun Brown, 59, defrauded the USDA’s summer food service program (SFSP) aimed at feeding low income children. Brown and her mother ran a non-profit company, JOBS Community Development Corporation, which served as a sponsor for the SFSP. Over the course of the 2012 Summer, Brown inflated the number of meals JOBS purportedly served to low-income children and submitted four fraudulent claims for reimbursement based on the inflated numbers. Brown also orchestrated a massive scheme to falsify hundreds of documents to support her fraudulently inflated meal count numbers. Additionally, Brown ordered excessive amounts of food and milk products which she was well aware would never be used to feed needy children. At her direction, Brown’s employees disposed of this food and milk, purchased with federal funds, in large mounds behind buildings in Newport News as well as a pig farm in Southern Virginia. As a result of her fraudulent actions, the USDA paid JOBS over $800,000 in federal funds.
Brown was convicted of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government funds and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on March 13, 2019. 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, Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General of Virginia, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Yusi and Melissa E. O’Boyle 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-169.
Leader of International Drug Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today to over 23 years in prison for his leadership role in operating a large-scale Guatemalan drug trafficking organization (DTO) that moved 3,739 kilograms of cocaine throughout Central America, as part of a coordinated international law enforcement investigation codenamed Operation Go Explorers.
According to court documents, Max Alberto Estrada-Linares, 36, who was extradited to the United States in December 2017, served as the head of the DTO. In this leadership role, Estrada organized cocaine transportation networks, directed others to buy and sell cocaine on behalf of the DTO, initiated the construction of a semi-self-propelled semi-submersible vessel to transport cocaine, directed the movement of cocaine loads, and served as the overall leader of the DTO.
Operating throughout Central America, Estrada’s DTO knowingly orchestrated the movement of over 3,000 kilograms of cocaine from Costa Rica to the Guatemalan-Mexican border. In May 2016, Estrada directed the use of violence against co-conspirators in an effort to locate approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine suspected to be stolen from the DTO off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In September 2016, Guatemalan law enforcement authorities seized the self-propelled semi-submersible vessel under construction by Quinonez and the DTO in Guatemala.
Operation Go Explorers was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting 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, Peter S. Duffey, and Heather H. Mansfield 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 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-67.
New York Men Arrested During $1 Million Cocaine DealRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three New York area men made their initial appearances in federal court this afternoon after they were arrested yesterday in Fairfax County for conspiring to purchase 100 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement seized over $1 million in cash at the time of the arrest.
According to court documents, Luis Rafael Tavarez, aka “El Primo,” 36, Manny Lizardo, 24, and Luis M. Liriano-Toribio, 31, all of whom reside in the New York area, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The men allegedly traveled from New York to Fairfax County to obtain 100 kilograms of cocaine (50 kilograms up front, and another 50 kilograms on consignment) in exchange for over $1 million in cash. Lizardo and Liriano-Toribio traveled to assist Tavarez in trafficking and/or transporting the large shipment of cocaine back to New York. Tavarez served as the main point of contact for the operation, and was arrested at a hotel in Vienna in possession of the cash. Lizardo, who inspected and attempted to test the cocaine, and Liriano-Toribio, who voluntarily joined the conspiracy and participated in the trip in exchange for thousands of dollars, were arrested in a parking garage in Fairfax attempting to take possession of the cocaine.
Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh is prosecuting the case.
Significant assistance with this investigation was provided by the Vienna Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Charles County Sheriff’s Office and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-mj-510.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Leader of International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for his leadership role in transporting over 3,300 kilograms of cocaine for a large-scale Guatemalan drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Central America, as part of a coordinated international law enforcement investigation codenamed Operation Go Explorers.
According to court documents, Edgar A. Quinonez-Salazar, 40, was extradited to the United States in September 2017, served as a high-level leader within the DTO. In this leadership role, Quinonez organized cocaine transportation networks, negotiated cocaine purchases and sales of cocaine on behalf of the DTO, oversaw the construction of a semi-submersible vessel to transport cocaine, directed the movement of cocaine loads, and served as trusted advisor to the leader of the DTO. Operating throughout Central America, Quinonez knowingly orchestrated the movement of 3,339 kilograms of cocaine from Costa Rica to the Guatemalan-Mexican border on behalf of the DTO. In May 2016, Quinonez directed the use of violence against co-conspirators in an effort to locate approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine suspected to be stolen from the DTO off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In September 2016, Guatemalan law enforcement authorities seized the semi-submersible vessel under construction by Quinonez and the DTO in Guatemala.
Operation Go Explorers was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting 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, Peter S. Duffey, and Heather H. Mansfield 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 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-67.
Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Four Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to robbing three banks and one credit union.
According to court documents, from October 2017 through April 2018, Rian Michael Lopez, 30, robbed a Wells Fargo bank of $7,700, a Bank of America of $17,191, a BB&T bank of $4,076, and a Bayport Federal Credit Union of $6,800. At the last robbery the bank tellers secreted bait money into the money they gave to Lopez. Sometime later an alert Virginia Beach police officer caught Lopez casing another Wells Fargo bank for a potential robbery, and a search of his car and his home revealed clothing he had worn to the previous robberies and a large of amount of money that included the bait money from the Bayport Federal Credit Union robbery.
Lopez pleaded guilty to bank robbery and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 25, 2019. 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), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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 U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-135.
Former High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to “Celebgate” HackingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to unauthorized access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Christopher Brannan, 31, a former teacher at Lee-Davis High School, intentionally accessed without authorization internet and email accounts, including Apple iCloud, Yahoo!, and Facebook accounts, and thereby obtained complete iCloud backups, photographs, and other private information belonging to more than 200 victims, including both celebrities and noncelebrities. He hacked email accounts by answering security questions that he could easily research by reviewing victims’ Facebook accounts. Brannan also gained access to victims’ accounts by using phishing email accounts to send fraudulent email addresses designed to look like legitimate security accounts from Apple, misrepresenting to the victims that the emails had come from Apple in order to obtain username and password information for the victims’ internet accounts. Because of the victims’ belief that the email had come from Apple, the victims would provide their usernames and passwords. Brannan would then use the fraudulently obtained usernames and passwords to access the victims’ email accounts, search the content of the victims’ email accounts, and obtain personal information, such as sensitive and private photographs and videos, including nude photographs. Brannan would use software such as Elcomsoft to download full iCloud accounts, which he then perused for personal information. Authorities identified Brannan as a suspect during a Los Angeles-based FBI investigation into hacked iCloud accounts commonly known as “Celebgate.”
Brannan pleaded guilty to unauthorized access to a protected computer and aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory minimum term of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charge, which shall run consecutively to any sentence imposed for the offense of unauthorized access to a protected computer. The total maximum possible penalty is seven years in prison. The parties have made a recommendation, which is not binding on the court, that Brannan be imprisoned for 34 months when he is sentenced on Jan. 25, 2019. 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 matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI in Los Angeles into the leaks of photographs of numerous female celebrities in September 2014. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, which is leading the prosecution, filed charges against Brannan in April, and the parties later agreed to transfer the case to the Eastern District of Virginia for further prosecution.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian R. Hood of the Eastern District of Virginia and Ryan White of the Central District of California 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 is 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-118.
Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Belizian national was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including nearly two pounds of Fentanyl.
According to court documents, Fiorman Erick Gillett, 48, who was living illegally in the United States, conspired with others to ship about three pounds of 100 percent pure methamphetamine and almost 2 pounds of pure Fentanyl to Virginia from Texas. The amount of Fentanyl Gillet shipped to Virginia was enough for a lethal dose for hundreds of thousands of people.
As part of his plea agreement, Gillett will be deported pending the completion of his prison sentence.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting 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 Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock 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 is 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-90.
Russian National Charged with Interfering in U.S. Political SystemRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A criminal complaint was unsealed here today charging a Russian national for her alleged role in a Russian conspiracy to interfere in the U.S. political system, including the 2018 midterm election.
“The strategic goal of this alleged conspiracy, which continues to this day, is to sow discord in the U.S. political system and to undermine faith in our democratic institutions,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case demonstrates that federal law enforcement authorities will work aggressively to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of unlawful foreign influence activities whenever feasible, and that we will not stand by idly while foreign actors obstruct the lawful functions of our government. I want to thank the agents and prosecutors for their determined work on this case.”
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, of St. Petersburg, Russia, served as the chief accountant of “Project Lakhta,” a Russian umbrella effort funded by Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin and two companies he controls, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, and Concord Catering. Project Lakhta includes multiple components, some involving domestic audiences within the Russian Federation and others targeting foreign audiences in the United States, members of the European Union, and Ukraine, among others.
“Today’s charges allege that Russian national, Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, conspired with others who were part of a Russian influence campaign to interfere with U.S. democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Our nation is built upon a hard-fought and unwavering commitment to democracy. Americans disagree in good faith on all manner of issues, and we will protect their right to do so. Unlawful foreign interference with these debates debases their democratic integrity, and we will make every effort to disrupt it and hold those involved accountable.”
Khusyaynova allegedly managed the financing of Project Lakhta operations, including foreign influence activities directed at the United States. The financial documents she controlled include detailed expenses for activities in the United States, such as expenditures for activists, advertisements on social media platforms, registration of domain names, the purchase of proxy servers, and “promoting news postings on social networks.” Between January 2016 and June 2018, Project Lakhta’s proposed operating budget totaled more than $35 million, although only a portion of these funds were directed at the United States. Between January and June 2018 alone, Project Lakhta’s proposed operating budget totaled more than $10 million.
“This case serves as a stark reminder to all Americans: Our foreign adversaries continue their efforts to interfere in our democracy by creating social and political division, spreading distrust in our political system, and advocating for the support or defeat of particular political candidates,” said Director Wray. “We take all threats to our democracy very seriously, and we’re committed to working with our partners to identify and stop these unlawful influence operations. Together, we must remain diligent and determined to protect our democratic institutions and maintain trust in our electoral process.”
The alleged conspiracy, in which Khusyaynova is alleged to have played a central financial management role, sought to conduct what it called internally “information warfare against the United States.” This effort was not only designed to spread distrust towards candidates for U.S. political office and the U.S. political system in general, but also to defraud the United States by impeding the lawful functions of government agencies in administering relevant federal requirements.
The conspirators allegedly took extraordinary steps to make it appear that they were ordinary American political activists. This included the use of virtual private networks and other means to disguise their activities and to obfuscate their Russian origin. They used social media platforms to create thousands of social media and email accounts that appeared to be operated by U.S. persons, and used them to create and amplify divisive social and political content targeting U.S. audiences. These accounts also were used to advocate for the election or electoral defeat of particular candidates in the 2016 and 2018 U.S. elections. Some social media accounts posted tens of thousands of messages, and had tens of thousands of followers.
The conspiracy allegedly used social media and other internet platforms to address a wide variety of topics, including immigration, gun control and the Second Amendment, the Confederate flag, race relations, LGBT issues, the Women’s March, and the NFL national anthem debate. Members of the conspiracy took advantage of specific events in the United States to anchor their themes, including the shootings of church members in Charleston, South Carolina, and concert attendees in Las Vegas; the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally and associated violence; police shootings of African-American men; as well as the personnel and policy decisions of the current U.S. presidential administration.
The conspirators’ alleged activities did not exclusively adopt one ideological view; they wrote on topics from varied and sometimes opposing perspectives. Members of the conspiracy were directed, among other things, to create “political intensity through supporting radical groups” and to “aggravate the conflict between minorities and the rest of the population.” The actors also developed playbooks and strategic messaging documents that offered guidance on how to target particular social groups, including the timing of messages, the types of news outlets to use, and how to frame divisive messages.
The criminal complaint does not include any allegation that Khusyaynova or the broader conspiracy had any effect on the outcome of an election. The complaint also does not allege that any American knowingly participated in the Project Lakhta operation.
The investigative team received exceptional cooperation from private sector companies, such as Facebook and Twitter.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Christopher Wray, Director of the FBI, made the announcement after the charges were unsealed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Iftimie are prosecuting the case, with assistance of Trial Attorneys Matthew Y. Chang and Patrick T. Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-mj-464.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Owner of Financial Services Business Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Annandale man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for conspiracy, aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, mail and wire fraud.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jose Manlapaz, 55, owned and operated a tax preparation business named JBM Financial Services or JBM Financial Group in Falls Church. Between 2007 and 2017, Manlapaz prepared thousands of false tax returns for his clients by adding false or inflated items, including education credits, childcare expenses, and fake business expenses. Manlapaz knew that the items he added to client returns would cause many clients to be audited, and set up a document mill in the Philippines called TMendoza Accounting Services to fabricate fake receipts and tax forms that he could submit on behalf of his clients to the IRS. Manlapaz made money by charging higher fees for getting clients higher refunds and for preparing fraudulent responses to IRS audit notices. After the IRS-CI searched JBM in 2013, and up until a second search of JBM in 2017, Manlapaz and JBM kept preparing false tax returns, but removed his preparer information so it looked like his clients were submitting the returns themselves. A search of his residence and two safe deposit boxes in 2017 resulted in the seizure of over $1.3 million in cash and valuables, including Rolex watches. The investigation also revealed that Manlapaz had also wired approximately $1.5 million to the Philippines during the conspiracy.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kelly R. Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine L. Wong and Kimberly R. Pedersen 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 is 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-115.
Leader of Local Bloods Gang Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Triangle man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine, heroin, and using and carrying a firearm while drug trafficking.
According to court documents, Tarvell Vandiver, 29, has been a member of the Imperial Gangsta Blood (IGB) gang for years. IGB is a “hood” of the national gang, United Blood Nation. During the course of the conspiracy, Vandiver served as the IGB superior in this region. In his role as the regional leader of IGB, Vandiver coordinated with leadership in multiple states, oversaw the IGB in the region, called for regional and local meetings, and acted as the disciplinary officer. He also provided guidance to other gang members on how to distribute controlled substances and arranged for gang members to illegally purchase firearms.
During his time as the regional leader for IGB, Vandiver regularly distributed cocaine base and cocaine to gang members, other drug distributors, and users while armed or while having access to firearms. These firearms were used and carried in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Vandiver was recently convicted in D.C. Superior Court for his role in conspiring to commit murder in Washington, DC.
Vandiver was arrested in December 2017, when over 300 law enforcement agents and officers executed a coordinated takedown as part of Operation Tin Panda. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office Safe Streets Task Force began Operation Tin Panda in the spring of 2017. In collaboration with federal and local law enforcement, investigators and prosecutors began jointly investigating Blood gangs and other drug distributors involved in violent crime and other criminal activity in northern Virginia. Multiple criminal acts were tied to gang and drug activity, including homicide, malicious wounding, robbery, shootings, and drug and firearms distribution. During the course of this investigation, more than 40 individuals throughout Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California, who were illegally selling firearms and controlled substances or were involved in other criminal acts, were arrested on federal firearms and drug charges.
Operation Tin Panda also resulted in the seizure of over 95 firearms, $150,000 in cash, nine vehicles with an estimated value of over $300,000, and approximately 3 pounds of cocaine base, 10 pounds of cocaine, 7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, 4 pounds of ecstasy, 227 pounds of marijuana, and 79 pounds of THC.
Operation Tin Panda was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office Safe Streets Task Force. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Prince William County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Stafford County Sherriff’s Office, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, King George County Sheriff’s Office, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during the operation.
Operation Tin Panda was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carina A. Cuellar and Colleen E. García 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 is 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-16.
Former State Department Employee Sentenced for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for production of child pornography.
According to court documents, over at least a two year period, Skydance MacMahon, 45, conspired with an adult in Canada to produce over a thousand sexually explicit images and videos of minor children in Canada. These images and videos were produced at the direction of MacMahon using Skype and hidden cameras as well as overt recording. MacMahon distributed these image and video files to other users and consumers of child pornography by providing access to the files on his cloud storage services and also by directly sending the files to other users. In addition to the child pornography images and videos MacMahon himself created, he also received and possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
During the time he committed these offenses, MacMahon was a Digital Media Administrator at the Foreign Services Institute of the U.S. Department of State in Arlington.
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 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, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell prosecuted the case.
Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General’s Cyber Forensic Division, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Halifax Regional Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Special Prosecution Section, the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, the Arlington County Police Department, and the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-261.
Former State Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Student Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to fraudulently discharging over $200,000 in student loan debt.
According to court documents, Corey Cadet Dukes, 39, of Jonesboro, and formerly of Alexandria, was an employee of the U.S. Department of State from 2013-2017. Simultaneously, Dukes was also a full-time supervisor for a security company providing protection to a federal building in Washington, D.C. Nevertheless, Dukes applied through the Department of Education for a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge of over $200,000 in student loan debt, affirming that he was unable to work and was disabled.
The Department of Education conditionally discharged Dukes’ student loans subject to successful completion of a three-year income monitoring period, which required that TPD applicants not earn over the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a family of two, which was no higher than $16,020. Earned income over that amount triggered a repayment obligation and the loans would be reinstated. After failing to respond to multiple requests for proof of income, in October 2016, Dukes submitted a signed self-certification stating: “I, Corey Dukes, did not have any earned income from May 1, 2013 – October 13, 2016.” In reality, during this same period Dukes had earned over $331,000 from his two full-time jobs, had purchased a Bentley, a Porsche, and other luxury vehicles. The Department of Education permanently discharged $205,687.74 of Dukes’ student loan debt.
Dukes pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 4, 2019. 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 Steve A. Linick, Inspector General of the State Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and 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 is 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-298.
Ashburn Woman Pleads Guilty to $5 Million FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – After two days of jury trial, an Ashburn woman pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to impersonate a federal agent to demand money, and obtaining confidential phone records.
According to court documents and the evidence at trial, Keisha L. Williams, 43, solicited over $5.4 million from more than 50 victims by telling them that she had paid a lot of money for a certain healthcare-related software overseas in Austria; that the software was being held in “escrow” because she still owed taxes, attorney’s fees, and other debt associated with the purchase; and that if they would just give her a short-term loan to get this software out of escrow and bring it to the United States, the software would be a huge success and everyone would be quickly repaid, with interest.
In truth, Williams spent over 95 percent of the victims’ money on creating a lifestyle of luxury for herself, including millions on international travel, retail purchases at stores like Chanel and Gucci, and close to half a million on maintaining her girlfriend. Williams also recruited others to pose as federal law enforcement agents in order to demand money from several individuals to whom she sent proceeds of the software fraud. Williams recruited still other individuals to purchase private telephone records of one of the extortion victims from T-Mobile retail stores.
Four other individuals entered guilty pleas in connection with this case before trial. See table below for details.
Name, Age
Hometown
Charge(s)
Sentencing
Christian D’Andrade, 69
California
Wire Fraud
December 14
Carla McPhun, 50
Maryland
Wire Fraud
December 10
Arthur Robinson, 53
Manassas
Conspiracy to Impersonate a Federal Agent
December 10
Ruben Gresham, 53
Maryland
Conspiracy to Impersonate a Federal Agent
December 10
Williams faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 18, 2019. 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 Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grace L. Hill and Jack Hanly 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 is 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-160.
Operation Goodfellas Results in Arrests of Multiple Hampton Roads Men for $19 Million Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Nearly 150 law enforcement officers from the FBI, DEA, Norfolk Police, and the U.S. Marshals participated in Operation Goodfellas this morning in Norfolk, executing arrest warrants on five Hampton Roads men for their alleged participation in a $19 million drug trafficking conspiracy. One man remains a fugitive.
“These defendants allegedly distributed approximately $19 million of illegal narcotics in Hampton Roads,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The resources and collaborative efforts used to investigate this alleged drug trafficking organization is a prime example of the positive impact of federal, state, and local cooperation. My sincere thanks to our law enforcement partners for their outstanding efforts on this case.”
According to allegations in the indictment, from approximately 2009 to present, several significant drug traffickers from the Ingleside section of Norfolk have been involved in distributing large quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana. In September 2016, law enforcement began making controlled buys of cocaine from Reginald Sam Beale, 38, of Norfolk, and continued making controlled purchases of cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine from Beale’s co-conspirators, including Maurice Antonio Barnes, 36, of Norfolk, Brandon Jaami Williams, 37, of Virginia Beach, Breon Lashawn Dixon, 39, of Chesapeake, and Johnell Deshawn Stepney, 34, of Norfolk. Through June 2018, law enforcement made a total of 29 controlled purchases from the defendants. Evidence obtained in the Summer of 2018 established that Barnes’ local source of supply was obtaining large amounts of cocaine and heroin from a Los Angeles based source of supply. The cocaine was being trucked to Virginia and off-loaded at a public storage facility in Virginia Beach in 10 and 20-kilo loads. In June 2018, Williams was arrested with 13 kilograms of cocaine (with a street value over $500,000) when he tried to transfer the cocaine from an apartment in the luxury ICON apartments in downtown Norfolk to another luxury apartment on Granby Street.
“This investigation represents the FBI's long-standing commitment to working with our law enforcement partners at every level to strangle the source and supply of dangerous drugs in our communities,” said Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. “No one agency can do it alone and it is now more important than ever that we work together as one team in this fight. However, to make the greatest impact we also need allies in the community. Brazen criminals who poison and terrorize our neighborhoods often hide in plain sight, and citizens who come forward with information about criminal activity help law enforcement make Hampton Roads a safer place to live, work, and raise our families.”
Additional evidence led to the arrest of two members of the California and Mexico-based drug trafficking organization, Jose Moices Luna-Abrego, 20, of Los Angeles, and Ulises Abel Garcia-Razo, 39, of Mexico, after they flew to Virginia to attempt to retrieve some of the cocaine previously shipped, and collect over $500,000 in proceeds. Luna-Abrego, who is a United States citizen, and Garcia-Razo, a Mexican citizen, were arrested in July 2018 in a successful hotel sting operation conducted by FBI, DEA and Norfolk Police.
“For years, members of this organization have allegedly distributed significant quantities of narcotics throughout Hampton Roads,” said Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division. “These indictments and arrests represent the dismantling of an allegedly prominent drug trafficking organization responsible for the smuggling, transportation and distribution of substantial quantities of narcotics from Los Angeles to Norfolk. This successful investigation demonstrates the commitment of the DEA, FBI and Norfolk Police Department working together to protect the citizens of this community.”
A conservative estimate of the amount of narcotics this drug trafficking organization is responsible for distributing is 11 1/2 kilos of crack, 436 kilos of cocaine, 54 kilos of heroin, 1 ounce of fentanyl and over 20 pounds of marijuana, with a street value over $19 million.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Goodfellas. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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. 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 Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherrie S. Capotosto is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Marshals provided significant assistance with the execution of arrest warrants this morning.
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. 2:18-cr-156.
Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty to $6.1 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesterfield man who owned and operated an investment firm in Virginia Beach pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.
According to court documents, Edward Lee Moody, Jr., 47, was a registered investment adviser and the sole owner and operator of CM Capital Management LLC, an investment firm with its principal office located in Virginia Beach. Moody solicited investors on the basis of his representation that he would profitably invest their assets in securities on their behalf and manage those investments on an ongoing basis. In reality, he ran a Ponzi scheme over a 13-year period, during which he solicited and collected approximately $6.1 million from 53 investors, at least 13 of whom were elderly persons who liquidated assets from their existing, legitimate retirement accounts in order to provide funds to him that they expected he would invest on their behalf. In most instances, Moody did not manage the accounts of the investors or buy or sell securities on their behalf, and did not even open individual brokerage accounts for them. Instead, Moody diverted investor monies for his own personal benefit and to enrich himself, using at least $1.4 million for business expenses, to purchase a home, make car loan payments, shop, travel to Las Vegas and other destinations. He also used approximately $885,000 of investor monies to buy and sell securities on his own behalf. Moody perpetuated the scheme by using approximately $1.5 million that he received from new investors to make periodic lulling payments to earlier investors, and he provided investors with fraudulent monthly account statements that falsely indicated that the investors’ funds had been invested in securities and had earned returns.
Moody faces 20 years in prison on the mail fraud charge and 10 years for engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property when sentenced on Feb. 5, 2019. 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, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury 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 is 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-154.
Hampton Man Indicted for Armed Bank Robbery and Multiple Bomb HoaxesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Hampton man with making multiple bomb threats in Hampton and Newport News in an effort to divert authorities away from his armed robbery of the Virginia Educators Credit Union (VECU).
According to allegations in the indictment, Oscar Von Alston II, 31, made a series of bomb threats to public facilities in both Hampton and Newport News including two courthouses, two hotels, and a YMCA. During the evacuations of the threatened locations where both local police and firemen were dispatched, Alston robbed the VECU at gunpoint. Alston was apprehended less than 20 minutes after the robbery with over $22,000 from the VECU.
Alston is charged with five counts of making a threat with explosives, five counts of false information and hoax, bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after 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, Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf 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 is 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-79.
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.
Ringleader of Fraud Conspiracy Sentenced to 14 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for masterminding a fraudulent scheme that exploited the identities of at least 124 victims and caused over $870,000 in losses in less than two years.
According to court documents, Michael Oginni, 46, of Rockville, perpetrated fraud for over 20 years, using violence to exert control over his underlings. His schemes evolved from simple credit card fraud to a sophisticated operation designed to outsmart security features that the United States banking system had adopted, such as microchip-embedded credit cards. He was convicted of fraud-related offenses in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and advanced his criminal schemes in the United States after relocating to this country in 2007.
From 2015 to 2017, Oginni ran a conspiracy that exploited the identities of victims throughout the United States. Oginni ordered custom-made counterfeit drivers’ licenses bearing the photographs of his co-conspirators and the real information of his victims, including their real dates of birth and addresses. Then, he directed his co-conspirators to enter into fraudulent apartment leases in the Washington, D.C. area using those victims’ identities. The members of the conspiracy used the “new addresses” of their victims to receive important mail: debit and credit cards that he and his co-conspirators had applied for in the names of their victims. From there, Oginni and his co-conspirators wreaked havoc on the credit of their victims, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges for luxury goods and gift cards, and making high-interest transfers from credit accounts to debit accounts. Oginni used the fraudulent income to finance a lavish lifestyle, frequently entertaining escorts and making purchases of luxury goods.
Oginni’s co-conspirators, Lacola Nickens (1:17-cr-208), Andraliesha Jefferson (1:17-cr-92), and Robert McCrickard (1:17-cr-51), were each convicted and sentenced earlier this year.
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 U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Fong, Alexander P. Berrang, and Maya D. Song prosecuted the case.
Some of the charges were initially brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-172 and Case No. 1:18-cr-231.
Violent Felon Sentenced for Possessing Stolen, High Capacity FirearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chester man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for possessing a stolen, high-capacity firearm after a violent felony conviction.
“Violent felons who illegally possess firearms are a threat to the safety of our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who have forfeited their Second Amendment rights due to felony conviction, and together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners we are zeroing in on felons who are unlawfully possessing firearms. My thanks to the ATF for their excellent work on this case.”
According to court documents, Derrick Anthony Savage, 29, was stopped on April 2 while driving through Fort Lee with a defective headlight. When officers made contact with Savage, they smelled the strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the car, in which Savage was transporting four young children and their father. When officers directed Savage and the front-seat passenger to get out of the car, Savage refused and tried to stop his passenger from getting out as instructed. After officers physically removed Savage from the vehicle, he continued to resist efforts to detain him, requiring one officer to draw his Taser. A search of the car recovered a plastic bag containing 43.5 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine. The handgun was found under the driver’s seat, unsecured and in close proximity to the children. After the gun was recovered, Savage repeatedly stated that he had stolen it to protect himself from unspecified threats. Savage had previously been convicted of robbery, a violent felony, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“Armed criminals threaten the safety of our communities, and combatting violent gun crime is ATF’s top priority,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to catch those who illegally possess firearms and put them behind bars where they belong.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. 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 is 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-54.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to over 17 years in prison for distribution of crack cocaine, possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, and violations of supervised release.
“Firearms in the hands of drug distributors, especially those who have been previously convicted of a felony, are a deadly combination,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those who have forfeited their Second Amendment rights because of felony conviction, as well as those who represent the greatest danger to the community by pedaling poison and doing so while armed. It is not only reasonably foreseeable, but highly likely that guns in the hands of drug dealers result in deadly violence. I want to thank our investigative partners at ATF for their terrific work on this important case.”
According to court documents, in January 2017, Kevin A. Brown, 31, was the passenger in a vehicle stopped by Richmond Police officers. During a consensual search, the officers recovered a distributable quantity of crack cocaine from Brown. He subsequently admitted to the officers that he was selling the crack, and that on two occasions in October 2017, Brown sold quantities of crack cocaine in Richmond to a confidential informant working with the Richmond Police Department. Officers stopped Brown as he was leaving the second drug deal, and recovered the buy money for the crack deal, an additional quantity of crack, a quantity of heroin, and a .45 caliber revolver. Brown had previously been convicted of a felony, and was not legally permitted to possess the firearm.
“This is another good example of law enforcement working together to keep our communities safe,” said Thomas Chittum, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Division. “Drug dealers who carry firearms are making a poor choice. This should serve as a warning to others who might do the same. We will work with our partners throughout Virginia to catch you and put you behind bars where you belong.”
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Holli R. Wood 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 is 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-50.
Guatemalan Cocaine Transporter Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today to over 17 years in prison for his role in transporting 1,107 kilograms of cocaine for a large-scale Guatemalan drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Central America, as part of a coordinated international law enforcement investigation codenamed Operation Go Explorers.
According to court documents, Paulo Cesar Montenegro-Arevalo, 41, conspired to distribute over 1,000 kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States from 2015 to 2016. Montenegro, who was extradited to the United States on March 14, 2018, served as the DTO’s logistical coordinator for Guatemalan trafficking operations. In this role, Montenegro supervised a transportation team, tested the purity of the cocaine purchased by the DTO, organized transportation efforts, and directed the movement of cocaine loads. Operating primarily within Guatemala, Montenegro and his team knowingly orchestrated the movement of 1,107 kilograms of cocaine to the Guatemalan-Mexican border on behalf of the DTO. In May 2016, Montenegro, along with other co-conspirators, participated in a search and rescue recovery effort of approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine lost at sea by the DTO off the Pacific coast of Guatemala.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik S. Siebert, Peter S. Duffey, and Heather H. Mansfield prosecuted the case.
Operation Go Explorers was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information 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-67.
Fairfax Man Arrested for $16 Million Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man surrendered to the FBI on an outstanding arrest warrant today in connection with being charged with having committed securities fraud.
According to court documents, Todd Elliott Hitt, 53, is alleged to have committed securities fraud in connection with his ownership and operation of Kiddar Capital, a self-described asset management firm based in Falls Church. According to the allegations, Hitt falsely claimed that Kiddar Capital managed $1.4 billion in assets and had offices located in Houston, Palm Springs, and London. The complaint further alleges that Hitt raised more than $16 million from investors by misrepresenting that Hitt would invest $6 million as a general partner as part of a planned $33 million purchase of a Herndon building adjacent to a future stop on the Silver Line of the Washington, D.C., Metro. According to the complaint, Hitt further failed to disclose to investors his extravagant spending, which included the leasing of private jets and the purchase of sports tickets and jewelry, among other things.
Hitt, who will make his initial appearance today at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, is charged with securities fraud, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the charges were unsealed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark D. Lytle is prosecuting the case.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with significant assistance provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-480.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Crime Reduction and Community Safety: Project Safe Neighborhoods 2.0Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program (PSN), which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy.
“As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, I am proud to reaffirm our commitment to PSN and highlight key efforts that are already paying dividends,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
- In Northern Virginia, we are partnering with law enforcement agencies to address violent gangs like MS-13 and the Bloods, and have furthered our efforts to reduce gun violence by prosecuting straw purchasers and illegal gun traffickers.
- In Norfolk, crime is down to the lowest level in 32 years, and the Norfolk Police Department seized more crime guns than in any previous year, and nearly as many as the total of the previous 10 years combined.
- In Richmond, where federal, state, and local law enforcement have partnered to focus on specific, violence plagued areas, violent crime in 2018 is down 26 percent, homicides are down 64 percent, aggravated assaults using firearms are down 53 percent, and robberies using firearms are down 31 percent.
“Throughout the past year, we have partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods throughout the Eastern District safer for everyone,” said Terwilliger. “Through these partnerships we have identified the violent crime issues unique to Northern Virginia, greater Richmond, and Tidewater, and strategically designed and implemented strategies to address and dismantle violent street gangs, such as MS-13 and the Bloods. We are also investigating and prosecuting individuals illegally acquiring and providing firearms to criminals, and working with state and local agencies to bring federal resources against criminals who are driving a disproportionate amount of crime in their respective communities.”
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
Enforcement Actions
In the Alexandria Division, the violence is driven largely by organized multi-jurisdictional gangs, most particularly the Bloods (United Bloods Nation), the Crips (Original Crips Homies), and MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) as well as more regional gangs and neighborhood crews. Investigations have revealed that these criminal organizations have also impacted the neighboring Western District of Virginia. To address this issue, we are partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force, and the Virginia State Police Drug and Gang Task Force to address violent gangs. Additionally, the Alexandria Division has targeted efforts to reduce gun violence by prioritizing the prosecution of straw purchasers and illegal gun traffickers. For example, the Alexandria Division recently prosecuted a group of defendants who straw purchased approximately 30 firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in northern Virginia.
In Newport News, along with our law enforcement partners, we have dismantled the violent 36th Street Bang Squad and are continuing to investigate and prosecute other violent gangs. We have also initiated Operation Undertow with ATF, a strategy that focuses on a section of Newport News that has been especially plagued by drug-trafficking and firearms violence. Additionally, we are working in partnership with the Newport News Police Department and the Newport News Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to identify appropriate gun and drug cases for federal prosecution. Over the last year, the Newport News Division has charged approximately 30 Project Safe Neighborhood cases.
In Norfolk, we are using a strategy to identify and prosecute dangerous individuals in the community using federal racketeering laws. Beginning in 2017, the office, in partnership with ATF and local authorities, used this strategy to launch Operation Riptide, an aggressive program to prosecute dozens of armed felons. Additionally, we have supported the Norfolk Police Department in focusing on community policing of the most violent neighborhoods, and have joined its partners in outreach to local schools, and in developing partnerships with faith-based groups and other non-profit organizations, focusing specifically on community re-entry. In the last year, the Norfolk Division has charged 48 Project Safe Neighborhoods cases. This aggressive program in the Norfolk Division has led to historic reductions in crime. In 2017, the Norfolk Police Department seized more crime guns than in any previous year; indeed, it was nearly more than the total of the previous 10 years combined. In addition, crime in the area dropped by double-digits, to the lowest rate in the previous 32 years.
In Richmond, we are working with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify the most dangerous segments of the community and have aggressively prosecuted several homicides and shootings in those areas. In doing so, we have removed numerous dangerous individuals from the streets of those communities. We also meet regularly with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to identify violent trends in greater Richmond and develop strategies to address them, including identifying cases against dangerous individuals appropriate for federal prosecution. In Richmond we have prosecuted over 35 Project Safe Neighborhood cases in the last year.
Improvements to Community Safety
The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
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.
Nine-Time Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Earlon Delton Mitchell, 28, was arrested by Norfolk Police for trespassing and having outstanding arrest warrants. Mitchell, who is a self-admitted general of the Nine Trey Blood Set, resisted and attempted to flee. After a two-minute struggle, the officers detained Mitchell and found a loaded semi-automatic handgun tucked into his pant leg. Mitchell was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2007 conviction for which he sentenced to 11 years in prison on nine gang-related felony charges, including malicious wounding by mob, using and discharging a firearm while committing a felony, gang participation, and robbery.
Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on January 10. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson 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 is 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-118.
Multi-Kilogram Drug Trafficker from Mexico Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving the distribution of kilogram-level amounts of controlled substances on behalf of co-conspirators located overseas and throughout the United States.
According to court documents, Gilberto Paz Madrid, 33, traveled to northern Virginia in June 2018 with another citizen of Mexico to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, on behalf of co-conspirators located in Mexico, the Washington, D.C. area, and elsewhere. Following a successful operation, law enforcement agents from Homeland Security Investigations interdicted and seized nearly nine kilograms of heroin.
In June, the Virginia State Police attempted a traffic stop of a sport utility vehicle that Madrid was driving along the Capital Beltway after he and a co-conspirator paid thousands of dollars for what they believed were numerous bricks of illicit narcotics. Madrid accelerated away from a law enforcement vehicle that activated its blue emergency lights. Madrid’s vehicle then collided into several cars and continued to flee from law enforcement until officers successfully contained the threat and arrested both individuals.
Madrid pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and attempted possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Jan. 4, 2019. 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.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Virginia State Police as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., Scott W. Hoernke, Acting 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 U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh 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 is 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-317.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Multiple Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Georgia man was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison for armed robbery of two banks and one credit union.
According to court documents, Marquis Larosa Buckley, 41, of Townsend, conducted an armed robbery of a Fulton Bank and a PNC Bank, both located in Virginia Beach. At the Fulton Bank, Buckley stole $973, and at the PNC Bank he stole $8404. During the PNC Bank robbery a teller secreted a GPS device within the money given to Buckley. The device allowed law enforcement to locate Buckley and his co-conspirator as they were driving away from the robbery. Buckley also conducted an armed robbery of SPE Federal Credit Union in State College, Pennsylvania, wherein they netted $7,177. During each of these robberies, Buckley used a fake bomb in addition to a firearm to enhance his threats and to serve as a diversion for law enforcement while he made his escape.
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 Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr 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 is 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-2.
Dinwiddie County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Dinwiddie County man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison and ordered to pay $97,500 in restitution for producing images of child sexual abuse involving two local minor victims.
“The nature and circumstances of Burke’s conduct are nothing short of horrendous,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His predation on these two minor survivors is likely to have personal and public reverberations for decades to come. I want to thank and applaud our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for ensuring that Burke will now be in a place where he cannot sexually abuse minors. Our office has a long history of engaging with our state, local, and federal partners outside of the immediate Richmond area and we will continue to fight crime no matter where the conduct is occurring within the Eastern District of Virginia.”
According to court documents, throughout 2017, Thomas James Burke, 34, sexually abused two minors under 11 years of age and produced images of the sexual abuse with his cell phone. Federal agents executed a search warrant at Burke’s Dinwiddie County residence after the images he produced were discovered by Australian law enforcement on the computers of an Australian individual who was being investigated for child pornography offenses. Burke had sent the images, as well as other child pornography, to the Australian defendant over the “Kik” application on his cell phone. An additional image produced by Burke was also recovered off of an individual’s phone in Oregon after he was arrested for child pornography crimes.
“Those who think they may conceal their heinous crimes behind technology and across international borders are sorely mistaken,” said Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “Our highly trained investigators will continue to identify and locate these offenders wherever they are hiding to ensure Thomas Burke and criminals like him answer for their actions and cannot victimize another child.”
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 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 Patrick J. Lechleitner, 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 M. Hannah Lauck. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Fishel 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 is 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-19.