Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Brooklyn Seafood Dealer Pleads Guilty to Illegally Trafficking American EelsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A New York City man pleaded guilty today to illegally harvesting and trafficking more than $150,000 worth of juvenile American eels, aka “elvers” or “glass eels,” in violation of the Lacey Act.
“Illegal harvesting and trafficking of wildlife represents a dire threat to our critical ecosystems,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This investigation into illegal elver trafficking and resulting guilty plea reaffirms our commitment to protecting Virginia’s natural resources for future generations.”
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Tommy Water Zhou, 42, admitted to illegally selling or purchasing elvers harvested illegally in Virginia. In 2010, Zhou established a seafood distribution company known as Wilson Group Sea Trading LLC. The company’s principle place of business was Brooklyn, New York, and its operations included importing seafood for domestic consumption and exporting seafood to international markets. In 2013, Zhou obtained a Maine elver dealer license, authorizing him to purchase and resell elvers harvested in Maine. Thereafter, using his Maine dealer license to cover his illegal activity, Zhou began purchasing and exporting elvers that were actually harvested from Virginia waterways in violation of Virginia law.
“We will not allow illegal wildlife traffickers to undermine managed fish species like the American eel,” said Jeffrey H. Wood, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “In this operation, we are actively partnering with states all along the East Coast to enforce the law and protect our nation's waterways from further exploitation.”
This plea was the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-jurisdiction U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels. To date, the investigation has resulted in guilty pleas for 11 individuals whose combined conduct resulted in the illegal trafficking of more than $2.75 million worth of elvers.
“American eels are a key component of many healthy watersheds, and a priceless part of our natural heritage,” said Jim Kurth, Acting Director of USFWS. “Yet greed is driving criminals to harm the species in the United States, after virtually destroying eel populations in Asia. Today’s guilty plea, along with previous indictments and guilty pleas from defendants in multiple states, demonstrate our resolve to arrest and prosecute those who put profits above the law.”
Eels are highly valued in east Asia for human consumption. Historically, Japanese and European eels were harvested to meet this demand; however, overfishing has led to a decline in the population of these eels. As a result, harvesters have turned to the American eel to fill the void resulting from the decreased number of Japanese and European eels.
“It is important for the preservation of the American eel stock that this type of greedy plundering of juvenile glass eels be stopped. This joint investigation is an excellent example of what cooperative law enforcement partnerships can achieve,” said Virginia Marine Police Chief Rick Lauderman. “We are grateful for the work done by the dedicated agents who participated in Operation Broken Glass.”
American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, an area of the North Atlantic Ocean bounded on all sides by ocean currents. They then travel as larvae from the Sargasso to the coastal waters of the eastern United States, where they enter a juvenile or elver stage, swim upriver and grow to adulthood in fresh water. Elvers are exported for aquaculture in east Asia, where they are raised to adult size and sold for food. Harvesters and exporters of American eels in the United States can sell elvers to east Asia for more than $2000 per pound.
Because of the threat of overfishing, elver harvesting is prohibited in the United States in all but two states: Maine and South Carolina. Maine and South Carolina heavily regulate elver fisheries, requiring that individuals be licensed and report all quantities of harvested eels to state authorities.
Zhou will be sentenced on July 12 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or up to twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, or both. 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.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey H. Wood, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; and Jim Kurth, Acting Director of USFWS, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky and Trial Attorneys Cassandra Barnum and Shane Waller from the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Operation Broken Glass was conducted by the USFWS and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section in collaboration with the Maine Marine Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission Police, USFWS Refuge Law Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game Division of Law Enforcement, Maryland Natural Resources Police, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Yarmouth, Massachusetts Division of Natural Resources, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Police Department and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 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. 2:17-cr-9.
Brooklyn Seafood Dealer Pleads Guilty for Illegally Trafficking American EelsRead the Press Release
Today, Tommy Water Zhou pled guilty in federal district court in Norfolk, Virginia, to trafficking more than $150,361 worth of juvenile American eels, aka “elvers” or “glass eels,” in violation of the Lacey Act. As part of his guilty plea, Zhou admitted to illegally selling or purchasing elvers in interstate commerce, which had been harvested illegally in Virginia.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in 2010, Zhou established a seafood distribution company known as Wilson Group Sea Trading LLC. The company’s principle place of business was Brooklyn, New York, and its operations included importing seafood for domestic consumption and exporting seafood to international markets. In 2013, the defendant obtained a Maine elver dealer license, authorizing him to purchase and resell elvers harvested in Maine. Thereafter, using his Maine dealer license to cover his illegal activity, the defendant began purchasing and exporting elvers that were actually harvested from Virginia waterways in violation of Virginia law.
This plea was the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-jurisdiction U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels. To date, the investigation has resulted in guilty pleas for eleven individuals whose combined conduct resulted in the illegal trafficking of more than $2.75 million worth of elvers.
The guilty plea was announced today by Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Acting Director Jim Kurth of the USFWS.
“We will not allow illegal wildlife traffickers to undermine managed fish species like the American eel,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wood. “In this operation, we are actively partnering with states all along the East Coast to enforce the law and protect our nation's waterways from further exploitation.”
“Illegal harvesting and trafficking of wildlife represents a dire threat to our critical ecosystems,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “This investigation into illegal elver trafficking and resulting guilty plea reaffirms our commitment to protecting Virginia’s natural resources for future generations.”
“American eels are a key component of many healthy watersheds, and a priceless part of our natural heritage. Yet greed is driving criminals to harm the species in the United States, after virtually destroying eel populations in Asia,” said Acting Director Kurth. “Today’s guilty plea, along with previous indictments and guilty pleas from defendants in multiple states, demonstrate our resolve to arrest and prosecute those who put profits above the law.”
Eels are highly valued in east Asia for human consumption. Historically, Japanese and European eels were harvested to meet this demand; however, overfishing has led to a decline in the population of these eels. As a result, harvesters have turned to the American eel to fill the void resulting from the decreased number of Japanese and European eels.
American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, an area of the North Atlantic Ocean bounded on all sides by ocean currents. They then travel as larvae from the Sargasso to the coastal waters of the eastern United States, where they enter a juvenile or elver stage, swim upriver and grow to adulthood in fresh water. Elvers are exported for aquaculture in east Asia, where they are raised to adult size and sold for food. Harvesters and exporters of American eels in the U.S. can sell elvers to east Asia for more than $2000 per pound.
Because of the threat of overfishing, elver harvesting is prohibited in the U.S. in all but two states: Maine and South Carolina. Maine and South Carolina heavily regulate elver fisheries, requiring that individuals be licensed and report all quantities of harvested eels to state authorities.
“It is important for the preservation of the American eel stock that this type of greedy plundering of juvenile glass eels be stopped. This joint investigation is an excellent example of what cooperative law enforcement partnerships can achieve,” said Virginia Marine Police Chief Rick Lauderman. “We are grateful for the work done by the dedicated agents who participated in Operation Broken Glass.”
The offense in this case is a felony under the Lacey Act, each carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or up to twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, or both.
Sentencing is set for July 12.
Operation Broken Glass was conducted by the USFWS and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section in collaboration with the Maine Marine Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission Police, USFWS Refuge Law Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game Division of Law Enforcement, Maryland Natural Resources Police, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Yarmouth, Massachusetts Division of Natural Resources, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Police Department and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
The government is represented by the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Cassandra Barnum and Shane Waller, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky, Environment and Natural Resources Division
Women Sentenced for Providing Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two women were sentenced today for terrorism crimes related to their material support of al-Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Muna Osman Jama, 36, of Reston, and Hinda Osman Dhirane, 46, of Kent, Washington, were sentenced to 12 and 11 years, respectively, for conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The women were found guilty of the crimes after a bench trial in front of U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga on Oct. 25, 2016.
According to court documents, Jama and Dhirane, who are both originally from Somalia and are naturalized United States citizens, sent money to financiers of al-Shabaab in Somalia and Kenya, which they referred to respectively as the “Hargeisa side” and the “Nairobi side.” The defendants also organized what was called a “Group of Fifteen,” which included women from Somalia, Kenya, Egypt, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Canada, as well as Minneapolis, Minnesota. The “Group of Fifteen” met regularly in a private chatroom that Jama established to organize and track monthly payment of money to the “Hargeisa side,” which was used to finance al-Shabaab military operations in the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia, and the “Nairobi side,” which was used to fund two al-Shabaab safehouses. One of the safehouses was used by al-Shabaab to store weapons and to prepare for attacks. The other was used to treat al-Shabaab fighters who had been wounded in battle.
A substantial part of the government’s case consisted of recorded telephone calls and other communications among the “Group of Fifteen.” These recordings demonstrated that the women had close connections with al-Shabaab leadership and were privy to non-public, inside information concerning al-Shabaab activities. Jama and Dhirane were recorded as they laughed as the carnage at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi was still taking place. Dhirane and co-conspirator were also recorded as they laughed at the Boston Marathon Bombing before it became known who committed the attack.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mary B. McCord, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Jay S. Tabb, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Gillis and Danya E. Atiyeh prosecuted the case with assistance from C. Alexandria Bogle, Trial Attorney, Counterterrorism Section.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office, with the assistance of the FBI’s Minneapolis and Seattle Field Offices. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis also provided valuable assistance to the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played an essential role in coordinating arrests and searches with foreign authorities.
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. 1:14-cr-230.
Two Women Sentenced for Providing Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
Muna Osman Jama, 36, of Reston, Virginia, and Hinda Osman Dhirane, 46, of Kent, Washington, were sentenced today to 12 years and 11 years respectively. Jama and Dhirane were found guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to al-Shabaab, a foreign terrorist organization, and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization after a bench trial in front of U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga on Oct. 25, 2016.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary B. McCord for National Security, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb, Jr. of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
According to court documents, Jama and Dhirane, who are both originally from Somalia and are naturalized U.S. citizens, sent money to financiers of al-Shabaab in Somalia and Kenya, which they referred to respectively as the “Hargeisa side” and the “Nairobi side.” The defendants also organized what was called a “Group of Fifteen,” which included women from Somalia, Kenya, Egypt, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Canada, as well as Minneapolis, Minnesota. The “Group of Fifteen” met regularly in a private chatroom that Jama established to organize and track monthly payment of money to the “Hargeisa side,” which was used to finance al-Shabaab military operations in the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia, and the “Nairobi side,” which was used to fund two al-Shabaab safehouses. One of the safehouses was used by al-Shabaab to store weapons and to prepare for attacks. The other was used to treat al-Shabaab fighters who had been wounded in battle.
A substantial part of the government’s case consisted of recorded telephone calls and other communications among the “Group of Fifteen.” These recordings demonstrated that the women had close connections with al-Shabaab leadership and were privy to non-public, inside information concerning al-Shabaab activities. Jama and Dhirane were recorded as they laughed as the carnage at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi was still taking place. Dhirane and co-conspirator were also recorded as they laughed at the Boston Marathon Bombing before it became known who committed the attack.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office, with the assistance of the FBI’s Minneapolis and Seattle Field Offices. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis also provided valuable assistance to the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played an essential role in coordinating arrests and searches with foreign authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Gillis and Danya E. Atiyeh prosecuted the case with assistance from C. Alexandria Bogle, Trial Attorney, Counterterrorism Section.
Two Haitian Nationals Sentenced for Hostage TakingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Monclaire Saint Louis, 29, and Ulriste Tulin, 40, both from of Carrefour, Haiti, were each sentenced to 20 years in prison today for conspiracy to commit hostage taking, hostage taking and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Both men were ordered to pay $49,000 in restitution to their victims, and will be removed from the United States upon release from prison.
Saint Louis and Tulin were found guilty after a jury trial on Dec. 16, 2016. According to the evidence presented at trial, Saint Louis and Tulin specifically targeted victims they believed had money and would pay a ransom. Saint Louis and Tulin abducted two United States citizens separately, the first on June 2, 2012, and the second on July 9, 2012. Both victims were women, including one who was 68 years old, and each were held for ransom. The first victim was able to escape after eight days and Haitian law enforcement authorities rescued the second victim after four days.
According to evidence presented at trial, multiple firearms were used to abduct each woman from their respective family. A third co-conspirator, Samson Jolibois, pleaded guilty on to his role in the abductions on Feb. 27, 2015, and testified at trial. Multiple Haitian law enforcement officers traveled to the United States to testify at the trial.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. 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. 1:15-cr-173.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Using Facebook to Lure Minor VictimRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man who used an elaborate ruse to meet minor girls over Facebook and attempt to coerce them into unlawful sexual activity was sentenced today to 10 years in prison.
Juan Torres-Hernandez, 23, of Triangle, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to court documents, Torres-Hernandez created a Facebook account using a false name, age, and photograph. Using this account, Torres-Hernandez contacted multiple minor girls and attempted to convince them to meet him for sex. Torres-Hernandez eventually convinced a 15-year old victim to send him nude photographs and to meet in person. When Torres-Hernandez met the victim, he pretended to be a friend of the person on Facebook to whom the victim had been speaking. Torres-Hernandez then drove the victim to his home in Triangle and engaged in criminal sexual activity.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Stephan M. Hudson, Prince William County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-283.
Heroin and Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced to 66 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Five members of a Portsmouth based heroin and fentanyl trafficking organization have been sentenced to approximately 66 years in prison.
The final member to face sentencing, Nathaniel Powell, 34, of Portsmouth, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison. Detuan Gordon, 26, Ernest Cross, 38, Valerie Wilson, 56, and Marque Wilson, 34, all of Portsmouth, were all previously sentenced for their respective roles in the conspiracy. See table below for details.
According to court documents, from March 2012 through July 2016, members of this organization conspired to manufacture and distribute heroin in excess of 1,000 grams. The group’s primary source of supply for heroin and fentanyl came from Baltimore. The narcotics were then transported to Hampton Roads and repackaged using a hydraulic press machine and gel capsules for retail sales. This organization further disseminated their drugs and served as a source of supply for other individuals in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
According to court documents, on Dec. 22, 2015, police executed a search warrant on Gordon’s residence and recovered opiates, scales, drug paraphernalia, and firearms. During the conspiracy Gordon, a convicted felon, possessed an AK-47-style rifle as well as a Taurus handgun. When Gordon was arrested police recovered nearly $50,000 in cash, a firearm, heroin, and fentanyl. Valerie Wilson was arrested in Moyock, North Carolina, after selling five grams of heroin. Wilson also had a minor in her vehicle when she distributed the heroin.
Two members of the group led police on two separate vehicle pursuits. Marque Wilson, who was in possession of heroin and cocaine, was arrested on June 10, 2016, after attempting to elude police. On May 26, 2016, Powell led police on a high-speed chase past a school and through residential neighborhoods of Portsmouth before he crashed into another driver, who was subsequently hospitalized. Powell, who is a paraplegic, used a cane to drive during the pursuit. Police recovered seven grams of fentanyl, some marijuana, and approximately $3,600 cash from Powell. After Powell’s state arrest, he threatened to kill an individual he believed was working with police. He was then arrested on federal charges, and after pleading guilty on Oct. 20, 2016, made more threats to a co-conspirator through the use of notes that were sent between cell blocks at Western Tidewater Regional Jail.
Name
Date of Guilty Plea
Date of Sentencing
Sentence
Nathaniel Powell
Oct. 20, 2016
Today
300 months
Detuan Gordon
Sept. 20, 2016
Jan. 26, 2017
295 months
Ernest Cross
Sept. 23, 2016
Jan. 20, 2017
70 months
Valerie Wilson
Sept. 16, 2016
Jan. 20, 2017
60 months
Marque Wilson
Oct. 18, 2016
Jan. 27, 2017
72 months
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of the Portsmouth Police Department; and Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of the Chesapeake Police Department made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla and Andrew C. Bosse prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-97.
Four Norfolk Men Sentenced for AT&T Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Four Norfolk men have been sentenced to a combined 37 years in prison for their respective roles in several Tidewater AT&T Store robberies in early 2016.
The final defendant to face sentencing, Corey Holmes, 27, of Norfolk, was sentenced to 121 months in prison today. Kendrick Perry, 23, Brice Keeling, 24, and Breon Berry, 25, all of Norfolk, all have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. See the table below for additional details.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, the men conspired with one another to rob the stores of cellphones, tablets and cash. The men entered the stores wearing masks and brandished what appeared to be firearms at the employees. They would subsequently demand money and access to the unsold electronic devices, including cellphones and tablets. They then would make the employees get down on the floor, zip tied their hands and feet, and took the employees personal phones and some form of identification, telling the employees that they now know where the employees live. In total, the men took approximately $370,000 worth of electronic devices and approximately $3,432 in cash during the robberies. Keeling and Holmes conducted two of the robberies, while Keeling and Perry conducted the remaining robbery. Berry was the get-away driver for all three robberies. Their robbery spree ended when a construction worker took down the license plate of their fleeing vehicle during their last robbery. The plates came back to Berry who confessed to the robberies and named his co-conspirators. Keeling and Perry were arrested in Columbia, South Carolina, attempting to sell the electronic devices from the last robbery to a third party.
Name
Date of Guilty Plea
Date of Sentencing
Sentence
Corey Holmes
Oct. 7, 2016
Today
121 months
Kendrick Perry
Sept. 27, 2016
January 11
121 months
Brice Keeling
Oct. 11, 2016
January 26
125 months
Breon Berry
Sept. 27, 2016
February 6
84 months
Dana J. Boente, 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 U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. 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. 2:16-cr-94.
Father and Son Spice Traffickers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A father and son were sentenced today to a combined 27 years in prison for their roles in a synthetic cannabinoid trafficking operation. The duo was also ordered to forfeit over $1.9 million from their Spice sales.
Nader Abdallah, 56, of Rochester, New York, who was sentenced to 198 months in prison, was convicted on Oct. 20, 2016, by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, possession with intent to distribute schedule I controlled substances, distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and two counts of false statements. Nader’s son, Sharif Abdallah, 33, also of Rochester, who was sentenced to 132 months in prison, pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2016, to conspiracy to use a communication facility and unlawful monetary transactions.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial of Nader Abdallah, the father/son team operated a gas station and convenience store located on Warwick Boulevard in Newport News called the Red Barn. Nader and Sharif would take turns coming down from New York to operate the store. In 2011, the Red Barn began selling smokable synthetic cannabinoid products, commonly known as “Spice.” According to court documents, Sharif told investigating agents that he would spend $15,000 to $20,000 on spice inventory in a slow month and $30,000 to $50,000 on spice inventory in a good month.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial of Nader Abdallah, on Sept. 18, 2014, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Red Barn, where they found over 18 kilograms of spice, over $100,000 in cash and a safety deposit box key. Agents conducted a subsequent search warrant of the safety deposit box where they uncovered approximately $700,000 in cash. Eight days after that search warrant, Sharif contacted the Red Barn’s spice supplier and indicated that he and his father wanted to transition from the spice retail they had been doing at the Red Barn to spice wholesale. The Red Barn on Warwick Boulevard was subsequently sold and is no longer under the Abdallahs’ ownership. In December 2014, Nader and Sharif Abdallah acquired a new property in Newport News, which they began using to wholesale spice. During a search warrant executed at that new location on April 20, 2015, law enforcement found over a kilogram of spice and over $10,000 in cash.
Dana J. Boente, 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 Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric M. Hurt and Kevin Hudson 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. 4:15-cr-18.
Suffolk Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Jamie Lee Sorrentino, 50, of Suffolk, pleaded guilty today to receipt of images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, a computer user at Sorrentino’s residence was distributing images of child pornography via peer-to-peer file sharing technology. In June 2016, the Suffolk Police Department executed a search warrant a Sorrentino’s house and seized numerous items of electronic media. After examination, a forensic specialist found over 50,000 images and videos of child pornography and child erotica. That same day, Sorrentino confessed that he was responsible for the images and videos.
Sorrentino faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison when sentenced on September 12. 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 investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Dana J. Boente, 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 Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Police, Suffolk Police Department, made the announcement after Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi 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. 2:17-cr-42.
Iraqi Refugees Arrested and Charged with Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Iraqi refugees living in Northern Virginia were arrested this morning and charged along with another individual with immigration fraud.
The defendants arrested this morning are Yousif Al Mashhandani (“Yousif”), 35, of Vienna, and Adil Hasan, 38, of Burke, who are full biological brothers. The third individual charged is Enas Ibrahim, 32, also of Burke, who is the wife of Hasan. Each are charged with attempting to obtain naturalization contrary to law. The defendants will have their initial appearance today in front of Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on Nov. 1, 2004, a United States citizen, identified as R.H., was kidnapped in Iraq and held with other hostages for months in horrible conditions in an underground bunker. After a raid in 2005 freed the hostages, authorities detained Majid Al Mashhadani (“Majid”), who is a full biological brother of Yousif and Adil Hasan, and he admitted his complicity in the kidnapping of R.H.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Yousif was admitted into the United States as a refugee in 2008. In May 2013, Yousif resided in Vienna and applied for naturalization as a United States citizen. In connection with Yousif’s applications for citizenship, his fingerprints were taken. According to an FBI fingerprint specialist, analysis conducted in November 2013 determined that Yousif’s fingerprints match those found on a document at the underground bunker where forces rescued R.H. and others in Iraq in 2005.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Yousif, Hasan, and Ibrahim are lawful permanent residents and have applied to naturalize and become United States citizens. On various applications and forms throughout their respective immigration processes, each has provided and extensive list of family members and information of their respective family trees; however, none ever listed any reference to Majid.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on March 4, 2016, FBI agents interviewed Yousif, Hasan and Ibrahim. When FBI agents asked Yousif why he failed to include reference to Majid on the family tree form, Yousif said he omitted reference to Majid because, when he was a refugee, he was told by others applying for refugee status that he would not be allowed into the United States if any immediate family members had a criminal background. Hasan admitted to FBI agents that Majid was his brother, and Hasan and Ibrahim each admitted they discussed not including Majid’s name on their applications for refugee status because their connection to Majid might delay their ability to gain such status.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, to justify his application for refugee status, Yousif reported that in 2006, while working as an anti-corruption investigator for the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity in Iraq, he started receiving threats from a Shiite militia known as the "Al Mahdi Militia," in order to coerce Yousif to drop a particular corruption investigation. Yousif said that in May 2006 Adil was kidnapped by the Al Mahdi Militia, and only released after Yousif arranged to drop the investigation in question and helped pay a large ransom. Yousif said that after Adil was released, he reopened the corruption investigation, only to flee to Jordon in October 2006 after his parents’ house was burned down.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, to justify his application for refugee status, Hasan provided sworn testimony that, in 2006, he had been kidnapped and tortured by members of the Al Mahdi Army and held for nearly a month. Hasan said he was released upon the payment of a ransom of $20,000. In an interview by FBI agents in April 2016, Hasan said he was threatened in Iraq on two occasions, but made no mention of being kidnapped, held hostage, and tortured for nearly a month. In a subsequent interview in October 2016, FBI agents confronted Hasan about the discrepancy in his stories and Hasan admitted to making false statements and creating his persecution story.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 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.
Dana J. Boente, Acting Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; 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. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes ICE/HSI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Colleen E. Garcia 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. 1:17-mj-143.
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.
Iraqi Refugees Arrested and Charged with Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
Yousif Al Mashhandani (“Yousif”), 35, of Vienna, Virginia, and Adil Hasan, 38, of Burke, Virginia, who are full biological brothers, were arrested this morning. The third individual charged is Enas Ibrahim, 32, also of Burke, who is the wife of Hasan. Each are charged with attempting to obtain naturalization contrary to law. The defendants will have their initial appearance today in front of Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia.
Acting Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana J. Boente, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on Nov. 1, 2004, a U.S. citizen, identified as R.H., was kidnapped and held with other hostages for months in horrible conditions in an underground bunker. After a raid in 2005 freed the hostages, Majid Al Mashhadani (“Majid”), who is a full biological brother of Yousif and Hasan, was detained and admitted his complicity in the kidnapping of R.H.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Yousif was admitted into the U.S. as a refugee in 2008. In May 2013, Yousif resided in Vienna and applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen. In connection with Yousif’s applications for citizenship, his fingerprints were taken. According to an FBI fingerprint specialist, analysis conducted in November 2013 determined that Yousif’s fingerprints match those found on a document at the underground bunker where forces rescued R.H. and others in Iraq in 2005.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Yousif, Hasan and Ibrahim are lawful permanent residents and have applied to naturalize and become U.S. citizens. On various applications and forms throughout their respective immigration processes, each has provided an extensive list of family members and information of their respective family trees; however, none listed any reference to Majid.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on March 4, 2016, FBI agents interviewed Yousif, Hasan and Ibrahim. When FBI agents asked Yousif why he failed to include reference to Majid on the family tree form, Yousif said he omitted reference to Majid because, when he was a refugee, he was told by others applying for refugee status that he would not be allowed into the U.S. if any immediate family members had a criminal background. Hasan admitted to FBI agents that Majid was his brother. Hasan and Ibrahim each admitted they discussed not including Majid’s name on their applications for refugee status because their connection to Majid might delay their ability to gain such status.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, to justify his application for refugee status, Yousif reported that in 2006, while working as an anti-corruption investigator for the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity in Iraq, he started receiving threats from a Shiite militia known as the "Al Mahdi Militia," in order to coerce Yousif to drop a particular corruption investigation. Yousif said that in May 2006, Hasan was kidnapped by the Al Mahdi Militia, and was released only after Yousif arranged to drop the investigation in question and helped pay a large ransom. Yousif said that after Hasan was released, he reopened the corruption investigation, only to flee to Jordon in October 2006 after his parents’ house was burned down.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, to justify his application for refugee status, Hasan provided sworn testimony that, in 2006, he had been kidnapped and tortured by members of the Al Mahdi Army and held for nearly a month. Hasan said he was released upon the payment of a ransom of $20,000. In an interview by FBI agents in April 2016, Hasan said he was threatened in Iraq on two occasions, but made no mention of being kidnapped, held hostage and tortured for nearly a month. In a subsequent interview in October 2016, FBI agents confronted Hasan about the discrepancy in his stories and Hasan admitted to making false statements and creating his persecution story.
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. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes ICE/HSI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon Kromberg and Collen Garcia for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
2017 03 28 Mashhadani AffidavitNavy Senior Chief Sentenced for ID Theft and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A U.S. Navy senior chief who stole personal identity information of sailors under his command was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for identity theft and bank fraud.
Clayton A. Pressley, 41, of Chesapeake, pleaded guilty on Aug. 22, 2016. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Pressley used his position as a senior enlisted member of a local military command to steal personal identity information and identification documents of members of his command. Using that information and pretending to be two of his subordinates, he applied for and received several loans from Pioneer Mid-Country Bank totaling $24,000. He also possessed identity documents at his residence for eight other members of his military command.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Maureen Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Nichol and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Haynie 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. 2:16-cr-66.
Panamanian Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Panamanian businessman was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy involving the importation of 22 kilograms of cocaine onboard a commercial shipping vessel.
Humberto Beckford, 36, of Panama City, Panama, pleaded guilty on Dec. 22, 2016. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in March 2016 a Panamanian drug trafficking organization (DTO) secreted a cocaine load onboard a commercial shipping vessel traveling from Panama to Charleston, South Carolina. On March 11, 2016, Beckford, was directed by a member of the DTO to travel from Miami to Charleston to supervise the distribution of the cocaine load upon its arrival at the Port of Charleston. Unbeknownst to Beckford, law enforcement had intercepted the cocaine load onboard the ship. The next day Beckford met with undercover federal law enforcement agents to coordinate the distribution of a bag containing 22 kilograms of cocaine to a drug courier working for the DTO.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Daniel Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Atlanta Division; 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 Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Siebert and Peter S. Duffey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located be found 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-117.
McLean Man Sentenced for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man was sentenced today to five years in prison for collecting tens of thousands of images and videos of child pornography since 2004.
“For the last 12 years Seth Thornton visited depraved corners of the Internet to hunt for images and videos of young girls being sexually exploited and abused,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “It is beyond dispute that child pornography trafficking crimes are grievous offenses that deserve serious penalties. The distribution and receipt of child pornography fuels a market for further production and abuse, while continuing the victimization of children depicted in the images. While these crimes can be very difficult to talk about, we must continue to bring awareness to these prosecutions with the goal of protecting our children from sexual predators by deterring others from committing similar crimes, online and elsewhere.”
Seth Aaron Thornton, 43, pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2016. According to court documents, Thornton, an information technology consultant who has worked for prominent consulting companies as well as the federal government, had been using peer-to-peer networks to amass a collection of tens of thousands of images and videos of minor girls, primarily aged approximately 8 to 14 years old, though many featured even younger children. Some child exploitation files in Thornton’s collection depicted sadistic, masochistic, or other violent imagery.
“Child pornography, in any form, haunts its victims for their entire lifetime,” 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 special agents are dedicated to identifying and investigating individuals who prey on children, and we will ensure they’re prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; 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 Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Burke IV prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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.
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. 1:16-cr-246.
Fugitive Captured by U.S. Marshals Pleads Guilty to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A fugitive captured by the U.S. Marshals at a Suffolk hotel on January 6 pleaded guilty today to being a fugitive from justice in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, the U.S. Marshals captured convicted felon David Webb, 40, of Georgia, at a hotel in Suffolk after being on the run for multiple outstanding arrest warrants issued in Dekalb and Chatham County, Georgia. During his time as a fugitive, Webb evaded or eluded police on at least three occasions, including one instance when he fled from police by jumping out of the back window of a hotel and hiding in an alligator-infested swamp.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, prior to his capture, Webb was able to evade law enforcement through his use of various aliases and false identity documents. When U.S. Marshals arrested the defendant, he was in possession of more than a dozen driver’s licenses bearing his image but associated with different names. These identification documents included driver’s licenses purportedly issued by the states of Texas, Nebraska, Illinois, Connecticut, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and the District of Columbia. Webb was also in possession of five social security cards bearing names other than his own, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs identification card, and a U.S. Military Common Access Card bearing Webb’s picture and claiming the rank of Sergeant in the Army. At the time of his arrest, U.S. Marshals also recovered methamphetamine, $7,300 in cash, a digital scale, drug packaging materials, ammunition, and three firearms, one of which had an obliterated serial number.
Webb faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison sentenced on July 5. 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.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Robert Mathieson, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Suffolk Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Comstock 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-15.
Former GSA Official and Husband Plead Guilty in Nepotism SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former senior official with the General Services Administration and her husband pleaded guilty today to engaging in a nepotism scheme in which they conspired to fraudulently obtain employment from the U.S. government and private federal contractors.
According to the statement of facts filed with their plea agreements, Helen Renee Ballard, 51, and Robert S. Ballard, 56, both of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements to the United States.
Helen Renee Ballard (aka Renee Ballard) was the Director of the Central Office Contracting Division of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) from May 2006 to May 2011 and worked for GSA until 2016. From 2010 through July 2014, Renee Ballard and her husband, Robert S. Ballard (aka Steve Ballard), engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by obtaining employment with federal contractors and the U.S. government through false and misleading statements concerning Steve Ballard’s relation, education, and qualifications. As part of the more than $200,000 scheme, Renee and Steve Ballard fraudulently induced a federal contractor located in Arlington to hire Steve Ballard. The Arlington based contractor then placed Steve Ballard on a federal contract awarded by GSA and supervised by Renee Ballard. Later, Renee Ballard attempted to hire Steve Ballard for a position within GSA under her supervision.
According to the statement of facts, Renee and Steve Ballard caused over 139 false employment applications to be submitted to federal agencies, including the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. State Department, U.S. Transportation and Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Internal Revenue Service. These applications falsely misrepresented Steve Ballard’s education and qualifications, including that he had earned or taken classes toward a master’s degree and was certified in government contracting at Levels I, II, and III. In order to corroborate these false representations, Renee and Steve Ballard obtained and submitted fake certification documents. In addition to these fraudulent applications, the Ballards sent Steve Ballard’s false resume to the Executive Office of the President in an attempt to obtain employment there. Subsequently, Steve Ballard submitted false applications to at least six different private contractors who worked, at times on-site, with the federal agencies, including GSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Ballards each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison sentenced on July 28. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, GSA, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye and Katherine Wong 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. 1:16-cr-136.
California Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Woman for 9 YearsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Portsmouth man with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.
According to the indictment, Naeem Lateef Odums, 39, of Clovis, California, and Portsmouth, Virginia, forced “Jane Doe” to engage in commercial sex acts in California and Virginia for nearly nine years. Odums used a combination of extreme physical violence, threats of violence, and threats of kidnapping Jane Doe’s children, and other forms of control to cause her to perform commercial sex acts. Odums arranged appointments for Jane Doe using a website known to promote prostitution, and collected all the money Jane Doe earned both from her appointments, as well as from her legitimate jobs. In January 2017, Jane Doe was hospitalized after Odums broke three of her ribs and punctured her lung. Odums was originally charged by criminal complaint on March 7.
Odums faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, 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); and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police Department, made the announcement after the indictment was returned. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
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.
Three Men Arrested and Charged with Burglaries of Firearms DealersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va - Three local men who allegedly participated in several recent burglaries of local firearms dealers made their initial appearances here today in federal court.
Preston G. Holmes, 23; Matthew D. Jones, 23; and Daniel L. Quarles, 19, were charged today with conspiracy and theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, the conspirators allegedly participated in three burglaries of federally licensed firearms dealers in the last 10 days: The March 11 burglary of 50 West Armory in Chantilly, where they allegedly stole 35 semi-automatic handguns in 45 seconds, and the March 14 burglaries of A.S.H. Tactical and SSG Tactical in Fredericksburg.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement received a tip regarding the identities of the suspects and their criminal conduct. Law enforcement agents executed search warrants and arrested the men this past weekend. Charges were filed in federal court today.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Blanchard 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. 1:17-mj-132.
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.
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Suffolk City Virginia School District to Desegregate Its SchoolsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has reached an agreement with the Suffolk City School District in Virginia that paves the way for the district to complete desegregation and achieve full unitary status. The consent order, which was approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia today, addresses all remaining issues in the school desegregation case and, when fully implemented, will lead to the closure of that case.
The consent order declares that the district has achieved partial unitary status in the areas of facilities, extracurricular activities, transportation, and faculty and staff assignment. The consent order retains judicial supervision over the area of student assignment through the 2019-20 school year.
The consent order puts the district on a path to full unitary status within three school years provided it:
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Continues to implement its majority-to-minority transfer program in accordance with the court’s 2014 consent order and makes reasonable efforts to expand the program;
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Modifies the attendance zones of students who will be affected by the opening of the new schools in North Suffolk in a manner that furthers desegregation in the district; and
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Develops and implements a student discipline improvement plan to ensure fairness and consistency in the handling of disciplinary offenses.
The court will retain jurisdiction over the consent order during its implementation, and the Justice Department will monitor the district’s compliance.
“We are pleased that the district has made significant progress in this longstanding case,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Tom Wheeler. “We look forward to working with the district to ensure fair and equal treatment for all its students and bringing this case to a successful close.”
Promoting school desegregation and enforcing Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
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Founder of Heroes Academy Sentenced for $1.9 Million FraudRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Larry Jay Horsey, 41, of Chesterfield, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for an investment fraud scheme that caused a loss of $1.9 million to nine investors. Horsey was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to pay $1,767,065.76 in restitution to his victims, and agreed to forfeit $1,922,427.47 as proceeds of his offense.
Horsey pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2016. According to court documents, Horsey, a licensed insurance agent, was the founder and operator of “Heroes Academy,” a business that marketed itself as both a non-profit financial education school and a financial management company. Horsey represented himself to the public as a financial advisor, conducting financial planning seminars in Virginia and North Carolina. Between October 2012 and May 2016, Horsey targeted nine separate individuals, convincing those individuals to open what they believed would be investment or savings vehicles, such as an annuity or a Roth IRA, through Horsey’s Heroes Academy business. Instead of using those individuals’ savings as promised, however, Horsey instead spent the funds on various personal or business expenses. In total, Horsey defrauded those nine investors of a combined $1.9 million, and plead guilty to charges of mail fraud and engaging in monetary transactions derived from specified unlawful activities.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Thomas Holloman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated by the Fraud Task Force, including the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, IRS-CI, and USPIS, with assistance from the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-153.
D.C. Man Sentenced for Purchase of Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Anthony Darnell McCutchen, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for his role in the illegal purchase of two firearms.
McCutchen pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2016. According to court documents, on Oct. 1, 2016, McCutchen met an individual, who he recruited to purchase two firearms on his behalf, at a Virginia gunshow. McCutchen aided and abetted this individual’s false statements to a firearms dealer by, among other things, accompanying the individual to the firearms dealer to help select the firearms for purchase, providing the purchaser with the money to purchase the firearms, and directing the purchaser how to behave when purchasing the firearms. Law enforcement observed McCutchen’s activity in the gun show and, after learning of McCutchen’s prior conviction for armed robbery in Washington, D.C., executed a traffic stop shortly after McCutchen left the gun show. Law enforcement recovered the two firearms from McCutchen’s possession.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-248.
Virginia Man Indicted on Child Pornography and Sex Tourism ChargesRead the Press Release
A Virginia man was indicted today and charged with multiple crimes involving travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors and child pornography.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Carl Sara, 63, of Springfield, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury today with one count each of attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sex, traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors, and transportation and possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment, beginning in approximately May 2013, Sara allegedly used the internet to communicate with sellers of child pornography, and others, in the Philippines in order to obtain child pornography. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Sara traveled to the Philippines on one occasion to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Further, the indictment also alleges that Sara transported child pornography across state lines.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Smith are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by CEOS and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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.
Three Charged with Alleged ID Theft of Jail InmatesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Delanio Vick, 31, and Teresa Gallop, 49, of Norfolk, and Jessie Davis, 20, of Portsmouth, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements in an application to a federally insured institution, and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, these individuals conspired to obtain the personal property and identifying information of inmates housed in local jails. Conspirators inside the jails recruited inmates to retain the services of a fictitious legal services company, FamUnited, also known as Famm United or FamilyTranzitions. Other conspirators posed as paralegals during recorded jail calls with these inmates. During these calls, conspirators falsely promised to help the inmates obtain bonds in exchange for the release of their personal property from the jails’ custody. Some inmates agreed to release their property as instructed. For those who did not, conspirators submitted forged property release forms to the jail authorizing the release of inmate property to other conspirators. After obtaining inmate property, including wallets and cell phones, conspirators accessed and opened bank accounts in the inmates’ names. In some cases, conspirators created forged durable powers of attorney that purported to authorize them to act on the inmates’ behalf. Conspirators used these documents to add themselves as authorized users to the inmates’ existing bank accounts. Conspirators then used the compromised and newly created bank accounts to conduct fraudulent transactions, including worthless deposits and unauthorized withdrawals, through which they obtained money, goods, and services.
Persons who believe they may have information regarding this case are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 804-418-6104.
The defendants were initially indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 16, 2016. The superseding indictment returned yesterday includes additional charges. The defendants each face a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison to run consecutive to a maximum possibly penalty of 30 years in prison. The minimum and maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Michael Goldsmith, Chief of Norfolk Police; and Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-88.
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.
Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return and Using Customer IDs to Make Fraudulent Credit Card ChargesRead the Press Release
A Haymarket, Virginia woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia to filing a false income tax return and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to documents filed with the court, Karen Holtz worked for JMS Ventures Inc. (JMS), which did business as the Kenyan Collection, and which is a small business that imports and distributes handmade Kenyan goods. Holtz was responsible for taking, processing, and fulfilling customer orders, accepting customer payments, which included charging customer credit cards, preparing customer invoices, keeping track of JMS’s inventory, and maintaining JMS’s books and records using the accounting software QuickBooks. From at least 2008 through April 2013, Holtz wrote herself unauthorized checks from JMS’s bank account and unlawfully diverted customer payments made using PayPal by transferring the payments directly to her personal bank account. Holtz also used JMS customers’ personal identification information to make fraudulent charges to their credit cards.
Holtz intentionally did not enter all of the unauthorized checks written to herself in the JMS QuickBooks. She also purposefully did not enter the transfers she made to herself from PayPal. As a result, the JMS’s books and records understated Holtz’s true income. For tax years, 2008 through 2013, Holtz filed false individual tax returns on which she failed to report more than $305,000 in income.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 23. Holtz faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for filing a false return and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Boente thanked special agents of the U.S. Secret Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine L. Wong and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Woodbridge Resident Convicted of Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Bernardo Eugene Ford, Jr., 26, of Woodbridge, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury on charges related to his robbery and murder of a drug dealer in Falls Church.
On Jan. 5, 2017, Ford was charged in an indictment with conspiracy, armed robbery of a drug dealer, and using firearms in committing that robbery. According to the evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 23, 2016, Ford and another person, his co-conspirator, went to the victim’s apartment located on the 23rd floor of the South Tower of Skyline Towers off Seminary Road in Falls Church, intending to rob him of his drugs and drug proceeds. When the drug dealer resisted, Ford and his co-conspirator shot him, first in the arm and then in the back as he attempted to flee, severing his spine. Ford and his co-conspirator then fled, leaving behind approximately $2400 in cash hidden in the drug dealer’s closet, but taking with them one of the victim’s iPhones.
Telephone records introduced by the prosecution showed Ford’s and the victim’s phones contacting the same cell phone tower minutes after the murder and approximately two miles away from the apartment. Ford’s Facebook records contained communications in which he discussed with two different persons his intention to rob drug dealers. Cartridge casings and bullets recovered from the apartment were fired from two different semi-automatic handguns, leading to the conclusion that two persons were involved in committing the crime.
Ford faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced on June 9, 2017. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Rich and Carina Cuellar are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-149.
Suffolk Man Sentenced to Five Years for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Eugene Tillery, 30, of Suffolk, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for distribution of Fentanyl.
Tillery pleaded guilty on July 14, 2016. According to court documents, from November 2016 through December 2016, the Suffolk Police Department along with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted seven controlled purchases of Fentanyl from the defendant. The total weight of the purchases was 26 grams. Fentanyl is a powerful pain medication that is 100 times more potent than heroin. Lacing heroin with Fentanyl is a major reason for the alarming increase in thousands of deaths across the country from heroin overdoses. In addition, the defendant was a major supplier of heroin in Suffolk, and he distributed over two kilograms of heroin during 2015.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Field Division; and Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Police, Suffolk Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-77.
Six People Arrested for Alleged Insurance Fraud Conspiracy Involving over 30 FiresRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Six people were arrested yesterday for their alleged roles in an insurance fraud conspiracy involving over 30 fires, pursuant to an indictment unsealed in federal court today.
According to the indictment, from as early as May 2000 until as recently as Nov. 30, 2016, the defendants, in various combinations, had a series of over 30 fires—including fires consuming single-family homes, trailers, mobile homes, and cars. The details of each fire vary, but the frequent pattern was for the defendants allegedly to buy a car or home at auction or in foreclosure, insure it, and then collect insurance proceeds in excess of the purchase price after it burned.
In furtherance of their scheme, the defendants allegedly made numerous misrepresentations, both in writing and in interviews—sometimes under oath—to insurance companies, firefighters, and other law enforcement officers. The per-fire insurance payout for the fires ranged from approximately $1,000 to over $300,000, with the alleged insurance payouts in connection with the scheme totaling over $900,000.
The following defendants made their initial appearance in federal court after being arrested yesterday on the charges listed below:
Name
Age
City
Charge(s)
Verdon Taylor
72
Leesburg, Fla.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony, witness tampering
Vershawn Jackson
37
Sandston, Va.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony
Sylvia Mitchell
58
Tampa, Fla.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Marie Taylor
54
Richmond, Va.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Dorel Watson
32
Tampa, Fla.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Eugenia Fleming
57
Victoria, Va.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony, false statement
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after defendants Jackson, Taylor, and Fleming made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge David J. Novak. The Henrico County Fire Marshal’s Office and the City of Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services provided assistance in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Harbach, II is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-cr-29.
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.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Trafficking Contraband CigarettesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Eyad Salahedin, 40, of Elmwood Park, New Jersey, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes. Salahedin also was ordered to pay $5,622,021 in restitution and forfeit $9,611,319.11 in criminal proceeds.
Salahedin pleaded guilty on November 10, 2016. According to court documents, Salahedin created five separate, fictitious Virginia businesses between March and July 2015, using the name and personal identifiers of his absent brother (who had lived overseas in Jordan since 2007) to register those sole proprietorships with the Commonwealth’s Department of Taxation. Salahedin and his co-conspirators then used those fictitious business registrations to create business memberships at Sam’s Club stores in Virginia, where the conspirators purchased more than $9.6 million in cigarettes between March 2014 and August 2015, all exempted from the Virginia sales and use tax.
As part of the conspiracy, Salahedin created secondary business membership accounts for numerous Virginia and New Jersey residents, often utilizing false identities, and he provided those individuals with cash and instructions on what cigarettes to purchase. Salahedin and those acting at his direction then smuggled the cigarettes north to New Jersey and New York, where they were sold as contraband cigarettes on the black market. Salahedin regularly relied on aliases and other individuals’ identities throughout the conspiracy, using those false identities to register his false businesses, purchase cigarettes, and maintain storage units in Virginia and New Jersey.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Clark E. Settles, 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 Robert E. Payne. The case was investigated by the Washington–Baltimore HIDTA task force’s Northern Virginia Financial Initiative and the New Jersey State Treasury’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Michael C. Moore prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-29.
Member of International Child Exploitation Conspiracy Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jeffery Van Dyke, 46, of Weed, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to produce child pornography for his participation in a website that was operated for the purpose of coercing and enticing minors as young as eight years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct on web camera.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Section Chief John J. Brosnan of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section (VCACS) made the announcement.
Van Dyke was charged on April 4, 2016, and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia. Sentencing is set for June 9.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy created false profiles on social networking sites popular with children posing as young teenagers to lure children to two websites they controlled. Once on the conspirators’ websites, Van Dyke admitted that members of the conspiracy showed the children pre-recorded videos of prior minor victims, often engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to make the new victims think that they were chatting with another minor.
Van Dyke further admitted that conspirators used these videos to coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit activity on their own web cameras, which could be viewed live by other members without the victim’s knowledge and which the website automatically recorded and made available for download later. Van Dyke admitted that he linked minors to one of the websites and chatted with them there in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendant also admitted that one of the websites ranked the efforts of the members to successfully coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit conduct on live web camera. Law enforcement agencies have disabled both websites.
VCACS special agents led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and the FBI’s Digital Analysis and Research Center and the Office of Victim Assistance. The South Africa Police Service, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses, Gauteng; Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Dutch Police Service Agency, KLPD; and the Australian Federal Police, Child Protection Operations, Sydney were active partners in Operation Subterfuge, a multinational investigation coordinated by members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force. Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-128.
Member of International Child Exploitation Conspiracy Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Weed, California man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to produce child pornography for his participation in a website that was operated for the purpose of coercing and enticing minors as young as eight years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct on web camera.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Assistant Director Stephen E. Richardson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Divisionmade the announcement.
Jeffery Van Dyke, 46, was charged on April 4, 2016, and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia. Sentencing is set for June 9.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy created false profiles on social networking sites popular with children posing as young teenagers to lure children to two websites they controlled. Once on the conspirators’ websites, Van Dyke admitted that members of the conspiracy showed the children pre-recorded videos of prior minor victims, often engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to make the new victims think that they were chatting with another minor. Van Dyke further admitted that conspirators used these videos to coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit activity on their own web cameras, which could be viewed live by other members without the victim’s knowledge and which the website automatically recorded and made available for download later. Van Dyke admitted that he linked minors to one of the websites and chatted with them there in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendant also admitted that one of the websites ranked the efforts of the members to successfully coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit conduct on live web camera. Law enforcement agencies have disabled both websites.
VCACS special agents led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and the FBI’s Digital Analysis and Research Center and the Office of Victim Assistance. The South Africa Police Service, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses, Gauteng; Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Dutch Police Service Agency, KLPD; and the Australian Federal Police, Child Protection Operations, Sydney were active partners in Operation Subterfuge, a multinational investigation coordinated by members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force. Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former NGA Employee Sentenced for Taking Classified InformationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Mohan L. Nirala, 52, of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for willful retention of national defense information.
Nirala pleaded guilty on Sept. 16, 2016. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Nirala was a full-time government employee and imagery scientist at the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from February 2009 to 2015. On Jan. 10, 2014, eight days after his clearances were suspended, FBI agents recovered over 20 classified documents at Nirala’s home during the execution of a federal search warrant. A review of these documents determined that they ranged in classification from Secret to Top Secret. During the search, Nirala falsely stated that he did not bring home any classified documents.
According to the statement of facts, on March 8, 2016, agents arrived at Nirala’s home to execute an arrest warrant. After Nirala failed to answer the door, agents made forced entry and found Nirala in the basement before taking him into custody. During a sweep of the basement, agents discovered a white duct-taped box underneath the basement stairs. Inside the box were over 500 pages of documents classified at Top Secret and Secret levels.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord; and Gordon B. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes of the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-124.
Former NGA Employee Sentenced for Taking Classified InformationRead the Press Release
Mohan L. Nirala, 52, of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for willful retention of national defense information.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.
Nirala pleaded guilty on Sept. 16, 2016. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Nirala was a full-time government employee and imagery scientist at the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from February 2009 to 2015. On Jan 10, 2014, eight days after his clearances were suspended, FBI agents recovered over 20 classified documents at Nirala’s home during the execution of a federal search warrant. A review of these documents determined that they ranged in classification from Secret to Top Secret. During the search, Nirala falsely stated that he did not bring home any classified documents.
According to the statement of facts, on March 8, 2016, agents arrived at Nirala’s home to execute an arrest warrant. After Nirala failed to answer the door, agents made a forced entry and found Nirala in the basement before taking him into custody. During a sweep of the basement, agents discovered a white duct-taped box underneath the basement stairs. Inside the box were over 500 pages of documents classified at Top Secret and Secret levels.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes of the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Owner of Chesapeake Barber College Sentenced for $4.5 Million GI Bill FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – William E. Grobes, IV, 45, of Chesapeake, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Grobes was also ordered to pay over $4.5 million in restitution.
Grobes pleaded guilty on Nov. 30, 2016. According to court documents, Grobes owns the College of Beauty and Barber Culture (CBBC), located in Chesapeake. CBBC was purportedly a barber and cosmetology school approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide education and training to military veterans, including veterans who received tuition assistance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Grobes represented to the VA that CBBC provided full-time schooling to hundreds of veteran students beginning in October 2011. In reality, the school was a sham. Most veterans enrolled in CBBC courses received few, if any, hours of instruction from CBBC employees, and there were no tests, exams, or practical exercises given. Rather, students were directed to simply sign in and out of the school each day so that Grobes could report to the VA that they were enrolled and attending. In exchange, CBBC received Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments for each veteran from the VA.
Based on Grobes’ provision of false information to the VA concerning the number of hours of instruction and the manner and quality of the instruction provided to veteran students, CBBC received over $4.5 million in Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments between October 2011 and September 2016.
Grobes has agreed to forfeit his home, six bank accounts totaling over $1 million, and nearly $200,000 in cash seized from a safe in the floor of his home. Grobes’ wife and co-conspirator, Katherine Grobes, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, March 10.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael J. Missal, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; Thomas Holloman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Maureen Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-154.
Two Plead Guilty to Mystery Shopper Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Christie Easter, 47, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Toheeb Odoffin, 28, of Chicago, each pleaded guilty today to charges related to their respective roles in a fraud scheme involving “Mystery Shoppers.”
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in 2012 federal law enforcement began an investigation into an extensive scheme that operated nationally and internationally, stemming from Nigeria. The investigation determined that participants in the scheme, including Easter and Odoffin, recruited individuals throughout the United States via email to serve as “Mystery Shoppers,” in which the individuals would receive financial instruments, such as a cashier’s check or Postal money order, to evaluate the services of certain money transmission services, including Western Union and Money Gram. Once a recruited individual, or “Mystery Shopper,” responded to the email solicitation with interest, the conspirators would obtain personal identification information from the Mystery Shopper, which was then placed on the counterfeit cashier’s check or Postal money order. The conspirators, including Easter and Odoffin, would then mail the Mystery Shoppers a counterfeit cashier’s check or Postal money order for the Mystery Shopper to negotiate at their own bank, keeping a portion of the payment for their services. The Mystery Shopper would then wire the majority of the funds to conspirators or other recruited individuals who retrieved the transmitted funds and engaged in further distribution of the fraudulent proceeds.
Easter and Odoffin each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Each faces mandatory minimum of two years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and George Purefoy, Resident Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Resident Office, U.S. Secret Service, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Megan M. Cowles are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-49.
Springfield Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Cristan Taylor, 48, of Springfield was sentenced today to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Taylor pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2016. According to court documents, Taylor sold cocaine from November 2014 until February 2016. During much of this time period, Taylor obtained quantities ranging from one ounce to one kilogram at a time from Hameed Jide Bello of Fort Washington, Maryland. Taylor would then redistribute this cocaine to others in Fairfax County and Pennsylvania. In total, Taylor admitted to distributing between 3.5 and 5 kilograms of cocaine.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar prosecuted the case.
The case began as a narcotics investigation initiated by the Fairfax County Police Department, and was federally investigated by the FBI and DEA as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Fifty Pounder. 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 may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-280.
Berkeley County man admits to lying to a federal agentRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Eldon Osborne, 22, of Inwood, West Virginia, was convicted today in federal court for making a false statement, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Osborne admitted he lied to an agent with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives during questioning about the sale of a firearm in Berkeley County, West Virginia in March 2016.
Osborne pled guilty to one count of “Making a False Statement.” He faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Warrenton Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Seth Shaver, 26, of Warrenton, pleaded guilty today to possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, on Aug. 24, 2016, officers of the Warrenton Police Department (WPD) responded to Shaver’s home for a report of a shooting. During a subsequent search, law enforcement recovered several firearms, including a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and two silencers.
On Oct. 22, 2016, law enforcement was again called to Shaver’s home for a report of a domestic disturbance. During a subsequent search, law enforcement recovered a semi-automatic rifle hidden in an air vent. The semi-automatic rifle was originally sold to Shaver as a pistol through a licensed federal firearms dealer. Shaver later modified the pistol into a short-barreled rifle.
Shaver faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on June 9. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Louis Battle, Chief of Warrenton Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. García is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-306.
Gang Lieutenant Sentenced to 35 Years for Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Darius Crenshaw, 30, of Newport News, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for various violent crimes he committed he was a high-ranking member of the Black P-Stones gang in Newport News.
Crenshaw was a lieutenant in the Black P-Stones gang, which was involved in the distribution of narcotics, the robbery of multiple individuals and the death of at least three individuals. Crenshaw was personally responsible for the murder of Erique Shaw on Nov. 6, 2007.
Crenshaw pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy on Nov. 17, 2016. According to court documents, Crenshaw recruited other individuals into the gang. On Nov. 6, 2007, Crenshaw lured another member of the Black P-Stones to a location in Newport News where he shot him to death. This murder resulted from Crenshaw’s belief that the other P-Stones member had been associating with members of a rival gang.
Dana J. Boente, 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 U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:13-cr-96.
Fraudster Sentenced for $25 Million ID Theft and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Amit Chaudhry, 44, of Ashburn, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his role and participation in a sophisticated and large-scale identity theft and credit card fraud conspiracy that resulted in a loss of over $25 million. Chaudhry was also ordered to pay $4.1 million in restitution.
Chaudhry pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2016, to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit visa fraud. According to court documents, Chaudhry is an Indian national who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2005. Beginning in 2011, Chaudhry was part of a large, international wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy that involved processing stolen credit card numbers and laundering the proceeds through hundreds of bank accounts. Some of these bank accounts were set up in the name of shell companies, which did no real business. This fraud and money laundering conspiracy was carried out in part by teams of individuals working together in India, the United States, Europe and elsewhere. Some members would obtain the personal identifying information of real people; other members would obtain the credit card information from actual credit card customers, and yet others would be responsible for electronically processing the stolen credit card transactions. Chaudhry helped laundering the proceeds of the credit card fraud and assisting co-conspirators who would come to the United States from India to open bank accounts used to hold and receive fraud proceeds.
According to court documents, Chaudhry also helped conceal and launder proceeds from a fraud scheme that targeted customers seeking cheap travel, including airline tickets and hotel reservations. Chaudhry helped to promote the fraudulent travel websites, including through mass mailings to prospective customers. Other members of the conspiracy would hold themselves out as prospective travel agents to customers. Customers’ travel itineraries would be purchased with stolen credit cards, which often resulted in those reservations being canceled. The customer’s money would be held and transferred among bank accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy, including Chaudhry. There were more than 1,000 victims from this fraud, which used various sophisticated means to conceal the identities of the conspirators.
According to court documents, Chaudhry was also involved in a separate money laundering conspiracy with Jacqueline Green-Morris, who previously pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. Chaudhry and Green-Morris came up with a fraudulent billing scheme, whereby Chaudhry would submit inflated and fraudulent invoices for IT training to Victim A, a contractor based in Virginia. Green-Morris used her position as an employee at Victim A to pay these fraudulent invoices. Chaudhry and Green-Morris split the fraud proceeds, which totaled approximately $4.1 million between 2012 and June 2016.
According to court documents, from at least 2001 and through at least June 2016, Chaudhry and others conspired to commit visa fraud by submitting false and fraudulent H-1B visa applications by and through various entities that the Chaudhry and others owned and controlled, including Networkxchange, Technologyxchange, Secure Networks, and the Knowledge Center. The conspiracy involved the submission of false and fraudulent applications and supporting documentation to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Some of these documents were signed using the name John King, a journalist who is CNN’s chief national correspondent.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Thomas J. Holloman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington; Joseph W. Cronin, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Christian Schurman, Acting Director of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for the U.S. Department of State, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine L. Wong and Kimberly R. Pedersen prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-211.
Former Chesapeake Fire Lieutenant Sentenced for Online Coercion and Enticement of MinorsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Thomas W. Almberg, 50, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 126 months in prison for charges of coercing and enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity. Almberg was also sentenced to 25 years of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
Almberg pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2016. According to court documents, Almberg, a former lieutenant in the Chesapeake Fire Department, frequented several social media sites looking to chat with teenage girls. In January 2016, he met a 15-year-old boy pretending to be a 16-year-old girl on the interactive video game Clash of Clans and the two began chatting and text messaging. Over the next two months, the two exchanged over 8,000 text messages, often while Almberg was on duty and at his fire station. The conversations quickly grew to be sexually graphic, including Almberg sending sexually explicit photographs and requesting that the teen reciprocate. In April, Almberg met a 16-year-old girl on a different mobile chat application and their conversations quickly became sexual in nature, including the exchange of sexually explicit photographs. In May 2016, Almberg traveled to this victim’s workplace in North Carolina and propositioned her for sex. She declined, he left, and was taken into custody shortly thereafter.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Col. K.L. Wright, Chesapeake Chief of Police; 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 U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-136.
Dozens Arrested in Massive Gun and Drug Sting OperationRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Over 150 law enforcement agents and officers executed a major takedown today, arresting dozens of individuals for their respective roles in selling drugs and guns in Norfolk. Twelve federal defendants are in custody for firearms and drug charges, while more than a dozen others were arrested on state charges.
“This historic operation represents our commitment to making the streets of Norfolk as safe as we can,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Illegal firearms are the principal tools employed in the deadly cycles of turf battles and gang conflicts that deprive our neighborhoods and families of the peace and security that we treasure as Americans. The actions taken today reflect the coordinated, skilled and brave work of law enforcement. They are to be applauded. But they should also remind each of us that a peaceful community can only be realized when citizens share in the serious work of upholding the common good and respecting the rule of law.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) began Operation Riptide in the Fall of 2016, and in collaboration with the Norfolk Police Department, Virginia State Police, and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, identified more than 30 individuals throughout Hampton Roads who were illegally selling firearms, heroin, and or other narcotics. Operation Riptide resulted in the recovery of over 50 firearms (including at least 3 assault rifles, 2 sawed off shotguns, and 47 hand guns, 18 of which had obliterated serial numbers or were stolen), over 170 grams of heroin, 65 grams of powder cocaine, 290 grams of crack cocaine, and a bullet proof vest. Ten of the 12 federal defendants are previously convicted felons, while seven are allegedly affiliated with the United Blood Nation gang.
“Deadly heroin overdoses and the recent spike in gun violence remain serious concerns in Hampton Roads,” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “This kind of unified, coordinated response to emerging public safety threats is exactly why I invested OAG resources in the Hampton Roads region. Because of hard work and collaboration by local, state, and federal partners, dozens of dangerous individuals are off the streets today.”
"Today's action was a collaborative effort between ATF and officers of the Virginia State Police, Norfolk PD, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake PD, the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office, and the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office,” said Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. The ATF actively partners with its law enforcement colleagues in the Hampton Roads area and targets those who commit violent crimes and illegally possess firearms.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Gregory D. Underwood, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Norfolk; and Larry Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after the federal arrests were made and the indictments were unsealed.
This case was investigated by the ATF’s Norfolk Field Office, the Norfolk Police Department, and the Virginia State Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals, Virginia Beach Police Department, the Chesapeake Police Department, the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office and the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office. Attorneys from the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Unit, John F. Butler and James F. Entas, are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Norfolk Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Catherine Paxson, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse, Kevin M. Comstock, Joseph E. DePadilla, Kevin Hudson, William B. Jackson, William D. Muhr, and Daniel T. Young.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:17-cr-21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37.
Below is table which lists the name, age, hometown, and respective charge(s) each defendant faces.
Name, AKA
Age, Hometown
Charge(s)
Leonard Lee Brickhouse,
aka “Leo Brixx”
24, Norfolk
Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Distribution of a Controlled Substance; Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Joseph Maurice Dobey,
aka “Joe”
38, Norfolk
Distribution of a Controlled Substance; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Jason Gilliard,
aka “Hoodro Wilson”
32, Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Distribution of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Adrean Lemont Hall,
aka “Ace”
24, Virginia Beach
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Maurice Owen Johnson,
aka “Dink”
28, Norfolk
Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Distribution of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Lamare Pierre Jordan,
aka “L”
30, Norfolk
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Distribution of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
James Lamb, 28
aka “Murdok”
28, Chesapeake
Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number
James Andre Martin,
aka “Big Buff”
44, Norfolk
Distribution of a Controlled Substance; Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Darryl Moore,
aka “Little Darryl”
28, Norfolk
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Kejuan Dante Perry,
aka “KP”
25, Chesapeake
Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Distribution of Cocaine; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Keone Devon Perry, 23
23, Chesapeake
Transfer of Firearm to Prohibited Person
Carl Lee Walton, 22
aka “CJ”
22, Virginia Beach
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Man Sentenced for Operating Credit Card Forgery LabRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Eric Charles Murray, 32, of Hampton, was sentenced today to 88 months in prison for his role in establishing and operating a high-tech credit card forgery lab in his home in 2016. Murray was also sentenced to five years of supervised release, which includes computer monitoring software on any computers Murray may have.
Murray pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank, mail, and wire fraud; aggravated identity theft; and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, on Nov. 15, 2016. According to court documents, Murray established a credit card forgery lab in his home in April 2016. Over a two-month period, he used Bitcoin currency to purchase stolen credit card information on the dark web, targeting information that belonged to Virginia residents. He and his conspirators then used the credit card forgery lab to place the stolen information on counterfeited credit and debit cards, which they had re-embossed in their own names and the names of others. Murray and his conspirators used these counterfeit cards to conduct unauthorized purchases of high-end electronics and cigarettes, which they then resold for cash in Hampton Roads and New York state. Murray was identified after two cardholders reported unauthorized uses of their cards to the Newport News Police Department. Surveillance images showed Murray purchasing items with counterfeit cards at multiple retail stores in Newport News. A May 2016 search of Murray’s home in Hampton recovered several items used to manufacture credit cards, 115 counterfeit credit cards, 233 stolen credit card numbers stored on a laptop, and two handguns—one of which had been previously reported stolen. At the time these items were recovered, Murray had been convicted of felony offenses, including a crime of violence, and his rights to possess a firearm had not been restored. After his arrest, Murray repeatedly attempted to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of his offenses by pressuring another individual to claim ownership and possession of the firearms found in his residence.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Joseph W. Cronin, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton and Special Assistant Attorney Amy E. Cross prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-64.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan, 26, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and 10 years supervised release for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and making false statements to the FBI.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement, after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Elhassan, who is originally from Sudan, pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2016. According to court documents, Elhassan aided and abetted the attempt of Joseph Hassan Farrokh, 29, of Woodbridge, to travel from the U.S. to Syria in order to fight on behalf of ISIL. As part of their plan, Farrokh would travel first, followed by Elhassan at a later date. Farrokh and Elhassan spoke in detail about their potential travel, including discussing the different routes each would take to travel to Syria. Farrokh also provided $600 to Elhassan to aid in Elhassan’s future travel to Syria. Both men spoke openly with each other about supporting ISIL and violent jihad, with Farrokh saying on Oct. 2, 2015, that he had no patience and wanted to go right away and “chop their heads.”
According to the statement of facts, in an effort to conceal their plans to support ISIL, Farrokh and Elhassan communicated using apps they believed were safe from law enforcement detection. In the summer of 2015, Farrokh and Elhassan talked more seriously about going to join ISIL and concluded that they needed someone to help them do so. Elhassan contacted like-minded people all over the world and the men pursued two separate plans to travel to Syria to join ISIL, but neither plan worked out.
According to the statement of facts, Farrokh and Elhassan conspired with other persons they believed would help facilitate their travel to Syria. Over the course of many meetings, the men discussed in detail their travel plans and efforts to avoid law enforcement detection, including Farrokh shaving his beard and flying out of Richmond International Airport, where they believed there would be less security. Farrokh and Elhassan agreed that Farrokh should tell his family that he intended to travel to Saudi Arabia to study.
According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2016, Elhassan picked up Farrokh at his home in Woodbridge and drove him to Richmond to a location approximately one mile from the airport. Farrokh then took another cab to the airport, checked in for his flight, cleared security and (unbeknownst to Elhassan) was arrested as he was approaching his departure gate. When approached by investigators later that day, Elhassan falsely stated to special agents of the FBI that (a) Joseph Hassan Farrokh had flown out of Dulles Airport earlier that day on a flight to California to attend a funeral; (b) Farrokh had said that he would be back in about two weeks; (c) neither he nor Farrokh supported ISIL; and (d) neither he nor Farrokh ever tried to find someone to help them get to ISIL territory.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Dennis Fitzpatrick prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Andrew Sigler and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Virginia Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Mahmoud Amin Mohamed Elhassan, 26, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and making false statements to the FBI.
Elhassan, who is originally from Sudan, pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2016. According to court documents, Elhassan aided and abetted the attempt of Joseph Hassan Farrokh, 29, of Woodbridge, to travel from the U.S. to Syria in order to fight on behalf of ISIL. As part of their plan, Farrokh would travel first, followed by Elhassan at a later date. Farrokh and Elhassan spoke in detail about their potential travel, including discussing the different routes each would take to travel to Syria. Farrokh also provided $600 to Elhassan to aid in Elhassan’s future travel to Syria. Both men spoke openly with each other about supporting ISIL and violent jihad, with Farrokh saying on Oct. 2, 2015, that he had no patience and wanted to go right away and “chop their heads.”
According to the statement of facts, in an effort to conceal their plans to support ISIL, Farrokh and Elhassan communicated using apps they believed were safe from law enforcement detection. In the summer of 2015, Farrokh and Elhassan talked more seriously about going to join ISIL and concluded that they needed someone to help them do so. Elhassan contacted like-minded people all over the world and the men pursued two separate plans to travel to Syria to join ISIL, but neither plan worked out.
According to the statement of facts, Farrokh and Elhassan conspired with other persons they believed would help facilitate their travel to Syria. Over the course of many meetings, the men discussed in detail their travel plans and efforts to avoid law enforcement detection, including Farrokh shaving his beard and flying out of Richmond International Airport, where they believed there would be less security. Farrokh and Elhassan agreed that Farrokh should tell his family that he intended to travel to Saudi Arabia to study.
According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2016, Elhassan picked up Farrokh at his home in Woodbridge and drove him to Richmond to a location approximately one mile from the airport. Farrokh then took another cab to the airport, checked in for his flight, cleared security and (unbeknownst to Elhassan) was arrested as he was approaching his departure gate. When approached by investigators later that day, Elhassan falsely stated to special agents of the FBI that (a) Joseph Hassan Farrokh had flown out of Dulles Airport earlier that day on a flight to California to attend a funeral; (b) Farrokh had said that he would be back in about two weeks; (c) neither he nor Farrokh supported ISIL; and (d) neither he nor Farrokh ever tried to find someone to help them get to ISIL territory.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement, after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Dennis Fitzpatrick prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Andrew Sigler and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-64.
Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – John Francis Aragon, 50, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for charges of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Aragon pleaded guilty on Nov. 21, 2016. According to court documents, in May 2016, Aragon posted an ad on Craigslist seeking “fetish sex with young girl.” A detective with the Virginia Beach Police Department, in an undercover capacity, responded to the ad pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. The “girl” told Aragon that she was 14 years old at the inception of the conversation. The two chatted over a period of time and the conversations became sexually explicit. Eventually, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations took over the alleged 14-year-old’s role.
On three occasions, Aragon left money under a rock at a local park in exchange for a pair of the girl’s underwear. Aragon also expressed his desire to meet the girl in person in order to engage in sexual activity. On August 16, 2016, Aragon showed up at the park in Virginia Beach to meet the girl and was then arrested.
Dana J. Boente, 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 James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-129.
Stafford Man Convicted of Social Security Disability Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Gennaro Mattiaccio, 55, of Stafford, was convicted today by a federal jury on charges of theft of government property, making false statements in relation to obtaining Social Security disability benefits, and concealing events affecting his right to Social Security disability benefits.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mattiaccio received over $75,000 in Social Security disability benefits from April 2014 through September 2016, despite being gainfully self-employed during that same time period as the owner and sole proprietor of Rock Hill Honey Bee Farms, a commercial migratory beekeeping business. In support of his claim for Social Security disability benefits, Mattiaccio made multiple materially false statements under oath to an Administrative Law Judge from the Social Security Administration, and also submitted false and fraudulent documents, including a fake 2012 tax return, to the Social Security Administration.
Mattiaccio faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on June 16. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael McGill, Special Agent-in-Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; and Michael J. Missal, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Pedersen and Samantha Bateman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-215.
Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Joshua Manuel Treat, 20, of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking of children.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 12, 2016, Treat posted Jane Doe, a 14-year-old girl, on an Internet website and advertised her for prostitution. In order to make Jane Doe more amenable to prostitution, Treat would inject Jane Doe with heroin prior to her appointments with customers. When Treat was arrested, he was found with a handgun and a syringe containing heroin residue.
Treat faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on May 25. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-172.
Owner of Mall Kiosk Businesses Sentenced for Immigration and Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Eyal Katz, 38, a citizen of Israel, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in an immigration fraud and money laundering scheme. Katz was sentenced to three years of supervised release, a $20,000 fine and ordered to forfeit certain property.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Katz, operating from an office in Tel Aviv, Israel, would identify, recruit and send foreign nationals from Israel to the United States on B-2 visitor visas. Once those foreign nationals were in the United States, they would be sent to work for one of several business entities, known collectively as RASKO, a mall-based kiosk business in Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey through which they sold Dead Sea Salt products. Katz and his co-conspirators would provide housing and transportation to the foreign nationals.
From 2011 through the present, the conspirators, led by Omer Gur in the United States and Katz in Israel, recruited over 140 foreign nationals from Israel to work at the kiosks, in violation of the workers’ B-2 visitor visa status. From 2012 through 2014, RASKO received over $14 million through its kiosk based sales. Several million dollars from these sales were then routed to Israel-based accounts, including accounts controlled by Katz, and spent on lodging, travel, kiosk rentals and other expenses of the scheme. To date, nine of the ten charged defendants in the case have been arrested. Katz is the ninth defendant to plead guilty.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robin Blake, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington, DC Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; and Christian Schurman, Acting Director of the Diplomatic Security Service for the U.S. Department of State, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels, Lisa R. McKeel and Kevin Hudson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-17.
Black P-Stones Gang Member Sentenced to 24 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Justin Brown, 25, of Newport News, was sentenced yesterday to 288 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in racketeering as a member of the Black P-Stones gang. The Black P-Stones were involved in the distribution of narcotics, the robbery of multiple individuals and the death of at least three individuals.
Brown pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2015. According to court documents, among other criminal events, Brown drove several other Black P-Stones and associates to the home of a local marijuana dealer for the purpose of robbing him. During the course of the robbery, the marijuana dealer was murdered by one of the Black P-Stones. Following the murder, Brown drove the members away and the items taken from the marijuana dealer were divided up.
Dana J. Boente, 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 U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright-Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:13-cr-96.