Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Alexandria Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Bruno Ivan Gonzales, 39, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of receipt of child pornography.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, between January and March 2015, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) identified an Internet Protocol address near Alexandria that was downloading child pornography via a peer-to-peer network. Based on that investigation, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on a home where Gonzales lived. During the search, HSI agents seized several computer devices. Two desktop computers were found to contain child pornography, and forensic analysis of the devices revealed more than one hundred videos of child pornography and data destruction software. The analysis also confirmed that these devices had been used to download child pornography using a peer-to-peer program. When interviewed, Gonzales admitted to using the computers to receive child pornography.
Gonzales waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a criminal information on February 23, 2017. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 25, 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, 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 the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Burke IV is 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 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 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. 1:17-cr-26.
Four Men Sentenced for Armed Robbery Spree in Virginia and North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Four men were sentenced this week for their roles in several armed robberies of commercial establishments in Virginia and North Carolina.
Each of the four men listed below pleaded guilty on November 14, 2016 to robbery affecting interstate commerce and using a firearm during a crime of violence:
Name
Age
Hometown
Sentencing Details
Dikembwe Jahaan Akil Jones
25
Newport News, VA
Sentenced to 324 months
Dallas Cogdell, III
24
Hampton, VA
Sentenced to 360 months
Tyquan Demario MacCutcheon
24
Hampton, VA
Sentenced to 324 months
Armand Devon Mullen
26
Hampton, VA
Sentenced to 324 months
According to court documents, from May 6, 2016 through May 12, 2016, all four defendants robbed four Walgreens Pharmacy stores and one CVS Pharmacy in the Eastern District of Virginia, including in Williamsburg, Chesterfield, Henrico, Mechanicsville and Woodbridge. Subsequently, the four defendants traveled to North Carolina, where they robbed two Walgreens stores in Apex and Durham on May 16, 2016.
Immediately following the May 16 robbery in Durham, law enforcement performed a traffic stop on the vehicle the defendants traveled in and found evidence from the North Carolina robberies. From subsequent investigation, law enforcement linked the defendants to the robberies in the Eastern District of Virginia. Defendants Cogdell, Jones and Mullen were also found to have participated in several more commercial robberies occurring in Hampton, Virginia, from October 2015 through April 2016.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and David V. Harbach, II, 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-103.
Dental Office Manager Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining over 100,000 Hydrocodone PillsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Donna Byrd Talley, 54, of Yorktown, was sentenced today to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after being convicted at trial on charges of acquiring or obtaining a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and mail fraud.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Talley worked as a long-time office manager for Dr. Steven Becker, a Hampton dentist. Talley had control over Dr. Becker’s bank accounts and was responsible for all office administration. From 2002 through 2011, Talley used Dr. Becker’s DEA license to fraudulently obtain over 100,000 pills of hydrocodone from two dental supply companies. Talley distributed the hydrocodone to her husband and others and used it to feed her own addiction. In 2011, Talley made various cash deposits to bank accounts she owned or controlled in amounts over $7,000.
On Aug. 18, 2011, investigators with the Virginia Department of Health Professions and the Virginia State Police interviewed Talley, who admitted to ordering hydrocodone. Later that same day, an investigator recovered a pill bottle containing hydrocodone from Talley’s residence, matching shipments of hydrocodone ordered by Talley and received by Dr. Becker’s office two days earlier. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Richmond District Office Diversion Unit.
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 Ruth A. Carter, Diversion Program Manager (DEA), made the announcement after the defendant was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Megan M. Cowles 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-21.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
Haris Qamar, 26, of Burke, Virginia, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Qamar was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release to be completed after his released from prison.
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 Division made the announcement after the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Qamar pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2016. According to court documents, in May 2016, Qamar and an FBI Confidential Witness (CW) discussed ISIL’s need for photographs of possible targets in and around Washington, D.C., for use in a video that ISIL purportedly was making to encourage lone-wolf attacks in the Washington, D.C., area. Qamar offered the CW ideas of what to photograph, including the Pentagon and numerous landmarks in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., which could be targeted for terrorist attacks. On June 3, 2016, a conversation was audio and video recorded when the CW picked up Qamar in a vehicle and drove to area landmarks on the list Qamar previously developed. Qamar said “bye bye DC, stupid ass kufar, kill’em all.” Qamar and the CW met again on June 10, 2016, and drove to a location in Arlington to take additional photographs for the purported ISIL video.
According to the statement of facts, during numerous conversations with the CW, Qamar expressed his interest and excitement in the extreme violence associated with ISIL. Qamar said he loved the bodies, blood, and beheadings. He recalled watching a video of a Kurdish individual being slaughtered and he liked the cracking sound made when the individual’s spinal cord was torn. On several occasions, Qamar said he could slaughter someone and described how he would do it. Qamar also stated he admired lone-wolf attackers because they love Islam so much that they are willing to die as martyrs for Islam. In the same conversation, Qamar and the CW also discussed suicide bombings. The CW said the CW did not believe in suicide bombings, but Qamar responded, “I believe in it 100 percent.”
According to the statement of facts, on Sept. 11, 2015, terrorists connected with ISIL posted a “kill list” to the internet containing the names and addresses of U.S. military members. A few days later, Qamar told CW that the residences of several service members who appeared on the “kill list” were near Qamar’s home, and Qamar observed undercover police cars near those residences. On Sept. 16, 2015, Qamar tweeted his prayer that Allah “give strength to the mujahideen to slaughter every single US military officer.”
Moreover, according to the statement of facts, on Sept. 25, 2015, Qamar told the CW that he tried to join ISIL in 2014, and purchased a plane ticket from Newark, New Jersey, to Istanbul, Turkey. Qamar, however, did not show up for the flight because his parents prevented him from doing so; Qamar’s parents took his passport. Qamar said his parents threatened to notify law enforcement and said he fought with his father and called his father a traitor to Islam. On Nov. 18, 2015, the CW asked Qamar if his father gave him back his passport, would Qamar travel overseas and join ISIL. In response, Qamar said if that happened, “I’m done, I leave.”
In a related matter, Soufian Amri, 32, of Falls Church, Virginia, and Michael Queen, 28, of Woodbridge, Virginia, acquaintances of Qamar, were arrested on Wednesday and charged with obstructing justice and conspiring to provide material false statements to law-enforcement officers who were investigating Qamar.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Haris Qamar, 26, of Burke, was sentenced today to 8 1/2 years in prison for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Qamar was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release to be completed after he is released from prison.
Qamar pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2016. According to court documents, in May 2016, Qamar and an FBI confidential witness (CW) discussed ISIL’s need for photographs of possible targets in and around Washington, D.C., for use in a video that ISIL purportedly was making to encourage lone-wolf attacks in the Washington, D.C., area. Qamar offered the CW ideas of what to photograph, including the Pentagon and numerous landmarks in Arlington and Washington, D.C., which could be targeted for terrorist attacks. On June 3, a conversation was audio and video recorded when the CW picked up Qamar in a vehicle and drove to area landmarks on the list Qamar previously developed. Qamar said “bye bye DC, stupid ass kufar, kill’em all.” Qamar and the CW met again on June 10 and drove to a location in Arlington to take additional photographs for the purported ISIL video.
According to the statement of facts, during numerous conversations with the CW, Qamar expressed his interest and excitement in the extreme violence associated with ISIL. Qamar said he loved the bodies, blood, and beheadings. Qamar said he recalled watching a video of a Kurdish individual being slaughtered, and he liked the cracking sound made when the individual’s spinal cord was torn. On several occasions, Qamar said he could slaughter someone and described how he would do it. Qamar also stated he admired lone-wolf attackers because they love Islam so much that they are willing to die as martyrs for Islam and, in the same conversation, Qamar and the CW discussed suicide bombings. The CW said the CW did not believe in suicide bombings, but Qamar responded, “I believe in it 100 percent.”
According to the statement of facts, on Sept. 11, 2015, terrorists connected with ISIL posted a “kill list” to the internet containing the names and addresses of U.S. military members. A few days later, Qamar told the CW that the residences of several service members who appeared on the “kill list” were near Qamar’s home, and Qamar observed undercover police cars near those residences. On Sept. 16, 2015, Qamar tweeted his prayer that Allah “give strength to the mujahideen to slaughter every single US military officer.”
Moreover, according to the statement of facts, on Sept. 25, 2015, Qamar told the CW that he tried to join ISIL in 2014, and he purchased a plane ticket from Newark, New Jersey, to Istanbul, Turkey. Qamar, however, did not show up for the flight because his parents prevented him from doing so by taking his passport. Qamar said his parents threatened to notify law enforcement and said he fought with his father and called his father a traitor to Islam. On Nov. 18, 2015, the CW asked Qamar if his father gave him back his passport, would Qamar travel overseas and join ISIL, and, in response, Qamar said if that happened, “I’m done, I leave.”
In a related matter, Soufian Amri, 32, of Falls Church, and Michael Queen, 28, of Woodbridge, acquaintances of Qamar, were arrested on Wednesday and charged with obstructing justice and conspiring to provide material false statements to law enforcement officers who were investigating Qamar.
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 Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and Andrew Sigler 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-227 (Qamar) and 1:17-mj-62 (Amri/Queen).
D.C. Man Sentenced for Real Estate Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Homayoon Daneshvar, 63, a resident of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for charges related to a $1.9 million investment fraud scheme.
Danshevar was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, forfeit $1.945 million, and pay $926,020 in restitution.
Daneshvar pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2016. According to court documents, from in or about April 2009 to January 2013, Daneshvar lied and made false promises to eight victim investors to persuade them to give him approximately $1.9 million. Daneshvar told the victim investors the money would be used for bridge financing to purchase foreclosed property that would be “flipped,” or quickly resold for profit. Daneshvar promised a monthly return on their investments, but in reality Daneshvar used the money to invest in the stock market, pay “returns” on the investments back to the investors, and to pay for his own personal expenses.
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, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace L. Hill 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-231.
California Meth Distributor Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – David John Russell, 38, of Fallbrook, California, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Russell pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2016. According to court documents, a methamphetamine distributor operating in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area traveled to California to obtain large quantities of methamphetamine. Russell met with this methamphetamine distributor and agreed to provide the distributor with methamphetamine. Then, on two separate occasions, Russell used the U.S. Postal Service to send approximately one pound of methamphetamine. Law enforcement successfully seized both packages.
The case was investigated by the DEA and U.S. Postal Service as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Ring of Ice. 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.
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 Joseph W. Cronin, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), 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-202.
Thug Relations Gang Member Sentenced to 40 YearsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Maurice McLain, 33, of Newport News, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy involving the Thug Relations gang in Newport News.
McLain was found guilty by a jury on June 17, 2016, after a three-week jury trial. According to court documents, McLain was a member of the gang Thug Relations. Members and associates of Thug Relations were responsible for drug trafficking, numerous shootings, home invasions, and murders. Specifically, the jury found McLain guilty of the murder of 17-year-old Aaron Sumler at Aqueduct Apartments on July 5, 2007. McLain, who at the time of trial was serving a 15-year sentence for using a gun during narcotics trafficking, will ultimately serve 50 years in prison for his crimes.
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 Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Samuels and Lisa R. McKeel, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne Garcia 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. 4:14-cr-59.
Six Indicted in Hampton Roads Heroin and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Six Hampton Roads residents were indicted yesterday for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, heroin and fentanyl over a four-year period in Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
According to allegations in the indictment, Terry Glenn Williams, 33, of Newport News, was an armed drug dealer who distributed heroin and cocaine from various hotels in Hampton Roads and used female drug addicts to engage in prostitution to further the conspiracy. Williams is charged with the heroin overdose death of Michelle Gonyer on April 8, 2013, and another overdose involving serious bodily injury. Williams and Kristen Paiva, 26, of Hampton, are also charged with the heroin overdose death of Caroline Eaton on April 10, 2013. Williams is also charged with carrying firearms while engaged in selling and supplying heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base.
Name
Age, Hometown
Charges
Terry Glenn Williams
33, Newport News
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Cocaine Base and Fentanyl; Maintaining Drug Involved Premises; Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate Drug Trafficking; Distribution of Cocaine, Cocaine Base and Heroin; Distribution of Heroin resulting Death and Serious Bodily Injury; Money laundering.
Longene Durae Alexander
34, Newport News
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Cocaine Base and Fentanyl; Maintaining Drug Involved Premises; Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate Drug Trafficking; Distribution of Cocaine, Cocaine Base and Heroin; Distribution of Heroin resulting Death and Serious Bodily Injury; Money laundering
Tymane Raymond Springs
32, Newport News
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Cocaine, Cocaine Base and Fentanyl; Maintaining Drug Involved Premises; Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate Drug Trafficking; Distribution of Cocaine, Cocaine Base and Heroin; Distribution of Heroin resulting Death and Serious Bodily Injury
Tiffany Renee Taylor
29, Newport News
Distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury
Ashley Lorraine Kearney
32, Yorktown
Distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury
Kristen Rose Paiva
26, Hampton
Distribution of heroin resulting in death
Williams, Alexander, Springs, Taylor, and Pava each face a maximum penalty of 20 years to life in prison, if convicted. Kearney faces a maximum penalty of 20 years. 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 Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Filed Division, made the announcement after the indictment was returned by the grand jury. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Howard J. Zlotnick 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. 4:17-cr-16.
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.
Jury Convicts Woman of Freddie Mac and Veterans Affairs ID TheftRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Allise Jones, 29, of Lanham, Maryland, was convicted today by a federal jury on charges of conspiracy to commit identity theft, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, two counts of access device fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jones conspired with others to use personally identifiable information (PII) about current and former employees of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and others. From October 2012 to April 2014, Jones and her co-conspirators had access to PII from over 100 VA employees and more than 2,000 Freddie Mac employees and affiliates. Jones and her co-conspirators used that information to obtain fraudulent identification documents and credit accounts used to defraud financial institutions, retailers, and others. Jones used the information to obtain credit cards she used to purchase goods and services such as plastic surgery, expensive jewelry, and travel.
Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of access device fraud, 5 years in prison for both conspiracy to commit identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft when sentenced on May 19, 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; Laura S. Wertheimer, Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); and Michael J. Missal, Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Castanien and Charlie Divine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fahey 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-282.
Gang Associate Sentenced to 25 Years for 2010 MurderRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Chadrick Lard, 26, of Newport News was sentenced today to 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a 2010 Newport News robbery that ended with a murder.
Lard pleaded guilty on Dec. 30, 2015. According to court documents, Lard was an associate of the Black P-Stones gang in Newport News. As part of a gang initiation, Lard and three others went to a home in Newport News intending to rob its occupant of drugs and money. During the course of the robbery, one of Lard’s associates forced the occupant of the home to the ground and shot him in the head, killing him. Following the murder, Lard and his associates fled the scene and divided the proceeds of the robbery. The leader of the Black P-Stones, Michael Hopson, was convicted of racketeering charges including two murders and four attempted murders, on Dec. 5, 2016. Hopson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10.
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 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. 4:13-cr-96.
Hampton-Based Spice Dealer Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Jayson Mickle, 31, of Hampton, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues.
Mickle pleaded guilty on June 27, 2016. According to court documents, from 2008 to 2014, Mickle sold smokable synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “spice,” in the Hampton Roads area and, eventually, nationwide. Spice consists of plant material sprayed with ever changing active chemical ingredients often produced in clandestine laboratories in China. These chemicals mimic the effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Mickle sold blends of spice with names like Hampster Purp, HPT Cherry, Bizarro, and Orgazmo. Although the packets of spice were labeled “not for human consumption,” Mickle knew that the spice was to be smoked for its intoxicating properties.
Mickle began sales through retail stores by the name of Hampton Pipe and Tobacco, located in Hampton, Newport News, Gloucester and Norfolk. In 2010, Mickle also began a wholesale operation online called Blazin Herbs. In 2013, the wholesale outfit’s name was changed to 7 City Gifts. At times, Mickle was supplied by Zencense, which was a large-scale spice producer and wholesaler based in Florida. Between January 2012 and April 2013, Mickle’s spice distribution operation purchased in excess of 1,000 kilograms of spice for resale from Zencense and its successor company, Zenbio, which was based in California. Mickle’s operations also supplied the Red Barn, a convenience store in Newport News, with spice in late 2013 into early 2014. From 2010 to 2012 alone, Mickle’s retail operation, Hampton Pipe and Tobacco, grossed over $9.6 million in spice sales. Mickle, who used a significant portion of his drug proceeds to purchase over two dozen real properties, was also ordered to forfeit those properties.
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; Joseph W. Cronin, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Richard Myers, Chief of Police, Newport News Police Department; Terry L. Sult, Chief of Police, Hampton Police Department; and Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Hurt and Kevin Hudson, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Cross-Rochefort 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. 4:15-cr-18.
Fauquier County Agrees to Resolve ADA Review of Polling LocationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Fauquier County has agreed to resolve an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance review of its polling locations to ensure that its polling locations comply with the ADA.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Under this agreement, voters with disabilities in Fauquier County can vote at the polling place near their home and alongside their neighbors and friends.”
As part of a nation-wide Department of Justice voting rights initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted an ADA compliance review of Fauquier County’s polling locations. The review revealed that many polling places in Fauquier County have architectural barriers that make them inaccessible to voters who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments.
Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Fauquier County will make temporary and permanent changes to its polling places to make the locations accessible to voters who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments. Fauquier County also has the option of relocating these polling locations to alternate accessible locations. Going forward, the county will only select new polling place locations that are accessible on election day. The county will also provide training to poll workers and file reports with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on its compliance.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Gordon, who is the Civil Rights Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Title II of the ADA prohibits public entities from discriminating against people with disabilities in their programs, services and activities. With respect to polling places, public entities are required to select and use polling places that are accessible. To learn more about ADA requirements for polling place accessibility or about the ADA and other laws protecting the rights of voters with disabilities, visit www.ada.gov/ta-pubs-pg2.htm. For more information on the ADA and to access this publication, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.
Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography of BoysRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Vincenzo Leonardi, 27, of Lakewood, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography in connection with his online impersonation of a minor girl to entice and coerce minor boys to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, from at least May 2012 to February 2016, Leonardi posed as a minor girl named “Taylor Capps” on Facebook, Instagram, Kik, and other social media services, for the purpose of contacting minor boys over the Internet to engage in sexually explicit communications and conduct. For example, as part of his scheme, Leonardi sent pictures of a minor girl and other naked females to his victims. One victim, located in Loudoun County, was 9 years old at the time he was contacted by Leonardi. For that victim and at least five others located throughout the country, Leonardi successfully enticed and coerced them to record themselves engaged in sexually explicit behavior and to transmit those photographs and videos to Leonardi. As part of his plea agreement, Leonardi admitted that he attempted to similarly entice and coerce at least a dozen other minor boys he contacted online, all of whom were between the ages of 9 and 12 years old.
As part of his plea agreement, Leonardi admitted that his personal laptop computer, which was seized during the execution of a search warrant in December 2015, contained over two dozen sexually explicit videos and over 100 sexually explicit images of minors.
Leonardi was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 3, 2016, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on May 12. 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; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya D. Song and Jay V. Prabhu are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Ohio and the District of Maryland significantly aided in the investigation.
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-247.
Former University Business Professor sentenced to Prison for Hiding over $220 Million in Offshore BanksRead the Press Release
A now retired business school professor, who amassed a $220 million fortune in secret foreign accounts, was sentenced to seven months in prison today for conspiring to defraud the United States and to submit a false expatriation statement to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 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. He also has been assessed and paid a $100 million civil penalty for his concealment of these accounts.
“For 15 years, Dan Horsky stashed assets and hid income offshore in secret bank accounts,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg. “That scheme came to an abrupt end when IRS special agents came knocking on his door. The days of hiding behind shell corporations and foreign bank secrecy laws are over. Now is the time for accountholders to come in, accept responsibility, and help ensure that the lawyers, financial advisers and other professionals who actively facilitated offshore evasion also are held accountable.”
“Hiding assets and creating secret accounts in an attempt to evade income taxes is a losing game,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “Horsky went to great lengths to hide assets overseas in order to avoid paying his share of taxes to the IRS. Today’s sentence shows that we will continue to prosecute bankers and U.S. citizens who engage in this criminal activity. I want to thank IRS-Criminal Investigation and our prosecutors for their work on this important case.”
“Mr. Horsky’s criminal actions to evade his federal income tax obligations were particularly flagrant and unacceptable,” said Chief Richard Weber of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). “Together with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI will continue to unravel complex financial transactions and hold those accountable who hide assets offshore and dodge the tax system. IRS-CI special agents are the best financial investigators and we will continue to follow the money trail wherever it may lead.”
According to documents filed with the court and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Dan Horsky, 71, formerly of Rochester, New York, is a citizen of the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel who served for more than 30 years as a professor of business administration at a university located in New York. Beginning in approximately 1995, Horsky invested in numerous start-up companies, virtually all of which failed. One investment in a business referred to as Company A, however, succeeded spectacularly. In 2000, Horsky transferred his investments into a nominee account in the name of “Horsky Holdings” at an offshore bank in Zurich, Switzerland (the “Swiss Bank”) to conceal his financial transactions and accounts from the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department.
In 2008, Horsky received approximately $80 million in proceeds from selling Company A’s stock. Horsky filed a fraudulent 2008 tax return that underreported his income by more than $40 million and disclosed only approximately $7 million of his gain from the sale. The Swiss Bank opened multiple accounts for Horsky to assist him in concealing his assets: including one small account for which Horsky admitted that he was a U.S. citizen and resident and another much larger account for which he claimed he was an Israeli citizen and resident. Horsky took some of his gains from selling Company A’s stock and invested in Company B’s stock. By 2015, Horsky’s offshore holdings hidden from the IRS exceeded $220 million.
Horsky directed the activities in his Horsky Holdings’ account and the other accounts he maintained at the Swiss Bank, despite the fact that he made no effort to conceal that he was a U.S. resident. In 2012, Horsky arranged for an individual referred to as Person A to take nominal control over his accounts at the Swiss Bank because the bank was closing accounts controlled by U.S. persons. The Swiss Bank later helped Person A relinquish that individual’s U.S. citizenship, in part to ensure that Horsky’s control over the offshore accounts would not be reported to the IRS. In 2014, Person A filed a false Form 8854 (Initial Annual Expatriation Statement) with the IRS that failed to disclose his net worth on the date of expatriation, failed to disclose his ownership of foreign assets, and falsely certified under penalties of perjury that he was in compliance with his tax obligations for the five preceding tax years.
Horsky’s tax evasion scheme ended in 2015 when IRS special agents confronted him at home regarding his concealment of his foreign financial accounts.
Horsky willfully filed fraudulent federal income tax returns that failed to report his income from, and beneficial interest in and control over, his foreign financial accounts. In addition, Horsky failed to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARs) up and through 2011, and also filed fraudulent 2012 and 2013 FBARs. In total, in a 15-year tax evasion scheme, Horsky evaded more than $18 million in income and gift tax liabilities.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, Horsky was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a fine of $250,000. As part of his plea agreement, Horsky also paid a penalty of $100 million dollars to the U.S. Treasury for failing to file, and filing false, FBARs and paid over $13 million in taxes owed to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Boente commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Senior Litigation Counsel Mark F. Daly and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lytle of the Eastern District of Virginia, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former Business Professor Sentenced to Prison for Hiding over $220 Million in Offshore BanksRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Dan Horsky, 71, formerly of Rochester, New York, who amassed a $220 million fortune in secret foreign accounts, was sentenced today to seven months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and to submit a false expatriation statement to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As part of his plea agreement, Horsky paid a civil penalty of $100 million to the U.S. Treasury for failing to file and filing false Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.
“Hiding assets and creating secret accounts in an attempt to evade income taxes is a losing game,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Horsky went to great lengths to hide assets overseas in order to avoid paying his share of taxes to the IRS. Today’s sentence shows that we will continue to prosecute bankers and U.S. citizens who engage in this criminal activity. I want to thank IRS-Criminal Investigation and our prosecutors for their work on this important case.”
According to documents filed with the court and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Dan Horsky, 71, formerly of Rochester, New York, is a citizen of the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel who served for more than 30 years as a professor of business administration at a university located in New York. Beginning in approximately 1995, Horsky invested in numerous start-up companies, virtually all of which failed. One investment in a business referred to as Company A, however, succeeded spectacularly. In 2000, Horsky transferred his investments into a nominee account in the name of “Horsky Holdings” at an offshore bank in Zurich, Switzerland (the “Swiss Bank”) to conceal his financial transactions and accounts from the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department.
“For 15 years, Dan Horsky stashed assets and hid income offshore in secret bank accounts,” said Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “That scheme came to an abrupt end when IRS special agents came knocking on his door. The days of hiding behind shell corporations and foreign bank secrecy laws are over. Now is the time for accountholders to come in, accept responsibility, and help ensure that the lawyers, financial advisers and other professionals who actively facilitated offshore evasion also are held accountable.”
In 2008, Horsky received approximately $80 million in proceeds from selling Company A’s stock. Horsky filed a fraudulent 2008 tax return that underreported his income by more than $40 million and disclosed only approximately $7 million of his gain from the sale. The Swiss Bank opened multiple accounts for Horsky to assist him in concealing his assets: including one small account for which Horsky admitted that he was a U.S. citizen and resident and another much larger account for which he claimed he was an Israeli citizen and resident. Horsky took some of his gains from selling Company A’s stock and invested in Company B’s stock. By 2015, Horsky’s offshore holdings hidden from the IRS exceeded $220 million.
“Mr. Horsky’s criminal actions to evade his federal income tax obligations were particularly flagrant and unacceptable,” said Richard Weber, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI). “Together with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI will continue to unravel complex financial transactions and hold those accountable who hide assets offshore and dodge the tax system. IRS-CI special agents are the best financial investigators and we will continue to follow the money trail wherever it may lead.”
Horsky directed the activities in his Horsky Holdings’ account and the other accounts he maintained at the Swiss Bank, despite the fact that he made no effort to conceal that he was a U.S. resident. In 2012, Horsky arranged for an individual referred to as Person A to take nominal control over his accounts at the Swiss Bank because the bank was closing accounts controlled by U.S. persons. The Swiss Bank later helped Person A relinquish that individual’s U.S. citizenship, in part to ensure that Horsky’s control over the offshore accounts would not be reported to the IRS. In 2014, Person A filed a false Form 8854 (Initial Annual Expatriation Statement) with the IRS that failed to disclose his net worth on the date of expatriation, failed to disclose his ownership of foreign assets, and falsely certified under penalties of perjury that he was in compliance with his tax obligations for the five preceding tax years.
Horsky’s tax evasion scheme ended in 2015 when IRS special agents confronted him at home regarding his concealment of his foreign financial accounts.
Horsky willfully filed fraudulent federal income tax returns that failed to report his income from, and beneficial interest in and control over, his foreign financial accounts. In addition, Horsky failed to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBARs) up and through 2011, and also filed fraudulent 2012 and 2013 FBARs. In total, in a 15-year tax evasion scheme, Horsky evaded more than $18 million in income and gift tax liabilities.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, Horsky was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a fine of $250,000.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Richard Weber, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lytle, Senior Litigation Counsel Mark F. Daly, and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division 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-224.
Former Army National Guardsman Sentenced to 11 Years for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 27, of Sterling, Virginia, and a former member of the Army National Guard, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and five years supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
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 Liam O’Grady.
Jalloh pleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2016. According to court documents, in March 2016, a now-deceased member of ISIL who was located overseas brokered an introduction between Jalloh and an individual in the U.S. who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS). The ISIL member was actively plotting an attack in the U.S. and believed the attack would be carried out with the assistance of Jalloh and the CHS. Jalloh met with the CHS on two occasions and told the CHS he was a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard, but that he decided not to re-enlist after listening to online lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, a deceased leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Jalloh had recently taken a six-month trip to Africa where he had met with ISIL members in Nigeria and first began communicating online with the ISIL member who later brokered his introduction to the CHS. During their meeting, Jalloh also told the CHS he thought about conducting an attack all the time, and that he was close to doing so at one point.
Jalloh claimed to know how to shoot guns and praised the gunman who killed five U.S. military members in a terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 2015. Jalloh also stated he had been thinking about conducting an attack similar to the terrorist attack at Ft. Hood, Texas, in November 2009, which killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, during the May 2016 meeting, Jalloh asked the CHS about the timeline for an operation and commented that it was better to plan an attack operation for the month of Ramadan, and stated that such operations are, “100 percent the right thing.” Jalloh also asked if the CHS could assist him in providing a donation to ISIL. Ultimately, Jalloh provided a prepaid cash transfer of $500 to a contact of the CHS that Jalloh believed was a member of ISIL, but who was in fact an undercover FBI employee.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in June 2016, Jalloh travelled to North Carolina and made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain firearms. On July 2, 2016 Jalloh went to a gun dealership in northern Virginia, where he test-fired and purchased an assault rifle. Unbeknownst to Jalloh, the rifle was rendered inoperable before he left the dealership with the weapon. Jalloh was arrested the following day and the FBI seized the rifle.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Gibbs and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Former Army National Guardsman Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 27, of Sterling, a former member of the Army National Guard, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Jalloh pleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2016. According to court documents, in March 2016, a now-deceased member of ISIL brokered an introduction between Jalloh and an individual in the United States who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS). The ISIL member was actively plotting an attack in the United States and believed the attack would be carried out with the assistance of Jalloh and the CHS. Jalloh met with the CHS on two occasions and told the CHS he was a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard, but that he decided not to re-enlist after listening to online lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, a deceased leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Jalloh had recently taken a six-month trip to Africa where he had met with ISIL members in Nigeria and first began communicating online with the ISIL member who later brokered his introduction to the CHS. During their meeting, Jalloh also told the CHS he thought about conducting an attack all the time, and that he was close to doing so at one point. Jalloh claimed to know how to shoot guns and praised the gunman who killed five U.S. military members in a terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in July 2015. Jalloh also stated he had been thinking about conducting an attack similar to the attack at Ft. Hood, Texas, in November 2009, which killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, during the May 2016 meeting, Jalloh asked the CHS about the timeline for an operation and commented that it was better to plan an attack operation for the month of Ramadan, and stated that such operations are, “100 percent the right thing.” Jalloh also asked if the CHS could assist him in providing a donation to ISIL. Ultimately, Jalloh provided a prepaid cash transfer of $500 to a contact of the CHS that Jalloh believed was a member of ISIL, but who was in fact an undercover FBI employee.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in June 2016, Jalloh travelled to North Carolina and made an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a firearm. On July 2, Jalloh went to a gun dealership in northern Virginia, where he test-fired and purchased an assault rifle. Unbeknownst to Jalloh, the rifle was rendered inoperable before he left the dealership with the weapon. Jalloh was arrested the following day and the FBI seized the rifle.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Mary B. McCord, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Gibbs, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack, and Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism 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-mj-296.
Virginia Beach Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Bruce Lee Scott, 30, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 192 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for receipt of child pornography.
Scott pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2016. According to court documents, Scott received numerous images of child pornography through an internet-based file sharing program. After conducting a search warrant on his residence, investigators found that Scott possessed more than 1,000 pictures and 46 videos of child pornography on his laptop. Investigators also found evidence suggesting that Scott was having a sexual relationship with a minor. According to statements made in court, that evidence has been provided to the Virginia Beach Police Department and a state prosecution is underway. Court records show that Scott was convicted in 2006 for indecent liberties with a child, and as a result of that conviction he is required to register as a sex offender.
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, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Stoker prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
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-137.
Man Convicted of Smuggling Artifacts from Pakistan into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Ijaz Khan, 42, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, was convicted today by a federal jury for multiple crimes, including his role in a conspiracy to smuggle ancient artifacts into the United States from Pakistan.
According to evidence presented at trial and court records, Khan was part of a conspiracy that smuggled ancient artifacts including pottery and bronze weapons, which were stolen from burial sites, and coins from a cave temple in Pakistan called the Kashmir Smast. Khan and Vera Lautt, 57, also of Santa Fe, New Mexico, used their business, Indus Valley, to sell the artifacts. One shipment of artifacts was stopped at Dulles International Airport in October 2013. Ijaz and others then attempted to obtain the shipment by submitting various false and fraudulent documents to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Khan was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully, conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, smuggling goods into the United States, mail fraud, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and obstruction of an official proceeding. Lautt was convicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Khan and Lautt submitted fraudulent documents to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which enabled Khan to immigrate to the United States in 2003 and later become a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009. In order to further the conspiracy, Ijaz and Vera concealed Ijaz Khan’s wife and children in Pakistan. The conspiracy included eleven separate attempts to obtain immigration benefits by fraud, five of which were successful and another five of which were still pending as of the date of indictment. According to court records, Ijaz Khan used his fraudulently-obtained U.S. citizenship to cause the fraudulent immigration and naturalization of his four oldest children. Khan also filed petitions on behalf of his brother, mother and two youngest children.
Khan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, while Lautt faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both will be sentenced on May 5. 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; Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State; and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine L. Wong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Harrison 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-130.
Former Fort Eustis Soldier Sentenced to 30 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Daniel Joseph Salgat, 39, of Bay City, Michigan, a former Army soldier stationed at Fort Eustis, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography. Salgat was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,202.58 to a victim of his crimes.
Salgat pleaded guilty on July 14, 2016. According to court documents, Salgat portrayed himself on-line as a young female in order to obtain images and videos of other young females. In several cases, Slagat blackmailed and threatened the children into producing images and videos. Salgat was ultimately identified and arrested by law enforcement after an investigation into his attempt to persuade a 10-year-old child he met online to come out of her house and perform oral sex on him.
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 Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
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. 4:15-cr-95.
Former President & CEO of Monarch Mortgage Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Edward O. Yoder, 50, of Virginia Beach, the former president and chief executive officer of Monarch Mortgage, which is a part of Monarch Bank in Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to two years in prison for concealing approximately $350,000 in bankruptcy assets. Yoder was also ordered to pay $364,660 in criminal restitution.
Yoder pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2016. According to court documents, in 2008 and 2009, Yoder obtained two loans totaling $3 million for a planned residential community in North Carolina. Yoder filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 2011, as he was facing two lawsuits in Virginia Beach Circuit Court. Yoder lost his lawsuits and the Bank of Hampton Roads sought to recover the loans that Yoder personally guaranteed. The initial Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing listed $2.74 million in assets, which included approximately 133,000 shares of stock in Sirius XM Radio, worth a few hundred thousand dollars. Yoder’s initial Chapter 11 petition was dismissed in early 2012, and in December 2012, Yoder again filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition and a chapter 7 trustee was appointed. During the course of the second bankruptcy petition, Yoder failed to disclose the sale of his Sirius stock, which he discreetly sold in October 2012 for approximately $350,000. On the same day of the sale of Sirius stock, Yoder wired the $350,000 to his Monarch bank account and then transferred the same approximate amount money to girlfriend and co-conspirator Susan Spearman’s Monarch account. Spearman concealed the $350,000 in her account until after Yoder filed his Chapter 7 petition on December 5, 2012. Two weeks later, on December 19, 2012, Spearman, at the behest of Yoder, transferred the $350,000 from her account to her brokerage account with Infinex Financial Group, Virginia Asset Group. Thereafter, from December 19, 2012, to January 24, 2014, Yoder caused Spearman to disburse with bank checks from her brokerage account over $310,000 from Spearman’s brokerage account, for his own benefit and for the benefit of his parents and children.
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 the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Haynie 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-83.
Virginia Beach Man Sentenced to Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Robert Lee Petty, 43, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 17 1/2 years in prison for production of child pornography. Petty was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release to be completed upon his release from prison.
“Production of child pornography is one of the most offensive and serious crimes in the entire criminal code,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “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.”
Petty pleaded guilty on Sept. 1, 2016. According to court documents, Petty forced a child to produce child pornography for him to view for approximately five years, beginning when the child was 11 years old. Several of the videos depicted Petty in the room when the production was taking place.
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 Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. 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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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-119.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to Prison for DoD Contract Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Babatunde Aniyi, 33, of Lagos, Nigeria, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for a conspiracy to defraud United States defense contractors and impersonation of United States officers. Aniyi was also ordered to pay $1,515,524.18 in restitution to his victims.
Aniyi pleaded guilty on Oct. 21, 2016. According to court documents, Aniyi and a co-conspirator in Nigeria impersonated U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) officials using fake DOD email accounts and websites. Aniyi and his co-conspirator would order computers and smart phones in the name of DOD officials and divert the packages to Nigeria, with the help of two of the U.S.-based co-conspirators, Solomon Oyesanya and Oludayo Edgal. Oyesanya and Edgal pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges last year and were sentenced to 60 and 27 months in prison, respectively. According to court documents, the conspiracy caused more than $1.5 million in losses.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffery Thorpe, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Cyber Field Office; 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 Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer and Maya D. Song 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. 1:14-cr-311.
Newport News Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Tidewater RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Sylvester Lipscombe, 49, of Newport News, was sentenced to 20 years in prison his role in a string of commercial robberies in Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News in 2015.
Lipscombe was pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2016. According to court documents, Lipscombe completed multiple commercial robberies from September 29 to Dec. 28, 2015. Over the 90 day period Lipscombe completed the following five robberies: 1) Burger King in Suffolk, Sept. 29, 2015; 2) Krispy Kreme in Hampton, Oct. 18, 2015; 3) Hampton Health Mart in Hampton, Dec. 1, 2015; 4) Checksmart in Hampton, Dec. 4, 2015; 5) Metro PCS in Newport News, Dec. 23, 2015. At sentencing Lipscombe was ordered to pay $8,816.22 in restitution, and was sentenced to an additional two years in prison for violating the terms of his federal supervised release.
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; Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police; Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division; and Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Suffolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. 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-40.
Fort Washington Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Hameed Jide Bello, 38, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Bello pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2016. According to court documents, Bello sold cocaine from May 2015 until his arrest in July 2016 while attempting to sell four ounces of cocaine. During much of that time, Bello regularly sold cocaine in amounts ranging from one ounce to one kilogram to Cristan Taylor of Springfield, who will be sentenced on March 3. Taylor would then redistribute the cocaine to others in Fairfax County and elsewhere.
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 was 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-219.
Arlington Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – James Jeffrey Schroeder, 50, of Arlington, a former teacher’s assistant in Texas, was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for receiving and downloading child pornography. Schroeder was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $182,000 in restitution to victims.
Schroeder pleaded guilty on Oct. 28, 2016. According to court documents, from approximately 1997 to 2015, Schroeder received and downloaded child pornography from the internet and from a family member. A forensic review of Schroeder’s electronic media revealed more than 13,000 images and 400 videos of child pornography. Numerous images and videos were sadistic or masochistic in nature.
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, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell 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-242.
Union Official Sentenced to Prison for Stealing over $1 MillionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Robert Smith, III, 49, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for a decade-long scheme to defraud the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 970 of over $1 million. Smith was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to the union in the amount of $1,072,669.10.
Smith pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2016. According to court documents, Smith served as the Business Agent and the Financial Secretary for ILA, Local 970. Local 970 is a union whose members provide qualified labor to the Port of Virginia. From March 2006 through April 2016, Smith devised a scheme to embezzle funds from the Local 970 bank accounts. Specifically, Smith deposited new member initiation fees and member dues received from local employers into an ILA Bank account, and then used those funds for his own personal purposes. Over a period of 10 years, Smith stole approximately $1,072,669.10 of union funds. withdrew over $700,000 in cash to support his drug habit, paid his personal credit card bills, and used the funds to purchase gas, food, clothing, shoes, toys, entertainment, and home improvement supplies.
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; Robin Blake, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington, D.C. Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Mark Wheeler, District Director of the Washington District Office of the Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa E. O’Boyle 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-134.
Gloucester County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Timothy Justin George, 27, of Gloucester County, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in September 2016, law enforcement conducted a search of George’s home and seized a number of electronic devices. A forensic examiner completed a forensic analysis of the devices and found over 31,000 images of child pornography.
George was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 14, 2016, and faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 8. 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 Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
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-96.
James City County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Charles K. Young, 69, of James City County, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in August 2016, a family member of Young’s called the James City County Police to report that Young was in possession of child pornography. The family member provided enough information to allow police to obtain a search warrant for Young’s home. Upon execution of the search warrant, detectives seized a number of electronic devices and ultimately a forensic examiner found more than 22,000 images of child pornography. Young also admitted to receiving a movie containing images of minor males engaged in sexually explicit activity.
Young was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 15, 2016. Young faces a minimum five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 17. 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 Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel 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-78.
Williamsburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Edward Joseph Matish III, 25, of Williamsburg, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for accessing with intent to view child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. Matish was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Matish pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2016. According to court documents, Matish was a member of Playpen, a hidden website dedicated to the sharing of child pornography that operated on the Tor network from August 2014 until March 2015. Between October 2014 and March 2015, Matish logged into Playpen and viewed content depicting the sexual exploitation of children. In December 2014, Matish wrote on the site that he used it to control his attraction to young girls, encouraging others like him to “[l]eave the touching to the brave souls willing to risk everything for our relief.”
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 Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton 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-16.
Gospel Singer Sentenced for $4 Million Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jacqueline Green-Morris, 41, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for her role in a money laundering conspiracy which resulted in a loss of $4.1 million.
Green-Morris pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2016. According to court documents, Green-Morris was employed as a Quality Analyst/Training Manager for a federal government contractor based in Virginia. As part of her duties, Green-Morris paid invoices submitted by outside vendors for employee training and testing. In 2012, Green-Morris conspired with Amit Chaudhry, owner of an Ashburn based business, to submit inflated and fraudulent invoices for payment of information technology training and professional certification courses that were never provided. Green-Morris and the co-conspirator also created numerous “shell” companies and opened bank accounts in the names of the “shell” companies to facilitate the movement of the proceeds of the fraudulent payments through PayPal. Green-Morris used additional bank accounts held in the names of various entities she controlled, including Jacquie Green Music LLC and Sweet Lane Entertainment, companies used to facilitate her gospel singing career. The amount of loss in this case was at least $4.1 million and Green-Morris used the proceeds to purchase a home in Woodbridge, travel, gamble and purchase luxury items for herself and others.
Co-conspirator Amit Chaudhry pleaded guilty on Sept. 20, 2016, and is scheduled for sentencing on February 9.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division; Thomas 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), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly R. Pedersen and Katherine L. Wong 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-190.
Virginia Beach Man Gets 10 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Brandon Matthew Florin, 34, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for receipt of child pornography.
Florin pleaded guilty on Sept. 20, 2016. According to court documents, Florin was first identified sharing child pornography on a peer-to-peer network by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia Beach Police Department. After the execution of a search warrant at Florin’s residence, law enforcement forensically analyzed Florin’s computer media and found well over 5,000 videos of child pornography and child erotica.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington; 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.
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-100.
Thug Relations Gang Members Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
Three members of the Thug Relations street gang were sentenced today to life in prison for their roles in multiple murders and robberies, in addition to other crimes related to their criminal enterprise.
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; Special Agent in Charge Martin Culbreth of FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Chief of Police Richard Myers of the Newport News Police Department made the announcement.
Brothers Eric Pridgen, aka “Rabbit,” 33, and Herbert Pridgen, aka “Bok,” 29, along with co-conspirator Maurice McClain, 33, all of Newport News, Virginia, were convicted by a federal jury of four VICAR murders, Hobbs Act robbery violations, felon in possession charges and use of a firearm resulting in murder. Today’s sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson of the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thug Relations was a Virginia-area criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence, including five murders, numerous drug robberies and shootings. The jury convicted the three defendants of racketeering conspiracy with special verdicts on four separate murders.
Three other defendants, Douglas Ashby, Robbie Bowles and Antonio Johnson were charged in the same indictment, but pleaded guilty prior to trial.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne A. Garcia of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Brian J. Samuels of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Thug Relations Gang Members Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two brothers who were members of the local street gang “Thug Relations” were sentenced today to life in prison, respectively, for their roles in multiple murders and robberies, in addition to other crimes related to their criminal enterprise.
Eric Pridgen, aka “Rabbit’, 33, and Herbert Pridgen, aka “Bok”, 29, both of Newport News, along with co-conspirator Maurice McClain, 33, also of Newport News, were convicted by a federal jury of four VICAR murders, Hobbs Act robbery violations, felon in possession charges and use of a firearm resulting in murder. One of the felon in possession charges related to the murder of an innocent woman, Gale Perch, who was killed on Nov. 15, 2009, as she was in a car with the intended murder victim.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, “Thug Relations” was a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence, including five murders, numerous drug robberies and shootings. The jury convicted the three defendants of racketeering conspiracy with special verdicts on four separate murders; the murder of Aaron Sumler, on July 5, 2007; Lafayette Bailey on Dec. 15, 2009; Lloyd Robinson on Jan. 9, 2010; and Dominque Wharton on March 16, 2010.
Name, Age, Hometown
Charges Convicted of
Sentencing Information
Eric Pridgen, 33,
Newport News
Racketeering conspiracy, (including the murders of Lafayette Bailey, Lloyd Robinson and Dominque Wharton); multiple robberies; murder in aid of racketeering; use, carry, discharge of firearm resulting in murder, felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and interference with commerce by robbery.
Sentenced today to four consecutive life sentences
Hebert Pridgen, 29, Newport News
Racketeering conspiracy, (including the murders of Lafayette Bailey, and Lloyd Robinson, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, murder in aid of racketeering, and, use, carry and discharge a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in murder.
Sentenced today to two consecutive life sentences
Maurice McLain, 33, Newport News
Racketeering conspiracy, including the murder of Aaron Sumler.
Sentencing February 16
Robbie Bowles, 31, Newport News
Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy on Nov. 16, 2015. Admitted his participation in the racketeering conspiracy and his involvement in the murder of Aaron Sumler.
Sentenced on May 3, 2016, to 25 years
Antonio Johnson, 30, Newport News
Pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2016, to using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in the murder of Lafayette Bailey.
Sentenced on May 10, 2016, to 20 years
Douglas Ashby, 30, Newport News
Pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy on Nov. 12, 2015. Admitted his participation in the racketeering conspiracy and his involvement in the murders of Aaron Sumler and Lloyd Robinson.
Sentenced March 16, 2016, to 34 years
Three other defendants, Douglas Ashby, Robbie Bowles and Antonio Johnson were charged in the same indictment, but pleaded guilty prior to trial.
Eric and Herbert Pridgen faced a mandatory life sentence following their convictions on the murder in aid of racketeering charges. Maurice Mclain faces a maximum penalty of up to life in prison based on the special verdict form returned regarding the murder of Aaron Sumler. 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; Acting Assistant Attorney General David Bitkower of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Richard Myers, Chief of Police, Newport News Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa R. McKeel and Brian J. Samuels, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Yvonne A. Garcia of the Criminal Division’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. 4:14-cr-59.
Man Arrested at Dulles International Airport with Fake PassportRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kofi Kyei Asare Takyi, 44, a citizen of Ghana, was arrested Monday after attempting to enter the United States with a false passport at Dulles International Airport.
“Violating U.S. immigration law is a very serious offense, and one that has the potential to threaten our nation’s security,” said Wayne Biondi, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port Director of the Area Port of Washington Dulles. “We hope that this criminal prosecution deters would-be impostors, and reminds them that Customs and Border Protection officers are skilled at detecting fraudsters and that we remain ever vigilant at our nation’s 328 ports of entry.”
Takyi was charged with false statements in application and use of a passport. According to allegations in the criminal complaint, on January 22, Takyi arrived at Dulles International Airport on a flight from Brussels, Belgium, and presented a false passport in the name of Michael Christopher Wilson to a CBP agent. After questioning and a search of Takyi’s baggage, CBP agents found several identifying documents, including a Georgia driver’s license; a Maryland driver’s license; a social security card all in the name of Michael Christopher Wilson. Additionally, CBP agents found a Ghanaian passport, a Maryland driver’s license, and several credit cards in the name of Michael Christopher Wilson and Kofi Kyei Asare . A finger print identification examination returned positive results which included an FBI number having multiple arrests and at least three identities. After being advised of his Miranda rights, admitted that Michael Christopher Wilson was not his true identity, and that he was a citizen of Ghana and not the United States.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Wayne Biondi, Customs and Border Protection Port Director of the Area Port of Washington Dulles, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marina C. Fernandez 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. 1:17-mj-26.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Owner of Offshore Brokerage Firm Sentenced to Prison for Role in International Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A Canadian citizen and permanent resident of Costa Rica was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in an international money laundering conspiracy in connection with international “pump and dump” securities fraud scheme.
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 Special Agent in Charge Timothy Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division made the announcement.
Michael J. Randles, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia. In October 2016, Randles pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, Randles controlled and operated an offshore brokerage and money laundering platform located in San Jose, Costa Rica, that went by various names, including Moneyline Brokers, Sandias Azucaradas, and Trinity Asset Services (collectively Moneyline) with his co-conspirator Harold Bailey Gallison II. Randles admitted that the purpose of Moneyline was to trade securities, primarily microcap or “penny stocks,” through U.S. and offshore accounts. While managing Moneyline’s Costa Rica office, Randles exercised authority over banking and financial transactions; operated Moneyline’s unregistered securities business in Europe; and opened U.S. and offshore brokerage and bank accounts, including in Europe and elsewhere, that were used to facilitate the conspiracy. Randles admitted that Moneyline often did business under the names of various shell companies to conceal both the true source and ownership of the securities and the flow of the funds.
Further, in connection with his plea, Randles admitted that Moneyline laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from the pump and dump of the Colorado-based company Bryn Resources Inc. While Bryn Resources purported to be engaged in the mining and exploration of precious metals in Canada, in reality, Bryn was a shell company with no or nominal operations or assets. During the promotion of Bryn Resources, over 3.5 million shares of the company were liquidated through Moneyline accounts, generating the proceeds that were laundered through Moneyline accounts in the United States and overseas.
Three of Randles’s co-conspirators, Gallison, Ann Marie Hiskey and Roger G. Coleman, previously pleaded guilty in the case. Gallison was sentenced to serve 216 months in prison; Hiskey and Coleman were each sentenced to two years’ probation.
FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney N. Nathan Dimock and Trial Attorney Michael O’Neill of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace L. Hill of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
Owner of Offshore Brokerage Firm Sentenced for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Michael J. Randles, 49, a Canadian citizen and permanent resident of Costa Rica, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in an international money laundering conspiracy in connection with international “pump and dump” securities fraud scheme.
This sentence takes into account 11 months of detention Randles served in Spain while contesting extradition to the United States, for which Randles will receive no further credit. The Court also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release, full restitution, and forfeiture.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea agreement, Randles controlled and operated an offshore brokerage and money laundering platform located in San Jose, Costa Rica, that went by various names, including Moneyline Brokers, Sandias Azucaradas, and Trinity Asset Services (collectively Moneyline) with his co-conspirator Harold Bailey Gallison II. Randles admitted that the purpose of Moneyline was to trade securities, primarily microcap or “penny stocks,” through U.S. and offshore accounts. While managing Moneyline’s Costa Rica office, Randles exercised authority over banking and financial transactions; operated Moneyline’s unregistered securities business in Europe; and opened U.S. and offshore brokerage and bank accounts, including in Europe and elsewhere, that were used to facilitate the conspiracy. Randles admitted that Moneyline often did business under the names of various shell companies to conceal both the true source and ownership of the securities and the flow of the funds.
Further, in connection with his plea, Randles admitted that Moneyline laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from the pump and dump of the Colorado-based company Bryn Resources Inc. While Bryn Resources purported to be engaged in the mining and exploration of precious metals in Canada, in reality, Bryn was a shell company with no or nominal operations or assets. During the promotion of Bryn Resources, over 3.5 million shares of the company were liquidated through Moneyline accounts, generating the proceeds that were laundered through Moneyline accounts in the United States and overseas.
Three of Randles’s co-conspirators, Gallison, Ann Marie Hiskey and Roger G. Coleman, previously pleaded guilty in the case. Gallison was sentenced to serve 216 months in prison; Hiskey and Coleman were each sentenced to two years’ probation.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Blanco, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Timothy Slater, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace L. Hill and Senior Trial Attorney N. Nathan Dimock and Trial Attorney Michael O’Neill of the Criminal, Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
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. 1:15-cr-178.
Hampton Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Jerome Paul Frostman, 47, of Hampton, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for receipt of child pornography.
Frostman pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2016. According to court documents, Frostman was distributing child pornography using a peer-to-peer network. After a search warrant was executed at his residence, Frostman acknowledged accessing child pornography from his laptop and stated he “gets a thrill” out of viewing child pornography. During an interview with law enforcement agents Frostman confessed to downloading and receiving over 1,000 images of child pornography, in addition to previously sexually assaulting a child on multiple occasions.
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 Megan M. Cowles 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-55.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion of over $500KRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Napoleon Robinson, 65, of Lauderhill, Florida, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for charges of evasion of employment tax payment. Robinson was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay over $508,000 in restitution.
Robinson pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2016. According to court documents, between January 2000 and December 2013, Robinson owned and operated a series of ship welding and repair businesses in New York and Virginia. Beginning in 2005, Robinson began to fall habitually behind on paying the IRS the employment taxes he withheld from his employees. Rather than make arrangements to pay as required, Robinson simply closed down one ship repair company and opened a new one in the name of a nominee owner – including his sister, his teenaged niece, and a friend. Robinson himself, however, ran these companies, made all financial and personnel decisions, and controlled the businesses’ bank accounts. Eventually, the IRS caught on to Robinson’s employment tax “pyramiding” scheme and opened an investigation into his series of businesses. In the course of that investigation, Robinson made material false statements to the IRS Revenue Officer and otherwise attempted to impede IRS’s collection efforts. The total tax due and owing resulting from Robinson’s serial ownership of these ship repair companies is just over $500,000.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Thomas Holloman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. 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-111.
Navy Chief Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Sterlin D. Williams, 38, of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Williams admitted that he created a video of himself engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 12 years old during the summer of 2015.
Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 17, 2016, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on April 27. 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 Maureen Evans, Special Agent in Charge, NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa K. Nichol 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-161.
Drug Trafficker with Ties to Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to 27 YearsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Deric Jevon Twitty, 38, of Portsmouth, was sentenced today to 324 months in prison for his role in a multi-year conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana up and down the east coast. Twitty was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $3.37 million, which represents the proceeds of the offense.
Twitty pleaded guilty on July 12, 2016. According to court documents, he was involved with a Mexican drug cartel and operated an extensive drug operation over the course of two years that distributed wholesale amounts of heroin, marijuana, and cocaine up and down the east coast including cities like Philadelphia, New York City, Charlotte, and all throughout Hampton Roads. He used at least two co-conspirators to insulate himself from the risks associated with narcotics trafficking. One co-conspirator, working on behalf of Twitty, made nearly $300,000 in cash deposits into 22 accounts in just six months. These accounts, some of which originated in Metamoros, and Nogales, Mexico were often emptied within 24 hours of receiving the funds.
Special agents from the DEA arrested the defendant on May 3, 2016, and recovered 2.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, over a quarter kilogram of heroin and marijuana, a stolen Glock 21 semi-automatic firearm, several cellular telephones, a money counter, and $18,745 in cash.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Boente thanks the Portsmouth Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
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-79.
Spice Manufacturers Convicted for Selling Spice in Hampton RoadsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Charles Burton Ritchie, 46, Benjamin Galecki, 42, both of Pensacola, Florida, were convicted today by a federal jury on charges related to their respective roles in a $21 million spice manufacturing and distribution conspiracy.
“Spice is a dangerous mixture of ingredients that can be deadly,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Often it is our young people who fall victim to these illegal drugs, obtaining them at gas stations and convenience stores without any idea how dangerous they can be. I want to commend our trial team and investigative partners for their terrific work on this case.”
“Spice wreaks havoc on the lives of its users,” said Clark E. Settles, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, which oversees the Norfolk office that conducted this investigation. “Consumers ingest these toxic chemicals for a short-term high, all too often to have devastating effects on their bodies. Today’s verdict underscores the hard work our special agents and law enforcement partners do to protect the people of Hampton Roads.”
“Today’s verdict demonstrates the commitment of FDA and its law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who distribute potentially dangerous unapproved drugs, which poses a risk to the public health,” said Mark McCormack, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
Ritchie and Galecki were indicted on Sept. 8, 2015. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Ritchie and Galecki operated Zencense, a Pensacola-based company that manufactured smokable synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “spice,” throughout 2012. Ritchie and Galecki’s company gave their spice blends such names as Bizarro, Neutronium, Orgazmo, and Sonic Zero. Their products contained XLR-11 and UR-144, which at that time were analogues of JWH-018, a Schedule I controlled substance. In Dec. 2012, Ritchie and Galecki purported to sell their company to a third party in California, though they continued to exercise control over the company into 2013. The new company’s name was ZenBio.
Between August 2012 and April 2013, Zencense and ZenBio shipped a total of approximately 1,000 kilograms of spice to the Hampton Roads area. Zencense and ZenBio spice was sold at Hampton Pipe and Tobacco, a headshop in Hampton, as well as at the Red Barn, a convenience store in Newport News, among other locations.
Ritchie and Galecki each face a maximum penalty of 79 years in prison when sentenced on May 22. 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; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of (HSI) Washington; Joseph Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark McCormack, Special Agent in Charge of Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations; Terrance Salt, Chief of the Hampton Police Division; Richard W. Myers, Chief of the Newport News Police Department; and Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Hurt and Kevin Hudson 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. 4:15-cr-18.
Portsmouth Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Kenneth Ray Matthews, 44, of Portsmouth, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and transferring a firearm to a felon.
Matthews was found guilty by a federal jury on Sept. 29, 2016, following a three-day trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Matthews and his son, Kenneth Ray Meeks, 27, also of Portsmouth, distributed over 13 kilograms of cocaine in the Hampton Roads area between November 2013 and August 2015. On Aug. 13, 2015, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Matthews’ residence in Portsmouth and discovered 17 grams of cocaine, digital scales, 34 firearms, 3,288 rounds of ammunition and over $30,000 in cash.
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; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Col. K.L. Wright, Chesapeake Chief of Police; and Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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-61.
Navy Sailor Sentenced for Murder-for-Hire Plot to Kill WifeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Chadwick Stanley Ghesquiere, 38, of Virginia Beach was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for his role in an attempted murder-for-hire plot to kill his wife.
“Violence is never the answer to ending a relationship,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Despite Ghesquiere’s best attempts to distance himself, law enforcement agents were able to uncover his murder-for-hire plot and potentially prevent a tragic loss of life. I want to thank our investigative partners at the ATF and NCIS for their terrific work on this case.”
Ghesquiere pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2016. According to court documents, in August 2016, Ghesquiere hired an undercover federal special agent to murder his estranged wife. Ghesquiere provided the undercover agent with $1,000 in cash, 80 Adderall pills, and a firearm to commit the murder. Ghesquiere also promised to pay the undercover $50,000 of his $100,000 life insurance policy for conducting the murder. After his arrest, Ghesquiere admitted that he tried to distance himself during the investigation by using a pre-paid burner phone to coordinate a meeting with the undercover agent. He also admitted to receiving Adderall from the military and then distributing the pills to another individual who resides in his neighborhood.
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 Maureen Evans, Acting Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock 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-128.
Virginia Beach Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 11 YearsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Jesus Lee, 37, of Virginia Beach, was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Lee pleaded guilty on July 6, 2016. According to court documents, Lee was the intended recipient of five kilograms of cocaine shipped in a tractor-trailer to Hampton Roads. After the cocaine was discovered during an out-of-state traffic stop, DEA agents supervised a controlled delivery to Lee, who received the drugs at an industrial lot in Chesapeake. After exchanging a bag of cash for the cocaine, Lee was immediately arrested. At sentencing, Lee was attributed with receiving dozens of kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bosse prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Boente would like to thank the DEA’s Mobile Resident Office for their assistance in the investigation.
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-93.
Heroin Dealer Arrested in Loudoun County Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – George Eric Stevens, 33, of Jamaica, New York, pleaded guilty today to charges his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Stevens obtained heroin from a source of supply in New York. Instead of distributing it locally, he traveled to Loudoun County where he believed distribution would be more lucrative. Stevens was arrested on Nov. 16, 2016, in Loudoun County with approximately 170 grams of heroin that he intended to distribute.
Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 8, 2016, with conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing detectable amount of heroin. Stevens faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison when sentenced on April 21. 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; Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff; and Gregory C. Brown, Leesburg Chief of Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Peters 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-281.
Man Pleads Guilty to Role in International Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Lamar Gayle, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty today to drug charges related to his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, on Feb. 12, 2016, Gayle traveled from Brooklyn to Charleston, South Carolina, to receive 15 kilograms of cocaine from a Panamanian drug trafficking organization (DTO) for domestic distribution. On the same day, law enforcement intercepted 15 kilograms of cocaine on a commercial shipping vessel at the Port of Charleston sent by the Panamanian DTO. On Feb. 13, 2016, Gayle obtained a bag containing 15 kilograms of cocaine in Charleston from a co-conspirator while under surveillance of law enforcement, and upon taking possession of the cocaine, Gayle boarded a commercial bus and traveled to the Eastern District of Virginia. On Feb. 14, 2016, law enforcement executed a drug interdiction operation in Sussex County on the commercial bus on which Gayle was traveling. During the stop of the bus, law enforcement surveillance observed Gayle hide the bag containing the cocaine under a seat inside the bus, and shortly thereafter seized the bag containing the 15 kilograms of cocaine.
Gayle was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 20, 2016, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on April 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; Daniel Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Atlanta Division; Nick Annan, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta; Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent, Virginia State Police; and Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Siebert, Peter S. Duffey, and David V. Harbach, II 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. 3:16-cr-108.
Housekeeper Sentenced for Stealing $550,000 from Elderly EmployerRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Dana Morris, 42, of Williamsburg, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for stealing over $558,595.26 from her former employer, an elderly resident of Williamsburg.
Morris pleaded guilty on July 14, 2016. According to court documents, Morris pleaded guilty to engaging in a monetary transaction involving proceeds of unlawful activity and tax evasion. Through her work as a housekeeper and a personal assistant, Morris gained access to the victim’s home and personal effects. Between 2012 and 2014, Morris altered and completely forged 117 checks drawn on her employer’s personal checking account. Morris deposited all of these checks into her personal checking account and spent all of the stolen money on, among other things, rent, jewelry, and over $445,000 in retail and entertainment items. In March 2014, Morris and another individual signed a promissory note to purchase a 2014 Hyundai Sonata Limited for $27,000.00. On the day the payment was due, Morris stole and forged three checks drawn on her employer’s checking account, each in the amount of $7,500.00. Morris used the stolen funds to pay the balance of the new vehicle in full. During the period in which she stole from her elderly employer, Morris failed to report the majority of the stolen money on her federal income taxes. In her 2012 tax return, Morris falsely underreported her income. Morris then evaded the assessment of personal income tax in 2013 and 2014 by failing to file tax returns and filing extensions in which she falsely stated she would owe no tax for each year. In total, Morris evaded the assessment and payment of income tax totaling $172,497.00.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Thomas Holloman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Kaitlin C. Gratton prosecuted the case. This case was adopted for prosecution through the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Financial Crimes Task Force.
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-4.
Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to $1.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Amy Lynn Galloway, 45, of Cumberland, pleaded guilty today to charges related to running a bookkeeping fraud scheme that caused a loss of approximately $1.5 million over eight years from a Richmond residential development and construction company.
According to the filed court documents, Galloway, who worked as the bookkeeper of the construction business, stole approximately $1.54 million from 2009 until 2016. Galloway’s scheme had two parts. First, Galloway wrote unauthorized checks on several business checking accounts, then would deposit the checks into her own bank accounts and joint bank accounts she shared with her children. She would then use the funds for personal purposes. Galloway hid the check misappropriations by not recording the fraudulent checks in the accounting records she regularly prepared, maintained and submitted to the outside accountants for tax purposes.
The second part of Galloway’s scheme was fraudulently misusing business credit card accounts for personal purposes. From 2007 to 2016, Galloway deposited approximately 578 fraudulent business checks worth approximately $1.1 million into personal bank accounts, and misused the credit card numerous times in the approximate total amount of $440,000.
Galloway faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on April 20. 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 Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Maguire 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. 3:16-CR-157.