Western District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Pair Sentenced for Roles in Lee County Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of out-of-state men, one from Tennessee and another from Michigan, who conspired with others to traffic heroin into Lee County, Virginia, were sentenced yesterday in federal court.
David Edward Farmer, 57, of Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Farmer was sentenced to yesterday to eight years in federal prison.
Robert Lee Jenkins, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 1,000 grams or more of heroin. Jenkins was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and one day in prison.
According to court documents, beginning in September 2021, Jenkins, Farmer, and others, including John Joel Foster, Ray Anthony McSwain, Garrett Lee Teffeteller, Darin Thomas, and Robert Warr, conspired to sell heroin in and around Lee County, Virginia.
During the relevant time periods, Farmer sold heroin to co-conspirator Darin Thomas and others, some of which was then resold. Farmer also was widely known to trade heroin in exchange for firearms.
Jenkins often drove his co-conspirator and half-brother, Robert Warr, around the Knoxville, Tennessee area to distribute heroin to other members of the conspiracy. Although Warr handled most of the supplying of the drugs, Jenkins was aware he was driving Warr around for the purpose of trafficking heroin. In addition, Jenkins handled money from the drug transactions and, at one point, rented a hotel room for Warr and other co-conspirators in order to sell their heroin.
Warr pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this year.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nine Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Duffield, Virginia man, whose criminal history includes 15 previous felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms, was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for illegally possessing a revolver.
Lynn Edward Bowen, 46, pled guilty in October 2023 to one count of receiving any firearm affecting interstate or foreign commerce, while knowing or having a reasonable cause to believe such receipt would constitute a felony.
According to court documents, on June 16, 2022, Bowen was arrested outside of Glamorgan Church in Wise County, Virginia in possession of a Smith and Wesson .38 revolver and a small quantity of methamphetamine. Bowen told the arresting officer he was a convicted felon and was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Bowen later informed officers he had been given the revolver from a friend earlier that month.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Pleads Guilty to Illegal Drug Dispensing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A doctor from North Carolina, who was assigned to several pain clinics in Virginia but was rarely physically on-site at any of them, pled guilty this week in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Virginia.
Wendell Lewis Randall, 70, of Millers Creek, North Carolina, conspired with others to use, in the course of dispensing and distributing controlled substances, a DEA registration number issued to another person. DEA registration numbers are unique identifiers issued to medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions and to ensure only qualified providers prescribe controlled substances.
According to court documents, between 2017 and 2020, Randall—a medical doctor who operated his own practice in North Carolina—was affiliated with L5 Medical Holdings, doing business as Pain Care Centers, an LLC operating pain clinics in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg.
Randall was nominally assigned to the Woodlawn clinic, but he was only occasionally ever on-site. He was also absent from the Christiansburg and Madison Heights clinics, where Randall allowed other, unqualified medical providers to use his DEA registration number to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine) in his name, even though he had not seen the patients who received the drugs.
Court documents, including text messages, show L5 paid Randall in exchange for using his DEA registration number. Randall also acknowledged in these messages that he was not seeing patients at L5’s clinics and that he was aware his arrangement with L5 was illegal.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Maureen Dixon, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police Col. Gary Settle, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason M. Scheff, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
Federal Prosecutors Work up the Chain and Convict California Man Trafficking Fentanyl into Southwest VirginiaRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Buena Park, California man, who supplied as many as 30,000 pressed fentanyl pills a week to individuals who shipped the pills to Southwest Virginia, pled guilty today to a pair of federal drug charges.
Robert Contreras, 23, a.k.a. “Quill,” pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the following statement today following the guilty plea:
“Fentanyl, especially in the form of pressed pills, is taking its toll on America, and Virginia is no exception. This case shows one way how we are combatting the pressed pill epidemic.
After a tragic overdose event in Southwest Virginia, the federal prosecutors in my Office worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, prosecute, and convict the wholesale supplier of the overdose, who was here in Virginia. We then identified his direct supplier (Ortiz) in California, who we also charged and convicted here in Virginia. We identified Ortiz’s supplier in California (Orozco) and charged and convicted him here as well. In this matter, we identified Orozco’s supplier – Mr. Contreras – who was selling between 10,000 and 30,000 pills a week for distribution into communities across America, to include the Western District of Virginia.
Our bottom line is this: We will not sit by and allow individuals to profit by distributing this poison into our communities, and we will follow the trail as far as we can. We will investigate and prosecute individuals like Mr. Contreras and hold them accountable here in the Western District of Virginia.”
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2023, Contreras sold between 10,000 and 30,000 pressed fentanyl pills from his home in California to co-conspirator Marco Orozco at least once a week for further distribution. At the height of the conspiracy in late 2021 and early 2022, Contreras sold Orozco 10,000 pressed fentanyl pills multiple times per week.
Contreras knew Orozco, and others, were distributing the pressed pills he provided to customers throughout southwest Virginia and other locations across the country. Specifically, Orozco’s sub-distributors used various social media platforms to facilitate their drug trade.
On March 6, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Contreras’ residence in California. At that time, officers recovered 1,639 pressed fentanyl pills, $31,294 in cash, and five firearms without serial numbers, in addition to approximately 7,000 alprazolam pills, 3,000 Adderall pills, 242 grams of cocaine, and other hallucinogenic narcotics.
Contreras is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2024 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Virginia State Police), the Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Ana (CA) Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department (CA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
Felon Who Fired Pistol in Residential Neighborhood Convicted on Federal Charges for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VA – A federal jury convicted a Roanoke man for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
Robert Overstreet II, 31, was previously convicted for malicious wounding, attempted burglary, and distribution of methamphetamine. Overstreet also had a disqualifying misdemeanor conviction for assault and battery on a family member.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 14, 2022, a detective with the City of Roanoke Police Department saw Overstreet fire a pistol from an SUV parked in the 1200 block of Hanover Avenue NW. Police stopped the SUV and found a pistol in the driver’s lap. Forensic analysis revealed gunshot residue on both of Overstreet’s hands.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Roanoke Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Andrew Bassford, Lee S. Brett and Drew O. Inman prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Maryland Man Charged with Leading Multi-State Sex Trafficking NetworkRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The FBI’s I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force has charged a Maryland man with using drug dependency to force at least five adult victims into commercial sex work, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, announced today.
William Oneil Murray III, 35, was indicted yesterday on three counts of sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, one count of transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution, and one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to facilitate prostitution.
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, and those who perpetrate it must be held accountable,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Exploiting victims’ drug dependency and addiction is the most common form of human trafficking we are seeing here in Virginia, and I am grateful to the I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force and the Virginia State Police for bringing this case to justice and providing some relief to these victims.”
“We are proud of the work the I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force is accomplishing via these multi-state partnerships. This case demonstrates how victims’ vulnerabilities are used against them and highlights the dedication of the men and women who work to bring justice for them,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “ If you are a victim of human trafficking or you have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888, where resources are available.”
“This case highlights the importance of having trained law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels working together to combat human trafficking in the Commonwealth and abroad,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “This investigation demonstrates the zero tolerance Virginia law enforcement, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have for those who prey on vulnerabilities and exploit other human beings for personal profit or gain.”
According to court documents, from as early as 2016 through July 2022, Murray engaged in a multi-state sex trafficking operation involving at least five adult female victims. Murray controlled his victims’ narcotics use, not allowing them to obtain drugs from anyone but himself, therefore taking complete control of each victim’s drug dependency.
In order to further control his victims and force them into commercial sex work, Murray withheld drugs from them, making them “dope sick,” a term one victim described as being like the flu but five times worse, based on withdrawal symptoms from heroin and other opiates.
Murry maintained strict control over his victims’ activities. Victims were not allowed to go anywhere without Murray’s permission and were punished if they did so. Court documents also claim Murray took all of his victims’ cell phones. Occasionally, Murray allowed his victims to use one of his phones to communicate with commercial sex customers but would regularly get print outs of call and text logs to ensure the victims were not texting or calling anyone but customers.
The alleged criminal behavior occurred in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force (I-81 HTTF) and the Virginia State Police are investigating the case.
The I-81 HTTF is a collaborative effort of law enforcement and community partners focused on identifying instances of human trafficking along the I-81 corridor in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland; prosecuting those responsible; and providing assistance to the victims impacted by these crimes. The I-81 HTTF includes law enforcement from the counties of Frederick, Clarke, and Shenandoah as well as the cities and towns of Front Royal, Hagerstown, and Frederick, Maryland, and Lord Fairfax Community College.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith and Sally Sullivan are prosecuting the case for the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Halfway House and Former President Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – The former president and director of Secor, Inc., a federal halfway house that contracted with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to house inmates, pled guilty today to making false statements and committing wire fraud. The corporation, through its attorney, also pled guilty to those charges. The former president and director will serve at least one year in federal prison under the plea agreement.
Matthew Castle, 35, of Lebanon, Virginia, and Secor, Inc., each pled guilty today in federal court to one count of making materially false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the United States and one count of wire fraud.
Under the plea agreements, Castle will serve between 12 and 21 months in prison, and Secor will serve a term of probation of one to five years. Additionally, Castle and Secor will pay $208,105 in restitution, forfeit $40,000, and pay an additional $30,000 in fines.
“This company and its former president and director were paid to house offenders for the Bureau of Prisons and instead of taking on that responsibility, they chose to defraud the American taxpayers and the Bureau of Prisons,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This case was investigated internally using a U.S. Attorney’s Office financial fraud investigator and it represents a new beginning for the Western District of Virginia, one where financial crimes are investigated and prosecuted entirely within our Office.”
According to court documents, Secor was a residential reentry center, commonly referred to as a halfway house, for inmates from the BOP who were nearing the end of their federal prison sentences.
In 2018, Secor entered into a contract with the BOP that allowed some of the offenders under the care of Secor to be assigned to “home confinement,” meaning those offenders resided at an approved residence not owned by Secor. BOP paid Secor a per diem rate for offenders who resided at Secor’s facilities and a different per diem rate for those on home-confinement.
Under the terms of the contract, Secor was required to outfit home-confinement offenders with GPS monitoring equipment so the offenders’ whereabouts could be determined at all times. In addition, Secor personnel were required to personally visit each offender’s residence on at least a monthly basis to ensure the offender was living at the offender’s assigned residence, in a safe environment, and in accordance with applicable rules.
In fact, Castle and Secor failed to meet these requirements. For example, Secor did not outfit many of the home-confinement offenders with GPS monitoring and failed to conduct home visits as required. Nonetheless, Castle routinely completed documentation certifying that he had conducted such visits and noted no issues. In addition to signing these phony documents himself, Castle often wrote false observations like “things were going well,” and the offender “had no questions or concerns to address at the time.”
Each month, Castle submitted invoices to BOP for payments pursuant to the contract between Secor and the BOP. BOP then issued payments to Secor based on Castle and Secor’s representations that Castle and Secor were providing home-confinement services in accordance with the contract.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the assistance of the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Pierce and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case.
Roanoke Man Indicted for Gun Crimes, Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Federal agents arrested a Roanoke County man late last week who was indicted by a federal grand jury for his involvement in a violent Hobbs Act robbery and a variety of firearms offense.
On Friday, Damon Tyler Mills, a.k.a. Tyler Mills, 27, was arrested on a federal indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
The indictment, returned under seal last week, was unsealed following Mills’ arrest. He made his initial court appearance today.
According to the indictment, in December 2018, Mills and another individual robbed two individuals of a firearm, marijuana, and money, and brandished a firearm in doing so. Approximately two months later, on February 24, 2019, Mills is alleged to have been involved in another incident, whereby he discharged a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mills is charged with possessing marijuana on that same date with the intent to distribute the marijuana.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roanoke County Police Department investigated the case.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlene R. Day and Jason M. Scheff are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Martinsville Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Martinsville, Virginia man pled guilty last week in United States District Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Donald Edward Ponder, III, 36, will be sentenced on February 29, 2024.
According to court documents, on May 4, 2022, officers with the Martinsville Police Department encountered Ponder walking towards Fidelity Bank in Martinsville, Virginia. Ponder had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and was known to local police.
As Ponder approached the entrance of the bank, officers placed him under arrest for the outstanding warrant and escorted him away from bank customers and into the parking lot. During a subsequent search of Ponder, officers discovered a Jennings .22 caliber pistol in his right hip pocket and observed a black zip container hanging from his front belt loop. A search of that container revealed 17 individually packaged jewelry baggies containing approximately 11 grams of methamphetamine. Ponder told officers there was another firearm in his backpack. A search of the backpack revealed a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, an additional G2C magazine, a baggie of jewelry bags, and a working electronic digital scale. Both pistols were fully loaded with one bullet in each chamber. Further investigation revealed the defendant had been previously convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
At sentencing, Ponder faces a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Martinsville Police Department investigated the case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Gochenour, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section is prosecuting the case.
Former Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to Jail, Fined for Illegal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A 71-year-old former nurse practitioner, who worked at L5 Medical, a chain of pain clinics with locations in the Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg areas, was sentenced to jailtime and fined this week in federal court.
Debra Shaffer, of New Castle, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to one count of using the DEA Registration number of another while prescribing controlled substances. DEA Registration numbers are unique identifiers issued by medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions.
Shaffer was sentenced to five days in prison, a fine of $5,000, and one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, Shaffer was an important part of a years-long scheme to illegitimately distribute Suboxone by staff providers who lacked the training, experience, and legal authority to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine). The illegal use of DEA Registration numbers facilitated this scheme and was designed to deceive pharmacists and the Government about the true nature of who was writing the prescriptions for controlled substances. For example, Shaffer regularly saw opioid-addicted patients at the Christiansburg clinic and wrote Suboxone prescriptions under the name of doctors who did not see the patients. Some patients continued to receive controlled substance prescriptions even after showing obvious “red flags” of drug abuse, such as failing drug tests, taking unprescribed drugs, or having drug overdoses.
Shaffer also followed the advice of non-medical personnel in the course of prescribing controlled substances. One of those individuals, Charles Wilson Adams, Jr., is currently serving a two-year prison sentence for federal drug charges related to the same clinics. Charges against other individuals remain pending.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Col. Gary Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentence.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason Scheff, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
Florida Woman’s 10-year Sentence Ends Drug Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Florida woman, the ninth and final defendant to be sentenced as part of a large methamphetamine conspiracy, was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison.
Jacqueline Tatiana Cuellar, 53, of Orlando, Florida, was convicted along with three other co-defendants by a Harrisonburg jury of conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine or 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture.
In addition to Cuellar, Stephen “City” Purks, 36, of King George, Virginia, Carlos “C-Lo” Bariola, 35, of Hialeah, Florida, and Natassia “Prima” Kimble, 32, of Hialeah, Florida, were tried by jury and convicted.
In July 2023, Bariola, Purks, and Kimble were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy: Bariola was sentenced to 27 years, Purks to 25 years, and Kimble to 10 years.
Co-defendants Jessica Grote, 37, of Jacksonville, Florida, Ashlyn Gates, 35, of Baker, West Virginia, Stephanie Butler, 28, of Winchester, Virginia, April Mosley, 43, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Catherine Rec, 48, of Newport News, Virginia, all pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, both Purks and Bariola are career criminals who were serving time in state prison in Florida. During the life of the conspiracy, Purks and Bariola, organized and led the methamphetamine conspiracy from inside the Florida Department of Corrections using women they had recruited from outside the jail. The two men ran the operation using contraband cellphones, one of which was located in Purk’s anal cavity.
The methamphetamine was eventually trafficked and sold into the greater Winchester area.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division Jared Forget, and Damon Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division, made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration - Winchester Resident Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service - Office of the Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force (which is comprised of Special Agents, Investigators, and Detectives from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Winchester Police Department, the Front Royal Police Department, the Strasburg Police Department, the Luray Police Department, and the Virginia State Police) investigated the case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration in Jacksonville, Florida, Miami, Florida, Orlando, Florida, and the Florida Department of Corrections also contributed substantially to the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly McGann and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Carlton prosecuted the case.
Roanoke Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Meth DistributionRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who trafficked more than four pounds of methamphetamine, was sentenced last week to 12 years in federal prison as part of United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh’s ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. In the Western District of Virginia, PSN resources are focused on neighborhoods in Roanoke, Danville, Lynchburg, and the Charlottesville/Albemarle County/University of Virginia region.
Anthony Banks, 32, pled guilty in February 2023 to three counts of distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in 2021, Banks sold approximately four pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in four transactions over the course of five weeks. That methamphetamine was later determined to be more than 96% pure.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the City of Roanoke Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Salem Police Department, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh Observes Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors.
Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.
“Domestic violence is not a self-contained singular problem with a singular solution. It crosses all economic, racial, educational, and cultural backgrounds, and the generational impact can be devastating,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said today. “As federal prosecutors, we use all the tools at our disposal, along with our partnerships with state and local officials, to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice.”
A crucial part of combatting domestic violence and reducing violent crimes includes enforcing federal firearm prohibitions. Domestic violence abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners. In addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control. Under federal law, people with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, and those subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.
According to National Crime Victimization Survey data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly 20% of all violent crime is categorized as domestic violence.
“In the Western District of Virginia, our team of victim specialists, investigators, and prosecutors are dedicated to fostering awareness, facilitating intervention, and holding accountable those who commit acts of domestic violence,” U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh added. “We are confident that these, and other actions, will lead to more secure, violence-free communities.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or need resources, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources.
Immediate help for domestic violence victims: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (@ndvhofficial) at 1-800-799-7233 or Strong Hearts Native Helpline (@strongheartsdv) at 1-844-762-8483.
Martinsville Man Convicted of Trafficking Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Martinsville man, who possessed crystal ice methamphetamine and cocaine valued at more than $35,000, was found guilty last week following a three-day jury trial in federal court.
Octavius Myron Johnson, 39, was convicted of one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in addition to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine.
According to evidence presented at trial, in early 2023, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Johnson’s drug trafficking activities in the Glade Spring area of Washington County. Their investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at Johnson’s Martinsville residence, where over a half pound of crystal ice methamphetamine—totaling 9.7 ounces—and 83.5 grams of cocaine were recovered. Cash totaling $3,800 and other items related to drug trafficking were also seized.
Johnson is scheduled for sentencing on January 17, 2023, where he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of 5 years and a maximum statutory penalty of up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division made the announcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force, with assistance from numerous agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Martinsville Police Department, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly McGann prosecuted the case.
Collinsville Man Pleads Guilty to Sawed-off Shotgun on Blue Ridge ParkwayRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Collinsville, Virginia man pled guilty yesterday in United States District Court to one count of knowingly possessing an unregistered firearm, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh has announced.
James Anthony Nolan, 28, will be sentenced on January 8, 2024, where he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
According to court documents, in March 2023, a National Park Ranger saw a black Toyota Scion parked across two parking spaces at the Roanoke River Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway. During a welfare check on the sole occupant of the vehicle, the Ranger could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car. After Nolan admitted that he had marijuana with him, the Ranger proceeded to search the vehicle.
During the search, a backpack was discovered containing over 50 rounds of assorted ammunition and a sawed-off shotgun in operating condition. Seven expended 12-gauge shotgun shells were also present. The firearm, which was not registered as is required by federal law, was a Derya Arms, Tradition 12-gauge shotgun with black electrical tape wrapped around the buttstock and measuring approximately 21 inches in length with a 10-inch barrel. Nolan admitted to purchasing the shotgun and sawing down the barrel but claimed it was for a project he was working on.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the National Park Service investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has appointed United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys on essential matters facing the Department of Justice.
“I am honored to have been selected by Attorney General Garland to serve on the AGAC,” said United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh. “Working collaboratively with other United States Attorneys from across the country to collectively shape Department policy and reaffirm the rule of law has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this job. I appreciate having the opportunity to amplify the contributions our team here in the Western District of Virginia is making toward achieving the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
Mr. Kavanaugh was appointed by the President Biden and sworn in as United States Attorney on October 7, 2021. As United States Attorney, Mr. Kavanaugh is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Virginia. He also serves as chair of the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and co-chair of the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.
Prior to his nomination, Mr. Kavanaugh had been an Assistant United States Attorney for 14 years, having served in United States Attorney’s Offices for both the Western District of Virginia and the District of Columbia. During his career, Mr. Kavanaugh directed numerous multi-agency investigations and prosecutions, with a focus on national security, civil rights, white-collar crime, and violent crimes involving racketeering and homicides.
The AGAC is comprised of 14 United States Attorneys, and U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh will serve alongside the Committee’s Chair: U.S. Attorney Damian Williams (SDNY), Vice-Chair: U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino (DAZ), as well as U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee (DME), U.S. Attorney Trini Ross (WDNY), U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan (WDPA), U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown (WDLA), U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison (EDMI), U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris (CDIL), U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger (DMN), U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight (DOR), U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez (DNM), U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan, (NDGA), and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves (DC).
Justice Department Awards over $4.4 Billion to Support Community SafetyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding more than $4.4 billion to support state, local, and Tribal public safety and community justice activities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”
“In the Western District of Virginia, addressing the root causes behind criminal behavior involves impactful diversion initiatives like Adult Drug Courts, which have emerged as catalysts for bolstering community security while curbing repeat offenses through treatment services, defendant supervision, and graduated levels of incentives and sanctions related to program compliance,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today.
Through its focus on addressing the root causes contributing to criminal conduct, programs such as Adult Drug Courts play a pivotal role in
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse.
- More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims.
In the Western District of Virginia, several communities that will receive grant money as part of today’s announcement include, but are not limited to:
- The Alleghany County/City of Covington Adult Drug Court (ACADTC) will receive $999,805 in order to assist in finding housing and transportation, increase the number of visits per week, improve family and peer supports, assist with job training and employment skills, and address the mental health needs of the ACADTC participants. The grant will provide funding for multiple staff positions and operating costs for 48 months.
- Piedmont Regional Community Services (Piedmont) in Martinsville will receives $1 million to expand the adult drug court that supports Henry County. This grant funding will allow Piedmont to expand its capacity to serve an additional 60 participants over the next four years.
In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
Former Chief Operating Officer of Area Pain Clinics IndictedRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVLLE, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging the former chief operating officer of area pain clinics with three conspiracy counts for her alleged involvement in health care fraud and illegal drug distribution.
Jennifer Ann “Jen” Adams, 50, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiring to distribute medically illegitimate Schedule II controlled substances, and one count of conspiring to use the DEA registration number of another.
“We face a moment in our country where more than 100,000 of our fellow Americans die each year from drug overdoses,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “We must do all we can to support those battling addiction disorders and prosecute those who prey on this disease.”
“My office's commitment to holding bad actors accountable for their role in exacerbating the opioid epidemic remains unyielding. With the support of our federal partners, Virginia will continue to prosecute those who take advantage of their fellow citizens for their own selfish benefit, decimating lives in the process,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares.
“Our top priority is combatting the current fentanyl-fueled poisoning crisis and related violence in our communities, especially because many of the people who died from fentanyl had no idea they have even taken it. Healthcare providers are responsible for prescribing and dispensing medications to meet the health needs of our citizens, while being vigilant for any signs of controlled substance diversion or misuse. Our team is committed to protecting all Americans' safety and health, including ensuring that all licensed professionals comply with the law and report dangerous behaviors,” mentioned Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division.
“Health care professionals who exploit opioid addiction for their own financial gain do so at the risk of endangering their patients as well as undermining federal health care programs and public health efforts to address the opioid epidemic,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that bad actors are held accountable for such egregious disregard for patient safety and well-being.”
According to court documents, Adams served as the chief operating officer (COO) and practice manager for several pain clinics throughout Central and Southwest Virginia. These clinics were located in Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Woodlawn, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg.
The clinics represented themselves as largely focused on pain management, which involved the prescribing of Schedule II opioids, as well as opioid addiction treatment, which involved prescribing Suboxone and other drugs.
The indictment alleges that Adams permitted medical providers who lacked DEA registration numbers to use the registration numbers of others. She did so by instructing employees to continue to use the registration numbers of doctors who were not present and by assisting in making payments to doctors who were not present for the use of their registration numbers.
Adams was aware when clinic employees knowingly wrote prescriptions for Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances to patients who exhibited warning signs of drug abuse, drug addiction, and drug diversion.
In addition, Adams allowed employees who lacked medical training, experience, and licensing to provide medical treatment and to make and influence medical decisions.
Adams was initially arrested in South Carolina in early September on a criminal complaint.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan and Jason M. Scheff, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bristol, Va. Man Pleads to Meth Charges, Forfeits Approximately 100 Firearms, High-Capacity MagazinesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia man, who possessed approximately 100 firearms while conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, pled guilty earlier this week in U.S. District Court.
Zachary Stout, 26, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
At sentencing, Stout faces a sentence of at least ten years.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of Robert Hockett in Bristol, Virginia. During that search, law enforcement recovered more than 1,600 grams of nearly pure methamphetamine, 135 grams of heroin, 40 pills of fentanyl, $28,000 in cash, firearms, ammunition, and two cellphones.
In addition, investigators learned that Hockett was being supplied methamphetamine from Tyshawn Blackwell and Zachary Stout.
On July 27, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stout’s residence in Bristol, Virginia. During that search, authorities recovered approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, four cell phones, and approximately 100 firearms - many of which were loaded. Numerous high-capacity magazines and ammunition were also seized.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The investigation of the case was handled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Bristol, Virginia Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Vinton Man Admits to Illegal Possession of ExplosivesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Vinton, Virginia man, who illegally possessed explosives both at his home and at another property in Roanoke County, has pled guilty in federal court.
Robert Wayne Wright, 29, pled guilty earlier this month to one count of possessing an explosive as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, between June 2021 and September 2021, Wright manufactured triperoxide (TATP) on multiple occasions, both at his residence in Vinton and at another property off Branico Drive in South Roanoke County.
TATP is a powerful, highly unstable explosive that can be created using commercially available products.
On October 5, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Wright’s residence after receiving multiple complaints from neighbors about explosions in rural Roanoke County. During the search, authorities recovered a small amount of unexploded TATP in a blue, plastic container.
At sentencing, Wright faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Andrew Bassford and Michael Baudinet are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Two More Sentenced for Roles in Southwest Virginia Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of Tennessee men, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, were sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
Darin Kent Thomas, 38, of Strawberry Pines, Tennessee, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced last week to 61 months in federal prison.
Garrett Teffeteller, 43, of Knoxville, Tennessee, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced last week to 48 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, Thomas and Teffeteller conspired with others to sell crystal methamphetamine and heroin, including sales to individuals who resold the drugs in and around Lee County, Virginia. Teffeteller was a regular source of supply for methamphetamine to other conspiracy members.
Thomas, who is a former package delivery driver in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, stole a revolver from a package at his former place of employment and traded the gun for heroin. The stolen firearm was then traded again to another member of the conspiracy in exchange for drugs and ultimately ended up in the hands of an undercover law enforcement officer in Lee County, Virginia. Thomas also sold heroin to several of his former coworkers.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Knox County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, and the Sevier County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Marion Man Pleads Guilty to Large-Scale Meth Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Marion, Virginia man, who trafficked numerous pounds of methamphetamine from Georgia into Southwest Virginia since 2021, pled guilty in federal court earlier this month.
Brian Cory Hoover, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute as well as distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one additional count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, twice a month, Hoover routinely transported up to 10 pounds of methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia into Southwest Virginia. That methamphetamine was redistributed in Southwest Virginia by Hoover and his co-conspirators Amanda Wain, Travis Farmer, Larry Whittaker, Borve Fisher, and others. Wain, Farmer, Whittaker, and Fisher have all previously pled guilty in federal court.
Shortly after law enforcement learned of Hoover’s activities, Hoover fled Virginia and then the United States. He was apprehended in Mexico in June of this year.
At sentencing, Hoover faces a sentence of 25 to 30 years.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police’s Holston River Regional Drug Task Force, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Bristol, Tennessee Police Department, the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case.
Henry County Man Indicted for $1.3 Million Real Estate ScamRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Roanoke returned an indictment last week charging a Fieldale, Virginia man with engaging in a fraud scheme in connection with a residential real estate transaction valued at more than $1.3 million.
According to court documents, Herman Lee Estes Jr., 40, who was on federal pretrial supervision due to an illegal firearms charge, contacted a real estate agent on January 17, 2023, inquiring about purchasing a Roanoke County property then listed at $1.2 million.
Estes falsely represented to the agent that he was due a tax refund of $18 million, which would soon be transferred to his estate as part of a trust.
On January 25, 2023, Estes pled guilty to federal firearms charge and remained on pretrial release pending sentencing.
In March 2023, Estes again contacted the real estate agent, falsely stating that his tax refund had cleared, and he was ready to move forward with the purchase of the property. At Estes’s direction, the real estate agent prepared a cash offer for the property in the amount of $1.3 million.
To prove he had funds available, Estes provided a letter, dated March 29, 2023, which indicated he had been approved for a private real estate loan in the amount of $1,315,000. In addition, Estes provided the real estate agent a phone number for a person he represented to be the manager of his purported trust. The real estate agent contacted this individual, who falsely claimed to be Estes’s trust manager and then approved the cash offer. The contract was ratified, and the parties proceeded to closing.
On April 10, 2023, Estes provided the settlement company a 62-page ‘extension of credit’ document, which he falsely represented to be trust documents, as part of his closing procedures. Estes stated that he did not deal with public banks but rather dealt ‘directly with the Federal Reserve Bank’.
Estes paid for the property with a fraudulent cashier’s check, with a routing number purported to be drawn from the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, in the amount of $1,307,199.43. He shipped the check via FedEx on April 12, 2023.
On April 13, 2023, the fraudulent check was deposited by a settlement company into its account at American National Bank and Trust. Closing for the sale occurred the following day, the deed was recorded with the Circuit Court of Roanoke County, and Estes took possession of the property.
On April 17, 2023, the purported cashier’s check was returned by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and marked fraudulent.
Estes is charged with one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of mail fraud, and with committing each of these offenses while on federal pretrial release. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which handled the previous federal firearms investigation, is investigating this case, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service. The Federal Reserve Board, Office of Inspector General, and the Roanoke County Police Department have also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Two with 2022 Gun Store BurglaryRead the Press Release
DANVILLE, Va.– A federal grand jury in Danville, Virginia returned an indictment in August charging a pair of men with robbing a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in 2022.
The grand jury charged Bradley Wayne McCraw, 43, of Gaffney, South Carolina, and Justin Darrell Whitaker, 30, of Cleveland County, North Carolina, with breaking into the Rabbit Ridge Gun Shop and Range in Ararat, Virginia in the early morning hours of September 22, 2022, and stealing at least 13 firearms from the business’ inventory.
McCraw and Whitaker are each charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of knowingly and intentionally stealing firearms from an FFL, and one count of possession of stolen firearms.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the case with assistance from the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriffs’ Offices in Cherokee County, South Carolina, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Cleveland County, North Carolina also have assisted with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Chris Kavanaugh to Host Meeting of Attorney General’s Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee in Charlottesville, Va.Read the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh will host 28 other U.S. Attorneys from across the country for the annual in-person meeting of the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) from September 20th to September 22nd in Charlottesville, Virginia.
U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh serves as Chair of the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee (TNSS) which plays a critical role in formulating, examining, and implementing policies and initiatives that affect the Department’s investigation and prosecution of national security threats and acts of domestic and international terrorism. U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan of the Northern District of Georgia serves as vice-chair.
“A top priority of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney community in particular is keeping our nation safe,” said U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh. “Many of the threats we encounter are not neatly cabined to one geographic district, but rather are national in scope. As leaders of the Department of Justice in our respective districts, it is essential to meet with one another to discuss ongoing efforts to disrupt national security threats and to share best practices for investigating and prosecuting national security cases throughout the country. This meeting serves as a critical opportunity for United States Attorneys and Justice Department officials to achieve that goal, and I am honored to host our committee here in the Western District of Virginia.”
“Strategic coordination across the country is essential to protecting our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The work of the Attorney General Advisory Committee’s Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee develops and advances the awareness, perspective, and best practices that are necessary to keep our respective districts safe.”
The agenda for the TNSS meeting will include presentations by multiple current and former officials of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a national security law scholar from the University of Virginia School of Law’s National Security Law Center, and case studies by fellow United States Attorneys. The United States Attorneys will also meet with Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of DOJ’s National Security Division as part of the subcommittee work supporting the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.
In addition to U.S. Attorneys Kavanaugh and Buchanan, the committee’s membership includes United States Attorneys from Virginia, Georgia, New York, California, Texas, North Carolina, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas, Hawaii, Guam, and the District of Columbia.
Established in 1973, the AGAC and its subcommittees advise the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and represents the views of federal prosecutors across the country.
19 Arrested on Federal Charges Trafficking Meth, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine in CharlottesvilleRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Charlottesville, Virginia has indicted 17 individuals as part of a large-scale drug conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in and around the Charlottesville region.
The 37-count indictment, returned under seal August 29, 2023, partially unsealed this week following the defendants’ arrests, charges multiple defendants with various federal crimes.
“This indictment represents the first step in a federal, local, and state partnership under the department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative that will bring increased safety and security to the Charlottesville, Albemarle, and University of Virginia region,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “The individuals charged in this indictment trafficked in high quantities of deadly drugs and I am grateful to the men and woman who investigated this case thoroughly and brought these federal charges.”
“We are experiencing the most severe drug poisoning crisis in our country’s history, primarily driven by the spread of illicit drugs containing Fentanyl. Drug trafficking criminals, like the ones indicted today, are flooding our streets with this poison at an alarming rate, and no communities or institutions are immune from its devastation, including here in Virginia,” Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget of the DEA’s Washington Division said today. “Our citizens, particularly the younger generation, are being exposed to an illegal drug supply that is more hazardous than ever before, which underscores the need for parents, caregivers, students, and educators to comprehend the risks of substance use and take appropriate steps to stay protected. It is essential that everyone understand that just one pill can be fatal. One Pill can Kill.”
- DuShaun Lamont Gregory, 36, Henrico County, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Tyquane Pertell Gregory, 27, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Fields Devon Landon, 29, of Charlottesville, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of fentanyl.
- Bobby Eugene Christmas, 36, of Charlottesville, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and five counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Michael Edward Cornett, 29, of Charlottesville, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Antone Laron Harris, 41, of Charlottesville, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Brooks Lorenzo Woodfolk, 41, of Charlottesville, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and two counts of distribution of heroin, and one count of distribution of fentanyl.
- Ashlee Renee Morris, 37, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Shaheim Taishaun Michie, 18, of Arlington, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute and distributing methamphetamine and cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- John Ellis Turner III, 42, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Gary Wayne Woodson, 66, of Crozet, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Caleb Andrew Herndon, 26, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Dashard Brown, 29, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Cedric Trent, 25, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
- Dustin Lee Welch is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that beginning in February 2023 and continuing through the date of the indictment, the defendants conspired with each other and others to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in and around the Charlottesville region.
The Virginia State Police 3A Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Albemarle County Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security- HSI, the City of Charlottesville Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office, the Henrico County Police Department, and the United States Marshal’s Service are investigating the case. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Offices from the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, along with the Charlottesville Emergency Services and the Virginia National Guard assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case of the United States.
The investigation, extradition, and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Danville Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Child Porn PossessionRead the Press Release
DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville man, who used the online messaging application Kik to communicate and share child abuse images with an undercover law enforcement officer, was sentenced last week to 102 months in federal prison.
William Allen Wolf, 46, pled guilty in November 2022 to possession with intent to view a visual depiction of a minor under 12 years of age engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, in December 2021, a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity entered a public group on Kik Messenger where users were known to regularly share information and images of child abuse, and Wolf was already a member. The undercover officer purported to have two prepubescent daughters.
On December 6, 2022, Wolf initiated a Kik conversation with the undercover officer telling him that he was a member of the group because he enjoyed training children for sexual activity. Wolf then sent the undercover officer a video depicting an adult male engaged in sexual activity with a prepubescent female under 12 years of age. Wolf continued to send the undercover officer additional videos during the course of their online conversations.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Baudinet prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
DOJ Grant Funding to Bring Multi-Faceted Training to Southwest VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Town of Marion Police Department, in conjunction with the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy, has received an $83,000 grant from the Department of Justice to bring an unprecedented training event to Southwest Virginia.
The funding will make available premier police leadership and management training to over 50 law enforcement agencies throughout Southwest Virginia, a geographical region that without the grant funding would otherwise not have the ability to bring such training to the area.
“These grant funds by the Department of Justice are necessary to bring this cutting-edge training to our law enforcement partners in Southwest Virginia,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “We are dedicated to cultivating the next generation of law enforcement professionals in Virginia, and to make sure they have the skills to navigate the complexities of today’s policing environment.”
Specifically, the Town of Marion Police Department and Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy will bring the “Organizational Management Certificate Program” (OMCP) from the Southern Police Institute, a division of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Louisville established in 1951 whose mission is to enhance the professional development of law enforcement.
The OMCP is a multi-faceted curriculum encompassing vital aspects of modern law enforcement administration including personnel development, operations, budgeting, and organizational leadership, as well as problem solving, performance management, and strategic management for 21st century policing.
Training consists of four separate courses offered in 40-hour blocks that result in the completion of a college-based certificate program.
The grant funds will pay for 25 seats in each of the four courses and will be offered at no cost to the agencies represented within the Southwest Virginia Region.
Roanoke Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 15 Years on PrisonRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man who engaged in drug dealing from behind bars was sentenced last week to 186 months in federal prison.
Anthony Brian Barnett, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin in 2019 and for also distributing para-fluorofentanyl, a 10-times more powerful form of fentanyl, in 2022. Barnett will serve his federal sentence after he finishes serving an 8-year state sentence as a result of his convictions in Roanoke City Circuit Court for Malicious Wounding by Mob and Assault and Battery.
According to court documents, Barnett was arrested on July 20, 2019, for his involvement in a May 2019 assault and shooting that occurred in Roanoke, Virginia. Prior to his arrest, Barnett was involved in the trafficking of narcotics in and around the City of Roanoke.
Following this arrest, and while incarcerated, Barnett directed his co-conspirator, Aminee Jewel Davenport, 37 of Roanoke, Virginia, to drive to a residence to obtain his heroin to then sell to a “customer.” On a recorded jail phone call, Barnett told Davenport where to find the heroin, how to weigh it, and how much money to charge. Barnett, however, was unaware that the “customer” was a confidential informant working with the Virginia State Police. Davenport then sold approximately four ounces of heroin to the informant on two occasions. As a result, both Barnett and Davenport were indicted by a federal grand jury.
While awaiting trial for this conduct, in March 2022, Barnett obtained what he believed was heroin, but was later determined to be para-fluorofentanyl, from an inmate in his jail pod. Barnett then sold this substance to other inmates, only to be caught after an inmate in his pod died from a drug overdose. Although Barnett was not charged with contributing to this inmate’s death, his continued involvement in dealing deadly substances still merited this significant sentence.
The Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with their partners in the Roanoke City and Roanoke County Police Departments, participated in the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Coleman Adams and Kristin Johnson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Martinsville Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Martinsville, Virginia man, who police found lying next to a vehicle and unconscious, was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
David Charles Donavon, Jr., 35, pled guilty in March 2023 to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously-convicted felon.
According to court documents, in July 2022, Martinsville Police officers were called to check on a man lying next to a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers observed Donovan lying unconscious on the ground.
While police were checking on his well-being, they observed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol inserted into his waistband with a magazine containing 15 rounds of ammunition. Further investigation into his identity revealed that Donovan was a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Martinsville Police Department investigated the case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Gochenour, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case.
Girlfriend of California Source of Fentanyl Conspiracy Sentenced to 9 YearsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A California woman, who helped her boyfriend ship thousands of pressed fentanyl pills to members of a Southwest Virginia drug dealing conspiracy, was sentenced yesterday to nine years in federal prison.
Destiny Raeann Perez, 23, of Turlock, California, pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, during the conspiracy, Perez was based in California and assisted her boyfriend, Alexander Ortiz, with the packaging of thousands of pressed fentanyl pills for distribution. Perez organized pill orders and mailed drug parcels from California to customers located throughout the United States, including to drug dealers Paul Perkins and Aaron Stidham in Southwest Virginia.
Ortiz and Perez estimated they made over $500,000 selling pressed fentanyl pills via social media.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Atlanta Division, made the announcement.
The Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Virginia State Police), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Abingdon Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An Abingdon man, who conspired with two other people to distribute methamphetamine throughout southwest Virginia, was sentenced Tuesday to 90 months in federal prison.
Charles Snead, 68, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possessing with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Snead’s co-conspirators, Chelsey Lynn Doss and William Whitt, were sentenced in March 2023 to 10 years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, Doss and Whitt were sources of methamphetamine for Snead, who had been selling methamphetamine in and around Abingdon for months. In July 2022, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Snead’s home and found one-quarter pound of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case.
Winchester Man to Serve Nine Years for Planting Bomb at Cedar Creek BattlefieldRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Gerald Leonard Drake, a Winchester, Virginia man and former Civil War reenactor, was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison for mailing threatening letters and planting a pipe bomb at the Cedar Creek Battlefield in Middletown, Virginia during a Civil War reenactment event in 2017. In the mailings sent to victims and two newspapers, Drake purported to be a member of Antifa and threatened harm, including referencing the Unite the Right riots in Charlottesville.
Drake, 64, pled guilty in April 2023 to possession of an unregistered explosive device and stalking.
“Gerald Drake’s attempts at sowing hatred and terror have been answered with 108 months in federal prison,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Hate has no place in our community, and we are truly grateful for the steadfast efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who unmasked the once-hidden identity of this defendant and ended his campaign of fear-mongering and intimidation."
According to court documents, Drake belonged to a reenactment unit that participated in an annual Civil War reenactment at Cedar Creek Battlefield until he was removed from his unit in 2014. In later years, Drake volunteered with the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of history related to the Cedar Creek Battlefield and which hosts an annual reenactment attended by merchants, reenactors, and visitors.
On September 23, 2017, a letter was received at the CCBF visitor center addressed to “Cedar Creek Battlefield people.” The envelope and its letter both bore a printed Antifa symbol depicting a black flag overlayed atop a red flag inside of a circle. The letter claimed the reenactment event “clearly celebrates the war to keep African-Americans in chains,” and warned the reenactment organizers that if the event was not cancelled, the trouble Antifa would inflict on Cedar Creek Battlefield would make the riots that took place in Charlottesville in August look like “a Sunday picnic.”
On October 14, 2017, the CCBF hosted the planned 153rd anniversary and reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek. During the afternoon hours, as the reenactment of the battle was coming to an end, an unexploded pipe bomb was discovered in one of the merchant tents. The pipe bomb contained metal nuts, a mercury switch, a battery, ball bearings, black and red wires, powder, and other items.
Deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to investigate and seized the explosive device, which was later rendered safe by Virginia State Police. Due to its discovery, however, all remaining reenactment activities were cancelled, and individuals were evacuated from the area.
Following this incident, Drake continued writing letters purporting to be sent by Antifa, including letters to the CCBF, its board members, an individual associated with Civil War reenactments, and news outlets. During this same time frame, Drake continued to volunteer with the CCBF.
Drake admitted he manufactured the pipe bomb to instill fear and cause harm to those attending the reenactment.
According to FBI explosives experts, several of the bomb’s contents, such as black powder, smokeless powder, and Pryodex, are explosives in and of themselves that are sensitive to friction, heat, impact, and sparks, and therefore are very dangerous to handle. When confined in a container, such as a pipe with end caps used in this case, these ingredients combine to create an exceptionally destructive device.
In addition, Drake admitted to being the author of the threatening letters sent to members of the CCBF and various news agencies between September 2017 and December 2018. Those letters included threats of violence and sexual assault against members of the CCBF and their families.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Middletown Police Department investigated the case.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Burroughs Medearis, Melanie Smith, and Cagle Juhan prosecuted the case.
Wise County Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An Exeter, Virginia man, who conspired to sell pressed pills containing fentanyl purchased from various social media platforms, was sentenced this week to 60 months in federal prison.
Aaron Christopher Stidham, 22, pled guilty in August 2022 to one count of conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, between February 2021 and February 2022, Stidham ordered 1,000 pills every few weeks from his source in California through the social media platforms Snapchat and Instagram, had them mailed to Big Stone Gap, and then resold them to co-conspirators Paul Mason Perkins of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, Austin Jeremiah Lane, of Norton, Virginia, and Cheyenne Cassie Carico, of Norton, Virginia.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Atlanta Division, made the announcement.
The Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Virginia State Police), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Federal Court Sentences Key Players in Large-Scale Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – One of the main sources of supply in Southwest Virginia for a large-scale methamphetamine conspiracy, and one of the conspiracy’s dealers, were each sentenced to long federal prison terms this week.
Payton Lee Farris, 26, of Castlewood, Virginia, the supplier of approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine that was sold throughout Wise County and surrounding areas, was sentenced today to 13 years in prison. Farris pled guilty in March 2023 to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine as well as distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Jamie Lynn Johnson, 46, of Coeburn, Virginia, a repeat offender with multiple felony convictions who was widely known to trade methamphetamine in exchange for firearms, regularly purchased methamphetamine from Farris. Over a period of six months, Farris purchased one pound of methamphetamine for $4,000 every two days and then sold Johnson, his primary customer, one pound of methamphetamine every three days for $5,000.
Johnson was sentenced today to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty in January 2023 to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force (consisting of the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, and the Virginia State Police), the Holston River Drug Task Force, and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Who Supplied Virginia Drug Network Sentenced to 25 YearsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Texas man, who a jury convicted in April of trafficking large quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Mexico into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison.
Alonso Cantu-Cantu, 46, of Houston, was the major source of supply for a drug conspiracy that distributed more than 33 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 6 kilograms of cocaine into Southwest and Central Virginia through a multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organization.
In April, a jury convicted Cantu-Cantu of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented at trial showed that Cantu-Cantu received methamphetamine in 55-gallon drums that had been transported into the United States in water tankers directly from sources in Mexico. Cantu-Cantu then directed the drugs through distributors from Indiana, who ultimately distributed down the supply chain throughout the Western District of Virginia, from Harrisonburg to Bristol, Virginia. Many of these transactions were orchestrated through another major drug trafficker who was incarcerated in multiple Virginia prisons throughout the conspiracy.
In all, the estimated street value of the methamphetamine and cocaine distributed during the course of the conspiracy was more than $1.4 million. Over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine, 125.4 grams of heroin, 94 grams of cocaine, and 7 firearms were seized, and 26 defendants have now been convicted over the course of the six-year investigation, which started with the investigation of street level dealers in the Smyth County, Virginia, area.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, and Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget of the DEA’s Washington Division made the announcement today.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Division’s Bristol Post of Duty with assistance from the Smyth County Virginia Sheriff’s Office. Numerous other agencies also provided assistance throughout the investigation including the Drug Enforcement Administration in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Birmingham, Alabama, the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Abingdon, Virginia Police Department, the Rockingham County Virginia RUSH Drug Task Force, the Rockingham County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, the Harrisonburg, Virginia Police Department, the Bessemer, Alabama Police Department, the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Unit, and the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority.
Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Winchester Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Selling Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Virginia man, who facilitated the sale of a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2020, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in federal prison.
Kenneth James Hughes, Jr., 27, pled guilty in April to two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, following a fentanyl overdose resulting in the death of a user on October 23 2020, an investigation by law enforcement revealed Hughes to be the deceased user’s source of supply.
In October 2020, one of Hughes’ drug customers contacted him in regard to buying fentanyl in the form of “pressed pills,” namely, fentanyl pills made to appear like Oxycodone 30mg pills. Hughes sold two pressed pills to the customer who subsequently consumed the drugs and was found unresponsive the following morning at his home in Winchester. It was determined his death was the result of acute fentanyl intoxication.
The following month in Berryville, Virginia, Hughes sold twenty-two capsules containing fentanyl for $300 to a confidential informant working on behalf of law enforcement.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, announced the sentence today.
The Virginia State Police, the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force (composed of the Virginia State Police, the Winchester Police Department, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office) and the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case.
City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, University of Virginia Become Project Safe Neighborhoods CommunitiesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –The Department of Justice’s Executive Committee for Project Safe Neighborhoods has unanimously approved the addition of the greater Charlottesville-Albemarle County-University of Virginia region into the program.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community-based partners, and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
“Confronting gun violence in the vibrant communities of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the University of Virginia demands a collaborative approach that harnesses the strength of all federal, state, and local stakeholders,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “By forging a united front, we can strike at the root of this pressing issue, ensuring safer streets and fostering a resilient community where every individual can thrive, free from the shadows of violence.”
“Addressing the complex issue of gun violence requires us to not just react to crime, but to also pro-actively partner with our community and our law enforcement partners. I thank United States Attorney Chris Kavanaugh for his steadfast support in addressing gun violence in our community. The safety of our residents requires a robust, thoughtful, and strategic, multi-faced approach. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all those who live, work, and visit the City of Charlottesville,” Charlottesville Police Chief Mike Kochis said today.
“The Albemarle County Police Department is committed to working with Project Safe Neighborhood partners to identify the most pressing issues impacting our community and develop comprehensive solutions to make this region a safer place for everyone,” said the Albemarle County Police Department Chief of Police Colonel Sean Reeves. “Leveraging the resources and expertise of federal, state, local, and tribal partners, will provide our entire community the best opportunity to respond to and prevent violent crime in our area.”
“We are incredibly proud to be part of a partnership that not only seeks to reduce violence in our community but fully embraces the important of community engagement, thoughtful collaboration with stakeholders, and the irrefutable importance of preserving a safe and health community,” said Tim Longo, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security, and University Chief of Police.
PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention, and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
In addition, PSN communities are eligible to apply for DOJ grant funds.
For more information about PSN, please visit: https://bja.ojp.gov/program/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn/overview.
United States Attorney Kavanaugh Announces Creation of Civil Rights Enforcement Online PortalRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia has a new tool to help protect the civil rights of those living in the western portion of the Commonwealth.
Earlier this year, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh launched a Civil Rights Enforcement landing page as part of the Western District’s main website. The civil rights webpage is intended to serve as a one-stop shop where people may learn about their federal civil rights and report if they believe their rights have been violated.
“So often, when someone feels they have been the victim of discrimination or their civil rights have otherwise been violated, they are unsure of what to do. Who do they turn to? Do they contact the local police? The FBI? And if so, what number do they call?” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said. “Our hope is that this online portal will educate the public about their individual civil rights, how to safeguard them, and who to contact if they believe their rights have been violated in the 52 counties and 17 cities that comprise the Western District of Virginia.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces federal civil rights through civil litigation and criminal prosecution and, in all cases, represents the interests of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh has appointed two, full-time Assistant United States Attorneys to his civil rights team, and he is hiring a third to lead the district’s civil enforcement unit through civil litigation. These individuals vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws throughout the Western District of Virginia. These laws prohibit discrimination, protect the constitutional rights of residents, and affirm equal opportunity for all.
The public can reach the USAO Civil Rights Team and report potential violations of civil rights at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/civil-rights-enforcement.
Virginia Veterinary Technician Sentenced for Dogfighting and Promoting Animal Fighting VenturesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Carlos Warren, 49, of Rapidan, Virginia, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to fight dogs and promote dogfighting using interstate publications. U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon for the Western District of Virginia pronounced the sentence and ordered the forfeiture of all the dogs and animal-fighting paraphernalia seized at Warren’s residence during the execution of a search warrant in March 2022. As a condition of his supervised release, Warren was ordered not to own or care for any animals, and to relinquish or not procure any licenses, certifications or other authorizations related to veterinary or animal care.
According to court-filed documents, Warren started fighting dogs as a teenager. While living in both California and Virginia, he published and distributed nationally a magazine called “the Connector.” The magazine contained interviews of known dogfighters, the results of various fights, breeding and pedigree information, advertisements for fighting dogs and a page which advertised the illegal sale of injectable steroids and other substances for dogs.
After moving to Virginia, Warren set up a dogfighting yard, hosted dogfights on his property and attended other dogfights. Notably, Warren’s work as a veterinary technician during much of this time enabled him to steal or otherwise obtain medications and other supplies. He then used these medications and supplies, as well as his veterinary technician training, to treat dogs during fights up until they lost or refused to fight. When that happened, Warren executed dogs through brutal means including electrocution.
“This prosecution highlights the department’s continued commitment to holding accountable those who participate in and promote the blood sport of dogfighting,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The defendant’s certification and work as a veterinary technician, which he used to further these fights and promote the barbarous treatment of dogs, makes his crimes even more reprehensible.”
“Dog fighting is savage and inhumane, and it will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia. “The individuals involved in the breeding, training and cruel deaths suffered by innocent animals – especially in a case like this at the hands of a trained veterinary technician – will be held accountable and justly punished by the Justice Department.”
The FBI Richmond Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of Virginia State Police. The case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Todd W. Gleason of the Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Carlton for the Western District of Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Williams for the Central District of California also assisted with this case.
Jonesville Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BIG STONE GAP, Va. – A Jonesville, Virginia man was sentenced last week to 78 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
John Joel Foster, 51, who had previously been convicted of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2009, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, beginning in September 2021, Foster and others conspired to sell crystal methamphetamine in and around Lee County, Virginia.
Foster purchased at least 28 grams of crystal or “ice” methamphetamine from co-conspirator Billy King every few weeks during the course of the conspiracy. King introduced Foster to Garrett Teffeteller, who also routinely supplied methamphetamine to Foster.
King and Teffeteller have pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and will be sentenced later this year.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Used Kik Messaging App to Chat with Undercover Albemarle DetectiveRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Florida man, who used the instant messaging application Kik to chat with an undercover Albemarle County detective he thought was a 14-year-old girl, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
William George Price, 65, of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on February 22, 2021, an undercover detective from the Albemarle County Police Department portrayed himself as a 14-year-old girl named “Ashley” on Kik, an instant messaging application. While on Kik, Price, who called himself “Bill Prince,” told “Ashley” that he was 63-years-old and living in Florida. “Ashley” told Price that she lived in Virginia and was “almost 15.”
The conversation became sexual when Price asked “Ashley” if she liked older men, if she was a virgin, and if she would do a “threesome.” Price then asked if she wanted a picture of him. When “Ashley” responded in the affirmative, Price sent a picture of his penis as well as three videos of himself masturbating.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Colonel Sean Reeves, Chief of the Albemarle County Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations’ Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
Any individuals that may have additional information about this case, please contact Detective Mike Wells of the Albemarle County Police, who also serves as a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer.
The Albemarle County Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald M. Huber and Jordan E. McKay are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney’s Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023. During this year’s National Night Out, United States Attorney Chris Kavanaugh, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff from the Abingdon, Charlottesville, and Roanoke branches of the United States Attorney’s Office, will attend community events in areas throughout the Western District, including Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, and Roanoke.
“National Night Out brings communities together, shining a light on the strength of unity while fostering safety, trust, and harmony among citizens, state and local law enforcement, and government agencies,” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said today. “Each and every year, I look forward to spending quality time interacting with the colleagues and neighbors as we all forge an alliance in support of a safer Virginia.”
Established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice and administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization, National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions of people take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August, thus sending a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and much more.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
Pain Clinic Owner, L5 Medical Holdings Plead Guilty- Agree to Pay $4 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A former mortgage broker, who, seeking a “recession proof” business model, decided to purchase pain clinics throughout the Western District of Virginia including Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Woodlawn, pled guilty this week to a federal drug and health care fraud conspiracy.
John Gregory Barnes, 57, of South Carolina, waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty this week to a one-count Information charging him with conspiring to knowingly using, in the course of dispensing and distributing a controlled substance, registration numbers issued to others; distributing and dispensing buprenorphine not for a legitimate medical purpose; and knowingly executing and attempting to execute a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs.
In addition to his personal plea of guilty, L5 Medical Holdings, the business entity controlled by Barnes, pled guilty this week to the same charge encompassing the same conspiracies, as well as a conspiracy to distribute and dispense fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine not for a legitimate medical purpose. L5 and Barnes jointly agreed to pay almost $4 million in restitution to Medicare and Virginia Medicaid and to forfeit $250,000 to the United States.
“The conduct here is beyond the pale. We have a record-high number of Virginians fighting opioid addiction while this defendant intentionally prioritized profit over genuine patient care,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “I am grateful to those who investigated this matter and brought this case to justice, and we will continue to leverage federal charges against those who commit such brazen crimes.”
“Our fight against addiction and the opioid epidemic isn’t just with the drugs or major pharmaceutical companies, but also with the individuals who take advantage of addiction, of others’ pain, for their personal gain. Monetizing addiction is immoral and illegal,” said Attorney General Miyares. “I’m proud of my office and our federal partners for working together to deliver justice.”
“Our investigation into Barnes’ illegal business activities of highly addictive pain medication at the height of the opioid epidemic emphasizes his criminal indifference to human life,” said Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division. “Today’s guilty plea highlights our commitment to the tireless work of investigating the diversion of controlled substances and prosecuting those responsible for fueling opioid addiction and deadly poisonings in our area – saving lives in our communities.”
According to court documents, in 2014, despite having no medical training, Barnes bought a medical practice through his company, L5 Medical Holdings. L5 operated pain management clinics, which involved the prescribing of prescription opioids and opioid addiction treatment medications, including Suboxone.
Barnes, who previously worked in the mortgage industry, concluded that pain management was a “recession proof” Industry. In addition, he conducted a feasibility study that identified Lynchburg, Virginia, as a prime location for a pain management clinic.
After Barnes began operating his pain clinics, those clinics became more focused on prescribing Suboxone and opioids and less focused on interventional treatments. Barnes and L5 operated the clinics in a manner that prioritized revenue maximization over patient care. Providers were encouraged to limit patient visits to 15 minutes and to see as many as 30 patients per day.
In addition, at the direction of Barnes, medical providers with L5 followed the opinion of non-medical professionals in making medical decisions, including whether a patient should be treated for opioid addiction or for pain management, whether a patient should receive a prescription, and what type of drug should be prescribed.
Patient interactions with non-medical professionals were billed to Virginia Medicaid and Medicare improperly.
L5 also implemented a urine drug screening policy principally based on insurance reimbursements rather than patient care. In particular, Barnes and L5 specifically refused to implement a random drug screening policy in order to avoid losing the revenue that resulted from billing Medicare and Virginia Medicaid for as many drug tests as those insurance policies would pay for.
At sentencing, Barnes faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason Scheff, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
Shooter in Lynchburg Walmart Shootout Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Salem, Virginia man who was involved in a shootout in Lynchburg during a methamphetamine deal in November 2021, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 20 years in federal prison.
Jeriwon Lee Taylor, 42, pled guilty in May 2023 to one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of discharging and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is proud to partner with ATF and the Lynchburg Police Department to hold accountable those individuals who commit violent crimes in our communities,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This case is emblematic of the relationship between the illegal drug trade and violent crime – a pattern we are seeing throughout the Western District of Virginia – and one we are working to stop.”
“It is clear that drug traffickers have no respect for human lives and conduct criminal business in the open public, disregarding the damage they can cause to human life or property. Thanks to the combined efforts of our local law enforcement partners, subsequent search warrants were executed at locations associated with Taylor’s Drug Trafficking Organization that resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, heroin, fake pills, methamphetamine and the retrieval of the firearm used in the shooting. We will continue our efforts aimed at disrupting and stopping these illegal endeavors,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division.
“We are grateful for the assistance of our federal and state law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting this case to ensure those who endanger our community are held fully accountable for their actions. This incident could have easily taken an innocent person’s life. Our partnerships with our community and other law enforcement agencies are critical to a safer Lynchburg,” said Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema.
“When we as law enforcement professionals collaborate effectively, our communities see tangible results such as this,” ATF Washington Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel said. “We will continue to work alongside our partners to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics and other acts of violence that negatively impact public safety.”
According to court documents, on November 21, 2021, Taylor arranged to meet an individual in a Walmart parking lot in Lynchburg, Virginia to sell methamphetamine. When the buyer, Kendall Simonton arrived, he got into Taylor’s vehicle, pointed a gun at Taylor’s face and took the drugs from him.
After the robbery, Simonton left Taylor’s vehicle and began walking away. However, Taylor also got out of his vehicle with a firearm, and the two men began shooting at each other. Both Taylor and Simonton fired multiple shots at each other, ducking behind various cars in the parking lot. Eventually, Simonton ran out of the parking lot and Taylor drove away.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lynchburg Police Department, with assistance from the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Jones and Special Assistant United States Attorney J. Parker Gochenour, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section prosecuted the case.
Danville Man Who Sold Fatal Dose of Fentanyl Sentenced to 12 YearsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Danville man, who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2019, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
Chauncey Lamont Montague, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2019, A.R., a regular user of opiates, wanted to purchase $20 of heroin from Montague. After being unable to reach Montague by phone, A.R. began walking towards Montague’s home. During the walk, A.R. met up with a close family member who agreed to take her money the rest of the way to Montague’s home and purchase the drugs for her.
After making the drug transaction with Montague, the family member delivered the heroin to A.R. who then used the drugs and was found dead a short time later. It was determined that she died from a fentanyl overdose.
The following morning, Danville Police executed a search warrant on Montague’s residence and an additional 8.2 grams of fentanyl was discovered in the pocket of a jacket in his bedroom.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Jared Forget made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Danville Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case.
North Tazewell Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearms, Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A North Tazewell man, who possessed seven firearms, over 100 rounds of ammunition, an explosive detonator and a destructive device, was sentenced this week to 57 months in federal prison.
Timothy Wader Mitchell Jr., 45, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of an explosive device by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on May 22, 2022, law enforcement responded to the Mitchell residence in North Tazewell, Virginia to serve an outstanding warrant on Sandra Mitchell, Timothy Mitchell’s wife. While at the residence, deputies observed a methamphetamine pipe and several other drug paraphernalia items.
After obtaining a search warrant for the residence, deputies discovered a small quantity of methamphetamine, seven firearms, consisting of five long guns and two handguns, over 100 rounds of ammunition, an electric blasting cap, a fuse, and a destructive device categorized by experts as an explosive bomb.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case.
Covington Man to Serve Nine Years for Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Covington, Virginia, man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in federal prison for using the peer-to-peer filesharing software Freenet to download images and videos of child sex abuse.
Jerald Gray, 51, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of knowingly possessing one or more matters containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age.
According to court documents, in July 2021, Gray began downloading child sex abuse videos depicting prepubescent girls, some under the age of 12, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Based on information obtained through the course of their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained and executed a search warrant at Gray’s residence on December 8, 2021, and seized his computer and cell phone, among other items. Analysis of his computer revealed at least 65 movie or image files that contained child sex abuse material. In addition, Gray’s cellphone contained at least 11 images that depicted child sexual abuse material.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Miller, Rachel Barish Swartz, and Jason Scheff prosecuted the case.
Bedford County Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Forest, Virginia man, who falsely obtained a $25,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2021, pleaded guilty last week in federal court to wire fraud.
Emmett Rudell Staton waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with wire fraud. At sentencing, Staton faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses.
According to court documents, on January 21, 2021, Staton submitted an application for a $25,000 loan through the PPP for a lawncare business he purported to own. On the application, Staton falsely certified that the business had not permanently closed when in actuality he had never operated such a business. In his application, Staton also falsely claimed the business had four employees and an average monthly payroll of $10,000. Although he stated that the loan would be used only for authorized purposes, Staton instead used the loan proceeds for personal expenses, including significant online gambling expenditures.
In addition, Staton caused a second PPP loan application to be submitted in January 2021 using the name of another individual who was purported to be the owner of a daycare business. The application sought $14,000 in PPP funds to cover its three employees and average monthly payroll of $5,600 when, in fact, no such daycare business existed.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case, and the Office of the United States Bankruptcy Trustee referred the case to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Baudinet is prosecuting the case
Health Connect America Fined over $4.6 Million for Improper Billing PracticesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Health Connect America, (HCA) headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee with locations in Big Stone Gap and Culpeper, Virginia, has agreed to pay $4,611,375 to resolve allegations that it billed Virginia Medicaid for services not provided. As part of the resolution, HCA further agreed to be subject to a period of 5 years of increased compliance and oversight, during which any failure to comply with its obligations may result in criminal prosecution and contempt of court proceedings that could result in additional monetary sanctions and injunctive relief.
The allegations involved HCA billing Medicaid improperly for three separate behavioral health services available to children who qualify. Therapeutic Day Treatment is a school-based program designed to assist children with various mental health diagnoses who need support during the school day. HCA billed Virginia Medicaid for providing services to students who were absent from school, and when school was not open due to holiday or weather closures.
Intensive In-Home Services is a home-based program designed to help children who have various mental health diagnoses and are at risk of being removed from their home. HCA billed Virginia Medicaid for intensive in-home services provided by an employee who was having a sexual relationship with a juvenile patient in Orange County, Virginia. That employee has since been prosecuted by state authorities and is serving a 10-year sentence.
Behavioral Therapy Services is a specialized mental health service for children with various mental health diagnoses, including autism, and includes Applied Behavioral Analysis. Behavioral Therapy Services and Applied Behavioral Analysis must be provided by specifically-trained mental health professionals. HCA billed for Behavioral Health Services that were provided by individuals who were not properly trained or credentialed in Southwest Virginia, and used the name and National Provider Identifier (NPI) number of a properly-trained and credentialed mental health professional located in Northern Virginia who had never seen clients in Southwest Virginia.
“Ensuring that healthcare providers accurately bill programs such as Medicaid and Medicare are one of the cornerstone functions of law enforcement,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When providers fail in that mission, we must hold them accountable. I am grateful to all those who worked on this matter and brought it to a just conclusion.”
“Health Connect America tried to charge Virginia Medicaid for child behavioral health services they never performed. I'm proud of the collaboration between my office and our federal partners in reaching an agreement and bringing justice,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.
“Health care providers have a responsibility to submit accurate and honest claims to federal health care programs to ensure that these resources are available for eligible patients,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to safeguarding valuable taxpayer dollars and protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program.”
The agreement resolves HCA’s potential criminal liability based on the investigation. As part of the resolution, HCA has committed to various compliance measures, including, but not limited to, increased compliance and audit requirements, unannounced audits, and enhanced reporting requirements if and when there are incidents of theft, fraud, abuse, or neglect
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort among the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Ramseyer represented the government in this matter.